Things are precious because they are rare. Fruit canned goods are luxury items, and the market is only so big. Yu Xifeng sold dozens of boxes of canned goods from her space, but the value would definitely depreciate.

That’s not what Yu Xifeng wanted.

To keep the price stable, she had to limit the quantity. According to her estimate, the maximum amount of rice she could exchange for canned fruit was around 400 kg.

If she wanted to participate in the bidding, she would have to offer something else.

Rice was definitely out of the question.

It was a true strategic resource. During the agricultural stagnation, every bit counted. If she offered 10 kg, people would suspect she had 500 kg; if she offered 500 kg, they would suspect she had 5,000.

Yu Xifeng held up her paddle: “700 kg.”

All eyes in the room focused on her. A woman in the front row turned back elegantly and nodded to Yu Xifeng in acknowledgment.

Yu Xifeng returned a slightly embarrassed smile.

Zheng Weiyang’s gaze had never lingered on Yu Xifeng this long before.

Previously, their small talk was just packaging for his public persona.

From now on, Yu Xifeng was truly in his sight.

He had invited her over purely by instinct.

Zheng Weiyang never expected a lone orphan girl to bring him such a big surprise.

700 kg — nearly a ton of rice.

If Zheng Weiyang’s factory were still operational, he might not have cared about 700 kg.

But there were no “ifs.”

When He Yuan confirmed that Yu Xifeng was the one who bid, he almost fell off his seat.

He wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

What had he done… he couldn’t bear to think about it.

He was at the level where he could rebuild an underground shelter with his toes.

The woman in the front row smiled gently: “720 kg.”

Yu Xifeng: “750 kg.”

“The little sister is bold, but I really need this RV. 800 kg.”

Yu Xifeng silently raised her paddle and added 30 kg.

The price reached 1105 kg.

That was almost Yu Xifeng’s bottom price.

Any higher was not because she couldn’t offer more, but because she mustn’t.

Fortunately, the lady did not continue and regretfully withdrew.

In the end, Yu Xifeng won the RV with a bid of 1105 kg.

Applause erupted throughout the hall.

Yu Xifeng felt somewhat helpless.

If it were possible,

She really didn’t want to be so high-profile.

The RV, having passed extreme tests, held her tightly in check.

Yu Xifeng sighed quietly.

Because the amount was huge, after the bid, Zheng Weiyang personally came over and politely invited Yu Xifeng backstage.

They needed to complete the delivery before the auction ended.

Yu Xifeng did not stall.

She went back once and moved everything — herself and the chicken — out from her space.

The sudden appearance of the RV disrupted Yu Xifeng’s original plans.

She quickly set up a long-term cohabitation scene for one person and one chicken, then separated the room with curtains so no one could peek inside.

Besides the chicken, Yu Xifeng also picked up an egg laid by the hen.

It was to prove that this was a mature hen, one that could lay eggs on its own.

Surely more valuable than a chick that might or might not grow.

This hen had been found by Yu Xifeng at the villa. Since she picked it up, it drank mountain spring water and ate carefully blended millet and vegetables prepared by Yu Xifeng. Occasionally, it also got special corn snacks produced by Zheng Weiyang’s factory.

Few hens under the heavens lived so well.

When Zheng Weiyang found out Yu Xifeng was offering a plump hen, he was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed.

Just a chicken?

He had thought he had found his missing batch of supplies.

Zheng Weiyang’s expression remained calm, his smile gentle: “We’ll arrange for the auction now.”

The hen and the egg were squeezed into the final lot of the auction.

They were sold at a price of 586 kg.

Did this person really need a hen for eggs?

With so much rice, they could easily buy high-priced eggs produced by research institutes.

Three meals a day, all kinds of variety.

Just for the sake of having what others don’t.

Some people, no matter the circumstances, always stand at the top of the food chain.

After deducting auction fees, Yu Xifeng added another batch of canned fruit and 68 kg of rice to complete the RV delivery.

Avoiding rice completely would have been too deliberate.

This was enough.

Coming out of the auction hall, Yu Xifeng met He Yuan and his father.

He Yuan’s father seemed to have been waiting there all along. As soon as Yu Xifeng emerged, he stepped forward and shook her hand.

His posture was very humble.

You can’t slap a smiling face, and He’s father had no reason to offend her.

Yu Xifeng extended her hand, shook lightly, then retracted it.

She hadn’t been so polite in a long time — felt strange.

As she thought this, He’s father smiled awkwardly: “My son is still young and immature. If he offended you in any way, please don’t take it to heart, Miss Yu.”

He Yuan was still young, still immature in his cultivation, his face fluctuating between pale and flushed.

Unlike Zheng Weiyang and his father, He’s father showed no emotion on his face.

Yu Xifeng nodded in response and said she had to go pick up the RV.

He Yuan and his father politely stepped aside.

Behind her, He’s father whispered to He Yuan, “You said she knows Zhang Qiu. Are they a couple?”

He Yuan replied reluctantly, “Probably not.”

He’s father glanced at him: “You’re not much older than her. When you have time, get to know more outstanding people.”

He Yuan understood the hint from his father but felt embarrassed.

Hadn’t he been outstanding enough since childhood?

If it weren’t for this broken world.

Just some rice, some supplies, enough to make him lose his dignity and humble himself.

Always like this. Always the same.

Amid awkwardness and angry jealousy, He Yuan’s heart burned with fiery envy.

He and his father had put so much effort into moving to an underground shelter, but only made it to Zone Four.

Zhang Yuan, a loser, with a half-dead old man, lived in Zone Two.

Why?

Even the women around Zhang Qiu were like that.

What was so good about Zhang Qiu anyway?

Since childhood, he was unmotivated, studying sporadically, spending time gardening at home, and his family indulged him.

Back then, Zhang Qiu’s family had already made arrangements with the teachers — any time he asked for leave, it was granted.

Zhang Qiu hung around daily with people who had no ambition.

He commuted to school and always brought all kinds of junk food, with a handsome face that attracted everyone, boys and girls alike.

He Yuan had really endured him for too long.

And kept waiting to see what would happen to someone who wasted his life like that.

He Yuan was the county top scorer that year; his family arranged for him to study business management.

Zhang Qiu stayed local and majored in Chinese medicine, happily supported by his family.

After university, He Yuan got a 200,000 annual salary job immediately and later became a successful entrepreneur — undoubtedly outstanding.

Zhang Qiu? After graduation, he drifted around various places.

During school, he had so many sick days. After graduation, he traveled everywhere.

Since they were from the same place, He Yuan could hear some news about Zhang Qiu.

Zhang Qiu had been to Tibet, southern regions, many small towns He Yuan never even heard of.

At reunions, adult classmates still gathered around Zhang Qiu.

They heard stories about him being carried down from the mountain due to lack of oxygen, being ripped off by a crooked merchant at a guesthouse, paying 500 yuan for a forced purchase of a cabbage dish, traveling far for a hand-grabbed meal but leaving because it was disgusting.

He Yuan always felt Zhang Qiu’s life was meaningless.

Then the apocalypse came.

Everything he was proud of collapsed like withered wood.

At home, He Yuan felt like a precious gem covered in dust.

No one could understand his pain.

He was taught since childhood to move in better circles.

All men, how could he not understand Zhang Qiu’s intentions?

Did he want to fight Zhang Qiu for a woman?

Ridiculous.

And utterly humiliating.