[edited]

Knowing she wasn’t an ordinary person, the sharp-mouthed man said cautiously, “This cow was just slaughtered this morning. I can give you 200 pounds with bones and skin included.”

The boss had acquired a lot of supplies through special channels.

It’s the first day of business, and not a single pound has been sold yet.

As she mentioned, the wealthy don’t lack meat, and the poor can’t afford it. Finding customers is difficult; even if someone wants it, they only buy half a pound or a pound. How long will it take to sell it all?

Including bones and skin, 200 pounds seems like a lot, but cow bones are heavy, and the pure meat is estimated to be no more than 120 pounds.

However, opportunities are rare, and meat will be scarcer later on.

Jiang Ning remained cunning; she demanded beef from the upper leg and upwards, it can weigh for 200 pounds.

“You wait here. I need to check with my superior,” the sharp-mouthed monkey said to avoid another beating from his boss.

The sharp-mouthed monkey hurried away and returned after about twenty minutes later with another person, his wrapped up so only his eyes were visible.

The superior agreed but wanted to inspect Jiang Ning’s goods first.

Jiang Ning pretended to reach into her pocket but actually took out a small umbrella from her space.

Wang Meng, the warrior, must have also been a part-time seller, offering various sizes. But…

A successful salesman would sell the less desirable items first.

The other party was professional and didn’t unpack it. Instead, they checked the printing and sealing of the packaging. “It’s genuine.”

200 pounds of beef for 200 umbrellas, but who carries that much merchandise?

Even if the sharp-mouthed monkey was willing, Jiang Ning couldn’t carry 200 pounds.

For safety, both parties agreed to multiple transactions of fifty pounds each.

They agreed, then each went to fetch their goods and planned to meet at the north gate of the department store for the exchange.

Jiang Ning remained vigilant and didn’t detect any followers. She arrived at the agreed location just in time.

Soon after, the sharp-mouthed monkey arrived with a black bag.

Jiang Ning inspected it carefully. The frozen meat was deep red, fresh with no off-putting smell.

She weighed it with a spring scale from her bag.

The sharp-mouthed monkey and his companion exchanged glances, thinking this woman was truly difficult, but fortunately, the weight was accurate.

After verifying the beef, Jiang Ning took out the corresponding number of umbrellas.

The inspector frowned, “Why are they all small-sized?”

Jiang Ning retorted, “Is there a problem?”

The sharp-faced man intervened, “Brother, as long as it’s genuine, it’s not a big deal. You don’t know these rich people. They may make a lot of money, but they’re often short and quick.”

Jiang Ning,“…”

Was this something she needed to hear?

The transaction went smoothly. Jiang Ning put the beef into a large backpack, and, once out of sight, she stored it in her space.

In two hours, they completed four transactions, bringing her closer to her goal of beef freedom.

The sharp-mouthed monkey was convinced she was a fellow trader. When leaving, he expressed camaraderie, “Miss, if you get good stuff in the future, don’t forget to find me.”

“You too.”

Being old acquaintances now, Jiang Ning took the opportunity to ask, “Do you have fresh vegetables?”

“There are frozen ones, very expensive, almost as costly as meat.”

Jiang Ning probed, “What do you have?”

“Potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and radishes.”

The sharp-mouthed monkey didn’t sell these, and getting them would require going through peers. After inquiring about the market, Jiang Ning headed home.

When she was approaching the community, she took out three five-pound bags of frozen potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes from her space, and also prepared two pounds of beef.

With contributions from three households, compared to other survivors, they would be having a bountiful year.

Reaching the 17th floor, she encountered Grandma Zhong. Thinking she had extra couplets and blessing characters, she gifted some to her, which delighted the old lady.

Back on the 18th floor, Doudou and Coke were playing together, and they are having a great time. Doudou sneakily fed biscuits into the dog’s mouth.

Upon seeing her owner return, the dog immediately abandoned its playmate and enthusiastically jumped toward Jiang Ning.

Instead of going straight home, she knocked on the door of 1801.

She pulled out the frozen potatoes and handed them to Huo Yishen, saying, “These are for you.”

This guy was smart, and it was impossible to fool him, but this was Jiang Ning’s way of showing her stance, which he should be able to understand.

Receiving the black-skinned frozen potatoes, Huo Yishen invited her inside, “Do you need food or anything else?”

“No need. You and Doudou often feed Coke. This is just a small token from me.”

A stubborn dog like Coke couldn’t be tamed without some treats. Once familiar, it even dared to beg for food.

They didn’t say anything about it, but Jiang Ning couldn’t pretend not to know. After all, she didn’t feed Doudou in private.

She also mentioned the supplies she had stockpiled for the New Year.

While personal supplies were private, the New Year’s supplies needed to be shared, and Huo Yishen insisted on contributing.

“The last few times we have been with the grain collectors, we have collected gold chain watches, cigarettes and the like. We can use these to trade. We can just tell Zhang Chao and the others then.”

Seeing her calculate so meticulously, Huo Yishen said nothing further.

On the contrary, Jiang Ning, who had been pretending, felt a bit embarrassed and awkwardly said, “Do you need firewood?”

“No need.”

Indeed, 1801 was clean and tidy, unlike 1803, which was blackened by firewood smoke, indicating they weren’t lacking in heating fuel.

Jiang Ning didn’t insist and planned to return to her room to rest.

“Anning, are you coming over later today?” he asked, referring to their practice sessions.

Jiang Ning thought for a moment, “Will it be a bother?”

In fact, after many years as an orphan and three dark years in the apocalypse, her personality wasn’t great—defensive, selfish, even cold. She didn’t like herself, let alone expected others to.

Even with her space, she hadn’t told Zhang Chao and the others. Didn’t he see her as selfish?

However, after witnessing the darkness of human nature, even now basking in the sunlight, the inner fear never faded.

So, Jiang Ning didn’t plan to change.

She hoped that Huo Yishen would understand that there was no need to force himself to cater to others to avoid causing dissatisfaction in the future.

“If you don’t come, I’ll still need to exercise. Practicing with a partner improves flexibility and adaptability,” he said.

With no one else around in 1803, Jiang Ning dropped her pretense, “I don’t have much food, and I won’t share my vegetables with you.”

Meaning, don’t count on me for food!

Huo Yishen was amused, “Do you think I’m coveting your supplies?”

“I know you’re not, but I’m naturally suspicious.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t take your things.” Huo Yishen smiled, “Besides, I still have things stored with you. If I really coveted your food and vegetables, you could just keep my stuff then.”

That’s true. He had left some firearms, including a rifle and a handgun, along with 500 rounds of ammunition.

Where did he get the confidence that she wouldn’t take his things?

Fine, he made his point. If he ever harbors any ill intentions, she’ll just take his property.

For the next few days, Jiang Ning frequently went out.

The survival environment would only get harsher, and with Zhang Chao and the others away, she could seize the opportunity to gather more useful items.

As soon as she arrived at the department store, even before entering the main gate, Jiang Ning was approached.

The sharp-mouthed monkey pulled her into a corner, “Miss, do you still have those umbrellas from yesterday?”

That was 200 umbrellas. Could he be another Wang Meng?

Jiang Ning was cautious, “How many do you need?”

The sharp-mouthed monkey dropped all pretense, “I can give you a whole cow, up to 1,200 pounds.”