[edited]

Seeing that Jiang Ning was unmoved, the man showed a pained expression, gritted his teeth, and said, “I can give you 10 pounds of rice or flour.”

He didn’t want to sell it, but their household was struggling to put food on the table, and further delay could lead to dire consequences.

Seeing Jiang Ning’s silence, the man couldn’t help but feel anxious. “I can’t go lower than 8 pounds. It’s genuine gold and silver, worth 5 million. I take care of them as if they were my own children.”

“I only have potatoes.”

The man was taken aback, then said, “Potatoes will do, but I need 20 pounds.”

Their luck wasn’t good; they didn’t get the cold-resistant seeds in the first batch, and although they were included in the second batch, it would take over a month before they could harvest them.

Jiang Ning nodded and took out potatoes from her large backpack.

The man handed her the painting, not forgetting to impart preservation methods. It was evident he deeply cherished calligraphy and painting.

The painting appeared to be placed in her bag but was actually sent into her space.

Just as they were about to leave, the man spoke again, “Young lady, I still have a lot of collections at home. Do you… want them?”

Jiang Ning didn’t rush to answer; instead, she probed her consciousness to check the space.

Sure enough, the space swallowed it.

There is now an extra toilet on the second floor.

20 pounds of potatoes were indeed a great value!

Jiang Ning was ecstatic inwardly but remained calm on the surface. “Sure, but I want genuine goods.”

Worried about safety, the man didn’t bring them all at once. However, his collection of books, calligraphy, and paintings numbered over 20 pieces, all from the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with a total value of over 20 million. Additionally, there was a superior-quality inkstone from the Ming Dynasty.

This was his lifelong collection, highly sought after by many. Despite receiving numerous offers, each multiplied several times, he remained unwilling to part with them.

But now, he couldn’t even exchange them for a pound of rice.

Antiques were valuable in prosperous eras, gold in chaotic ones, but now they’re only as valuable as food in an apocalypse.

He had approached the second-hand traders, and initially, he could exchange them for some supplies. However, soon enough, they refused to accept them.

It was not easy to find someone who was willing to exchange food, so he could only take the opportunity and reluctantly give up. There was even a bit of uneasiness in his eyes, “If you want it, I can make it cheaper.”

Jiang Ning thought for a moment. “How should we trade?”

After much consideration, the man said, “300 pounds, in batches.”

Being too conspicuous at once, he feared he might not have the opportunity to bring back more, and he also feared the other party might have ulterior motives.

Jiang Ning couldn’t ask for more. “Deal.”

On their way home, Huo Yishen asked, “Can calligraphy make your space bigger?”

They were already halfway when he held her hands, and Jiang Ning didn’t hide anything. “Gold, silver, jade, or other spiritual old items. After the space swallowed that painting, an extra toilet appeared.”

“Why don’t you ask the sharp-mouthed monkeys to exchange for a batch of calligraphy, antiques, gold, and jade?”

Jiang Ning said enthusiastically, “Don’t worry, I have already thought of a way to exchange things.”

Non-renewable resources wouldn’t be traded unless absolutely necessary.

The next day, the two kids were still being taken care of at Grandma Zhong’s house.

Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen went to the agreed location and completed the transaction with the man on time.

The man brought his wife along and exchanged seven pieces of calligraphy for 100 pounds of potatoes.

The last trip involved paintings and the inkstone and all his precious collections of calligraphy from various dynasties. The man’s heart was bleeding, and he held onto the painting of the cold plum with reluctance. He feels like he was losing a part of his soul.

Jiang Ning threw them into her bag, then took them out after a moment. “Since you regard this painting as a part of your life, it must be fate that brought us together. Consider it a gift from me.”

The man was dumbfounded. “But the food…”

“No need to return it,” Jiang Ning replied casually as she turned around and left.

In truth, he didn’t even know that the painting was a fake; the space didn’t even swallow it!

However, judging from his expression, he seemed genuinely mistaken rather than being intentionally deceitful.

The 300 pounds of potatoes had expanded the space by two rooms, which was already a great deal. Giving him back the fake painting allowed him to retain some spiritual comfort.

“Wait,” the man caught up, “I have a friend who is a porcelain collector. He also wants to exchange food. Would that be, okay?”

So, the two of them spent another three days running around.

These three days were extremely fruitful—the third floor of the space villa was completed!

The addition of the third floor meant the entire space had gained three meters in height, effectively increasing its volume by one-third.

Excited, Jiang Ning hugged Huo Yishen. “Do you think I’m just too lucky?”

This was the first time she had taken the initiative, and Huo Yishen took the chance to embrace her. “It’s because you planned it well.”

Jiang Ning looked up at him. “Thank you for accompanying me these past few days.”

Huo Yishen retorted, “Wouldn’t I be expected to?”

Jiang Ning smiled, not falling into his cunning trap.

Although they acquired a considerable size for their space, it was full of danger. Those who operated in the shadows were formidable characters, and their eyes were like human scanners.

The two of them had appeared in the trading street repeatedly, which quickly drew attention and being marked as potential prey. Armed, they were tracked and monitored secretly.

However, although their surveillance was meticulous. But Huo Yishen’s counter-surveillance was even more formidable. The gap in their capabilities was like the Somali trench.

One might say they were human scanners, and Huo Yishen was the big data analysis.

They thought they were skilled; but little did they know that they had been targeted for a long time.

After completing the transaction, the two suddenly split up. Huo Yishen carried a large package, while Jiang Ning walked empty-handed and not only did they go in the opposite direction, but she also increased her pace.

“Boss, which one do we chase?”

Having finally caught a big fish, they couldn’t just let it slip away. They had to capture it.

“Split up and chase. You two go after the woman, and the three of you come with me.”

Taking out their weapons, they separated and hurriedly pursued…

“Quick, that woman went into the office building.”

Despite being heavily wrapped up, her walking posture showed she had a good figure and appearance. Catching her would provide days of amusement for their brothers.

The two men rushed into the office building excitedly. “Chen, I let you have the last one. It’s my turn this time.”

“Nonsense, you only let me have the last one because you thought she was ugly. Today’s woman is beautiful, and whoever catches her first wins!”

Perhaps thinking the woman was vulnerable, and now that they had chased her into a dead-end, the two men had no scruples. In their eagerness to claim victory, they chased each other faster and faster…

“Crunch…”

As they turned a corner in the hallway without slowing down, Chen crashed into a sharp object, and his body was impaled.

The other man, who was following closely behind, narrowly avoided the collision, thanks to his stable footing and timely braking.

He saw the bloody, sharp blade protruding from Chen’s back, and his pupils were dilated in fear.

Closed against the wall, a figure emerged slowly, lifting her foot to push Chen away.

As the body fell, a cold smile appeared on her indifferent face.

She was beautiful, yet her demeanor was venomous.

With a long knife in hand and a sinister smile, she seemed like she was possessed by a black widow.

Clearly, she had left empty-handed…

No, she wasn’t a woman; she was a ghost crawling out of hell!

The man’s face turned pale, and without a second thought, he dashed downstairs.

Help!