In return for a pack of cigarettes, Lao Luo didn’t forget to remind the two, “Don’t buy goods from small stalls. Many coarse sea salts are mixed with sand, and the seafood dried goods aren’t fresh either.” 

Several households in the villa area were doing business, and when they first arrived, they fell victim to scams. They learned to be smart later on. 

After chatting about this and that and seeing that Huo Yishen had no objections, Jiang Ning decided to rent the villa. 

They chose the one on the mountaintop, far away from the other occupants, making it less likely for anyone to notice their activities. 

Upon learning that the two would live on the mountaintop, although Lao Luo was surprised, he didn’t say much. “Alright, please come with us to complete the procedures.” 

While Huo Yishen was checking Doudou’s forehead wound, Jiang Ning took out several large bags of potatoes from her space and unloaded them into the car. 

When Doudou got into the car, her eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, but it seemed like she was already accustomed to it and didn’t ask anything. 

Back at the security booth, not only did they have to register their ID cards, but they also had their photo taken so that all the security guards could recognize their faces to prevent disturbance to the tenants by unauthorized people. 

They were also issued entry and exit permits—It was quite professional indeed. 

Accustomed to dealing with the wealthy, the security guards weren’t surprised by the ordinary potatoes Jiang Ning brought out. They skillfully weighed them and received 450 kilograms. 

Lao Luo was very enthusiastic and didn’t forget to tell them where to buy furniture and that they could ask the security guards for help if needed. 

After completing the formalities, Jiang Ning drove back to the mountaintop. 

The first thing wasn’t to clean the rooms but to turn on the air conditioning—it was unbearably hot. 

But unexpectedly, the air conditioning was broken. 

They didn’t want the villa’s furniture, so Jiang Ning closed the door and kept taking things out of her space. 

There might not have been much else, but there was definitely no shortage of furniture and appliances. 

For safety and visibility reasons, the two chose to live on the second floor and decided to tidy up three rooms. 

The solar generator could finally be openly used. 

Air conditioners, refrigerators, humidifiers, washing machines, dishwashers, beds, sofas, tables, clothes, blankets… 

It was great to have wealthy neighbors. You have it, I have it, and we all have it; there was no need to be coy. 

After cramming a room full, they started taking things out one by one. 

The air conditioners needed to be reinstalled, so Jiang Ning first used ice and an air cooler to cool down. 

Doudou wasn’t idle either. After applying ice to her forehead, she started sweeping and mopping the floor. 

The little guy was busy and happy. The dog also wanted to help, but Jiang Ning found it obstructive. “Coke, your task is to guard the house. Don’t let any bad guys in. If bad guys come in, it’s your fault, and your dog food will be deducted.” 

The dog accepted the task and immediately went to guard the balcony. 

Huo Yishen took the lead, Jiang Ning assisted, and it took them two hours to install three air conditioners. 

As for the old ones, they were all thrown into another room for storage. 

The newly installed air conditioners finally blew out cool air, saving them from the heat. 

Enjoying the air conditioning, they finished lunch and continued to work. 

It took them another two hours to arrange three rooms and clean up the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. 

In the evening, Jiang Ning took out the electric fence she got from a sharp-mouthed monkey. Together with Huo Yishen, they fenced the villa yard. 

Although the security measures are okay, natural disasters and the end of the world are the most unpredictable, and they can’t take it lightly at any time. 
 

Using the electric fence to enclose the villa, they repeatedly reminded the two kids not to touch the electric fence if they didn’t want to end up as barbecues. 

In order to teach them a lesson, Jiang Ning threw the cockroaches she caught while cleaning into the electric fences, which soon gave off a burnt smell. “Want to eat barbecue?” 

The two were frightened and retreated repeatedly. 

At this time, the sun was about to set, and the surviving people who had been hiding began to move. The beach was crowded with people. 

Everyone was scorched by the hot sun, and after a day of roasting, they jumped into the sea like dumplings. 

Jiang Ning stood on the balcony, carefully observing the villagers on the beach and in the fishing village through her binoculars. 

There are people everywhere, crowded closely together, giving off a chilling feeling. 

Jiang Ning suggested, “Let’s go take a look.” 

Since they were already here, they couldn’t forget about their main purpose—going to the market to gather information. 

So, the three of them, plus the dog, got into the car. Before leaving, they increased the electric current of the electric fence and didn’t forget to stick on a friendly reminder: “High-voltage electric fence, strictly forbidden to touch; life and death at your own risk!” 

The drive was quick, and they arrived at the seafood trading market in the fishing village in just over ten minutes. 

The once bustling market is now extremely quiet. Seafood-dried goods such as shrimp, shrimp skins, dried fish, scallops, fish gelatin, dried squid, fish maw, squid, dried squid, snail meat, silver fish, and more were seen everywhere. 

The variety was vast, but there was one thing missing—fresh seafood. 

There was no other way. When fresh seafood had just come ashore, and if not processed promptly, it would start to smell bad in a few hours in the hot weather. 

Living by the sea and depending on the sea for food, the wholesale market’s dried goods weren’t expensive; two pounds of grain could be exchanged for one pound of dried goods. 

Sea salt was even cheaper; we exchanged pound for pound. 

There was no other way; their area could only produce salt and dried goods. 

Even though seafood dried goods were nutritious, being real meat. But having seafood for every meal every day, no matter how tasty, had become tiresome for a long time. 

They wanted to eat rice, noodles, or vegetables. 

But the weather was too hot, and the seawater couldn’t be purified. They couldn’t grow rice, and as for vegetables… As soon as they sprouted, they were plucked by others. 

Living by the sea, unlike other cities suffering from severe water shortages, water was available by digging wells dozens of meters deep. 

However, due to the depletion of surface water, seawater intrusion occurred, and even though it was filtered through the soil layer, it still carried a salty taste. 

Drinking it made them even thirstier. 

So, there was even freshwater trading—1 pound of salt exchanged for 10 liters of freshwater, or 1 pound of dried goods exchanged for 20 liters of freshwater. 

Jiang Ning wasn’t lacking in life experience and would compare prices among different shops. When encountering reasonable prices at large stores, she would trade with potatoes or sweet potatoes. 

Not much, just about one or two pounds. 

The fishing village seafood market was a mix of good and bad. Huo Yishen stayed in the car with the two, while Jiang Ning took charge of investigating. 

After leaving the seafood market, they went to the military-government-led seafood trading center. 

That’s right, in order to obtain survival supplies, the municipal government and the military jointly set up departments with professional fishing boats and salt fields. 

The seafood caught could be sold externally, but with strict quota limits. 

Private individuals could purchase 10 pounds of fresh seafood and 5 pounds of dried seafood within seven days with their entry and exit cards. 

1 pound of fresh seafood was exchanged for 1 pound of grain, while dried seafood required 2 pounds of grain, and coarse sea salt was given away for free with half a pound. 

After seven days, the daily limit per person would be reduced to 1 pound, and the price would double. 

Huo Yishen explained, “The main purpose of the Seafood Department is to supply materials to the municipal government and the base while also providing limited assistance to ordinary survivors who come to the seaside seeking survival.” 

As for the lack of restrictions on private group fishing or salt making, it ultimately had to give the masses a way out and allow them more ways to obtain survival supplies. 

Jiang Ning lined up and bought 1 pound of dried squid with cold-resistant potatoes. 

As for fresh seafood, there was none available. If they wanted any, they needed to queue up before 8 o’clock in the morning because the fishing boats would dock around two or three in the morning, and if it exceeded eight in the morning, it wouldn’t be fresh anymore. 

After obtaining the dried goods, Jiang Ning went back to the car to compare. 

It had to be admitted that there was a reason for the higher price. The official seafood not only was larger in size but also looked shiny and smelled better. 

The sea salt was the same; it looked clean without any impurities. 

If possible, buying from the official sources was the best option, but the official prices were high and there were restrictions on purchases. 

Not only were there limits on individual purchases, but there were also limits on groups, and they had to present a letter of introduction stamped by the neighborhood committee. 

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