[edited]

Both are wary of each other; they are afraid of getting double crossed so it’s best to do the exchange in floodwaters. It was the perfect setting. 

202 kilograms of wild boar meat exchanged for 202 kilograms of new rice, with another meeting set at 7 p.m. tonight. 

The three of them brought back the rice. Jiang Ning had already prepared everything: frying pan, salt, seasonings, crushed chili peppers, and items for tonight. 

Worried about Zheng Weili’s safety, they also asked Lu Yu to stay. 

Seeing a few people coming down, He Zhian blocked the staircase with a smile, “Where are you all going? Running around is quite tiring. How about we lend you a hand and bring everything back in one trip?” 

Several rubber boats followed in the morning, but they were still left behind. 

They went out every day, but the supplies they found were dwindling. The team members became increasingly dissatisfied and the often mocked him and compared him to the 18th floor. 

“Just a few bundles of firewood, no need for Captain He to worry.” 

Jiang Ning smiled wryly, “Our temple is small. If we bring back a few bundles of firewood, I’m afraid it won’t even be enough for one of you.” 

“Look at Little Jiang talking like that. Helping each other out among neighbors, how could we take your things?” 

“Then we won’t agree.” Seeing him stubbornly persist, Jiang Ning didn’t mince words, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch, right? You already borrowed the rubber boats, are you going to ask to borrow firewood too?” 

He Zhian was speechless, his face turning green. 

These uncooperative people, they better not fall into his hands! 

The villa, halfway up the mountain, was quite far away. It took over an hour by motorboat to reach and it’s nearly at the border of the city. 

If you ignore the raging floods below, it truly is a stunning natural paradise. 

The verdant mountains, with glimpses of elegant and chic villa complex. 

The lower areas were already submerged, and the slightly higher areas had water creeping into their front yards. Everyone had already evacuated. 

All the collected supplies were concentrated in the tallest villa, filled with furniture, water towers, several unused gas cylinders, scattered boxes of charcoal, and so on. 

Huo Yishen and Zhang Chao went up the mountain to haul the wild boar, while Jiang Ning cleaned the kitchen to make braised dishes. 

Grilling the raw meat took too long. It was easier to first braise it in a pot to remove their moisture, then grill it over charcoal. 

When the wild boar was brought back, Huo Yishen cleaned and cut it into thin strips as Jiang Ning requested. 

When the time was almost up, he carried a wild boar and took Zhang Chao to trade. 
 

Once the two of them left, Coke was stationed at the door as a lookout. Jiang Ning took out the solar powered battery box, grinder, induction cooker, and other items from the storage space. 

The induction cooker braised the meat, the finely chopped lean meat was poured into the pot, seasoned with spices and chili, and continuously stir fried on the gas stove. 

To extend the shelf life, the meat sauce was fried until very dry, giving off a particularly enticing aroma. 

When the two returned, it was almost nine o’clock. Two large pots of meat sauce were ready, and the thinly sliced meat had all been braised and drained in a basin. 

Hearing Coke’s warning, Jiang Ning stored away everything that shouldn’t be seen. 

Seeing Jiang Ning had done most of the work, Zhang Chao’s jaw almost dropped. “Anning, isn’t your efficiency too high? 

“That’s right, don’t you know who I am?” 

Jiang Ning began to light the fire for grilling the meat. “How did your trade go?” 

“We did it at the same place where we slaughtered the pig last time. the remaining two will be handed over tomorrow morning.” 

Having collected hundreds of pounds of new rice, Zhang Chao breathed a sigh of relief. “Once we finish this batch, we won’t have to worry for the next year or two. By then, order should be restored, right?” 

Jiang Ning agreed, “Perhaps.” 

“After enduring the extreme cold, they had to wait for the floodwaters to evaporate and recede. By that time, the country’s base should also be established. 

If they were willing to go, then she believed there would still be a way out. 

The three of them sat around the charcoal stove, placing the drained braised meat on the grill. 

Funny enough, most of the water was already evaporated from the meat, so it grilled very quickly. 

Zhang Chao took a bite, “It’s so salty!” 

“The weather is too damp, salt is the only way to preserve it for long.” 

Teaching the two of them how to grill meat, Jiang Ning went to braise the pig’s elbows, faces, and skull bones. Once done, she brought them back to the 18th floor to reheat. 

The aroma of the meat made Zhang Chao couldn’t help but salivate; he grabbed an elbow and started gnawing. 

Finally, when the whole pot was brought down, the three of them enjoyed it together with steamed buns. 

Zhang Chao, being greedy and mischievous, remarked, “With such a good cooking skills, I wonder which lucky guy will benefit in the future.” 

Jiang Ning glanced at him casually and replied nonchalantly, “Certainly, it’s not you.” 

Huo Yishen ate quietly without saying a word but subconsciously glanced at her. 

“Woof!” A restless dog ran over, wanting to join the fun. 

The dog’s expression seemed to say, “Look at me, I’m here!” 

Jiang Ning patted it’s head, saying, “No one is getting any benefits, I’ll be with Coke.” 

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Zhang Chao teased, “You can’t cross species!” 

Jiang Ning gave the order, “Coke, attack him.” 

The dog immediately pounced, showing it’s teeth and claws ready to attack. 

Zhang Chao quickly begged for mercy, “Ah! I’m sorry, I won’t do it again, big doggie, spare me.” 

Huo Yishen coughed lightly. 

Instead of letting go, the dog scratched him with it’s paw. 

After a lively and cheerful dinner, they continued grilling meat into the night. 

One pound of raw meat became half a pound of jerky. They had a large bag full, around dozens of pounds, along with dozens of pounds of meat sauce, braised elbows, pig faces, and marinated large bones. 

By the time they finished, it was past three in the morning. Since they had to trade in the morning, they decided to stay in the villa. 

The beds were still there, they just changed the sheets and their clothes. 

With the dog keeping watch, everyone slept soundly. 

When Jiang Ning woke up, Huo Yishen had already completed the trade. They exchanged four wild boars for over eight hundred pounds of new rice. 

They cooked a pot of noodles, ate their fill, and then left. 

Back on the 18th floor, Jiang Ning called out to Huo Yishen, “Let me check your wound.” 

He was the one who got injured, yet he hadn’t said a word. 

Huo Yishen followed her into the room. Jiang Ning wanted to examine him, but he was too tall. 

“Sit down.” 

Before Huo Yishen could sit back down, the dog took the seat first. 

Huo Yishen sat on the sofa, and Jiang Ning lowered her head to check his wound, indeed finding it bleeding again. “Why didn’t you mention this yesterday?” 

“The injury isn’t severe.” 

“Doudou is still young, so don’t take it lightly. With a shortage of medical supplies and your frequent exposure to water, once you get infected, a fever is very likely.” 

Jiang Ning disinfected and re-bandaged the wound, “Don’t touch water for the next few days.” 

One was sitting and the other one was standing, they were quite close. The dog watched them intently, it’s head tilted first to the left, then to the right, and suddenly squeezed over and stretched out its paw towards Jiang Ning. 

“It’s little paw needs bandaging too!” 

Jiang Ning chuckled, “Go away, stop causing trouble.” 

860 kilograms of rice, 72 pounds of jerky, 30 pounds of meat sauce, and other miscellaneous things. 
 

Jiang Ning took what belonged to her dog and didn’t involve herself in the affairs of the villa halfway up the mountain. She focused on reading and exercising at home. 

Zhang Chao and Lu Yu spent several days bringing back the water tower and firewood. 

Since there were ongoing construction projects at the villa halfway up the mountain, they also brought back a lot of water pipes and discussed how to install the water tower on the rooftop. 

Doudou was scared at first, but children forget quickly, and soon she was happy again. 

Huo Yishen’s injury hasn’t healed yet, but he still comes over every day to practice. 

He used only one hand, which made it difficult for Jiang Ning to exert full force, fearing that it wouldn’t be fair. 

With a strong young body, he reached the standard for having the stitches removed in just five days. 

Zheng Weili had a more serious injury and had her stitches removed on the tenth day. 

After the wild boar incident, Zheng Weili no longer thought about sparring with Huo Yishen. His skills were beyond her reach.