Conveniently, a large farmers’ market lay near the real estate agency. In her current space, Shen Meng had ten acres of land and a small pond. The setup was basic but had some unique benefits: products wouldn’t spoil, plants grew at an accelerated rate, and the water in the pond was inexhaustible.

She began by buying an array of crop seeds: wheat, rice, sorghum, and corn, as well as vegetables like beans, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, radishes, and leafy greens. If the store had it, she bought it.

Next, Shen Meng visited a grain and oil shop. She ordered a hundred bags each of rice, soybeans, black beans, sesame seeds, sorghum, corn, and millet. She added fifty barrels each of peanut oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, and olive oil. She didn’t stop there—dried goods like red dates, spices, chili peppers, and a range of seasonings and sauces were added to her growing list.

The store owner, thrilled with such a big sale, scribbled out several pages of receipts, her calculator worn from use. Shen Meng had just made a purchase worth more than a month’s sales—over a hundred thousand yuan’s worth. The owner was so pleased that she threw in extra bags of rice and arranged for free delivery.

Shen Meng continued to place orders, this time for vegetables: three hundred pounds of each type available. She hesitated briefly, knowing her space had ample land for growing vegetables from the seeds she’d bought. Still, more important than vegetables was meat.

The bulk of her orders would arrive the following afternoon, so she grabbed a quick meal at a nearby restaurant, then drove two hours to a small town nearby. Known for its fresh, locally sourced beef, this town had farms for cattle, chickens, and pigs, as well as plentiful orchards.

She arrived on a market day. The place was bustling with vendors selling pickled dishes, snacks, pastries, candy, fresh produce, clothes, and household items. There were dedicated stalls for bedding, hardware, and a wide range of other goods. Shen Meng explored seven pharmacies and five baby goods stores, purchasing nearly everything that was high-quality or useful.

The local vendors were straightforward folks, and some of the older ones kindly helped her load her car with their goods, not expecting the volume she’d bought. Each time someone loaded her trunk, Shen Meng would wait for them to leave, then stealthily transfer the goods into her space.

Before leaving, she stopped at a shop selling outdoor cookware and cast-iron stoves. Country prices were a blessing—city beef sold for 50 yuan per pound, but here it was only 30 and fresh. She visited various farms, buying out each day’s stock with the excuse of hosting an event at home. The farm owners were honest and helpful, even throwing in extra offal and cleaning everything for her.

Not one to waste resources, Shen Meng also stocked up on fruits from the local orchards for essential vitamins, buying fresh saplings where possible. She sent everything via next-day delivery to her temporary storage location.

Before heading out, she noticed a small shop selling a wide range of steamed buns. She sampled a few—delicious! The place offered meat buns, veggie buns, beef buns, dumplings, pancakes, rice noodles, and porridge. With fewer people in line, Shen Meng bought everything they had in stock.

When it got dark, she made one last sweep through the biggest pharmacy, grabbing everything she could think of. The dream scenes still haunted her; if she truly ended up in such a harsh setting, even drinking water could become a health risk. Only when her car was packed full of medicines did she drive back to her temporary residence.

Arriving home past nine, Shen Meng collapsed onto her bed, so exhausted she didn’t even bother showering before drifting to sleep.

She awoke at dawn, slightly surprised that she hadn’t dreamt. For a moment, she dared hope that perhaps her luck had changed.

But fate wasn’t about to let her off so easily.

Once she was up, her phone didn’t stop ringing. Deliveries arrived in waves—clothing, blankets, meat, grains, oil, fruits, and vegetables. Truck after truck pulled up to unload everything into the garage she’d rented. As soon as the delivery drivers left, she transferred the goods into her space, a process she repeated over and over.

Fortunately, her apartment building had mostly absentee owners, so her activity went unnoticed. Only one couple walking their dog saw her working by the garage that day.

Satisfied with her progress, Shen Meng went to bed only to wake again from another disturbing dream. This time, she felt a deep, dull ache in her chest. In the dream, a man clutched a green coat she’d once worn, jumping into the river where she had drowned. It was the dead of winter, and when his body was found, it was frozen stiff.

As her heart settled back to a steady beat, she wiped her face and realized it was wet with tears. Reluctantly, she accepted the truth: this family she dreamed of had endured a terrible fate, and she couldn’t help feeling for them. She also had to admit, her stockpiling wasn’t over yet.

The next day, she booked a flight to the country’s biggest wholesale market, where she bought all kinds of things: hair ties, makeup, enamel basins, classic ceramic mugs, old-style thermoses, hot water bottles, retro clothes, shoes, hats, winter coats, yarn, sewing supplies, and even bicycles, televisions, and refrigerators. If it might be useful, she bought it.

Just as she was about to extend her stay for more shopping, she got a call from the real estate agent. An older couple was interested in buying her apartment. Immediately, she canceled her plans and flew back—this wasn’t an opportunity she could afford to miss.

The elderly buyers were kind and didn’t try to haggle too much. After some quick negotiations, they signed the contract.

Afterward, Shen Meng spent her days collecting package after package. National pride in Chinese-made products was trending online, so she went on a buying spree, placing orders for everything from essential household items to nostalgic favorites. These were inexpensive, effective, and came with lots of free gifts.

Strangely enough, ever since she started stockpiling, Shen Meng’s sleep had been dreamless and peaceful.