On her way back, Li Juan stopped by Old Wang’s place with Xia Qing and bought two medium-sized bamboo baskets each.  

As they carried them back, they happened to pass by the grocery store and decided to go in.  

“Boss, you’ve added new stuff again!” Li Juan exclaimed excitedly, spotting a thermos flask—just what she needed.  

“Boss, I’ll take a thermos and a hot water bottle.”  

Su Ling handed them to her. “Do you need aluminum foil? It’s for pasting on walls to block wind and dust. Five yuan for a big roll.”  

Li Juan hesitated and exchanged a glance with Xia Qing.  

Xia Qing shook her head. “Zhang Xiu won’t split the cost with us. Zhou Yan is frugal—her family doesn’t send her much money because she has a younger brother. Zhang Miaomiao probably has money, but her spot is further inside, so she doesn’t get much wind.”  

The situation in the neighboring rooms was similar.  

However, before winter, they had gone to the scrap collection station and bought some newspapers to paste on their walls, so their rooms were slightly better off.  

Li Juan sighed. “But it’s so cold, and I feel like it’s getting colder every day.”  

Su Ling thought to herself, You’re not wrong—it really is getting colder each day.

“How about we buy it anyway? Our beds are next to each other, so we can use it to create a sealed space. It’ll be warmer, or else this weather will be unbearable,” Li Juan suggested.  

Xia Qing gritted her teeth and agreed. Money could always be earned later, but falling sick from the cold would be worse.  

Besides, compared to buying new quilts, aluminum foil was cheaper. And who knows—maybe others would chip in once they brought it back.  

After discussing it, the two bought a roll to take back.  

Xia Qing also bought a hot water bottle and a thermos. After this spending spree, neither had much money left, but at least no one would target them now.  

Just as they left with their purchases, they ran into Zhang Miaomiao and the others.  

After asking about the items, Zhang Miaomiao pitched in for a share of the aluminum foil. When she was about to buy a thermos, Xie Linfeng stopped her and went to make the purchase himself.  

Thus, Su Ling made another sale—two thermoses, two hot water bottles, and an old-fashioned flashlight.  

Soon, the shop was empty again, but outside, a long line had formed by the machine.  

Everyone watched the “big contraption” nervously until the voice announcement confirmed their transaction, finally putting them at ease.  

Shen Ping’an was among them. His basket was small, and he was worried it wouldn’t register, but the machine quickly announced the recording, making him sigh in relief.  

As Shen Ping’an walked away with his basket, Wang Zhaodi happened to see him.  

She never imagined that this future tycoon, a top-tier magnate in the business world, had once been so down on his luck. But that had nothing to do with her—she needed to seize this opportunity to make money fast.  

……  

Inside the store, Su Ling sighed listlessly. No phone, no novels, and no customers.  

Hua Hua curled up in a cardboard box, comfortably grooming itself. “The first world is indeed tough. It needs our help to function properly.”  

Su Ling looked down at it. “There are too few customers. The vegetable section still isn’t unlocked.”  

Hua Hua reassured her, “It’s coming soon. Right now, it only covers nearby villages, but as more customers come, the coverage will expand.”  

Su Ling felt relieved. While restocking earlier, she’d noticed that some categories were still locked—she didn’t meet the requirements yet.  

It seemed she’d have to wait for more customers to arrive.  

…

Wang Baoguo and Wang Congbing parted ways at the fork in the road, heading toward different villages. The snow along the path nearly reached their knees, making the journey extremely difficult. 

In the past, they would have found this nothing but a nuisance. But now? Every step meant money waiting to be made!  

Wang Baoguo had the shorter route, arriving at the entrance of Shilin Village around noon. His father-in-law’s house wasn’t far from the village entrance, so he soon reached the courtyard.  

Bang! Bang!

“Dad! Mom! Open up!”  

Inside, Old Zhao groggily opened his eyes and nudged his wife beside him. “Did I just hear Baoguo’s voice?”  

Tian Dahong bolted upright, tears instantly streaming down her face. “Oh no—is it Goudan? Did Goudan… Aiyo, my poor child!”  

Sobbing, she hastily wrapped her coat around herself and rushed into the yard. The doors of her other sons and daughters burst open at the sound of her cries, and they all hurried outside.  

“Baoguo! Is it Goudan? Did he… did he…”  

Tian Dahong collapsed to the ground, her hoarse wails cutting through the air. Murky tears rolled down her wind-chapped cheeks, melting tiny pits into the snow.  

“Mom!”  

Oldest Zhao quickly helped her up, then turned to Wang Baoguo in panic. “What happened to Goudan?”  

“Nothing! A new store opened in our village—I bought milk powder, and Goudan pulled through! I came to tell you all to hurry and buy food while you can. The boss even buys snow—the more, the better—and pays for it!” Frantic, Wang Baoguo rushed forward to help Tian Dahong up, then swung the basket off his back.  

“Here’s two pounds of cornmeal. Take it for now.”  

“…He’s alive?”  

Tian Dahong scrubbed her tears away roughly, her bony fingers clutching Wang Baoguo’s sleeve until her knuckles turned white. “Goudan’s okay?”  

“He’s fine, Mom! Better than ever—that milk powder’s packed with nutrients.” Wang Baoguo’s eyes were red-rimmed.  

Old Zhao stared at the cornmeal, then at his son-in-law. “A new store? Selling food… and buying snow? This snow?”  

There was too much to explain, so Wang Baoguo quickly ushered everyone inside and laid out the whole story.  

“The boss said the more snow, the better. And the more customers who go to buy things, the better. But our village head warned us—others can’t touch the snow from our village, or else people might block the roads, and then no one can buy food,” Wang Baoguo added.  

Old Zhao immediately understood—this was Shilin Village’s lifeline.  

“Eldest, go get the village head. No—wait, just gather as many people as you can. Tell them to come here—I’ve got news. There’s a place to buy food now.”  

“Got it, Dad! On my way!”  

…

Wang Congbing’s journey was longer and harder, his in-laws living deeper into the mountains. It took him a full two hours longer than Wang Baoguo to arrive.

When he finally got there, his in-laws first accused him of being delirious from fever, then insisted he must’ve lost his mind.  

It wasn’t until Wang Congbing pulled out the cornmeal that the Lin family finally rushed to notify their village head.  

After hearing the news, the village head immediately gathered a group of young men and followed Wang Congbing back through the snow toward Dawang Village.  

…

Back in the two neighboring villages, after Wang Baoguo and Wang Congbing left, the remaining villagers huddled together anxiously.

Some worried they hadn’t bought enough. Others feared the food might run out before they returned. The women fretted over their own home villages, unable to sit still.  

If there really is food… then everyone can survive. 

This fragile hope flickered in every heart as they gazed past the swirling snowstorm, eyes fixed on the path beyond the courtyard.  

…

[Ding—]

[New Mission: Serve 300 customers and complete transactions (87/300). Unlocks the Clothing & Accessories Section.]

Su Ling’s eyes lit up.  

Here we go!