Chapter 221: Excitement, Ready for Next Year!

The auction progressed swiftly, reflecting the current trends of the second year of the apocalypse. Food had become as valuable as hard currency, and processed or rare snacks were akin to gold.

A bottle of Xiao Laojiao wine sold for 600 virtual coins, a carton of Wangzai Milk went for 500 virtual coins, and a box of ten chocolates fetched 1,000 virtual coins. Jing Shu felt like a wealthy queen just sitting on her stash of snacks—any little bit could make her rich.

But even though the apocalypse stretched far ahead, Jing Shu couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't have enough snacks.

Gradually, as various seasonings became scarce, they, too, started showing up at the auction. One person contributed a gift pack of Taotao Le seasonings, which included chicken essence, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. It sold for 600 virtual coins.

Two five-liter jugs of peanut oil sold for 1,000 virtual coins, pricier than the pig oil Jing Shu had sold earlier.

The prices of these supplies were inflated due to scarcity. With production halted and no sunlight for years to come, everyone knew it would be impossible to produce such items in the near future.

Take something as simple as vinegar, for example. The production process alone involves numerous steps—rice and millet must be steamed, gelatinized, liquefied, and saccharified to convert starch to sugar, which is then fermented into ethanol using yeast. It wasn’t that these items couldn’t be produced, but the cost had become astronomical. In a world starved for food, the government had forbidden the use of grains for anything but essential purposes. If the wealthy wanted these luxuries, they’d have to produce them themselves, but even they couldn’t do it all. In the apocalypse, few rich people could truly replicate such luxuries.

Thinking ahead four or five years, when everyone else would be stuck eating plain, salt-seasoned food, Jing Shu could already imagine her family secretly enjoying red-braised pork and cola chicken wings, living a life that still felt like the pre-apocalypse days.

This foresight was why, after being reborn, Jing Shu’s first priority was buying enough seasonings to last ten years. She’d made a wise decision. Even if they ran out, she could always grow more in her dimensional space and make her own in secret.

When it came to food, Jing Shu—and, indeed, all the people of China—never feared hard work.

In the end, everything from the auction was sold, except for the items from Jing Shu's table. They raised a total of 100,000 virtual coins, all of which was immediately donated to purchase white rice from the government. The rice was cooked into free meals for those who hadn’t eaten rice in the past ten days.

But Jing Shu also learned the true meaning of “a drop in the ocean.”

Although 100,000 virtual coins sounded like a lot, and the food was sold at low prices, the rice they bought was only enough to feed 70,000 or 80,000 people one meal.

Wucheng had millions of people who hadn’t had a meal with rice in over ten days.

So, Jing Shu realized that in the apocalypse, it was better to focus on taking care of herself. Helping others was fine if it was within her means, but giving everything away to save a few wouldn’t accomplish much. In fact, it might even lead to resentment from those who weren’t helped, which wouldn’t be worth it.

As the event wound down, Jing Shu left feeling satisfied. During the auction, Wang Dazhao had shared many stories about their trip to America, with Yang Yang occasionally chiming in.

Jing Shu finally learned the story behind the man who had lost his hand—the one sitting in the front passenger seat when the explosion happened, which explained the massive hole in the RV’s front.

She also found out that many others had worked together on the plan, using a diversion tactic to pull off a successful heist.

Listening to these tales filled Jing Shu with excitement.

Yang Yang nodded. "We might be going back next year."

Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. “When?”

“It depends on the higher-ups, but they’ll be more prepared next time. We’ll probably be looking for different things,” Yang Yang said, as he used a needle to carefully punch holes in tea leaves, creating his art.

“Can you take me along next time?”

Yang Yang nodded. "We might actually need you. We need someone who can bulldoze their way through obstacles, and I think you'd be perfect. Honestly, you’re better than some of the top-ranked people from the capital—they act all high and mighty, but they’re not nearly as capable as you.”

“Alright then, I’ll bring my armor. There's no place we can’t go. Just give me a heads-up, and we’ll avoid wasting another six months like last time.”

Jing Shu did some quick mental calculations. If the trip happened next year, it would coincide with the major earthquake. As long as her villa was running smoothly and her family’s positions had stabilized, she wouldn’t need to stay behind all the time.

Her family wasn’t weak, either. After drinking the spirit spring water for so long, they had grown much stronger. Her grandfather practiced archery daily, and with her title at the Herbal Medicine Association and her likely promotion to vice-chairman, she had both power and strength on her side.

As for allies, Jing Shu could rely on people like Li Yuetian, Niu Moo, and Yang Yang. Potential connections included Zhou Bapi, and maybe even the influential Qian Duo Duo , depending on his son’s abilities.

Then there was Su Mali, someone Jing Shu preferred not to rely on, but if push came to shove, she could ask her for help. After all, Su Mali was formidable.

Jing Shu also thought about the impending earthquake. Her villa area had never collapsed in the previous timeline, but she remembered that her uncle’s family had been crushed. This time, she would make sure they survived.

In just a few seconds, Jing Shu had already planned out how to secure her family’s safety while she was away. She had never traveled abroad in her past life—not out of patriotism, but because she was poor.

Even though the apocalypse had ravaged America, she figured there were still plenty of good things left to scavenge. Jing Shu was determined to seize the opportunity to explore. The more she thought about it, the more motivated she felt to upgrade her dimensional space. The higher the level, the more junk she could haul back.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be going back soon. We’ve already got a handle on the situation in America. If things go well, we might even swing by some nearby areas,” Yang Yang said, grinning for the first time all day. Like Jing Shu, he got excited just thinking about the adventure ahead.

There were still many places waiting to be explored.

…

After Yang Yang's grandfather’s birthday celebration, Wucheng News reported on the old soldier’s generous donation, sparking a wave of virtual coin donations. The old man’s actions had clearly inspired a wave of positive energy.

That night, the old man didn’t end up kneeling on a washboard. It was rumored that he made a blood mushroom and carp soup for his wife, charming her into a good mood. Apparently, the soup worked wonders, rekindling the romance between them.

Meanwhile, Jing Shu, determined not to miss out on any more opportunities, returned to the downtown salvage area in her Shark Submarine. This time, her strategy was clear: she was there to find missing people, save them, and—well, you know…