Chapter 219: Scoring a Major Bargain

They really were mink coats—and not just one or two.

At a glance, there were at least seven or eight, in various colors and both long and short styles.

Besides the mink coats, there were also plenty of designer handbags, brand-name clothes and shoes, all women’s items.

But the stall owner was a man.

At this swap stall, quite a crowd had gathered, but most people were just there to watch the spectacle and make snide remarks.

“Is he crazy? Swapping mink coats in this fifty-degree heat?”

“What’s the point of those designer bags? Are you going to find better supplies just because you carry one?”

“Probably just wants to clear out space at home—might as well throw them away, haha.”

An Nan stepped closer to take a careful look at the mink coats. The fur was dense and fine, all top-quality mink.

These were lifesavers in extreme cold. In freezing temperatures, not even the best down jacket could compare to a good mink coat.

In just a few months, the extreme heat would end, followed by six months of heavy fog, and then the bitter cold would set in.

Buying these mink coats now would be perfect for when the temperature dropped.

So she asked, “How do you want to trade for these?”

The stall owner’s eyes lit up.

He’d been squatting here for two days, and all he’d gotten were people mocking him. This was the first time someone had seriously asked about the price.

He quickly replied, “I’ll trade for food.”

Before the disaster, every piece of clothing and every bag here had cost tens of thousands. But now, these things weren’t even as useful as a roll of toilet paper.

An Nan frowned. “How much food, exactly?”

Was it a single grain, or a whole kilo? He needed to be clear.

The stall owner watched her expression, thinking she found the items worthless, and hurried to lower his price, afraid of losing his only real customer.

“Miss, just two kilos of rice, and you can have all the clothes, shoes, and bags here.”

“These all belonged to my wife. She’s gone now, and keeping them at home just makes me sad. Most of them are almost brand new—some she never even wore…”

Before An Nan could reply, the onlookers started commenting.

“Women, always so materialistic. It’s the apocalypse, and they’re still buying designer brands and mink coats.”

“What a waste—two kilos of rice could last a long time if you ration it!”

Gu Zhiyu shot them a cold look. “Are they using your rice?”

Someone wanted to retort, but was pulled away by a companion. “Don’t say too much. These people clearly aren’t short on supplies.”

Especially since the woman was carrying a gun!

Gu Zhiyu withdrew his gaze and was about to say “deal,” but An Nan stopped him.

She looked at the stall owner. “I only want the mink coats. I’ll trade two packs of biscuits for them.”

Only the mink coats?

The stall owner was stunned. The clothes and bags were at least usable, but the mink coats were basically just for show.

It was fifty degrees out—just looking at those coats made him sweat, let alone wearing them.

But if he could trade these useless mink coats for a day’s worth of food, he’d be making out well.

He nodded eagerly. “Deal. I’ll trade with you.”

An Nan took two small packs of biscuits from her backpack, feeling very satisfied.

Two packs of biscuits for eight mink coats. What a steal.

During the extreme cold, a single mink coat would be worth its weight in gold. Even if she didn’t wear them herself, she could trade them for plenty of food.

The stall owner took the biscuits and carefully put them away, then helped An Nan pack up the coats.

The coats were bulky—one person couldn’t carry all eight. Gu Zhiyu and Zhao Ping’an helped out.

As the stall owner handed over the coats, he kept trying to sell the rest:

“The other clothes and bags are great quality too, miss. Don’t you want to take them all?”

An Nan waved him off.

Even though she had plenty of supplies, she still made sure every bit was spent wisely—no waste allowed.

She already had plenty of clothes and bags in her storage space. Why take these second-hand ones?

“If you have more mink coats at home, I’ll take them. But nothing else.”

The stall owner was taken aback.

Why was this woman so interested in these useless things?

He shook his head helplessly. “No more coats.”

Then, curious, he asked, “What do you want so many mink coats for?”

An Nan replied casually, “Personal preference. I like winter and snow. I just like having things related to them around—it makes me happy.”

Gu Zhiyu glanced at her thoughtfully.

The stall owner’s eyes lit up. “Then would you be interested in a snowmobile?”

An Nan’s eyes lit up too. “A snowmobile?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I have a snowmobile. Bought it the year before the disaster, barely used it. If you want, I can trade it to you too.”

An Nan was secretly delighted.

This was a great find—no way she’d pass it up.

When the city was buried in snow and everyone else was trapped at home, she’d be cruising around in her thermal suit and mink coat on a snowmobile—unstoppable!

But she didn’t show her excitement. Instead, she acted a bit skeptical. “With all that flooding before, your snowmobile must be water-damaged by now…”

The man quickly explained, “It didn’t get flooded. I used to run a small business in Zhongguan District. When the company folded, the lease wasn’t up, so I used the office as storage. The snowmobile’s on the eighth floor—never got touched by the flood.”

An Nan thought for a moment, got the exact address, and agreed to check it out in Zhongguan District the next day.

Then the four of them left the market, arms full of mink coats.

Zhao Ping’an couldn’t help but sigh, “Boss, you have the same taste as my mom.”

An Nan glanced at him. “How so?”

Zhao Ping’an said, “My mom used to love fur—bought all kinds of it back in the day. Later she thought it was cruel, so she switched to faux fur. I thought young women like you wouldn’t be into this stuff.”

An Nan pouted. “Why can’t young women like fur?”

Cruelty or not, when the extreme cold hits, only those who’ve felt it will understand.

By then, forget about being cruel to animals—people will be so cold they’ll want to strip their neighbors for extra layers.

The four of them browsed the market a bit longer. Gu Zhiyu didn’t see anything he wanted, Zhao Ping’an found some ironware, and Chu Peipei picked out some candles and toilet paper.

But they’d only planned to look around, so they hadn’t brought any supplies to trade.

They agreed on prices with the sellers, then headed home with the coats to fetch their supplies.

The second time out, Gu Zhiyu stayed home to cook.

An Nan raised an eyebrow at him. “Comrade Gu, you’re quite the model housewife!”

Gu Zhiyu smiled. “I guarantee that when Madam gets home from shopping, dinner will be ready.”

Madam?

An Nan rolled her eyes at him. “Smooth talker!”

Gu Zhiyu: “You like it.”

An Nan: …

He’d seen right through her."