Chapter 41: The Vase
Huai Yu was in no rush at all.
She spoke slowly, seemingly a bit resentful, “My brother didn’t tell me…”
“Oh.” The middle-aged man connected this to the last time when she had spent her points on those dates, and suddenly understood. He clicked his tongue, still a bit unsatisfied.
“Anyway, those clothes are custom-made. Sis, if you want clothes like that, it’s not easy. Sometimes, adventurers buy a few defective items at a discount, but they wouldn’t be suitable for you. Just forget about it.”
Huai Yu nodded, watching the man slowly scoop the beans. Her gaze gradually became distracted.
The middle-aged man didn’t notice at all. He lifted the bag and felt its weight. “How big is your planting area? I estimate about ten jin, is that enough?”
“Legumes are cheap, three points per jin. Don’t be shy, go ahead and try the method I told you. Don’t be stingy on the points, it’s not worth it.”
Huai Yu nodded but didn’t say whether it was enough or not. “Thank you, Uncle.”
After he had handed her the bag, she suddenly asked, “Do the guard troops often go to the wilderness on missions alone?”
“Who knows!” The middle-aged man carried the bag to the counter. “It all depends on the combat plan. But the wilderness is so dangerous, usually they go in groups. If one person goes, well… maybe their mutation value has surpassed a critical level…”
He suddenly fell silent, then slowed his steps, his expression turning serious as he looked at Huai Yu. “Sis, is someone in your family going alone? A guard or adventurer?”
Huai Yu paused for a moment before nodding. “A guard.”
The man’s expression immediately became a mix of sympathy and respect.
After a while, he spoke quietly. “It’s okay. There might be some instructions from above… Don’t worry about it. Save your points and live well.”
He placed Huai Yu’s bag on the scale. He wanted to suggest that if she brought a martyr’s certificate, she could get a discount, but the girl looked so well-protected, and the fact that her brother was trying so hard to keep things from her made him think better of saying anything.
He sighed, then kept quiet.
Huai Yu, however, didn’t leave immediately. The seed shop had many fast-growing vegetables that could be harvested in 20 days, all with planting instructions.
She picked and chose for a while, then selected a few more.
When she went to check out, she saw the middle-aged man’s retreating figure. For some reason, her expression became absent-minded again.
She could roughly guess what he wanted to say.
Lin Xuefeng had once said that once a mutation value surpassed the critical point, the person would go mad and eventually die.
He also mentioned that having roses as company in the wilderness was quite romantic.
On that rainy night, he had walked alone through the rose corridor, and his reasons for doing so were unspoken but obvious.
“132 points in total.” The seed shop owner casually handed over the transaction ring. Huai Yu snapped back to attention and quickly paid.
Such a pity.
She carried the basket, feeling a little melancholic as she looked at the cloudy sky, then at the people walking by on the pedestrian street. She couldn’t help but recall the man in his snow-white uniform, smiling helplessly at her in the rain, and a wave of sadness rose within her.
…
But no matter how sad, life had to go on.
Huai Yu shook herself out of her thoughts. After some consideration, she decided to buy a blanket, a pillow, and a sheet.
After all, using a sleeping bag every day was constraining and uncomfortable. Since she didn’t have any urgent survival needs right now, she might as well use her points to improve her living situation!
Before that, though, she made one more stop at the store selling rice, flour, and oil.
“How much is the rice per jin? The better kind.”
The shopkeeper lazily looked up. “The price has gone up. Mutation value 13, 35 points per jin.”
“The best flour, mutation value 14, 32 points.”
Huai Yu immediately felt like she wasn’t so rich anymore.
But she was really craving something, so she said, “Give me two jin of the worst rice and flour.”
The shopkeeper didn’t even look up. “What do you want to pack it in?”
Huai Yu…
She went next door to buy two plastic kimchi jars. Although they were plastic, the ceramic ones were too heavy, so she settled for these.
She also bought ten plastic bags to use for the rice and flour.
After thinking for a moment, she turned and bought a stainless steel lunchbox with a lid. This was the most expensive item since it could be heated directly over a fire, costing her 35 points.
“Two jin of fresh pig lard! And two jin each of the 10-point rice and flour.”
Since she could purify things herself, she figured it was better to work a bit harder and save some points.
She added, “Also, some dried chili peppers… weigh them…”
Originally, she wanted half a jin, but seeing the price of 185 per jin, she quickly changed her mind. “Weigh two liang.”
“One pack of salt too.”
Looking at everything, she figured it would be enough for now. Satisfied, she stuffed everything into her basket, then went to buy her bedding.
Her points had gone from 810 to just 338, and with the previous 200-plus points, she was back to a balance of 570.
The basket was so heavy, over 17 jin, and she was afraid it might stunt her growth.
But going to the city took four hours, and even though Huai Yu didn’t want to carry so much every time, reality was as it was. She still had to carry heavy things to buy bedding and clothes.
The weather was so damp, clothes wouldn’t dry, and she had to stand by the fire to dry them, which was really troublesome.
A new set of underwear cost 50 points. Listening to the customers in the store, she overheard them complaining that prices had gone up after the rain, and the forecast predicted it would rain for another three or four days…
So despite everyone’s complaints, they still had to buy.
A four-jin silk quilt cost 168 points, and a coarse cloth sheet was 40. Huai Yu managed to haggle and got them to throw in a pillowcase.
She lingered in the store for a while and even bought a set of more comfortable loungewear for herself.
She didn’t buy second-hand clothes, so 80 more points were spent.
On rainy days, she could only huddle in the treehouse, so she had to find ways to make herself more comfortable.
After all the shopping, her points dropped back to 232.
Sighing quietly, she accepted that her savings would never exceed 300 points.
With the basket full, including a vacuum-packed quilt, sheet, and pillowcase in her hands, Huai Yu checked the time. It was already past noon. She took one last look at the pedestrian street, then turned to leave.
A moment later, she returned to the convenience store and splurged on a cute, small white porcelain vase for 10 points.
The store owner, a tall and thin woman, saw Huai Yu’s large bags filled with everyday items and advised her, “Girl, when buying a vase, pick a bigger one. It can hold water and stuff. This one is too small. It’s cheap, but it won’t be useful for much. Pretty to look at, but not practical, not worth it.”
Huai Yu shook her head. “Thanks, Auntie. I don’t have many points. I’ll take this one.”
Ignoring the store owner’s disapproving look, Huai Yu placed the vase carefully on the counter, then strapped her heavy basket back on, and left Hongsheng Pedestrian Street.
