Chapter 24: Su Tao’s General Store
Alarms immediately went off in Su Tao’s mind.
Xiang Bin had recognized her and knew about her grudge against the Su family. Instead of confronting her directly, he bypassed her and went straight to Zhuang Wan.
But Zhuang Wan was a simple and straightforward person—she preferred to call and confirm things herself.
Su Tao’s expression darkened. “You did the right thing. No matter who tells you that someone is trustworthy or asks for special favors, don’t agree. Always see for yourself and ask before making a decision. As for those who bring gifts, don’t bother accepting them. If you like something, just tell me, and I’ll get it for you.”
Zhuang Wan felt warm all over after hearing this and happily continued screening tenants.
Meanwhile, Su Tao had a new thought—she needed to get rid of Xiang Bin as soon as possible. Keeping him around in Taoyang would only cause trouble.
Trying to bypass her and pull strings with people around her? Dream on!
Two days later, the four tenants for the one-bedroom apartments were finalized: a military couple and a newlywed couple working at the Grain Bureau. They all seemed like ideal tenants—kind and easygoing.
Zhuang Wan was getting the hang of things. She smoothly handled their check-ins, introduced them to Taoyang, and emphasized the community rules.
Both sides were very satisfied. When the tenants saw the beautifully decorated rooms, they were so impressed that they couldn’t take their eyes off them.
They took photos and showed off to their friends, sparking jealousy and admiration.
Among the envious ones was Su Zhengqing.
“Dad, didn’t you say you had a friend in Taoyang who could get in touch with the landlord? Why aren’t we on the list again? Did we not give enough gifts? Dad, please find another way for me, or else Qiu Xia and I are done for.”
Su Jianming stayed silent for a long time before finally saying, “Son, maybe we should give up. If we spend a little more time and money in Dongyang, we can still find a decent place.”
Su Zhengqing was dumbfounded. “Why?! Dongyang is crawling with zombies now—how could it compare to the fortress-like security of Taoyang? And have you even seen the pictures? For the same price, could you find such a well-furnished place in Dongyang? Impossible!”
Su Jianming got angry. “Old Xiang was right! Sons are nothing but debt collectors! If you’re so capable, go ask your mother to get you into Taoyang! Get lost! Don’t let me see you for a while.”
Su Zhengqing was furious and stormed out, slamming the door.
Su Jianming collapsed onto the sofa, staring at the ceiling. He realized that the only thing of value he had in his life was his property. His children didn’t care about him at all—they only had their eyes on his house.
He made a phone call. “Old Xiang, I don’t know if what you said is true, but if possible, can you let me meet her?”
…
After renting out two one-bedroom apartments, Su Tao’s total assets had reached 206,000 Federation Coins.
For someone who had lived in poverty for 18 years, this was an astronomical sum.
She had no idea how to spend it all at first.
But she quickly came to her senses. Upgrading to Level 4 required 200,000 Federation Coins, and increasing the total number of rooms to 50 would also cost money. There was no such thing as having too much money.
Money was always in demand.
Additionally, a newly unlocked reward—a general store for daily necessities—had caught her attention.
It stocked almost every essential item people used before the apocalypse, including shampoo, body wash, sanitary pads, skincare products, and cosmetics.
However, nothing was sold individually—just like the food shop, everything was dispensed through vending machines offering multiple items at once.
One machine, in particular, caught Su Tao’s eye—a vending machine exclusively for women’s hygiene products. It stocked over ten different types of sanitary pads, including daytime, nighttime, panty liners, sleep shorts, and even some varieties she had never heard of before.
Su Tao had never used sanitary pads before. She had always made do with cloth strips, washing and reusing them.
After the apocalypse, industries producing disposable goods had collapsed.
In addition to sanitary products, the machine also stocked feminine hygiene wash, wet wipes, and even lingerie detergent.
And the prices were reasonable—a pack of sanitary pads cost only 50 to 60 Federation Coins. Tenants in Taoyang could easily afford them.
But outside Taoyang? Even with money, these items were nearly impossible to find.
Without hesitation, Su Tao ordered three machines.
She placed one in her own bathroom but struggled to find space for the other two in the public areas.
After searching for half a day, she waved her hand decisively and spent 1,000 Federation Coins to open a single-room space designated as a public area.
From now on, this room will be turned into a general store.
Su Tao placed the two women’s hygiene vending machines inside the store.
She couldn’t resist and ordered two more vending machines for toiletries, stocked with everyday essentials like shampoo, body wash, hair masks, and essential oils. These were also placed inside the general store.
Now, people could actually take proper showers instead of just rinsing with water—they could finally smell nice again.
Lastly, she returned to the small dining hall and installed a small automatic tissue dispenser next to the breakfast machine. For just 5 Federation Coins, tenants could get a pack of tissues.
These five machines, along with the inventory costs, totaled 9,000 Federation Coins—not expensive, but they significantly improved the quality of life for her tenants.
On top of that, Su Tao could now earn an extra 2,000–3,000 Federation Coins per day, which was quite satisfying.
Looking at the 200,000+ in her account, she let out a long, contented sigh—her happiness was overflowing.
For now, she decided not to open new rooms or take in more tenants.
First, she wanted to save up some money and enjoy life for a while.
Second, she wanted a break—too many people made management difficult.
And third, and most importantly, the Dongyang Base was unsafe, and bringing in new tenants posed a risk.
By mid-March, the weather had warmed up considerably. When the tenants woke up in the morning and saw the new public room, they curiously went in to check it out.
Whenever something new appeared, it was always a gift from their landlord, Miss Su!
It had to be some rare treasure from before the apocalypse!
*
Xing Shuyu had been swamped with work at the base and was finally able to spend a night in Taoyang. But when she woke up, she realized her period had arrived.
Panicking, she rummaged through her bag for something to use but couldn’t find anything, making her even more anxious.
She rushed out and grabbed a female tenant, trying to borrow some tissues.
The woman pointed toward a room and said, “Oh, just go buy some from there! Boss Su stocked up plenty for us ladies, and the prices are cheap. Hurry before they’re all gone!”
With her legs clamped together, Xing Shuyu hurried over and saw four neatly arranged vending machines filled with all kinds of supplies. For a moment, she felt like she didn’t recognize Taoyang anymore.
She had only been away for a few days—where did Su Tao even get all these high-end essentials?
Without hesitation, she bought out all the remaining sanitary pads.
The women who arrived later were furious. “Do you have any decency?! You bought everything—what are the rest of us supposed to use?”
