Chapter 177: The Sucker
The tricycle owner was in a brief moment of hesitation.
He had just passed by that neighborhood.
Riding from here to the Jinyuan Community, it would probably only take 20 minutes. A round trip would earn him 45 points, which was undoubtedly a great business deal.
But, first, he would need to find the boss and bring the person and goods over to negotiate… it might not even work out.
Secondly, the other party wanted to ride his tricycle to the unseen defense military camp…
The tricycle owner hesitated for a moment, glanced at Huai Yu’s brand-new bicycle, and then looked down at his own worn and old tricycle. He gritted his teeth and finally said:
“Alright!”
It wasn’t that he was willing to take risks or that he wasn’t tired, but making 100 points in a day was enough to boast about for ten years.
The tricycle owner, familiar with the route, pulled out a large water bottle from the vehicle, drank two big gulps of salty water, and then said casually:
“Alright, I’ll go first. You bring these things over and come back early.”
Huai Yu nodded, her excitement at the water barrels was even greater than the thought of earning points!
Water barrels! Her big water barrels!
…
With the help of the tricycle owner, Huai Yu’s bicycle finally bore the weight it shouldn’t have.
She pushed the bicycle steadily forward, thinking about how to preserve the meat.
She thought of everything she could use at home, even considering the well at Zhou Qian’s place. Hanging the meat in the well for low-temperature preservation might last for two days.
But this wasn’t just one or two pieces of meat—it was three large wild chickens the size of ostriches and at least enough bullfrogs to fill a big basin!
After thinking for a long time, Huai Yu reluctantly admitted that the only option now was to salt and air-dry the meat.
She felt a pang in her heart.
…
Meanwhile, the tricycle owner had quickly ridden to the Jinyuan Community. Seeing the lively market square inside, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes!
How did it seem like this place had more varieties and was even more bustling than the trading market?
And what they were selling—was that fresh vegetables? So many!
The only downside was that his tricycle was parked nearby, and the parking fee was pretty expensive. It cost as much as parking three times!
There was no choice, though. After all, the tricycle took up a lot of space!
—But the girl didn’t mention parking fees.
However, with 100 points hanging in front of him, he had already arrived, so after thinking for a while, the tricycle owner had to tough it out and agree.
Then he took a bright beer-bottle-colored jade bracelet from Huai Yu’s hand and asked again: “If I need to ride in to move the goods, this will let me in, right?”
The lady at the parking lot was quite flexible in doing business and immediately answered without hesitation:
“Of course, this will work. You just paid for three parking fees, right? I’ll make an exception for you.”
“But it has to be quick. The tricycle can’t stay in there for too long.”
“We also have proper managers for the community market. Otherwise, how would we get the mutant value detectors from the government?”
That made sense.
The tricycle owner became more cheerful and excited as he rode toward the market, even buying a few vegetables and seasonings for his own family along the way. They were even cheaper than the ones at the trading market.
Though the mutation value was a bit high, at this price, he didn’t mind.
After walking around the market, with his two plastic bags full, he suddenly remembered he could wait. After finishing the business, he could come back and leisurely shop.
However, thinking about the parking fee, the tricycle owner quickly did the math in his head, and soon, with a big smile, he focused on getting the things done for Huai Yu.
After some inquiries, he finally found the old shop in the corner.
Next to it was a farm tool store, and under the eaves, several large barrels were lined up, covered with a thick layer of dust.
This must be it!
This must be the large water barrels the girl wanted!
The tricycle owner felt a jolt of excitement and immediately went to speak to the owner.
…
With meat and the water barrels dangling in front, Huai Yu felt like she had endless strength.
She unloaded the goods from the bicycle without taking a moment to tidy them up and then quickly turned and rode off again to wait.
Would she be able to buy two large barrels today?
One would go under the barnyard tree, which was now green and the leaves were curling, with several leaves dripping water balls.
She had already set up the area around the water balls as a simple outdoor shower for the summer. The rest of the space could be used for the large water barrels, saving her from having to fetch water each time.
If she had another barrel, it could go in the shed.
That way, it would be more convenient to cook since the stove had already been moved out.
And these ceramic barrels were much cleaner and more sanitary than the big storage boxes she had salvaged from the junkyard. They also wouldn’t breed bacteria as easily.
Thinking about having cool, clean water to drink in the summer, Huai Yu couldn’t help but feel excited. She no longer even envied Zhou Qian’s well.
…
She waited at the station for a long time, and her tense mind began to relax slightly. Finally, she saw the tricycle coming toward her, huffing and puffing.
In the back of the vehicle were two massive ceramic barrels—one was a typical reddish-brown, and the other was brown-yellow.
“Two?” Huai Yu asked in surprise as the vehicle came to a stop.
“Not just two!” The tricycle owner beamed with joy: “I figured you might want more, so I had them bring all the barrels from the store.”
And here came the boss too.
But that was just to make it sound better. The truth was, the boss had already grown tired of these barrels that were hard to sell.
After all, water was hard to drink, so what did it matter what it was stored in?
These barrels were so expensive, sitting in a row under the eaves, collecting thick dust, and the ropes used to secure them had even started to rot.
The boss had been hoping to sell them for a long time, but now that a “rich” customer appeared, he couldn’t wait to seize the opportunity.
Huai Yu, however, wasn’t thinking about any of this.
She just stared at the two large barrels, and under the persistent persuasion of the boss and tricycle owner, she also looked at the small barrels inside them. She became delighted:
“How much are these?”
This was a rare opportunity! Although she asked the price, she had already decided to buy all the barrels today.
The tricycle owner, sensing her desire, quickly pointed to the large barrels and said:
“These barrels are 1.2 meters in diameter and 90 cm high. Look at how thick the base is, the craftsmanship is solid…”
“Especially now, you can’t buy them anywhere else! I’m probably the only one selling them in the whole city!”
“Miss, if you really want them, I can give you a flat price: 2000 points for the two big barrels.”
“The two small ones inside are 560 points.”
Huai Yu: “…???”
Did she really look like a sucker?
