Chapter 213: Bottom Line
Huaiyu’s thoughts were already known to Zhou Qian.
Since she was so persistent in asking, it was clear that she was determined to do it, so he didn’t try to stop her. He just gently patted her head:
“First, focus on getting stronger.”
Anyway, he would be accompanying her.
Then, he turned to look at Chenxing and said seriously, “Please explain things in more detail to her.”
Chenxing: …
Chenxing didn’t know if Huaiyu’s brother was fierce or strong, but she had certainly witnessed his unconditional doting on her.
After a brief pause, Chenxing adjusted her words:
“Besides the car and a companion, fuel is also essential.”
“You don’t need a communicator; except for short-range walkie-talkies, nothing works out there.”
“Then there are the usual daily necessities, you can decide what to bring yourself.”
“Also, avoid anything shiny, whether it’s weapons or clothes. They can be colorful, but shiny items are best avoided.”
“The mutant crows on the outskirts of the wasteland are very attracted to shiny things. If they see any, they’ll try to snatch them.”
Zhou Qian nodded: “Yeah, that’s basically it.”
Huaiyu then realized: “Right, Zhou Qian, you’ve been to the wasteland so many times. I should have asked you earlier.”
“It’s always good to listen to others,” Zhou Qian said seriously. “We execute collective missions, and these supplies are distributed by logistics. I might miss something in the explanation. You and Chenxing are both girls, so there may be details I missed.”
Right.
Huaiyu realized, then looked at Zhou Qian again and nudged him: “Then, can you step out for a bit? I need to ask Chenxing some questions about girl stuff.”
Zhou Qian thought about what she said regarding development, and without a word, he walked out of the room: “I’ll wait for you in the rest area.”
He was so tall and strong, his presence quite intimidating, but when it came to Huaiyu, he was obedient, even when she pushed him out the door without any resistance.
Chenxing’s eyes widened, admiring the scene and nearly drooling in awe.
Then Huaiyu curiously asked: “Chenxing, what if you get your period while in the wasteland?”
Chenxing: …
This topic was very much a “girl” thing, but it was also a critical one.
“Usually, I avoid going during that time.”
But since the disaster, many women’s cycles are unpredictable, so…
“You need to prepare some short-acting contraceptive pills in advance. If you’ve already set a schedule, you should take them on time.”
“If your cycle is irregular and you feel something’s off, you need to take it immediately.”
“However, the pills are quite expensive,” Chenxing sighed, thinking about her debt. With no one else but herself, she had to rely on the prospects of the [Bai Zhao Subsidy] company, and she couldn’t help but feel the weight of that responsibility.
“Can’t be my own boss, but now I have to prepare these pills.”
She was referring to the earlier example—having no trusted companion, she had no choice but to rely on the convoy.
Huaiyu quickly jotted down the notes, then nodded: “Thanks, Chenxing—seriously, don’t you want to borrow some points from me?”
“No need,” Chenxing waved her hand. “My car is still with Old Zhao. Once I recover, I’ll head back to the wasteland. I can’t earn much more, but these points can be earned in just a couple of trips.”
At least the hospital was interest-free.
…
After leaving the hospital, Huaiyu shared her thoughts with Zhou Qian: “Chenxing said we could ask someone to collect the unwanted mutant plants. I’m planning to go ask that man at the highway station again.”
“Zhou Qian, it’s inconvenient for you to carry so much, so why don’t you head back first?”
Zhou Qian shook his head: “Businesspeople tend to bully the weak. Since you mentioned that he knows where you live, he might try to take advantage of the remote location.”
“I’ll come with you. At least I can stop him from overcharging.”
Huaiyu thought to herself that if the man tried to overcharge, she could always ask someone else. Many people at the highway station were competing for goods, and business was fierce, so she wasn’t worried about it.
But Zhou Qian had even less experience with life than she did.
She felt pity for him: “You’re right, come along. You can learn something from it.”
Zhou Qian: “??”
But it seemed they had arrived at the wrong time. During the day, the vehicle traffic at the highway station was sparse, and even the people waiting by the roadside were few. Huaiyu stood on tiptoe for a long time but didn’t see the familiar face from before.
She felt a little disappointed, but there were still a few tricycles parked there, so she tentatively asked about the prices—
Forget it, better to find Uncle Zaoshi.
Clearly, Uncle Zaoshi knew the other person, and that was a better option than dealing with people charging 200 points for freight.
On the way back, both of them looked tense.
Huaiyu realized she had been too naïve! These small business people were cunning.
Zhou Qian also felt careless. He had thought his intimidating appearance and scars would scare off these unscrupulous traders, but when they saw him at the highway station, what kind of wounds hadn’t they seen?
He was just a nobody compared to them.
In the end, they both had to carry big bags and take a two-hour bus ride back home.
When they finally dropped the bags, even Zhou Qian, with his impressive strength, couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
It wasn’t that he was physically exhausted—the majority of the time was spent on the bus, so he didn’t have to carry the bag for hours.
But the mental exhaustion from going out was real.
He put down the bag and saw Huaiyu happily unpacking clothes, shoes, and socks. Then he silently took out the hoe:
“How about we make some stewed potatoes tonight?”
Feeling hungry, Huaiyu touched her belly and said indulgently, “I’ll soak some dried chicken to make stewed meat tonight.”
“Let’s dig up some sweet potatoes too! We have so much white sugar! It’s fine to eat some today, right?”
Candied sweet potatoes, here we go!
However, once Huaiyu looked at her transaction ring balance and thought about their big appetites, she couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
Right now, they were eating the rice and noodles from Zhou Qian’s friends. There wasn’t much oil left at home, and they ate a lot. Their food consumption was significant.
And she still needed to save up points. If she went to the wasteland, the car alone would cost at least 50,000 points, right?
Huaiyu suddenly felt an intense enthusiasm for earning points!
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow, she’d bring K.T.’s K-Lang balls and try selling them again! Uncle Zaoshi should still like them, right?
Also, since Chenxing doesn’t have money, should she lend her some to secure those returning customers?
Thinking about this and remembering the origins of the K-Lang balls, Huaiyu couldn’t help but feel guilty.
In order to earn points, she had really crossed her bottom line!
