Reborn in the end of the world, I scavenged in the empty city and bought for free

Generally, things are scarce and expensive in the base. Previously, meat had always been at a premium. Now that the acid rain period has passed, the farms have gradually returned to normal and meat has begun to be supplied. However, because the acid rain has destroyed most of the soil, the prices of rice, flour, vegetables and fruits are all rising.

The price of meat has now dropped to 20 to 40 points per catty, but the price of rice and flour remains at 40 to 50 points. The base has decided to open the granary to balance the price of rice and flour at the base while the granary can still do so, at least controlling the price of each catty of rice to around 30 points. The Academy of Agricultural Sciences is also gradually developing a spray that can treat acidic soil, but before that, the prices of vegetables and fruits will have to remain high, especially fruits, which have a long fruiting cycle.

Zhang Rong's son has been eating the discounted fruits that she buys every week. Because the purchase limit is three kilograms each time, the family only gives the fruits to the child after buying them. She herself has not eaten apples for almost half a year. She just eats the remaining apple peels when peeling the apples. However, the apple peels are not delicious and have an earthy smell. The apple flesh is actually not crispy except for being sour and sweet. However, the child is not picky. It is probably because he does not get to eat very delicious fruits on a regular basis.

For example, the big fruit there only costs 30 points per pound, and one is basically equivalent to three or four small apples. It is actually quite cheap.

She entered the store with a feeling of half trepidation and half curiosity. She happened to see Gu Tongwan turning around. Zhang Rong's eyes widened immediately, and she was surprised, thinking that this girl was so young and pretty. However, this surprise only lasted for a short moment, and Zhang Rong was more interested in the things on the shelves.

"Welcome to take a look around. We are still in the trial operation stage here. If you spend 100 points, you can get a discounted apple for free." Gu Tongwan had a faint smile on his face. His attitude did not seem too enthusiastic nor too cold. After he finished speaking, he returned to the cashier counter and continued to check the list of goods.

Yan Fan on the other side also raised his head and said, "Welcome to take a look" and then continued cleaning.

Zhang Rong glanced at the prices of vegetables on the shelves. Basically, the prices were 30% higher than those in the supply and marketing cooperatives. The only difference was that the vegetables here looked fresher and bigger in size. The prices were similar to those in some fruit and vegetable stores on the commercial street. However, the higher prices were only possible because of their superior geographical location.

As soon as she picked up a cucumber, a fresh cucumber fragrance came to her nose, and Zhang Rong was suddenly surprised.

In fact, there is a reason why Zhang Rong was surprised, because after the end of the world, all plants have basically been alienated. The alienation here refers not only to the appearance, but also the taste has gradually become different. Vegetables and fruits have lost their original taste. For example, although cucumbers taste crispy, they have lost their unique fresh fragrance. Apples are sour and astringent, tomatoes are not good, rice has a moldy smell, and flour is rough and grainy. Even so, in the end of the world with scarce supplies, people have to buy these foods. After all, you can't be too picky about things that can still be eaten.

Zhang Rong looked at the prices below again. Cucumbers were sold by the root, and one cucumber cost thirty points. However, each cucumber was quite large. After weighing it, it should be about eight taels to one catty. The price was higher than that of the supply and marketing cooperative, but the cucumbers did smell fragrant, and it reminded her of the normal vegetables a few years ago before the world ushered in the end of the world.

The price of tomatoes is fifty points per pound. Apart from that, the prices of all other vegetables are quite expensive. It seems that just buying some will cost you one or two hundred points.

Zhang Rong was originally quite conflicted, but the fresh fragrance of the cucumber in her hand kept rushing into her nose. Zhang Rong could only honestly admit that she was indeed defeated by this fragrance.

"Hello, I want to ask, if 100 points give you one tomato, does 200 points give you two tomatoes?"

Gu Tongwan raised his head and replied with a smile: "Yes, the gifts are accumulated, but the upper limit is five tomatoes. If the consumption is higher, you can also choose a pound of products in the fruit section as gifts."

Zhang Rong glanced at the non-special price apples that were priced at 65 points per pound, and she was still a little shocked. Two apples might be more than one pound, and buying three would cost nearly 100 points. However, she could still smell the rich apple fragrance from a distance of about half a meter.

After some consideration, Zhang Rong bought a cucumber, two discounted apples, and a bunch of water spinach for 40 points, and finally spent 105 points. Gu Tongwan specially picked a plump tomato and handed it to her, and gave her two extra green onions.

You should know that vegetables such as chives, coriander and celery that can be used as spices have always been limited products in the market. They are basically sold out every time they are put on the shelves, and those sold are basically without roots and stems. It is said that this is because the chives and coriander currently cultivated are easy to rot in the soil, and basically have to be pulled out before they are fully grown. Moreover, the roots and stems are black and have a rotten smell, so the roots must be removed before they can be eaten.

Seeing Zhang Rong's surprised expression, Gu Tongwan smiled and said, "The new store just opened today. There will be discounts for the first three days. You are also the first customer of my store, so it's a good start. So I'll give you some extra things. If you think the food tastes good, you can introduce more people to my store. My store is open from 8 am to 6 pm."

The reason why she didn't get up early was purely because she wanted to sleep a little longer, and she also decided to have two days off a week. After all, although making money is important, one must also combine work and rest. Yan Fan also needs to go to the northern forest frequently for hunting training recently, so he can't help her too much. Of course, this was also her suggestion. She didn't want the future ice boss to delay his training during his growth stage because of helping her run the store.

"Thank you. If it tastes good, I will definitely come again." Although Zhang Rong felt sad about the points she paid, she felt a little comforted when she saw the complimentary chives and cilantro.

After buying the vegetables, Zhang Rong went to a nearby commercial street to buy some pencils for her son, and then rushed back home.

As soon as I got home, I met my mother-in-law, Mrs. Zhou, outside the door who was carrying a basket of vegetables.

"It just so happens that you're back. Come and pick some vegetables with me. Aunt Liu just gave me some leftover water spinach from someone else's sale. There are several kilograms of it."

Old Mrs. Zhou put the basket on the ground, then pulled out a basin and started picking vegetables. The water spinach looked particularly wilted, at least half of them had turned red, and the remaining stems looked very old. Even so, these were vegetables that were hard to buy, and except for those that were really yellow and black, the rest could be used for a meal if they were lightly stir-fried with salt.

Zhang Rong’s family had eaten such vegetable leaves before. Even if the green vegetables had turned yellow, they were still much better than pickles.

Old Mrs. Zhou picked the vegetables very quickly. She first took out the rotten parts, removed the hard heads of the stems, picked out the leaves separately, and put the slightly tender green leaves in another bowl, and the yellow leaves directly into the drain basin. The tender leaves in the front were for the children, and the leaves in the back were for the adults. The remaining stems were chopped and fried with lard, and finally added chili peppers and some aged vinegar. A very spicy and sour water spinach stem dish that goes well with rice was ready. Although it was a bit tiring to chew, it tasted good after all. It was good whether eaten with rice noodles or with steamed buns.

While picking vegetables, Old Mrs. Zhou wondered why Zhang Rong didn't say anything today. Normally at this time, Zhang Rong would like to talk to her about things at the supply and marketing cooperative. So her eyes fell on Zhang Rong's vegetable basket, and suddenly she seemed to find something wrong.

"Is it because we went too late today? There are no vegetables for sale at the supply and marketing cooperative?"

After the child fell ill in the morning, the two of them were busy for a while. The daughter-in-law did go out a little late, so they certainly couldn't buy those discounted dishes. But even so, they should be able to buy other vegetables. Their family usually buys vegetables every other day or every two days, and they buy a little more each time, at least half a basket of vegetables. But today, she felt that Zhang Rong's basket was empty.

Zhang Rong's hands trembled as she picked the vegetables. She then raised her head and replied cautiously in a low voice, "I didn't go to the supply and marketing cooperative today."

Mrs. Zhou was puzzled at this moment, so she asked again: "If you didn't go to the supply and marketing cooperative, then where did you go? Why did you come back with the vegetables?" She stretched her neck and glanced at the cucumber in the basket, "And didn't you buy some vegetables?"

"I bought it at the vegetable store near the community." Zhang Rong lowered her voice even more, mainly because she felt guilty and was afraid of being scolded by her mother-in-law. After all, her mother-in-law was usually very thrifty and frugal. Just to save a few points, she would rather walk to a supply and marketing cooperative seven or eight kilometers away to buy vegetables instead of going to the supply and marketing cooperative near her home, because the vegetables there were cheaper, and at 6:30 every day some rotten vegetables would be thrown out, and her mother-in-law didn't care about other people's strange looks, she would find the ones that were not completely rotten among the pile of rotten leaves, so that she could save money for a meal of vegetables.

Although her family members advised her not to work too hard, after all, it took two and a half hours to go to the supply and marketing cooperative and back every day, the old lady was very stubborn and insisted that she was not yet sixty and was still strong, so she could just consider this short journey as exercise.

However, it is also because Mrs. Zhou is frugal and can save 100 or 200 points every month, and she and her husband can save 200 or 300 every month. Otherwise, it would be difficult to save money relying solely on her husband's salary.

Now if her mother-in-law knew that she spent 100 points to buy two apples, a cucumber and some water spinach, she would probably nag her at home for most of half a month.

Old Mrs. Zhou knew her daughter-in-law well. She was an honest and quiet person who didn't cause much trouble and had never had a quarrel with her family. She had also been diligent in taking care of the household chores over the past few years, so she had always been very satisfied with her daughter-in-law. Now, seeing her daughter-in-law's hesitant look, Old Mrs. Zhou realized that something was wrong. Thinking of the empty vegetable basket, she wondered if her daughter-in-law had been cheated by the new store nearby, and because she was too shy to make trouble, she looked like this.

"You're making me so anxious. Please tell me what's going on." Old Mrs. Zhou stopped picking vegetables and looked at her anxiously. Finally, she learned from her daughter-in-law that she spent 100 points today and only bought a few vegetables. She suddenly felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

Just then, there was the sound of keys turning outside the door. It was Zhang Rong's husband, Li Chao, who had returned. Because his workplace was nearby, he usually went home for lunch, which saved him five points of meal allowance from the canteen. Seeing his wife lowering her head like an ostrich and his mother sighing angrily, he wondered, "What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"

"If we really had a quarrel, I wouldn't be so heartbroken. Oh, forget it, let's just think of it as someone cheating us. But Zhang Rong, you're already an adult, so you should be more careful when buying vegetables in the future. How can a cucumber be sold for 30 points? The supply and marketing cooperative only charges 15 points. And water spinach, I only paid 18 points for a bunch at the supply and marketing cooperative in the south. You still say you were cheated?" Old Zhou taught him earnestly, then raised his head and said to Li Chao, "I think we should let Zhang Rong take care of the eldest child at home in the future, and I'll be responsible for going out to buy vegetables."

Li Chao understood the whole thing. It turned out that his wife might have been cheated by the newly opened vegetable store. She spent a lot of money to buy very few vegetables. So he smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. I remember that you were also brainwashed and fooled into spending tens of thousands of dollars to buy a lot of health tea a few years ago. It turned out to be ordinary bitter melon tea. Have you forgotten about that?"

"Go away, you little brat, you're really talking about things that are not relevant. How can the past be compared with now? Now everything is scarce." Old Mrs. Zhou raised her eyebrows and glared at her son.

Li Chao smiled and looked down at Zhang Rong's basket. The vegetables inside were indeed good. It was not worth spending more than 100 points to buy them, but since they were already bought, there was nothing he could do. So he said softly to his wife, "Go cook first. Don't be sad. Every failure makes you wiser. Not everything goes smoothly for people."

Zhang Rong reacted quickly. She stood up quickly and went to the kitchen with the vegetables in the basket.

Old Mrs. Zhou sighed: "Hey, you just spoil your wife."

Ten minutes later, a burst of fragrance wafted out of the kitchen. Li Chao, who was sitting in the living room, couldn't help but sniff it and said, "This smells so good, could it be from our house?"

Old Mrs. Zhou frowned and shook her head: "It should be from another restaurant. We don't have such good food. Maybe you are hungry. Eat more later."

Zhang Rong was quite good at cooking. She finished two dishes in less than twenty minutes. One was scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and the other was stir-fried water spinach. However, she divided the water spinach into two plates, one was the one she bought, and the other was the one that Old Lady Zhou brought back.

When the dishes were served, Li Chao looked at the red scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which were even sprinkled with some chopped green onions, and another dish of shiny green water spinach that he hadn't seen for a long time. The aroma of the food was so strong that Li Chao swallowed his saliva.