I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 767: A Formal Trade Fair

After tidying up, Jing Shu planned to plant various grains on all six of the new, excess plots of land. Her grain stocks weren’t that large anymore, and in a world where rice and flour were becoming increasingly precious, there was no such thing as too much grain. The surplus bran and wheat husks would be handy for feeding pigs. The harvested peanuts and sesame seeds could be pressed for extra oil. Before leaving Wu City, all food had needed to be cooked, which had consumed quite a bit of oil.

Although a variety of oils such as olive, corn, and canola were brought back from the United States, the Jing family preferred peanut oil for its more fragrant taste.

These oil reserves might not even last ten years?!

This, much like her phone battery plummeting to 98%, was extremely unsettling!

She had to make arrangements.

Jing Shu decided to raise a few more pigs. She would maintain the original count of other livestock for now. The main reason for slaughtering pigs was to render the leaf lard into cracklings and prepare a few extra jars of lard. An occasional simple dish of rice mixed with lard was quite nice, and the cracklings made an enjoyable snack. The oil levels in the Jing family’s jars had dropped by half; it was time to refill them.

Jing Shu hadn’t yet decided what to use the new space for after the Magic Cube Space upgrade. For now, she planned to spend a few days organizing previously idle items. She would also devote some time to at least semi-processing them to fill a cubic meter, making them easier to use in the future.

Then, her plan was to surreptitiously exchange the excess items for some still-needed supplies. This was Jing Shu’s main task while at One Flower.

Lastly, she intended to bring these products home, mixed with items from the Magic Cube Space. This would keep the household perpetually full, maintaining the family’s sense of security in the apocalypse.

As for the next Magic Cube Space upgrade... Jing Shu had also made arrangements. Wasn’t it just about practicing techniques? That part was simple. The issue was that the Magic Cube always pulled some kind of trick, and it was unpredictable what problem would crop up this time.

Cowhide shoes, sheepskin coats, and rabbit fur gloves and hats were top-notch luxuries in One Flower, where temperatures dropped below minus ten degrees Celsius. They were especially beloved in the damp, cold southern regions.

The sheer number of pelts for coats—several hundred in total—was staggering. It wasn’t feasible to bring them all out at once; they had to be distributed gradually along the way.

Wanzi tilted his head, worried. "Sister, Sister, if we bring out over a dozen furs at once, won’t we get robbed?"

Hao Yunlai, careless about such details, patted Wanzi’s head with a hand stained with blood and fur. He smiled. "If someone does try to rob us, that’ll be their problem. Besides, this time we’re going to an officially organized trade fair."

"Oh." Wanzi looked on the verge of tears, having failed to escape the dreaded touch.

Jing Shu took only Hao Yunlai and Wanzi to the trade fair, leaving the others busy as bees back at One Flower. After all, even staying in One Flower was considered work. With their massive daily food consumption, they needed to do enough work to justify it.

If the boss pays a salary, you need to generate corresponding value.

In just a few days, the details for setting up a tick factory, a raw materials factory, and a nationwide chain of apocalyptic tobacco tick factories had been settled. They had even developed the initial Tick tobacco blend and completed a phase-one trial with the over two thousand people in their group.

Everyone who tried the Wu City brand cigarettes praised them. Although the kick wasn’t as strong, it had a lingering, intoxicatingly fragrant aftertaste with a potent finish.

A pre-apocalypse cigarette lasted only two or three minutes, five at most if you smoked slowly while pondering life. But these Wu City-brand cigarettes burned extremely slowly. A small puff could be savored for a long time; a single cigarette could easily last half an hour.

Jing Shu was about to take a small batch of Wu City-brand cigarettes to the trade fair to commence the second phase of her research trial. On one hand, she wanted to open the market and release the news. On the other, she aimed to give Jun Bao extra leverage in negotiations.

Even though she was headed to a proper trade fair, Jing Shu still ensured she made an impression. Her bodyguards, the Hulks, alone numbered in the dozens. They formed a spectacular procession, carrying banners that read, "Smoking is harmful to your health. Wu City-brand cigarettes sincerely advises you." However, the rotten mermaid escorts followed at a considerable distance. The soil in One Flower was too hard to burrow into, so they couldn’t swim as freely as they had in the mud pits.

One Flower had preserved only its main urban area and two major streets, which looked cleaner than Wu City. Aside from the lit-up main urban area, the rest of the place was dark.

Wanzi slurped on her potato dumplings, thoroughly enjoying herself. As a temporary worker, she also received perks. This was an official business trip, after all, with wages and meals provided.

"BURP." The fat chicken nestled unhappily at Jing Shu’s feet, its feathers drooping. Every now and then, it would let out a CLUCK. If one observed carefully, a small, occasionally moving bulge could be seen in its belly.

That’s right, the fat chicken had now become a ’tool chicken’.

The fat chicken had no choice. It wanted to cry out: ’Is there no law left?!’

But it was helpless; its owner was such a fool.

Jing Shu had put her pet insect, Chongchong, into the Magic Cube Space, intending to nurture it properly, but she was instantly dumbfounded. This Tick, Chongchong, was an utterly ordinary and unremarkable insect, so damn commonplace that when accidentally placed in the space with many other Ticks, Jing Shu couldn’t find it.

No matter whether she used the sensing technique, the energy method, or any other means...

In the end, it took the strength of nine oxen and five tigers. She had to convert most of the Ticks into energy—a considerable waste—before she finally located Chongchong, much to her dismay.

She was scared now; she absolutely mustn’t mix Chongchong with other Ticks.

Thus, the fat chicken became a tool chicken. As it turned out, Chongchong was quite content. The fat chicken’s belly was warm and cozy, and Chongchong occasionally received tasty treats from it, expressing great satisfaction.

The fat chicken wanted to protest, but the extra bit of Spiritual Spring it received daily immediately won it over. Plus, its meals had recently included many more meat bones—so many it couldn’t refuse, causing it to drool with regretful tears. And so, the matter was settled.

The trade fair was bustling with people. Although it was a second-tier city, its population density was high. A large building loomed beside one of the main city streets. Although the surrounding area looked desolate, the building’s exterior was surprisingly lined with various vehicles: trucks, electric scooters, and even some large Dark Creatures pulling carts. Their drivers lounged with casual arrogance as they watched over their beasts. This was a scene not found in Wu City.

Jing Shu was stopped at the entrance before she could even go in.

"Sorry, madam, but you’ll need to leave your vehicles outside," said Zhao Qian, a young woman with a touch of baby fat on her cheeks, her eyes wide with surprise behind her glasses. She used her slight frame to block the Hulks’ path.

No one in One Flower owned so many Dark Creatures! Who was this person?

"Ah, here is my invitation and my entourage’s permit," Jing Shu said, showing her credentials on her phone. "These are all goods for trade."

"Oh, indeed they are. Please, come inside."