I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 785: The Two Ferries Changed Hands in an Instant

TSK, TSK, the Xuwen people who thought they could finally move back after the great flood receded were stunned.

What was left behind was not only mud but also the rotten corpse insects that had made this place their old nest.

What was to be done? The Xuwen people couldn’t live off resources allocated by the Township Government forever!

Now, everyone was struggling to get enough food.

Therefore, the government offered a huge reward for anyone who could research the utility of rotten corpse insects. And what do you know! Like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, someone actually came up with a solution.

In this post-apocalyptic world, things were either studied for potential consumption or utility. There were two paths, and each led in a different direction. Eating them didn’t quite work out. Before their evolution, they could still be used as maggot feed. But after they evolved and returned from the sea, even the fat chickens that ate these Nurhaci rotten corpse insects cried; they were simply too disgusting to eat. So, their utility was what was figured out.

Once dried in the shade and processed, rotten corpse insects could be used as fuel for modified ferries. However, the utilization rate was extremely low. The modifications required a large boiler room specifically for burning them, which was even less efficient than steamships of the past and offered very low power output. Plus, each ferry had to carry several carts of this fuel for a single trip. Therefore, it couldn’t be used as fuel for cars or ships, nor could it be widely adopted.

Nevertheless, the fact that they could be used as ferry fuel was enough. Xuwen’s infestation of rotten corpse insects was completely captured and cleared out.

Remember how difficult it was to hunt the red earthworms to extinction back then? The situation with the rotten corpse insects was even more extreme. People from neighboring counties and cities flocked over because a thousand pounds of the dried insects could be traded for a white bun.

Rotten corpse insects? That was easy pickings; a whole sackful with every attempt. On average, by working hard for three days, a person could earn an extra white bun. Needless to say, everyone was enthusiastic.

Less than a month later, the Xuwen people had returned to their hometown. The ferries were able to run, transport goods, and make money. The Xuwen people even began to collect rotten corpse insects from the sea.

Although now 100 pounds of processed insects could only be traded for one salted bun, many people still depended on the Ferry Chamber of Commerce for their livelihood.

The Ferry Chamber of Commerce was no longer concerned about fuel, since rotten corpse insects were abundant in the sea. They were so numerous that they would crawl onto land if not collected regularly.

So, in the past two years, the Ferry Chamber of Commerce had become quite arrogant, confident enough to dictate terms to the Cigarette Factory and daring to monopolize its transport.

"What are we going to do, Sister Jing? Should I contact the higher-ups and have the Township Government intervene?" Xiao Zhao asked.

Jing Shu waved her hand and said, "They’re offering fair prices openly. It’s not worth involving our elders over such a trivial matter. This afternoon, bring some people who can operate large ships with me."

"Okay, Sister Jing. I have a few buddies who served in the navy. Not just ships, they can even operate battleships. It’s just that... Sister Jing, do we have a ship to operate?"

Jing Shu smiled faintly. "You’ll know when the time comes."

Zhao Yu wondered why Sister Jing wasn’t dealing with the Ferry Chamber of Commerce but instead looking for talented ship operators. Could it be she wanted to charter a ship for their own transport business? The problem was that small boats couldn’t transport large trucks, and the ferries capable of such were monopolized. They would never rent or sell the ferries that laid golden eggs.

The Ferry Chamber of Commerce wasn’t a flawless egg, and Jing Shu hadn’t been idly sitting inside Hulk doing nothing either.

By afternoon, Zhao Yu had selected the personnel. Jing Shu, carrying her specially made black case, led the group on a low-key bus trip to Fuyu Village.

Although called a village, every house was a five or six-story luxury mansion, each boasting several hundred square meters of landscaped gardens. Colorful lights could be seen from a distance.

Curling smoke rose, fragrances wafted through the air—warm and peaceful.

Yes, this is the old nest of the Ferry Chamber of Commerce.

At the village entrance, a security team stood guard. A few men armed with rifles stopped the bus. The leader, a scarred man, said in a deep voice, "This is private territory. Outsiders are forbidden to enter!"

Zhao Yu looked towards Jing Shu. Jing Shu said to the scarred man, "Go find Shenyuan from B15. He’ll send a car to pick us up."

Sure enough, a black business van soon arrived and picked up Jing Shu and her five companions, leaving the bus outside the village.

The more Zhao Yu observed, the more astounded he became. Sister Jing has never been here before, yet she’s so familiar with everything! He recalled how Sister Jing always took Hulk with her on outings, but not this time.

Shenyuan’s villa was unremarkable within the village, but it made Jing Shu envious. Not only was the several-hundred-square-meter courtyard solely planted with tobacco, but upon entering, one was greeted by an eight-meter-high ceiling with a magnificent crystal chandelier. An entire wall featured a grand stone mural, and the vast living room echoed if one spoke even slightly louder. This is truly a place where the wealthy live! I’m so envious!

Jing Shu admired the scenery, while Zhao Yu observed the people. There’s someone tied up on that enormous bed in the living room! If Sister Jing weren’t so calm, I would’ve rushed over already!

"Did you bring the items?" the person on the bed asked hoarsely.

Jing Shu looked down at Shenyuan, who lay on a bed several meters wide in the several-hundred-square-meter living room. He was a man of about fifty, with dark circles under his eyes and pale lips. Haggard and extremely weak, his body bore many binding marks.

"Then, have you thought it through? Doing this will offend the entire Ferry Chamber of Commerce," Jing Shu countered.

Shenyuan laughed self-deprecatingly. "I’m almost dead. Why would I care about offending anyone? If they’re offended, so be it."

"Alright. Mr. Shen, your strange illness is indeed incurable, but your life can be extended. Here’s the betting agreement; take a look. From now on, I will provide you with ginseng, Ganoderma, and other Life Extending Medicines every month. For every additional year you live, you’ll give me one ferry. You’ll pay me for two ferries upfront. If you don’t survive more than two months, I will provide your wife and children with a year’s worth of medicine, free of charge."

A dozen or so ginseng and Ganoderma a year in exchange for a ferry—it was quite a bargain.

Zhao Yu blinked, his mind racing. Holy fuck, what’s happening? What on earth is going on? Isn’t the Ferry Chamber of Commerce supposed to be a united front? We were willing to buy ferries before, but no one would sell! Other provinces had them for sale, but this port claimed to have no berths and wouldn’t allow docking!

Shenyuan lifted his head slightly. The young woman sitting beside him stood up to receive the betting agreement. Shenyuan introduced her to Jing Shu. "This is my daughter, Shen Xin. You two can handle the subsequent matters. I... I want to sleep a bit longer."

Shen Xin grew anxious. "Miss Jing, I’ve signed the betting agreement. Could you please give us this month’s medicine first so my father can take it sooner?" Having spoken, she signed the agreement and uploaded it to the Township Government network.

Jing Shu nodded. With a SWOOSH, she opened the black case, took out Blood Mushroom, Lingzhi, ginseng, and other medicinal materials, and handed them to Shen Xin. Shen Xin immediately had someone go decoct them.

"You all know the dosage and usage. From now on, I will personally deliver the medicine to you each month," Jing Shu said to Shen Xin, as Shenyuan had already drifted back to sleep. Soon, struggling murmurs and fearful sleep-talking could be heard, followed by the bed creaking. CREAK, CREAK.

"Thank you, thank you so much! You’ve been so considerate!" Shen Xin thanked her repeatedly.

"It’s nothing, it’s what I should do. The longer Mr. Shen lives, the more I gain. Now, let’s begin the ferry handover. I’ve brought the necessary people."

"Yes, yes!"

Tears welled in Shen Xin’s eyes. She had always lived in a happy and prosperous family. All her nightmares began with her father’s mysterious illness... And the origin of this mysterious illness was the Ferry Chamber of Commerce.