Chapter 57: Chapter 057: Set to Procure, Hiring Villagers to Enter the Mountain
She looked around, and all eyes were tense due to her hesitation, but she couldnât bring herself to voice her thoughts. With Peng Villageâs location, how crucial food would become once the Apocalypse arrived, they didnât understand, but she did.
Peng Sanye asked, âWhatâs the matter, girl? Those are good products from our village, all naturally grown, much better than those chemical-laden and farmed products in the city. Weâre not asking for much, think about it?â
Seeing Peng Sanye staring at her with a hopeful expression, Su Shuâs lips moved slightly, unsure how to respond. She could keep it from them that the Apocalypse was coming since even if she told them, they might not believe her; however, she couldnât, knowing what she did, take away so much of what might be crucial to their survival in the future.
Feng Jie, standing nearby, also chimed in, âMiss Su, are you worried about buying too much to carry? No worries, my nephew can drive, and we can find someone to deliver your goods to the town, so you donât need to feel burdened.â
Su Shu said, âSanye, Feng Jie, thatâs not the issue.â
Thatâs not it? Well, thatâs a relief.
...
âI feel that these dried vegetables and cured meats werenât easy to make, and I think you initially made them not to sell, but to store for your own use. If I bought them, it would disrupt your original plans. Iâve thought about it, and it doesnât seem right,â Su Shu sincerely said.
Hearing this, an old lady laughed and said, âNot at all, farm folks live by the principle of eating more when thereâs plenty and eating less when thereâs not. As long as weâre not starving, thatâs fine. Besides, when you buy, youâre not taking it for free, right? Youâre paying for it with money. Our products are definitely better than those from outside, and everyone is just hoping to earn some money to pay off the debts (from previous famines) and save for weddings. Doesnât that also require money?â
âExactly, nowadays, wedding ceremonies and dowries cost a lot. Just the other day, someoneâs wedding expenses reached thirty thousand; think about it, in a place like ours, where do we get thirty thousand a year, right?â
âYes, previous years didnât have this, but this year the Village Chief said if the Lake Rice sells well, everyone could get a good share.â
Upon hearing this, everyoneâs smiles, hopeful for better days, brightened even more.
Su Shu stood still for a moment, a bit troubled.
Should she buy?
Honestly, she would have loved to buy everything!
But she couldnât do that; she only needed to gather enough supplies to sustain herself and Xiaoâai through the Apocalypse.
She had not spoken yet, and everyone was looking at each other, unsure if she was going to buy. Since spring, every household had gathered numerous wild vegetables from the mountains, and what couldnât be consumed was dried as preserved vegetablesâa regular practice in their village, not abundant in every household, but sufficient for each.
These products arenât valuable in the countryside, but they had heard that wild vegetables from the mountains fetched a high price in the cities. What a great opportunity this was to make some money!
Just as there was a deadlock between the two sides, someone in the crowd said,
âDoes the young lady want them fresh? There are fresh wild vegetables in the mountains right now; how about we pick some for you to see?â
Thatâs right! Just go and pick them now. This season, the mountain has plenty of wild vegetables and fruits.
With everyoneâs gaze suddenly focused on Su Shu, her eyes brightened. That was a great idea!
Seeing the smile on her face, everyone knew she liked the suggestion, so Peng Sanye took the lead in discussing with her what kind of mountain goods she wanted.