Five hundred kilograms of grain was enough to feed the thirty or so people in their village for two months. If they had meat and vegetables to go with it, three months wouldn't be a problem. Of course, all of this was thanks to Xiao Wei's, so she was the one who had to handle the distribution. She kept a close eye on the burlap sacks, her hands often dusty from the dry husks. Whatever was left became her personal stash. He even reminded her to stock up more, just in case one day there was no grain supply from outside at all.
A sharp light flickered in Wen Jun's eyes. Lately, a few people in the village had been acting out of line. Now that someone could exchange for such precious food, jealousy was bound to rise. Clearly, it was time to adjust the system again. From now on, anyone who didn't work wouldn't get to eat.
"That's fine. But you all better start saving the rice and flour. I can still trade for it right now, but in a while, things will get dangerous. Soon, it will be harder and harder to get hold of."
Jing Shu was already doing the math in her head. This time, she could bring back one batch of four hundred kilograms multiplied by two hundred units, which totaled eighty thousand kilograms of food. It sounded like a lot. However, if an average person needed 0.5 kilograms a day, it would only feed 100,000 people for two days.
Still, this was the apocalypse. Every bit had to be stretched to its limit. If they added more water and dirt, they could make it last another five or six days. If people got desperate, they could still go hunting. The carrion scavengers had already crawled out of the sea and onto land, their wet, bloated bodies dragging across the dry earth and leaving trails of foul slime.
She could never find the right word to describe how those carrion scavengers smelled. It wasn't until recently, when she slaughtered a pig and used its bile for medicine, that she found the comparison. That was it. They smelled just like bile. The scent was rank, bitter, and nauseating to the point where she couldn't even swallow it if she tried.
If the gastropods could be stabilized and they could provide over a thousand a month, it would ease some of the pressure on Wu City.
For the first time, Jing Shu truly understood Qian Duoduo's "a drop in the ocean" feeling. Forget the whole country; just Wu City alone had several million people. How much food did that require every single day? Even if the government rationed supplies down to the grain, it couldn't last forever.
If not for the massive pre-apocalypse stockpile of strategic resources, they would have starved long ago. The higher-ups were still trying every possible method, but food sources were simply too limited. Still, humanity would survive. New food would eventually be discovered. The extinct animals or unmutated poultry from before the apocalypse were now priceless treasures.
After finishing their negotiations, Xiao Wei finally led a few people deep into the worm tunnel. The air grew damp and heavy with the scent of wet earth and stagnant minerals. A pool of black water lay still and ominous at the end of the passage, its surface reflecting nothing. It looked more like a hole in the earth than a liquid.
The gastropods all avoided that spot, skittering away on their many legs, clearly disgusted by it. Xiao Wei explained, "This black water once killed bugs that drank it. I drank it too, but it didn't do anything to me. I guess it's because my body already has some of it fused inside. I'm completely immune now."
Inside Jing Shu's Cube Space, the creatures were shrieking with excitement. The sound echoed in the back of her mind, a frantic, high-pitched scratching. Even Jun Bao couldn't hide his agitation. "This, this is the black water I have been studying these past few days! I didn't expect there would be such a big pool of it here! Xiao Wei, name your price—I will take all of it!"
"Cough!" Jing Shu stepped in front of him. She rummaged through her thick cotton coat, the fabric rustling loudly in the quiet tunnel. After some digging, she pulled out several chunks of hard cheese wrapped in wax paper, a handful of shredded beef jerky, a bar of Dove chocolate, and finally, her secret weapon—a thick, juicy Wangwang King beef sausage in its bright red casing.
Several audible gulps came from the group behind Xiao Wei. "Jing Shu," Xiao Wei said quickly, "you can take as much black water as you want! If it's not enough, I will have the bugs find more for you! I send them out every day!"
Jing Shu fought the urge to laugh and gracefully handed over the food. "These are for this time. If you find more next time, I will bring you more food. Too bad, these are the last of the premium stuff. That chocolate is the final piece."
She was a bit reluctant herself. If it weren't for the cocoa trees growing in her Cube Space, she wouldn't have given it up at all. Just thinking about having to make her own chocolate later made her heart ache with a physical heaviness.
"I will keep helping you find more," Xiao Wei promised. It didn't take her long to decide whose side she was on. Sure, Jun Bao's offer to "name any price" was tempting, but Jing Shu had already laid the food right in front of her. Who knew what he would offer in return, or when? Would it be as tasty as this? Those sugary treats he had brought last time were good, but they were nowhere near as satisfying as the savory, greasy beef.
The black water was useless to her anyway, just like muddy puddles on the ground. Jing Shu's food was more than enough payment.
Jun Bao opened his mouth weakly. "Xiao Wei, if you find more next time, I will trade Sachima, osmanthus cakes, and candied hawthorn for it."
"Bring them first, then we'll talk." Xiao Wei chewed the beef jerky slowly and sighed. "Food is so good… why did I ever think of killing myself back then?"
Jun Bao's snacks were long gone. Even the last of his candies had vanished. Who knew when he would get another chance like this?
"Jing Shu," Jun Bao said pitifully, turning toward her. "Can you share a little? Name your price. You won't use all that anyway, right?"
Jing Shu hesitated. Of course, no one knew she needed the black water to upgrade her space. She hated to part with even a drop. But how much should she give? Would a fingernail-sized bit be enough? He had been generous lately; maybe two fingernail-sized portions?
Jun Bao coughed lightly, then dropped a bombshell.
"Our research institute in the capital has found a way to enlarge biological cells. We are still missing a stable gene chain. The crimson liquid is part of it, but we need more mutated genes. This black liquid looks similar, and since Xiao Wei said it burst the bugs, I think it might contain the genes for cell gigantism. If that's true, it would be a huge breakthrough for post-apocalyptic food production. If you are willing to donate some, I can get you a share in the project."
Jing Shu's eyes widened in shock. Holy shit, did she just hear that right? Enlarged-cell food? Wasn't that supposed to appear in the second half of year five? That was mid-tier food in the apocalypse's later years! For China's survival, that really was a massive breakthrough. As for the low-tier food... well.
Just imagine it—a fish the size of a palm growing to the size of an elephant. After taking the new serum, all its cells would expand tens of thousands of times. It would swell until it was barely edible.
Of course, the taste was awful. What used to be tender meat became as tough as wood shavings, impossible to chew and barely swallowable. But at least it was food.
She stared at him, suspicion flickering in her eyes. If she remembered correctly, that type of food had been developed and distributed by the Tyrant. So who exactly was this man in front of her?