Plane Supermarket

The clothing of the refugees was washed and disinfected by Cao’er Niang 1. Ye Zhou scanned through them all and received a total of 130 yuan.

The refugees were so impoverished that they couldn’t scrape together even a bit of meat. This sum of money couldn’t be described as a windfall 2 but rather as better than nothing.

After the clothes were scanned, these fabrics suddenly disappeared into thin air within half an hour.

But before Ye Zhou could be surprised, the computer sounded a notification tone.

This time, the computer display no longer showed the previous content. Instead, a new section appeared.

Transaction section.

The section was further divided into three columns: Goods, Buy, and Sell.

In the Sell column, there was only one image and one word. The image depicted torn and tattered clothes with the number 130 yuan next to it.

The section was further divided into three columns: Goods, Buy, and Sell.

In the Sell column, there was only one image and one word. The image depicted torn and tattered clothes with the number 130 next to it.

This represented the total assets he could utilize.

As for the Buy column, it was currently empty.

The Goods column contained a lot of items, although they were not categorized in detail and couldn’t be searched manually. However, no matter how much he scrolled down, he couldn’t reach the bottom.

At the top were agricultural supplies and tools such as seeds, fertilizers, sickles, and hoes. Scrolling down, there were agricultural products like rice and pork, followed by daily necessities and snacks.

Ye Zhou scrolled for quite a while and unexpectedly came across firearms.

However, the prices… they were sky-high. A small handgun was being sold for 500,000 yuan!

Although he really wanted to buy a self-defense weapon, with only 130 yuan in his account, he couldn’t even afford the spare parts, let alone the actual weapon.

Ye Zhou searched through the options for the entire afternoon. His purchasing power of 130 yuan was very limited, and he had no intention of clearing the land and farming here. He came here to do business. If he were to cultivate the land, it would have to be when he truly couldn’t leave this place and had to settle down.

However, if there were farmers who came to buy, he could resell the products.

However, it’s uncertain if there will be any farmers willing to cultivate the land here… It doesn’t seem likely.

In ancient times, farming was actually not a favorable endeavor.

Firstly, there were no pesticides, resulting in numerous pests.

Secondly, there was a lack of fertilizers, causing the land to become increasingly infertile. Even if there were organic fertilizers from households, the village population was small, and if they were poor, they couldn’t afford to raise animals such as pigs or cows that produce manure. In such cases, after harvesting from a piece of land in a particular year, they would leave it uncultivated and move on to another piece of land, allowing it to recuperate naturally.

Thirdly, geographical location was important. Farmers preferred agricultural land situated with mountains at their backs and water sources nearby, as water is the source of life.

If there is a piece of good land but lacks a water source in the vicinity, farmers wouldn’t choose it. They would rather go to a more distant location with poorer land but access to water.

In addition, the quality of seeds was generally average, and the land’s yield was insufficient. In the face of natural disasters, they have no ability to withstand the risk.

Farming alone could not lead to wealth accumulation.

Furthermore, according to Cao’er Niang and daughter, even if the land had high productivity, the farmers themselves were still poor. This was because the imperial taxes were not fixed. Before each year’s tax collection, local agricultural officials would calculate the approximate yield per mu of land and readjust the taxes accordingly.

Although the tenant farmers didn’t directly pay taxes to the imperial court, they were still required to pay the poll tax 3.

After paying the poll tax, they had to give the remaining rent to the landlords. The landlords had various methods to evade taxes, and hiding land ownership was one of them.

Therefore, even if the landlords collected up to 60% or even 80% of the rent, as long as the tenant farmers could survive and have food to eat, they wouldn’t “rebel.”

In ancient times, everyone aspired to provide education for their children, even if it meant selling their belongings or making great sacrifices. This was because education was seen as the only path to change their family’s social status and lead a better life.

Not all landlords had prosperous lives either. Those who owned more land or had many relatives in the local area and could find ways to hide their land ownership had better lives.

But if one had little land and couldn’t hide their land ownership, they would have to work hard and cultivate the land themselves.

Land was the foundation for farmers, but it also held them back.

As long as the feudal dynasty ruled, no matter how high the land productivity, farmers wouldn’t benefit much.

Sigh, it seems that selling these agricultural supplies would be difficult. The supermarket also sells seeds, but there are very few food crops available. Most of them are ornamental plants. As for fertilizers, they are mostly for decorative purposes. There are also some agricultural products that resemble toys, such as boxed mushrooms that can grow with just a little water.

Ye Zhou tapped his forehead.

Even if he didn’t cultivate the land, he could still enjoy fresh vegetables.

Although he could only think of mushrooms for now, he realized that by starting with one box, he could continuously grow them.

Well, if he could earn more money in the future, he could consider buying similar products. Even if he couldn’t sell them, at least he could feed himself.

Also, he has to support so many people. They couldn’t rely on the supermarket forever, and there would come a day when their supplies would run out.

While Ye Zhou was browsing through the goods, the refugees had already started their dinner.

They didn’t have tables, so they sat on the ground to eat.

Wu Yan and his wife were looking forward to their meal. Their eyes were fixated on the food, and the thought of eating was all that occupied their minds.

The others were the same. Although they didn’t dare to rush over and fight for the food, they all craned their necks, eagerly waiting.

“We’re having porridge tonight,” Cao’er Niang placed the food trays down. “The immortal said you should have some meat and fish, but we don’t have much. You all need to share.”

Each family received a small plate of sausages, thinly sliced like paper, clearly the work of Cao’er Niang.

The deep red lean meat was wrapped in almost transparent fatty meat. Although there was more lean meat than fat, when it came to meat, no one would find fault.

The steamed sausages emitted a fragrant aroma of oil. The refugees looked at the small plate of meat as if they were gazing at a rare treasure.

Wu Yan swallowed his saliva and reached out to pick up a piece to feed his wife. She was about to open her mouth to take a bite but suddenly withdrew, whispering, “You eat, I’ll just have the porridge.”

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Wu Yan directly stuffed a slice of sausage into her mouth.

At that moment when the sausage entered her mouth, Wu Yan’s wife forgot everything. The taste of meat, the aroma of oil overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t help but shed tears of joy.

“Don’t cry, why are you crying?” Wu Yan was a bit flustered as he wiped her tears, his voice hoarse. He asked, “Is it delicious?”

Wu Yan’s wife nodded as tears continued to flow.

She had never tasted anything so delicious before.

Throughout their journey, let alone meat, they hadn’t even eaten their fill of tree bark.

Sugar and oil were the two things in this world that could make people feel the happiest. The refugees were so unwilling to chew that they simply held the sausage in their mouths while eating the porridge. After finishing the porridge, they would finally chew and swallow the sausage.

In addition to the sausage and porridge, each of them also received a roasted sweet potato.

Each sweet potato was larger than an adult man’s fist. When they tore open the outer skin, the reddish flesh would be revealed.

As they tore open the skin, hot steam would escape, and a sweet aroma would waft into their nostrils.

Sweetness!

Someone couldn’t wait and took a bite, unfazed by the heat. They held it in their mouth and exhaled with satisfaction. Once it cooled down a bit, they would take two more bites and swallow.

“It’s sweet!” the first person who tasted the sweet potato exclaimed in excitement. “Sweeter than sugar!”

Nobody said a word. They all buried their heads and eagerly ate the sweet potatoes.

Cao’er Niang had a sense of pride. “As long as you work hard, what good things can’t you have? Aren’t we working in the fields for the sake of a good meal?”

She and Cao’er had already recovered their digestive systems and were no longer eating porridge but rather white rice.

Accompanied by a serving of braised beef and cold cucumber salad, the meal was incredibly fragrant.

The refugees envied their dishes, but they didn’t dare to compete for them, fearing that the immortal would drive them away—outside was certain death.

Besides, Cao’er Niang had also said that once their stomachs were well, they too would be able to enjoy such meals.

Cao’er ate without even lifting her head. At this moment, she had forgotten her own name and identity, only remembering the taste of meat and eating.

They even poured the sauce from the braised meat onto their rice, mixing it well and savoring every bite, wasting nothing.

The immortal had instructed them to rest for a few days and recover their strength before they could start working.

The refugees breathed a sigh of relief.

Having work to do was a good thing.

While the new employees took the time to recuperate, Ye Zhou pondered how to attract customers and prevent them from constantly staying in the supermarket.

Doing business here was incredibly challenging.

It seemed that no matter what he did, there were various threats.

Should he directly approach people on the roadside?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Ye Zhou dismissed it.

Setting up a stall by the roadside?

Currently, there were only nine men in the supermarket, including him. And even he could be considered strong, they were simply unable to protect the goods.

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible to do business here.

However, if he were to move to another place, like the southern region mentioned by Cao’er Niang and daughter, his supermarket would likely be confiscated by local authorities.

It seemed that no matter where he “landed,” it would be incredibly challenging.

In the end, he had no choice but to seek advice from the local natives.

·

While Cao’er Niang was tidying up the tableware, she heard the call of the immortal. The women were eager to wash the dishes, but Cao’er Niang wasn’t at ease.

The tableware was exquisitely crafted porcelain, with delicate blue patterns on the smooth white plates and bowls. Compared to the fine porcelain, their hands appeared rough and coarse.

“Don’t touch anything! If you break them, you won’t be able to afford the compensation!” Cao’er Niang was alarmed and panicked by their actions.

But before she could call Cao’er over to clean up, she heard the voice of the immortal.

The voice seemed to be coming from all directions, even though the immortal was not physically present. The entire supermarket was filled with the sound of his voice.

The refugees stood with their mouths slightly agape, unsure of the exact location of the immortal. They could only kneel and bow towards the direction of the warehouse entrance, devoutly kowtowing.

Cao’er Niang and daughter also joined in the kowtow. After they finished, Cao’er Niang, with a flushed face, asked Cao’er, “Did the immortal call for me?”

Cao’er Niang didn’t have a name. Before she got married, she was simply called by her nickname at home. After getting married, people referred to her as “Mrs. Zhang.” After having a child, she became known as Cao’er Niang.

Throughout her life, it seemed destined that she would never have her own name.

Cao’er Niang didn’t dare to delay and quickly said to Cao’er, “You watch over them. Don’t let them wash the dishes. It wouldn’t be good if any bowls were broken and we couldn’t explain it to the immortal!”

Cao’er hurriedly responded, “I’ll wash them myself, Mother. You go quickly and don’t keep the immortal waiting.”

As Cao’er Niang left, the new employees, mustering up their courage, asked Cao’er, who was young in age, “Miss, have you been following the immortal all this time?”

Cao’er waved her hand and replied, “We’re all the same. My mother and I were rescued by the immortal not long ago. At that time, we were on the verge of death. The immortal took pity on us and took us in. Not only did he provide us with clothes and food, but he also gave us work to do.”

Cao’er swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “We have meat to eat every day.”

The new employees also swallowed their saliva in unison.

Having white rice and meat to eat was like living the life of immortals as depicted in dramas.

Even for someone like Wu Yan, whose family had a small oil mill, they only had meat once or twice a month and had never experienced the feeling of eating meat to their heart’s content.

In poor households, cooking is often done without oil, and they are reluctant to use too much salt. 

After collecting the bowls and chopsticks, Cao’er said, “If you want to drink water, go outside. Forget it, I’ll take you there now.”

Cao’er first distributed the glass cups to them, but the new employees were hesitant to take them.

The transparent cups, which even the emperor might not have seen, were not something these common folks like them deserved.

“These cups are fragile. Be careful when you use them,” Cao’er said as she noticed them shrinking their shoulders and avoiding the cups. She remembered her own reaction when she first saw these cups.

She wished she could give it back!

If it weren’t for the presence of the immortal, she wouldn’t dare to use them herself.

Cao’er felt proud and said, “If you’re not comfortable using these, wait, let me get you something else.”

She brought over a box of plastic cups. These cups were lightweight and wouldn’t break if dropped. Cao’er herself didn’t dare to use glass cups and usually used the plastic ones everyday.

For them, the glass cups were more like treasures than practical items.

Indeed, the new employees dared to accept the plastic cups from Cao’er, and they marveled at them.

The cup walls were so thin and lightweight, yet they seemed sturdy.

Cao’er said, “Stop staring at the cups. Let me teach you how to pour water.”

“I’ve said it before, the immortal has incredible powers. These cups may be treasures to us, but they’re probably no different from roadside pebbles in the eyes of the immortal.”

“You just have limited exposure. Give it some time, and you’ll get used to it.”

Although Cao’er hadn’t been here much longer than them, she considered herself a senior.

Cao’er cleared her throat and said, “Alright, everyone, come and give it a try. Pour some water into the cups and let me see.”

With the arrival of these new people, Cao’er was only worried that someone might take over her tasks.

Unfortunately, during the days when it was just her and her mother, she hadn’t fainted while working. She hadn’t been able to show her sincerity to the immortal.

Author’s note:

 Cao’er: I’m hoping to faint from exhaustion every day (I’ve never faked it, truly sincere).