Chapter 44: Selling Again!

When Yan Yu discussed it with her parents, Second Uncle Yan got excited.

“Trade! Trade! Trade!”

Li Xuemei and Yan Yu both looked at him. Trade what exactly? They hadn’t even decided on what to exchange yet. They had to see if the other party agreed and also consider the platform’s valuation.

“Even if we don’t use it for hunting, it’s good for self-defense,” Li Xuemei nodded in agreement.

Second Uncle Yan, of course, agreed even more.

“Uncle, is the crossbow dangerous? Could it hurt the user?” Safety was a priority. They were just ordinary folks who had never handled such a dangerous and regulated item before.

“Don’t worry, I designed a safety latch. You clip it like this when not in use. When you’re ready, just unlock it. After shooting one bolt, you push in the next one, and then—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” The uncle demonstrated for Yan Yu.

Yan Yu: …

Wait, he already finished making the product in such a short time?!

“I’ll give you ten alloy-tipped arrows. Even if you encounter a tiger, just aim for the forehead—it’ll pierce right through the skull.

“It’s small enough to hold in one hand, but when shooting, it’s best to support it with your other hand. It’s solid metal, so it has some weight.”

The uncle tried to show off by shooting at the wall, but he missed his aim and the arrow flew off-screen.

Yan Yu: Yeah, I totally didn’t get a sense of its accuracy.

“Uncle, what do you want in exchange? You know what’s on my shelf.”

She doubted he’d be interested in pots, pans, or straw sandals. Dr. Cui’s medicines were probably more in demand among the doomsday survivors.

“Haha, look at you, so reluctant to trade,” the uncle laughed heartily. “This time, I’m practically giving it away. That iron pot of yours will do. But let’s make a deal—if you ever hunt something good, don’t forget about me!”

“Of course, Uncle! I’ve got my eye on your exploration and collection robot.” Yan Yu immediately painted him a rosy picture of their future trades.

They finalized the exchange.

An iron pot for a crossbow.

The uncle was clearly at a loss in this deal. The platform hesitated for a long time before finally approving the trade.

Hah! It even seemed reluctant.

Both sides knew that this probably pushed the limits of the platform’s trade rules.

“Uncle, can I trade for some of your nutrient solutions, vegetable juice, and fruit juice?” Yan Yu wanted to get some for her mother, who could pour it into a bamboo tube so no one would see what she was drinking.

Good nutrition was essential for the baby.

“You don’t have a fridge, so I’ll just give you one of each.” The uncle picked out three bottles. “Corn-flavored nutrient solution, carrot-cucumber-celery juice, and kiwi-orange-pear juice. How’s that? If you don’t like them, I can swap them.”

There were plenty of flavors.

Yan Yu: …

Nutrient solution actually sounded like the most appealing option.

Vegetable juice and fruit juice? Just the thought of them killed her appetite.

“Do you want rice or flour?” She was now someone with both rice and flour in her inventory—wealthy!

“Rice! Rice!”

The uncle sighed regretfully. “If only you still had potatoes. They’re perfect with beef!”

Yan Yu puffed up her cheeks. Way to bring up a sore spot.

She hadn’t planned on haggling, but the uncle was so annoying—why rub salt in the wound?

“One jin of rice for four bottles. And add…” She scrolled through his inventory. “A banana-flavored nutrient solution.”

“Deal!” He didn’t think he was losing out. These synthetic nutrient solutions were nutritionally complete, but their flavors… well, she’d find out herself.

But when they tried to trade, there was a problem.

The platform rejected the deal.

Yan Yu, expressionless, reduced the amount of rice slightly before the trade finally went through.

The uncle burst into wild laughter.

“Hahahahahaha…”

“Uncle, do you have extra water? I’d like to trade for some.” Yan Yu forced herself to remain composed. Getting blocked by the platform for trying to take advantage… so embarrassing!

“I have some, but my area is heavily polluted. Drinkable water is extremely valuable. Honestly, trading with me isn’t worth it—you’d have to give up more than if you traded with someone else.”

Yan Yu considered her resources and sighed. She didn’t want to trade her food, and the uncle didn’t need her tools.

Wait?

“Uncle, have you ever tried growing your own food?”

She suddenly remembered the guy who had traded soil with her last time and eagerly promoted the idea. “A while back, a guy traded soil with me—real soil that can grow crops. You should try it too!

“If you could grow your own food, wouldn’t that be great?”

The uncle glanced at the hazy sky outside his window.

“My indoor air purifiers run 24/7. One isn’t enough—I need at least three in case of failure.

“Even if the indoor environment is suitable, plants still need sunlight and water. I can simulate light, but water… it’s too expensive.”

Well, there went her no-cost deal.

“Uncle, I’m logging off. I still have to shop in the marketplace.”

Before the uncle could respond, Yan Yu switched screens.

Uncle: …

Such an impatient girl.

She checked the time—just over five minutes left.

Nice. She had squeezed out this extra time.

“Alright! Time to start selling!” She first checked their balance. “Mom, note this down—our current balance is 294.”

Yikes.

They were really poor. Even after selling off a whole room’s worth of stuff, they had so little left.

Li Xuemei used a twig to write on the ground.

“Got it. Sell the straw sandals first.”

“Alright! Let’s see how much the Straw Weaving Girls’ Group’s product—straw sandals—can fetch.”

“Dun dun dun dun! Straw sandals—2.4! Whoa, so this platform just slashes prices in half!”

Yan Yu sold them one by one, calling out the numbers without getting bored. “2.4, 2.4, 2.4… 3.6? Huh? 3.6?”

Was one pair different?

Why was this one worth 3.6 when all the others sold for 2.4?

She instinctively checked the sandals in her hands and put them up for sale.

“Again, 3.6?”

Li Xuemei examined the remaining sandals, and mother and daughter quickly spotted the difference.

Regular sandals, regardless of size, were priced at 2.4. The ones that sold for 3.6 had extra decorative patterns woven into them.

That tiny detail made a difference in price.

Yan Yu sighed. “This is the upgraded version of straw sandals—where a craftsman’s innovation and skill are recognized.”

Li Xuemei separated the remaining sandals into two piles and handed over the plain ones first. “Sell these quickly. No fooling around.”

After selling the sandals, they moved on to a cotton quilt.

Marketplace price: 196.

Platform offer: 39.

No idea how the platform calculated its pricing.

Second Uncle Yan’s two pairs of insoles: 5 each.

Then came the bowls. After their first bowl trade, the villagers insisted Second Uncle Yan carry extras with him for easier exchanges.

A stingy 0.5 per bowl—about the price of an egg.

“Keep selling?” Yan Yu asked after selling one.

“Sell!” Second Uncle Yan answered decisively.

What else would they do with them? Slowly offloading these excess items to the platform was worth it.

So what if they only got enough for an egg? Eggs were meat too!