allonlinenovel Chapter 38: Preparations Needed
Chapter 38: Preparations Needed
The man sneered, but ultimately did not refute. He bought his things, pushed the door open and left.
"Guests outside, you can come in~"
Anjiu stood up from the ground and was about to brush the dust off his butt, but he saw a layer of yellow sand where he had sat, which was completely different from the clean and tidy ground next to it.
She paused and walked into the small shop.
"Oh, what a rare customer." Behind the cashier counter, the chubby boss Zhang put his hands together on the counter, his cheeks rosy and looking very healthy.
He asked in a worried voice, "The sandstorm a few days ago didn't have much impact on you, did it?"
An Jiu: "Fortunately, it's just the broken glass."
"Oh, it seems you still didn't buy the tape," Boss Zhang spread his palms with regret, but immediately raised the corners of his mouth as if changing his expression, "I just got a new batch of glass here, it's strong, bright, and the latest product, and it can withstand a force 10 gale! It doesn't matter whether you buy it or not, take a look first?"
"Row."
Boss Zhang walked out from behind the cashier counter and turned over the solid wooden shelf standing against the wall. There was a piece of brand new glass on it that had been unsealed and fixed on it for display.
He asked Anjiu to come closer and take a look, and started to praise himself at the same time.
An Jiu didn't want to waste time, so he interrupted him and asked, "How much contribution value is one piece?"
"It's not expensive, not at all. And since you are an old customer, I will definitely give you the best price. This price is my purchase price. I really won't make a penny more from you..."
"So how much?"
"288," Boss Zhang smiled and slowly raised a finger, "one dollar. How about that? If you know the business, you'll know that I can only earn a few contribution points from this kind of thing. It's not profitable at all!"
"To be honest, this stuff is not cheap. I have to spend contribution points to buy it. I am mainly considering you. If I don't buy it, I can still sell other things and live a good life. But where can you buy it? Without it to shelter you from the wind and rain, you will definitely get sick!"
This is quite heartfelt.
If he met someone else on the 48th floor, they would really be moved by his words and would not be able to bargain with him, and would spend all their contribution points to buy it.
No one cares about the low-level people, but there are still people who care about them. I feel touched and warm at heart.
But Anjiu knew very well that here, the purpose of opening a store is to earn contribution points, and unprofitable goods will not be brought back for sale. The sandstorm a few days ago was known to the entire hive, and she did not believe that only the glass on the 48th floor would be rotten.
No matter how well the bottom layer is protected, if it encounters a large stone caught in the wind, the glass with tape on it will still break.
It seems that the demand for glass in the entire building is huge. As a shop owner, how could he not have this business sense? It is obvious that this is just a rhetoric.
"Is this the only kind of glass? Are there any other types I can compare?"
An Jiu's unmoved look successfully made Boss Zhang's expression stiff for a moment.
"Other models? What do you think is the disadvantage of this one?"
Anjiu: "No, it's fine. The main problem is me. I'm poor and can only afford cheap glass. You have some old-fashioned glass that no one wants. I can take it."
The smiling mask on Boss Zhang's face was about to become crooked.
He had never seen any sixth-class citizen who would be so frank and say that he was poor. After all, contribution value represented strength, and strength determined social status...
As for being very poor…how poor?
He probed, "Old-style glass may also be available, but there is one thing I must tell you in advance. It's not enough to just buy the glass. You also have to buy the matching installation service - this is a technical job. The cost is probably 200 contribution points, and there is no limit on the number of glass pieces."
"..."
The boss, who was very good at observing people's words and expressions, saw it at a glance.
This deal will never be successful.
He didn't want to waste time, but he also gave Anjiu a way out. "This is not a small expense after all. You go back and think about it. I also have to go back and check the warehouse to see if there is any stock."
Boss Zhang put away the shelves, sat behind the counter, shaking his fat buttocks, holding his chin, and yawned loudly.
Anjiu turned and left.
She roughly calculated that the glass fee plus the labor fee would cost at least 276 contribution points. She only had points accumulated in the past few days, and she couldn't even afford a piece of glass...
Seeing her come back empty-handed, Grandma An knew what was going on, but she said nothing and silently cleaned the floor with a broom borrowed from the neighbor next door.
The weather was dry, and a light sweep would stir up dust all over the room, making people cough.
An Jiu came to his senses, covered his mouth and nose, took the broom and cleaned himself, then waved to let Grandma An go outside.
She half-closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and moved her hands quickly and decisively. The choking earth mist in the air floated out through the empty glass frame.
After one hour.
Anjiu sat on the ground to rest. She looked at the blue sky outside and thought for a long time. Finally, she turned on the virtual watch, looked at the date on it, and made up her mind.
"You want to sign up voluntarily?!" Grandma An's voice rose inevitably. She rubbed her palms anxiously and paced back and forth. The sudden anxiety made her heart beat faster and she became panicked.
She refused without even thinking: "No! It's too dangerous, absolutely not!"
Anjiu silently took out the mattress and quilt from the space, shook them out and spread them on the hard bed board.
The mattress itself is very thin, and when spread out it dents along the gaps between the wooden boards. Needless to say, it won't be comfortable when sleeping.
I folded the quilt and placed it at the head of the bed. There was originally a pillow on it, but it was unfortunately blown away by the wind.
Anjiu also took out the basin and the red bucket, took out the water cup, poured half of it into each, and handed one of the bowls to Grandma An.
The two people who had been thirsty for a long time drank it all in one gulp with great care.
This is the dilemma they face now.
Grandma An seemed to have a bucket of cold water poured over her head. She woke up and fell silent.
Anjiu finally got up, put away the bowl, put it back in the bucket and covered it with the lid. He took Grandma An's hand and sat down beside the bed, and held her skinny hand, whose knuckles could not be straightened, in his palm.
The warm temperature was transmitted through the dry and rough palms.
There was silence all around, but everyone was connected.
After a long, long time, Grandma An admitted it. She said in a low voice: "...You have grown up."
Anjiu has heard these four words many times, and each time they have a different meaning.
Elders always have to learn to let go.
Anjiu would naturally feel scared about going to an unknown and mutated world to survive, but she couldn't just watch two people walk towards death consciously. Since she had already seen the ending, she had to give it a try.
Anjiu comforted her grandmother: "Don't be afraid, I will protect myself. If I can come back the first time, I can come back the second time, and..."
She still has room.
Walls have ears, she won't say it directly.
Grandma An understood what she meant, and felt a little comforted, but that comfort was quickly overwhelmed by other worries.
"It's not enough to just have this, you also need to have strength. If you don't have strength, you can't even move your legs if you want to escape."
Grandma An hit the nail on the head.
It seems powerful to have space, but in reality she has to rely on herself to protect herself. At the very least, if someone chases her, she has to run out of the danger zone before she can consider how to fight back.
They couldn't even get enough food, so how could they have the strength? Going to a completely unknown world, death would be the easiest thing.
This is what Grandma An is really worried about.
An Jiu knew it well, but it was absolutely impossible to let her sit and wait for death.
She looked outside at the seemingly blue sky. At the far end, fog was forming. She seemed to smell the damp smell of water vapor. Without glass, they would have to stay in a humid environment for a long time.
In the eyes of the residents on the 48th floor, being sick means waiting to die.
Seeing a doctor is expensive, and so is taking medicine.
Anjiu had to go, she bet she could come back alive.
"The day after tomorrow is the selection day for the opening of the other world, grandma, I have to make some preparations."