Now that she had a vehicle, of course she needed to stock up on supplies first!
Supermarket goods were expensive, but the wholesale market was just right.
She started off by buying 50 jin of rice, 10 jin of noodles, and 10 jin of flour. That should be enough to get through the next 20 days.
Next came water.
With the heat, there might be shortages.
Chu Yian loaded up her entire tricycle with nothing but bottled mineral water. She bought 20 crates of 550ml bottles, filling the cargo bed to the brim.
She made one trip to deliver the goods back to her rental house, and by evening, she rode the trike back into the city. She planned to stay in the city for the night so she wouldn't waste time commuting the next day.
The game had given her 2,000 in starting funds, and she had earned another 30,000 from selling her treasure box. Her total assets were now 32,000.
Her current expenses were:
Housing rental: 5,600
Tricycle rental: 50 per day for 5 days, totaling 250
Staple food: 200
Bottled water: 440
Hotel + dinner tonight: 100
Transportation and miscellaneous today: 20
Total spent: 6,610, with 25,390 remaining.
On the second day of the game, to avoid the scorching noon heat, Chu Yian got up at 5 a.m.
The sky was just starting to lighten, and the streets were already bustling. Many people clearly had the same idea as her—getting up early to do business.
"Boss, these fish don't look fresh. They all seem half-dead."
"They're alive, aren't they? That's already something," the fish seller said with a deep frown. "This heat has turned the fishponds into boiling pots. We're dumping ice into the ponds just to keep these fish alive."
"Geez, it really is hot these days."
A middle-aged woman nodded. "My son works outdoors and got heatstroke the other day. I heard someone even died from that… that heat sickness."
"It's not 'heat sickness'—it's heatstroke," someone corrected. "But yeah, it's deadly. My daughter's been telling me to stay indoors all day. Who knows how long this heatwave will last—it's a real pain."
…
Chu Yian listened to their conversation as she continued moving quickly through the market.
At dawn, this market had the freshest vegetables.
She focused on produce that could be stored for a long time.
Potatoes, cabbage, daikon, celery, onions, string beans, yam, bell peppers… Whether she liked them or not, she bought at least 5 jin of each, up to 10 jin for some.
In addition, she bought 20 jin each of fresh pork, beef, and lamb, as well as three cleaned chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
All that filled her tricycle completely.
She brought everything back home, and by the time she was done unpacking, it was already 9 a.m.
Only 9 a.m., and the sun was already blazing.
The bright yellow sunlight stung the eyes, and the temperature had already hit 38°C.
Chu Yian stuffed the lamb and beef into the freezer section of the fridge, which was nearly bursting. With only 30,000 to her name this round, she couldn't afford to splurge on a second freezer. The vegetables would need to be stored elsewhere.
Time to put that basement to use.
After her first visit with the agent, Chu Yian returned to the basement. It was about 50 square meters, with a square layout, but it hadn't been maintained. Junk was strewn everywhere, and she could see cobwebs and rats scurrying around.
Rats...
Ugh!
Chu Yian forced herself to stay calm, telling herself it was just a fluffy little animal. With gloves and a face mask on, she started cleaning up the basement.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with only a short lunch break, she finally finished cleaning.
Every corner was scrubbed spotless. The place looked brand-new, though there was still a faint musty smell.
Musty, but pleasantly cool.
She carried all the vegetables down and arranged them in boxes. Looking around, she realized the room was still too dim.
The 50-square-meter space had only one pear-shaped old lightbulb, casting a yellow-orange glow that felt a little too much like a horror movie set.
She definitely needed to install more lights.
While organizing the basement, Chu Yian made another amazing discovery in the courtyard—
A well.
About one meter in diameter, and its depth… hard to tell for now.
The well had been covered with wooden planks, now strewn with fallen leaves.
When Chu Yian removed the cover, she discovered actual water inside!
Among the junk in the basement, she also found a wooden bucket with a rope tied to it—a proper tool for drawing water.
She hauled up a bucket of well water. In this heat, the water was shockingly cold—almost icy.
And it was crystal clear, almost like spring water!
Wow. She'd really rented a hidden gem of a house.
She suddenly had the urge to go back into town and buy some watermelons. Ice-cold well-chilled watermelon sounded like heaven.
She checked the time: 4:31 p.m.
Yep, time to go.
The outdoor temperature had already reached 42°C. Before leaving, she placed several bottles of frozen mineral water in the trike.
She opened the window beside the driver's seat and turned the small fan on to max, but the ride was still scorching. She was drenched in sweat.
Cars passed occasionally, and Chu Yian looked at them with envy, wiping her forehead.
Surely no one could be hotter than her right now?
Well… maybe someone could.
At a construction site along the road, workers had already started their shift.
Chu Yian paused when she heard someone shouting from above. A few workers standing on a steel frame were waving at her.
"Hey, girl! Could you give us a few bottles of water?"
They could see the crates of water in the back of her tricycle from their high vantage point. "We'll buy a few bottles from you!"
They were drenched in sweat, and empty bottles were scattered across the ground.
Chu Yian hesitated for a moment, then grabbed several bottles of mineral water, leaving only two for herself. She placed them next to the ladder so the workers could grab them when they came down.
"Thanks, little sis!"
The dark-skinned workers called out, then tossed a twenty-yuan bill down from above. "We can't come down right now. Just pick it up. Keep the change—buy yourself something nice to eat."
Chu Yian picked up the twenty, then placed 6 yuan under the water bottles as change.
"Just lending a hand—no delivery fees."
She glanced at the men sweating under the blazing sun, then got back on her trike and sped off toward the city.