103: Money is hard to earn, shit is hard to eat

Jiang Fei followed the source of the sound and walked to the side of the store to take a look.

On the street next to it, a store had been renovated at some point, and its area was larger than Ping An Supermarket.

The storefront was painted gold, and the plaque was made in the same color, with five large characters carved on it — Shunli Supermarket.

Three young people in leopard print outfits stood in a line at the entrance, making sound effects with their mouths.

“Crackle! Pop!”

“Bang bang bang!”

Recognizing them as Han Yang and two schoolmates, Jiang Fei's expression was subtle.

The last time they met was at A Hong Inn, where the three were imprisoned.

She didn't expect to see them again, acting as human firecrackers.

Han Yang and his schoolmates also spotted Jiang Fei and immediately lowered their heads in embarrassment, unable to make any more noise.

Money is hard to earn, and shit is hard to eat.

If it weren't for supplies, how could they do such a thing?

They weren't afraid of strangers, only of acquaintances seeing them and losing face.

Junior, hurry and leave!!!

The three of them screamed in collapse internally.

“Why did the noise stop? Didn't I tell you to shout for five minutes?” Yao Jin walked out of the store.

The weather was too hot, so his mink coat had been replaced with the same leopard print tracksuit as Han Yang and the others.

However, the gold jewelry he was wearing remained unchanged.

He wore a large gold bangle on each wrist and a heavy necklace around his neck.

Catching sight of Jiang Fei two meters away, Yao Jin strutted proudly and boasted, “You poor wretch, do you see my store? It’s bigger than yours and better decorated! No one will go to your store anymore!”

He had obtained a business license with a car.

His family had so many hoarded supplies that they couldn't finish them, so there was no need to purchase more; they could just move them over and sell them.

As long as he could ruin that poor wretch, he was willing to take a loss!

Jiang Fei chose to ignore Yao Jin's provocation and walked into Ping An Supermarket with Su Liuyuan, carrying garlic.

She didn't say a word, nor did she get angry, which made Yao Jin look like a clown.

Yao Jin, feeling stifled, ordered Han Yang and the others, “Keep shouting for me! The louder, the better!”

What were firecrackers? He had human ones!

Han Yang whispered, “Boss, can we shout somewhere else…?”

“Do you still want to work here?”

Upon hearing this, Han Yang and his two schoolmates gritted their teeth and continued to shout loudly.

“Whoosh! Pop! Bang!”

“Niu Er, put the price signs I wrote outside the store.” Yao Jin called him out to work, then took out a handheld megaphone and said:

“Passersby, don't miss out! Shunli Supermarket new store opening! A bucket of instant noodles only costs one gram of gold!”

“Even if you don't have gold, you can still come to the store. We accept pots, bowls, pans, and other supplies; you can exchange them with us!”

The passersby, initially attracted by the human firecrackers, immediately went home to look for things upon hearing Yao Jin's words.

Soon, Shunli Supermarket was packed with people.

The prices of goods here were cheaper than at Ping An Supermarket, and new promotions were launched daily, such as buy one get one free, or buy ten get one free.

Even a moldy piece of clothing could be exchanged for a bag of bread.

Ping An Supermarket no longer sold solar panels, and entering the store required checking for ants, which was extremely troublesome.

In just three days, the foot traffic had shifted to Shunli Supermarket.

Ping An Supermarket became deserted, but Jiang Fei didn't care.

It reduced her and Su Liuyuan's workload!

They helped at the store during the day and still had energy to plant herbs at night.

The herbs propagated by rhizomes some time ago had been successful, growing into 15 new plants.

Jiang Fei stayed up all night every day, finally planting the remaining herbs using the rhizome propagation method.

The Blood-red Poison Ants had also increased.

A small number of survivors were bitten.

When she and Su Liuyuan went to the store in the morning, they occasionally heard agonizing screams from nearby residences along the way.

“Ah ah ah, it hurts so much!!!”

“Cut off my hand! Quick! I can't take it anymore!”

“Where are all the knives in the house?! Give them to me!”

Family members couldn't bear to cut off the bitten parts, and they also hid all sharp objects to prevent the person from harming themselves.

So they stumbled onto the street, seeking help from passersby.

“Please help me! Help me cut off the flesh from my face!”

“Lend me a knife! I can give you supplies!”

“It really hurts so much!!!”

When such situations occurred, they were either knocked unconscious and taken away by family members who chased after them, or taken to the Hospital by passing Patrol Teams.

Neuropathic pain, like flesh being scraped off by a sharp knife, accompanied by a burning sensation, gradually spread throughout the body.

Most people found it hard to endure; unable to alleviate the pain, they might even become agitated and attack those around them.

One or two incidents of harm occurred daily.

Hospital wards were full, and Xiao Chuxia was so busy that she didn't get home until late every night.

Lu Yu, as part of the Patrol Team, had to maintain order and returned even later.

The Blood-red Poison Ants would destroy crops, so Ling Zhaorui was also busy at the Planting Base.

Team members wore wetsuits under their clothes, and now the officials had also issued protective suits to staff, covering their heads, hands, and feet.

Jiang Fei was still worried, so she took the time to clean out the perfume bottles and spray bottles previously hoarded in the Supermarket warehouse, making hundreds of bottles of soapy water.

When soapy water was shaken to produce foam and sprayed on the Blood-red Poison Ants, it would cause them to suffocate and die.

Each person was given 20 bottles, and Jiang Fei gave the extra ones to Old Mrs. Xu and Feng Chenlu from the community, telling them about this method of killing ants.

The community would post announcements to inform all residents.

Insecticides and ant poison were hard to come by, but soap was available in every household and easy to make.

To avoid some people who had become frantic due to pain, Jiang Fei and Su Liuyuan changed to taking secluded paths to Ping An Supermarket.

After witnessing a woman in so much pain that she frantically hit her head against a wall until she was bloody and fainted on the ground, Su Liuyuan immediately sprinkled minced garlic everywhere upon entering the store and even ate a raw head of garlic.

“The Blood-red Poison Ants are too terrifying, Captain. Do you want to rub minced garlic on your body and eat some more?”

Jiang Fei decisively refused.

She didn't want to be marinated.

“Xu Qianyao said that the officials are preparing ant-killing medicine to disinfect the entire Safety Shelter, and a notice will be issued this week. All stores will also close, so we need to sell off our goods as quickly as possible.”

“Food and water should be packed into bags, at least 3 servings per bag. We will start selling by the bag today, with each bag costing 600 grams of gold. Daily necessities will also be sold in bags this way.”

There might be ant nests around the stores, and the officials needed to open for disinfection.

The ant-killing medicine contained toxic ingredients, and if sprayed on goods, it would be too troublesome to clean up.

If not cleaned, it could easily get on hands, and it would be problematic if it accidentally entered the mouth or eyes.

Her prices were high, but her heart wasn't black.

This was the fastest way to clear inventory.

Su Liuyuan asked, “What about cotton clothes and warm items?”

“Since the weather warmed up, these things have been piled on the shelves, and not a single item has been sold.”

“Why not pack them in plastic sheets and seal them, then put them in the small warehouse? Later, when we have time, we can take them apart and sell the cotton and fabric?”

“Cotton can be used to fill quilts, pillowcases, etc., and if you buy enough fabric, you can sew clothes.”

Jiang Fei agreed.

When it came to business, she still had to listen to Su Liuyuan; he was a born businessman!

Finding bundles of plastic bags in the small warehouse, Jiang Fei and Su Liuyuan packed them together.

Sometimes customers would come to buy things, and Jiang Fei still sold them individually.

The bagged supplies needed to be saved for sale in two days.

Although the store had central air conditioning, the strong garlic smell wouldn't dissipate.

Jiang Fei had to go out for fresh air every hour.

Today's temperature was 30℃, and the sun was a bit strong. Too lazy to constantly put on and take off her hat, Jiang Fei pretended to rummage in the small warehouse, but actually took out a small beach umbrella from the Supermarket warehouse and set it up at the store entrance.

She placed a chair, took a bag of spiced melon seeds, and sat outside cracking them.

With minced garlic and small box traps outside the store, there was no sign of the Blood-red Poison Ants.

The only downside was that the air was still somewhat humid, and with the strong sun, staying too long would make one feel hot and uncomfortable.

Jiang Fei sat for more than ten minutes before standing up, intending to switch shifts with Su Liuyuan, but then heard a commotion from the side street.

“My family member was bitten by a red ant after buying something at your store. Shouldn't you compensate us?”