Chapter 19: Spending Money Like Water

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Spending Money Like Water

How to spend 793 Contribution Points was a massive problem.

Huai Yu carefully sorted through the four basic necessities of life—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—and realized her most urgent need was still tools.

The dried fruit had sold unexpectedly fast, leaving her with plenty of time before the 7:30 p.m. last bus. She strolled leisurely down the entire Pedestrian Street, popping into shop after shop. She found that the place felt more like an old-school flea market for daily necessities; they sold a little bit of everything, but the stock for any given item was sparse.

Take this store, Beautiful Accessories, for example. It sold everything from pots and pans to bowls and spoons. However, upon asking, Huai Yu discovered that the cheapest iron wok cost thirty Contribution Points!

She hesitated for a long while before deciding to check elsewhere first.

Next door was a repair shop squeezed into a narrow gap of about three or four square meters, yet the sign above the door read "Genuine Leather Bags."

Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, "Sir, is this your own shop?"

"Nope," the man replied without looking up from the clock he was repairing. "Didn’t they assign these based on Contribution Points? High scorers like us get to rent it for free for a month."

Huai Yu let out an "oh" of realization.

Having high Contribution Points meant that a person had contributed heavily during the catastrophe—whether through physical labor, assets, or even risking their lives. Naturally, once the government stabilized social order, they deserved corresponding rewards.

She looked down and noticed that the man was repairing all sorts of things. Next to him was a secondhand display counter.

"How much is this watch?"

It was a delicate-looking quartz watch. The face had a visible crack that had been sloppily glued back together, making it look blurry and shabby.

"Which one?" The man looked up, craning his neck to peer into the counter. "This one? This is the good stuff, extremely durable. 50 Contribution Points."

That was far too expensive!

Huai Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and she turned to leave immediately.

However, she walked away so decisively that the shop owner was momentarily stunned. He then called out loudly, "Don’t go! If you see something you like, just make a counteroffer! You don’t even seem like you sincerely want to buy..."

Hearing this, Huai Yu turned back. "And I don’t think you sincerely want to sell it. I’ll buy it for 10."

"You must be joking! Go to Huaxia Gold up ahead; any random piece there costs at least 100!"

Huai Yu was taken aback. Did Boss Tang sell watches too? She immediately wanted to turn around and check it out. Even if his items were expensive, at least he didn’t scam people. She could at least ask about the prices there first...

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" the shop owner yelled at the top of his lungs. "35! 35 is fine, right? Meet me halfway! This watch used to be a good brand. I’ve already slashed the price myself..."

Huai Yu glanced back. "What brand? I don’t recognize it."

At those words, the shop owner fell silent.

Truth be told, it was probably just cheap goods from some wholesale market; even he had no idea what brand it was. Back in the old days, it would have sold for twenty or thirty at most.

"Fine, fine, fine! 28 Contribution Points, you can take it for 28. That’s exactly how much I paid for it! I even went through the trouble of applying glue!"

Did he give in that easily? Was there still a profit margin?

Huai Yu’s hesitant gaze pierced the owner’s pride, and he snapped his head away. "I’m not selling it anymore. Deal’s off..."

Well, after a bit more haggling back and forth, they finally settled on 22 Contribution Points.

Huai Yu walked away satisfied, and the shop owner seemed quite pleased as well.

It wasn’t until she put on the watch that she realized the time. It hadn’t felt like long, but it was already 4:10 p.m.

It would be getting dark soon. Huai Yu instantly sped up, doing a quick sweep of the entire Pedestrian Street to inquire about prices before finally heading to her chosen stores.

"How much are these plastic bags? And this woven plastic basket... What about this large burlap sack?"

"How much for a bundle of rope? What’s the difference in price between the thick one and the thin one? Give me two bundles."

"How much is this hoe? 35? Is that your lowest price? Never mind, I don’t want it."

"How much for the scissors? Also 35? I’ll pass."

After asking about the prices of various agricultural tools, she found that buying them individually was extremely expensive. Moreover, if she ever needed to use multiple tools at once, she wouldn’t even be able to carry them all up the mountain—it was simply too cumbersome.

Thinking about it, the multi-purpose shovel was definitely more practical. ℯℯ𝑙.

Supermarket plastic bags, on the other hand, now cost two Contribution Points each. Feeling that they were quite sturdy, Huai Yu sighed and bought three of them.

Woven plastic baskets were absolute necessities for trips into the mountains or the city. At 22 Contribution Points each, she gritted her teeth and bought three.

Large storage bags were also 22 each. Watching her newly acquired wealth rapidly dwindle, Huai Yu’s heart bled.

She had now barely managed to gather all the indispensable tools for the mountains, and her Contribution Points had dropped from 793 to 677.

Subtracting the 350 for the multi-purpose shovel and the amount she owed the kind lady for covering her earlier purchases, Huai Yu only had about 277 left to spend.

Unfortunately, she still had to buy the remaining items.

Salt and sugar were essential. Nutrient solutions could only fill her stomach, but with her massive daily energy expenditure, she frequently felt a bit weak and probably needed to mix up some saline-sugar water to replenish her strength.

Just one packet of salt and one packet of sugar cost her 20 Contribution Points, and rumor had it this was only because of government subsidies.

She needed a cup, right? Whether for rinsing her mouth or drinking water.

She definitely needed a washbasin; there was no getting around that.

Laundry detergent or soap had to be bought too! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to get her clothes clean.

Huai Yu touched her long hair. Rubbing it with plant ash last night had been a hassle, but it had somewhat managed to clean it, which was the only reason her lies hadn’t been exposed today.

Otherwise, looking completely unkempt, who would have believed that she lived a comfortable life at home?

Shampoo was too expensive, so she would just have to make do with a bar of soap.

Of course, logically speaking, someone living a comfortable life should have silky-smooth hair. But the hair conditioner sold on the streets was all from seven years ago; no matter how cheap it was, Huai Yu didn’t dare buy it.

This would have to do. Soap wouldn’t really expire, so even at 10 Contribution Points a bar, she had to grit her teeth and buy it.

She also wanted to stock up on a pack of toilet paper—ahhh, this was so expensive! It cost 80!

Huai Yu instantly gave up on the idea.

Leaves were perfectly fine. Leaves didn’t waste resources and were environmentally friendly.

Then there was a pot.

A stainless steel soup pot with a lid that could be used over an open flame—perfect for cooking vegetables and boiling water. Paired with a cheap wooden spatula and an extra set of steel wire hooks to hang it over the fire... Just this set alone cost 55 Contribution Points.

However, in a hardware store, Huai Yu spotted some cement. It cost 80 Contribution Points per 10-kilogram bag. It seemed quite popular, too; even at this hour, people were continually walking in to ask for the price.

Listening quietly from the side, Huai Yu discovered that many people were buying it to build makeshift toilets or partition walls...

She wanted to do that too.

But it was so expensive...

Still, if she could buy two or three bags to build a proper toilet pit...

Huai Yu looked down at her balance display—she only had 152 Contribution Points left.

She cast a wistful glance at the small camping toilet tents sold next door—those things cost 215!

Damn it, she would absolutely never buy one! After all, she was going to build her house with her own hands. Surely she shouldn’t have to shell out this much money just for a toilet?