Chapter 44: Here We Come to Sell, Sell, Sell Again

When Yan Yu mentioned it to her parents, Yan the Second became excited.

"Exchange it, exchange it, exchange it!"

Li Xuemei and Yan Yu both looked at him. Exchange what? They hadn't even discussed what to use as an exchange, and they still had to see if the other party would agree and consider the platform's valuation.

"Even if we don't use it for hunting, keeping it for self-defense is quite good," Li Xuemei nodded in agreement.

As for Yan the Second, there was no need to ask; he was even more in agreement.

"Uncle, is the crossbow dangerous? Will it hurt oneself?" Safety was a must. They were just ordinary folk and had never dealt with such dangerous, regulated items.

"Don't worry, I designed a safety latch. Usually, you keep it clicked like this, and when you need it, you open it. Shoot one arrow, shove the next one directly in, and then—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The uncle demonstrated for Yan Yu.

Yan Yu:...

In such a short time, the finished product was already done?!

"I'll equip you with ten alloy arrows. Even if you run into a tiger, it'll be enough. Aim straight for the forehead; it can pierce through a skull. At this size, you can hold it with one hand, but when shooting, it's best to support it with your other hand. It's pure metal, so it has some weight."

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

Yan Yu: I didn't feel its accuracy at all.

"Uncle, what do you want to exchange for? You know what's on my shelves."

She didn't think the uncle would be interested in pots, basins, or straw sandals. She figured the medicines from Physician Cui or things a young lady facing natural disasters might need would be more useful.

"Haha, looking at those little samples you're so reluctant to part with," the uncle laughed heartily. "This time, it's truly a blood-letting sale. Just give me that iron pot of yours. But let's make a deal—if you really catch any prey in the future, don't forget about me!"

"Don't worry, Uncle. I'm still eyeing your exploration and collection robot," Yan Yu immediately painted a beautiful vision of the future for him.

The two finalized the trade.

The iron pot was exchanged for the crossbow.

The uncle was getting the short end of the deal; the platform lagged for a long time before the item was transferred.

Hey! It looked like there was a bit of hesitation.

Both parties understood that in this situation, they had likely just hit a momentary imbalance, touching the bottom line of the exchange standards.

"Uncle, exchange some of your nutrient solution, vegetable juice, and fruit juice with me." Yan Yu wanted to get some for her mother, pouring them into a bamboo tube so no one could see what they were.

Nutrients are easily absorbed; it's good for the baby.

"You don't have a refrigerator either, so I'll just give you one bottle of each." The uncle picked through his stock and found three bottles. "Corn-flavored nutrient solution, carrot-cucumber-celery juice, and kiwi-orange-pear juice. How about it? If you don't like them, we can swap."

There were plenty of different flavors.

Yan Yu:...

The nutrient solution actually sounded like the best of the bunch.

The vegetable and fruit juices sounded unappetizing at first listen.

"What do you want in terms of rice or flour?" She was currently a person with two types of grain and flour on her shelves—wealthy!

"Steamed rice! Steamed rice!"

He felt a bit of regret now. "If only your potatoes were still around, they'd be the perfect match for beef!"

Yan Yu felt huffy; he was bringing up the one thing she didn't want to talk about.

She hadn't intended to haggle, but the uncle was being too annoying, poking right at her heart.

"One jin of rice for four bottles, and you add a..." She scrolled through the uncle's inventory list, "...banana-flavored nutrient solution."

"Deal!" He didn't feel like he was losing out. As for these synthetic nutrient solutions, aside from the nutritional content being real, the flavor... well, that was up to the individual to experience.

However, during the transaction, the two encountered trouble.

The platform wouldn't approve it.

Yan Yu expressionlessly added a little less rice before the transaction finally went through.

On the other side, the uncle laughed maniacally.

"Hahahahaha..."

"Uncle, do you have much water? Want to exchange some?" Yan Yu endured the heat in her face. It was so embarrassing to be blocked by the platform while trying to take advantage of someone.

"I have some, but the pollution here is severe. Drinkable water is extremely precious. To be honest, it's not a good deal to exchange with me; you'll definitely have to pay much more than you would with someone else."

Yan Yu thought about what she currently had and sighed. She was too reluctant to trade her food, and the uncle had no use for her household items.

Sigh.

"Uncle, have you ever tried growing things yourself?"

Thinking of the young man who had exchanged soil with her last time, she promoted it with a bright face: "Last time, a young man exchanged soil with me—actual soil, the kind you can grow vegetables in. You should try it too! It would be so great if you could grow something yourself!"

The uncle looked out at the hazy sky through the window.

"The indoor air purifiers run all day. One isn't enough; you need at least three to prevent sudden failure. Even if the indoor conditions are met, growing things requires sunlight and water. Light can be simulated, but water... water is too expensive."

Well, Yan Yu regretfully failed to make this a zero-cost deal.

"Uncle, I'm switching back now. I need to buy things in the mall."

Without waiting for the uncle to nod, Yan Yu switched screens.

Uncle:...

What an impatient little girl.

Checking the time, there were still five minutes left.

Not bad; this was the time she had squeezed out with great effort.

"Alright, let's start selling things!" She first checked her balance: "Mom, take note. The current balance is—294."

Sweat!

Their family was truly poor; after selling a whole house, this was all that was left.

Li Xuemei recorded it on the ground with a branch.

"Recorded. Sell the straw sandals first."

Yan Yu agreed, "Got it! Let's see how much our 'Straw-Weaving Girl Group' products—the straw sandals—can sell for."

"Ta-da! Straw sandals, 2.4. Wow! So this is how your platform works—it just cuts the price in half!"

Yan Yu sold them pair by pair, counting aloud without getting annoyed: "2.4, 2.4, 2.4... 3.6? Huh? 3.6?"

Did those sandals get mixed in?!

Everyone else was selling for 2.4, so why was this one 3.6?

She instinctively looked at the sandals in her hand and placed them up.

"3.6 again?"

Li Xuemei looked at the remaining sandals, and the mother and daughter quickly found the difference.

The ordinary sandals, regardless of size, were 2.4. The sandals selling at the high price of 3.6 had extra small flower patterns woven into them.

It was likely this single difference that caused the price discrepancy.

Yan Yu remarked, "This is the upgraded version of the straw sandals. The craftsman's innovation and talent are reflected here."

Li Xuemei divided the remaining sandals into two piles, handing her the ordinary ones first. "Hurry up and sell them, don't be silly."

After the sandals were sold, the mother and daughter sold a cotton quilt.

The mall price was 196, but this time they received 39. She didn't know how the platform's calculation method worked.

The two pairs of insoles left by Yan the Second went for 5 each.

Then came the various bowls. Ever since the incident where they exchanged bowls, the villagers had insisted that Yan the Second carry a few with him, saying it would be convenient for exchanges so he wouldn't have to run back and forth.

A stingy 0.5—about the price of one egg.

"Should we keep selling?" Yan Yu asked after selling one.

"Sell!" Yan the Second said decisively.

Why keep them if they weren't going to sell? They would sell these burdens to the platform bit by bit.

So what if it was only enough for an egg? Don't look down on eggs! Eggs are meat!