Chapter 40: Buldak Ramen Grilled Cold Noodles

On the fourth day of staying in the hot spring village, the temperature dropped to minus eight degrees Celsius.

Pang Cancan came knocking on the door, looking aggrieved. "Sister Su, our dried wild vegetables are all gone."

Earlier, thinking it was the height of summer and wild vegetables were abundant along the roads, she hadn’t bothered to store any. Now that the temperature had plummeted, only withered, yellow grass remained by the mountain paths. If it hadn’t been for Sister Su suggesting they make some dried vegetables while out foraging, they wouldn't have even made it this far.

Su Su stood at the doorway, subconsciously glancing at the sleeping Little Black.

Most of what she had stored in her space consisted of staples, cured meats, and various canned goods; she had truly forgotten to stockpile more vegetables. Su Su mused for a moment, recalling the cabbages she had seen in front of the detached courtyard houses.

"The village must have a vegetable reserve; we can trade supplies for some."

Pang Cancan asked excitedly, "What should we use to trade? Cold-weather gear? Crystal cores?"

"Crystal cores, I suppose."

Through her observations and inquiries over the past few days, Su Su had gathered that Wei Yan, Guan Zixuan, Zheng Wenxiu, and Zou Gaoming were all Tier 3 ability users. There were also a few Tier 2 users, though not many—perhaps four or five. Aside from them, there were seven or eight Tier 1 users and about a thousand ordinary people. This ratio of awakened abilities was quite rare.

"A Tier 2 crystal core should be a decent bargaining chip."

Pang Cancan immediately fished out several. "Sister Su, can we also trade for a pack of hot pot base? I smelled them having hot pot the other day, and I’ve been craving it for days!"

Su Su chuckled. "Tier 2 cores are quite rare even outside; are you really going to use one for hot pot base?"

"The apocalypse is here, so we might as well enjoy ourselves while we can. I can always go hunt more zombies for cores!"

Pang Cancan's carefree attitude touched Su Su. She paused for a few seconds, suddenly realizing that since her rebirth, her nerves had been stretched too tight. Despite having a pile of cores in her possession, she hadn't once thought about actually enjoying life.

"Fine! I'll go trade for vegetables and hot pot base. We're having hot pot tonight!"

As Su Su prepared to leave, she noticed Little Black, who had been sleeping soundly in the indentation on the bed where she usually lay. Turning back, she saw it had half-opened its eyes, used its tail to drag its backpack to the door, and then crawled inside, closing its eyes again. It was a clear declaration of: "Wherever she goes, I go to sleep."

"Geez, even an unweaned baby isn't this clingy," Pang Cancan shook her head. "My kids don't even need me to carry them around all day. Sister Su, does Little Black think you're its snake mother?"

Su Su: "..."

She instinctively wanted to agree, but then she thought of the twenty or thirty pounds of "precious child" in her bag and rationally banished that thought from her mind.

"It's just lazy."

Helplessly, Su Su picked up the bag and knocked on the neighboring courtyard door.

"It's you."

Only Wei Yan was in the yard; the others were nowhere to be seen. He politely invited Su Su inside. "Is there something you need?"

They had been staying in the village for several days without causing trouble, barely even showing their faces. Wei Yan was genuinely curious about the reason for her visit today.

"I want some vegetables," Su Su stated directly. "What supplies do you need to trade? Would Tier 2 crystal cores work?"

Wei Yan pondered for a moment. "How many vegetables do you want?"

"One hundred cabbages."

One hundred? Wei Yan looked at her inquisitively. "Why do you need so many?"

"Better safe than sorry," Su Su replied. "I don't know when this cold wave will end. There are three of us here, so we need to be well-prepared."

"That's still too many."

One hundred cabbages—even if they ate three a day, it would last them a month.

Su Su interrupted, "Are you unwilling to trade?"

Wei Yan shook his head; he was just surprised. If she insisted, he would find a way to provide them. Satisfying the needs of these visiting ability users was better than letting them resort to causing trouble in the village.

"One hundred is too many. The village greenhouse was only just built a while ago, and our reserves are limited. We have to prioritize the villagers."

"Then how many can I get?"

Wei Yan mentally calculated the number of greenhouses and their current vegetable stock. "Fifty cabbages, and a bucket of tomatoes."

Tomatoes were grown in the greenhouses. When the cold wave hit, they had immediately reinforced the insulation inside, and the plants were just barely hanging on.

Su Su’s eyes lit up. To her, the tomatoes were a pleasant surprise. In her past life, the vegetables in these greenhouses had died out, and later, the area was occupied by Lin Weiran and her group; she hadn't known what they planted afterward. Remembering the sweet and tangy taste, Su Su leaned forward instinctively. "Can I trade for more tomatoes? I'll add another Tier 2 crystal core!"

As she leaned in, Wei Yan could faintly smell a light, refreshing fragrance on her. Was it that she remained refined despite the apocalypse, or was it a natural scent? Or perhaps... was it a hallucination caused by his racing heart and surging hormones?

Wei Yan paused for several seconds before replying calmly, "The tomatoes are limited as well. After you finish this batch, we can discuss further trades." He did not yield, even in the face of her beauty.

Su Su felt a bit disappointed, but not much. Wei Yan had shown the utmost hospitality; in this day and age, fresh vegetables and food were truly priceless. She placed two Tier 2 crystal cores on the stone table. "These are for you."

"No rush. Let me have someone bring the items over first."

Wei Yan got up, went outside, called over some nearby young men, and gave them instructions. Before long, fifty cabbages and a bucket of tomatoes were delivered to Su Su.

The crisp, green vegetables and the green-and-red tomatoes were a delightful sight. Having lived a frugal life in her previous existence, Su Su began to plan: the leaves could be stir-fried, the stalks could be used for soup, and the tomatoes could be eaten raw or scrambled with eggs... Eggs? They didn't have eggs!

Su Su sat back down.

Wei Yan: "?"

Su Su pulled out two more Tier 2 crystal cores. "I also want to trade for a pack of hot pot base, and some eggs."

Wei Yan looked at her in silence. She looked back just as silently. After a while, Wei Yan lowered his eyes, walked back into his room, and returned with a bag of hot pot base and ten eggs in a bamboo basket.

"We raise our own chickens. We've saved up about twenty eggs, but we can only give you ten."

Ten was already quite generous. Su Su didn't push her luck and thanked him sincerely.

"No need for thanks; you paid for them." Wei Yan collected the four Tier 2 cores from the stone table.

To be honest, in their village, crystal cores were less liquid than in the larger settlements. Even Tier 2 cores were piling up in his room. Agreeing to the trade was six parts due to a sense of duty, three parts for the sake of village stability, and the last part... perhaps because the woman before him appeared so harmless, he was willing to satisfy her requests.

"I'll be heading back then."

Su Su stood up, but hesitated as she reached the door. After a few seconds of thought, she decided to offer a warning. "You are already a Tier 3 ability user. Try to consume fewer low-tier or same-tier cores."

The conversation had shifted from supplies to abilities, and Wei Yan’s gaze sharpened instantly. "What do you mean by that, Miss Su?"

Su Su looked at the man. His temples were slightly bulging, and the blue veins were more prominent than in an ordinary person. This was a subtle anomaly that wouldn't be easily noticed, but it was a clear sign of excessive core consumption.

Su Su gave a subtle hint. "On my journey here, I saw several ability users who died from exploding bodies due to overconsumption of crystal cores. Before they died, their forehead veins bulged, and their temples gradually swelled into a dark, bruised purple."

Wei Yan subconsciously touched his temple. It seemed he was aware of the changes himself.

Su Su didn't intend to say more. She turned and lifted the two buckets of vegetables with effort, the twenty-three-pound backpack still strapped to her back. From behind, she looked weak, pitiful, and strained.

"I'll help you carry them."

Wei Yan took the two heavy iron buckets from her, lifting them with ease. "Let's go."

The two walked side-by-side, separated by the bucket of tomatoes. For the short few hundred meters, neither spoke; the atmosphere was unusually quiet. Not until they were nearing the guesthouse did Wei Yan tilt his head slightly, ignoring the faint fragrance, and say in a low voice, "Thank you for the warning."

At the beginning of the apocalypse, he had indeed consumed many cores. Only then could he quickly widen the gap between himself and other ability users of his rank, allowing him to kill zombies and seize supplies. It wasn't until he broke through to Tier 3 and rarely encountered stronger opponents that he slowed his consumption rate.

His tone was sincere. Seeing that he wasn't suspicious, Su Su breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally arriving at the guesthouse, Wei Yan set down the two iron buckets. "Come find me if you need anything else."

Su Su nodded. "Okay."

She watched the man’s figure walk away. Just as she was about to turn and go inside, a shrill cry and a cacophony of shouting erupted in the distance.

While Su Su was still looking over, Wei Yan, who had already reached the entrance of his yard, suddenly turned back and strode toward the source of the commotion.

"What's happening?"

Seeing Wei Yan approach, the villagers in the distance wore panicked expressions. They spontaneously blocked the path, trying to hide what was happening behind them.

"The couple is just having a spat! It’s nothing major!"

"Brother Wei, go about your business! No need to worry about these domestic trifles! We’ll mediate it ourselves!"

"Yeah, that’s right!"

Over a dozen people chimed in, causing Wei Yan’s brow to furrow. His sharp eyes caught a familiar figure.

"Who is that behind you? Dazhuang?"

Wei Yan had returned to his hometown a year ago and, having traveled for business, was familiar with every young man in the village. Dazhuang, in his early thirties, was poor and lazy—where would he have gotten a wife?

"Move!"

Wei Yan’s cold reprimand was so imposing that the villagers blocking the way were scared into clearing a path.