Doomsday Grocery Store – CH137

Chapter 137

The clearing of the yard proceeded in an orderly fashion, with everyone working diligently.

Even without the promise of food, if Old Li simply asked, everyone would still have thrown themselves into the work without the slightest hesitation.

After all, even Ba Shi, who had just arrived yesterday, no longer wanted to leave the Desolate City Grocery Store, fearing he’d lose his chance to survive here.

Aside from Old Li and Granny Guo, the other residents had all been born after the Great Apocalypse.

Take Shu Gen, for example—he was probably in his forties, though even he wasn’t sure of his exact age.

In this apocalyptic world, where survival was a daily challenge, time dragged on painfully. Who had the luxury to keep track of their age? Even those who tried would quickly lose track.

In Shu Gen’s childhood and teenage years, disasters would strike without warning.

Bitter cold, scorching heat, earthquakes, torrential rains, tornadoes… such calamities dominated his memories for a long time.

Because most of the time, the only food available was tree roots, he’d named himself Shu Gen (“Tree Root”).

He had no idea how long those miserable days lasted. Each day was a battle to endure suffering or to struggle on the path to more suffering.

But he didn’t want to die. Like a tree root burrowed deep into the earth, even when the tree had withered, the roots clung to the hope of one day sprouting anew.

And eventually, that day came.

At some point, he noticed that natural disasters seemed to be weakening.

Earthquakes, which used to happen daily, became less frequent—every few days, then every few weeks, and finally so rare they were nearly forgotten.

The erratic weather also began to stabilize. Mornings of blistering sunlight no longer turned into afternoons of sudden snow or nights of violent storms. The droughts on one side of the mountain and floods on the other became less of a constant menace.

The chaotic cycles gradually stretched out, allowing life to catch its breath, even if just barely. The struggle remained bitter, but at least people were no longer teetering on the edge of death every single day.

By the time his son Huo Qiu was born, the climate had already become much more temperate. Although life for the new generation was still harsh, Shu Gen felt it wasn’t so bad compared to before.

Of course, with fewer disasters, the resurgence of mutant plants and animals became the new threat.

Faced with these terrifying and ferocious creatures, Shu Gen was helpless. Huo Qiu’s mother had been taken by a mutant beast while foraging for wild vegetables in the mountains.

Fortunately, the administrators of Jufeng Town were decent people. Under the protection of guards, the town remained relatively safe, and over time, they even managed to clear out the mutant creatures in Jufeng Mountain.

Unfortunately, as the town’s population grew, edible resources in the mountains dwindled.

Watching more and more people leave the area, Shu Gen decided to take his son to the outskirts of Desolate City about two or three months ago to try their luck.

Just two days before the flood, Shu Gen had a premonition and considered taking his son back to Jufeng Mountain. But he hadn’t expected to stumble upon a salt-trading Grocery Store in Wasteland City.

His greed delayed their departure, leaving them trapped when the flood came. Yet what seemed like misfortune turned into an unexpected opportunity.

The Desolate City Grocery Store not only provided sturdy housing but also had a miraculous protective barrier. While it couldn’t block extreme cold or heat, it could repel major disasters and mutant creatures, giving an unparalleled sense of security.

Shu Gen had thought to himself: as long as he could keep living here, he’d willingly toil like an ox or a horse.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that the owners of the Grocery Store were two teenagers—far more compassionate than the administrators of Jufeng Town.

Here, they didn’t have to do grueling labor. As long as they paid rent and followed the rules, no one would bother or harm them.

Their only task was to figure out how to get food and cover their rent.

And now, the store’s owners were even planning to teach them how to fire bricks and build kang beds. They were going to teach his son to read and give him free purified water.

Such a good life—who could have imagined it before?

Most of the other residents felt the same way as Shu Gen. In this apocalyptic world, having a stable environment was a luxury beyond compare.

By the end of the morning, with everyone working together, the yard was mostly cleared.

Old Li then directed them to start a fire and set up a large pot to boil water and cook soybeans.

These soybeans, of course, had been traded from Hong Li. Once cooked, everyone received a bowl.

Even with only a pinch of salt for seasoning, having food to eat was already a blessing. Everyone cherished their bowls and ate slowly.

“Dad, this water tastes different from what we usually drink!” Huo Qiu exclaimed.

Shu Gen nodded. Earlier, Tie Jin had helped Old Li carry the water, and Shu Gen had been watching closely.

The water was crystal clear, just like the mountain streams. It had no strange taste and must be the purified water Old Li mentioned.

“If you work hard and learn to read with Old Li, you’ll get to drink water this clean every day!”

“Got it!” Huo Qiu replied enthusiastically.

After the meal, Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua approached Old Li to discuss renting the land.

Old Li brought them up to Room 502 on the fifth floor to negotiate. In truth, Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua didn’t have many options, so they essentially agreed to whatever terms Old Li set.

After Old Li finished recording everything in his notebook, Tie Mu Hua left, while Granny Guo stayed behind.

Only then did she have the chance to voice her lingering question.

“Why the sudden push to teach people to read?”

“It’s the decision of those two kids,” Old Li replied.

Granny Guo fell silent. She looked around the sturdy room and recalled the first time she met the two young boys. Her heart filled with emotion.

“Who would have dared dream of a life like this before…?”

Her grandson Kang Kang could even go to school now.

Thinking of this, Granny Guo turned to Old Li. “I don’t remember much about writing. Can I exchange water with knowledge and experience instead?”

She wasn’t sure how many more years she had left. Passing her knowledge to the Grocery Store, letting them document it, might be useful someday when Kang Kang learns to read.

“You can’t write?” Old Li pursed his lips. “I was hoping you’d be the one to handle the recording.”

Ever since he became an employee of the Desolate City Grocery Store, his days had only gotten busier. And those two kids? They never stopped giving him more work.

Though he grumbled, his spirited eyes betrayed his good mood.

“I can’t handle that sort of work,” Granny Guo waved her hand. “I’m just a farmer. The knowledge I have is mostly about planting crops.”

“Fine.”

Old Li fetched a fresh notebook from Room 501 and began jotting down the agricultural knowledge Granny Guo shared. Afterward, he gave her a liter of purified water.

Kang Kang stayed behind, and soon Tie Jin arrived carrying Jin Lili. Huo Qiu came running in on his own.

Thus began the first lesson for the children living in the Desolate City Grocery Store.

“We’ll start with the simplest thing: numbers.”

Holding a piece of chalk that Tang Yu’an had given him, Old Li wrote the numbers “1,” “2,” and “3” on a small blackboard.

The blackboard, a relic of Tang Yu’an’s childhood, was now being put to practical use.

“Repeat after me: One—‘1.’”

“—1!”

The innocent voices of the children mixed with Tie Jin’s deep, rugged tone as they echoed the numbers in Room 502.

Old Li glanced at Tie Jin, his mouth twitching slightly.

Still, seeing the eager thirst for knowledge in Tie Jin’s eyes, he took a deep breath and continued teaching.

“Two—‘2.’”

“Three—‘3.’”

After repeating the numbers several times, Old Li pointed at each digit to ensure everyone had memorized their pronunciation before declaring the lesson over.

“Huo Qiu, take them to the yard and practice writing in the sand. I’ll test you all tomorrow.”

“No problem! Leave it to me!”

Huo Qiu thumped his chest confidently. Learning to write seemed too easy to him—absolutely no pressure.

Meanwhile, Kang Kang and Jin Lili remained confused, their faces blank with uncertainty about what was happening.

After taking their allotted purified water back to their rooms, Huo Qiu led Kang Kang and Lili downstairs to “play”—or rather, practice writing.

Tie Jin chuckled and returned to his room to resume his metalwork. Before long, A’Lian hurried downstairs, relieved to find the three children in the yard.

After a few days of rest, A’Lian felt much better. Other than cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their child, Tie Jin hadn’t let her do anything else.

Not wanting to leave them unsupervised, A’Lian stayed to watch over the kids.

“Mom!”

Jin Lili would frequently turn back to call out to her, and A’Lian would smile warmly in response.

Not long after, Kang Kang also looked back at her and called out in his childish voice, “Mom—!”

Huo Qiu gave the two of them a few puzzled glances. Thinking “Mom” was A’Lian’s name, he looked at her and cheerfully called out, “Mom!”

A’Lian: “…”

She took a deep breath and tried to correct them. “I’m Lili’s mom.”

“My mom was taken by a monster,” Huo Qiu said matter-of-factly.

A’Lian paused.

In this apocalyptic world, children with both parents still alive were a rarity.

“If you’d like, you can call me Mom too,” she said softly, looking at the two boys with gentle eyes.

Then she turned to Jin Lili. “Lili, is that okay?”

Jin Lili stared at her blankly before nodding under her gentle gaze. She then ran over and threw herself into A’Lian’s arms.

She loved her current mom—the one who smiled at her every day, stayed with her, and spoke to her in a soft, kind voice.

“Mommy!” Lili buried her face in A’Lian’s embrace, rubbing against her happily like a little kitten.

Huo Qiu and Kang Kang looked on with envy before joining in and calling out, “Mom!”

A’Lian reached out and patted their heads.

“Good kids. What were you just doing?” she asked with a gentle smile.

Huo Qiu and Kang Kang both blushed.

“We were practicing writing! Old Li is teaching us!” Huo Qiu replied loudly.

“It’s Grandpa Li!” Kang Kang corrected him with puffed cheeks. “Big Brother said it’s Grandpa Li!”

“Grandpa—!” Jin Lili chimed in.

Huo Qiu scratched his head and, seeing his two companions so insistent, reluctantly relented. “Fine, fine, it’s Grandpa Li.”

A’Lian couldn’t resist patting the three little heads again.

“Could you teach me too?” she asked.

“Of course!” they replied enthusiastically.

And so, A’Lian squatted down with the children to learn writing together.

Upstairs, on the balcony, Old Li watched them for a while before heading inside to rest. To his surprise, someone unexpected walked in from outside.

“You here to trade for purified water too?” he asked.

Old Li looked at the young man standing in front of him. “You can read?”

Lang Ya nodded and smiled. “I can teach the kids how to read and do math as well.”

“You’re from a fortress, aren’t you?” Old Li said directly, his tone certain.

It wasn’t a question.

If Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi could sense something off about him, how could Old Li not notice?

However, with everyone trapped by the flood and bound by the mysterious rules of overnight lodging, they were all in the same boat. There was no need to worry about Lang Ya causing much trouble.

Old Li had reminded Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi about Lang Ya’s origins before, but when they didn’t seem too concerned, he chose to simply observe.

Still, he hadn’t expected Lang Ya to lose patience and come to him asking to trade for purified water.

Lang Ya made no attempt to deny it. Coming to Old Li meant he no longer intended to hide his identity.

Before, he could convince himself to tolerate the dirty water. But now that there was an alternative, he couldn’t bear it any longer.

Especially after that midday meal of boiled soybeans. Simple as it was, it was the first time in a while that he felt he was eating real food.

“I’m from a fortress, so you can trust me—I’m more than qualified for this job,” Lang Ya said.

Old Li eyed him skeptically.

Finally, he said, “You can annotate words. Granny Guo will share her knowledge and experience every day. You can document it for her.”

“As long as you complete these two tasks, I’ll give you this much water.”

Old Li picked up a 200ml bottle of mineral water and showed it to him.

Letting Lang Ya teach the kids was out of the question. Old Li didn’t trust him not to lead them astray. While people from fortresses might have broader knowledge, it was wise to be cautious.

The Grocery Store had already revealed too many of its resources. Whether the fortress would eventually be friend or foe was still uncertain.

Teachers wield a natural influence. What if Lang Ya manipulated the children? Even setting aside Jin Lili and Huo Qiu, they couldn’t afford for Kang Kang, with his exceptional talent as a cultivator, to fall into the wrong hands.

Lang Ya looked at the bottle of water and chuckled bitterly.

“That’s a bit stingy, don’t you think?”

“If it’s not enough, trade something else for more,” Old Li said with an unyielding expression.

The purified water was meant to benefit the elderly and children. If Old Li weren’t so overburdened with work, and if Lang Ya weren’t the only literate person among the residents, he wouldn’t have agreed to the deal at all.

“Fine, it’s a deal!”

Since Granny Guo’s work for the day was already done, Old Li asked Lang Ya to provide annotations for two characters before giving him the water.

As Lang Ya wrote, he kept probing Old Li with questions.

“What’s your boss’s background? Which fortress are they from? I’ve never heard of them.”

Old Li brushed off the questions. When Lang Ya’s persistence began to irritate him, he scowled and said, “Stop prying. You wouldn’t want to be thrown out to feed the fish, would you?”

Lang Ya awkwardly shut his mouth.

He knew Old Li wouldn’t reveal anything. However, the two teenagers remained an enigma. Anytime they appeared in the building, they were accompanied by a mutant dog, making him too wary to approach them for answers directly.

“I’m done. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Old Li inspected Lang Ya’s work. Amusingly, the man had annotated his own name.

– Lang (Wolf): A particularly fierce creature.
– Ya (Tooth): Teeth in the mouth.

He had even drawn a wolf’s head with bared fangs next to the annotations.

To be fair, the drawing was quite good.

Old Li decided that from now on, Lang Ya should include illustrations with his annotations. It made the work more intuitive.

After storing the notebook, Old Li finally stood up and went back to Room 501 to drink some water.

Sitting by the window, he noticed Zhou Qi had come downstairs at some point and was directing the residents in constructing a water purifier.

Lin Zhen was among the group. None of the current residents were strangers to her—Tie Mu Hua and Lang Ya were both people she had recruited.

At that moment, a lively voice rang out behind him.

“Grandpa!”

Old Li quickly turned to see Tang Yu’an standing there, his face bruised and swollen.

Old Li froze for a moment, then scowled angrily. “Who hit you?”

“No one! I just accidentally bumped into something.”

Seeing that the boy was injured yet still brimming with excitement, his bright eyes sparkling with joy, Old Li softened his expression.

“What made you so happy?”

“Hehe, it’s good news, of course!”

Tang Yu’an had spent the entire morning practicing his flying technique. While he wasn’t fully proficient yet, the feeling of flight was exhilarating beyond words.

He had practiced on the ninth floor, but his first attempt had sent him crashing into the ceiling. Zhou Qi had hastily crafted protective gear for him, but even so, he had still managed to bruise himself all over during subsequent attempts.

It couldn’t be helped.

This skill wasn’t like the Lightness Technique, which merely made the body more agile and required physical support or jumps to generate power.

With the Flying Technique, Tang Yu’an’s entire body floated mid-air, like an advanced version of the Levitation Technique. Movement and directional changes relied entirely on the power of the wind.

That’s why the skill required wind-element affinity to execute.

Because his performance that morning had been utterly dismal, Zhou Qi had sternly ordered him not to use the skill outside until he had completely mastered it—until it felt as natural as moving his own arm.

Even so, Tang Yu’an’s excitement couldn’t be dampened.

He had a feeling that as his abilities grew stronger, he might be able to bypass the system’s limitations and fully master the skill.

In other words, one day, he could fly whenever and wherever he wanted!

Just the thought of it made him giddy. No matter how much he hurt himself crashing, it all felt worth it.

And now, he was here to see Old Li for another reason.

“Grandpa, I have something to discuss with you!” Tang Yu’an said as he dragged Old Li over for a chat.

“You want to hire Lin Zhen as an employee?” Old Li asked in surprise.

“Yep! With more and more residents here, there are lots of chores in addition to the transactions. We think it’s time to hire someone to help you out.”

Old Li considered for a moment and then nodded. “Lin Zhen is indeed a good choice.”

She was cheerful, outgoing, and brave. She had a knack for dealing with people and was young and fit, so running up and down wouldn’t tire her out.

Most importantly, Old Li had practically watched her grow up. He trusted her character.

“As long as you’re okay with it!” Tang Yu’an said happily.

Because of the smaller number of residents, the profits at Store No. 1 were much lower than those at Jufeng Town, and even less than those of Haijing.

Adding another employee wouldn’t impact Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi much, but it would eat into Old Li’s share of the earnings.

Old Li understood this but didn’t mind.

Even without credits, he could eat his fill and live comfortably without needing to hunt or take risks. He had food, vegetables, and meat at every meal.

What more could he ask for?

“As long as you don’t find me a bother, that’s good enough,” he said.

“Grandpa, how could you say that? We respect and appreciate you; there’s no way we’d find you a bother!” Tang Yu’an said with a laugh, running behind Old Li to massage his shoulders like he would for a close family member.

Old Li’s body stiffened at first but gradually relaxed, a faintly kind smile appearing on his face.

“Grandpa, you need to eat more. You’re still too thin!”

Still, compared to when they first met, Old Li’s complexion was healthier and rosier now.

“Got it.”

Old Li responded softly. Although the boy’s massage technique was amateurish, he couldn’t remember ever feeling this comfortable before.

“Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of this store for you two,” he said, his voice firm.

No one would dare cause trouble here.

*

By the time the water purifiers were nearly completed, it was already evening.

They had built two units, each over three times the size of Lin Zhen’s original purifier. For now, they would suffice, and if the demand grew, they could always build more.

Watching the murky water being poured in and coming out crystal clear, everyone involved in the process felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

Of course, they had also learned the purifier’s construction methods. However, critical materials like gauze and activated charcoal were controlled by the Grocery Store. Even knowing the principles, they’d still have to trade for supplies to build their own.

Once again, the group cooked dinner over an open fire in the yard. As dusk settled and everyone prepared to return indoors, Lin Zhen suddenly froze in place.

After a moment, she said, “Lan Lin, you head upstairs first. I need to talk to the old man.”

Lan Lin said nothing, merely following her to Room 501.

Old Li was already waiting for them.

Seeing Lan Lin, he wasn’t surprised. He handed over two popsicles. “These are from An’an. They’re for you. I’ll need your help tonight.”

“Wow, popsicles again? I want one too!” Lin Zhen exclaimed.

“Fine, you can have a bite,” Lan Lin said impatiently, waving her off before leaving. Sensing Old Li had something to discuss with Lin Zhen, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Old Li pulled Lin Zhen into Room 501.

The fact that she could enter the room meant she had already accepted the mysterious merchant’s job offer.

“Old man, I knew it was you!” Lin Zhen said cheerfully.

“Keep your voice down,” Old Li said, motioning for her to lower her volume. He then explained her responsibilities and gave her a quick orientation, including her future tasks.

“This sounds interesting, but it also seems time-consuming. What happens if I slack off?” Lin Zhen asked, already testing boundaries before starting.

Old Li glanced at her and replied, “You’ll be fired.”

Seeing her still indifferent expression, he thought for a moment and added solemnly, “And all memories of the Grocery Store will be erased from your mind.”

“Memories of the Grocery Store?” Lin Zhen’s expression turned serious.

Old Li held her gaze, deciding to escalate the warning further.

“Memories of An’an, Zhou Qi, and even me—all of it might disappear.”

“Damn!” Lin Zhen cursed, realizing the gravity of the situation. “I’m trapped on this ship now, huh?”

She sighed, inwardly cursing herself for accepting the job so quickly.

Seeing that she finally took things seriously, Old Li nodded in satisfaction.