Upon hearing Xiao Hui say the bicycle would cost 200 yuan, Xia Qingqing thought for a moment and immediately agreed: "No problem, Brother Hui, please help me get one. I'll come back to pick it up after the New Year."

A Phoenix brand bicycle costs 153 yuan and a bicycle ticket.

However, don't assume that having money and a ticket means you can buy a bicycle. Buying a bicycle at this time was very troublesome. You had to register at the supply and marketing cooperative first, and then wait a long time before you could get one.

Xiao Hui nodded and said, "You need to pay a deposit of 10 yuan first, just in case you change your mind after we get the bicycle."

Xia Qingqing expressed her understanding and took out another 10 yuan from her pocket and handed it to him.

Xiao Hui was quite particular; he even gave Xia Qingqing a note stating that if Xia Qingqing changed her mind, the deposit would not be refunded, but if they failed to get the bicycle, the deposit would be returned.

"Come on, I'll help you carry your things outside," Xiao Hui said, picking up the two large bags of rice and flour from the ground and walking outside.

Xia Qingqing quickly put the rest of the items into the basket and followed them out.

After leaving the courtyard, Xiao Hui watched as Xia Qingqing carried a heavy basket weighing several dozen kilograms on her back and a large bag of rice and flour in each hand, walking easily into the distance.

He smiled and shook his head: "The little girl is really strong."

Xia Qingqing's life wasn't as easy as Xiao Hui had imagined. By the time she found a secluded corner, her hands were already starting to ache slightly.

If her physique hadn't been modified, she wouldn't have been able to carry these things, let alone drag them.

After quickly organizing the items, he kept 10 jin of rice, 10 jin of flour, 2 jin of brown sugar, 3 jin of melon seeds, 3 jin of peanuts, 2 jin of fruit candy, 2 jin of biscuits, and 5 jin of pork, and put everything else into the system warehouse.

On the oxcart heading home, the aunties and grandmothers beamed with joy, chattering excitedly about their day's haul; it was clear they had all bought what they needed.

Xia Qingqing listened quietly, secretly giving them a thumbs up in her heart. As expected, the aunties were really amazing, making her, who had already reached the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative but was still pushed out, admire them greatly.

Zhang Hongyan looked through the things Xia Qingqing had bought and nodded with satisfaction: "Mom will make you cabbage and pork dumplings for Chinese New Year."

"Mom, I want to eat braised pork, braised spare ribs, and radish stew with pork bones," Gou Dan eagerly recited the dishes Xia Qingqing had promised him.

Normally, Zhang Hongyan's slap would have already made intimate contact with Gou Dan's buttocks, but since it was Chinese New Year, Zhang Hongyan not only didn't scold Gou Dan, but also nodded and smiled in agreement.

"Okay, Mom will make whatever you want to eat."

"Our lives are getting better and better," Xia Heping exclaimed, then exchanged a glance with his wife and both smiled.

......

After returning to her room, Xia Qingqing repackaged the items she had bought that day from the system warehouse and then sent them to Gu Yunshu.

At this moment, Gu Yunshu, in the post-apocalyptic world, hung a sign saying "Closed for the New Year" on the door of her small shop, then locked the shop and went home.

Since she opened this little shop, business has been booming. People who heard about it flocked to her shop to buy meat.

Most people exchange crystal cores for meat, while a small number exchange various kinds of food.

For example, wood-type ability users can use their abilities to grow edible vegetables and fruits, but they can't conjure meat out of thin air. So they use the vegetables and fruits they grow to trade with Gu Yunshu for meat.

Then Gu Yunshu would take out some of these vegetables and fruits and continue to use them to exchange for crystal cores.

Of course, there were also those who traded daily necessities for meat, and she also accepted some jewelry and clothes that were worthless to people in the apocalypse.

These jewelry and clothes were specially chosen by Gu Yunshu for Xia Qingqing, and she gave them all to Xia Qingqing, determined to make Xia Qingqing look beautiful.

So although Xia Qingqing looks poor now, she is actually a hidden little rich woman.

Unfortunately, she can't wear these pieces of jewelry out now; she can only admire them secretly.

When everyone first saw Gu Yunshu suddenly produce a large quantity of meat, some people tried to take advantage of her, but she dealt with them all.

People came in droves but never returned, and the mysterious and unpredictable methods she used made even those watching from the shadows hesitant to make a move.

In addition, Gu Yunshu had already made arrangements with the base chief, so on the surface she was considered to have someone protecting her, which made it even less likely that anyone would be foolish enough to cause her trouble.

As for whether the base commander had ever set his sights on Gu Yunshu, he certainly had. He had secretly sent his men to deal with Gu Yunshu, but unfortunately, apart from losing a group of loyal subordinates, he hadn't managed to gather any information. Gradually, he realized that Gu Yunshu was a tough nut to crack, and he didn't dare to act rashly anymore.

Instead, he began to try to befriend Gu Yunshu, attempting to extract more valuable information from her.

The base commander had considered having the entire base surround and attack Gu Yunshu, but he didn't know what Gu Yunshu's trump card was. What if Gu Yunshu was killed and all the treasures were lost? Wouldn't that be a complete disaster?

Long-term benefits are obviously more tempting than one-time benefits.

Gu Yunshu used the crystal cores she obtained to trade with Lia for potions, weapons, and other items from the magical plane, which made her overall strength increasingly stronger.

Soon, the meat in her small shop was in short supply, and she could only supply a limited amount each day. She even had Xia Qingqing help her restock twice.

Seeing the New Year's gifts sent by Xia Qingqing, Gu Yunshu smiled happily. It felt really good to be remembered.

After thinking for a moment, she sent Xia Qingqing a video call invitation.

Looking at the fair-skinned girl on the screen, Gu Yunshu couldn't help but smile slightly: "Qingqing, I received everything you sent. Why did you buy so much stuff? Did you go to the black market?"

She wasn't worried about Xia Qingqing being in danger at the black market. With the things she gave her to protect her, Xia Qingqing's safety was guaranteed.

However, through the information she learned from Xia Qingqing during this period, Gu Yunshu became even more aware of how scarce things were in the 1970s.

In this situation, Xia Qingqing always remembered to prepare a copy for her every time she bought something, how could Gu Yunshu not be moved?

"I didn't go to the black market. I found the black market boss's hideout and bought it directly from him," Xia Qingqing briefly explained the situation.

Upon hearing Xia Qingqing mention that the other party had a room full of supplies, Gu Yunshu's eyes lit up, and she wanted to teleport there and snatch them.

To be honest, if it were her, she might have actually killed and robbed the treasure. These past few years in the apocalypse have almost worn away her conscience and kindness. Xia Qingqing is one of her few remaining soft spots.