Chapter 111

Shu Mo shamelessly ran to the Monster Run Shop.

The store was still staffed by the same two clerks, a man and a woman. The clerk was still counting melon seeds. She poured out a large bag of melon seeds, divided them into piles, and counted them very attentively.

Shu Mo had chatted with her a few times before and roughly knew that her true form was some kind of rodent monster.

She guessed, maybe a chipmunk or something like that?

It is the habit of rodents to store food for the winter, but the winter in the game never ends (after all, this is "Arctic Cold", so Miss Chipmunk's habit of storing food will never end.

Shu Mo even seriously suspected that this was the only thing she had done in the past ten years.

But there are too few things in the game that can be considered food, even for monsters. Miss Chipmunk's nature is not fully satisfied, and she has been living in anxiety for the past ten years. According to her, after coming to the hot springs, she "achieved spiritual peace for the first time."

The roasted nuts and dried fruits in the specialty area alone were enough to satisfy her.

Thanks to her presence, sales in the specialty area even hit a new high a few days ago.

It was also because of this that the clerk had always been particularly nice to Shu Mo.

When she saw Shu Mo coming over, she immediately put down the melon seeds in her hand and smiled, "Boss, you're here."

"Well, I have something I want to talk to you about." Shu Mo looked around, "Are you two the only ones here?"

"Yes, the others may be out having fun. I can help you convey whatever you want."

The cashier also stopped what he was doing and looked up at the two of them.

"That's fine."

Shu Mo thought about the wording and said a little embarrassedly: "Actually, I just want to ask, do you know any special monsters like the charm mushroom that can produce materials by itself?"

"There are a lot of them! Our venom, dropped hair, scales, I see those players are quite happy collecting them." Miss Chipmunk obviously had some wrong ideas.

She asked enthusiastically, "Boss, which one do you want?"

As she spoke, she wanted to reach behind her and grab the big tail that no longer existed in its human form, as if she was going to pull out some of Shu Mo's tail hair on the spot to use as a waist protector for warmth.

Shu Mo: "No, no, no, that's not the kind..."

She thought for a moment and gave an example, "For example, isn't there a group of poisonous bees in the misty forest in the north? The golden liquid they collect is very good."

After that day, Shu Mo secretly lusted after it for a long time, and finally couldn't help but bring it up.

Miss Chipmunk was stunned for a moment.

Shu Mo looked at her nervously, "No?"

"No." She came back to her senses. "I just didn't expect that you, boss, even knew this! I remember that no human has ever been to the Misty Forest. Oh, that's not right..." She suddenly lowered her voice, probably realizing that it should be Mo Bai who told Shu Mo.

"Actually, you came to the right person to ask this question." Miss Chipmunk showed her front teeth and smiled cutely, "I have some friendship with the queen bee."

"That golden liquid is actually a means they use to defend against external enemies. In human terms, it can be considered an attack move, right? As long as a player enters their territory, the mucus will flow out of their nest and trap them. Their movement speed, attack speed, and defense will all drop significantly, making them very difficult to deal with."

Shu Mo could fully imagine the scene of being trapped in a sea of ​​sticky honey and unable to escape, and he shuddered unconsciously.

But when you think about it this way, it makes a lot more sense.

Therefore, the poisonous bees, as monsters, are not collecting honey out of "animal habits", but because this is one of their attack skills in the game settings, and they just use animal habits as a cover.

If Shu Mo was just an ordinary player, he probably wouldn't be able to eat these things, or even collect them.

Only after being processed by the simulation management system, these materials become edible and saleable items.

She understood.

"Since it's a means of attack, it's of course reproducible. Boss, if you need it, I'll go there today and talk to her. I don't think she will refuse." Miss Chipmunk said generously.

Shu Mo was very grateful that he got the natural wild honey in such an unexpected way. "Then I'll leave it to you!"

She suddenly had an idea and took out a batch of pine cones that she had just harvested last week from her backpack and handed them to Miss Chipmunk. "This is a thank you gift. If you don't mind, please accept it."

Miss Chipmunk: "!!"

She hugged the pile of pine cones joyfully, her voice trembling slightly with excitement, "Boss, you are so nice!"

Shu Mo waved his hand modestly, "There are still some cake gift boxes in the store as souvenirs. When you leave, you can go to the specialty area to pick up two boxes. Just tell them that I asked you to come. I wonder if Miss Queen Bee likes the flower cakes in it."

"She will definitely like it." Miss Chipmunk was touched, "Now I feel so good about coming here!"

The cashier next to him looked at it for a long time, and suddenly said: "Actually, I thought of the same thing, but I don't know if it counts."

Shu Mo quickly said, "You say."

The cashier is taciturn and doesn't seem to like talking much, but he must be quite capable since he was able to snatch the cashier position among so many monsters. Shu Mo didn't dare to despise him and looked at him expectantly.

"That is also a binding skill, often used by water monsters living in the sea. It is black and long..." he struggled to describe.

As if he felt he couldn't express it clearly verbally, the young man paused, then suddenly showed an expression of enlightenment, and took out a long, black, balled-up object from the storage space.

"That's it. There's some stain on quite a few things in my storage space. If I had known, I would have taken them out at the beginning." He was a little annoyed at his forgetfulness.

The thing was wet and had the salty smell of seawater. Shu Mo took a closer look and was immediately delighted. "Seaweed!"

"Is this okay?" the young man asked.

Shu Mo nodded: "Okay, okay, that's absolutely great!"

Kelp can be used to make soup, salad, stir-fry, and hot pot. It has high nutritional value and there is no need to worry about not being able to sell it.

The most important thing is that Shu Mo can build lakes and streams by himself, but he can never create a vast ocean out of thin air. This was the kind of food she could never produce on her own.

If you want to eat fresh food, the best way is to ask the water monsters living in the sea to bring it to you.

The cashier seemed relieved, "Great, I'll leave today and bring it back tomorrow."

I don’t know if it was Shu Mo’s illusion, but there was a hint of relief in his tone.

Shu Mo was very familiar with this kind of relief, and the sirens in his heart immediately began to beep.

Isn't this how she felt when she gave away the bamboo stool?

But you must not wait until you have finally consumed the bamboo and fresh fish, only to be faced with a large pile of kelp that you cannot finish eating and don’t know what to do with.

Shu Mo's scalp tingled, and she hurriedly reminded him, "A little bit is enough, not too much." She looked down and said, "If these in your hand are counted as one portion, you will need 300 portions a week."

"No problem." The young man obviously had the mentality of giving away as much as he could, and he agreed immediately.

He smiled shyly: "To be honest, many monsters in the sea are restrained by this kind of thing, but there are no players exploring the sea, so everyone is bored and has been honing their skills. As a result, there are more and more of these things in the sea, and they are almost flooding. There is no place to consume them..."

Even if the monsters on land stay in high-level areas and cannot face challengers for a while, at least they can still see people.

Even if the monsters in the sea want to visit human towns, they have to run a long distance and they rarely go out. My life is even more idle than theirs, and I can only weave fishing nets with kelp every day.

Shu Mo: “…”

She imagined a bunch of slippery seaweed tangled together like crazy, which seemed quite difficult to deal with...but aren't most of the creatures living in the deep sea tentacle-like creatures? How come you are so down to earth?

She asked the question truthfully, and the boy was a little surprised. "No monster would use its tentacles to practice for no reason. It would be very troublesome if they got tangled by accident."

Shu Mo: “…”

Oh, so you have tentacles too?

I am sorry.

She couldn't help but think of those restraint monsters being bored every day, waving their eight tentacles and knitting sweaters with kelp.

No wonder after staying in that kind of environment for a long time, you find even cashiering so interesting.

and……

She recalled the occasional forgetfulness of the taciturn cashier and felt relieved.

As for seafood, it’s normal to have a poor memory.

Since the young man gave her kelp, it is only natural that he should give her something in return.

"In exchange, let me think..." Shu Mo fell into deep thought, then asked uncertainly, "Do you eat fish?"

According to the food chain in the ocean, elite water monsters should eat fish, right?

She promoted it vigorously: "It's lake fish! It's not found in the sea."

Young man: “…sure.”

It seems like I can see through my boss's mind.

The two reached an unspoken exchange.

The amount of kelp and fresh fish that had nowhere to be consumed finally decreased, and both sides breathed a sigh of relief.

After finishing his business, Shu Mo prepared to say goodbye and leave.

Before leaving, Miss Chipmunk called her again, hesitated, and asked, "By the way, Boss, I heard that the reward for Mei Mushroom providing you with materials is a house in the hot spring, right?"

"Yes." Shu Mo was reminded by her and suddenly remembered this.

She turned around and saw Miss Chipmunk hesitating about whether to speak or not. "I forgot to mention that since you have opened a store on the commercial street, you also have the same rights as other businesses and can rent a staff dormitory at a low price. You are all employees, do you want to rent one for yourselves?"

"real?"

Both people's eyes lit up at the same time.

If you can get residency in a hot spring, you won't have to go out every night to find a place to sleep.

The monsters didn't think it was a big deal, but it was inconvenient after all.

Besides, it’s a space that belongs to me…

"Can we also buy things from you to decorate the room?" Miss Chipmunk asked eagerly.

When they heard that the beastmen had such privileges, they were quite jealous for a while.

"Of course." Shu Mo smiled, "You don't have a mall. You can go to the sales office to choose. There are also some second-hand furniture there. If you don't mind, you can go and take a look."

The decoration system that was originally installed in the sales office played an unexpected role at this time.

Shu Mo left for the store with a brisk pace.

After some negotiations, the future fresh food supermarket will have two more items.

Natural honey, fresh kelp.

There are eleven products in total.

Now all that’s left is waiting for the honey and kelp to arrive, and for the fruits and vegetables to be harvested, before the supermarket can officially open.

*

In the next few days, Shu Mo spent his days farming and raising chickens in addition to the renovation.

It seems like it has briefly changed from a business simulation game to a farming game.

Every morning after breakfast, I take a walk around the lake and then walk to the planting area surrounded by fences.

Often at this time, the area where the chicken coop is located is already filled with white holy light.

The little hens huddled lazily in the warm straw of the chicken coop. With their wings covered with morning dew, they became less active and hunched over each other, leaving only twenty pairs of eyes staring at Shu Mo.

Shu Mo pressed the solar xue and clicked [One-click collection].

The floor immediately became as smooth as new.

“…”

She pinched her nose and dragged the object that was shining white and whose appearance was unclear into the storage box, and slammed the lid shut.

The cleaning of the chicken house is completed√

Check the feeding trough again. If it is empty, add some feed to it. Same with the water trough.

Feeding completed√

Watering completed√

Next, the 60 eggs laid that day were collected.

There were no eggs in the chicken coop, so the hens finally moved out slowly and walked around leisurely, some drinking water and some pecking at feed.

From time to time, there are some gurgling sounds.

Following such sounds, Shu Mo pushed open the gate of the fence and walked to the farmland.

She doesn't need to worry about irrigation and fertilizing. Of course, she needs to open the machine panel occasionally to check whether there is enough fertilizer and water. If there is a shortage, she needs to spend money to supplement it. Apart from that, Shu Mo only needs to check the growth conditions on time every day.

She watched the green seedlings emerge from the ground little by little, and watched the green fruits gradually grow on the tomato racks.

The fruits turned from green to red and grew vigorously until each one became heavy and bright red, and they were crowded together, presenting a scene of a bumper harvest.

——The day of harvest has arrived.

*

Shu Mo doesn't need to worry about the harvest either. With one click, the seeds will be automatically put into the backpack. The remaining seeds will remain in the soil and enter the cycle again, with watering, fertilizing, and waiting to mature next time.

Shu Mo went home with a backpack full of fruits, vegetables and eggs, leaving only some for himself - especially the strawberries.

Put six eggs that were enough to be consumed within the shelf life, as well as some vegetables, tomatoes and strawberries into the refrigerator, and store the potatoes in the cupboard at room temperature... Shu Mo took two steps back, looking at the refrigerator that had been empty since the move and was finally partially filled, and felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

Before, Shu Mo always thought that backpacks were very convenient, like a four-dimensional pocket, where you could carry anything with you. But now, she seemed to suddenly understand why veteran players like Jiang Qing, who had been playing the game for ten years, would be willing to have a home of their own and leave some of their things there.

After all, life still needs some sense of ritual.

With new insights, Shu Mo stuffed some of the remaining food and drinks in his backpack into the refrigerator, and even stuffed a few milk ice creams into the freezer area at the bottom.

As for the remaining vegetables, fruits and eggs, they will all be taken to the newly built supermarket and put into the warehouse, waiting to be put on the shelves before the official opening tomorrow.

Fresh fruits and vegetables have a shelf life and will not spoil unless they are stored in a warehouse. If they are put on the shelves early, with the help of the heating in the supermarket, the leaves of the green vegetables will probably wilt by the afternoon of the next day.

The kelp and honey were also obtained, and Shu Mo took some time to pack them one by one.

Honey is put into a transparent glass jar and kelp is packaged in a fresh-keeping box. There is a special cold area in the supermarket, which continuously emits cold air and can extend its freshness time as much as possible.

After such processing by the game system, these game materials become edible items for sale.

…

The next morning at nine o'clock, the Nuannuan Fresh Supermarket, which had been preheated for several days, opened on time.

There are now all kinds of stalls in the hot spring, small shops opened by merchants, and vending machines with an increasingly rich variety of products as more spaces are unlocked due to the increase in the number of goods sold... It can be said that players have no shortage of food for a long time.

Not to mention the restaurants that frequently change their menus, there are dozens of types of food available for purchase in the hot springs! You can change the food every day and you won’t get tired of it even after several months.

So this time, if we want to attract the players' attention, we really have to put in some effort.

Shu Mo released the news a few days in advance: the newly opened supermarket will provide fresh vegetables and fruits grown by Nuannuan Hot Spring (including bamboo shoots and pine cones), as well as fresh eggs produced that day.

As expected, when the news came out, there was an uproar among the players.

Fresh fruits and vegetables? ! I heard there is wild honey?

...When did the hot spring start raising chickens? Can it lay eggs every day?

"Natural and healthy" ingredients, such a slogan is quite useful even before the game, not to mention a doomsday game where animals and plants become extinct.

Apart from the fish in the hot springs, they didn't know how long it had been since they had seen a living animal. Several trees refreshed by the system are regarded as treasures by Guangming Town, which shows how miserable the players' lives were in the past.

They couldn't help drooling as they imagined the juicy appearance of the freshly picked fruits and vegetables.

To further promote the idea, Shumo even added a sign to the road signs in the B&B area, pointing in the direction of the "planting area."

There is a trail that leads all the way there.

Many players have gone to see it in the past few days.

Seeing the green seedlings in the fields and the little hens clucking energetically and walking around, several people almost shed tears.

When they got back, they excitedly spread the word, "The fresh food supermarket is real! I saw a hen lay an egg with my own eyes!"

"It's in that chicken coop. I'll take you to see it." The hens will only go back to the house to lay eggs. You have to happen to come across a good angle to see the egg-laying process, which is not easy.

So these players stretched their necks and waited every day, and every time they bumped into something, they would let out a small cheer.

Once, she happened to be bumped into by Shu Mo and she almost laughed out loud.

How come it's a little cute?

Even in the eyes of the hen, these players are probably perverted...

She caught a glimpse of the hens' plaintive little eyes several times, but could only pretend not to see them.

On the day when tomatoes and potatoes were ripe, several parents even brought their children to see them.

Shu Mo deliberately went a little later to give the players enough time to appreciate them, and only then did he pick them in full view of everyone.

Sure enough, that evening the news of the bumper harvest spread throughout the hot springs.

When the supermarket opened the next day, everyone was looking forward to it.

Crops such as tomatoes, which naturally mature in a week, can be harvested every three or four days after applying fertilizer. Eggs are freshly produced every day, mushrooms are delivered once a day, and honey and kelp are delivered once a week... These products are limited in quantity and because they have other uses, Shu Mo decided to sell them in limited quantities.

——Each customer can only purchase one (piece) per day, and the total number of goods per day is limited. First come, first served, while stocks last.

In addition, guests in the homestay area can enjoy priority ordering rights, just like ordering fresh milk every day in the past world. By signing an agreement with a fresh food supermarket, they can get fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to their door every day in the next week.

Of course, purchase restrictions are still applicable.

For example, if it is a family of three, then you can order a maximum of three eggs, three tomatoes, three potatoes, etc. in a day.

The purchase restriction measures were also publicized in advance, so long queues had already formed spontaneously in front of the supermarket before nine o'clock.

The line stretched all the way from the commercial street to the end, and the scene was so spectacular that even many merchants put down their work and ran to watch the fun.

Someone saw this and saw a familiar face craning his neck in the line, "Hey, Lao He, why are you here too!"

"Where's the bakery?" They looked at the time, confused, "Shouldn't you be kneading the dough at this time?"

"What bakery?" Lao He was dissatisfied. "Such a big thing, and all you can think about is kneading dough?"

That person: “???”

Lao He rolled up his sleeves, determined to win. "Even if I have to suspend business for a day, I must grab this strawberry! I have long wanted to make some desserts with fruits. Using these fresh strawberries will definitely taste different."

The people in the front row slurped their saliva. Turning back, "Um, Mr. He, if I get the strawberries and eggs, can I ask you to make some custom desserts for me?"

Old He was stunned.

The other person touched his head sheepishly and said, "My mother's birthday is coming up soon. She used to love strawberry cake the most, so I was thinking if I could make one for her."

Lao He came back to his senses, "Yes! Yes!"

"I'm going to start a dessert customization business for the bakery when I go back today. Everyone can come to me with raw materials like fruits and eggs, and then pay some processing fees to make custom cakes." He spoke in a loud voice, causing many people in the team to turn around and look at him.

The couple who owned a hot pot restaurant nearby suddenly woke up and realized that this was an opportunity to attract customers. They also shouted, "The hot pot restaurant accepts bringing your own ingredients. We can help you slice bamboo shoots, potatoes, etc. and prepare fish for free! You are welcome to bring your own ingredients anytime!"

Even if players bring their own ingredients, they still have to order their soup bases, meat slices, drinks, etc., and they can still make a lot of money.

In fact, if the number of customers increases as a result, you may even earn more points than usual.

Upon hearing this, the players in line suddenly had their eyes light up, "Really? That's great!"

"If we cook fish ourselves, we can only use an outdoor grill, but I've been to many barbecue events before, and I want to try some fish with a different flavor this time... Now it's easy, I can just take it to the hot pot! Change the soup base or even the dipping sauce, and it will taste brand new."

"Boss He, can you order a strawberry daifuku? I want to eat the kind with a whole strawberry wrapped inside!"

"Stop talking, wuwuwu, I'm so greedy, why don't you open the door?"

"I didn't plan to buy an egg, but now it seems I should buy one as a backup..."

These ordinary players are different from the residents of the homestay area. They lack cooking skills and tools, so many of them originally planned to buy some food that can be eaten raw after washing - such as tomatoes, strawberries and the like.

But now we heard that merchants can actually help us deal with it for free, and everyone was excited.

That’s right, the opportunity of limited purchase is so rare and we can’t waste it. No matter whether we eat it now or not, it won’t go bad if we keep it in the bag, so we might as well buy it first!

When thinking about it this way, many people are glad that they arranged early so that they won’t miss anything if they change their minds at the last minute.

The attitude towards those merchants has also become particularly good. In their opinion, since they don’t have cooking tools, it’s a big help that others are willing to help them, and they will have to take care of their business when the time comes.

The new supermarket hasn't opened yet, but the commercial street is already bustling.

As everyone was chatting, they suddenly heard a noise in front of them.

Someone shouted at the top of his voice, "The supermarket is open!!"

There was a sudden commotion among the crowd.