Chapter 71: Undergoing Pressure That Shouldn't Be Exposed at This Age
Jingshu was a little dazed. It turned out that the difference between "inside the system" and "outside the system" had been revealed so early. In the future, all employees within the government system would be able to enjoy this kind of green vegetables, while those "outside the system" could only eat mushrooms with various drugs added and stinky.
“Crack!”
“Crack!”
Several camera flashes rang out, capturing the image of Minister Niu affectionately pointing at the frogs, and also of several curious children squatting down to count the frogs. The interaction between parents and children, and Minister Niu's speech on "How to Grow Vegetables in the Dark" moved countless employees' families, and these precious moments were all recorded.
Jingshu rolled up her trouser legs while planting rice in the field, and she had to maintain an elegant and polite smile in front of the camera until Minister Niu said, "Thank you for your hard work. You can go back to writing the manuscript."
After the photographer left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and became extremely curious about the frogs. Many naughty children were brought to visit because their classes were suspended, and they were no longer restrained. If it weren't for the guardrails, they would have jumped in to catch the frogs.
The aunties came over with their children, and a group of older men took out their cigarettes and went outside to smoke. Even cigarettes were scarce now.
"How much are you selling your frogs for? Ever since we ran out of toilet water, carrion beetles have been flying in. If you're not careful, they'll lay a whole bunch of larvae. It's really frustrating."
"My fish tank has a colony of carrion worms. If I had frogs earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
Everyone was complaining at the same time, and it was obvious that they all knew each other. Minister Niu even winked at Jingshu.
Jingshu's eyes lit up. Most of the people in front of her were family members of middle-level leaders in the agency. They had everything they needed at the moment, so it was easy for them to raise a few frogs. They were not like the people in the community who couldn't even get water to drink.
Minister Niu has already hinted at it, so she should do her best. It seems that this gift is not in vain.
"My frogs can withstand both high temperatures and cold weather. They're under pressure that shouldn't be their age. I treat them like my grandchildren, providing them with good water and insects every day..."
Just as Jingshu started to play the victim, the aunt interrupted her and said, "Why don't you just say you want food or something else?"
"A little frog and three bottles of mineral water." Jingshu showed her big white teeth on her dark face and stretched out three fingers.
Minister Niu opened his mouth slightly. This black-hearted guy really dared to ask for it.
In the business of buying and selling, the seller asks for a sky-high price, and the buyer bargains until the boss feels pain, which gives them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Jingshu knows these aunts too well.
"The frog is good, but a little expensive. Since there are so many of us, please give us a discount."
"I want two more. Give me a group buy price, buy one get one free."
"If your frog is good, we'll come back to buy it next time."
Minister Niu opened her mouth wide again. These black-hearted people were so bold as to chop her down, just like a spendthrift tigress like her.
Jingshu looked distressed, and finally she settled on a group purchase price: one frog came with two bottles of water, a frog-binding rope and a container, after-sales service, and a free replacement within seven days. Everyone was happy.
Jingshu taught them how to adjust the ropes and frog-raising techniques. The aunts added Jingshu's WeChat and threatened to promote her if they found success. Almost every family bought a small frog, and the aunts, who usually had a noble temperament, followed suit.
They all walked away happily holding a glass jar with a frog rope several meters long hanging on it. In this way, Jingshu transformed from an online female anchor into a frog seller.
Jingshu was very satisfied when she saw the more than 100 bottles of mineral water that Minister Niu had given her in advance. Jingshu's mother was afraid that Minister Niu would think Jingshu was selling too expensive, so she deliberately scolded her, "You child, those are leaders, can't you sell them cheaper? Don't you know that water is more scarce than food?"
Jing Shu retorted, "I'm saving frogs. If I sell them cheap, they won't cherish them. They'll just buy them anyway because they're dirt cheap."
Minister Niu Moo laughed and said, "Jingshu is right. I was just thinking of asking you to buy some frogs for the Research Department to increase their breeding efforts. All kinds of pesticides and insecticides have been used on the farms and reservoirs that have become infested. Wucheng's only remaining reservoir cannot be polluted any further, and the insecticides will eventually run out." Minister Niu hesitated for a moment before saying,
"You all know about yesterday's riot in the New City. The higher-ups held an emergency meeting and decided to start mass production of mushrooms as soon as possible. They'll provide these experimental oyster mushrooms to the public free of charge in two weeks. The news will be released today. I hope the people will stop causing trouble now that they have something to eat and drink."
Thinking of those moldy oyster mushrooms, Jingshu shuddered and decided not to touch them again in this life.
"I understand Minister Niu, and I feel honored to be able to contribute to the country."
In the end, Minister Niu asked Jingshu for 30 little frogs, paid for 60 bottles of mineral water, and also ordered the next batch of frogs from her.
Jingshu happily carried the last twenty or so frogs and a whole truck of mineral water back home. It was half a year into the apocalypse and water would become increasingly scarce. She had underestimated the amount of water used at home.
The water trucks now deliver 1 liter of water per person per day, which is 0.5 liters less than before. People in the community used to have limited water for cooking, but now they have to sip water one sip at a time. People are dying of thirst, let alone those who used to grow mushrooms and vegetables at home, who have all wilted.
As for washing pots and dishes, people used to wipe them with toilet paper. Now that food is scarce, it is recommended that everyone lick them.
It is said that practicing this skill can make the tongue more agile, increase the partner's pleasure, and enhance the emotions between husband and wife. Anyway, Jingshu doesn't understand why they say that.
The incident of the Shrouding Heaven Party was just a fuse, which lured countless people who were ready to make a move. The next day, news came that a large Friendly Supermarket was attacked by hundreds of people with machetes and killed people who were queuing to buy food while they were sleeping, as well as dozens of security guards. Then they broke into the supermarket and found it was empty. It turned out that in order to prevent such incidents, the food in the supermarket was transported by armed police every day.
But this incident also completely shocked the entire Wucheng, and everyone was terrified: there is no law, and the world is in complete chaos!
Wang Qiqi, Building 13: "Everyone, last night the Youhao Supermarket was attacked by hundreds of people, resulting in hundreds of casualties! Now all the major supermarkets in Wucheng are closed and under martial law. There have been more robberies today, and it's very chaotic outside. If you can avoid going out, please do so!"
Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "These damn people, now we can't even buy food, what should we do?"
Fat Girl No. 25: "Does anyone still have toilet water or anything? Another bag of rice has been eaten by carrion beetles. If this continues, we're going to run out of food."
Zhang Bingbing No. 4: "A new batch of carrion beetles has arrived from the farm. Our house is full of them. No matter how many we kill, they're back in the blink of an eye."
Jingshu wanted to get rid of the frogs she had, so she sent a message: "Everyone, I'm selling a batch of carrion-eating frogs in exchange for tires, shock absorbers, engine oil, and other parts for energy vehicles."
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