After he finished speaking, the gaze that had been focused on Bi Qiaoan lessened considerably.
Shen Yanming noticed that many people turned their heads away, suppressing their laughter, as if mocking Bi Qiaoan: "A caged canary!"
As some people brushed past them, one scoffed, "Vixen!"
Bi Qiaoan was dumbfounded. What had she done to deserve this?
"Don't be angry, that person is just jealous!" Shen Yanming gently comforted him.
Bi Qiaoan certainly knew, but she just felt it was a bit inexplicable. She hadn't said anything that might provoke hatred, had she?
What she didn't know was that the family of four had flawless, fair skin, enough to make anyone envious, but they also wore beautiful, respectable clothes and said they weren't short of money or credit limits. How could all of this not cause someone to feel unbalanced?
Bi Qiaoan didn't know because she had been in the guard team for the past two years and hadn't had much contact with the outside world. Shen Yanming was the same; he had focused all his energy on training.
The two had no idea that even if the people outside managed to survive, they would never be able to return to the carefree life they had a few years ago. They had to be very frugal, and some of them hadn't bought new clothes for several years.
While modern technology has greatly extended the lifespan of clothing, it's normal for it to lose its vibrancy and deform over time. Moreover, women naturally love beauty, and who wouldn't want to look their best if they could?
So, Bi Qiaoan caught their attention; they were clearly jealous and couldn't stand it!
"Alright, ignore them. Let's go see what we can buy." Shen Yanming smiled, wanting to lead his wife, who was as big as a pufferfish, away from this troublesome place.
Bi Qiaoan nodded and didn't dwell on it any longer.
The couple strolled through the huge supermarket and found that there weren't many things they could buy.
At first glance, there seems to be a lot of stuff, much like before the apocalypse. But upon closer inspection, you'll find that many things have been reduced in supply or have simply disappeared.
As for beverages, it seems there's no impact, but the couple knows that most of these are just diluted sugar water, so production isn't really restricted.
In terms of food, the supply of rice and flour has been reduced again and again, and now each person can only buy ten catties of rice and flour per month. Moreover, once grain is purchased, other non-staple foods made from rice and flour are no longer allowed to be purchased.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan understood the rule and didn't go to the grain and oil section to buy rice or flour. Instead, they turned and went to the snack shelf, picked out some nicely packaged items, and put a few into their shopping cart.
An'an and Nuannuan looked at the bulging plastic bag, curiously picked it up and shook it. Hearing the rattling sound inside, they laughed.
The couple let them play by themselves and then went to look at the cosmetics counter.
There are almost no purchase limits here. Although the variety has been greatly reduced, it can still basically meet customer needs. This is mainly because the products are different in nature, so people use them sparingly. Some bottles and jars can last for one or two years, so there's no worry about supply shortages.
Moreover, very few people still pay attention to cleanliness and maintenance after the apocalypse.
The couple bought some baby-specific bath wash and lotion, and then the family of four went to the fresh produce section.
Pork, mutton, and beef are only available in limited quantities, with only one animal supplied per day. Therefore, you have to arrive very early to queue and buy them. Fish and shrimp, whether live or frozen, are also scarce; you have to wait for a chance.
There were no vegetables or fruits, only a few dry packets of dried vegetables and dried fruit.
The couple went over to take a look and found that the dried vegetables and fruits were all dark and unrecognizable in terms of variety. They thought that it was probably because they were too ugly that no one had bought them.
The two whispered to each other when they saw an older woman hurrying over from a distance. She glanced at the couple warily, then tentatively reached out her hand. Seeing that no one stopped her, she quickly grabbed two bags and left.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan were dumbfounded. Before they could say anything, a large group rushed in from a distance, pushing and shoving, grabbing the dried vegetables and fruits in front of them and running away. They dodged left and right, afraid that someone would snatch them away.
Those who were too slow and missed out were furious and heartbroken.
After they left, a waiter came over to the dumbfounded couple and said, "You two, you clearly had the advantage of timing and location, why didn't you act first? Look, the dried vegetables and fruit I specially saved for you have been stolen!"
"Honestly, they don't even bother to be proactive when there's food to eat; they just stand there watching the show like idiots. With this kind of attitude towards life, how can they raise two kids properly?"
Listening to the waiter's mutterings, the couple realized that it wasn't that the food was ugly and no one wanted it; rather, it was that no one knew about it since it had just been put out.
Although they didn't need it, they were still quite happy to be shown special treatment. After thanking the waiter and making up a simple excuse, the two left the fresh produce section.
Other places, such as those selling slippers, underwear, pajamas, and nightgowns, weren't crowded. After all, these items aren't consumed quickly; once bought, they can be worn for a long time.
The couple made this their battleground, mainly to buy clothes for their two children. Although they had everything they needed in terms of space, they still wanted to make a show of it.
I bought a pair of slippers for An'an and Nuannuan, along with several coats and underwear for them. I bought the largest sizes available, hoping they can wear them for a couple more years.
Seeing that there were diapers, Bi Qiaoan bought two packs. Although An'an and Nuan'nuan wouldn't need them, it would be nice to keep them to give to those who needed them.
They figured they'd had enough, so they went to pay. They looked like they'd been shopping for a long time, but they actually hadn't bought much.
The idea was good, but when it came to actually selling it, I still wanted to save it for friends who might need it.
After paying the bill, Bi Qiaoan waited in the lobby on the first floor with her two children, and asked Shen Yanming to put the things in the garage and then come back to accompany the mother and children upstairs for a stroll.
Shen Yanming went and returned quickly. The couple discovered that many of the clothes here were from several years ago.
I asked a sales assistant at a specialty store and learned that some stores hadn't been able to stock new products because the factory had closed down. Others were experiencing inventory buildup because they couldn't get a single customer for ten days or half a month due to purchase limits.
It was only then that Bi Qiaoan realized there were very few sales assistants in the mall; almost several stores shared one. It seemed the continuous disasters were having a significant impact on production and daily life.
Shen Yanming had an idea, so he took Bi Qiaoan to the home appliance section. But there were even fewer people there; the entire floor had only two sales assistants and a security guard.
Shen Yanming smiled, "Do you need a quota to purchase electrical appliances here?"
The sales assistant smiled and shook her head, "No need, you can have whatever you want, as much as you want!"
Shen Yanming was somewhat skeptical, knowing that he had to pull strings to get a new phone.
Seeing the customer's confusion, the sales assistant explained, "We used to have that, but later, the management found that very few people would buy these appliances, so they lifted the restrictions. I've worked here for two or three years, and the first year I had the most customers coming to choose from."
He lowered his voice and said, "There's nothing we can do. Qinghua National Park is prone to power outages, so many appliances we bought can't be used."
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