There was no one at the cashier. Xi Xi tentatively asked, and perhaps because it was too quiet, her voice echoed faintly.
"Hello, is anyone home?" Xi Xi asked again, but the response was still silence.
From her initial cautious probing to pacing around the store a few times and finding it truly empty, Xi Xi remained uneasy and became even more vigilant.
Something unusual must be going on. The already mysterious rebirth became even more inexplicable at this moment. She listened to the sounds around her and treaded lightly until she saw a strange machine in a corner in the distance: a self-service checkout.
Xi Xi stepped forward and examined it closely. Unlike the overall vintage feel of the store, the self-service checkout counter looked exceptionally new and shiny, as if it had just come off the production line. The paint was intact and the gloss was perfect. It stood out conspicuously in the corner.
She knew about self-checkout; almost all large chain supermarkets had them. But this was the first time she had ever seen a small supermarket in the suburbs with no employees and just a machine for checking out.
"So carefree? Is this what a big city is like?" She looked up at the security camera on the eaves of the convenience store with some doubt.
It's not impossible, after all, there are surveillance cameras here.
Thinking this, Xi Xi felt a little more at ease. She had only been in Spring City for a short time before the apocalypse, and she really didn't know much about what this metropolis was like before.
"This is the self-checkout counter. Welcome, my customer! This is a self-checkout point. Please place your purchased items in the designated area. The store will automatically recognize the items and process the payment. We support various currencies and payment methods for a limited time, including bank debit cards and credit cards..."
You can even use a card? This is the first time Xi Xi has ever seen this kind of self-checkout in a supermarket. She was just worried about what to do if there was no internet and she could only use cash. In this age of online payments, she doesn't have any cash on her at all.
Xi Xi immediately perked up. No matter when, she definitely had to stock up. Although the back seat and trunk of her car didn't have much space, time was of the essence and money was limited, so she would stock up as much as she could. A pragmatic person is a wise man, and she shouldn't worry too much.
Xi Xi was born into an ordinary middle-class family. She had only been working for a short time, and with the added expenses of rent and utilities in another city, she had virtually no savings.
In short, let's spend all of my meager savings first. She can take more, and if she needs to pay less, she can get a refund. Besides, it's an unmanned convenience store, so there won't be any awkwardness or she'll be seen as a weirdo. As for the highway toll, she has ETC, so if it can't be deducted, she can pay it later.
Without hesitation, Xi Xi got to work quickly, picking up the shopping basket and starting to select items.
The convenience store wasn't big, and the variety and quantity of goods were limited. Fortunately, she didn't have much money either, so she could just do what she could. Xi Xi's goal was clear. She first grabbed some flashlights, whistles, windproof lighters, batteries, USB rechargeable desk lamps, and candles. These were all useful tools for self-defense in a natural disaster. Whistles could get the most possible rescue with minimal effort, and lighting equipment goes without saying.
She then selected various flavors of domestic instant noodles and eight-treasure porridge, clearing out all the existing stock on the shelves. The reason is obvious: compared to overseas trendy instant noodles, traditional domestic instant noodles are relatively cheaper. In fact, because boxed instant noodles are more expensive, Xi Xi had to choose only the large 5-pack of instant noodles and also bought an easy-to-clean stainless steel lunchbox and tableware set.
In addition, there are the most important large bottles of purified drinking water, as well as small, high-calorie foods such as bagged bread, sandwich cookies, chocolate, and candy.
Xi Xi squatted in front of the shelves, mentally calculating prices and quickly selecting items. The convenience store shelves didn't have many items to begin with, and after Xi Xi cleared out what she needed, a large section was empty.
Self-heating rice is relatively expensive, and Xi Xi, who is always careful with her money, felt that it was not as cost-effective as instant noodles, so she only took a few boxes.
Although she really wanted self-heating hot pot, Xi Xi didn't take a single box. Given her limited money, time, and space in the car, she simply couldn't afford to eat food that didn't fill her up.
After hesitating for a long time, Xi Xi finally only bought some hot pot base.
However, considering the issue of nutritional balance, Xi Xi also took some self-heating pre-cooked meals. These pre-cooked meals are inexpensive and come in a wide variety, and can be heated in a microwave or over a double boiler, which she really liked. Then, to facilitate double-heating, Xi Xi also took some concentrated soup stock cubes…
Spending money is easy, but earning money is hard. After seeing the balance of her secret stash of money, Xi Xi felt a pang of sadness and her lips twitched. Good heavens, she hadn't bought much, and this was all the money she had left.
Even so, she didn't stop working. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what else was worth stockpiling. In one go, she brought over many more bags of rice, flour, cooking oil, and various seasonings such as soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, Sichuan peppercorn oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, white vinegar, as well as cumin powder, five-spice powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, pepper powder, curry powder, MSG, chicken bouillon, white sugar, rock sugar...
Especially salt, you should stock up on extra, since salt deficiency can lead to a drop in blood sodium. Once a person is without salt, they will unconsciously experience symptoms such as fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, and weakness. In the harsh post-apocalyptic world, exposed to the elements, this is no less than handing a knife to someone else.
However, Xi Xi overestimated the capacity of her beat-up car.
After shoveling the last bit of cargo into the car and finally managing to close the door with a great effort, Xi Xi sighed heavily, clapped her hands, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. This hoarding was just too much work for her.
Isn't it said that protagonists reborn from the apocalypse get special abilities and can loot resources for free? This place is deserted and quiet, a perfect storm for a post-apocalyptic protagonist. So why is it that when it's her turn, she can only resort to brute force with nothing but her bare hands?
Xi Xi grumbled for a moment, on the verge of tears, before her gaze fell on the cardboard boxes at the entrance of the convenience store. The boxes, of varying sizes, were stacked haphazardly together, and inside, one could vaguely see piles of woven snakeskin bags used for packing goods.
Although the small supermarkets in the suburbs are not as clean or have a wide variety of products, they have one advantage: they don't lack woven bags.
Although the woven bag looks a bit dirty, it is sturdy and can hold a lot and be carried.
Without any hesitation, Xi Xi took out the woven bags, patted off the dust, stuffed the remaining goods into the bags, tied them together, and finally piled them all on the roof of the car.
When Xi Xi spotted the band-aids and vitamin tablets in front of the cashier, her eyes lit up. She immediately grabbed a bunch and added them to her cart. She also calculated the prices and stocked up on tissues and sanitary napkins.
Before long, the roof of the vehicle was piled high with colorful and bulging woven bags.
Well, although it doesn't look very nice, it's done at least.
Xi Xi stepped onto the car window and leaped up. With agile movements, she used the retractable strap to pass through the window, through the interior of the car, and then loop it up again to secure the sacks on the roof.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
