Chapter 26: We Can't Say This Plainly

Seeing this scene, others also came forward to ask. Liu Mu pointed to the items on the sign and explained, then added, "Gold and silver jewelry can also be traded, but please understand, these things aren't of much use to us right now; at most, we'd just use them to trade for supplies elsewhere. I must trouble everyone to use your own discretion."

Someone asked: "What about cash? Is money still usable?"

Liu Mu gave a wry smile, "I can't say that plainly, but you all know how it is, right? We're just doing barter here. Everyone, feel free to look at our goods first. There isn't much, so it's first come, first served!"

After a high-temperature event and several massive fires, energy-related items were likely almost non-existent; only things that were fireproof or hidden underground beforehand remained.

The people gathered around were hesitant. After all, the Base still provided food, and they didn't have to put in much labor. The things they still had in their hands were once very precious, and they didn't want to just trade them away for a single bite to eat.

There was a lot of discussion, but very few people actually stepped forward to ask. There were also a few children who asked their parents for food... and got beaten for it.

Liu Mu was not in a hurry. To tell the truth, she didn't expect to trade for anything good today. Her main goal for today was just one thing: to let people know that they would occasionally be here to trade, that they accepted a wide variety of items, and that one could trade simple things for unexpected benefits.

The old man who had left Nannan here returned quickly. He was pulling a crudely made cart, and a little old woman was pushing hard from behind to help.

"Surely no one actually wants this junk, right?" Those who noticed the old couple followed along to watch the spectacle, mocking them incessantly as they walked.

"That's why I say people are useless when they get old. Everyone else is busy looking for food and water, but you two only know how to scavenge for junk, and you even claim someone is buying it. What time do you think it is? Is anyone still buying scrap? Are you brain-damaged? Would anyone give you food for that?"

The jeers merged into a chorus, yet not a single person reached out to help. The old couple were not thick-skinned people to begin with; they both hung their heads, their faces flushed red as if they had committed some grave error.

It wasn't that they felt ashamed; before the disaster, they had survived by scavenging for scrap to support their granddaughter, and now they didn't know what else they could do.

They also wanted to look for food or other valuable items, but they were so old and the child was so small; they couldn't compete with the young people nearby, and they didn't dare go further away.

After her daughter married, she was abused by her husband's family. Just before the new year, she finally managed to divorce and return home, but she fell into a depression and committed suicide only a few months later. If it weren't for looking after their little granddaughter, the two of them would have long since lost the will to live. Now, with the natural disaster, although they had managed to hide underground, as for the future...

For the sake of their little granddaughter, they had to grasp at even the slightest hope; she was the only descendant their family had left.

Thinking of this, bean-sized tears fell from the little old woman's eyes. But with so many people watching, she could only grit her teeth and swallow everything down. If she were gone too, what would happen to the old man and the little granddaughter?

Their family could not afford to lose any more people.

Liu Mu had keen hearing and caught the high and low mocking voices from over ten meters away, but she did not go up to help. She only glanced at the cart piled high like a small mountain, then took out a small box and silently began packing things.

The rescue Base was now a large society. The soldiers had to maintain order, go out for rescues, and build fortifications; it was impossible for them to take care of everyone. Besides, among those who survived the disaster, which family hadn't lost someone? Pitiful people were everywhere.

The creaking sound drew closer. The people gathered at the stall looked on with curiosity, but not one of them realized they should make way.

Xu Xiaofeng saw it too. She handed the little girl to her younger brother, Zhang Xiaoyong, and stepped forward, her face beaming with a warm smile. "Uncle, Auntie, you've scavenged so many things? Let me help you. Everyone, please excuse us, our little stall is having a grand opening with its first business of the day."

Her voice was naturally loud, and having done business for years, as long as she wasn't scolding someone, she could spout plenty of auspicious words to ensure customers visiting the shop left satisfied.

While on the road, the group had discussed what they wanted to trade for. The first thing Liu Mu mentioned was scrap metal—whether it was anti-theft window grilles, kitchen knives, scissors, hammers, or iron pots, they would take them all.

Although she didn't know the reason, Xu Xiaofeng believed that Liu Mu must have a reason for doing so. That's right, as long as it was something Liu Mu said, she and her brother now unconditionally believed in and supported it.

Liu Mu brought two small cardboard boxes from behind the cart and placed them by the stall, waiting for the cart to arrive.

Among ordinary people, Xu Xiaofeng, who kneaded dough and moved tables and chairs every day, was quite strong. Compared to the old couple who hadn't eaten their fill recently, she was much more agile and directly helped push the cart over.

"Boss, please take a look, is there anything here you can use?" the old man spoke first, fearing that these pieces of junk wouldn't be wanted, and that after scavenging for days, he wouldn't be able to trade for a single bite of food.

Xu Xiaofeng didn't make the decision herself; she just stood by the cart and looked at Liu Mu, her eyes filled with a subtle earnestness. She truly sympathized with them.

"Alright, let me take a look first," Liu Mu said, which made the old couple nervous, and the surrounding discussion grew louder.

The slightly hunched little old woman stepped forward, first hugging her granddaughter, then said in a low voice: "Please take a look, even if it can just trade for a steamed bun, that's fine."

That was right; in her heart, she only felt that if these things could trade for a steamed bun, it would be good enough.

Liu Mu smiled and nodded, then began taking the items off the cart with her bare hands, sorting them into categories. "Big sister, keep a record. Four anti-theft window grilles, five iron pots—one, two, three... five. Three large stainless steel basins, four small ones. Let me count the stainless steel plates... Whoa, Grandpa, Grandma, you really know how to scavenge, fifty-three in total. Do you want to keep two for eating?"

Seeing Liu Mu counting them one by one, not looking like she was going to refuse, the old man suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. "No need, we kept some, we kept pots and bowls."

"That's great. Sister, write it all down." Liu Mu put them away one by one, then saw a box of electrical wires underneath, though they weren't long and most had burned into a lump.

She pushed aside the charred plastic; inside, some were brass, and there were some materials she didn't recognize. She silently asked the system if these had any value. The system provided information that they contained rare metals; although not much, they should be useful in the future.

"These are all burned and ruined..." Seeing Liu Mu hesitate, the old man stepped forward and offered, "If you can use them, I'll just give them to you."

Liu Mu waved her hand and thought for a moment. "Grandpa, I'll take these too, but next time, could you help me clear away the burned plastic? It makes it easier to calculate the weight."

"I'll clear it now, right now," the old man said, about to start working. Liu Mu grabbed his sleeve, which was almost torn into rags. "No need, we'll let it slide this time. I'll count it as two jin less, how about that?"

"That works, that works!" The old man hurriedly indicated that even counting half the weight would be fine.

Afterward, there were some pliers, iron nails, screws, and the like, all calculated by weight just like the wires.

Liu Mu wasn't exaggerating; this couple was clearly hardworking. While others hadn't yet moved on from the disaster and were still complaining about heaven and others, they had already started working. Just this alone put them far ahead of those who only knew how to whine and complain.

Once the quantity and weight were all sorted out, Liu Mu opened one of the two small cardboard boxes from earlier. She... had packed too little stuff.