Chapter 18: Renting a Refrigerator

Cheng Shuili shook her head, forcing herself to stop this negative thought.

She stood up and paced back and forth in the upgraded vehicle.

The interior of the level‑3 electric shopping cart was already quite spacious, enough for her to move around freely.

The kitchen area's induction stove flickered with a standby blue light, and the fridge emitted a faint hum—proof that she was ahead of other players and of her living conditions.

Cheng Shuili took a deep breath, opened the chat page, and deleted the friend 【Strawberry Hard Candy】.

This is normal; she needs to get used to it in advance.

Cheng Shuili didn't use the induction stove; she still lacked a pot suitable for it and was still using the small electric pot she had found earlier.

Simply heating a pre‑made dish is still convenient.

The foil‑wrapped veggie packet unfolded in the boiling water, and Cheng Shuili stood nearby, scrolling through the trade channel.

【Coco】: Three compressed biscuits, exchange for a bottle of mineral water—come on, send the trade directly!

【Don't Eat Pomelo】: I opened a box and got a strawberry seedling—anyone need it? PM me!

【Wan Yi】: Who has a fridge? Help! I'll store some stuff—you can bring items to trade, or I'll provide a few meals, fresh ingredients, homemade!

【Little Panda】: What are you talking about upstairs? A fridge? Free meals? Have you all entered the electric age?

【Xu Lingqi】: Big shot, please help—I'm still sleeping outdoors; I don't need much, just one meal from you! Wan Yi big shot, please!

That's interesting.

Cheng Shuili opened her private message with 【Wan Yi】.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: I have one—let's see your meal.

The other side quickly sent a few pictures: stir‑fried green pepper and shredded potato, braised pork belly looking fatty‑lean with a golden hue, and stir‑fried hot pepper tofu drizzled with starch.

In other words, this person not only produced all these ingredients but also has a full set of kitchen seasonings, even starch.

This is too amazing—this person is practically a heaven‑chosen chef!

【Wan Yi】: 【Picture】 plus rice, enough. It's just that the space I need might be a bit big—can I see what your fridge looks like?

Cheng Shuili shivered, glanced at the still‑heating pre‑made dish in the pot, then at the steaming bowl of rice the person had sent.

A lot happened today, but it's actually only the fourth day!

Heaven‑chosen chef!

Those four words popped into Cheng Shuili's mind, and she instantly understood this person's value.

We must build a good relationship; this calls for long‑term cooperation—in this world, eating is a top‑priority matter.

Everyone's head hangs a Sword of Damocles; death could strike anytime, and if the food gets worse, daily life would be just vitamin water and compressed biscuits.

Cheng Shuili: "……"

Just thinking about it makes me want to die.

No delay—she immediately took a photo and sent it to 【Wan Yi】.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: It's pretty big, and I have no demand—at most I'll chill a few drinks. If you need it, we can cooperate long‑term.

Cheng Shuili sent the message, silently praying in her heart that this person is reasonable.

If this person is greedy, wanting everything, even if they can make mountain‑and‑sea delicacies, Cheng Shuili couldn't cooperate with them for long.

The other side replied quickly, as if they'd been waiting all along.

【Wan Yi】: It's a bit bigger than I imagined—enough to meet your storage needs.

【Wan Yi】: I need to hand the ingredients to you so you can store them. Wuya Dalao, you won't run off with my stuff, will you? If I give you my things today and tomorrow I can't reach you, what then?

Cheng Shuili stared at the message from 【Wan Yi】, her finger hovering above the screen, hesitating.

Their concern is reasonable; in this dog‑eat‑dog world, trust is scarcer than food.

The pre‑made dish in the pot bubbled, the foil packet rolled in the boiling water, giving off a cheap spice smell. She suddenly lost her appetite.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: I understand your worry. How about this: for our first collaboration we do a small batch? You put a few key ingredients with me, and I'll give you something of equal value as a deposit.

Cheng Shuili isn't a philanthropist; making this necessary investment to build trust is okay, but a loss—she won't take it!

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: But you'd better keep your promise of providing meals.

After a long while with no reply, Cheng Shuili couldn't help but send another message.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: No meals then?

【Wan Yi】: That's certainly no problem—I'm not short on that one bite of yours. I just… uh, maybe my filter's broken? I thought you, Wuya Dalao, were the type who doesn't want to waste time eating, just gnawing on compressed biscuits, racing ahead.

Cheng Shuili: "……"

【Wan Yi】: Besides, you were pretty fierce when you scolded people in the area channel—I thought you'd be hard to get along with, but you're actually easy to talk to.

【Wan Yi】: You don't need to press the corresponding items; I also don't have much storage space, but I trust you.

【Wan Yi】: I took a screenshot—if you really run off with my stuff, I'll expose you in the area channel. Unless you never want to trade again, you probably wouldn't do that.

Cheng Shuili: "……"

What's with being a bit speechless yet also a bit moved?

In short, the deal is settled.

"You have received a gift from player 【Wan Yi】: eggplant×2, tomato×5, radish×3, potato×8……"

Cheng Shuili remained silent; besides those, there was fresh meat—a piece of pork about three jin, and an untreated fish.

Cheng Shuili really wondered if this person was cheating—where did all this stuff come from?

She had a sense of propriety; finding it odd, she wouldn't press further, after all trust is rare.

【Wan Yi】: Do you know how to store these? Meat goes in the freezer compartment, veggies in the fresh‑keeping layer; if possible, it's best to separate and pack the veggies before putting them in.

【Wan Yi】: Tell me a day ahead what you'd like to eat, and I'll see if I can make it for you. If you encounter any fresh ingredients in daily life, just contact me—I'll cook them for you free of charge.

Cheng Shuili nodded silently, feeling she'd resolved a major matter.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: Got dinner for tonight?

You received a gift from player【Wan Yi】: spicy dried tofu x1, rice x1.

Cheng Shuili stared at the two plates of food that had appeared out of thin air on the dining table, the hot steam carrying the fragrance straight into her nose.

She swallowed reflexively, her throat moving involuntarily.

The sauce on the spicy dried tofu glimmered amber under the light, streaks of green and red pepper dotted it, with a few white sesame seeds clinging to the edge. Beside it, the bowl of rice exhaled thin wisps of steam, the grains plump and glossy, far more tempting than the compressed biscuits she had been chewing these days.

She picked up a piece with her hand, feeling a faint warmth on her fingertips, and hastily shoved it into her mouth; the moment her teeth bit down, the sauce burst in her mouth.