The cows in the barn were creatures native to the Space, and their feed also needed to be purchased from the Mall. In the future, the Feed Mill would be unlocked, allowing for self-sufficiency.
While checking the various operational methods of the barn, Xia Nuan noticed a line of small text on the control panel.
It contained instructions and precautions regarding the use of the barn.
It specifically stated that only cattle breeds sold by the Space could be placed in the barn, and no external species could be raised.
The fantasy of buying breeding cattle from outside was shattered. In the end, they would have to rely on the Space—earning money within the Space and spending it there too.
What was particularly peculiar was that the lifespan of creatures sold by the Space was not measured by time but by usage.
After a dairy cow produced one thousand bottles of milk, it would be considered to have reached the end of its lifespan. The barn would automatically slaughter it, dividing it into beef, cowhide, and tendons.
Both the milk and the products from slaughter could be sold within the Space, and their value was quite high.
Although they couldn’t buy cattle from outside to raise, as long as they worked diligently, they would never have to worry about beef or milk in the future.
Xia Nuan was quite satisfied with this outcome.
Looking at these lively and energetic dairy cows brought her joy.
Remembering that another warehouse needed to be built, Xia Nuan hurriedly left to continue working.
With higher-level crops unlocked and more farmland available, they no longer needed to toil for an hour and a half just to earn four hundred Gold Coins.
In less than half an hour, Warehouse No. 2 rose from the ground, and Xia Nuan was exhausted, nearly collapsing.
After filling the feed for the cows and leaving the Space, Xia Zhiguo and Xia Mu also returned home.
Upon hearing that Lu Zhaozhao had visited today, both father and son showed expressions of disdain.
"What kind of person is she, chasing after my daughter to bully her at our home? After listening to her nonsense, next time just throw her out and don’t even open the door for her."
Xia Zhiguo still remembered how pitiful Xia Nuan had looked when she returned yesterday.
The small girl’s face was pale and bloodless, her forehead burning hot, and tears kept streaming from the corners of her eyes even in her delirium.
The one who had caused his daughter to fall so ill was that ungrateful adopted daughter of the original host.
One’s own child is always the most precious. Now that he had become Xia Zhiguo in this world, Xia Nuan was his own daughter.
No one was allowed to bully his own daughter.
"Next time I meet her, I’ll see what’s going on. She’s not thoughtful enough to come back just to visit us. She probably has other plans in mind."
Xia Mu, having read the original work, had a deeper understanding of Lu Zhaozhao. He didn’t believe she had come just for a broken bracelet.
"Mom and I have already found a house. We’ll move in tomorrow, so we probably won’t run into her much in the future. Dad, how much food did you buy today?"
With her family backing her up, Xia Nuan felt even more that Lu Zhaozhao was as insignificant as trash.
She smiled brightly and asked the two about their day’s harvest, changing the subject.
Sure enough, Xia Zhiguo and Xia Mu’s attention immediately shifted to the purchased supplies.
"We bought twenty tons each of rice, white flour, and buckwheat flour. For grains like millet and red beans, we spent a total of one hundred thousand yuan. Since it’s not the harvest season, the nearby grain depots don’t have much stock, and they need to prioritize supplying the surrounding market vendors. That’s why they were only willing to sell us this much. I discussed it with them, and they can add at most ten more tons each."
Speaking of this, Xia Zhiguo felt somewhat troubled.
Before leaving, his daughter had given him five million, and after a busy day, he hadn’t even spent one million.
The biggest reason he couldn’t spend the money was actually because others refused to sell.
When converted into tons, the amount of grain sounded substantial, but in reality, it didn’t even fill a warehouse the size of a classroom. The gap in stockpiling was still huge.
“There are still people unwilling to sell?”
Xia Nuan widened her eyes in surprise, never imagining that grain depots might refuse to sell their goods.
What was the point of not making money when it was right there?
“All grain depots are prohibited from selling out their warehouses. This is an official regulation. Their sales channels have long been fixed, and they must also set aside a portion for export. In two months, it will be the grain harvest season. We’re trying to buy at the wrong time.”
Hearing her brother’s explanation, Xia Nuan belatedly realized the issue.
In two months, autumn would arrive, nearing the end of the year. The new rice in the warehouses was harvested last year, and the rest would be transferred to official grain reserves. There really wasn’t much they could buy or sell.
Xia Nuan silently calculated in her mind. In the Apocalypse, frequent outings would consume a lot of energy, and to ensure they were well-fed and able to act, this amount of grain seemed somewhat insufficient.
Since they couldn’t focus solely on buying grain, it was better to diversify their stockpile.
“If we can’t buy more, then let’s leave it at that for now. After moving, we’ll see if we can stockpile large quantities of self-heating hotpots, pickled vegetables, noodles, bread, instant noodles, and other semi-processed vegetarian foods.”
Hearing this, Xia Mu revealed a sly smile, pulling out an exceptionally long receipt from his pocket. As he unfolded it, he boasted.
“All kinds of seasonings, vegetables, fruits, frozen foods, pork, beef, lamb, chicken, potato chips, bread, biscuits, sunflower seeds, peanuts, mineral water, canned drinks, instant noodles—you name it, it’s all here. I ran to four or five places all by myself to get these. Little sister, isn’t your brother amazing?!”
Xia Mu’s face was practically screaming, “Praise me!”
His smug expression made sure Xia Nuan knew exactly how much credit he deserved.
It was both amusing and exasperating.
“Amazing! My brother is the best!”
Xia Nuan played along, clapping her hands as she looked at the long list.
Watching the harmonious interaction between the siblings, Fu Ying and Xia Zhiguo exchanged a smile.
The anxiety of arriving in a new world and the impending Apocalypse faded a little at that moment.
That evening, the family didn’t cook.
Xia Nuan went on a frenzy on the food delivery platform, ordering plenty of delicacies like roast duck, milk tea, fried chicken, and burgers—foods that would gradually disappear after the Apocalypse.
The deliveries kept coming until her hands were tired. She picked a few items for dinner and stored the rest in her Space.
By one in the morning, Xia Nuan followed her brother out, sneaking around.
The items in the warehouse had to be collected tonight, as more deliveries were scheduled for tomorrow. Since they had only rented one warehouse, they needed to clear space for the next day’s goods.
Both were dressed in all black, with masks, hats, and sunglasses. Unless someone knew them well, they wouldn’t be recognized even up close.
“Brother, is it really necessary for us to dress like this?”
“Better safe than sorry. If someone notices a whole warehouse of goods coming in but never going out, we’d be in trouble. At least dressed like this, even if someone spots us, they won’t recognize us right away. Though, even this getup can’t hide my peerless good looks.”
Xia Mu was quite pleased with his outfit, even striking a pose and flipping his hair.
Xia Nuan: "…"
This is really hard to judge.
"But I think dressing like this makes us even more conspicuous."
At two in the morning, there were still some people walking their dogs and jogging on the street.
In just a short while, Xia Nuan had already noticed quite a few people glancing back at them.
Wearing sunglasses when going out in the middle of the night—no matter how you look at it, it seems like something only a crazy person would do.
"Let them look if they want to. Anyway, they won’t recognize who we are. Once the taxi arrives and we get in, no one will be watching anymore."
Xia Mu waved his hand dismissively, completely unconcerned. But not long after he finished speaking, a young man’s voice called out to him from behind.
"Xia Mu?"
Even wrapped up like this, Xia Mu was recognized just by his back. Without even looking, it was clear this was someone familiar.
Xia Nuan took off her sunglasses and mask, tilted her head, and tugged at Xia Mu’s sleeve, teasing him, "Brother, so this is what you meant by 'no one will recognize us,' huh?"
"It must be because your brother is just too charming, so handsome that even his back is unforgettable."
Xia Mu shrugged helplessly.
After joking around for a moment, the siblings turned around together to look at the person who had called out to Xia Mu.
But as soon as they saw who it was, the smiles on their faces instantly faded.