Some shrewd people, upon hearing this, whether they believed it or not, decided to stock up on more Gold before the news became widespread.
As for some others, they ignored Bai Yuanyuan's repeated warnings and planned that if such a supermarket really existed, they would just storm in, kill the owner, and take over the supermarket.
When Liu Wutong returned home with a bag full of instant noodles, her sister, who was only 9 years old, was weaving straw sandals.
The grass used for making the sandals was called Blood-sucking Grass, a type of grass that sprouted after the apocalypse and drew blood while alive.
It was fine if there were no wounds on a person's body.
But if someone had a wound, the Blood-sucking Grass would rapidly grow into the flesh through that wound, ruthlessly draining the person dry.
Not only humans, but it would also prey on mutant animals weaker than itself.
Moreover, the vitality of the Blood-sucking Grass was extremely tough; it could thrive in extreme cold or heat, as well as through acid rain or tsunamis.
And it grew quickly.
A large patch had sprouted outside Sun Base.
The base leader would have a team of Superpower Users clear it out once a month.
Otherwise, some Superpower Users who went out and came back with minor injuries would be drained dry as soon as they approached the Blood-sucking Grass.
However, the dried Blood-sucking Grass was quite suitable for making straw sandals; it was tough and not easily worn out.
It had been ten years since the apocalypse, and the factories that produced shoes had long been washed away by the floods.
After enduring floods, heat waves, acid rain, and other disasters, many stored shoes were also completely destroyed.
Ordinary people like them simply couldn't wear the shoes from before the apocalypse.
Those with the ability and money might use the hides and furs of Mutant Beasts to make shoes, while the extremely poor could only wear straw sandals.
The team of Superpower Users would clear the Blood-sucking Grass once a month, so materials for making straw sandals weren't in short supply.
Therefore, most people who made straw sandals just earned manufacturing fees.
Capable people disdained this job.
Only those who couldn't go out to find resources, and the elderly, sick, weak, or young who couldn't undertake tasks for the base, would resort to this work.
There were quite a few such people in Sun Base.
Consequently, there were many who made straw sandals, and the more people did it, the more sandals there were. With an oversupply, naturally, the sandals became less valuable.
A pair of straw sandals was worth only one Contribution Value, but even for a skilled person, it took at least four hours to make a pair.
After being cut, Blood-sucking Grass would become very hard and needed to be sun-dried for a while. After sun-drying, it had to be repeatedly kneaded to soften before it could be used to make shoes.
It took a lot of time and yielded little profit.
But many had no other choice.
Earning a little was better than earning nothing at all.
A pair of shoes that took so much time to make was only worth one Contribution Value, yet the cheapest, most basic Mutant Potato Mash in the base cost five Contribution Values for a small bowl.
Liu Wutong's younger sister, Liu Piaoxu, was nine years old but looked like a shriveled bean sprout due to poor nutrition.
Her hair was yellow and sparse, with a disproportionately large head.
With several strands of Blood-sucking Grass in her hands, Liu Piaoxu was rubbing them with her tiny hands, which were a bloody, fleshly blur, yet she did so with utmost concentration, as if she had no sense of pain.
"Piaoxu! Haven't I told you?" Liu Wutong said, "You shouldn't make straw sandals anymore."
Seeing this scene, Liu Wutong dropped her bag and rushed over to grab Liu Piaoxu's hands, making her drop the Blood-sucking Grass.
"Sister!"
"You're back!" Liu Piaoxu was very happy to see her sister return.
"This is no problem, I'm almost done. I'll be able to make shoes shortly." Liu Piaoxu's hand was caught by Liu Wutong, her eyes still fixated on the Blood-sucking Grass on the ground.
"Stop doing it! How many times have I told you? You're still so young! Why make shoes? Are you willing to ruin such a good pair of hands? I've told you, your sister will work hard, your sister will make sure you have enough to eat! Your sister is a Superpower User, she will find a lot of food!" Liu Wutong couldn't hold back anymore, tears started falling as she spoke.
She felt such hatred, truly deep hatred.
Why her sister had to be born in this era.
"Sister, don't cry, please don't cry."
Liu Wutong cried, and Liu Piaoxu struggled to catch her tears.
"I'm sorry, sister. I was wrong," Liu Piaoxu was somewhat at a loss; it was rare for Liu Wutong to cry in front of her. In her eyes, Liu Wutong had always been an unyielding sister.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry to you. If only I were a little more capable," Liu Wutong said as she held her little sister's small body, her eyes reddening again and again.
"Sister is amazing, taking care of three people alone. I want to learn from my sister." Liu Piaoxu was very sensible. She had always hoped that she could awaken her superpower early; she knew it was hard for her sister to support three people alone, and she wanted to awaken her abilities early to help her sister.
Liu Wutong hugged Liu Piaoxu and steadied her emotions for a while before taking out the Hemostatic Medicine that Monkey had left over today, sprinkling a little on Liu Piaoxu's hands.
Without any bandages, Liu Wutong could only tear up a clean piece of her clothing to wrap around the wound.
Throughout the process, Liu Piaoxu watched Liu Wutong sprinkle the medicine on her wound with great distress, and when she saw Liu Wutong tearing up clothes, she felt even more heartbroken.
"Sister. Such good clothes shouldn't be torn."
Liu Wutong's face was stern as she bandaged her hand, "It's already torn, wrap it up."
"Where's mom?"
"Mom went out to sell shoes, we made five pairs in the past few days! They can sell for 5 Contribution Values." When Liu Piaoxu mentioned this, she felt a bit proud.
"I told you not to make them anymore, you've hurt your hand."
"Sister brought back a lot of delicious food today, go find mom and bring her back immediately."
"Right now? But what if the grass shoes aren't sold out?"
"Come back even if they aren't sold, otherwise what if Gu Honghua snatches the food?!" Liu Wutong deliberately lowered her voice to scare her.
Gu Honghua was their neighbor, always keen on taking whatever little advantage she could. Especially since Liu Wutong's family only had two women and a child, Gu Honghua thought they were easy to bully and often came over to take advantage.
Liu Wutong was with Cheetah Team, and occasionally they would catch some Mutant animals and distribute the meat. Almost every time, Gu Honghua would take the opportunity to take advantage, and unfortunately, her mother was too timid, often giving up two-thirds of a good piece of meat to Gu Honghua.
Liu Piaoxu disliked her the most.
"I'll go, I'll call mom right back. Sister, make sure to lock the door."
Liu Piaoxu shivered with fear.
As a Superpower User, her sister often wasn't home and went out to find supplies.
And Gu Honghua knew that her sister was the most dominant person in the house, often taking advantage of her sister's absence to steal things.
Gu Honghua was the person Liu Piaoxu disliked and feared the most.
With a small body, she nonetheless ran very quickly.
Upon hearing that Gu Honghua might come to steal the food, Liu Piaoxu hurried off to call her mother.
While Liu Wutong began to choose instant noodles from the bag.
She had intended to have either Old Tank Pickled Cabbage or Spicy Beef flavors, her two favorite flavors before the apocalypse.
But considering she and her mother hadn't had them for years, eating something too spicy all at once might upset their stomachs, and remembering her sister was young and had never eaten something so spicy.
She settled on Mushroom Stewed Chicken flavor.