CHAPTER 71: ENDURING PRESSURE NOT MEANT FOR THIS AGE

Jing Shu felt somewhat bewildered. She realized early on the clear division between "inside the system" and "outside the system." In the future, government employees "inside the system" would enjoy such green vegetables, while those "outside the system" would have to consume mushrooms laced with various chemicals and that were rotting.

CLICK!

CLICK!

The sound of camera flashes went off, capturing Minister Niu affectionately pointing at a frog. Then, some curious kids squatting down counting frogs were photographed. The interaction between parents and children, as well as Minister Niu’s touching lecture on "how to grow vegetables in the dark," moved countless staff family members. These precious moments were all recorded.

Jing Shu had her pant legs rolled up as she stood planting in the field. She had to maintain an elegant and proper smile for the camera until Minister Niu said, "Thank you for your hard work. You can go back and write your articles now."

Only after the photographer left did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They were incredibly curious about the frogs. Several children, who had no school to attend, had been brought for a visit and were no longer restrained. Had there not been a fence, they would have jumped right in to catch frogs.

The aunties brought their children over, while a group of older men proudly retrieved their cigarettes to smoke outside. Cigarettes had become very scarce.

"How much are you selling these frogs for? Since we ran out of floral water, we’ve had rotten corpse insects flying around, laying larvae when we aren’t paying attention. It’s truly exasperating."

"My fish tank bred a nest of rotten corpse insects. If we had frogs earlier, this wouldn’t have happened."

Everyone complained vehemently; they all clearly knew each other. Minister Niu even winked at Jing Shu.

Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. She realized that most of these people were family members of middle-level agency leaders, currently still in a state of lacking nothing. Keeping a few frogs was easy for them, unlike the residents of her district who couldn’t even get water to drink. Minister Niu had given her a cue, and she knew she had to make the most of it. It appeared this gift hadn’t been given for nothing.

"These frogs can handle the heat and endure the cold. They’ve withstood pressures they shouldn’t have at their age. I take care of them daily, like I’m looking after grandsons, with good water and good insects..."

Jing Shu had just started her hard-luck tale when an auntie interrupted, "Just say straight what you want—grain or something else."

"One small frog for three bottles of mineral water," Jing Shu said, her dirt-streaked face breaking into a wide, toothy grin as she held up three fingers.

Minister Niu’s mouth gaped slightly. This heartless girl really dared to ask for so much.

Selling was all about asking a sky-high price, while buying was about bargaining down until the seller felt the pinch, giving the buyer a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Jing Shu understood these aunties all too well.

"The frog is good, just a bit expensive. Since there are so many of us, how about a discount?"

"I’ll take two more. Give us a group-buying price, like buy one, get one free."

"If these frogs are good, we’ll come back for more."

Minister Niu’s mouth gaped again. These ruthless people really dared to haggle, just like her, that spendthrift tigress.

Jing Shu, her face a mask of reluctance, finally agreed to a group price: two bottles of water per small frog, with a complimentary frog rope and container. After-sales service was included, and a seven-day free exchange policy ensured everyone left happy.

Jing Shu taught them how to adjust the ropes and techniques for raising frogs. The older ladies added Jing Shu on WeChat, proclaiming that if things went well, they would promote her. Nearly every household bought a small frog; even the usually poised ladies followed suit.

They happily walked away, each carrying a glass jar with several meters of frog rope attached. Just like that, Jing Shu transformed from an internet broadcaster to a frog seller.

Jing Shu was extremely pleased with the hundred-plus bottles of mineral water that Minister Niu had advanced her. Mrs. Jing, fearing that Minister Niu would find Jing Shu’s prices too high, deliberately scolded, "Child, those are leaders. Couldn’t you sell them for less? Don’t you know water is scarcer than grain?"

Jing Shu retorted, "I’m trying to save the frogs. If I sell them too cheaply, people won’t cherish them. They’ll just think, ’If it dies, I’ll buy another since it’s cheap.’"

Minister Niu laughed heartily. "Jing Shu is right. I was just about to find you to buy some frogs for our research department; we need to increase breeding efforts. All sorts of pesticides and insecticides are being used at the disaster-stricken farms and reservoirs. Wu City’s remaining reservoirs cannot be polluted any further, and besides, the pesticides will eventually run out." Minister Niu hesitated, then said, "You all know about the riots in the new district yesterday. An emergency meeting was held by the higher-ups, and they decided to quickly launch mass production of mushrooms. In half a month, experimental oyster mushrooms will be freely provided to the citizens. This news will be released today. Hopefully, once people have food and drink, they will stop causing trouble."

Thinking about those moldy oyster mushrooms sent a shiver down Jing Shu’s spine. She really didn’t want to touch those mushrooms again in this life.

"I understand, Minister Niu. I feel honored to be able to contribute to the country."

In the end, Minister Niu bought 30 of Jing Shu’s small frogs, paying with 60 bottles of mineral water. He also preordered her next batch of frogs.

Jing Shu joyfully carried the remaining twenty-odd frogs and a cartload of mineral water home. Half a year into the apocalypse, water scarcity was worsening. She had underestimated her household’s water usage.

The water supply vehicles now delivered only 1L of water per person per day, a reduction of 0.5L from before. People in the neighborhood, who previously scrimped on water for cooking, now had to sip slowly even when drinking. They were almost dying of thirst, to say nothing of the mushrooms and vegetables they used to grow at home, all of which had withered and died.

As for washing pots and dishes, people used to wipe them with tissue paper. Now, with the food shortage, everyone was encouraged to lick them clean.

Perfecting this skill, it was said, would make the tongue more agile, thereby increasing pleasure between partners and strengthening emotional bonds within couples. Though Jing Shu didn’t understand the reasoning behind this.

The incident with the Sky Covering Party was just a spark that enticed countless restless people. The next day, news came that a group of over a hundred people, armed with machetes, had attacked the Friendly Supermarket. They killed many of the people sleeping in line to buy food, along with dozens of security guards. After breaking into the supermarket, they found it empty. To prevent such incidents, the supermarket’s grain was transported daily by the Armed Police.

But this incident utterly shocked all of Wu City, stirring panic. There was no more law and order; the world had descended into complete chaos!

Wang Qiqi from Building No. 13: "@everyone, last night the Friendly Supermarket was besieged by over a hundred people! There were hundreds of casualties! All major supermarkets in Wu City are now closed and under martial law. Street robberies have increased significantly today. It’s chaotic outside; stay indoors if you can!"

Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "These damned people! Now we can’t even buy grain. What are we going to do?"

Fat Girl No.25: "Does anyone still have any mosquito repellent or anything similar? Another bag of rice at my place was eaten by rotten corpse insects! At this rate, we won’t have any stored food left."

Zhang Bingbing from Building No. 4: "A new batch of rotten corpse insects has flown out from the farm. These insects are all over our place now. No matter how many we kill, more appear in the blink of an eye."

Thinking about selling the frogs she had on hand, Jing Shu sent a message: "@everyone, I’m selling a batch of frogs that eat rotten corpse insects. I’m looking to trade them for energy vehicle tires, shock absorbers, engine oil, and other parts."