Chapter Bonanza (5/10)

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Apart from the living room, this house contained only a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

Nan Liujing went to the bedroom first. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw two human-shaped mounds tightly embracing each other on the wooden double bed, which was covered in green plants. He shone his flashlight on

Sure enough, there lay two sets of completely decayed skeletal remains.

Vines had grown from his flesh, tightly entwining their skeletons until they were inseparable. Countless vines hung from the ceiling, weaving a curtain of death.

The scene was both grotesque and sorrowful, yet it seemed to exude a peculiar sense of tranquility that made one hesitate to set foot inside. Nan Liujing remained silent for two seconds, then stepped inside with a blank expression.

With a sweep of his arm, a vine as thick as an arm fell from the ceiling—it was far too long and was blocking his path.

Kicking the vine aside, Nan Liujing slashed through the vines a few more times, clearing a path to the nightstand, where he reached over and snatched up the table lamp.

Next to the lamp lay a pair of glasses, a book placed face-down, and a mug—the liquid inside had settled into an ominous dark green color. Nan Liujing pondered for a second: “If I wash it, it’ll still work!”

So he listed it in the trading section.

Nan Liujing had originally planned to move the entire nightstand, but upon closer inspection, he noticed a flower growing out of its back, so he had to give up on that idea. He pulled open the nightstand drawer and found two boxes of contraceptives inside.

Nan Liujing pocketed them without batting an eye.

Even setting aside its original purpose, it was a very practical item. Especially for players like him who were engaged in a year-round survival game, who have to head out every now and then to explore a resource island and stage a real-life version of *Survival in the Wild*. A pack of contraceptives can be incredibly useful.

It can be used to start a fire, fetch water, carry water, keep water out, and stop bleeding—and it can even serve as a makeshift life preserver. Even if Nan Liujing doesn’t use it himself, he can sell it for a good price in the trading district.

After searching the nightstand and making sure nothing had been overlooked, Nan Liujing walked past the double bed and made his way toward the large built-in wardrobe.

This row of wardrobes took up an entire wall. When he opened one, he found the couple’s clothes mixed in among countless plants, and Nan Liujing and the plants exchanged bewildered glances.

Nan Liujing tested the plants with his sword a few times to confirm they weren’t aggressive, then reached in and pulled out a few pieces of men’s clothing.

Disappointingly, these clothes were either damaged by the plants or chewed to pieces by bugs.

After rummaging through everything, Nan Liujing found only four pairs of women’s fleece socks, a pair of women’s thermal pants, two women’s knit tops, a wool coat, two pairs of men’s pants, and a pair of women’s hiking boots that were still in relatively good condition.

Although these clothes all gave off a grassy smell and the musty scent of having been stored in a warehouse for too long, who cares when they’re free? A quick wash would do the trick.

There were overwhelmingly more women’s items—but that couldn’t be helped; there were hardly any men’s clothes in the closet to begin with. With only two pairs of pants, it was a bit too few. Nan Liujing compared the sizes and figured they’d fit someone around 170 cm.

“I’ll just list them right away.” Sighing, Nan Liujing went through the clothes, clearly priced them, and listed them in the trading area, specifying that they could be exchanged for some basic materials.

Fortunately, he found a few sets of bedding and pillows on a shelf at the top of the closet, which went a long way toward soothing Nan Liujing’s frustration.

These were likely set aside for the seasonal change; they were neatly folded and packed in sturdy plastic bags, completely free from damage by plants or insects.

Nan Liujing counted them: there were two thick cotton quilts, one silky-smooth silk quilt, and two goose-down pillows—so soft and fluffy they felt like clouds.

Although they all had that musty smell from being stored too long, the weather had been nice the past few days, so after airing them out, they’d be as good as new.

Unfortunately, the sheets and duvet covers in the wardrobe hadn’t been stored under such good conditions. He decided to leave them behind—that was fine—but as Nan Liujing kept rummaging through them, he actually unearthed two squeaking mice.

Before he could even react, Hei Tang slid over in a swift slide, pinning one with each paw. After lowering her head and nudging them a few times—realizing she couldn’t bite them—she looked up and started meowing.

“…Alright, I’ll hold onto them for you for now.” Nan Liujing, looking slowly conflicted, placed the mice on a shop, thinking to himself, How did I, as a cat owner, end up with a habit of stockpiling food?

Next, Nan Liujing lay on the floor and pulled out two wheeled storage bins and a large 24-inch suitcase from under the bed.

The two storage bins were the perfect height for his single bed; he just needed to wipe them down and wash them before using them. As for the suitcase, there was nothing wrong with using it to store miscellaneous items he didn’t use often.

Before leaving the bedroom, Nan Liujing picked up all the vines he’d cut earlier. These vines were just ordinary plants—non-toxic and harmless. Since he’d already cut them down anyway, he figured he might as well try feeding them to his chickens and sheep; if that didn’t work, he could always send them to the compost pile.

Right across from the bedroom door was the bathroom. There, Nan Liujing found two bottles of what looked like expired shower gel, two bars of soap still in their original packaging, a bottle of hand soap, a pack of toilet paper, and a full box of laundry detergent pods.

Because of that box of laundry detergent pods, Nan Liujing spent a minute trying to figure out if the bathroom’s washing machine could be taken apart. The answer was no.

Nan Liujing finally realized that anything made of wood on this island was doomed to sprout. He walked out of the bathroom in a foul mood. 

The kitchen was a sight to behold.

Nan Liujing didn’t know what kind of natural disaster had destroyed Mulberry Village or how it had happened, but he figured it must have been the kind that developed and spread extremely quickly; otherwise, it couldn’t have resulted in “the deaths of most residents,” as Victor put it.

For this family, faced with such sudden misfortune, the two chose—at the very moment of life and death—to return to the bed where they used to sleep in each other’s arms, never to clean the kitchen again! 

The sink was piled high with used pots, bowls, and utensils that had already begun to rust. The rust mixed with food scraps, transforming into an even more unidentifiable, eerie substance that clung to the tableware and the surrounding area.

Sprouts had emerged from the cabinets, giving rise to a horde of biting flowers. These flowers, with their gaping mouths dripping saliva, had corroded the nearby floor and countertop into a pitted, uneven surface. Almost all the dishes in the cabinets were shattered, as if rats had once held a parkour competition on the counter.

Nan Liujing wandered helplessly around the kitchen a few times, yet couldn’t find a single item worth salvaging.

Finally, it was Hei Tang who squeezed into the gap between the cabinet and the countertop, meowing. Nan Liujing pushed the cabinet aside and discovered a round-bellied jar; when he opened it, he found it filled to the brim with clumps of dirt.

“What is this?”

It seemed unlikely that anyone would go out of their way to collect clumps of dirt in a jar. Nan Liujing reached in and pulled one out, tapping off the dirt crust to reveal a duck-blue interior.

【Salted Duck Eggs ★★★★】 

【Category: Processed Food】

【A delicacy made by curing duck eggs with salt, yellow clay, and spices. When you pierce the yolk, oil oozes out! However, if cured for too long, it can be a bit too salty. Restores 5 Stamina upon consumption.】

【Suggested retail price: 60 sol.】

【Condition: Looks a little spoiled】

This is actually a whole jar of four-star salted duck eggs, but they’re about to go bad.

Nan Liujing counted them—there were actually 30 salted duck eggs in this jar.

“It’s okay, no big deal.” Nan Liujing put the one he was holding back into the jar, then placed the entire jar on the shop. Salted duck eggs are always pickled raw, and after pickling, they still need to be boiled before they’re edible.

Under the logic of this game, no matter what state the ingredients’ freshness is in, as long as they’re turned into a dish, their freshness resets to “fresh.”

So this jar of salted duck eggs definitely wouldn’t go bad anytime soon.

As he stepped out of the house, Nan Liujing looked up at the sky. Sunlight filtered through the web of foliage, scattering across the ground like flecks of scattered gold. He glanced back at the house he’d just left; the doorway was pitch black, as if he’d just escaped from the stomach of a monster.

Finding the interior of the house overrun with vines too oppressive, Nan Liujing deliberately chose a house abandoned in the desert to explore.

However, the moment he opened the door, a wall of yellow sand half a person’s height poured out, nearly knocking him over. Nan Liujing knew right away—he’d made another wrong choice.

These two were practically two of a kind!

What’s it like to search for supplies in a house buried in sand? Nan Liujing wondered if he was conducting an archaeological dig.

The fireplace broom and dustpan he’d just picked up from the previous house immediately came in handy. Nan Liujing swept from east to west, then from south to north.

After working up a sweat, he finally unearthed an intact clay pot from the sand and instantly felt as if he had struck gold.

Based on his archaeological findings, this building was likely not originally a residence but a workshop. As for what kind of workshop it was, he would find the answer when he finally unearthed the secret door to the basement.

He pulled open the secret door, and the cellar finally saw the light of day after all these years. Nan Liujing looked at the pitch-black doorway, then took out his lighter, lit a scrap of cloth, and tossed it inside.

A tiny flame drifted lightly into the darkness and died out once the scrap of cloth had completely burned up. Nan Liujing breathed a sigh of relief: The flame burning normally meant there was a flow of air underground, so he wouldn’t suffocate down there.

He adjusted the straps of his gas mask, turned on his flashlight, clipped it to his waist, and deftly climbed down the rope ladder.

The flashlight beam flickered, randomly illuminating every corner of the cellar. Nan Liujing saw countless oak barrels, neatly arranged on wooden racks against the walls.

In the cellar stood a long table, along with various containers and tools such as wooden barrels and basins.

After climbing down nearly 4 meters, Nan Liujing finally reached the ground. He let go of the rope ladder and jumped down, immediately picking up the flashlight and shining it toward the wooden racks along the wall.

【Mulberry Wine ★★★★★】

【Category: Processed Goods】

【Made from high-quality mulberries, this mulberry wine undergoes a long fermentation process to further enhance its quality. Each barrel yields 26 bottles of mulberry wine.】

【Suggested Retail Price: 13,000 Sol.】

“So this used to be a wine cellar.”

Nan Liujing moved his flashlight, the beam slowly sweeping across the other walls. Oak barrels like these lined three entire walls, stacked from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Nan Liujing counted them—there were 50 barrels on each wall.

Not every barrel contained five-star mulberry wine; 25 were one-star, 12 were two-star, 4 were three-star, 30 were four-star, and 19 were five-star. Another 60 barrels were marked as failed brews; opening them revealed only a foul-smelling, putrid liquid.

Even so, this mulberry wine was more than enough to make Nan Liujing rich overnight.

Not to mention that he dug out a stack of wooden crates from a corner, which, when opened, were filled with clean glass wine bottles.

Recalling the item description for mulberry wine, which mentioned decanting, Nan Liujing took an empty bottle and filled it with five-star mulberry wine.

【Mulberry Wine ★★★★★】

【Category: Processed Goods】

【This mulberry wine is brewed from high-quality mulberries, and its quality is further enhanced through a long fermentation process. It is sold in clear glass bottles, each with a capacity of 750 ml.】

【Suggested Retail Price: 800 Sol.】

Nan Liujing whistled in amazement: “The price actually goes up when it’s bottled? Is this the packaging effect?”

A simple calculation makes this clear: a whole barrel of mulberry wine sells for 13,000, and that amount yields 26 bottles when bottled. Dividing the two figures shows that the price per bottle should be 500 sol. Yet in reality, a bottle of mulberry wine sells for 800 sol.

Nan Liujing glanced once more at the empty wine bottles. These empty bottles sold for only 8 sol—but that was only because they were in the wine cellar; if they’d been found on his beach, they’d be nothing but trash.

But in the wine cellar, they were transformed into exquisite packaging that could command a 300-premium price for the mulberry wine.

Unfortunately, after searching the entire cellar, he’d only found 400 empty bottles, packed into eight wooden crates. Nan Liujing gathered up all the barrels and crates, planning to take them back to sort and repackage them for sale.

Five-star mulberry wine was the most valuable, so he naturally prioritized bottling that first. However, even then, he couldn’t fill all the bottles—there was too much wine and not enough bottles, which was a shame.

As the saying goes, “A thief never leaves empty-handed.” Since he was already there, before climbing out, Nan Liujing casually took all the wooden barrels and crates from the wine cellar—a total of 6 wooden barrels and 12 large wooden crates.

Since these items could be dismantled into planks and nails for storage, they had many uses—there was no reason to leave them behind.

Nan Liujing didn’t even waste the 60 oak barrels filled with foul-smelling liquid; he packed them all up and put them on the shop. They might stink now, but once the liquid is poured out and the barrels are dismantled, they’ll all be good wood.

The only things Nan Liujing couldn’t take with him were some of the wooden racks holding the oak barrels. He tried to dismantle them, but—perhaps because they were secured too tightly—several of the racks were nailed directly to the wall, and a message popped up saying, 【You cannot dismantle this structure.】

He had no choice but to give up.

Climbing out of the cellar, Nan Liujing brushed the sand off his clothes and saw Hei Tang appear by the door, meowing once.

“Hei Tang? What’s wrong?” Nan Liujing followed the cat outside and discovered that while he’d been down in the cellar, Hei Tang hadn’t been idle.

The cat had dug quite a few holes in the desert, turning the once-smooth surface into something that looked like a face covered in pockmarks. Now the cat was standing next to one of the holes, tail held high, watching Nan Liujing.

“Meow~” the cat let out a proud meow.

Nan Liujing approached warily: “You’re not trying to show me your poop, are you?”

“Meow!” Hei Tang cried out in displeasure, thumping its mangosteen-colored paws on the ground before leaping into the hole.

Nan Liujing hurried over and was stunned to discover that the pit was deeper than he’d imagined—almost 1 meter deep.

Beneath the sand lay more sand. The black cat stood in the sandpit, circling a desert rose stone half the size of a cat, its head held high with pride.

A stone like this—there used to be one on the cabinet at the couple’s house; it was one of the husband’s collectibles.

【Desert Rose】 

【Category: Gemstones】

【Ordinary crystals are constantly eroded by fine sand, gradually forming petal-like shapes that resemble a blooming rose. They are extremely fragile, so please remember to handle with care!】

【Suggested Price: 2,400 Sol.】

For a gemstone, this is considered inexpensive, but as a desert resource, it seems rather expensive.

Nan Liujing immediately showered Hei Tang with sincere praise. As he praised him, the cat tilted her head higher and higher, her ears standing straight up like antennas, and the base of her tail began to tremble with excitement. “Meow,” Hei Tang said happily, his eyes narrowing to slits. He leaped out of the sandbox and let out a sweet, high-pitched meow at Nan Liujing.

Just you wait, human—this cat can find even prettier stones!