The Beginning of Natural Disaster, I Won by Hoarding Tens of Billions of Supplies

Chapter 233: Salt Shortage

The herbs they were sent to find should be relatively rare or on the brink of extinction due to natural disasters. 

Jiang Ning was accustomed to being prepared and couldn’t help but look urgently at him. 

However, Huo Yishen remained silent. 

He… had forgotten. 

Different professions were like two different worlds, and the names of traditional Chinese medicine were already difficult to remember, let alone with a professor leading the team. They were only carrying out escort missions. 

Over the course of ten years, even the face of his own mother had become blurred, let alone uncommon herbs. 

“I can’t remember the name, but if I see it, I should be able to recognize it.” 

What else could Jiang Ning say?  

Forget it, let things take their course. 

She stocked up on air filters and masks, and when the time came, she would drink some lung-nourishing and liver-nourishing substances, which should help her get through. 

“Were you sick at that time?” 

Huo Yishen nodded. “I was relatively healthy. I got infected later and waited for the medicine for two months.” 

Jiang Ning’s spine shivered. “Did you cough up your liver and lung residues?” 

Afraid of frightening her, Huo Yishen pondered for a moment. “No.” 

… 

The premonition was correct; the extreme heat was coming to an end, and the temperature was dropping day by day. 

When it dropped to 45 degrees, Jiang Ning finally ended her torture and once again felt eternal love. 

Just like humans, Doudou and Coke felt the same way. They feel more spirited since they are no longer sweating all day long. 

The resettlement camp moved away, with some going to work under the Agricultural Science Institute to rebuild shelters and plant crops, while the rest went to Wangwan to participate in the reconstruction plan. 

With food and lodging provided, although they lived in temporary shelters, they could receive wages, rations, and points every month. 

Unable to eat their fill and with meager wages, they could barely sustain themselves, but reconstruction meant hope, which was a new reason to look forward to. 

The refugees left, and Aoyuan finally stopped worrying. 

As the temperature gradually dropped, they, who had experienced 60-degree heat, felt much more comfortable facing 45-degree temperatures and seized the time to actively cultivate. 

Who knows what other disasters lie ahead; they could only do their best to stockpile more food. 

… 

After much deliberation, He Tianming sought out Huo Yishen. 

“Comrade Huo, both you and Jiang Ning are capable people. Many residents in the neighborhood have encountered problems, and I’ve been running around for days without a solution. I wonder if you have any connections?” 

Not wanting to offend, Huo Yishen politely said, “Go ahead.” 

“Since the ocean was infected by ancient viruses, people dared not to eat seafood anymore, but salt is a necessity.” 

He Tianming explained, “Sweating profusely in the extreme weather consumes salt quickly, and many families in the neighborhood are already running out of salt.” 

Lack of salt not only made food unpalatable but also caused serious health problems. 

Mild symptoms included fatigue and dizziness, while severe cases could lead to nausea, vomiting, decreased urine output, and even shock. 

However, unscrupulous merchants, upon learning of the official recommendation to stop consuming contaminated sea salt, immediately hoarded it, causing the market price to soar to 10 kilograms of grain for 1 kilogram of salt. 

Although expensive, a kilogram of salt could last a long time if used sparingly, and people could still afford it by tightening their belts. However, these merchants would only sell it by the two kilograms, and they continued to hoard and raise prices. 

He Tianming approached several second-hand traders with a smile to negotiate buying a batch of salt, but all his good words were met with cold rejection. 

One of them was willing, but demanded 30 kilograms of sweet potatoes in exchange for 1 kilogram of salt. 

Although Aoyuan had received a batch of sweet potatoes, due to the drought and high temperatures, the harvest was not good at all, and they couldn’t even hold out until the next harvest, let alone exchange for salt. 

Therefore, He Tianming wanted to ask Huo Yishen if there was any way to get salt. 

Huo Yishen pondered for a moment. “I do know two second-hand traders, but I’m not sure if they sell salt. I’ll ask them and get back to you.” 

“Okay, thank you.” He Tianming thanked him repeatedly and then added, “If there’s no salt, could you also ask if they have any seeds?” 

The temperature had dropped, but the sweet potato cycle was too long. If they could get vegetable seeds or something else, perhaps they could solve the famine problem. 

Huo Yishen only promised to help ask around, but it wasn’t a certainty. 

Even so, it relieved He Tianming. 

Back in room 401, Huo Yishen mentioned the matter of He Tianming looking for salt. “I didn’t agree. Can you negotiate? If not, I’ll go back to him.” 

The two of them had hoarded tens of thousands of kilograms of sea salt, but the space belonged to Jiang Ning, so he couldn’t make a decision on his own. 

After some thought, Jiang Ning asked, “How much does he want?” 

“Aoyuan has more than a hundred people. Even if everyone wants some, a few kilograms per person at most would suffice. Anything more would raise suspicions.” 

With what they had stored and acquired for free, there were several tons of refined salt, so the sea salt would have to be traded sooner or later. 

However, the residents of Aoyuan were impoverished, and they didn’t have what Jiang Ning wanted. 

But the authorities had already made plans. Before the tsunami, they had also hoarded a lot of salt and seafood products, so the wealthy wouldn’t run out of money as long as they had connections. 

Therefore, sea salt only had value in the sinking market. 

A few hundred kilograms of salt was nothing to Jiang Ning. 

Giving it away for free was impossible, and exchanging it for coarse grains was also a problem. 

If they exchanged too much, they would feel the pain. 

If they exchanged too little, apart from the question of whether it was worthwhile for themselves, it would also raise suspicions. 

If things were obtained too easily, they would keep asking for more in the future. 

The salt belonged to both of them. Jiang Ning asked, “How much grain do you think one kilogram of salt should be exchanged for?” 

“The current market price is 1 kilogram for 10 kilograms of coarse grains, but the second-hand traders are reluctant to sell,” Huo Yishen deliberated, “So how about we collect 10 kilograms of coarse grains per kilogram, let He Tianming determine the exact amount needed, and our bottom line is that each person can’t have more than 3 kilograms?” 

Jiang Ning thought it over and agreed. 

As for seeds, she could also provide them. 

For corn seeds, give 5 kilograms, and for vegetable seeds… 2 kilograms? 

The Black Soil Garden had planted many vegetables, and they had let them flower and produce seeds that they had stored over the past two years. 

The second-generation vegetables might not be as good as the original, but having them in the apocalypse was good enough. Moreover, seeds like eggplant, bitter gourd, and pumpkin were definitely no problem. 

Seeds were scarce resources, but Jiang Ning decided to give them away. 

It wasn’t for their sweet potatoes, but for the admiration of the three years of the apocalypse and people like He Tianming. 

She couldn’t do it herself, but she admired them in her heart. 

With them, there was this paradise. Even if they moved away from here in the future, she hoped they would live well. 

However, giving them away without raising suspicion was the real test. 

The next day, the two went out for a walk and returned to give He Tianming a kilogram of salt. “This is the hoarded goods from before. You can try it first and make sure it’s okay before discussing further.” 

He Tianming felt a bit embarrassed. “Okay, thank you.” 

Jiang Ning was a little curious. “Captain He, although this shop has had some connections with my family’s Ah Shen and has been quite honest in business, he promised that it was hoarded goods from before. But there’s no way to verify it. If something goes wrong, we can’t afford it. I wonder how you plan to inspect the goods?” 

Little did she know that He Tianming replied casually, “Viruses generally fear high temperatures. By then, I’ll boil it in boiling water for an hour or two, or fry the salt in an iron pan. You’re kind enough to help with this, and if anything goes wrong, I absolutely won’t trouble you.” 

Of course, he was referring to the salt, not the mutated seafood. 

This was just his idea, and the salt might not necessarily be risk-free, but in the apocalypse, wanting to survive itself was a risk… 

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