Li Ba, a graduate of Huaxia Agricultural University, was the sales manager at a well-known seed company in Wucheng before the apocalypse. When the apocalypse struck and order collapsed, the naturally timid Li Ba faced life-and-death situations and managed to scrape by and survive. By chance, he set aside the rules of post-apocalyptic survival to save a grandfather and his granddaughter, and in return, he received a magical bracelet. The bracelet contained a universe within—a plot of land, a stone trough brimming with spring water, and a Tower—all of which opened up a mysterious realm for him. What to do when food runs out? “My Fengshou Group has mountains of grain—I’ll trade it for crystal cores and jade!” Li Ba declared arrogantly. What to do when zombies attack the city? “The mutated plants cultivated by ‘Lord Ba’ can withstand a tide of a million zombies!” Li Ba said with absolute confidence. What if you’re not an Evolver and someone challenges you to a one-on-one duel? “I’ve got talismanic soldiers guarding me. Anyone who dares challenge me will get beaten so badly, even their own mother won’t recognize them!” said Li Ba, his bald head revealing a menacing expression as he spoke viciously. Using the mysterious space and his expertise, Li Ba cultivated crops and tended fields, determined to become a major farmer in the world of *Horse Herding* and pursue a happy life in the post-apocalyptic world.
Chapter 9: Buying
a House Having been to Xibu before, Li Ba was quite familiar with the city’s streets. As they strolled along, they passed numerous shops in the city, well-stocked with all kinds of daily necessities. Li Ba found a clothing store and bought a few outfits for himself and Yan'er, spending thirty jin of grain coupons. Their clothes were in tatters, and walking down the street, they inevitably drew attention—it was obvious at a glance that they were refugees who had just arrived in the city. Spending some grain coupons on new clothes was a necessity. Li Ba chose a black trench coat. He also made a point of going to a barbershop to shave his head completely bald. Once he put on the coat, his 1. 82-meter height, paired with the shaved head, gave him a formidable, imposing presence. Li Ba was very pleased with his new look. In the post-apocalyptic world, looking like a tough guy could save him a lot of trouble. As for Yan'er, Li Ba had originally picked out a few dresses for her, but the little girl flat-out refused. In the end, with no other choice, he bought her a few T-shirts and two pairs of jeans. After changing into her new clothes and getting a haircut at the barbershop, the little girl—with her short, ear-length hair, delicate features, and skin as smooth as porcelain—looked every bit the youthful beauty in her form-fitting denim T-shirt. “The girl’s not half bad-looking!” Li Ba praised Yan'er. Yan'er was a bit shy and hesitant, yet also a little worried. It wasn’t until Li Ba whispered in her ear—this was the inner city of the settlement, a place governed by the law, so she had nothing to worry about—that she finally relaxed and happily admired herself in the mirror. Little girls have an innate love of beauty; who would want to spend every day looking filthy, like a beggar! When lunchtime rolled around, Li Ba took Yan'er to a restaurant, intending to treat her to a proper meal. The restaurant wasn’t large—in the past, it would have been considered an indoor food stall. Now, with a canopy set up outside, there were about ten tables in total, both inside and out. Business was decent, with several tables of customers. The owner was a young woman in her late twenties, with delicate features and fair, smooth skin—she was definitely a real stunner. She was very warm and welcoming, inviting Li Ba and Yan'er to take a seat inside. “Ma’am, do you have braised pork?” For Li Ba, a meat lover who hadn’t touched any meat in months, now that his wallet was well-stocked, he naturally wanted to treat himself to a hearty meal. “We do, but it’s not cheap,” the owner’s wife replied with a smile. After the apocalypse, supplies were scarce; ordinary survivors could barely fill their stomachs, and meat was especially precious. The restaurant did serve braised beef, but one serving required thirty jin of grain coupons. That’s way too expensive! Even though Li Ba had over a thousand jin of grain coupons on him, he still found the price steep. However, unable to resist the temptation of braised beef, he gritted his teeth and ordered a serving, along with two vegetable dishes, a bottle of wine, and two bowls of rice—all for a total of fifty jin of grain coupons. Before long, the richly fragrant braised beef was served. Judging by the color of the meat, it appeared to be made from canned beef rather than fresh beef. Even so, it whetted Li Ba and Yan'er’s appetites, and they immediately dug in. The liquor was Erguotou, served in a small bottle containing two liang and five. The meat was canned. The two vegetable dishes—whose names he couldn’t recall—were likely local wild greens. Paired with the fragrant steamed rice, Li Ba couldn’t have been happier. Yan'er also feasted to her heart’s content, moving her chopsticks with lightning speed—she ate almost as fast as Li Ba. Half an hour later, Li Ba’s plump face was flushed from the alcohol as he picked his teeth with a toothpick, looking thoroughly satisfied after a hearty meal. Yan'er sat across from him, sipping a bottle of soda she’d saved for after the meal. After they paid the bill, the landlady politely saw them out. In the post-apocalyptic world, someone like Li Ba—who used up fifty jin of grain coupons in a single meal—was definitely a big customer. Hoping to secure future business, she even gave them a discount when they paid. “Sis, do you know where around here they’re selling houses?” Now that they were in the city, their first priority was to find a place to stay. Li Ba asked the restaurant owner—since she ran a restaurant in the city, she was bound to have connections, so asking her for information on this matter was definitely the right move. Upon hearing this, the landlady’s eyes lit up. “Young man, are you looking to buy a house?” Li Ba nodded. “I actually have a small Villa available right here. It’s a two-story house with three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, plus a hot spring and sauna suite—all luxuriously furnished…” From what the landlady explained, she was a native of Xibu Town. Before the apocalypse, she had run a family-style hot spring resort and built a row of houses behind the restaurant, all luxuriously furnished for residential use to accommodate tourists for lodging and bathing. Led by the landlady, Li Ba and Yan'er went to the back of the restaurant, where they saw a row of two-story buildings with elegant exteriors and front yards. Upon entering, the interior was exactly as the landlady had described: exquisitely decorated, opulent yet tasteful, and fully equipped with furniture and appliances. The ground floor featured a large living room, a kitchen, and a hot spring and sauna suite. Upstairs were three bedrooms. Stepping into the sauna suite, they found the floor covered with non-slip tiles, mirrors lining all four walls, and an oval-shaped bathtub in the center. The landlady stepped forward and turned on the faucet; hot spring water gushed out with a “whoosh,” billowing with steam. “What do you think? Are you satisfied?” the landlady asked with a smile. “Mm-hmm,” Li Ba nodded vigorously. He was absolutely thrilled with this house. The only question was: how much would it cost? When he asked, Li Ba was stunned. This small Villa cost 30,000 jin in grain coupons. With what little he had, he couldn’t even afford the bathroom. “Sis, we’re in the end times—why are housing prices still so high?” Li Ba said with a hint of resignation. “Young man, there are so many people and so few houses in the settlement—it’s only natural that prices are high,” the landlady explained. “Young man, I can tell you’re new to the city and probably don’t have much to spare. Buying a house would definitely be a huge financial burden. How about this: I’ll let you pay in installments—1,000 jin of grain coupons per installment, interest-free. After thirty installments, the house is yours. What do you say?” The landlady tried her best to persuade him, eager to close the deal. She also listed many benefits: her late husband had served in the settlement’s military, and after his death, she received survivor benefits, including free access to the hot springs. If Li Ba bought the house, he wouldn’t have to pay water bills either, which would save him a fortune. Li Ba was somewhat tempted. The landlady’s proposal seemed quite a bargain to him. A thousand jin of grain coupons a month was an astronomical sum for most people. But for him, with his mysterious space constantly producing crops, a thousand jin of grain was nothing. Such a large, luxuriously decorated Villa, complete with a private suite for soaking in the hot springs, was definitely worth the price. “All right, I’ll buy it,” Li Ba nodded firmly. The landlady’s face lit up with joy. She turned and walked to the restaurant up front, returning with two copies of the contract in her hands. As previously agreed, payment would be made in thirty installments, and the contract took effect immediately upon signing. The terms and conditions were clearly outlined in the contract, with the responsibilities of both parties—Party A and Party B—clearly defined, along with a clause outlining grounds for termination. It was evident that the landlady had put a great deal of thought into drafting this contract. After reviewing it carefully, Li Ba had no objections. Both parties signed the contract, and he handed over 1,000 jin of grain coupons as the down payment, officially putting the contract into effect. After counting the grain coupons, the landlady said with a smile, “My friend, I also provide meals here. It’s not expensive—fifty jin of grain coupons per person per month covers three meals a day, and we serve meat once every ten days.” This woman really knows how to do business! Li Ba thought it over. Since he didn’t know how to cook, he might as well eat at her restaurant. So he handed over another 100 grain coupons to prepay a month’s worth of meals for himself and Yan'er. That fat guy’s pretty well-off! The landlady slightly pursed her red lips, exuding a seductive charm, as her almond-shaped eyes discreetly appraised Li Ba, her mind already calculating her next move. Her name was Zhou Yan. Before the apocalypse, she and her husband had been local residents of Xibu. With a knack for business, they’d taken out a loan to build a row of small Villas on their own land and run a family-style hot spring resort. Business was booming; within a few years, they’d paid off the bank loan and amassed a substantial family fortune. Unexpectedly, the apocalypse struck. Her elderly relatives turned into zombies, and even her only daughter became one. Fortunately, Zhou Yan’s husband was a veteran. At the critical moment, he steeled his resolve, eliminated all the family members who had turned into zombies, and took her into hiding. Later, survivors from all directions arrived, and the Xibu settlement was established. Because her husband was a veteran, he quickly joined the settlement’s military, allowing them to retain the assets they had accumulated before the apocalypse. Life is unpredictable. Having just endured the pain of losing her loved ones, her husband was killed in action during a mission. Unable to dwell on her grief, Zhou Yan—a smart woman—knew that in this post-apocalyptic world, with the pillar of her family gone, many people with ulterior motives would soon emerge, harboring ill intentions toward her as a widow. Fortunately, before his death, her husband had made several good friends, all of whom served in the settlement’s military. With them looking out for her, those with ulterior motives dared not act rashly for the time being. A widow’s doorstep is often beset by trouble—especially when she is an attractive widow with considerable assets. Zhou Yan was shrewd; as soon as she learned of a piece of inside information from her husband’s friends—the kind only an insider would know—she immediately resolved to sell off her family’s properties in exchange for a sufficient supply of grain coupons. In the post-apocalyptic world, the strong reign supreme. As a vulnerable woman, she needed the strength to defend herself if she was to survive. To carry out her plan, she had to secure enough grain coupons—only then could she grease the wheels of the settlement’s higher-ups and get what she wanted. Ration coupons! Everything requires ration coupons! Zhou Yan stared at the fat man in front of her and licked her lips. In her eyes, he seemed to have transformed into a giant grain coupon, worth an infinite amount. The landlady’s slightly upturned red lips and mesmerizing gaze made her look like a seductive vixen, exuding sheer allure. Seeing this, Li Ba’s appetite was whetted. With his sharp eye, he instantly saw through her apron to the voluptuous, hourglass figure beneath—curves in all the right places—definitely a bedside beauty. Glancing around, Li Ba took advantage of Yan'er’s distraction as she looked around her new home. He leaned in like a thief, lowered his voice, and asked, “Sis, how much for… an all-night session?”
