Our neighborhood has been transported again.

Chapter 106 The Deal (Third Update)
Watching them walk away, Zhao Pu couldn't help but shake his head, "They're gone."

I don't know if he meant the stretcher bearers left, or the person on the stretcher left.

As they went upstairs, there were two people standing guard at the door of room 202. They looked like security guards and their eyes were wary when they came upstairs.

They passed the two men and arrived at Zhao Pu's house.

Sitting in the living room with his back to the two of them, Zhao Shuhuan called out, "Dad, I've boiled all the tree bark. Go and soften the dried bark in the kitchen later."

"Ahem." Zhao Pu coughed.

Zhao Shuhuan turned around and, upon seeing Qin Ziwen, quickly called out, "Uncle Qin!"

"I'm only about ten years older than you, why do you all call me uncle? It makes me sound so old," Qin Ziwen chuckled.

Zhao Shuhuan smiled sheepishly.

"You're boiling tree bark?" Qin Ziwen walked over and saw the tree bark boiling in his pot. The outer layer of grayish-brown hard bark had been scraped off, leaving only the inner part.

Zhao Shuhuan nodded, "That's right. We can't go to the river now, so my dad found me a part-time job. The bark can be used to make rope, and some bark is even edible. It has many uses. There are people who specialize in collecting and processing the bark."

Qin Ziwen glanced at it twice, "What's the price?"

"Ten pounds of processed ordinary tree bark can be exchanged for two pounds of meat. If the bark is for special purposes, the price will be higher. For example, the exchange rate for willow, osmanthus, and elm bark can be twice as high."

"How many kilograms of bark can you make in a day?"

Zhao Shuhuan thought for a moment: "Two or three catties, but finding the tree takes time."

Zhao Pu said from the side, "Some teenagers in the community have nothing to do, so this can be considered a job. It just so happens that someone is collecting these processed tree bark."

Qin Ziwen pondered for a moment, "I have a job here. I need to collect a large number of vegetable and fruit vines and roots that are intact and ready for planting and transplanting."

"Mr. Qin, what are you prepared to offer in this transaction?"

"Meat."

After careful consideration, Zhao Pu slowly said, "Mr. Qin, actually, it's not very cost-effective to trade for mature plants directly."

He glanced furtively at Qin Ziwen's expression, and seeing that he didn't seem displeased, he continued, "First of all, mature plants can bear fruit directly. As long as you leave them, they're like laying hens. It's like buying a laying hen from a rural family; the price will definitely be inflated."

Secondly, the mature plants that others have discovered are mostly wild individuals. Mr. Qin, you should know that the high yield of many modern fruits and vegetables is based on generations of improvement and cultivation. Purely wild plants actually do not have high yields and do not taste as good.

I think it would be better to trade some seeds. Some people have sprouted potatoes, leftover pumpkin seeds, and chili seeds.

"I understand," Qin Ziwen nodded.

It seems we still need to talk to Wei Zhaohua about this.

Zhao Pu said, "Mr. Qin, if you are comfortable with this, I can ask other owners in my name if we can trade some suitable seeds. Seeds shouldn't be too expensive."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Dr. Zhao."

After leaving Zhao Pu's house, Qin Ziwen went downstairs to Wei Zhaohua's house and expressed his desire to buy seeds.

Wei Zhaohua said, "I don't have much at home. I've planted almost everything that can be planted. I gave you the rest last time."

Qin Ziwen asked, "If we were to buy seeds from other people's homes, what price do you think it should be?"

Wei Zhaohua gave him a deep look. "You must have some kind of structure at home that can accelerate crop growth, right?" Qin Ziwen did not answer.

Wei Zhaohua said to himself, "It takes at least a few months for a seed to take root, sprout, flower, and bear fruit. With such a long time, you have to water it and take care of it. Farming really doesn't make money. Throughout history, how many farmers have become rich? They work themselves to the bone and barely make ends meet."

The seeds I gave you last time should be enough for your home planting. The fact that you still need them means you have a dedicated planting area.” Finally, Wei Zhaohua added, “I just sometimes lack emotional intelligence; my IQ isn’t bad.”

Wei Zhaohua stared intently at Qin Ziwen, as if waiting for an answer.

Qin Ziwen nodded and admitted, "My family does have a building that accelerates crop growth."

Wei Zhaohua smiled with relief, "No wonder you asked me for the seeds."

He took two steps, grabbed Qin Ziwen's arm, and pointed to the fifth floor of Building 8, "That's your home, right?"

Following the direction he pointed, Qin Ziwen saw his home.

Windows and balconies have all disappeared, leaving only bare walls that stand out starkly among the buildings.

“I joined a gathering team yesterday,” Wei Zhaohua said seriously. “I overheard some of them talking about your family. They said your family must be quite wealthy. You must have used some kind of card to hide even the windows in your house. They didn’t say anything else openly, but they definitely have something on their minds. You need to be careful.”

Qin Ziwen turned to look at the bespectacled man with a serious expression. "I understand, Brother Wei."

Wei Zhaohua hesitated for a moment, "You are quite familiar with Dr. Zhao, could you ask him if he has any channels to get honeysuckle or licorice? My father-in-law has been coughing quite badly lately, and we can't find these medicines in our neighborhood."

Qin Ziwen said directly, "I just collected some earlier, I'll bring it to you later."

Wei Zhaohua said gratefully, "Thank you. You don't need to come forward with the seeds. I'll think of a way to get you some later."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Brother Wei. I'll cover the costs of the resources needed to trade the seeds myself."

Wei Zhaohua shook his head, "No need, no need. Actually, seeds aren't worth much now. The main problem is that it takes too long to grow them."

After saying that, he patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me."

After saying goodbye, Qin Ziwen returned home and took out some honeysuckle, dandelion, and licorice from the pharmacy. The pharmacy was indeed very effective at preserving value; even after several days, the herbs were still fresh and looked as if they had just been picked a day or two ago.

He put the herbs into a bag and then went downstairs to hand them to Wei Zhaohua.

Wei Zhaohua accepted the herbs and thanked them repeatedly.

Back home, after closing the door, Qin Ziwen's eyes narrowed.

My house is quite conspicuous in appearance.

All the other neighbors have windows, but the windows on both sides of my house are completely covered by expansion cards. While this makes it safe, it also makes my house stand out from the crowd.

However, since things have come to this point, we can't let a minor setback prevent us from taking action.

Qin Ziwen locked the door and lay down on the bed.

I've been busy since yesterday and haven't had a break.

As it closed its eyes, its body automatically entered a dormant state. The harpy eagle walked over and tiptoed into the nest. As it grew larger, the original nest became somewhat small. It adjusted its posture and slowly squatted down. Suddenly, it seemed to sense something, abruptly turning its head and looking sharply towards the door.

　I'll make up for the missing chapter tomorrow. These two chapters are transitional chapters; I spent a bit too long researching.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)