Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 127

“This time, the system finally does something halfway decent.”

Ye Zhou walks to the supermarket entrance and involuntarily takes a deep breath as he gazes at the lush trees. The scent of grass fills the air, and he hears the crisp sound of birdsong.

But this time, the supermarket isn’t located in the wilderness. Looking into the distance, he sees smoke rising from the mountains.

There are houses and villages nearby.

The supermarket is tucked away in a hidden spot, but it’s not isolated. After walking for two hours, he can reach a small road, which connects to a rammed-earth path. Whether he goes forward or backward, he’ll arrive at a village.

Ye Zhou likes it here. Over the past few days, he’s gone out exploring and seen dwarves, goblins, and other races walking along the roads.

Everyone seems to be living well. Although it’s still a Western world, the level of technological development is clearly higher than on the Minzil Continent.

It looks like steam technology is just beginning to emerge.

Ye Zhou doesn’t know whether this is just a nice corner of the country, or if the whole nation is like this. But based on his observations, the largest nearby town is filled with simple and honest people. Many races live together and seem to get along well. Most of them aren’t rich, but life appears stable.

Among all the dimensions he’s visited, this is the one where civilians live the best.

Still, Ye Zhou doesn’t rush to interact with the locals. After Sarah left, none of the supermarket employees look like natives. Besides, what he sees is only the surface. He doesn’t know the local customs or whether there are any hidden rules.

But he’s not particularly worried. Their current military strength is more than enough to protect themselves. Safety isn’t the issue.

What Ye Zhou wants is to avoid unnecessary conflict. If they clash with locals over differences in worldview, he’s not doing business—he’s causing trouble.

“It’s best if we win over a local,” Ye Zhou says to Zou Ming, who has just walked up to him. “We’re not suited to dealing directly with the people here.”

This is a peaceful world—unlike previous planes. In times of turmoil, people don’t think too much. Whatever happens, they figure it can’t get worse. But here, people don’t worry about food or clothing. Even if life is hard, they’re not desperate enough to gamble on seeking treatment from strangers.

Being cautious is better for both sides.

Zou Ming asks, “Want me to go out and look for one?”

Ye Zhou thinks for a moment. “That’s fine, but your face and figure…”

He looks Zou Ming up and down. Although people here aren’t starving, they’re generally short. Not just goblins and dwarves—even ordinary humans and elves. Ye Zhou hasn’t seen anyone as tall as Zou Ming.

As for his appearance—no matter how good-looking he is, Zou Ming is still Asian.

Suddenly, Ye Zhou’s eyes light up. “Wait, let me check the store.”

He remembers watching a variety show featuring special effects makeup—where people are transformed into monsters. If they can do that, making an Asian look like a Westerner shouldn’t be a problem. Just pad the nose and brow bone. As long as the right prosthetics are used and properly secured, it should be fine.

As for height—though rare, it’s not unheard of. Ye Zhou has seen a young man over two meters tall once. Maybe it was due to a genetic mutation or illness, but it proves that someone over 1.8 meters tall isn’t completely abnormal.

Ye Zhou returns to the break room and digs through the store’s inventory for over ten minutes. Finally, he finds special effects makeup gear.

It can even be custom-ordered. Just scan your face in front of the computer, and they’ll tailor it to fit.

It isn’t cheap. Off-the-shelf pieces cost a few hundred to a few thousand. Custom ones start at ten thousand, and rush orders cost 30% more.

Ye Zhou isn’t short on money anymore, and he doesn’t have many places to spend it. His only regular expenses are food and clothing.

Food-wise, although the supermarket staff is growing, he can still cook himself and keep the monthly food budget around 5,000 yuan.

Clothing is even cheaper—he doesn’t go out to meet people, and the clothes are good quality and last for years.

Even if the employees love buying clothes, they only buy the cheap ones that used to be sold by weight in the supermarket.

Ye Zhou’s money just keeps accumulating, so he generously calls all the employees over after checking the prices. Everyone scans their face at the computer. Once the prosthetics arrive, they can all go out for a walk and maybe pick up some local specialties.

After confirming the prosthetics and makeup materials, Ye Zhou once again sends out the drone to explore the nearest town—the one he likes most.

But while Ye Zhou stays calm, the employees are much more excited.

Not about the new dimension, but about the staff dormitory.

They’ve lived in it for a while now, but the dormitory still feels new and exciting.

Tents can be powered by electricity too, but in a tent, only the light works.

Before the dormitory, the tent is the best accommodation they have. But compared to the dormitory, the tent is extremely basic.

“That wardrobe is really beautiful,” says Aunt Li. Her favorite thing in the dormitory is the wardrobe. She and Cao’er share a large bedroom with a small balcony, bathroom, and a washer-dryer.

Other employees join in while working: “That wardrobe’s so big! The Empress definitely doesn’t have one like that!”

“What are you talking about? The Empress changes outfits every day. Her wardrobe is probably bigger than our whole house.”

“Well, the Empress has never lived in our house!”

These days, everyone looks forward to returning to their rooms after work.

The rooms aren’t large, but they’re luxurious.

The chandeliers are different from the supermarket’s ceiling lights. These are brass fixtures adorned with “crystals.”

The walls are covered in simple yet elegant wallpaper, and you can feel the patterns when you touch them.

The balcony is separated from the room by a glass door. Just open the door, and you can sit down with a cup of tea at the little table.

Ye Zhou even equips each room with a microwave. They can choose microwaveable meals from the supermarket and eat in comfort.

Aunt Li smiles. “We really have nothing to worry about now. The immortal is kind, the work is easy, and once we retire, we’ll be taken somewhere good to live the rest of our lives!”

The immortal even explains their retirement plans: he won’t have them follow him forever. When they retire, they can choose one of the small worlds they’ve visited.

“I still want to go back to the Daliang Dynasty,” someone says. “After all, that’s where I was born. A fallen leaf returns to its roots.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to die in a foreign land. What if I can’t even see the Black and White Impermanence after death? No next life, then.”

Aunt Li disagrees. “I don’t want to go back. Even if I don’t think about myself, I have to think about my child. Cao’er can already read a little now. That’s something. If I take her back… like Sarah said, she’ll end up a slave again.”

The employees exchange looks, then gently try to persuade her. “Calling it slavery is a bit too much…”

Aunt Li sighs. “Too much? You work your whole life for your husband’s family and don’t get a single penny?”

“I manage all the money in my household,” a female employee says. “If you marry a good man, you can still have a good life.”

Aunt Li looks at her and replies calmly, “You manage the money, but do you dare to spend it? You handle meals, manage your husband’s social obligations, care for the kids… The money passes through your hands, but it’s never really yours. You do the housekeeper’s work without ever getting the housekeeper’s pay. You give birth and raise the children. You work and serve your husband. But you don’t dare use the money you handle. I think Sarah’s right—calling it slavery is fair.”

The woman falls silent, shoulders slumping. “Well… it’s still better than other families.”

In other households, daughters-in-law are controlled by their mothers-in-law, and they don’t get to touch money their entire lives.

“No wonder people say mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are enemies,” a younger woman jokes. “There’s only so much to go around in a household. If I manage it, you can’t. Like steering a boat—there can’t be two captains.”

Aunt Li replies, “That’s because the Daliang Dynasty is poor. The Luoyang Base is much better. Sons and daughters-in-law marry and live separately from their parents. They still visit and show filial respect, but with separate homes, there are fewer fights. And there’s not much difference between men and women in Luoyang Base. If Cao’er stays there, she can work at a local branch. She can find a good man later, and he won’t dare mistreat her. And if she doesn’t find one, she can still live well.”

Aunt Li thinks of her husband. They marry after meeting just once. Over so many years, they’ve had four kids—but there’s no real relationship. They just live together.

Talk of love, romance—only noble ladies or the rich dare dream of that. Poor people in the mud like them don’t even think about it.

“I only have Cao’er now,” Aunt Li says. “She’s with the Lord immortal and has been to many places. She’s seen things. As for me, I can go back to the Daliang Dynasty. I’ve lived through hardship for so many years—what’s a few more? But Cao’er is still young. She has her own life and her own outlook. If I take her back, it would ruin her.”

The employees fall silent. Many of them also have children.

“Looks like we really can’t go back.”

“I have a daughter too. Boys can go anywhere. But for girls, we have to choose a place where they can walk tall.”

“Why don’t we choose a place together—go as a group? That way we can look out for each other. Maybe even arrange some marriages between our kids.”

The employees laugh, and their hesitation melts away.

Aunt Li says, “Anyway, who knows what the next life will be like? We might as well live this one well!”

She’s very clear in her heart: her Cao’er isn’t the cunning type. In a place like the Daliang Dynasty, Cao’er would only be bullied if she went back. Besides, the girl has seen the wider world now. Back then, she could endure it, thinking she was born to live like that.

But now, after seeing more and learning to read, she understands her situation. She begins to resent the injustice of fate—and can’t live in peace anymore.

She adds with certainty, “That’s why those scholars and doctors never let their daughters learn to read and write.”

Someone says, “But noble ladies still have to learn to read.”

Aunt Li has seen enough of the world. She waves her hand dismissively. “What do they know? Just those boring rules about how women should behave? I don’t want Cao’er reading that nonsense. It’s disgusting!”

Cao’er happens to be walking by and hears her mother talking. She doesn’t go over, just stands silently and listens.

She nods to herself. She has no intention of going back to the Daliang Dynasty.

Who wants to live under someone else’s roof when they can support themselves?

Once you “marry out” into someone else’s family, you’re still an outsider. Only when your children grow up and marry do you count as half a member of the in-laws’ family.

In someone else’s household, you have to watch your tone and curb your temper for half a lifetime. She never questioned it before, but now, she can’t accept it anymore.

Cao’er is stunned to realize she isn’t any better than the others. She’s learned to snipe from Sister Chen, but her aim is poor and she lacks patience. She’s trained in combat too, but no matter how hard she tries, she can only beat those lighter than her. Anyone heavier is too much.

She can clean the supermarket—but so can everyone else.

She’s actually… useless.

She isn’t as eloquent as her mother, and she can’t manage the other employees on behalf of the Lord immortal.

Thinking about it, she feels more and more useless.

So Cao’er runs straight to the lounge in a panic.

“You want to go out and gather intel?” Ye Zhou looks at her, surprised. He doesn’t expect Cao’er to be the first to come up with that idea.

After all, most employees follow instructions. They do their best to fulfill Ye Zhou’s requests, no matter how difficult—but they rarely think of taking the initiative to help the supermarket on their own.

But it’s not their fault. Even in Ye Zhou’s original world, most employees only do what they’re paid to do.

You give them just a little money, and still expect them to risk their lives and offer strategic advice? Unless the boss is incredibly beloved, that’s just not realistic.

Ye Zhou smiles and asks, “So, how are you planning to go? Who are you going to ask? What will you do if you run into danger?”

Cao’er’s thoughts have never worked this fast before. She answers quickly, “I’m a woman, and I’m thin. I don’t draw suspicion like Sister Chen does. I think in any world, people are less wary of a lone, skinny woman. And that’s exactly why I can gather more information. I won’t rush in blindly. I’ll try to make contact with the girl first. If I run into danger, I’ll flee. I carry a gun—I’ll fire a warning shot first, then run.”

Ye Zhou doesn’t expect Cao’er to think through all these details seriously. He feels both happy and reassured.

“Alright,” Ye Zhou says, “since you’ve thought it through, you can go. But you’re not going alone. I’ll arrange for someone to go with you. And you’ll need to bring a few extra supplies. In any case, your safety is the most important thing. It’d be great if you can get useful intel, but it’s fine even if you don’t.”