Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 31

After dark, the barren mountain does not return to peace. Wu Yan, shovel in hand, digs a pit, sweat pouring down his face. Fortunately, the soil is soft now, or he would be struggling to lift his arms.

The bodies can’t be disposed of carelessly, and with the hot, dry weather, they don’t dare set them on fire. They can only dig pits and bury them. If they don’t, the bodies will rot, maggots will emerge, and the smell will likely drift down the mountain.

The Lord Immortal also instructs them to bury the bodies, explaining that it will nourish the land and atone for the sins these men committed on it.

Cao’er is also digging. She’s small and not very strong. At first, Ye Zhou doesn’t want her doing this kind of work, but her mother doesn’t allow that. Whatever the men do, Cao’er has to do as well.

Perhaps because Cao’er takes the lead, the women who have been delivering food and water begin to help with the digging too. If they lack the strength to dig, they help bury the bodies.

Ye Zhou doesn’t get involved in these tasks. The group has come together as a family, and he never interferes in their personal matters unless there’s conflict or violence.

Compared to Ye Zhou, everyone else accepts the task of burying the bodies without hesitation. In fact, they even talk and laugh while doing it.

“We don’t have to do anything!” Li Si exclaims as he digs. “Just shoot arrows! Doesn’t take much effort!”

Chen Liu adds, “You haven’t seen the power of the Lord Immortal’s weapon! I just pulled the trigger, didn’t do anything else, and the person dropped.”

Cao’er stands with her hands on her hips, complaining, “None of you wanted to finish them off! I was the only one doing that!”

They had just rushed in, eager to take credit, while Cao’er works hard with the crossbow to finish off the fallen. By the end, her arms are sore.

Wu Yan quickly apologizes, “I’m sorry, I’ll give you the fruit I saved when we get back.”

With Wu Yan leading, the others chime in, “I’ve got some saved too.”

The supermarket’s air conditioner runs constantly, and they can use the freezers as they please, so the fruit stays fresh. Though they’ve been in the supermarket for some time, their habit of hoarding hasn’t changed. Anything they deem good, they store away, no matter how much they crave it.

They don’t just hoard fruit, but also food with long shelf lives, bacon, and dried fish.

Ye Zhou doesn’t stop them. He understands that kind of habit. His grandparents, even up to the time he crosses over, still hoard things. To them, it’s a habit etched into their bones.

That period of hunger leaves a deep mark on their souls.

“What’s wrong? Haven’t you recovered yet?” Sarah climbs up on a boulder, sits next to Ye Zhou, and hands him a lollipop.

Ye Zhou’s attention shifts. “Can you eat lollipops?”

Sarah nods. “This one’s chili flavored. Spiciness is just pain, not taste.”

Ye Zhou nods, inspecting the flavor she offers—strawberry. He peels off the wrapper and lets the candy melt slowly in his mouth.

“Don’t think too much,” Sarah says, gazing at the moon. “Just treat this as a game world. Besides, if you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you. Not every world is peaceful. If you want to survive, you have to be stronger than anyone else.”

Ye Zhou murmurs, “How did you feel when you killed someone for the first time?”

Sarah replies as if it’s a simple matter. “I didn’t feel anything. I’m not human.”

Ye Zhou raises an eyebrow. “When you killed a vampire.”

Sarah smiles, “Very happy.”

Ye Zhou asks curiously, “Happy?”

Sarah grins. “We vampires are different from you. You believe in the survival of the fittest, but we follow the law of the jungle. You’re willing to raise a child and wait for them to grow up. Vampires won’t even do that. They’ll turn a human with potential into one of their own. I’m my mother’s biological child, but she looks down on me because I was born from a human. It’s strange, isn’t it? Humans can become vampires, but the children of humans and vampires are weak hybrids. My brothers used to be human, but they hate me more than pure-blood vampires do. They think I’m the one who brought shame to the family.”

Sarah rests her chin in her hand. “So, I don’t think of myself as human, nor do I completely consider myself a vampire. Neither side is truly my own, and I don’t hesitate to kill them. I want to live, and they can only die. Every time I win, I’m happy because it means I get to live, and I haven’t lived enough yet.”

She looks at Ye Zhou. “Boss, I know you feel uncomfortable now, and it’s hard for you to accept it. After a few months, a few years, you’ll look back on this and think it’s no big deal.”

Ye Zhou nods at her. In truth, he doesn’t feel much at all. His emotional turmoil froze the moment he killed Zhao Changsheng. He can’t feel anything anymore.

To prevent the bodies from rotting, everyone works throughout the night. Once the task is done, they return to the supermarket for breakfast and go to sleep.

Ye Zhou has no appetite. When he returns, he takes a shower and spends at least half an hour in the bathroom. When he comes out, nothing seems amiss. The employees eat and drink as usual, unaffected by the previous night’s work.

Ye Zhou thinks he won’t be able to sleep, but as soon as he lies down and pulls the blanket over himself, he falls asleep almost instantly.

He even has a peaceful dream.

He dreams that everything about time travel is just a dream. When he wakes up, he’s still the supermarket owner, preparing to open, arranging flower baskets with his employees. The supermarket opens, and customers rush in, wealthy and well-educated. He collects money until his hands ache, his face sore from smiling.

His parents praise him for pursuing his dream of opening a supermarket for so long.

He’s born to run a supermarket!

Perhaps the dream is too beautiful. When Ye Zhou wakes up, he opens his eyes, hoping it’s all just a dream.

He glances at the bedside, where the break room, which once had only one bed, now has two.

“Ah…” Ye Zhou sighs. Zou Ming isn’t in bed. He’s either awake or hasn’t slept yet.

Ye Zhou doesn’t want to fall asleep in the morning, preferring to stay up until five or six in the afternoon so it will feel like morning again when he wakes. But he hadn’t expected to fall asleep so quickly.

He slips on his slippers, washes his face, brushes his teeth, and goes out to find food.

The supermarket is quiet. The employees are all resting. Ye Zhou moves slowly, grabbing a box of self-heating rice from the shelf. After a moment of thought, he grabs another box for Zou Ming.

When Ye Zhou is almost finished eating, Zou Ming enters from outside. He smells of sweat, but it’s not unpleasant—at least not as bad as Ye Zhou’s classmates after playing basketball in college.

Ye Zhou says, “I got you a box too. Come out after you take a shower. Didn’t you sleep during the day?”

Zou Ming takes off his shirt, leaving only his trousers, then turns to Ye Zhou and says, “I didn’t sleep. I went out for a walk.”

Ye Zhou asks curiously, “What’s there to walk outside?”

It’s not that Ye Zhou doesn’t appreciate the beauty of nature, but it’s hard for him to find interest in scenery that doesn’t change day to day.

Zou Ming replies, “I feel someone coming.”

Ye Zhou isn’t surprised this time. “Is it refugees? How many people? If there aren’t too many, bring them here.”

Now that they had firepower and his employees had military strength, Ye Zhou didn’t need to be as timid as before. He was cautious, not fearful. 

Back when Zhao Er, Lin You and the others came, Ye Zhou observed them for weeks before daring to trade. That was after making sure they were exhausted, desperate, and no threat.

Now that they have firepower and his employees have military strength, Ye Zhou no longer needs to be timid. He’s cautious, not fearful.

Back when Zhao Er, Lin You, and the others came, Ye Zhou observed them for weeks before daring to trade. That was after making sure they were exhausted, desperate, and no threat.

Now, Ye Zhou has confidence, and his tone is bolder. “As long as there are no more than twenty people, even if their things aren’t worth much, we can trade for some cheap rice.”

The grains in his store are more expensive than non-branded rice, so bulk rice is the most cost-effective option.

Fresh vegetables are also pricey.

Zou Ming gently shakes his head. “Just a feeling.”

He just feels—they’re on their way.

Ye Zhou laughs, “You’ve got a sixth sense? I want one too.”

Zou Ming sees through Ye Zhou’s effort to act lighthearted, deliberately avoiding mention of the previous day. So he smiles and says, “Then I’ll share half with you.”

“It’s over there!” Lin You says as he rides a horse. He wears farmer’s shorts that are easy to move in, and to make traveling easier, he hasn’t bothered with his hair. The wind and sun over many days have darkened his skin, and he no longer looks like the rich young master he once was.

The man beside him, tall and strong, rides a black horse. He frowns. “Young Master, this desolate mountain…”

Lin You smiles. “You don’t know The Lord Immortal’s character. It’s not your fault! The Lord Immortal doesn’t care about worldly matters. When you’re in front of him, don’t mention family matters—not even a word!” He continues, “Everything is here, right?”

The man, familiar with Lin You’s ways, sneers. “You’ve asked a dozen times already, and checked it all yourself too.”

Lin You sighs. “The Lord Immortal saved my life. I really have nothing to repay him with. I’m afraid The Lord Immortal won’t be interested in gold or silver. After thinking about it, I picked these things.”

The man replies, “Only my uncle and aunt can tolerate your nonsense. I want to see if this immortal has three heads and six arms, or eight legs.”

Lin You glares. “Mind your tongue!”

The man rides ahead, no longer paying attention to Lin You, who stays behind. Lin You sighs heavily, watching his cousin’s back.

When Lin You returns to Anyang City, he doesn’t even take time to rest before telling his elders how he was trapped and how he was rescued.

He speaks almost fanatically. “The Lord Immortal only cares about sincerity. If I can go back to The Lord Immortal’s cave, I’ll be able to exchange more things! Although this lamp needs electricity and batteries, it can make the night as bright as day! No ordinary fire can compare! And this needle—have you ever seen such a fine needle? Each length and thickness is exactly the same! Even if you don’t care for yourselves, think of the people of Anyang!”

If Lin You relies on words alone, no one in the family believes him. They think he’s been deceived and confused, mistaking ordinary people for immortals in his desperate state.

But when they see the things he brings back, the family members can’t find any reason not to believe. Though surprised and suspicious, they listen to him, gather supplies, call back Gao Sheng—who’s been traveling alone—and send the two of them to retrace their escape route.

Only this time, they bring two hundred people with them.

Lin You no longer looks at Gao Sheng’s back. He gazes forward, full of longing.

He’s finally going back to that immortal’s cave that haunts his dreams.