Dimensional Supermarket - Chapter 70

Kane is awoken by thirst. When hunger becomes a constant companion, being stirred by thirst feels strange. His throat is dry, and he feels as though it will burn.

With great effort, he opens his eyes. But instead of the crescent moon he expects, he sees only a silver wall. It’s strange, with odd bulges that resemble a huge water bag tightly bound by a rope, squeezed out of small sections.

Lying in bed, dazed, he hears a regular “drip” sound. Turning his head toward the sound, he sees a strange, square white object held up by a round silver rod. He lacks the energy to be surprised, or even the strength to stand up and run away.

He gazes numbly at the ceiling, surrendering to the thought of doom.

Just as he’s about to close his eyes, a woman’s voice comes from the other side of the door.

“He seems awake. I saw him move.”

Kane can’t understand her words. It isn’t Minyu, nor any dialect he recognizes. The rhythm of the speech is unfamiliar.

Cao’er is holding a basin of water. She has a translator in hand but has forgotten how to use it.

The translator is a brooch. She remembers The Lord Immortal telling her that to use it, she has to press a button.

But now, after searching for a while, she has no idea where the button is.

“Forget it, let’s go in and check,” Cao’er mutters to herself as she steps inside with the basin to change the man’s dressing.

She also wants to check if the wound has festered after being sutured. If it has, she’ll need to remove the stitches and drain the pus.

He’s been given a rabies vaccine, but she doesn’t know when he was bitten by the dog or if the vaccine will even help.

Cao’er walks to the bed and finds the red-haired man staring at her with wide eyes, as though he’s seen a monster. Before she can reach out to lift the quilt, the man shouts.

Cao’er can’t understand what he’s shouting, but she assumes he’s probably asking her to stay away.

Acting as a stand-in nurse, Cao’er doesn’t have a particularly friendly expression toward this red-haired man—he’s from a different race, and they can’t understand each other’s language. Cao’er chooses not to argue and simply reaches out to lift the quilt.

The man has undergone surgery and has been unconscious for three days. For the past two days, he’s been sustained by an IV and liquid food.

The red-haired man screams again, and Cao’er, sounding helpless, says, “I won’t hurt you.” But the man keeps screaming, and Cao’er can’t take it anymore. She grabs his arm and forcefully lifts the quilt.

Under the quilt, the man is naked, but Cao’er isn’t shy about it. Back when she’s fleeing from the famine in the Daliang Dynasty, she’s seen many naked people. Not only are they naked, but their organs have been removed, and some have been skinned. She’s witnessed all of it.

When she arrives at the Luoyang Base, zombies often have no clothes, so seeing people in clothing seems unusual.

If she’s shy about such things, she’d have poked her eyes out long ago.

Cao’er has no concept of being some “pure, untouched maiden.” Perhaps it’s because, at Luoyang Base, there are no strict boundaries between men and women. Soldiers walk arm-in-arm, never concerned about gender. When comrades treat each other’s wounds, they don’t care whether the person is a man or a woman or where the wound is located.

Cao’er remembers a female soldier who often comes to the supermarket and chats with her. The soldier has advised her not to believe in the stereotypes about men and women. If you follow what others say about “what you should do,” you’ll be controlled by it your whole life, and over time, you’ll accept those rules.

Although Cao’er doesn’t fully understand, she feels the soldier’s words make sense.

The female soldier is well-educated. She’s studied for three years! Cao’er has never even read a book for a month, let alone three years. Now, she’s learning pinyin from a TV program, but still can’t distinguish between retroflex sounds and non-retroflex sounds.

Initial consonants and final vowels are even more confusing.

She admires educated people to the point of worship. Since the soldier has gone to school, Cao’er feels that whatever she says must be right. In short—it’s definitely more reasonable than anything a country bumpkin like herself can think of.

Cao’er thinks the soldier’s advice makes sense, so she shares it with the female employees at the supermarket.

Cao’er Niang is smarter. She knows that Chen Gang’s mother is a female top scholar, so she seizes the opportunity to ask the female soldier if what she says is right.

The top scholar confirms they are, then it must be right.

So from that point on, Cao’er’s mother believes that ideas about female chastity are a thing of the past!

Besides, in their past, they’ve never believed in such things anyway.

The female employees, newly enlightened, begin to let go of their restrictions. They express interest in learning to read. The top female scholar has said that people must learn to read, no matter how old they are. By reading and thinking, they can identify injustices and see through societal conventions.

When they request to learn, Ye Zhou is almost moved to tears.

The main reason is that this group of employees is usually indifferent to learning. People like Wu Yan, who can read, still struggle with simplified Chinese characters.

Teaching the employees in the traditional, inefficient method of reciting from books without pinyin is nearly impossible.

Ye Zhou has no choice but to download elementary school lessons and let them learn by watching TV. He isn’t cut out to be a teacher.

As the employees start learning simplified characters, they gradually improve, although Wu Yan still resists simplified characters, most of the employees adapt well to the simplified script. Aside from the continued torment of initials and finals, there are no other issues.

Cao’er is lost in these scattered thoughts as she turns the red-haired man over. Ignoring his struggles and shouts, she examines his wound—it hasn’t festered.

“Wait for me to ask the boss how to use this translator,” she says, comforting him. “Don’t worry, you’ve survived. You didn’t die before, and you won’t die now.”

She feels she has completed her task and “comforted” the injured man, so she rushes to open the door and leave.

“Is he okay?” Feng Ling asks, standing at the door with medicine in hand.

Cao’er shrugs. “He still has the energy to yell at me, so he should be fine. By the way, how do you use this translator?” Cao’er asks sheepishly. “The Lord Immortal told me where the button is, but I forgot.”

Feng Ling doesn’t mind at all and easily opens the brooch to press the red button. “Like this.”

Cao’er sighs in relief. “Ah, should I go back and listen to what he said?” Cao’er whispers, “I think he’s probably scolding me.”

Feng Ling, still slightly dazed but trying to adapt to everything, says eagerly, “I’ve learned some nursing knowledge at the base. How about I do it?”

Cao’er hesitates. “This is my job…”

Feng Ling nods, then says, “I’ll go ask the lord… immortal…”

At this point, Feng Ling has fully embraced the habit of calling Ye Zhou “The Lord Immortal” along with the employees.

After calling for a long time, she even begins to think of Ye Zhou as a god. However, common sense still tugs at her reasoning, reminding her that there are no gods in this world.

She can only tell herself: Ye Zhou must be an alien. That way, her worldview won’t collapse.

Cao’er whispers to Feng Ling, “You’d better stay away from that red-haired monster. He looks human, but who knows—he might be a demon!”

Feng Ling pauses, speechless.

First the Immortal, now a demon.

Strangely, it all makes perfect sense.

She has no argument at all.