Ch 2: My Multiverse Supermarket

Zhou Li waited from morning until night, yet not a single customer came.

She muttered, “Why did it have to land here? Are there even people who can come to this place?”

The system’s voice echoed in her mind: “Because this is unclaimed land. There will be no disputes over ownership, and this area holds great development potential.”

Zhou Li’s mouth twitched.

Of course there were no disputes—there weren’t even people.

At first, she thought this was a prairie.

When the sun rose high and the fog finally lifted, she realized she was actually surrounded by endless mountains.

Her supermarket did sit on a patch of grassland, but it was a small, uneven plateau several hundred meters above sea level.

The soil looked poor. Only a handful of trees and sparse shrubs dotted the ground.

From the mountaintop, she could see a dense forest stretching down below—lush and wild.

Judging by the terrain and vegetation, Zhou Li concluded she must be somewhere in the southeastern hills.

She just wasn’t sure which southeastern region it was.

With no customers in sight, Zhou Li didn’t panic.

At noon, she fished a box of sliced beef from the fridge, went upstairs to the kitchen, and cooked a bowl of beef rice.

After eating, she brought her study materials downstairs to review.

When bored, she watched downloaded shows on her tablet.

And before she knew it, darkness had fallen.

“No one showed up all day. Definitely won’t have anyone tonight. Might as well close early,” she muttered.

Outside, everything was pitch-black. From time to time came howls of wolves and tigers, the chirping of insects, and strange cries from unknown beasts.

Even though Zhou Li had once lived in a countryside full of fields, the eerie sounds still made her uneasy.

Suddenly, she heard movement outside.

Something—or someone—was approaching.

Zhou Li peered through the glass door.

A moment later, a shadowy figure emerged from the mist.

“A person?” Zhou Li stood up, left the counter, and pushed open the glass door.

The figure seemed startled and quickly retreated back into the fog.

Zhou Li thought for a moment, said nothing, and returned to the counter.

—The instant she’d opened the door, she’d felt a mosquito fly in.

Electric mosquito coil, floral water spray, electric racket—she deployed them all at once.

As Zhou Li busied herself with this, the person hiding behind the trees cautiously stepped out again and slowly approached.

*

Zhao Changyan had been watching the strange house for a long time.

It looked nothing like the houses of the Central Plains, nor was it made of wood.

Its surface was covered in smooth, gleaming tiles—luxurious and indestructible.

Inside, it shone as bright as daylight. Boxes and shelves were filled with all manner of unknown items.

It reminded her of the tales of witches and spirits told among the common folk.

Could this be a ghost’s lair?

Well, whether it was a demon’s den or the underworld itself, she was ready to face it.

She had just steeled herself for death when the person inside suddenly opened what looked like a nearly transparent door—as if inviting her in.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Changyan walked resolutely toward the bright, fragrant house.

Could this perhaps be the dwelling of the Consort Xiang?

The Consort Xiang was the most revered goddess of Chu.

There was even a temple to her a hundred li away at Mount Jiuyi. Could it be that the goddess had manifested here?

Zhao Changyan’s mind was a mess of wild guesses.

But the moment she stepped inside, the rich aroma of food made her stomach rumble.

The sound was so loud that even Zhou Li heard it.

Zhou Li looked up and found a ragged young woman standing there.

Her hair was matted, her face and body caked with grime, her clothes so dirty their original color was unrecognizable. A foul, sour smell clung to her.

Given the time period, Zhou Li could easily guess she was a refugee.

Zhou Li said, “No weapons allowed inside.”

Zhao Changyan instinctively gripped her axe tighter—then, after a pause, set it down.

“You… are you human or ghost?” Zhao Changyan asked.

Zhou Li laughed. “Why can’t I be an immortal?”

Zhao Changyan trembled. “May I ask the divine lady’s title?”

Zhou Li: …Did she just take that seriously?

Playing along, she said, “You’ve come to my domain, yet you don’t introduce yourself and instead question my identity? That’s rather rude.”

Zhao Changyan quickly bowed her head. “My name is Changyan. I’m from Chu. My home was destroyed by war, so I fled south with my village folk seeking refuge…”

She repeated what the old man had said earlier.

Zhou Li couldn’t tell if it was true, nor did she care much.

“Oh,” she replied, sounding a little disappointed.

If the girl was a refugee, she probably couldn’t afford to buy anything.

Zhou Li hadn’t come here to run a charity. She could tell the girl was starving, but didn’t offer help.

Zhao Changyan, meanwhile, found no useful clue in Zhou Li’s reaction.

She asked again, “May I know the divine lady’s name?”

“I am Zhou Li, titled ‘The Real Person of Trade.’ This is my cave-dwelling, called ‘Good Life Supermarket.’ You may also call me Little Boss.”

Zhao Changyan: ???

She tried to make sense of this bizarre introduction—only for the world to suddenly spin before her eyes.

Zhou Li jumped up. “Hey! Is this some kind of interplanar scam attempt?!”

System: …

The system said dryly, “She has hypoglycemia.”

Zhou Li blinked, sighed, and fetched a small bottle of cola from the shelf. She pried off the cap and poured two capfuls into the girl’s mouth.

When Zhao Changyan stirred again, Zhou Li gave her a few more.

…

Zhao Changyan felt bubbles rising in her mouth—

—thankfully, the non-painful kind.

Bubbles burst in her mouth, and her tongue was immediately met with sweetness.

The sugary liquid rolled down her throat like a cool spring, and she instinctively gulped it down.

When Zhou Li saw that she was awake, she quickly took the cola away to prevent her from choking.

Zhao Changyan blinked in a daze; once she came back to her senses, her eyes shimmered with yearning.

“Thank you, divine lady, for saving my life. Changyan is deeply grateful.”

Zhou Li noticed her staring longingly at the remaining cola. Since she couldn’t put it back on the shelf anyway, she handed it to her. “You can have it.”

Zhao Changyan’s face lit up. “Thank you for your blessing, divine lady!”

She accepted the cola but didn’t drink it right away—instead, she studied the bottle curiously.

What a strange vessel. Why was the liquid inside black?

Was it syrup made from boiled sugar? How else could it be so sweet?

Zhou Li waved her hand. “No need to thank me.”

Her own stomach growled, so she went to the microwave to retrieve her reheated meal.

She’d cooked too much beef rice at noon and had saved half for dinner.

Zhao Changyan had been completely focused on the cola, but the moment the aroma of the beef bowl filled the air, her attention snapped to the food.

“It smells so good.” Her face clearly said, I want to eat that.

Zhou Li said, “If you want to eat, you can pay for it.”

Zhao Changyan fumbled around her clothes and found no coins—only a few mountain leeches.

Zhou Li’s scalp prickled instantly. “Throw them out!”

Zhao Changyan froze, puzzled.

She gave Zhou Li a strange look, then obediently threw the leeches outside.

Zhou Li said, “When you find one leech on your body, it means you’re already covered in them!”

Zhao Changyan rolled up her sleeves and indeed found several leeches sucking her blood.

Some clung so tightly that she had to pry them off with her axe.

Zhou Li couldn’t watch anymore and handed her a packet of salt. “Sprinkle salt on them.”

Zhao Changyan: …

What a waste.

Still, since Zhou Li had given her the salt, it wasn’t her place to refuse.

She pinched some between her fingers and noticed how fine and white it was.

Such delicate, pure salt—surely only the Emoeror of Chu himself could afford it.

This “Real Person of Trade” was strange indeed.

Whenever Zhou Li seemed human, she would suddenly display godlike powers;
and whenever Zhao Changyan believed she was a deity, Zhou Li would behave in entirely human ways.

“Why are you spacing out? Hurry up and take off your clothes—check your whole body.” Zhou Li still had goosebumps.

Zhao Changyan clutched her collar. “Isn’t that… improper?”

If someone came by, wouldn’t they see her body?

Sensing her hesitation, Zhou Li led her to the restroom near the storeroom.

“No one can see you in there. There’s a mirror—you can use it to check your back.”

Then she shut Zhao Changyan inside.

Zhao Changyan looked up at the glowing light above and was nearly blinded before turning away.

She tapped the mirror and realized it wasn’t made of bronze.

Below it was a porcelain basin with a metal lump in the center—she had no idea what it was for.

As for the pit in the corner, after a few guesses, she realized it must be a chamber pot of sorts.

…

Zhao Changyan stayed in the restroom so long that Zhou Li began to worry she might have fallen in.

Just as Zhou Li was about to lose patience, Zhao finally came out.

When Zhou Li saw leeches still wriggling on the floor, she hurried to rinse them down with water.

Not only that—she also scrubbed the toilet thoroughly with cleaner.

Zhao Changyan silently memorized every move she made.

So that metal lump could release water!

And pressing the strange box behind the chamber pot also made water come out!

So that’s how it worked…

When Zhou Li turned back, she found Zhao Changyan standing there blankly, still holding the remaining salt.

Zhou Li held out her hand, palm up.

Zhao quickly returned the salt. “Thank you, divine lady.”

“Just call me Little Boss,” Zhou Li said.

Zhao corrected herself. “Little Boss.”

They returned to the counter, and Zhou Li asked, “Didn’t you say you were traveling south with your village folk? Why are you alone here?”

“They’re camped by the ancient road at the foot of the mountain. I went into the forest to find food, got lost, and fainted. My late mother guided me here.”

Zhou Li asked again, “So there are only refugees around? No villages?”

“Yes. About a hundred Chu people, and several dozen from Yue.”

Zhou Li sighed.

All refugees. This world was even more chaotic and harsh than the system had said.

Zhao asked gently, “Little Boss, are you troubled by something?”

“Not troubled,” Zhou Li said. “But I rely on trade—doing business to cultivate my path. I was hoping someone might come to buy things.”

Zhao Changyan: …

Someone who cultivates immortality through business?

If she were truly human, who in their right mind would open a shop in such deep mountains?

Zhao hesitated, then said cautiously, “Little Boss, forgive my bluntness, but not everyone among my townsfolk is well-mannered or law-abiding.”

Because of her upbringing, Zhao had restrained herself from snatching Zhou Li’s food, though hunger clawed at her.

But those desperate refugees… they would likely kill for a bowl of rice.

If Zhou Li was human, they’d devour her bones.

Unless she had some kind of protection.

Zhou Li said carelessly, “Doesn’t matter if they’re well-behaved or not—if they want to come in, they’ll have to follow my rules.”

Zhao asked, “And if they refuse?”

Zhou Li grinned, showing eight bright white teeth. “Then I’ll teach them what rules are.”

Zhao’s eyes gleamed as if struck by inspiration. “Then allow me to inform my fellow townsfolk.”

But truth be told, she was starving.

She hesitated, then removed a pendant from her neck and stared at it for a long time before asking, “Little Boss, can I exchange this fish-stone for your meal?”

The fish-stone, also called qingyu stone, came from the throat of a black carp.

It was believed to ward off evil and disasters, often carved into charms for children.

Her mother had polished this very stone when Zhao was born, and she had worn it for more than ten years.

When her mother appeared in her dream earlier and told her to live on, perhaps she meant for her to trade this stone for survival.

Zhou Li took the pendant and asked the system, “Is this thing worth anything?”

The system scanned it. “This piece of qingyu stone is fine quality and well-preserved. When first crafted, it was worth several thousand yuan. After years of wear, it could sell for over ten thousand.”

“What if I can’t sell it and get stuck with it?” Zhou Li asked. She didn’t know much about collectibles and feared being scammed.

The system replied, “You can list it on the system’s auction platform for a 1.5% transaction fee. Once sold, the system will legally generate an account for the buyer, then deposit the funds onto your supermarket membership card for purchases. This ensures your accounts stay consistent.”

Zhou Li: …

So she was just the supplier?

Still, selling to people from another world wasn’t much different from selling to her village customers.

Zhou Li said, “I don’t accept anything other than money.”

Zhao Changyan’s expression dimmed.

“But,” Zhou Li added, “I can sell it for you. If you’d like, I can list it and, after deducting a small service fee, the rest of the money will be yours. You can’t spend it outside, but you can use it here to buy anything you want.”

Zhao Changyan’s face lit up again.

“I’ll sell it! Thank you, Little Boss!”

☢️☢️☢️