Plane Supermarket Plane 1: Da Liang Dynasty C9
The scar-faced man stumbled along behind the old woman in front of him. Sweat trickled down his body, and with each step, he stumbled a little. The dry branches by the roadside scratched his skin, leaving tiny droplets of blood on his scars, but he paid no attention, just following the light ahead.
He had his own name, Zhao Er. His family members couldn’t read or afford to have a name given to him by a master, so he was simply named “Er” based on his birth order.
Before he entered this line of work, he was just a small troublemaker. With little land and many siblings in his family, apart from his eldest brother, the rest had to find their own way to make a living.
Zhao Er had been an apprentice carpenter, but his master would either beat or scold him. Zhao Er slept near a haystack in the master’s house and ate meager leftovers that couldn’t fill his stomach. He became so thin, just a bundle of bones. He studied for four years, and worked for the master’s family for four years, but still he didn’t learn much craftsmanship.
His master never allowed him to get close while working, let alone teach him anything.
So, one day when the master was out working and the master’s wife took the children to the temple, Zhao Er ran away on his own.
He didn’t dare go back home, afraid of being scolded by his parents and rejected by his elder brother. He stayed in the town and joined a group of half-grown children to steal chicken and dogs1.
Until Zheng Ge pulled him up, they started by taking on small jobs, transporting goods for people in the town to nearby cities.
With some money saved up, Zheng Ge bought a cart, not only for transporting goods but also for carrying passengers.
After a few years, they gained some reputation in the area. Zheng Ge discussed with them about opening a convoy business, hiring more people. Nowadays, there were bandits lurking on various mountain passes. Delivering inexpensive goods to ordinary people was manageable, as the bandits wouldn’t trouble the poor too much, only collecting some protection fees.
However, conflicts still arose. Zhao Er’s face was scratched during one such confrontation.
But at least he managed to save his life. If they were escorting valuable items, the bandits wouldn’t be so accommodating.
As soon as the convoy business started, they received a large order. They didn’t know the identity of the client and hadn’t even seen them. The client only sent their subordinates to negotiate the deal, offering an exorbitant price of two thousand taels of silver. They asked them to go north and pick up a person of high status.
The brothers had never seen so much money in their lives. Not even two hundred taels, let alone two thousand taels.
Zheng Ge discussed with others. These several dozen strong and capable young men all felt that this job was worth it.
Zhao Er thought to himself that after completing this order and receiving his share of the money, he would no longer work in this field. He would go home, buy a piece of land, build a house, and find a wife. From then on, he would live a stable and peaceful life.
But when they arrived in the north, they realized that the refugees had fled to the pass where the north and south intersect. The soldiers stationed at the pass dared not let them enter the south directly, and both sides were deadlocked. The refugees starved to death and fell ill. And while the imperial relief supplies hadn’t arrived yet, the pass was already plagued by an epidemic.
They could only hide and travel in secret. Luckily, they had the documents provided by that person, which allowed them to pass through the pass.
Zhao Er only wanted to earn money. He didn’t want to lose his life. He didn’t care which deity or immortal this person was. As long as they could save his life, they would be the most worthy immortal in the world. When he returned, he would set up a shrine for them and kneel in worship every day. Not only would he worship, but his descendants for generations would also worship.
The old woman ahead maintained a steady pace, and Zhao Er endured his hunger and thirst, not daring to take a single step lightly as he chased after them.
The sun rose in the east, and sunlight once again bathed the land.
Zhao Er finally took the last step and arrived in front of the towering building bathed in sunlight.
The structure in front of him resembled a square box, with its transparent doors wide open, reflecting dazzling light. Several individuals dressed in strange attire stood on the steps, all of them with shaved heads, gleaming with their bald heads.
Zhao Er collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face as he clenched his fists and pounded the ground.
He wasn’t going to die! He would survive!
Cao’er raised her chin towards Wu Yan.
After taking care of them for some time, the new employees’ conditions had improved significantly. Although they were still dark-skinned and thin, they were now able to have their fill of white rice and meat every day. Soon their strength had also returned.
Not to mention, they considered themselves saved by a immortal. Even if they couldn’t cultivate into immortals with the divine being in the future, they would still be stronger than ordinary people.
In any case, they felt that they had undergone a complete transformation and were no longer ordinary people.
The expressions of Zhao Er and his group carried a sense of sympathy and pity for the world.
Wu Yan was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, which he had quickly snatched. In the center of the shirt was a colorful and vibrant pattern.
Such bright colors were not necessarily worn by the nobles themselves.
The most popular colors for short-sleeved shirts were either blue or bright red, while the least popular ones were black, white, and gray.
One reason was that these colors were easily obtainable, and secondly, they were considered less auspicious by them.
All the security guards who came out to greet them were wearing raincoats. Although it felt stuffy, the novelty outweighed the discomfort for them.
The garment was so light, like a handful of delicate gauze, and so easily damaged. A slightly heavier touch could tear a hole in it.
They couldn’t even fathom how such clothing was made.
Apart from immortals, no one else could possess such skills.
It must be that the immortal gathered mist to create fabric and personally tailored it!
Anything they couldn’t understand must be the work of divine magic.
As guests, they didn’t need to shave their heads, but they had to cover their hair completely, leaving no gaps exposed.
Wu Yan handed Zhao Er a disposable shower cap and said in a somewhat non-standard official tone, “Use this to cover your hair. The Immortal say that mortals are dirty, and we mustn’t bring any dirty things inside.”
The last two sentences were purely his own improvisation. Since the Immortal didn’t want to encounter fleas, it was clear that they preferred cleanliness. If the immortal liked cleanliness, they would definitely find mortals dirty.
Zhao Er didn’t dare to disobey, but he had never seen such a thing before and didn’t dare to touch it. He spoke cautiously, “I dare not touch it…”
Wu Yan pondered for a moment. “Then gather your hair up, and I’ll help you put it on.”
Zheng Ge, who was rushing over while carrying the sickly young man on his back, arrived in a hurry. He was out of breath and as soon as he arrived, he couldn’t wait to place the sickly young man on the ground. Without even looking at his own brothers, he knelt down and kowtowed three times towards the “immortal mansion.”
“The immortal mansion is truly extraordinary!” Zheng Ge’s face was flushed, and he pointed to a supermarket sign and asked the sickly young man, “Can you recognize these characters, esteemed one?”
The sickly young man sat on the ground and looked up at the sign, feeling somewhat confused. “It seems familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.”
The characters on the sign seemed to be missing limbs, but he didn’t dare to say so.
Zheng Ge touched the back of his head, where blood was trickling down from his forehead, but he didn’t mind. He chuckled and said, “These are the characters used by the immortals. It’s normal if you don’t recognize them.”
Wu Yan and the others proceeded to help Zhao Er and his companions put on the shower caps, making sure they were securely fastened. Then, they turned their attention to Cao’er Niang.
Although they had never worked under a woman before, they had no choice but to listen to Cao’er Niang, as she had caught the attention of the immortal. They didn’t want to be driven away, so being instructed by a woman didn’t seem like a big deal.
Cao’er Niang felt somewhat proud. She had always been someone who liked to take charge. Back at home, she managed the whole family, and now that she had gained the recognition of the immortal, she had to do her best! She wanted the immortal to know that she was the most sincere.
At this moment, even if the immortal asked her to jump off a cliff, she would do it with her eyes closed!
Ye Zhou had quietly slipped into the supermarket through the back door.
To maintain his image, he had only informed Cao’er Niang that if these people wanted something from the supermarket, they had to exchange something in return.
Cao’er Niang had no objections.
After all, offerings were necessary.
“The immortal is merciful. You can choose whatever you want from inside,” Cao’er Niang said nonchalantly. “But the items are not given for free.”
Zhao Er and the others were taken aback. They didn’t have many things left on them, and when they entered the city earlier, they had bought dry rations from wealthy households at high prices. They couldn’t afford not to buy them, so they didn’t have much money left.
Cao’er Niang maintained an air of superiority as she said, “The immortal doesn’t desire material possessions. Whatever you have, you can offer it.”
“What the immortal wants is sincerity, not money.”
Zhao Er repeatedly said, “Sincerity! I am sincere!”
He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a silver hairpin. It may not have been made of valuable materials, but it was exquisitely crafted by skilled artisans.
“Divine lady! Look!” He grinned, displaying an exaggerated expression of flattery. “I am sincere!”
Zheng Ge searched for a while and only managed to find a dagger, which was the most valuable thing he had on him.
But he couldn’t give away the dagger, or what would he do on the way back?
“Li Shi2 come in,” a male voice suddenly came from inside the supermarket.
Zhao Er and the others trembled.
Immortal!
This must be the voice of an immortal!
Zhao Er stared eagerly as Li Shi entered, stretching his neck to catch a glimpse of what the immortal looked like. He wondered if the immortal had three heads and six arms. But no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t see the appearance of the immortal, only the old woman entering and exiting.
“The immortal wants to know what’s wrong with you,” Cao’er Niang approached Sick Young Man.
Although Sick Young Man looked pale, he was dressed extravagantly. In the past, someone like her wouldn’t even be worthy of the dirt beneath the young man’s feet, but now she could look down on him from a higher position.
Fate turns, and no one can predict what it brings.
The Sick Young Man coughed softly, and an unusual light flashed in his eyes. “To tell you the truth, the doctor said I have consumption3.”
Cao’er Niang was startled but held her ground.
So what if it was consumption? With the immortal present, she wasn’t afraid!
“Wait here, I’ll go report to the immortal,” she said, suppressing her fear.
·
“Tuberculosis?” Ye Zhou furrowed his brows.
Although his knowledge of history was average, he knew that in ancient times, tuberculosis referred to consumption.
For a long time, both in the East and the West, tuberculosis was considered an incurable disease until the discovery of anti-tuberculosis drugs and the understanding of mycobacterium led to its successful treatment.
Ye Zhou opened the emergency medicine kit and took out a box of penicillin. “The patient cannot enter the supermarket. Let him rest in the security room and give him this medicine.”
“Also, you need to tell him that this medicine may cure him, but it may also cost him his life. Make it clear to him that whether he takes it or not is entirely up to him.”
Following the instructions on the packaging, Ye Zhou explained to Cao’er Niang the dosage and frequency of the medication before asking her to leave.
Without the means to conduct a skin test, he had no idea if the person was allergic to penicillin.
If there was an allergy, he wouldn’t be able to save them. They would likely be left to die.
Ye Zhou had heard his father say before that tuberculosis was a “disease of poverty.” It didn’t necessarily mean that the person afflicted with the disease was poor, but rather that their diet was inadequate, their health was poor, and their resistance was weak.
Ye Zhou’s college classmate had contracted tuberculosis, and he was an extraordinary person who didn’t like to eat anything and never consumed meat. He could survive on simple meals of cabbage and potatoes. However, his condition eventually worsened to the point of coughing up blood, and he was taken to the hospital.
Anyway, Ye Zhou had done everything he could, and now it was up to fate. Whether the Sickly Young Man would live or die depended on his luck. Ye Zhou just hoped that even if he was allergic to the medication, it wouldn’t lead to a severe anaphylactic shock.
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