Chapter 36: Supplies in Crisis
The family gathered around the table. Chen Fan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of meat, and chewed. It was pleasantly chewy.
“Beef?” he asked, surprised.
“Beef,” Chen Guodong confirmed. “The wolves ate most of that wild bull from this morning. What’s left is under a hundred jin. Our family got a larger share—four or five jin. It’s all here now.”
As for the meat already in the wolves’ stomachs, they planned to make blood sausages with the intestines. A grim delicacy, but practical.
“We also received several dozen jin of wolf meat, plus the wildebeest meat you brought back yesterday,” the woman added, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction. “Altogether, it’s over a hundred jin. If we ration it, this could last our family a month.”
Chen Fan relaxed. Short-term food worries were solved, but hunting couldn’t stop—stockpiles wouldn’t last forever.
As he swallowed the beef, a notification flashed:
[Potential Points +0.2.]
No wonder it’s beef. One slice equals two of rabbit meat, he thought, savoring a second piece.
Chen Guodong and his wife ate quietly until she broke the silence: “Guodong, we’re nearly out of rice, and the salt jar’s almost empty. Should we trade meat at Song Family Fort?”
Chen Guodong set down his chopsticks. “We’ll need to.”
Memories surfaced in Chen Fan’s mind:
Song Family Fort, like Zhao Family Fort, was a large settlement of 1,000–2,000 people. Its leader had ties to Anshan City, 100 kilometers away, granting access to rare goods—rice, oil, medicine, even weapons. Firearms were available but prohibitively expensive. Smaller settlements traded beast meat, jewelry, or worse—rumors spoke of women and children exchanged as currency.
Trading occurred in a guarded zone outside the fort. Stall fees bought safety, but entry was forbidden. This system gave Song Family Fort far more clout than Zhao Family Fort.
“How far is the fort?” Chen Fan asked.
“Fifteen kilometers each way,” Chen Guodong said. “We’d need to leave by 3 or 4 PM. Delays could trap us after dark.”
The woman fell silent. Rice shortages were manageable, but salt was critical.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Chen Fan’s throat tightened.
“Everything’s dangerous,” Chen Guodong sighed. “Even staying here. But we’ve traded there before. Keep your head down, and it’s usually safe.”
“I’ll go with you,” Chen Fan said.
“No need,” Chen Guodong protested. “It’s not a hunt. We’ve done this before.”
“I want to see it for myself,” Chen Fan insisted.
Past trades involved discreet exchanges—hidden jewelry for small quantities. But hauling dozens of jin of meat? At two to three jin of rice per jin of meat, hundreds of jin would draw attention. His presence could deter trouble.
Prices stayed high because mutated crops failed. Alternative grains existed, but seeds were costly, and nighttime beast attacks made farming outside cities nearly impossible. Scarcity and manipulation kept markets skewed.
“Fine,” Chen Guodong relented. “We’ll go in a few days, after more hunts.”
“Be careful,” the woman fretted.
“Dad said it’s safe,” Chen Fan reassured her.
“Exactly,” Chen Guodong added, though unease flickered—Chen Fan’s involvement might complicate things. But there was no choice.
The family devoured the meat. Chen Fan alone ate two jin, finally feeling full. His potential points now totaled 28—enough for two upgrades.
Reach Body Tempering Level 3 in three days. Level 2 at minimum, he strategized. Level 3 would let him wield a 200-jin bow with a 300-meter range, crucial for escaping beasts or ambushes. Level 2’s 100-jin bow (200-meter range) sufficed against mid-tier threats.
Leveling [Basic Archery] to 4 would perfect his accuracy. Hope for peace, prepare for chaos.
“Dad, I’m training with Uncle Zhang.”
Chen Guodong looked up, but Chen Fan was already gone.
“He’s relentless,” the woman murmured.
“He carries the settlement,” Chen Guodong said. Every life here now depended on Chen Fan’s archery—his own included.
On the dirt path, Chen Fan checked his stats:
Strength: 18.51
Close to 20. Use the points now? At 20 Strength, he could properly wield the 100-jin bow, accelerating his training.
