Chapter 485: Chapter 485

Jing Shu was not the type to borrow more money from the Government just so they would have to consider the unrecovered costs of raising pigs when slaughtering them.

Mainly, borrowing money from the Government was like borrowing hens that lay eggs. As long as the interest rate was lower than inflation, Virtual Coin would increasingly devalue, and the amount she had to repay would decrease. For example, if Jing Shu borrowed 1,000 Virtual Coins today, with an annual inflation of 6% and the Government’s interest rate at 4%, while Jing Shu’s resources appreciated by 6% annually, by next year, the money would be worth only 960 Virtual Coins. Yet, the cost of living would rise by 6%, earning her an 8-point profit.

COUGH, COUGH. Why does explaining this make it sound like I’m taking advantage?

"How much do you want to borrow?" asked Jin Tianci.

"One million Virtual Coins," Jing Shu blinked.

Jin Tianci coughed violently. "How much?"

"One million Virtual Coins."

"That much?" Jin Tianci eyed Jing Shu skeptically. "At a 4% interest rate, for how long do you want the loan?"

"Thirty years?... Alright, twenty years?... Okay, okay, okay, five years it is, right? I’ll repay 16,000 Virtual Coins a month."

Jin Tianci asked seriously, "You don’t have a terminal illness or anything, do you? If you die within five years, I’ll really be stuck."

"Don’t worry, I’m sure to die after you," said Jing Shu, then, realizing it sounded off, corrected herself, "Don’t worry, I’m sure to die before you." Wait, that’s not right either.

Only then did Jin Tianci nod. "Let Jun Jia take you to handle the paperwork. Use the factory as collateral. If you don’t make payments for three consecutive months, we’ll seize your factory."

"That’s great! With this money, I can buy various stones and hire people, and even keep some working capital for the factory."

How much would it cost to transport large rocks from West Mountain to Banana District? There were fuel costs and labor costs. And it was not just one or two rocks, but enough to surround the villa and withstand massive mudslides. Jing Shu did the math: the rocks and labor would cost tens of thousands of Virtual Coins at least.

But all those problems were now solved. Jing Shu felt much lighter.

After returning home, she began crossing off the plans from recent days in her little notebook. The plans were completed quickly; nearly all were done already. Jing Shu finally had time to seriously practice her Magic Cube and enjoy the newly grown foods in her space.

Thanks to the well-supplied seeds she brought from the United States, and given Jing Shu’s gluttonous tendencies, she planted large cherries, a fruit she had never eaten before. She had thought about planting durian, but she had never actually eaten it in her life due to various mishaps and feared being discovered if she did. Maybe next time.

Biting into a large black cherry, juice burst in her mouth: sweet and sour with tender flesh that greatly satisfied Jing Shu’s taste buds.

These were cherries from the United States, ripe and almost black in color, bursting with juicy, refreshing sweetness that lingered in the mouth. Delicious!

PTOOEY. Cherry pits were casually spat out one after another, and the fat chicken, along with its two chicks, flapped their wings to pick them up.

Jing Shu had been feeling a bit under the weather recently and had stopped drinking her usual goji berry and red date water. So, Grandma Jing brewed Kvas, a special beverage from Wu City. Who would have thought they had jars of honey stacked up at home? Those close to the family received a small box each, the size of a matchbox, which was already quite astonishing. After all, to still get honey at this time—how precious must that be?

The aroma fermented from the honey lingered for a long time. After chilling outside overnight, the cold Kvas, once sipped, had a faint taste of hops that spread across the taste buds, primarily tasting of wildflower honey. It was like wine, yet not quite wine, but exceptionally mellow. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥

Now that they even had a low-end version of beer, why not go for high-end barbecue?

Mr. Jing had finished work early today and was heating up the pit for baking nang in the backyard of the villa. Mr. Jing had already slaughtered a year-old lamb; its meat was exceptionally fresh and tender. After thoroughly cleaning the entrails and making braised meat from them, and processing and drying the sheepskin, it could be made into a fur-lined coat. Nothing could be wasted in the apocalypse, and Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing handled everything with great care.

Grandma Jing marinated the whole lamb with onions and stuffed its belly with slices of ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and ground fennel seeds. She made cuts in the lamb leg so the marinade would better absorb and enhance the flavor. After brushing the lamb skin with soy sauce and caramel, she let it cool slightly before brushing on sesame oil.

Mr. Jing hooked the limbs and set the delicious whole lamb to roast in the nang pit.

The fire crackled fiercely, the fruitwood inside releasing a unique aroma as it burned.

Drops of lamb fat dripped into the iron pan below. This fat was precious; Grandma Jing used it when making tea oil, adding it after stir-frying flour with peanuts and walnuts. The finished tea oil was aromatic; adding hot water turned it into a savory, delicious paste that lingered on the taste buds and was nutritious. Importantly, these sealed packages could be kept for years without spoiling.

Jing Shu planned to ask Grandma Jing to make more so that breakfast could be more plentiful during their migration. They could rotate among milk, soy milk, milk tea, tea oil, and sesame paste, as eating the same few foods too often could become tiresome.

Jing Shu was eating cherries and drinking Kvas while waiting for dinner when her phone started ringing madly. She felt a twinge of regret. The plants at home just couldn’t keep up with those in her space. Furthermore, with her father working at the Agricultural Department and her mother at the livestock farm, she felt constrained about bringing out too many fruits from her space, as her parents were very aware of what was officially available in Wu City.

For example, as the upcoming Minister, Mrs. Jing knew all about Stone Garden’s fruits and vegetables like the back of her hand. So, some fresh fruits from Jing Shu’s space were destined to be enjoyed by her alone, while she waited for the ones at home to grow slowly.

However, she did have an excuse to bring out many Peaches; Mu Xiaoxuan from Stone Garden had transplanted his own peach trees there, and Mrs. Jing had always wanted to try them. Today, Jing Shu even brought back a young sapling. With a bit of Spiritual Spring, it could bear fruit within half a year.

"Boss Jing, it’s Manager Tuo. I just wanted to ask when the finance team is actually coming. We’re really struggling here! Everyone’s enthusiasm is very high, but because we’re understaffed, some are trying to take shortcuts, and others are still watching and waiting."

Jing Shu pondered. "Tomorrow morning, a team will head over, and various supplies will be transported as well. A new lawyer to refine our rules and regulations will also arrive. Hmm, I’ll go over tomorrow too."

"There’s another issue. Many people heard some rumors and are pushing their way in, wanting to join the factory. Some are also trying to cause trouble. What do you think..."

"You have a fixed number of spots, right? Implement the previous rules: remove those who do not earn any points for thirty consecutive days and whose points are less than 1%. As for those who want to join our factory, that can be arranged too. It’s 20 Virtual Coin per person, limited to 100 people. Oh, and they can take out loans from the factory."