r18novel Chapter 135 Radio
Chapter 135 Radio
Driven by his will, the firewood in the shed quickly disappeared and was stored in the space.
Knowing that the military vehicle would be leaving the next morning, she needed to prepare some things to take with her. With that in mind, she took out a military overcoat and a Lei Feng hat. Goodness, just this one set of clothes took up almost half the space in the empty sack. After thinking for a moment, she also stuffed a rubber hot water bottle in. This thing was not big, but it could bring real warmth on the cold night.
Having a hot water bottle alone wasn't enough. Xu Xiaoyan thought that if she could get some hot food and water on the way, she would feel much better. She remembered the small, wood-burning clay stove she had seen before, paired with a small stew pot, which could both keep her warm and cook simply. She needed to go to the market again.
So she began preparing the "public" rations, taking out some of the most ordinary and inconspicuous dry biscuits from the space and filling the remaining space in the sack. These would be their main rations for the next few days in the car, to be eaten in front of outsiders.
She then put compressed biscuits and instant noodles into her backpack; these portable foods could serve as her bargaining chips in exchange for a clay stove and a small pot.
After doing all this, she carefully reviewed her actions during the day. Although she had tried to disguise each transaction as much as possible, the repeatedly used shopping cart was still too conspicuous and had likely attracted the attention of some people with ulterior motives. For safety's sake, she decided to change her strategy.
She removed the mask and hat she had been wearing to conceal her appearance, stored them in her storage space, and revealed her true face. This time, she only changed small items and immediately returned to the military vehicle after changing.
Xu Xiaoyan locked up the empty shed and once again blended into the sparse crowd of people at the base at night, walking quickly toward the area where she remembered selling simple stoves.
Xu Xiaoyan successfully traded a pack of instant noodles for the small and practical clay stove and the matching small pot. She carefully stuffed them into the already heavy burlap sack and was about to turn around and leave the noisy market.
Just then, she noticed a stall not far ahead that was surrounded by layers upon layers of people, and the buzzing discussion was louder than anywhere else. Driven by curiosity, she couldn't help but move closer to see what rare item could attract so many people to watch.
Standing on tiptoe and peering through the gaps in the crowd, Xu Xiaoyan saw a dense array of radios of various styles displayed on the stall. A question flashed through her mind: With the power supply basically paralyzed, what's the appeal of these things?
However, the vendor's next shout instantly answered her question.
"Take a look! A solar-powered radio! A high-tech product! It works as long as it's exposed to sunlight! And don't worry if there's no sun, it has a built-in 18650 high-capacity battery that provides up to 72 hours of continuous use on a full charge! Out of power? No problem! It's hand-cranked to generate electricity; just crank for one minute and you can listen to the radio for ten minutes! It's effortless and convenient!"
He picked up a sample and proudly showed it off, "That's not all! It also has high-brightness LED lighting, so you can use it as a flashlight at night! See this interface? USB charging port! You can use it to charge other small devices in emergencies! Listen to the radio, get some light, and charge your devices—it's completely multifunctional. With this one, endless possibilities await! Buying it is a steal!!!"
He deliberately picked up what looked like the latest model, held it high, and raised his voice an octave, "Listen up! This is the newest model, with the most features, but there are only five available! Don't miss this opportunity! You won't regret buying it!"
The description of its features is indeed comprehensive. The value of a device that does not rely on the power grid and can independently acquire information and light sources is self-evident. Some people in the crowd were tempted and loudly inquired about the price.
"Boss, how do I exchange this for the latest model?"
The burly stall owner held up two fingers, then quickly withdrew one, his voice booming, "Ten catties of dried goods! No bargaining!"
"Ten pounds of dried goods?!"
"Why don't you just rob it!"
"Too expensive! Make it cheaper!"
"That's right, we'll take it if you give us a discount!"
This price clearly exceeded most people's expectations and affordability, and a burst of exclamations and accusations erupted from the crowd, with many demanding that the boss lower the price.
But the burly stall owner clearly understood the scarcity and practicality of this item. No matter what the crowd said, he simply crossed his arms, stuck to his price, and refused to budge.
Xu Xiaoyan listened from the periphery of the crowd, but her mind was already racing. The radio's functions were indeed tempting, especially the combination of solar power and hand-cranked power generation, which almost solved the energy problem; LED lighting was crucial at night; and the USB charging function would be an unexpected bonus if a power source could be found in the future. The ability to obtain information from the outside world was a huge advantage in itself.
With that thought in mind, she no longer hesitated, quietly reached into her backpack, and took out two vacuum-compressed five-pound bags of rice bricks.
Then, pretending to struggle to pull the two bags of rice out of her backpack, she squeezed through the crowd, walked to the stall, and placed them in front of the stall owner.
"Boss, ten kilograms of compressed rice, in exchange for the latest model." Her voice wasn't loud, but it stood out clearly amidst the noisy haggling.
The burly boss's eyes lit up instantly when he saw that it was a perfectly sealed ten-pound compressed rice!
This is much better value than ordinary bulk dried goods! He happily took it, weighed it in his hand, confirmed it was genuine, and his face lit up with a smile. He quickly handed her a brand-new, well-packaged solar-powered radio, repeatedly saying, "Great! You're so generous, young lady!"
He seemed to think this successful opening sale deserved encouragement. After a moment's thought, he picked up a palm-sized solar-powered flashlight from his stall, stuffed it into Xu Xiaoyan's hand, and said enthusiastically, "You're our first customer, so consider this solar-powered flashlight a free gift! It's a good thing; it lights up just by being in the sun!"
Xu Xiaoyan was slightly taken aback, then readily accepted the gift and nodded her thanks, saying, "Thank you, boss."
As soon as she finished her transaction, the people around her saw that someone had actually exchanged ten pounds of dried goods for it, and the shopkeeper had even given them extra items. Those who were still hesitating and haggling suddenly became anxious.
"Boss! I want one too! I have some spare parts too!"
"Save one for me! I'll go get it right now!"
"Boss, do you include a flashlight if I buy it?"
……
The scene instantly became lively, and the burly boss was beaming from ear to ear, loudly promising while collecting supplies, "Free! Free for everyone! The first five people who buy will get this small flashlight for free! Hurry up, everyone, limited quantities!"
Taking advantage of the chaos of the crowd rushing forward to make the transaction, Xu Xiaoyan quickly stuffed the radio and the free flashlight into her backpack, picked up the sack, and hurried away from the stall.