Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Despite Yuan Xiu’s reassurance, Ying Yuanxing remained somewhat uneasy and went to check on Xuan Ying at the clinic.

Seeing Xuan Ying sound asleep and the doctor confirming he was merely tired and needed rest, Ying Yuanxing returned to the farm.

Ying Yuanxing didn’t dwell on it, but the viewers found it odd. After all, Xuan Ying had been quite active the previous night, filling the room with mist—hardly the picture of someone exhausted from sorting strawberry seeds.

If nothing were amiss, given Xuan Ying’s usual demeanor, why would he be resting at the clinic?

Yet, the audience didn’t pay it much mind. Humans were only wary and suspicious of the Weird; they harbored no sympathy for them. As long as Xuan Ying’s condition didn’t affect Ying Yuanxing, they remained unconcerned.

Back at the farm, Ying Yuanxing noticed the delivery box and recalled the note he’d placed inside yesterday. Lifting the lid, he saw that yesterday’s packages had all been collected, but his note remained—with additional words scribbled on it.

Had the courier replied?

Ying Yuanxing quickly retrieved the note. The added line was written in messy, childlike handwriting, so erratic he couldn’t discern where each stroke began. It possessed a wild, unconstrained freedom.

Well, as long as it was legible.

Reading the note, Ying Yuanxing confirmed his suspicion: the returned packaging bags weren’t from JoyBuy but from his customers, who had sent them back for recycling and reuse.

Ying Yuanxing fell silent, his emotions complex. He was touched by the customers’ kindness but also questioned his own circumstances. Did he really appear that poor?

Was his poverty so blatant that even his customers couldn’t bear it?

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to stop overthinking. Ultimately, this was a good thing; it saved him from buying new packaging bags.

While the savings from one or two instances might be negligible, they would accumulate over time. Moreover, Ying Yuanxing didn’t intend to sell only dried fish. If boxes, bottles, and jars could also be recycled, the savings would be immense.

Even if it was a misunderstanding, he’d encourage his customers to maintain this good habit!

Beyond this good news, the courier had also agreed to his request for shopping assistance, asking him to list the items he needed for delivery the next day.

Originally, Ying Yuanxing had planned to buy packaging bags, but with nearly a thousand reusable ones now available and only a hundred portions of dried fish shipped daily, the demand wasn’t as pressing.

After some thought, he decided to purchase other essentials—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings. The supplies he’d acquired from Yuan Xiu were nearly depleted.

Oil, in particular, was urgently needed. Even if dried fish didn’t consume much oil per batch, the quantities added up with increased volume.

Ying Yuanxing wrote out the shopping list, then reconsidered the volume. Even with a delivery vehicle, carrying everything at once might be difficult, so he added a note: the purchases could be spread over three days.

After finishing the list and placing the money in the delivery box, Ying Yuanxing realized he’d overlooked something. Asking the courier to run errands for him wasn’t a small favor, even if everything could be bought at a wholesale store. Why hadn’t the courier mentioned a service fee?

Someone less scrupulous might have feigned ignorance and taken advantage, but Ying Yuanxing couldn’t bring himself to do that.

After some deliberation, he took out ten Weird coins as a service fee. To avoid any misunderstanding, Ying Yuanxing explicitly noted that this was for the courier’s effort.

With the money and note back in the box, Ying Yuanxing turned to his work.

…

1666 quickly received word that Ying Yuanxing had taken the packaging bags from the delivery box—meaning he had implicitly accepted the recycling arrangement. Thrilled, the Weird Trash Can felt hopeful for the future.

Though the hundred portions of dried fish shipped that day had only yielded a few crumbs from the returned packaging, daily shipments would add up.

Initially, 1666 had been content with just sampling the crumbs, finding them delicious. But after taking a big bite from Shen Yan’s dried fish, he realized whole pieces tasted even better.

The problem was, even if he registered as a JoyBuy buyer, he had no Weird coins—none of the Weird Trash Can clan did.

They lacked the ability to produce Weird coins. While they could devour anything that entered their bodies, converting that energy into currency was impossible.

1666 had never worried about this before, but now, experiencing desires he couldn’t fulfill, he grew frustrated.

“Bro, what’s wrong?” 1888, the Weird Trash Can stationed at Ying Yuanxing’s farm, noticed 1666’s unusual, somewhat bitter aura and asked.

“Is dried fish tasty?” 1666 asked.

“So good!” 1888 exclaimed. He hadn’t been able to taste it before, but 1666 had given him a tiny bit of fish powder when handing over the packaging bags. Though minuscule, it had satisfied his craving.

But what did that have to do with 1666’s question? Was he implying he didn’t like dried fish and planned to give the rest to 1888?

Though 1666 denied it, 1888 had long smelled the rich scent of dried fish on him—far stronger than on any other Weird Trash Can who had handled deliveries. If 1666 was willing to share even a little, he must have gotten a lot.

If he gave it all to 1888…

1888 almost started drooling at the thought, eagerly watching 1666—only to hear him ask, “Do you have a JoyBuy account?”

Puzzled, 1888 nodded. The app was controlled by a Great Weird so powerful it could suppress their entire clan, and though some served as couriers for three to six months, they had all registered as buyers.

“Do you have money to buy anything?” 1666 followed up.

1888 went quiet, radiating the same gloomy feeling as 1666. After years of poverty without a care, he finally felt the sting of being broke.

It hurt.

Other Weird Trash Cans dealt with cravings only occasionally, but 1888 had to endure the scent daily.

“I heard other Weirds get paid when working for the Great Weird. Bro, do we…?” 1888 asked tentatively, recalling rumors.

“No,” 1666 said.

1888 deflated, his bitterness intensifying.

To be fair, Salvation Game wasn’t to blame. The Weird Trash Can clan was a strange case even among Weirds—content living on garbage (or nothing at all), they had never desired wages before.

But now, with desires and no Weird coins, they were truly struggling.

“I heard… some Weirds used to throw away Weird coins as trash…”

Coming across discarded coins was their only hope—though in the past, any they found were immediately devoured, never saved.

“Not anymore. Even if there were, you wouldn’t get any,” 1666 said with pity. Stuck at the farm, 1888 had little chance of stumbling upon loose change.

Downhearted, 1888 thought all was lost—until he spotted the little black cat outside the farm. Then he got an idea: he could try becoming Ying Yuanxing’s pet.

He’d seen exactly what the cat ate, and as far as he could tell, Ying Yuanxing treated him no differently—gave him baths, “petted” him every day (via trash inspections), and let him stay on the farm. Other than not being able to move, wasn’t he pretty much already a pet?

The longer he considered it, the more excited he grew. He’d become Ying Yuanxing’s pet and live the easy life of lounging and eating dried fish!

1666 watched as 1888’s aura shifted in a peculiar direction, completely confused.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out now.” 1666 was about to leave, as he still needed to gather packaging bags from other Weird Trash Cans. Ying Yuanxing had asked him, and he had agreed—now it was time to act.

Why not buy them? Simple—he had no money.

“Wait, there’s something else.” 1888 was about to let him leave when he suddenly noticed a note inside himself and remembered he had forgotten about it. He quickly pulled out the note, and in doing so, discovered there were also some Weird coins inside.

1888 froze. 1666 had just said finding money was impossible, yet here he was, having stumbled upon some.

Seeing 1666 reading the note as if unaware of his discovery, 1888 quietly celebrated. He counted the Weird coins and did the math—this was 310 yuan, enough to buy 31 portions of dried fish. How long could that last?

1888’s eagerness to become Ying Yuanxing’s pet waned. After all, in his eyes, even if the little black cat ate a lot, it couldn’t compare to the amount he could buy with this windfall.

Besides, if he became a pet like the little black cat, he’d have to surrender anything he snagged to Ying Yuanxing. Would he have to surrender the money he found too?

1888 quickly decided his current gig was better.

“Money?” After reading what Ying Yuanxing had written for him, 1666’s grumpiness vanished. Ten yuan was meager, but enough to buy a portion of dried fish. The only question was why 1888 hadn’t handed it over yet.

“What money?” 1888 played dumb, thinking 1666 had noticed something. He was absolutely not going to hand over the money he found—even if 1666 had given him some dried fish before, at most, he’d toss him a bite.

“310 yuan. 300 is for Ying Yuanxing to buy seasonings, and 10 is my delivery fee,” 1666 said slowly, then took out the note Ying Yuanxing had just written and slapped it onto 1888 for him to read.

1888 glanced at the note. He couldn’t read, so he couldn’t understand it—though that was also why he was a package collector rather than a deliverer.

But judging by 1666’s tone and the numbers he mentioned, 1888 knew he was telling the truth. He might dare to keep money he found, but he wouldn’t dare to withhold Ying Yuanxing’s money, especially with 1666 right in front of him. With a sigh, he forked over the Weird coins.

However…

“What’s a delivery fee?” 1888 asked in surprise.

“It’s my wage for running errands for Ying Yuanxing,” 1666 said, with a hint of pride.

“Can I do this job too?” 1888 asked urgently.

If money was always out of reach, he wouldn’t have minded. But now that he saw a fellow Weird Trash Can making money, he wanted a piece of the action.

“You’d need to be literate and know your way around. Can you?” 1666 asked.

1888 blanked—he was clueless. Before he could press further, 1666 ran off. He still had to hurry and buy those seasonings for Ying Yuanxing—no time for 1888’s nonsense.

Looking at Ying Yuanxing’s shopping list, his first thought was Hongxing Supermarket. But considering the prices there, even for basic oil and salt, they seemed a bit high.

1666 worried that if he overspent, Ying Yuanxing might stop hiring him for errands.

Buying elsewhere might be cheaper, but quality was uncertain. The Weird world crawled with scammers, and even a well-traveled Weird Trash Can couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t be tricked.

1666 knew these seasonings were for making dried fish—something he might get to eat. If something went wrong and the ingredients were wasted, he’d kick himself.

After some thought, 1666 suddenly remembered a place with cheap prices and decent quality: Blue Star.

During a previous delivery, he’d visited a small supermarket. Though he hadn’t paid much attention, he remembered the prices being much lower than in the Weird world.

With that in mind, 1666 acted immediately, popping up at the supermarket’s doorstep.

Seeing a Weird Trash Can approach, the supermarket owner stiffened for a moment, thinking his delivery had arrived. But then he realized—today’s dried fish shipment hadn’t even been stocked yet. How could there be a delivery?

The owner grew nervous. Though he’d received a delivery once before and the Weird Trash Can had seemed harmless, distrust of Weirds was baked into all Blue Star residents.

As the owner hesitated, the trash can’s lid snapped open, and a note floated out, dangling in midair. The owner felt like he’d heard of this before.

The note fluttered urgently, as if urging him. After a moment’s hesitation, the owner swallowed his fear and grabbed it. He didn’t dare delay, fearing he might anger the Weird Trash Can—what if it went berserk?

His hands trembled slightly as he held the note. This was his first proper chat with a Weird—deliveries required no communication; he just had to remove the packaging.

He had no idea what the note might say. His pulse raced as he unfolded it, only to see a list: three bottles of soybean oil, ten packs of salt, and other seasonings. His brain short-circuited.

This order was all too familiar. Back when errand services were popular, his store had daily visits from runners—though they used phones, not notes.

The owner glanced at the Weird Trash Can outside, wondering if the world had flipped upside down. A Weird, already a part-time deliveryman, was moonlighting as an errand boy? It was surreal.

But if it was just picking up goods, the owner relaxed slightly and hurried to gather the items. Yet after grabbing a few packs of salt, it hit him—would this Weird Trash Can even cough up the cash?

If it was a one-time thing, he could eat the cost of a few hundred. But judging by the note, he figured this trash can might turn into a repeat customer.

If it kept coming back, how’d his shop stay afloat?

Still, with the Weird Trash Can standing outside, the owner didn’t dare outright demand payment. After some thought, he sneak-dialed the Dawn Bureau.

The Dawn Bureau operator, hearing about a Weird Trash Can at the door, frowned, bracing for trouble: “Understood. Stay put, we’re sending the nearest rescue team immediately.”

While reassuring the owner, the operator relayed the message.

The closest team was Captain Lin’s squad. When they got the call, Captain Lin frowned, while his teammates exchanged baffled glances.

“A Weird Trash Can? Since when? Aren’t they Salvation Game’s couriers? Why would one suddenly attack?” a teammate exclaimed. If Salvation Game couldn’t control them, and with so many Weird Trash Cans around—especially with JoyBuy app users completely unsuspecting—this spelled disaster.

Captain Lin’s expression darkened. While they had reservations about Salvation Game, it was only because they were outsiders. Their setups were usually reliable.

Weird Trash Cans as couriers shouldn’t be dangerous—so what was happening now?

Hearing the operator’s response, the supermarket owner realized the misunderstanding and quickly backpedaled: “No, no…”

He explained the situation, then hesitantly added, “I just wanted you here in case this Weird takes the goods without paying. How do I cover the loss?”

When he’d called, he hadn’t thought much of it. But seeing the operator’s urgency, he realized his plea might seem petty compared to life-or-death emergencies. Still, the potential losses weighed on him.

“So you called for backup to… collect payment? Or to guard the goods if the Weird refuses to pay?” the operator asked after a pause.

The owner hesitated, then whispered, “Well, what else can I do? If it’s just once, fine. But if it keeps happening, how can I survive?”

Money was hard to earn these days, and profits were slim. A few losses, and his family would struggle—no Weird needed.

The operator turned to the other line. The rescue team had likely heard everything. Would they even go?

“We’ll be there in two minutes,” Captain Lin said, instructing his team to prepare.

But the team felt uneasy. Usually, their calls were life-or-death. Now, it felt like they were handling a financial dispute.

No danger was good, but something about it felt… off.

Captain Lin arrived quickly and found the Weird Trash Can at the entrance oddly familiar. After a moment, he recognized it—the same one that had devoured another Weird at the old building last time.

Again?

The owner had been stalling inside, but seeing the Dawn Bureau’s arrival, he hurriedly brought out the oil, salt, and other seasonings.

Captain Lin stood beside the owner, saying nothing to avoid conflict. If the Weird Trash Can tried to leave without paying, he’d intervene.

Seeing Captain Lin, the owner exhaled slightly in relief.

1666 noticed that the auras of the newcomers were off, carrying traces of sinister energy, but didn't pay much attention. After all, he had dealt with many like this before—with such meager strength, they were unlikely here to rob him.

Seeing the goods pulled out, 1666 asked, “How much?”

Both the supermarket owner and the rescue team members were surprised. They knew other Weirds could speak, but they had never heard a Weird Trash Can talk before—previously, these entities had always remained silent, leading them to assume they were mute.

The supermarket owner quickly quoted the price. The cost of the oil, salt, sauces, and spices wasn’t particularly high, with the real cost drivers coming from the oil and some rarer seasonings. However, since Ying Yuanxing had requested only a small amount, the total, after rounding down, came to just 200 yuan.

Upon hearing the price, 1666 suddenly moved, drifting around the store. Though he hadn’t interacted much with humans, he knew their cunning could sometimes surpass even that of Weirds.

Watching 1666 inspect the prices, the supermarket owner was relieved he hadn’t lied—he had stuck to the sticker prices. Otherwise, offending a Weird would mean trouble, especially since the Dawn Bureau couldn’t stay by his side forever. He’d be looking over his shoulder forever.

After circling the store and confirming the quoted price was accurate, 1666 suddenly recalled 1888’s words and shook his head. With skills like that, how does 1888 expect to handle errands? He should learn to read and do basic accounting first—otherwise, he’d end up losing Ying Yuanxing’s money before earning any.

He, on the other hand, was the real professional.

Returning to the store entrance, 1666 said, “Load these in.”

The supermarket owner glanced at Captain Lin, and seeing no objection, stuffed all the seasonings into the trash can.

In the tense silence, two banknotes drifted out. The owner didn’t recognize the notes and looked to Captain Lin for guidance.

“Two hundred, paid in full,” 1666 said, turned to leave—but Captain Lin blocked him.

“What do you want?” 1666 asked coldly, eyeing the human before him.

“On Blue Star, the Weird coin-to-Xia State yuan rate is 1:20,” Captain Lin explained. Just days ago, the black market rate had been 1:100, but back then, Weird coins were rare, and those who had them were reluctant to exchange them for Blue Star currency.

Now, however, almost everyone could exchange some Weird coins on the JoyBuy app, driving their value down. The black market rate might still be higher, but the official exchange rate was fixed at 20.

“You only needed to pay ten Weird coins,” Captain Lin said. He didn’t dare let the supermarket owner take advantage—Weirds were known for holding grudges. If one realized it had been shortchanged by a human, the retaliation would be unstoppable.

After an awkward silence, 1666 swiftly snatched back the two Weird coins Captain Lin had tossed in and threw out a single ten-Weird-coin note before quickly departing.

Watching 1666 leave, Captain Lin frowned in confusion. He remembered Weird Trash Cans usually teleported away—why was this one moving normally now?

It seemed their understanding of Weirds was still lacking. Turning back to the supermarket owner, Captain Lin realized he hadn’t consulted him earlier and quickly explained.

The owner waved it off. “I get it. That kind of shady profit isn’t worth taking. Who knows when a Weird might come knocking if they realize they’ve been cheated?”

Ten Weird coins were a fair take—after all, while people could exchange Weird coins for Xia State currency, exchanging yuan for Weird coins was near impossible. In a way, he was getting a good deal. And dealing with Weirds, though it set his nerves on edge at first, felt almost like haggling with humans now.

Though he knew this was only temporary, the owner realized his fear was fading.