"Hello, I'm Tong Zheyu, this is my younger brother Tong Zhezhe. I didn't expect him to say they want to buy food. If you feel awkward refusing because he's too young, we can pretend this never happened."
Currently, resources are scarce, and regular food is incredibly rare. Tong Zheyu couldn't believe someone would actually be willing to sell their food.
"There are only two of us—we'll take two servings of rice and one dish first. We don't have a way to store food, so we wonder if we could eat here before heading back. We'll give you the Crystal Core on the spot."
Tong Zheyu thought about the faces of those at the base and didn't want anyone to know they'd gotten regular food.
Otherwise, taking it out would mean it could be divided among others, and they might not get much themselves.
Tong Zheyu knew his request was slightly excessive, but only what's eaten becomes one's own—no matter if others think he's taking advantage, he still asked.
