Quarantined residents in Xi’an, China are exchanging supplies during ongoing food shortages. Locals are seen to have swapped cigarettes for cabbage, tech devices for instant noodles and steamed buns, and dishwashing soap for apples. Since December 23, about 13 million people have been restricted in their homes. Despite Xi’an authorities’ distribution of free food to its residents, there have been numerous social media complaints. Some say that their supplies have run out, while others claim they have not received anything. The high number of COVID-19 cases is centered in Xi’an, where locals have taken strict efforts that have resulted in widespread complaints on the internet. The city of Yuzhou was immediately shut down after recording just three asymptomatic cases. China is actively adopting a “zero COVID” strategy to wipe out the virus rather than trying to live with it.