The glossy braised pork arrived. Lan Xingyu eagerly took a piece—oily but not greasy, tender, delicious.
She didn’t credit the chef—it was the pork of the era.
She had eaten fine things before, but she had a soft spot for food of this time. She ordered the waiter to pack five portions each of braised pork, steamed crispy pork, and stir-fried meat.
Enough—buying too much would raise suspicion.
The waiter was pleased and courteous.
Lan Xingyu, noticing the warmth, quietly handed her five cents. “Sister, do you know where the black market is?”
The woman looked at the money, smiled. “Not far—on Zhuanghe Road, in the alley next to No. 12. They sell everything.”
“Thanks, sister.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lan Xingyu carried the large bag of food, stored it in her space, then hired a tricycle to take her to Zhuanghe Road as instructed.
Arriving at the spot, Lan Xingyu found the alley the woman had mentioned. At the entrance, there was a gate, and a man sat by it. She walked over and said, “I want to go to the black market.”
The man looked her over. “Buying or selling?”
“Selling.”
“The goods?”
“Outside the city.”
“Go inside and ask for Biao Ge.”
“Thank you.”
Lan Xingyu stepped into the alley. It was empty, but she saw a door, climbed the steps, and entered. Inside was a fairly large shop with plenty of goods and a few customers.
At the counter, she asked for Biao Ge. A young man led her to a back room where three people were present—two working, and one middle-aged man with an extraordinary aura. That had to be Biao Ge. He sat behind a desk, his sharp eyes scanning her.
The young man said, “Biao Ge, she’s here to see you.”
Biao Ge waved him off, then studied Lan Xingyu.
Lan Xingyu got straight to the point. “I want to sell grain, cloth, watches, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.”
Biao Ge’s eyes widened. “How much?”
“20,000 jin of rice, 30,000 jin of sweet potatoes, 30,000 jin of potatoes, 1,000 bolts of cloth, 100 watches.”
“Can you handle all that? If not, sell less.”
Biao Ge chuckled. “Heh, kid, if you lie, you’ll get beaten.”
Lan Xingyu’s expression didn’t change. “Can you handle it or not?”
Biao Ge’s smile faded, his eyes narrowed slightly as he pursed his lips, calculating the authenticity and the price.
Lan Xingyu didn’t rush him, knowing he needed time to think.
After a long pause, Biao Ge drummed his fingers on the desk, then said, “If you dare lie, I’ll slaughter you!”
Lan Xingyu remained calm, cool, and collected. “I won’t. Wait a moment—I’ll get some samples, then we can negotiate the price before trading.”
“Go ahead.”
Lan Xingyu left and walked to another alley, found a quiet corner, and retrieved a cloth bag from her space. She filled it with rice, then sweet potatoes and potatoes, added two watches and a bolt of cloth.
Soon she returned to Biao Ge’s office. Everyone there came to see the goods. Biao Ge gave his price: rice at 0.2 yuan per jin, sweet potatoes and potatoes at 0.05 yuan, watches at 120 yuan each, cloth at 20 yuan per bolt.
Lan Xingyu asked, “If you quote a price, can you handle the quantity?”
Biao Ge’s gaze hardened. “As long as you have it!”
“Fine, pay me for what I brought now.”
“Xiao Wu, weigh it and calculate.”
“All right.”
In less than two minutes, Lan Xingyu had the money. She told Biao Ge, “4 o’clock outside the city in the mountains for the next transaction. I’ll wait by the road.”
She needed to catch the last bus back.
Biao Ge nodded. “No problem.”
“I’m leaving now. Remember the money—I don’t wait. Cash for goods, one hand each.”
Biao Ge pursed his lips and waved.
Lan Xingyu went outside, checked the time—just past 1 PM. On the way, she hailed a tricycle to take her to the grain and oil station to buy supplies.
The tricycle waited at the entrance and helped load the goods after purchase.
She bought 50 jin of rice, 50 jin of flour, 10 jin of noodles, and some cooking oil.
The driver helped carry them, then took her to a quiet alley where she stored everything in her space. She then went to the market again.
The pork stall was overcrowded—just 2 PM and a long line already. She gave up and bought 20 yuan worth of tofu at a quieter stall.
She then went to the post office to make a phone call, randomly dialed a number, said a few words, paid, and left. She needed an excuse—if anyone investigated, she could say she came to the city to call home.
She made two more trips to the grain station, then took a vehicle outside the city into the mountains to find a suitable drop-off spot.
After searching, she found a flat area. It was 3:40 PM, and she took 10 more minutes to neatly place the bags of grain on the ground.
Waiting by the roadside, within minutes Biao Ge arrived with his men in a Santana—definitely competent.
Biao Ge was surprised to see Lan Xingyu—who could produce that much goods? Not a joke.
Seeing the neatly stacked bags of grain, he was even more astonished. This kid wasn’t ordinary; she had a huge secret.
He obediently paid her 39,000 yuan and tried to get her contact info, but Lan Xingyu didn’t leave any. Next time she’d find him when selling goods.
Biao Ge had a good eye—not making things difficult for her.
Lan Xingyu waited by the roadside for a vehicle, then rode back to the town and cycled to Da Wan Village. By the time she arrived, it was almost dark, and someone was standing at the village entrance.
Huo Nanting saw her return and relaxed. “Where did you go?”
“Called my parents in the city.”
Lan Xingyu finished speaking and rode off. Huo Nanting followed leisurely, keeping some distance.
Back at the Zhiqing compound, Zhang Weiping immediately took her bike, parked it, and served her dinner.
“We’ve all eaten. You eat first, then go shower.”
“All right.”
Lan Xingyu ate—tonight’s meal was rice-field fish and stir-fried cucumber.
After eating, she showered, hung her clothes, and lay on the bed. What a tiring day… she wondered about Zhou Daju.
Better not think about her. Time for reading.
Zhang Weiping tended to Lan Xingyu, then went to find Zhao Jiani. The other three had been released, but she still had two more days of confinement.
Huo Nanting brought a rabbit home—she hadn’t returned yet. Only one rabbit today; he first asked the little master if he’d eat it. If not, he’d sell it.
“Lan Zhiqing, want rabbit meat tomorrow?”
“No.”
“What did you eat in the city today?”
“Braised pork.”
“Do you like it?”
Lan Xingyu glanced at the shadow outside the curtain, annoyed: “You ask too many questions!”
“We’re roommates. Isn’t chatting normal?”
“I don’t want to chat with you!”
“I want to chat.”
“I’m not talking!”
Huo Nanting smiled. “It might rain tonight. Tomorrow we can go pick mushrooms?”
Lan Xingyu opened her mouth to agree, then closed it. No talking.
Seeing her silent, Huo Nanting carried the rabbit next door and asked at Tang Zhirou’s door, “Tang Zhīqīng, do you still want the rabbit you ordered?”
“Yes.”
Tang Zhirou came out, eyes gentle. “Here.”
She took the rabbit. “Wait a moment—I’ll get the money.”
She put the rabbit down, fetched 4 yuan for Huo Nanting, eyes burning with intensity. Huo Nanting took the money and left, not giving her a single extra glance.
Tang Zhirou smiled with determination—no matter how cold or indifferent, she couldn’t escape her grasp.
That night, the Zhiqing compound was calm. It rained heavily around midnight. Before dawn, some villagers went up the mountain to pick mushrooms.
Lan Xingyu was called too. She glanced outside, displeased: “It’s not even light yet!”
Huo Nanting chuckled. “If we wait, all the mushrooms will be gone!”
Lan Xingyu pouted: “But I don’t want to go. It’s muddy outside.”
“Wear your rain boots. You have rain boots, right?”
“I do, but it’s too dirty. I can’t handle it.”
“Not that dirty. Come on.”
Huo Nanting was losing patience but kept trying to coax her.
“I don’t want to go. I want to sleep. It’s too dirty outside!”
She lay down—her “princess syndrome” emerged, especially fussy at moments like this.
“You said you wanted to go earlier.”
“I changed my mind!”
“Come on.”
“No!”
Lan Xingyu tried to pull the curtain. Huo Nanting reached out, holding it, towering over her, tempted to give her a smack. What a dramatic display!