Xia Xi didn't notice Lin Xiangdong in the crowd.
She had to find a way to deal with the fish; there were too many, and the small pond couldn't hold them all!
The county town Xia Xi went to was a small one under Rongcheng called Datian County.
The county town was extremely lively.
Xia Xi didn't look for any black market; she first went to the family courtyard of the textile factory in the county town.
Carrying a basket, she walked around a few times and found an old woman with a kind face, asking if she wanted to trade for anything.
The old woman reacted very quickly, grabbed her, and called her "Eldest Niece," then pulled her towards her home, excitedly asking what was in her basket.
Xia Xi said, "Fruits and vegetables, and fish. There are the most fish."
Nowadays, any meat, whether white or red, is a hot commodity.
When the old woman heard about the fish, she excitedly asked, "Is it dead? Can it be kept for a few days?"
"They're alive, all wild pond fish, very lively."
As she spoke, she lifted a corner to show the old woman, "I only brought two out here; I have more elsewhere. Do you have any relatives who want them?"
The old woman was an enthusiastic person.
She had quite a few old sisters.
She processed quite a few fish for Xia Xi in one go.
They were all Bighead Carp, with tender meat and few bones.
Xia Xi sold them for fifty cents a jin, no tickets required, no need to queue, each one was fresh and alive, and could be kept in a home's tank for a few days.
So they were very popular.
Xia Xi was busy in the family courtyard all day.
Lunch was solved by a brown sugar flatbread given by the enthusiastic old woman.
In the evening, she finally finished her work.
She sat under a tree in the county park counting money.
There was no one around here, so she boldly counted her money.
The Bighead Carp were all large, the lightest weighing about three jin, and the largest seven or eight jin.
Some families had many members, so they bought them at eight jin each.
At fifty cents a jin, a three-jin fish was one yuan and fifty cents. An eight-jin one was four yuan.
Xia Xi had done the statistics.
She sold twenty three-jin fish, six eight-jin fish, and five four-jin fish.
1.5*20=30 yuan. 4*6=24 yuan. 2*5=10 yuan.
Xia Xi muttered, "30+24+10=64 yuan? 64? Heavens! There's actually 64!"
Xia Xi was so excited she almost cried!
This was almost her entire year's savings.
And it was all in just one day.
Xia Xi also gave away many tomatoes, loofahs, and cucumbers from her space to the people who bought fish.
The fruits and vegetables from her space were very juicy, and many aunts were overjoyed.
Xia Xi, clutching the 64 yuan, was extremely happy.
Seeing that the sun was about to set, she had to hurry back.
Xia Xi put the money into her space, got up, and pushed her bicycle to go home when suddenly someone lunged over, reaching out to snatch her bicycle.
This bicycle was a great treasure to her family; if it were lost, her mother would twist her ears off.
In a moment of desperation, Xia Xi took a butcher knife from her space and swung it directly.
The person trying to snatch the bicycle cried out in pain, "You're looking for death!"
"You want to snatch my bicycle? No way! Get lost! Get lost quickly!"
As Xia Xi said this.
Two more swift figures attacked, grabbing the little thief who had just tried to snatch her bicycle.
Xia Xi retreated in shock, still holding onto her bicycle.
She hid the butcher knife behind her back, quietly putting it into her space.
Then she saw a familiar figure approaching.
"Xia Xi."
Xia Xi looked up and met Lu Jing's shocked gaze, "Big Brother Lu."
Lu Jing looked at his two subordinates and said, "Take this person away first; I need to speak with her."
The two male comrades had already restrained the person. One of them, a small comrade with a round face, said, "Brother, you know this female comrade.
She's amazing! This guy was trying to snatch her bicycle and run, and she immediately cut him! That's how we had a chance to subdue him."
Lu Jing heard this and looked at Xia Xi with concern, "You cut him? Are you alright?"
Xia Xi shook her head, "I'm fine. I came out to buy a butcher knife for my father. I was just wiping the knife when he tried to snatch my bicycle.
The bicycle is my father's treasure; if it were gone, my mother would skin me alive. In a moment of desperation, I swung at him!"
As she spoke, she took out the butcher knife again.
For the past two days, Lu Jing had been in the county town cooperating with the Public Security Bureau to apprehend criminals.
He never expected to run into Xia Xi here.
Xia Xi had even helped them catch someone. This person was crucial; capturing him would lead to a whole chain of arrests!
Lu Jing looked at the butcher knife in Xia Xi's hand and nodded, "Are you going home? Wait for me for a bit; we'll go back together."
"Okay!"
Xia Xi quietly put the butcher knife back into the small shoulder bag she had brought.
From now on, she would have to carry a bag when she went out; it would be convenient for concealing her space.
The two male comrades took the little thief away.
Xia Xi and Lu Jing walked behind.
"Why are you still out so late and not home? A young lady like you, be careful of danger."
Lu Jing thought of his mother's words, and a slight tremor stirred in his heart.
Xia Xi glanced at Lu Jing, "I'll be back soon."
Her heart was pounding.
Lu Jing was a soldier with very strong observational skills. She couldn't let him know she had been engaging in speculation and profiteering; he would definitely lecture her severely.
Lu Jing could sometimes be stubborn and principled.
In her previous life, she and he often argued over some things.
After arguing, she would cry alone at home.
He would go sleep in the dormitory.
But he would sneak back in the middle of the night, ask if she was scared being alone, ask her to comfort him, and then he would sleep with her.
She wasn't angry anymore, but after hearing this, she got even angrier, grabbed a broom, hit him, and told him to get lost, to go far away and never come back.
She threw a tantrum.
He would kiss her.
He'd press her against the wall and kiss her, very roughly, pinching her face until it hurt, yet she couldn't break free.
Thinking about it now, it was beautiful.
But at the time, she felt disgusted.
Disgusted by that rough feeling, that disregard for her will.
In her previous life, she liked Lin Xiangdong's style, where he'd beat around the bush and use all sorts of detours to say something.
Now that she thought about it.
That was clearly Lu Jing's way of yielding, his way of loving her.
However, thinking of the rough and uncouth Lu Jing after marriage, and then looking at the now polite, reserved, and mature Lu Jing, she really felt the huge contrast between before and after marriage.
Lu Jing looked at Xia Xi, who seemed a bit guilty.
She didn't dare to meet his eyes.
Was she feeling shy?
But it was a bit strange.
She usually went out in the morning; why hadn't she returned by now, and why did she have a faint fishy smell on her?
The Xia Xi in his memory was exceptionally clean.
When they were studying, he accidentally got ink on her, and she scolded him for days and even cried.
Today's Xia Xi.
Her hair was a bit messy, and there was fine sweat on her forehead.
This didn't seem like the clean, even somewhat obsessive-compulsive Xia Xi.
Curious as he was.
Lu Jing didn't overthink it.
The two arrived at the Public Security Bureau.
Lu Jing asked Xia Xi to wait for him in the lounge.
He went in to get busy.
He came out about half an hour later.
He held a lunchbox in his hand, "You haven't had dinner yet. Eat this, and then we'll go back to the village together."
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