Passing by Old Man Lin’s house, Lin Yinyin still faintly heard the couple’s cursing echoing from the yard. A small smile curled at the corner of her lips.
That bowl of porridge mixed with blood and phlegm Old Man Lin had been frugal his entire life. Even if he suspected the taste was off, he would never throw it away.
As for the water jar at the brigade leader’s house, it might have been diluted, but the infectivity of that blood and phlegm was absolute. Who ultimately got hit by it? That was up to their own fate.
She didn’t dare slow down, and she certainly didn’t dare wait until dawn to leave. The brigade leader had only been temporarily subdued; given his temperament, once he recovered, he might become furious. If she were in his shoes, she’d crush danger at its inception too.
By now, the sky was fully dark, with only sparse starlight sprinkling over the dirt road. Lin Yinyin tramped along, step by step, unaware that a pair of eyes had been following her for quite some time.
Her feet soon developed blisters, but she didn’t stop until the silhouette of the town appeared ahead. She chose a thick, old locust tree on the roadside, climbed up swiftly, and decided to rest for a while.
When she opened her eyes again, dawn was breaking.
Lin Yinyin thought for a moment and pulled out her towel, toothbrush, mug, and water cup.
In her previous life, resources were scarce. Her space had remained mostly empty, with only two daggers for self-defense.
Now, however, things were different. She had “swept” a good amount of supplies from Lin Dayong’s house, the brigade leader’s home, and Widow Liu’s house. But it still wasn’t enough far from enough.
She needed to stockpile more: food, clothing, and everything usable. She would never want to go hungry again. So the first thing she had to do in town was shop shop till she dropped.
Deciding this, she slid down the tree branches, ready to brush her teeth and wash up but froze when she saw a military water bottle beneath the tree.
Could it be him?
“Ah, forget it!” she thought. The bottle was free anyway, and as for water she wasn’t touching it! Who knew what had been added to it?
Lin Yinyin then pulled out her cornbread, stuffed it with sauce-marinated pork hock, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. As she finished, she glanced up and saw two women approaching.
Both carried bamboo baskets covered with coarse cloth, walking quickly.
It was still early; the supply-and-marketing cooperative hadn’t opened yet. With their heavy baskets and secretive demeanor, could they be heading to the black market?
At this thought, Lin Yinyin perked up. She couldn’t delay and immediately followed them, stepping lightly to keep a perfect distance not too close, not too far.
They led her into the town center, winding through two narrow alleys paved with bluestone. Lin Yinyin silently admired the sight it was truly a case of “hidden in plain sight.”
The black market was tucked into a residential block just one street away from the supply cooperative. Its entrance was an unassuming wooden door, with a man smoking a cigarette standing guard. Without following these two women, an outsider would never find it.
Lin Yinyin didn’t rush inside. She crouched behind a wall at the alley’s entrance and peeked.
After a while, seeing more people entering, she smeared some dirt on her face and stepped into the market.
Immediately, a smell of fresh wheat buns caught her attention. Her nose was sharp, and she quickly spotted an older woman squatting by the wall.
“Ma’am, how much for one steamed bun?” Lin Yinyin approached, drooling at the white buns in the bamboo basket.
The woman looked at her dirty face and didn’t flinch. Anyone who came to the black market knew a little disguise was essential.
“Without ration tickets, seven fen each. Real wheat flour,” she replied.
“Seven fen is a bit expensive.”
Lin Yinyin rubbed her hands and pointed at the full basket. “Ma’am, how many are in this basket? Six fen each, I’ll take the whole lot!”
The woman’s cloth fell to the ground with a “snap!” Her eyes went wide. “What? There are ninety buns in this basket you really want all of them?”
“Absolutely!”
Lin Yinyin had 298 yuan in total. Eighty from her sister, seventy from Lin Dayong’s family, 102 from the brigade leader’s family, three as compensation from the brigade leader, and the remaining 43 from Widow Liu. She hadn’t realized Widow Liu had saved so much!
Lin Yinyin handed over 5 yuan and 4 mao. “Ma’am, I’ll take all these buns!” She grabbed one and stuffed it into her mouth.
“Your buns are delicious! So soft and fluffy I could eat ten at a time!”
“Slow down, girl, don’t choke!” The woman took the money, watching her devour them. Her heart softened, and she handed over the basket. “You have nowhere to put them? Take this bamboo basket, makes it easier.”
With her mouth still full, Lin Yinyin muttered a quick thanks and started chatting with her.
“Ma’am, you know the black market well. You must know where the good stuff is. I want to buy some rare things can you show me?”
The woman smiled. “What do you want? The most popular now is cornmeal, black flour, dried sweet potatoes. No tickets needed, cheaper than the cooperative by one fen everyone’s buying!”
“No, no!” Lin Yinyin shook her head vigorously. In her past life, she starved. Now that she had money, she wasn’t going to settle for less.
“Ma’am, I want wheat flour, brown sugar, honey, eggs, and if possible, malted milk powder and cured meat. Milk would be even better!”
The woman immediately understood. The girl was terrified of hunger, picking only the expensive and high-quality items.
She lowered her voice. “I know a place selling brown sugar mooncakes, though they’re pricey 26 fen each, no tickets. Also a shop selling malted milk powder but stock is scarce, you’ll have to be quick!”
“Brown sugar mooncakes?!” Lin Yinyin’s eyes lit up.
She grabbed the woman’s arm and shook it, voice syrupy sweet. “Ma’am, wait a moment! I’ll first deliver these buns to my brother. After that, can you take me to buy the mooncakes?”
“Sure!”
Lin Yinyin carried the basket into an empty alley, waved her hand, and the entire basket instantly vanished into her space. Empty-handed, she ran back.
The woman didn’t suspect a thing and led her deeper into the alley, stopping in front of a man with a round bamboo basket on his back. “Old Fu, this is my niece. She wants to buy your brown sugar mooncakes give her a discount!”
Old Fu glanced at Lin Yinyin and sighed. “These mooncakes are packed with filling, 26 fen each.”
“Twenty-five fen each, and I’ll take the whole basket!”
“What?” Old Fu froze. This was his two-day stock!
“Miss, I have a hundred of them.”
Lin Yinyin didn’t say a word. She took out 25 yuan, handed it over, and carried the basket away. Not forgetting, she shoved two mooncakes into the woman’s hands. “Thank you for showing me the way, ma’am!”
The woman smiled at Old Fu, still stunned. This girl was generous.
Lin Yinyin was delighted herself, immediately biting into two brown sugar mooncakes. Sweet, soft, and flaky delicious! She could have eaten five more, but her stomach was full: five buns and three mooncakes her stomach was at capacity!
After sending the woman off, Lin Yinyin entered “sweep mode.”