At this moment, Bai Jiu felt somewhat grateful to the Gao family. It was for the best that they hadn’t given her a share of the household items; this way, she had the perfect excuse to buy better things for her own use. If the house was fully stocked and she still went out to buy things, it would inevitably make plenty of people green with envy.
"It’s good that you understand."
She hadn’t walked far when an oxcart approached from behind. "Young lady, are you heading to the county town?" the old man driving the cart asked kindly.
Bai Jiu nodded. "Yes, Uncle. Where are you off to?"
"The county town as well. Hop on, we’re going the same way. I’ll give you a ride. It takes a long time to walk there, and it’s exhausting," he said. He was a kindhearted man.
Bai Jiu didn’t stand on ceremony. "Thank you so much, Uncle." With that, she plopped right down onto the oxcart.
It was a journey of dozens of miles; walking to the county town would indeed be incredibly tiring. Riding in a cart was a different story. Even though it was painfully bumpy, it was far better than traveling on foot.
Along the way, Bai Jiu made casual small talk with the old man. He was heading to the county town to buy medicine for his grandson. The local commune was experiencing a shortage of medical supplies, so he had no choice but to try the county hospital. Even though there was no guarantee he could get what he needed, it was still better than staying home and suffering helplessly. A child’s illness couldn’t be delayed, lest a minor ailment turn into a major one. Medical resources were incredibly scarce in this era, and countless people died from untreated sicknesses. She actually had medicine in her space, but she didn’t dare offer it. Who would casually carry such precious medicine while traveling?
The cart rattled its way into the county town. Bai Jiu climbed down and thanked the old man. Reaching into her bamboo basket—though actually pulling from her interspatial space—she took out some food. "Uncle, here are two cornmeal buns. Have a bite to tide you over. Skipping breakfast is bad for your health."
The old man was full of surprise as he looked at the golden buns she offered. In this day and age, let alone fine steamed buns, even basic flour was a rarity. Most well-off families ate mixed-grain buns, which couldn’t compare to these at all. One look at these buns and it was obvious they contained a generous amount of white flour.
Staring at the golden buns, the old man swallowed hard but pushed them back. "Young lady, I can’t accept these. Keep them for yourself."
"I still have more, Uncle. Please take them as my fare for the ride to the county town," Bai Jiu insisted. People in this era were truly simple and honest. Shoving the buns into his hands, she turned and scurried away.
Seeing her vanish from sight, the old man carefully tucked the buns away, planning to bring them back for his sick grandson.
Yesterday, thanks to Brother Zhou, Bai Jiu had earned a good amount of money. However, if she wanted to live comfortably, it simply wouldn’t do to not have plenty of cash on hand. She planned to make a bit more. There was no way she could stay in the village long-term; once she had enough funds, she would take the children and leave the production brigade for good. Even though there was a mix of good and bad in the village, she didn’t want any further interaction with the Gao family. They could call her selfish if they wanted. Besides, if she didn’t earn some extra money, Gao Zhijun’s meager salary would never be enough to support her and the two children.
This time, Bai Jiu covered the top of her basket with a piece of blue cloth so that no one could see what was hidden underneath. It also made it convenient for her to secretly pull items from her space. Given her previous success with Zhou Daqing, she decided to wander around the workers’ residential buildings this time.
The county town was by no means small, and there were quite a few factories scattered around the outskirts. She wouldn’t be returning to the steel plant, but there were plenty of other options. Asking for directions as she strolled along, Bai Jiu finally settled on a destination. It was none other than the county’s renowned lumber mill.
Although this area was located in the southwestern region of Blue Country, it was certainly no barren wasteland. Surrounded mostly by Qingshan and clear waters, it was a rare Qingshan city in the southwest. The towns and villages surrounding Baijiang County were similarly nestled deep within the mountainous terrain encircled by Qingshan. This naturally made it one of the most famous lumber production hubs in the entire province.
Bai Jiu had chosen her target well. The workers here earned relatively high wages. While they couldn’t compare to those in core state-run departments, among state-owned factories, their pay was top-tier. It stood to reason that the families living here wouldn’t be short on cash.
"Oh, Sister, where are you off to? It’s been a long time since you came to visit my place."
While Bai Jiu was busy scouting for potential customers, she hadn’t expected to become someone else’s target. She froze in surprise. Standing not far away was an older woman wearing a blue cloth wrapped around her head. For a moment, Bai Jiu didn’t dare move a muscle. She pointed at herself, silently asking if the woman was talking to her. Seeing Bai Jiu standing there looking bewildered, the woman walked straight up to her.
"Don’t be afraid, Sister. I don’t mean you any harm," the woman whispered as she drew near. "This isn’t the place to talk. Follow me."
Bai Jiu was baffled. "What’s this about, Sister?" She certainly didn’t dare follow a stranger so casually.
"Oh, are you still angry with me, Sister? Don’t be mad. It was my fault last time. I shouldn’t have tried to set you up on that blind date. Please don’t hold a grudge." The woman grew anxious as she noticed a few residents poking their heads out of their doors to eavesdrop. "There are too many people around," she whispered urgently. "You’re here to sell goods, right? You can’t just stand out here like this. Come with me, hurry."
Hearing her intentions exposed, and noticing that doors in the alleyway were indeed starting to open, Bai Jiu realized the precariousness of her situation.
"Hmph! Sister, I don’t mean to criticize you, but what kind of people were they?" Bai Jiu play-acted, angrily swatting away the woman’s grabbing hand. "If Mom hadn’t told me to come, I wouldn’t have bothered showing up today at all."
With those words, she seamlessly played along, feigning a pre-existing relationship with the woman. The nosy onlookers who heard the exchange visibly deflated with disappointment, losing interest.
"Alright, alright, I promise I won’t try to set you up ever again," the woman sighed with a look of helpless resignation. "I admit I was wrong, okay?"
After exchanging a few more loud complaints, the woman led Bai Jiu back to her home. It wasn’t far at all—just a few steps down the alley. As soon as they entered the house, the woman hurriedly shut the door, peering outside anxiously for a long while just to be safe.
"Don’t be nervous, Sister. I really don’t mean any harm." The woman’s surname was Li, and her full name was Li Zhaodi. She had stopped Bai Jiu simply because she recognized exactly what the younger woman was there to do. As an experienced veteran of the black market, she was as sharp as a tack.
"Sister, what is this all about?" Seeing that there was no one else in the house, Bai Jiu finally let out a sigh of relief.