Early the next morning, Zhōu Làméi dragged Shūxīn out to have breakfast at a local spot with Hù City specialties before heading straight to their destination.
While Zhōu Làméi was busy picking goods at the fish market, Shūxīn told her she would wait outside. She quickly scanned the nearby dim alleys, worried that if she lagged behind, Zhōu Làméi might not find her. Shūxīn even used her mental powers to assist.
Soon, she spotted the entrance and wandered inside for a bit before coming back out. It was her first time visiting today, purely to gather information—she had no intention of buying anything, since she had already done her shopping yesterday.
After reuniting with Zhōu Làméi, they went to the department store. Shūxīn followed the same routine: find the target and step back outside. But the department store was clearly more enticing than the fish market. Zhōu Làméi hadn’t emerged yet, so Shūxīn had to go inside to find her.
When she found Zhōu Làméi, her friend was just leaving a counter, carrying quite a haul.
“Zhōu Làméi, let’s go. The train leaves in two hours. We’ll come back next time—there will be plenty of chances.”
Shūxīn pulled her friend out of the store and headed toward the train station.
“This was the first time I couldn’t control myself. Next time, I have to hold back, or my family will go bankrupt. The stuff inside is great, but too expensive, too much—I just can’t afford it.”
Zhōu Làméi laughed at herself and warned Shūxīn to control her spending. Shūxīn quietly listened, grateful for her friend’s concern.
Back at the dorm, their colleagues eyed the packages and inquired curiously. They were well-off themselves, but unlike Shūxīn, they didn’t dare venture far in the big city and only wandered around nearby, intimidated by its prosperity. Naturally, they didn’t find anything interesting.
Zhōu Làméi, ever cheerful, chatted with them, told them the exact locations, and promised to guide them next time.
Seven days later, they returned to Xīnyáng County. The county’s first train had completed its inaugural trip safely. The station leaders gave them a welcome ceremony, and reporters were there to take pictures. (Oh, and they had done the same when the train departed. Overall, the station’s publicity work was thorough.)
When Shūxīn exited the station, she saw the photo of the train crew taken during departure on the bulletin board. She was the most eye-catching in the group. Although she wasn’t a leader and didn’t stand at the front, the train conductor had insisted she stand beside him. When the photo was developed, she clearly stood out in the crowd.
The standard, loose-fitting crew uniform looked stunning on her, accentuating her slender waist and long legs. Her delicate facial features added to her charm. Most importantly, her beauty was dignified and elegant, paired with the decisive, commanding aura she had developed during the post-apocalyptic era. She exuded the presence of a regal, assertive beauty, not a tempting one.
Thus, Shūxīn, with her graceful appearance and poised temperament, became the “face” of Xīnyáng Station.
She didn’t shy away from the attention. At just sixteen, she couldn’t remain a simple train attendant forever; opportunities to rise in prominence were something she would seize.
Shūxīn checked the ticket office to see if Huáng Yáo was on duty. Seeing her, she signaled her to come to the dorm after work. Huáng Yáo nodded in acknowledgment.
They could rest for two full days after this trip, plus half a day today—effectively two and a half days. That afternoon, Shūxīn planned to buy a bicycle and then make another trip to the black market to sell goods; otherwise, she wouldn’t have much capital left for the next Hù City trip.
Back at the dorm, she grabbed her lunchbox to pick up two meals from the cafeteria. When she returned, Huáng Yáo was waiting. Shūxīn took her time entering the room and putting the food down. Before she could speak, Huáng Yáo bombarded her with questions:
“Shūxīn, you’re back! How was the trip on the train? How does it compare to Xīnyáng County? And Hù City—were there lots of people?”
“Miss, with so many questions, how am I supposed to answer? Let me go slowly, okay?”
Shūxīn calmly held her meals and spoke while eating. By the time she finished, lunch was gone. Huáng Yáo listened wide-eyed. Hearing that Shūxīn had brought gifts for her and her parents, she couldn’t wait to see them.
Shūxīn took out the items. She had packed Huáng family gifts in a separate pouch for convenience.
“These are seafood from Hù City. I picked the best-looking ones for you to give to Aunt Huáng to cook. These are gifts for your dad—tobacco, liquor, and snacks, all imported. This is your dress—pretty, right? I picked it myself. Oh, and for Aunt Huáng, I got her a silk scarf.”
Huáng Yáo eagerly watched as Shūxīn pulled everything from the bag. It was all top-quality stuff: seafood she hadn’t eaten before, dresses far prettier than anything in their county. Indeed, big cities were different.
“You can take these home after work tonight. I won’t go today. The day after tomorrow, I’ll come by to chat with Uncle and Aunt Huáng. I’ll go home directly for now.”
Huáng Yáo nodded, still holding her new dress, wondering if her friend would visit her home later.
Shūxīn didn’t concern herself with Huáng Yáo’s excitement. She let her try on the dress and then, after tidying her room, left.
Disguised, she went to the black market to sell her goods. She had spent a lot in Hù City; aside from gifts for family and friends, she needed to recoup the rest.
She laid out the seafood on the ground. The smell drew a crowd immediately, and everyone began haggling.
Seafood sold at four mao per jin in regular markets, requiring tickets. On the black market, it went for six mao. Shūxīn priced hers at one yuan twenty per jin. The buyers didn’t think it was expensive—this wasn’t river fish, it was fresh seafood. Those who knew the market paid more than one yuan per jin. At 1.2 yuan, Shūxīn was offering a bargain.
In less than half an hour, the 300 jin of seafood was sold out. Buying at four mao per jin in Hù City, she made eight mao net per jin in Xīnyáng County. 300 jin meant 240 yuan profit.
Just the seafood alone covered her costs. She still had 100 jin of premium seafood in her private space. She sold it to the black market boss, Hēi Gē, in one go for another profit.
These 100 jin were even more profitable than the earlier 300 jin. The previous batch was ordinary fish, while this batch included abalone and sea cucumber. Just the money from this sale was 200 yuan, not counting bicycle tickets and other items.
Carefully exiting the black market and ensuring no one was following, she ducked into an abandoned house and changed her outfit.
Returning to the black market, she sold pastries and fabrics in small quantities. By then, it was late, so she wrapped up and headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a bicycle home, keeping unsold items for herself.