After dinner, Shūxīn sent Luó Yuè back to the knowledge youth worksite and returned home early to sleep. Once the Liǔ family was asleep, she quietly left for the mountains, leaving a note at the door so they wouldn’t worry when they couldn’t find her in the morning.
Shànghǎi being a coastal city, seafood was plentiful, but what was scarce were pork and wild game. Her space contained some wild meats, cured products, and fruits, but over time it wouldn’t be enough.
With some free time, she decided to replenish her supplies by heading deep into the mountains. With her supernatural abilities, she traveled quickly, soon reaching the spot where she had previously discovered tiger bones. Without pausing, she continued deeper for half an hour before finally stopping.
No wonder the deep mountains yielded good loot. Luck was on her side today—just as she stopped, she found a family of wild boars. She didn’t hesitate and quickly dispatched them. Within five minutes, the whole family was taken care of and stored in her space, ready to be processed later.
She didn’t refuse wild pheasants or rabbits either. When she came across a flock of sheep, she left one-third behind. Dumb deer and flying dragons—anything she saw, she didn’t let go. Protected animals like tigers, however, were off-limits.
By dawn, Shūxīn was satisfied and headed toward a water source, selecting a safe spot to clean and organize her prey. Even with her spiritual powers and abilities, it was exhausting work.
After preparing some food she had stored previously in her space, she ate a quick breakfast—not quite a full meal—then began heading back, no longer in a rush.
At the foot of the mountain, she saw Luó Yuè struggling to pull vines of pig fodder. She stepped forward, and with a few pulls, the bundle was full. Seeing Shūxīn arrive, Luó Yuè stepped aside. Once she loaded everything onto her back, he linked arms with her, happily walking back together.
The two-day holiday passed in a flash. Shūxīn packed up and returned to the city for work. At the same spots with the same people, the Liǔ family had already learned to ignore Luó Yuè’s series of charming antics. Seeing him cling to Shūxīn, they just turned and walked away, not daring to glance.
“Sniffle~ Xīn Xīn, you’ve only been back two days and now you’re leaving again. I’ll miss you, you have to miss me too! And no looking at other men, understand? You’re married now—no flirting! And next time you come back, you must bring me that delicious chocolate and pastries!”
Shūxīn could only laugh at his melodrama. Flirting? One of him was enough to keep her busy—another one and she’d go bald.
She humored him until his mood stabilized, then rode off. After dinner at the Huáng household, chatting for a while, she returned to the station dorm with Huáng Yáo, told her about having a boyfriend, ignored her shocked reaction, and went to sleep—she had to be on duty early the next morning and couldn’t dawdle.
Back in Shànghǎi, Shūxīn disguised herself and headed to the spot she had scouted last time, carrying a bamboo basket to conceal her identity.
Prices in Shànghǎi were higher than in the county, but she wasn’t worried—everything she brought would sell.
At the black market next to the fish market, she scoped the area carefully and approached a plump, kind-looking woman. Without saying much, she lifted the tattered cloth to reveal glistening wild boar meat.
The woman’s eyes lit up. Shànghǎi wasn’t short on fish or seafood, but pork was scarce. Her meat coupons for the month were used up, and pork was rarely seen on the black market. She wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.
“How much, sister?”
“Nine mao per pound, no coupon needed. With bones, six mao!”
Calculating quickly, nine mao without a coupon was still a good deal. She bought ten pounds of pork and a few pounds of ribs. True to form, people in Shànghǎi were generous—ten-pound minimums, no hesitation.
After this customer left, Shūxīn looked for the next buyer. Soon, all the meat was sold. Satisfied with the market, she retreated to a quiet spot and retrieved more from her space a few times.
She decided to stop before raising too much attention from the black market boss. She intended to make contact with the manager to handle future deliveries directly—but not today. She would go solo a few more times to assess the situation. Even though she wasn’t afraid of trouble, caution was wise.
Exiting the fish market, she changed outfits and headed to the black market near the department store.
By nightfall, Shūxīn had earned six to seven hundred yuan. Combined with her earnings in Xīnyáng County, she had surpassed a thousand yuan—a well-to-do figure at home, though still modest in Shànghǎi.
Most of her profits were pure, with no losses. Shūxīn calculated in her head: a thousand yuan per round-trip meant she could soon become a ten-thousand-yuan household. Life now was far more comfortable than in the post-apocalyptic world.
Today’s sales done, she planned to return to the fish market for stock in the morning and visit other general stores.
The next morning, Shūxīn returned from the fish market fully loaded, leisurely visiting general stores. There were only a few left; in a couple of years, many would likely close.
She bought some inexpensive fabrics and even purchased ten watches for resale. In the county, unbranded watches cost over a hundred, but here only a few dozen—price differences for large items were significant.
After shopping, Shūxīn dined at a state-run Shànghǎi restaurant, enjoying two local specialties. She packed several portions in her space for later.
Back in Xīnyáng County, she went to the black market to meet Hēi Gē for deliveries. She had been dealing with him for some time and knew his character, planning future cooperation instead of personally handling all sales.
Most importantly, she knew Hēi Gē didn’t realize she was female. Standing almost 1.65 meters, with height-increasing shoes, she appeared about 1.78 meters tall. Most people would never guess her true gender.
Hēi Gē: “Yo! Haven’t seen you in a while. You brought goods this time?”
Shūxīn: “You know transport between Xīnyáng County and Shànghǎi is convenient now. I’ve been sourcing routes. Want in on big business? I can bring fresh seafood and other new goods from Shànghǎi. You in?”
Hēi Gē inhaled his cigarette, weighing the pros and cons. He had no intention of sourcing himself—it required serious backing. Decision made, he nodded.
“Damn, let’s do it! How often do you deliver? How will we cooperate?”
Shūxīn: “Hēi Gē, simple. You handle receiving and selling. I handle the money. Hand-to-hand delivery, and I take my share—whatever you sell it for later is your business.”
“Deal. When’s the first delivery? What goods and prices?”
Shūxīn and Hēi Gē agreed on prices. They would meet in a deserted old house the night after next to transfer goods.
From then on, she would make monthly deliveries, no longer needing to run the black market herself every time. Later, she could find someone in Shànghǎi to help collect items, making her life even easier.
With business settled, Shūxīn returned home, restored her female attire, and hurried back. In less than half a month, she already missed her clingy little husband terribly!