After a wonderfully cozy night’s sleep, Cheng Rong couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: “A golden nest or a silver nest is still not as good as your own dog’s kennel; I must find a way to go back and live in the city.”
For an educated youth, returning to the city right now was no simple matter, so Cheng Rong still had to rack her brains for a plan. The most important thing at the moment was to make money—with money, you could even make ghosts push millstones; perhaps she could buy her way back to the city with cash.
Cheng Rong thought of the modern kitchen she had left behind, packed to the brim with goods. The rewards from her livestreaming system were piling up so fast that they were almost overflowing the kitchen. She needed to find an opportunity to sell off the things she didn’t currently need and make a good bundle of cash.
After waking up and pushing open her bedroom door, Cheng Rong grabbed her toothbrush and headed out to the courtyard to wash up, only to run into Cheng Fangfang, who was also coming out for her morning routine.
Cheng Rong couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to this eldest niece of hers, always feeling like the girl’s eyes held hidden hostility.
“Good morning, Little Auntie.”
Seeing that Cheng Rong ignored her, Cheng Fangfang offered a cautious greeting.
“Mm.”
Cheng Rong grunted a response and began brushing her teeth.
At that moment, Wang Cuihong also stepped into the courtyard carrying a basin of water. Catching sight of Cheng Rong, she hurried over with a smile plastered on her face.
“Little Auntie, you came back for the New Year, yet you didn’t even drop by your older brother and sister-in-law’s place for a chat. Getting a bit distant, aren’t we?”
Spitting out her mouthful of rinsing water, Cheng Rong flashed Wang Cuihong a wide, toothy grin.
“Sister-in-law, how could I ever be distant with you? Why don’t you and my brother buy some vegetables and braise some meat for lunch and wait for me? We can have a nice, proper get-together.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Wang Cuihong froze instantly. Then, looking quite awkward, she muttered, “I still have things to take care of at home,” and hurriedly ducked back behind the door curtain.
Terrified that this thick-skinned aunt of hers would ask her for things, Cheng Fangfang kept her head down and scrubbed her teeth furiously.
Hmph!
With a silent scoff of disdain, Cheng Rong turned back to her room, where she caught her mother, Li Chunxia, peering out the window and rolling her eyes.
“That sister-in-law of yours really needs someone like you to keep her in check. Whenever I look at her, I just want to curse out loud. Everyone in the courtyard says I bully my daughters-in-law, but little do they know I’m the one being driven crazy by them.”
“Mom, don’t pay them any mind. The day will come when they regret this.”
Li Chunxia nodded, but the thought of her old man’s upcoming birthday made her sigh.
“Tomorrow is your dad’s fiftieth birthday, but your dad said to push it back a day so we can all still have the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner together.”
Cheng Rong nodded. Before the family split up, her old man’s birthday had always fallen on New Year’s Eve.
Thinking about her father’s birthday, Cheng Rong decided she needed to prepare a special gift.
After finishing breakfast, Cheng Rong announced that she wanted to go out and look around—she hadn’t really had the chance to explore the countryside, and now that she was heading back to the city eventually, she wanted to see the sights.
Li Chunxia told her daughter to go have fun and even handed her two yuan so she could buy herself some nice treats.
“Mom, don’t wait for me for lunch; I’ll be back a bit later.”
“All right, run along then.”
Stepping out of the quadrangle courtyard, Cheng Rong made her way toward the East District’s “Pigeon Market,” rumored to be a clandestine hub for private trade.
The Pigeon Market had originally started as a simple spot for bartering food items, but over time it had gradually evolved into a black market where all sorts of goods could be transacted. With the New Year approaching, the patrolling authorities had loosened their grip somewhat, making the market exceptionally lively.
Although she had sold things at the supply and marketing cooperative before, what she sold stood out far too much. It would be much safer to take a gamble and sell her goods at the Pigeon Market instead.
Cheng Rong wrapped her face in an old scarf, used an eyebrow pencil to darken and thicken her brows, and even drew a conspicuous matchmaker’s mole on her right cheek. Her disguise was a resounding success.
She brought along a large hemp sack stuffed with over a hundred pounds of dried noodles—a reward of yangchun noodles gifted by the system. She had portioned them out into neat bundles, planning to sell them for twenty cents a bundle.
After wandering around the entrance of the Pigeon Market for a bit to make sure no inspectors were around, she walked straight inside with an air of unconcern.
“Who goes there?”
A tall, sturdy young man blocked her path at the entrance, sizing her up with a critical gaze.
“Just going in to sell a few things.”
“Selling things? You have to pay ten cents before you can enter.”
There were guards stationed at the entrance of the Pigeon Market; anyone coming in to sell goods had to pay a protection fee. If inspectors happened to show up, the guards would immediately disperse the trading crowds.
Cheng Rong obediently handed over a dime, and the young man waved her through.
“Big brother, could I ask if anyone inside the market is buying stock?”
The young man glanced at her again before telling her that in the second alleyway inside, there was an old man named Hu who sold meat, and he might take goods in.
Cheng Rong muttered a word of thanks and hoisted her cloth sack as she walked deeper into the market.
Once inside the alley, she found it quite bustling. Many people had laid out simple mats on the ground to serve as stalls and were waiting for buyers. Some were selling eggs, others vegetables, wild game, or woven bamboo wares.
Finding a clean spot, Cheng Rong spread an old newspaper on the ground and set her cloth sack down on top of it.
“Dried noodles! Fine, top-quality yangchun noodles right here!”
Her crisp, bright cry drew the attention of passing crowds, and people quickly gathered around.
In those days, urban food rations were tightly restricted, and even with money, it was hard to buy refined grain. Hearing that someone was selling dried noodles, naturally everyone rushed over.
An elderly woman wearing a headscarf pushed her way to the front. Looking at the snow-white, premium noodles in Cheng Rong’s hands, she eagerly asked about the price.
“Young sister, how are these traded?”
“Twenty cents a bundle, and each bundle is a full catty. No food coupons required.”
The old woman thought the price was quite reasonable, and the noodles looked exceptional—just right for her one-year-old grandson. She quickly handed Cheng Rong a one-yuan note.
“Young sister, I’ll take five bundles.”
Accepting the money, Cheng Rong handed over five pristine bundles of dried noodles.
Running her fingers over the noodles, the old woman marveled at their fine quality; they were indeed top-tier refined grain.
The others quickly scrambled to pay for noodles as well. To say fine grain sold fast was an understatement; within moments, Cheng Rong had completely cleared out the noodles in her sack.
Even then, many people were left empty-handed, expressing deep disappointment that they had arrived too late.
Putting away her cloth sack, Cheng Rong counted the money in her pocket: twenty-five yuan and sixty cents in total, representing a hundred and twenty-eight bundles.
Moving away from the crowd, Cheng Rong found another secluded spot and slipped into her modern kitchen space.
She filled her sack with honey-glazed twisted crullers (mahua) she had fried during the previous night’s livestream. Each piece was about the size of a palm, and she could sell them for twenty cents each. Although her production costs weren’t terribly low, the system rewards easily covered them.
Returning to the exact same spot, Cheng Rong set down her sack and started calling out again:
“Crullers! Fragrant, crispy, delicious crullers—come take a look!”
As soon as her voice rang out, a crowd quickly gathered around her stall once more.
“Lass, how much for these crullers?”
“Twenty cents a piece.”
Unlike the noodles, these cruller snacks had a somewhat lower cost-performance ratio at twenty cents apiece. Many people hesitated upon hearing the price and decided against buying.
Pulling out a single cruller, Cheng Rong snapped it into pieces and held it out toward the surrounding crowd.
“Everyone, feel free to taste a piece—no need to pay. If they taste good, buy them; if not, don’t worry about it.”
Hearing that it was free, the onlookers readily took a piece to sample.
To their surprise, one bite was all it took to get hooked. The crullers had a hint of sweetness, and they were wonderfully fragrant, crispy, and crunchy. They tasted amazing!
Consequently, everyone who had tasted a piece eagerly pulled out their money to buy one. People have a natural herd mentality; seeing others fork over cash for crullers, many more followed suit. Before long, the entire sack of crullers was sold out.
The crullers brought in another thirty-four yuan, bringing her total earnings to nearly sixty yuan.
With nothing left to sell, Cheng Rong tucked away her cloth bag and turned into the second alleyway, where she indeed found the meat stall.
An elderly man with gray hair stood in front of the counter. Without even lifting his head, he told Cheng Rong that the meat was sold out and she would have to come back tomorrow morning.
“I’m not here to buy meat. I wanted to ask if you buy stock?”
The old man raised his head to look at Cheng Rong, his expression entirely unchanged.
“What are you looking to sell? We don’t take just anything around here.”
Cheng Rong thought for a moment. Anything taking up space in her spatial storage could be sold off.
The Phoenix-brand bicycle rewarded by the system couldn’t be ridden out openly right now, so she might as well sell it. There was also a radio and an Omega watch—she could sell those together.
Of the system’s “three rounds and a sound” (bicycle, watch, sewing machine, and radio), only the sewing machine remained, but Cheng Rong decided to keep that one.
“Do you buy bicycles, watches, and sewing machines here?”
Hearing that Cheng Rong wanted to sell those three items, Old Man Hu’s eyes instantly lit up. He had plenty of inquiries for the “three rounds and a sound” items; if he acquired them and flipped them, he could make a tidy profit.
“Buy, buy! Lass, where are the goods?”
Judging by Old Man Hu’s expression, Cheng Rong knew these items were in high demand.
“I want to check the price first. If it’s fair, I’ll go home and fetch them over later.”
“Where did you get these things?”
Although the rule of the Pigeon Market was not to ask about the origin of goods, high-value items like the “three rounds and a sound” still warranted a basic inquiry.
“My fiancé took a fancy to another girl and wants to call off our engagement. These items were given to me as compensation. Looking at them just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I might as well sell them for cash.”
Cheng Rong put on an expression of bitter resentment and heartbreak, playing the part of a dumped, pitiful woman to perfection.
“Ah, I see.”
Old Man Hu bought Cheng Rong’s fabricated story hook, line, and sinker, looking at her with a hint of sympathy. After asking about the brand and condition of the items, he quoted her a fair, mid-range price.
“A Phoenix-brand bicycle for a hundred yuan, a domestic radio for eighty yuan, and an Omega watch for one hundred and fifty yuan. No ration tickets included.”
Knowing the old man would undoubtedly turn a handsome profit, Cheng Rong decided she didn’t want to fuss over the details. If she could net three hundred and fifty yuan total, she would wheel the items over and sell them right away.
“Uncle, would three hundred and fifty yuan work? If so, I’ll go push the goods over right now; if not, I’ll find someone else.”
Old Man Hu quickly did the math in his head. Just reselling those three items would fetch at least four hundred and fifty yuan, netting him a clean profit of a hundred yuan.
“Lass, if your items are truly brand new, I can give you the price you asked for. Consider it a way for old man Hu to make a friend.”
Once the deal was struck, Cheng Rong said she was going home to retrieve the items.
Before long, a brand-new Phoenix-brand bicycle appeared right in front of Old Man Hu’s meat stall.
Old Man Hu inspected the bicycle up and down, marveling that the vehicle was indeed completely unused. He then pulled the radio out of the bicycle basket and tested it on the spot, his beard twitching with delight.
“This watch is brand new, too. Have a look.”
The foreign-brand wristwatch was also pristine. The girl’s former fiancé must have had a rather well-off family—what a pity it wasn’t a good match.
With all three items accounted for and thoroughly tested with no issues, Old Man Hu cheerfully handed the cash over to Cheng Rong.
Three hundred and fifty yuan was no small sum in this era. Having already made a considerable profit at the Pigeon Market that day, Cheng Rong worried about drawing unwanted attention. She quickly tucked the money deep into her pockets and hurried away from the market.
Since it was still early, Cheng Rong took a public bus to the department store in the city center, planning to do a bit of window shopping before grabbing a nice meal.
The department store’s merchandise was indeed far more varied than what the supply and marketing cooperative offered. Spanning three floors of counters, it even carried imported goods.
Since the day after tomorrow was her father Cheng Dazhi’s birthday, Cheng Rong wanted to pick up a gift for him here. However, she couldn’t buy anything too extravagant, or she wouldn’t be able to explain where the money came from.
After much deliberation, she spent two yuan on a pair of canvas work shoes for her father. Cheng Dazhi usually wore handmade cloth shoes made by Li Chunxia and was always too thrifty to wear proper work shoes. Thinking of her father’s worn-out old tobacco pipe, she also bought him a brand-new British-style smoking pipe for five yuan.
Finally, she bought a tin of clam oil facial cream for her mother.
It was the first time Cheng Rong had ever bought gifts for her family, and a warm sense of satisfaction bloomed in her chest.
After finishing her tour of the department store, Cheng Rong’s stomach began to rumble, prompting her to search for something good to eat.
Meanwhile, right in front of the Moscow Restaurant near the department store, a military jeep pulled up to the entrance.
A stylishly dressed Yan Qiuping stepped out first with her twin children, followed closely by Ye Weimin and Ye Fan.
Ye Fan wore a white shirt under a black Lenin jacket. The slightly mature attire complemented his perfect six-foot-one physique, giving him an even more crisp and clean presence.
Watching his eldest son’s sullen expression, Ye Weimin felt a flash of annoyance; if they weren’t out in public, he would have been tempted to give him a swift kick.
Seeing her husband’s displeasure, the gentle Yan Qiuping curved her lips into a smile and slipped her arm through his.
Gazing at the family walking ahead of him, Ye Fan’s eyes turned cold—a chill that came straight from the heart. Today happened to be his father Ye Weimin’s birthday, so no matter how reluctant he was, he had no choice but to tag along for dinner.
He simply couldn’t understand this couple. Clearly, they detested his very existence, yet they still insisted on dragging him along to play happy families.
A restaurant attendant informed the Ye family that guests were already waiting for them at their reserved table.
As soon as Ye Fan saw Regiment Commander Zhang’s family sitting there, he knew instantly what the real purpose of today’s birthday gathering was.
“Older Sister, Brother-in-law, I’m so sorry we’re late.”
“Look at our Yunyi, she looks so pretty today.”
Yan Qiuping greeted Regiment Commander Zhang’s family warmly before heaping praise on her niece, Yunyi.
The praised Zhang Yunyi blushed shyly, though her eyes remained glued to Ye Fan.
“Uncle, happy birthday! Wishing you longevity, health, and family happiness.”
“Good girl.” Ye Weimin nodded happily.
“Ye Fan, Commander Wu mentioned that you and your unit performed quite well on your last mission!” Regiment Commander Zhang looked at Ye Fan with an appreciative gaze; he genuinely liked this young man.
“Thank you for the compliment, Regiment Commander.”
Ye Fan remained poised and neither servile nor overbearing, which only made Regiment Commander Zhang fond of him all the more.
Despite his deep aversion to the gathering, Ye Fan maintained impeccable manners throughout.
Out in front of the Moscow Restaurant’s grand entrance, Cheng Rong rubbed her rumbling, empty stomach and decided it was time to sample some of this era’s Russian-style cuisine.