She hesitated for a moment, then bent down and picked up the basket.
The moment she straightened up, an old, slightly urgent voice called out from behind her:
“Comrade! Comrade! The pastries in your basket… could you sell me some?”
Su Hongxia turned around and saw an elderly woman with graying hair, dressed in faded blue khaki clothing, panting as she looked at her with earnest eyes.
Next to the woman was a similarly aged man, looking tense and nervous, who seemed to be her bodyguard or driver.
“The Red Armbands are coming, run!” Su Hongxia didn’t think twice. She grabbed the old woman’s wrist and whispered urgently, “Don’t buy anything! Run!”
In this era, being caught by the Red Armbands was no joke.
At worst, they would confiscate your goods and publicly criticize you; at worst, you could be locked up “behind the fence,” and your family’s future could be affected.
“But…” the old woman seemed about to argue.
“No buts!” Su Hongxia said firmly, pulling her into a narrower alley nearby.
Her strength was considerable, and the old woman was practically lifted off her feet as Su Hongxia dragged her along.
The bodyguard hurried after them, glancing back cautiously as they ran.
The alley twisted and turned like a maze.
Su Hongxia, relying on her agility, deliberately chose the narrow, difficult paths. The sharp whistling of the pursuers’ whistles and the pounding footsteps gradually faded.
The three of them only stopped when they reached a dead-end, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.
“Thank you, young comrade,” the old woman said after catching her breath, patting her chest with gratitude. “If it weren’t for you, my old bones would have been done for today.”
“No need to thank me,” Su Hongxia waved her hand, acting as if it were nothing.
She looked around to ensure it was safe before speaking to the old woman. “It should be safe here. You should go home quickly. I have to leave too.”
She turned to walk away.
“Wait, young comrade!” The old woman called after her, her gaze falling on the basket in Su Hongxia’s hands. “These pastries… did you make them yourself?”
Su Hongxia froze and looked down at the basket.
It was the same basket that the man had dropped earlier, containing a few pieces of darkly baked peach cakes.
Before she could answer, the old woman’s bodyguard frowned and whispered, “Madam, these are from an unknown source and don’t look clean. You shouldn’t eat them.”
Madam?
Su Hongxia’s mind stirred. She carefully studied the old woman.
Though dressed plainly, the khaki material was high-quality, and her calm, gentle demeanor suggested she was not an ordinary person.
“Old Li, don’t be nervous,” the woman said with a smile to the bodyguard, then turned back to Su Hongxia with a warm gaze. “Young comrade, don’t misunderstand me. It’s just… my husband’s stomach hasn’t been good lately. He can hardly eat anything but keeps thinking about the mung bean cakes he had in his youth. I’ve been searching for them for a long time, and today, I finally heard they might be here, so…” She sighed, a little sad.
Su Hongxia suddenly had a bold idea.
She cleared her throat and subtly hid the basket behind her, pretending to be a little embarrassed. “Grandma, these… these aren’t made by me. I picked them up. The ones I make myself are at home.”
“You make pastries yourself?” The old woman’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Yes,” Su Hongxia nodded, starting to climb a pole nearby. “I… I can only make a few things, like mung bean cakes or Sachima. I learned from the elders in my village and make them mostly for myself.”
She deliberately spoke vaguely, acting like an inexperienced country girl.
“Mung bean cakes! You can make mung bean cakes?” The old woman grew more excited. She stepped forward and grabbed Su Hongxia’s hand. “Young comrade, could you… sell me some? You set the price. I’ll try to arrange the payment!”
Seeing the woman’s eager expression, Su Hongxia knew her opportunity had come.
But she didn’t immediately agree. She pretended to hesitate, whispering, “But… this could be considered profiteering, and if caught…”
“Don’t worry!” Old Li, the bodyguard, immediately chimed in. He pulled a work ID from his pocket, flashed it to Su Hongxia, and quickly put it away. “We’re from the military district’s logistics department. There’s an internal procurement need. If you bring the goods to our designated location, it’s completely safe. No one will know.”
The military logistics department! That was a huge backing!
Su Hongxia’s heart leapt with joy, though she kept up her shy act. “Well… okay. I’ll make some tomorrow and bring them to you?”
“That’s wonderful! Wonderful!” The old woman clapped her hands in excitement. She had Old Li note down an address and a secret signal Su Hongxia had made up and even pressed ten yuan into Su Hongxia’s hand as a deposit.
“Take this money first to buy ingredients. If it’s not enough, we’ll cover the rest!”
Su Hongxia pretended to refuse but finally “reluctantly” accepted.
After sending the old woman and bodyguard off, Su Hongxia carried the battered basket home, her mood elated.
Divine help indeed! On her first scouting trip to the black market, she had hooked a big fish!
She glanced at the few burnt peach cakes in the basket, frowned at them, and tossed them in a secluded spot.
..
By the time she returned near the compound, it was completely dark.
To avoid being seen, Su Hongxia carefully went around to a low wall behind the courtyard.
She glanced around. Seeing no one, she tossed the basket into the yard, then used her hands to vault over the wall easily.
As soon as she landed, before she could even steady herself, a cold voice came from behind:
“Where have you been?”
Su Hongxia jumped in fright and spun around.
Lu Huaizhou stood less than three steps behind her—not in his wheelchair, but leaning on a cane.
He stood straight, almost entirely hidden in the darkness, with only his eyes shining brightly, fixed intently on her.
When had he gotten there? How had he made no sound?
“I… I…” Su Hongxia’s heart skipped. Her mind raced as she tried to pull out a prepared excuse. “I went to the hillside… to pick fruit. It got dark… I got lost…”
She spoke while lowering her head, too guilty to meet his gaze.
Lu Huaizhou didn’t say a word, just took a step forward.
The immense pressure emanating from him made Su Hongxia instinctively step back, her back pressing against the cold wall again.
History was eerily repeating itself.
Lu Huaizhou extended his hand, palm open in front of her.
His hand was broad, and in his palm lay some pale green powder and crumbs.
“Grew on the hillside, did it?” His voice was calm, unreadable, but Su Hongxia sensed a dangerous undertone.
Those… were clearly crumbs of mung bean cakes!
They had fallen from her pocket when she scaled the wall!
Her mind went “buzz,” and all her lies and excuses felt pale and useless.
She was done for.
She stared at Lu Huaizhou’s face, outlined clearly in the night, at his eyes that seemed to see everything. She felt like a thief caught in the act, all her secrets exposed.
The courtyard was eerily silent except for the rustling of tree branches and her own heartbeat thudding like a drum.
Lu Huaizhou just looked at her, silent, like a patient hunter waiting for his prey to walk into the trap.
Su Hongxia’s lips moved, but not a word came out.
Just as she thought he was about to lash out, he retracted his hand. He gathered the crumbs, then, with a complex expression, slowly spoke:
“Hold out your hand.”
Su Hongxia didn’t understand but instinctively obeyed.
Lu Huaizhou carefully poured the mung bean crumbs into her palm, then lightly touched her hand with his calloused fingertip.
“Next time, don’t drop them.”
His voice was low, with a barely noticeable hoarseness.
“They’re expensive.”