Chapter 8

Xue Miaoyun left the hospital but didn’t go to the cafeteria. Instead, she headed straight out, knowing where the black market in the county was. Before her biological mother passed away, she had told Xue Miaoyun many things, and one of those was the location of the black market in Wei County.

Though it was called a black market, it was simply a secluded alley with a complex network of paths. If anything went wrong, one could easily escape by utilizing the labyrinthine layout.

Xue Miaoyun first stopped at a public place where she quickly applied a makeup look that made her appear older. Then she took out a basket containing forty eggs.

She wasn’t in a rush to sell anything—this trip was just to scope out the situation. In this time of material shortages, the items she had in her space were highly sought after, and she didn’t have to worry about selling them.

After navigating a few turns, she arrived at her destination. There weren’t many people around. Xue Miaoyun lifted the cloth from the basket without saying anything and walked past a few people.

Eggs were always in demand, no matter the time. In the current era, if there was a woman in the house giving birth, any family that could afford it would make sure to provide plenty of eggs to nourish the woman in her confinement.

Soon, someone came up to inquire.

Xue Miaoyun wasn’t concerned about how much she sold; she was simply gathering information on prices. She sold the eggs for one yuan for eight and managed to establish a good relationship with the buyer, a woman named Liu. Liu was the accountant at the town’s only cotton mill, a big household, and perhaps in the future, Xue Miaoyun could rely on her.

“Sister Liu, I have a way to get some quilt covers, pillowcases, and military coats. Would you be interested?” Xue Miaoyun asked, knowing she needed to clear out some of the items in her space and exchange them for money—having cash on hand would ease her worries.

When Liu Yuehua heard that Xue Miaoyun had these items, she was thrilled.

“Little sister, you really have these things? They’re so hard to come by!” Liu Yuehua had many children, and a few of her sons were already married. Now, either this daughter-in-law was pregnant, or that one was about to give birth. There were also weddings to plan. Though her family had some savings, nowadays, everything required ration coupons to buy.

This was why she often visited the black market. She could endure hardships herself, but she couldn’t let her pregnant daughters-in-law suffer. As an accountant at the mill, she also did work for the wives and families of the employees. She knew that many of her colleagues had such needs, and if she could act as a middleman, she might be able to get some of the things she needed as well.

“I know some people who can get some. But the quantity is limited. Sister Liu, let’s arrange a time for me to visit your house, and when I do, I’ll say I’m your relative.”

“Alright, how many can you get? I’ll ask a few neighbors,” Liu Yuehua said eagerly.

“Two military coats, and the rest won’t exceed five items. These things will sell easily, but getting them is not so simple,” Xue Miaoyun lied smoothly.

“Who’s to say otherwise?” Liu Yuehua agreed enthusiastically. The rations they received were barely enough for anything.

They agreed to meet in three days, and with that, Xue Miaoyun left with five yuan in hand.

“Ah, Uncle Zhao, I’m back! I got you some meat buns. Has Uncle Xun come out of surgery yet?” Xue Miaoyun hurriedly returned to the hospital within an hour. Fortunately, the hospital was not far from the black market. She ate two buns on the way and felt full.

“He hasn’t come out yet; he’s still in surgery. Where did you get these buns?” Zhao Fengnian wasn’t being polite and took two buns.

“From the state-run restaurant,” Xue Miaoyun replied. At this time, there were no other places to buy food. It wasn’t like decades later when there were all kinds of shops everywhere.

“Delicious!” Zhao Fengnian was indeed hungry, having not eaten much that day. He noticed that the buns were soft and white, a clear sign of quality.

After taking a big bite, the taste surprised him. This was the best bun he had ever eaten.

Xue Miaoyun paused, surprised. Was it really that good?

She quickly realized that the buns were made with ingredients and seasonings she had brought over from the previous world. With the scarcity of supplies in this era, it was no wonder Zhao Fengnian found them so delicious.

Xue Miaoyun smiled faintly and said, “I also think they’re really delicious. I heard a master chef who specializes in seasonings came to teach his apprentice.” She was just making up a story, but it seemed to work.

Zhao Fengnian devoured the two buns, feeling much more comfortable after. His stomach settled, and he felt a lot better overall.

They waited for about another half an hour, and finally, the door to the operating room opened. Both of them quickly moved toward the doctor.

“Doctor,” Zhao Fengnian called out anxiously.

“The situation isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. His life has been saved, but his body has suffered greatly. He’ll need proper recovery and care moving forward,” the doctor reported.

Both Zhao Fengnian and Xue Miaoyun frowned. That wasn’t exactly good news. Xun Jinian hadn’t come to Shuize Village to rest—he was sent here for re-education through labor. If poor health were an excuse to avoid work, Elder Ke wouldn’t have passed away the way he did.

“As long as his life is saved,” Zhao Fengnian muttered.

Xue Miaoyun thought the same. Moreover, as long as she could find the right medicine, she was confident she could help Xun Jinian recover in time.

They accompanied Xun Jinian to a hospital ward. Xue Miaoyun took his pulse while he was still unconscious.

“How is he?” Zhao Fengnian, now having some trust in Xue Miaoyun’s medical skills, asked.

“He has damaged his foundation. After these years of hardship, his body was already weak. He needs to rest and recover, otherwise, it could shorten his life.” Xue Miaoyun furrowed her brows. The situation wasn’t good.

“Can you treat him?” Zhao Fengnian asked. He and Xun Jinian had been childhood friends. The two families had a strong bond, and he and Xue Miaoyun’s mother, Yuan Lihua, had grown up together.

However, times had changed. When the original owner had been wronged, they had wanted to help but couldn’t, because they were in no position to do so. Their own identities made it harder for them to speak up, and anything they did would only have made the original owner’s situation worse.

“I can treat him, but I’ll need some specific herbs, and getting them won’t be easy,” Xue Miaoyun replied, frowning. She had realized too late that she should have brought some traditional Chinese medicine herbs into her space, but at the time, she hadn’t known much about medicine, so having the herbs wouldn’t have helped.

Zhao Fengnian understood the situation.

“I’ll think of a way. No matter what, we have to try as long as there’s a chance,” Zhao Fengnian said, looking at his best friend lying in bed.

Both of their families had already distanced themselves from them. Xun Jinian had it worse. His wife, seeing the situation, had taken their son and quickly cut ties with him, remarrying someone else. Zhao Fengnian, on the other hand, had taken his wife and children to safety before volunteering to be sent down for re-education.

This was also one of the reasons he could choose to come to Shuize Village.

Now, the two of them were essentially depending on each other—well, with Xue Miaoyun, their younger companion.

Xue Miaoyun nodded as she looked at the medicine prescribed by the hospital, her expression tense.

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Fengnian asked.

“The medicine doesn’t seem very effective for his condition,” Xue Miaoyun commented, frowning.

“It’s normal. The hospital is also short on medicine. It’s lucky they were able to prescribe anything,” Zhao Fengnian replied, shrugging. He had gotten used to it.

Xue Miaoyun was speechless.