Chapter 22: Revenge Achieved, Selling the House on the Black Market

The police station wrapped up the case as quickly as possible.

Although Wen Changming showed a degree of cooperation by aiding the investigation, the severity of his crimes was undeniable. As a result, he was sentenced to fifteen years of reform through labor. Similarly, Tan Xiulian was sentenced to ten years for her role in aiding and abetting his crimes. Fortunately for them, the two were to be sent to different reform labor camps.

As for Liu, his involvement in multiple human trafficking cases left no room for leniency. Along with other human traffickers, he was sentenced to death, with the execution set to take place in the near future.

The Machine Factory had initially planned to investigate Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian after receiving an anonymous report. However, before they could act, they were notified by the police station about the case.

Both Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian, having been sentenced to reform through labor, were promptly dismissed by the Machine Factory. On the day they were sent away, their termination notices were delivered to them.

Wen Nuan only learned about the sentencing outcomes of the three individuals after she had arrived at the Red Flag Brigade. However, the one who felt the brunt of the situation the most was undoubtedly Wen Qing.

In just one night, both her parents were taken away for labor reform. The house, stripped bare, was left with nothing but a few scraps of grain and dilapidated furniture—there wasn’t a single penny to be found.

The two yuan that Wen Changming had given her had long since been exchanged for a red scarf, which now lay abandoned on her bedside.

Staring at the empty home, Wen Qing was overwhelmed with despair. How was she supposed to survive from now on?

However, Wen Qing had no idea that even more unbearable events awaited her in the future.

After making rounds at the supply and marketing cooperative and the state-owned restaurant, Wen Nuan returned to the guesthouse at six in the evening.

After a brief rest, Wen Nuan got up and began preparing herself. Heading to the black market, naturally, required a disguise.

She took out the men’s clothing she had prepared earlier from her personal space, added a hat on her head, and wrapped a black scarf tightly around her face. The result was a figure that appeared to be a malnourished young man.

At the entrance to the black market, a group of burly, broad-shouldered men stood guard, collecting a two-mao entrance fee from everyone who wanted to go in. ^[1]In this context, “mao” refers to a Chinese currency unit. Specifically, 1 mao  is equal to 0.1 yuan , which is also known as a “jiao” in standard terminology. So, a … Continue reading

In her previous life, Wen Nuan had only heard about the black market but had never stepped foot inside. This time, besides her goal of selling the house, she was also here to broaden her horizons.

Having been granted the rare chance to live her life over again, Wen Nuan was determined to seize every opportunity and leave no regrets behind.

Though it was the middle of the night, the black market was bustling with activity. Vendors’ lively shouts filled the air, and there was a dizzying array of goods for sale: wild game, mountain produce, grains, fabrics, chickens, ducks, bird eggs, candies, pastries, and even ticket scalpers hawking their wares at the top of their lungs.

The scene inside the black market felt like a completely different world compared to the quiet streets outside. Wen Nuan stopped a vendor collecting goods to ask a few questions, and after being redirected by two or three people, she finally found someone willing to take over the property.

Wen Nuan remained on high alert. She kept a baton from her storage space and a pouch of chili powder ready at hand. If anything went wrong, she wouldn’t hesitate to act decisively and ensure her safety.

“You’re selling a house? Are you the owner?”
A middle-aged man wearing a hat approached her. His voice was somewhat hoarse, suggesting he was no longer young.

“The house belonged to my late mother,” Wen Nuan replied directly, without hesitation. “As for my father, he’s already been arrested and taken to the police station. Unless something unexpected happens, he’s not coming back.”

She laid out the situation honestly, holding nothing back.

The man clearly hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to be so upfront. He froze for a moment, then sneered and said, “You’re quite straightforward, huh? Aren’t you afraid I’ll back out?”

“While I do want to sell the house, it’s nothing more than a passing thought,” Wen Nuan replied calmly. “If it sells, great. If not, I lose nothing.

The deeds for the house and land are in my hands, so it’s mine sooner or later. If I’m willing to sell it now, you’re the one getting a bargain. Why should I be afraid you’ll back out?”

“Heh, you’re bold, I’ll give you that. Now I’m curious. How exactly am I getting a bargain here? And if you dare to trick me, don’t blame me for using my strength against you.”

“Well, may I ask how I should address you? After all, we’ve crossed paths, and that’s fate. Even if the deal doesn’t go through, there’s still room for courtesy, isn’t there?”

“You’re an interesting one, I’ll give you that,” the man said with a chuckle. “Most people around here call me Hai Ye.”

Wen Nuan nodded slightly, then pulled out a land deed from her pocket and said,

“This courtyard of mine is located in the Machine Factory Residential Compound. It’s a standalone property with a private gate, three large main rooms, and two storage rooms, totaling over 100 square meters.

According to the current market rate, its value would be between 1,300 to 1,600 yuan at least. Of course, I understand that transactions here won’t follow the market price.

So, I’ve already made up my mind—1,000 yuan, flat. What do you think? I believe that’s already a very reasonable deal.”

The man who called himself Hai Ye chuckled, his eyes glinting shrewdly.

“You’re not being entirely honest, are you? A property in the Machine Factory Residential Compound, even with a private courtyard, wouldn’t go for more than 1,300 yuan at most. This 1,000 yuan price isn’t as much of a bargain as you make it out to be.”

Wen Nuan could hear his intent—he was trying to push the price down. But she had anticipated this and wasn’t the least bit fazed.

She had intentionally set the initial price higher to leave room for negotiation.

“1,000 yuan for a standalone courtyard property—there’s nowhere in the entire capital where you’d find a deal like that. How could that not be considered a bargain? You’re such a prominent figure; you wouldn’t try to deceive a kid like me, right?”

Hai Ye chuckled. “Haha, enough with the flattery. One final price—800 yuan, and the property is mine. Hand over the property deed and the land deed, and you won’t have to lift another finger.”

Eight hundred yuan was already very close to what Wen Nuan had expected, but who would ever complain about earning a little extra? If she could sell it for more, why not?

“Eight hundred is too low for such a large courtyard! How about this—900 yuan? What do you say?”

“The risk is too high. Nine hundred won’t do.”

“You can’t just say 800 and expect it to stick—that’s too overbearing. If that’s the case, I’d rather not sell the property for now. After all, I’m not in any rush!”

While Wen Nuan had never dealt with transactions on the black market before, she understood the art of bargaining well enough.

Hai Ye found himself unexpectedly intrigued by Wen Nuan’s boldness. It had been a long time since anyone dared haggle with him like this.

“You’ve got guts, kid. You’re not afraid of me at all, are you? Even daring to negotiate with me!”

“This is my first time on the black market, so I’m not very familiar with the way things work here. If I’ve been too forward, I ask for your understanding. But since you’re not sincerely interested in buying my property, let’s just drop it. After all, I’m not desperate to sell!”

Wen Nuan pretended to put the deed back into her pocket, but Hai Ye narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through her little game at a glance.

“Alright, how about this? I’ll add another 50. Eight hundred fifty is the most I can offer!”

Wen Nuan paused her movement, unable to stop the corner of her mouth from curling into a smile.

“Eight hundred fifty and throw in fifty jin of national grain coupons, and it’s a deal. I’ll hand over the house deed and land deed immediately.”

“Deal! From now on, we’re friends. If you’ve got more business to do, don’t forget to come to me, brother!”

“Thank you for your generosity, Hai Ye. Alright, let’s exchange the money and the deeds.”

“Done!”

Hai Ye waved his hand, and one of his men stepped forward with a cloth bag. Wen Nuan glanced at it—inside were bundles of large-denomination bills and various types of coupons. It was quite the haul.

“Here, this is 850 yuan and 50 jin of national grain coupons. Please count it!”

Wen Nuan wasn’t modest at all, carefully counting each bill one by one.

“Hai Ye is a straightforward man. I apologize for any offense today. Here are the deed and land deed. Right now, only my father’s stepdaughter is living in the courtyard. You can go collect the house anytime.”

“Alright, thank you for the reminder, brother. I’ll have someone arrange it.”

“Then I’ll take my leave. Farewell, Hai Ye.”

“Farewell!”