“Didn’t you take your daughter-in-law to the hospital for a check-up?”

“I did. The doctor said she has a cold constitution and that it’s hard for her to conceive.”

“A cold constitution isn’t a big issue. Just buy some brown sugar and boil it with ginger slices for her to drink regularly. She’ll get better over time.”

“It’s easy for you to say! My son’s been lining up at the supply and marketing cooperative every morning before sunrise, but he hasn’t even seen a scrap of the brown sugar wrapping paper!”

“If it’s that bad, let your son go to Xinan Alley. They don’t require tickets there, though it’s a bit more expensive.”

“If I had that much money, I’d have sent him to Xinan Alley long ago. Do you think I’d let him sweat it out lining up in this heat?” The skinny old lady sighed deeply.

Xinan Alley…

Shen Zhihuan instantly caught the keyword and sprang to her feet.

“Aunties, can you tell me how to get to Xinan Alley?” Shen Zhihuan hurriedly pulled out two peaches from her basket, which was covered with old clothes, and handed one to each of the two chatting old ladies.

The two women instinctively wanted to refuse.

Xinan Alley was known by many, but hardly anyone dared to openly talk about it in broad daylight.

They had only let it slip in passing. If word got out that they’d been there, it would spell big trouble for their families.

“Aunties, please help me! My sister-in-law suffered massive blood loss during childbirth and barely survived. The doctor said she needs brown sugar and eggs to recover, but I’ve been lining up for days and haven’t even seen a shadow of brown sugar!”

“My sister-in-law is so weak that her milk hasn’t come in. My mother can only boil some rice water to feed my little nephew. But he’s so small—how can rice water be enough? My mother’s been crying so much these days that her eyes are nearly blind!”

“My brother’s gone, and my little nephew is the only hope left for our Li family. If anything happens to him, my mother and sister-in-law…”

Shen Zhihuan pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears, her voice choked with emotion.

The two old ladies, however, were moved to genuine tears.

“Take that road straight down. At the fifth intersection, you’ll see a school—turn right there. Keep walking, and at the third intersection, turn left. Go two more intersections, and you’ll see two alleys. The one on the right is Xinan Alley. Walk about 100 meters in, and you’ll find it,” the skinny old lady said quietly, her eyes red as she pointed ahead.

“Be careful when you go. Check for uniformed officers at the entrance. If you see any, wait a bit before going in. Don’t let yourself get caught,” the slightly plump old lady warned softly.

“Thank you!” Shen Zhihuan bowed deeply, then grabbed her basket.

“Little girl, there’s a man called Fifth Master Qin in Xinan Alley. His prices are fair, and his goods are plentiful. Look for him—you won’t go wrong,” the slightly plump old lady added after some thought.

“Thank you!” Shen Zhihuan waved with a smile, slinging her basket over her back as she headed down the road the old lady had pointed out.

“Xu Erniang, we’ve been friends for decades, and you hid from me that Fifth Master Qin has fair prices?” The skinny old lady turned to glare at the slightly plump one as Shen Zhihuan disappeared from view.

“I only just heard about it recently!” Xu Erniang explained hurriedly.

The skinny old lady gave her a sharp look and huffed, turning her head away.

“I swear, I only found out a few days ago from Old Wang at the gate. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself,” Xu Erniang said with an apologetic smile.

“If you found out a few days ago, why didn’t you tell me back then?” the skinny old lady snapped.

“Oh my, these peaches are huge! They must weigh six or seven ounces each!” Xu Erniang quickly changed the subject.

The skinny old lady looked down at the peach in her hand and weighed it thoughtfully.

“They are nice peaches. Even fresher than the ones at the department store…”

Suddenly, she slapped her thigh. “Oh no, I still need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative!”

Stuffing the peach into her cloth bag, she hurried off.

The road was lined with trees, offering plenty of shade. Shen Zhihuan strolled leisurely, observing her surroundings.

After passing three intersections and turning left at another, she finally saw the two alleyways in the distance. But as she approached, a commotion broke out at the entrance to the right alley.

A group of uniformed officers was chasing about a dozen men of varying ages, causing chaos. Shen Zhihuan instinctively stepped aside to give them room to pass.

“Fifth Master Qin, you run first! We’ll hold them off!” A middle-aged man in a white shirt shouted to a younger man in a striped sailor shirt as they ran.

Fifth Master Qin?

Shen Zhihuan raised an intrigued eyebrow.

She watched as the man in the sailor shirt darted into a nearby alley. Without hesitation, she followed behind him.

Half an hour later, in the depths of the alley, Shen Zhihuan came face-to-face with Qin Bin—known in the underworld as Fith Master Qin.

“Who are you? Why are you following me?” Qin Bin’s brows furrowed, his eyes wary.

Today’s surprise raid had clearly left him shaken.

“I want to do business with you.” Shen Zhihuan reached into her pocket and tossed a lychee toward Qin Bin.

Catching it, Qin Bin glanced at the fruit before looking her up and down. “Do you know who I am?”

“No,” Shen Zhihuan replied calmly.

“If you don’t know me, why would you want to do business with me?” Qin Bin scoffed lightly.

This scrawny girl had quite the nerve!

“I heard you’re fair with your prices, so I came to find you. Or are they wrong about that?” Shen Zhihuan said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Fair prices? That’s not just a rumor. Little girl, if you don’t believe me, go ask around. Everyone knows Fifth Master Qin of Xinan Alley is honest in business,” Qin Bin said, his chin lifting slightly with pride.

Shen Zhihuan glanced at the sky before setting down her basket. She uncovered it, revealing the fruit inside, and gestured toward Qin Bin.

“If Fifth Master Qin is as fair as they say, then name your price.”

When she lifted the cover, Qin Bin craned his neck for a better look.

The lychees were plump, vibrant red, and glossy. The other fruits—round and red—looked equally fresh and high-quality.

Though young, Qin Bin was a seasoned trader. One look at the fruit’s color and shape told him it was top-tier.

In these times, many people were still struggling to make ends meet, but there were plenty who had money and nowhere to spend it.

In his mind, Qin Bin could already see stacks of ten-yuan bills flying toward him.

“Do you have more of these?” Qin Bin asked quietly, glancing around.

“If the price is right, there’s plenty,” Shen Zhihuan replied.

She picked up two cherries, tossing one to Qin Bin and popping the other into her mouth. “Try it. Let’s talk business after you’ve tasted it.”