“Ah, what do you think about this?”

Shi Yanchun held the meat, unsure whether to return it or not.

“It’s fine, keep it. She has thick skin; she’ll definitely come to me for help again next time,” brigade leader Zhao said.

Shi Yanchun couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s not nice to speak ill of the young girl like that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Girls shouldn’t be too thin-skinned, especially since she has no parents. If she were too thin-skinned, she’d be bullied to death.”

Although brigade leader Zhao thought it was unwise for Zhang Yunxi to go to the countryside for her niece, he also admired her kindness.

Besides, having thick skin isn’t a bad thing.

“Then should I cook a dish with this pork?” Shi Yanchun had a very good impression of Zhang Yunxi.

Who else would give so much when asking her husband for a favor? This young girl Zhang Yunxi is quite something, very capable.

“Sure.”

Brigade leader Zhao was also a bit pleased.

He wanted to help Zhao Mo, and having an extra dish at home was quite nice.

*

In the female educated youth dormitory, Zhang Yunxi was also preparing ingredients. It wasn’t her turn to cook today, but she wanted to prepare the ingredients early so she could finish her four work points in the afternoon, come back to cook, and then deliver the food to Zhao Rencheng.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yunxi worked faster than usual. After completing her four work points, she immediately went to the accountant uncle. “I’ve completed my four work points for today. I’m really not feeling well and would like to leave early. I hope the organization can approve.”

The accountant uncle waved his hand.

Letting her go quickly.

After all, she couldn’t do much anyway. Making her earn four work points every day seemed like it was killing her.

Before returning to the dormitory, Zhang Yunxi also picked some sweet potato vines. Now that the sweet potatoes were ready, the vines could be picked and eaten.

It was a benefit for the rural people.

You could pick as many sweet potato vines as the number of sweet potatoes you dug. Zhang Yunxi had already prepared to go to Grandma Chen Hehua, Er Gouzi’s grandmother, tomorrow to make dried vegetables with the sweet potato vines.

That way, she would have something tasty later.

She had been slowly simmering the bone broth over the fire since noon. When she lifted the lid, the rich aroma of the bone broth wafted out.

If it weren’t for the thought that this was for the patient, Zhang Yunxi would have gulped it down.

After ladling the soup, Zhang Yunxi started cooking eggplant with meat. She had picked two eggplants from the private plot and made the dish.

She planned to give half to Zhao Rencheng and share the other half with everyone.

Finally, she stir-fried the sweet potato vines.

Two dishes and a soup, not bad at all.

Zhang Yunxi quickly packed these into a lunchbox.

The lunchbox naturally belonged to He Xiaoxiao.

He Xiaoxiao was like a treasure chest, having everything, which was quite magical.

Zhang Yunxi walked up the mountain.

She really admired Zhao Rencheng’s choice to build his house on the mountain. Fortunately, she had asked Zhao Mo in advance and knew the route, otherwise, she would have gotten lost.

But when she reached the mountainside and stood in front of Zhao Rencheng’s house, Zhang Yunxi felt a sudden sense of openness. The landscape and the village were all in view.

There was a hammock between two trees, a rocking chair at the door, and a small shed with a small table and two bamboo chairs inside, giving it a rustic charm.

Zhang Yunxi really liked the house at first sight; it was like her dream retirement home.

Seeing that his door wasn’t closed, Zhang Yunxi stepped forward and knocked, but through the crack, she sensed something was off.

Zhao Rencheng slowly raised his eyes.

Meeting Zhang Yunxi’s teasing gaze, “It seems I’ve disturbed your work.”

Zhao Rencheng stared at her. He had a wound at the corner of his eye, which made his whole face look fierce. When he wasn’t speaking, he resembled a hunting dog targeting its prey in the dark, looking down at her, causing an inexplicable sense of unease.

Zhang Yunxi’s heart tightened; her intuition was right, he was not someone to be trifled with.

Pushing the door open, she took in the full view of his room and raised an eyebrow, pretending to be calm. “You must be making quite a bit of money here.”

“What are you here for?”

Zhao Rencheng asked in a deep voice. He had anticipated someone might come and had even prepared ropes to set up a small trap for intruders at night.

But Zhang Yunxi arrived just before he could set up the trap.

“I’m here to bring you some food. Aren’t I nice?” Zhang Yunxi placed the lunchbox on the table, picked up a pair of shoes to examine, and after a moment’s thought, smiled. “You can sell a pair of shoes for thirteen yuan, making at least seven yuan profit. With so much material prepared and taking so many days off, you must be making a lot. If… you were discovered, it would be disastrous.”

The man’s calm eyes suddenly narrowed, revealing layers of coldness beneath. Zhao Rencheng’s face was no longer calm, and he spoke in a low voice, giving her one chance to repeat herself.

“Even if I say it again, it’s the same.” Zhang Yunxi put down the leather shoes and smiled at him. “Captain of the militia team, tell me, how do you make money?”

“What do you want?”

“I want money, coupons, and a job. If you don’t help me, I’ll tell everyone.” Zhang Yunxi walked to the door. “The conditions aren’t too excessive, are they?”

“Hmph.” Zhao Rencheng sneered. “You’re quite greedy.”

“Not as much as you.”

Zhang Yunxi estimated he must have made thousands.

“I can agree to what you said.”

“Really?” Zhang Yunxi raised an eyebrow.

“But I have conditions.”

“Let’s hear them.”

Zhang Yunxi knew it wouldn’t be easy to get something, but discovering his money-making secret was also a kind of fate.

Although making money in the black market was dangerous now, Zhao Rencheng’s geographical location had inherent advantages.

As long as he was careful with the villagers, even if the red armbands came, he could throw the stuff down the mountain a moment before they arrived.

Moreover, Zhang Yunxi had read the original book and knew he remained safe later on, which meant his ability to guard against was good.

She needed money now.

She needed coupons.

And she needed a good job.

Cooperating with him was the best outcome. She had been worried about how to improve her situation before, but now she finally had a chance and had to seize it tightly!

“Help me work for ten days, five hours each day!”

Zhao Rencheng hadn’t expected her to come.

But since she had come and dared to threaten him, he might as well make use of her.

“How much money, how many coupons, and what kind of job? We’d better discuss it clearly and make a written agreement.”

Zhang Yunxi brought in a bamboo stool from outside and sat down, looking at him calmly.

“Ten yuan, ten five-jin grain coupons…”

“Wait, are the grain coupons local or national?”

There was a big difference between local and national grain coupons.

National grain coupons could be exchanged for many local coupons at the grain station.

“Of course, they’re local!”

“No, I want national ones.” Zhang Yunxi knew her advantage lay in this moment of negotiation with him. Once she was recruited by him, her advantage would be gone.

So naturally, she had to get as much as she could.

Zhao Rencheng gritted his teeth and nodded. “Fine, work for ten days, ten yuan, that’s already very good.”

“That’s acceptable. What about the job?”

“I’ll arrange a relaxing job for you that doesn’t require fieldwork, but you’d better be careful when coming up the mountain. If you’re discovered, I won’t protect you.”

“I understand.”

To make money, one must take risks.