Chapter 45: Emergency Relief (Part 2)

Going back to the black market, the old lady might face danger, so it’s better for Zhao Xiulan to sell her the grain directly.

Upon hearing Zhao Xiulan’s words, the old lady looked at Zhao Xiulan with surprise and joy.

“Girl… you… you really have grain and are willing to sell it to me?”

After asking so many people earlier, the old lady was starting to feel desperate. She never expected to not only be saved by Zhao Xiulan but also to have Zhao Xiulan willing to sell her grain.

Zhao Xiulan nodded and replied, “Yes, Auntie, I have some here that I can sell to you.”

Tears welled up in the old lady’s eyes as she said, “That’s wonderful… girl, I really met a good person today. But girl, I don’t have any money. Can I exchange something with you? Of course, if you’re unwilling, it’s fine. Auntie knows how precious grain is these days.”

Although Zhao Xiulan felt sorry for the old lady, there was no reason to give away grain for free. It’s not that she didn’t want to, but such behaviour would raise suspicions.

Upon hearing the old lady’s words, Zhao Xiulan asked, “Auntie, what do you want to exchange with me?”

The old lady glanced around, looking a bit secretive. Zhao Xiulan understood; she was afraid of being seen and wanted to confirm safety.

Some things were too dangerous to take out, so they had to be kept hidden.

The old lady took out a linen bag from her pocket and then stuffed it into Zhao Xiulan’s hand. She lowered her voice and asked, “Girl, can you see if this is acceptable?”

Zhao Xiulan opened the linen bag and saw a jade bracelet and a pair of golden hairpins inside.

The bracelet was made of jade, glossy, smooth, and brightly coloured, with excellent water quality and a vivid green colour. Even those unfamiliar with jade could tell that it was valuable.

The golden hairpins were also adorned with two pieces of jade, with a pure green colour and extremely delicate texture, resembling glass. It was the finest quality of jade.

If these items were taken to the 21st century to sell, just the bracelet alone would likely fetch tens of thousands.

Seeing these items, Zhao Xiulan frowned and looked at the old lady, saying, “Auntie, these items are too valuable. Are you sure you want to exchange them for grain? Wouldn’t it be wasteful?”

Upon hearing Zhao Xiulan’s words, the old lady knew that Zhao Xiulan was knowledgeable. She smiled and said to Zhao Xiulan, “Girl, since you can say that, it means you understand these things. Auntie won’t hide it from you. These items are valuable, but they are only useful in peacetime. Many people in this era don’t appreciate them at all.

“Taking them to the black market to exchange for grain is not as useful as money. Many people won’t even want them.

“No matter how good something is, it can’t be eaten. What’s the point of keeping it?

“My old man and I have been starving for several days now. As long as we can exchange for some grain and something to eat, we won’t hesitate. After all, nothing is more valuable than life.

“Girl, if you’re willing to accept them and exchange them for grain, Auntie will only be grateful to you.”

Listening to the old lady’s words, Zhao Xiulan sighed inwardly.

What the old lady said made sense. These items she gave, the jade bracelet wouldn’t fetch much money, and the government wouldn’t even accept it. As for the gold, one of the golden hairpins had been damaged, and the old lady was probably reluctant to part with them. That’s why she brought these items to the black market to try her luck and see if she could find someone knowledgeable.

(End of Chapter 45)