Chapter 47 : Exploring the Black Market Again

After leaving the post office, Su Mo rode her bicycle to the street where Lu Changzheng’s comrade-in-arms lived, relying on her memory.

When she passed a blind spot, Su Mo quickly checked her surroundings to make sure no one was nearby. She then got off the bike, stored it, and entered an abandoned, collapsed house nearby.

Su Mo changed into work clothes, darkened her skin with dark foundation, thickened her eyebrows, put on a pair of old-fashioned black-framed glasses, and wore a men’s wig.

Soon, Su Mo transformed from a delicate and pretty young wife into a thin and honest-looking young male worker who appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.

After ensuring no one was around, Su Mo exited the house, took out the bicycle from the space, and went out the same way she came in.

She had observed this place when Lu Changzheng brought her here. Not only was it secluded with no houses around, but there was also a dilapidated house providing shelter, and the two ends were connected.

She changed her clothes inside. As long as no one was at the corner, no matter which direction she exited from, anyone who saw her would assume she came from the other direction and would not suspect anything.

Su Mo rode her bicycle to the street where she had gone to the black market last time. She wanted to check if it would really be so troublesome every time she came or if it was because they were strangers last time.

The same auntie from before was there. She approached Su Mo and smiled, saying, “Young man, where are you headed? I’m familiar with this area and can help guide you.”

Su Mo lowered his voice and said, “The brigade distributed some fruits and vegetables, and I’m bringing them to my uncle Su.”

“Oh, Uncle Su, just keep going along the left side and you’ll reach the end,” the aunt said with a smile.

Su Mo rode along the left side and soon reached the end. The person inside heard the sound of the door opening, saw it was someone riding a bicycle with a basket, and opened the door to let Su Mo in.

After Su Mo entered, the door was closed, and the man asked, “Buying or selling?”

“Selling.”

“Twenty cents,” the man said.

Su Mo took out two dimes and handed them over. It was quite expensive, two dimes were enough to buy a pound of flour.

The man took the money and said, “Cover your face and follow me.”

Su Mo covered her face with a towel, then pushed the cart and followed the man.

This time, there was no need to impound the car, so it seemed there was another way to open it.

The process was quicker this time. After passing through a door, they arrived at the same courtyard.

So, last time they had acted so uniquely to make an impression, to discourage his wife from coming to the black market?

Su Mo didn’t know that Lu Changzheng had deliberately shown off his authoritative attitude to dissuade his wife from coming, so others, knowing he was from the army, would naturally be cautious.

“Find a spot for yourself. Leave once the sale is finished, don’t stay too long.”

Su Mo nodded, found a corner, and parked the cart. Then, under the cover of moving the bamboo basket, she reached in, put the large net bag inside into the space, and replaced it with a basket of apples.

Su Mo put the bamboo basket on the ground and lifted the coarse earth cloth. A basket of bright red, juicy, and fragrant apples appeared.

A man from the black market passing by saw this and came over to ask, “How much are you selling these apples for?”

The whole basket sold to Sister Liu was 50 cents per pound, and retail sales would be more expensive, so Su Mo quoted a price: “60 cents per pound.”

This time, she was mainly testing the waters. If the price wasn’t too high, they would sell faster.

The man immediately said, “Give me five pounds.”

The apples were of good quality, and 60 cents wasn’t expensive, considering that the supply and marketing cooperatives usually priced them over 40 cents. The man’s girlfriend liked apples, so he bought more.

“Okay.” Su Mo replied, only to realize she didn’t have a scale.

“Well, I don’t have a scale,” Su Mo said, a little embarrassed.

“It’s available for rent on the black market, 20 cents per time,” the man said.

Su Mo immediately took out 20 cents and asked the man to bring her a scale.

The man quickly brought the scale, and Su Mo weighed five jin for him neatly, receiving 3 yuan in return. Since he was the first customer, Su Mo gave him an extra one.

After a while, a few more men came to buy apples. They probably saw the apples the first man bought and thought they were good.

In total, people in the black market consumed more than 20 kilograms of goods from Su Mo, and the remaining 20 kilograms were sold out within an hour.

This basket of apples weighed 55 kilograms, and she earned 33 yuan. Together with the 25 yuan from Sister Liu, she earned 58 yuan today from selling apples, which was more than a month’s salary for most people.

The traffic in this black market wasn’t bad. Once you got used to it, it wasn’t troublesome. She could still come here, but not too often just once or twice a month, and not bringing too much. Selling one or two baskets each time wouldn’t be too noticeable.

Sister Liu’s business could be developed further. Although the wholesale price is a bit lower, it is convenient and safe.

After selling her items, Su Mo packed up the bamboo basket and wandered around the black market for a while. She bought 2 kilograms of pork, and when she saw pork fat for sale, she bought 4 kilograms. She planned to make some lard at home. Then, when she saw eggs, she bought another 2 kilograms.

Pork on the black market costs 1.6 yuan per pound, so 2 pounds cost 3.2 yuan.

Pork fat costs 2 yuan per pound, so 4 pounds cost 8 yuan.

Pork fat is considered high-quality meat. At the supply and marketing cooperative, it costs 1.2 yuan per pound with a ration ticket, but here on the black market, it sells for 2 yuan per pound, which is not too expensive.

Eggs were sold for 0.78 yuan per pound at the supply and marketing cooperative with a ticket. Su Mo bought them from a private stall, negotiating the price down to 1.1 yuan per pound, so she spent 2.2 yuan for 2 pounds.

This trip cost her 13.4 yuan, which was more than one-third of the money she had earned from selling apples at the black market.

Money still doesn’t go very far.

After buying everything, Su Mo left the black market and went back to the spot she had changed at earlier. She removed her makeup and changed back into her regular clothes.

After coming out and retrieving the bicycle, Su Mo used the bamboo basket as a cover to change things on the spot.

She first stored the meat and eggs into the space. The space would keep them fresh, and the meat wouldn’t spoil, no matter how long it was kept.

After taking out the big net bag, Su Mo put three pounds of cotton into the space as well, intending to cut the cloth when she got home.

She then took out a dozen apples, put them into the bamboo basket, covered them with a coarse cloth, and rode her bicycle out through another exit.

When she returned to the team, Su Mo first went to Lu’s house to find Li Yue’e.

“Mom, I bought some apples from the supply and marketing cooperative. I’ll give you a few to try.” Su Mo took out seven apples from the basket and wrapped them in coarse cloth.

Li Yue’e leaned over to take a look and exclaimed in surprise: “Where did you buy these apples? They’re so big, red, and juicy!”

It was the first time she had seen such beautiful apples.

“There are only a few supply and marketing cooperatives in the county, so this is all I managed to get.”

“Give two apples to the eldest brother and the second brother’s families, and for the remaining three, give one each to you, dad, and grandpa.”

“Okay.” Li Yue’e did not refuse. She went to fetch a bamboo basket and took the apples.

“Mom, do you know how many stitches I need to cast on for the sweater Changzheng wears?” Su Mo asked, wanting to make sure the sweater wasn’t too small and uncomfortable for Lu Changzheng to wear.

“You want to knit a sweater for the third brother?”

“Yes, I bought some wool and plan to knit a sweater for him,” Su Mo nodded.

“I really don’t know, but the three brothers are all similar in build. The youngest is a little bit stronger. You can compare him with his older brothers when the time comes.” Li Yue’e felt a little ashamed because she had never knitted a sweater for the third brother.

Sure enough, only one’s own woman will feel sorry for a man.

“That’s fine,” Su Mo replied, and then asked, “Mom, can you make cotton-padded jackets?”

“Yes, what’s the matter?”

“I want to learn how to make a cotton-padded jacket, Mom. If it’s convenient for you, can you come teach me sometime?”

“That’s no problem. I’ll plant the land today and teach you tomorrow. By the way, do you want to plant the land in front of your door? I have some vegetable seeds here.”

“I bought some vegetable seeds today.” Su Mo replied.

The seeds she planted must have been improved in later generations.