Chapter 93: Arrival at the County Town, Master Qin Wuye

The journey from Liujiawan to the commune took over an hour, and from the commune to the county town, it took another three hours.

The group had set off early in the morning and only arrived at the county town close to noon.

Compared to the commune, the county town was indeed more prosperous, with more people bustling about. Many workers could be seen riding bicycles as they finished their shifts.

Zhou Sinian curiously observed his surroundings, fascinated by the people and the scenery of the streets.

His unusual attire also drew the attention of passersby.

Liu Dazhu swallowed hard as he watched Zhou Sinian, who looked like a wide-eyed child full of curiosity. He turned to Ming Dai and reminded her once again, “Xiao Ming, you have only one task—to keep an eye on him! Under no circumstances can you let him cause trouble in the county town.”

After some thought, he added with a pained expression, “If he wants to eat anything, just buy it for him. The village will cover the cost!”

Even before entering the county town, Ming Dai had already been instructed to keep a firm hold on Zhou Sinian.

She simply took a rope and tied their wrists together. Only then did the three men finally feel at ease.

After listening to the captain, she reassured him once more, “Don’t worry, Captain. I will make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.”

Upon reaching the county town, Liu Dazhu led the way and took the group to the county’s guesthouse.

Using a stamped voucher, they booked two rooms—one for Ming Dai and another for the men to share.

Zhou Sinian was clearly displeased with this arrangement, and his expression darkened instantly.

Captain Liu quickly handed over the task of pacifying Zhou Sinian to Ming Dai. Then, as if escaping, he grabbed some vegetables and hurried off with Liu Qingmin, leaving Liu Guoqiang and Liu Laosan standing there, staring at each other in silence.

Ming Dai said, “Grandpa Laosan, Accountant Liu, I’ll drop off my things first and then take him out for a walk.”

The two men nodded in unison.

Ming Dai placed the bedding and vegetables in her room, tidied up briefly, and then took Zhou Sinian back out.

The county town wasn’t very large, so the two of them strolled along at a leisurely pace.

Aside from Zhou Sinian’s bright red headscarf, which was overly eye-catching, the two of them looked no different from the other farmers entering the county town.

Following behind an elderly woman carrying a basket and occasionally glancing around, they soon discovered the location of the county’s black market.

After observing for a while, Ming Dai led Zhou Sinian into an abandoned alley. Once she confirmed there was no one around, they quickly slipped into her hidden space.

Originally, Ming Dai had planned to go to the county town to sell vegetables from her space. However, after reconsidering, she realized that they would likely be the only ones selling fresh vegetables at this time. If she sold them on the black market now, wouldn’t it be as conspicuous as a fly landing on a bald man’s head?

So, she decided to trade something else instead. After all, her space contained plenty of other valuable goods.

She glanced at Zhou Sinian. A man of his stature was impossible to hide in a crowd, so she decided to discuss her plan with him.

“Zhou Sinian, I’m going to sell some things at the black market, but I can’t take you with me. You’re too tall, and people will recognize you easily. Can you wait in the space for me?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sinian was immediately displeased. He bent his legs and squatted down until he was only slightly taller than Ming Dai, staring at her stubbornly.

Ming Dai sighed helplessly—his attempt to make himself less noticeable only made him stand out even more!

Left with no choice, she tried a different approach. “We won’t have time to feed the sheep once we get back. Why don’t you use this time to feed the lambs and the silly roe deer, okay?”

Zhou Sinian looked at the sheep grazing leisurely on the grass, then back at Ming Dai, hesitating.

It was only after she promised to return as soon as possible to take him out that he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Ming Dai let out a sigh of relief and then went to the storage area to pick out the items she planned to sell.

First was grain. Since her space had farmland, she would no longer need the old stock after the new harvest, so she decided to sell some of it.

Next were clothes and shoes.

There were a lot of them—several shelves packed to the brim. Many were sizes that neither of them could wear.

Ming Dai sorted out some clothing and shoes for children and the elderly, planning to test the waters first.

She also picked out an old woman’s outfit for herself, swapping her headscarf for a dark green one and changing into a pair of traditional cotton shoes.

In her past life, Ming Dai had a small hobby—she loved cosplaying various anime characters. Because of this, she had a full set of disguise tools at home.

Zhou Sinian watched her as she picked up different tools and began painting on her face and hands. He was munching on an apple at first, but as he observed her transformation, he slowly stopped eating, staring at her in confusion.

Under his watchful gaze, Ming Dai transformed from a fair-skinned young girl into a silver-haired old woman with a wrinkled face and age-spotted hands!

It was incredible!

He reached out to poke one of the wrinkles on Ming Dai’s face, only to have his hand smacked away.

“Don’t touch! It’s not dry yet!” she scolded.

After thinking for a moment, she added a mole at the corner of her lips, the kind commonly seen on old matchmakers, to further enhance her disguise.

This way, even if her real face was exposed in the future, people would only remember an old woman with a distinctive mole—not a fresh-faced young girl.

Once her makeup was done and she had put on deliberately aged clothing, she cleared her throat and spoke in a hoarse, elderly voice, “Oh my, which family’s new bride is this? Why is she so tall?”

Zhou Sinian was so startled by the sudden voice of an old woman that he jumped three meters away, staring at the disguised Ming Dai in shock.

Ming Dai, pleased with her little prank, switched back to her normal voice. “Aiya, good thing I haven’t lost my dubbing skills. Now it’s perfect!”

Under Zhou Sinian’s utterly baffled gaze, she swiftly slipped out of the space. Before long, a hunched old woman carrying a basket, walking with a slow and shaky gait, emerged from the alleyway.

At the black market, she followed another veiled old woman. After undergoing a brief inspection and being warned not to cause trouble, she was allowed to enter.

In a hidden corner, small stalls were lined up. People approached, browsed, and left at intervals.

Ming Dai strolled around, carefully observing her surroundings. There were many guards patrolling, constantly on alert for troublemakers. If anyone raised their voice too much while haggling, guards would immediately step in. Those who refused to comply were swiftly silenced and taken away.

Seeing the strict security measures, Ming Dai felt reassured. The tighter the surveillance, the lower the chance of getting caught, which meant her risk was also reduced.

After making a full round and confirming the prices she wanted to know, she returned to the entrance.

At the entrance, two thin and dark-skinned young men stood guard. They were shivering from the cold, their noses running, as they hugged their arms and stared unblinkingly at the alleyway.

Ming Dai adjusted her voice and asked, “A guest from the south has arrived. Is Master Qin Wuye available to meet?”

This was a phrase she had read in a book, and now she was putting it to use.

Master Qin Wuye was the head of the county’s black market. “A guest from the south” was a coded message, meaning that goods had arrived from the southern region—essentially asking whether Master Qin Wuye was interested in doing business.

Sure enough, the moment she spoke, the two young men were stunned. One of them, a skinny guy, gave her a once-over before responding, “Wait here.” After whispering something to his companion, he turned and disappeared into the black market.

Ming Dai stood still, hunched over, gripping her basket tightly without moving an inch.

Before long, the skinny man returned. “Master Qin is inside. He will meet with you now.”

Ming Dai shook her head. “We’ll talk at the small tea stall by the alley. I’ll wait for five minutes.”

Without a moment of hesitation, she turned and left.

The skinny man watched her shaky, elderly figure disappearing into the distance, surprised. How did she know about the tea stall? That was one of their regular meeting spots.

Realizing he had encountered someone formidable, he rushed back inside.

At the tea stall, there was only an old woman tending the stove. When she saw Ming Dai enter, she merely glanced up before going back to sorting the beans in her hands.

Ming Dai took a seat near the entrance, facing the street. This way, passersby could see her at any moment, providing an extra layer of security as she waited for Master Qin Wuye to arrive.