Chapter 24: Finalizing Cooperation

After dinner, Shuxin sent Luo Yue back to the youth station and returned home to sleep early. When the Liu family members were fast asleep, she quietly left for the mountains, leaving a note at the door to avoid worrying them in the morning when they didn’t see her.

Living by the seaside in Hushi, she had grown tired of seafood and was particularly lacking in pork and game. Although her space had plenty of wild game, cured meats, and fruits, they would surely run out over time.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, she headed into the mountains to replenish her stock. This time, she had ample time to explore the deep mountains.

With her special abilities, she sped through the forest and soon arrived at the place where she had discovered tiger bones. Without stopping, she pressed on for half an hour before finally halting.

After all, good things come from deep in the mountains. Today was her lucky day; just as she stopped, she encountered a nest of wild boars. She didn’t hold back and quickly gathered them up. Within ten minutes, the whole family was laid out, ready to be stored in her space for later.

Wild chickens and hares were accepted without hesitation, and upon encountering a flock of sheep, she left three behind. As for things like silly roe deer and flying dragons, she wouldn’t let any of them escape her grasp—not that she would bother with protected animals like tigers.

By the time dawn broke, Shuxin walked towards the water source, picking a safe spot to properly process her catches. Even with her mental strength and special abilities, she found it tiring.

She pulled out some prepared food from her space and had a quick breakfast that could barely count as lunch before heading back. On her way down, she wasn’t in such a hurry anymore.

At the foot of the mountain, she spotted Luo Yue struggling to pull pigweed vines. She walked over and with just a few yanks, she filled her arms. When Luo Yue saw Shuxin approaching, he stepped aside. Once Shuxin finished loading up her back, he came over and wrapped an arm around her, happily walking back together.

The two days of vacation passed in the blink of an eye. Shuxin packed her things to return to the city for work. The Liu family had learned to ignore Luo Yue’s charming antics, so when they saw him cling to Shuxin, they turned to leave without a second glance, wanting to avoid the sight.

“Wuwu~ Xinxin, you’ve just come back for two days and now you have to leave. I’m going to miss you! You have to think of me too. And don’t look at other men, okay? You’re a married person now; you can’t flirt around. Lastly, when you come back next time, you must bring me that delicious chocolate and snacks!”

Shuxin was amused and exasperated at the same time. As he went on about “not flirting,” she thought just having him was enough trouble; if there were another, she’d probably go bald!

She could only respond kindly, and waited until his mood stabilized before riding off. After dining at the Huang family’s, she chatted for a while with Huang Yao before they returned to the dormitory at the bus station. She updated Huang Yao about having a partner, no matter how shocked she seemed, then closed the door and went to sleep, as she had a bus to catch the next morning and no time to waste.

Once back in Hushi, Shuxin disguised herself and headed to the place where she had discovered good game last time, carrying a bamboo basket to draw less attention.

Prices in Hushi were higher than in the county town, but she wasn’t worried about not being able to sell her goods.

Arriving at the black market near the fish market, she carefully observed her surroundings and approached a kind-looking, chubby woman. Without saying much, she lifted the tattered cloth covering her wares, revealing the colorful wild boar meat.

The woman’s eyes lit up at the sight. Hushi was not lacking in fish or meat, but it lacked pork, and her family’s meat ration had already run out for the month. It was rare to find pork in the black market, so she wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away.

“Girl, how much are you selling this for?”

“Ninety cents, no tickets needed, and it’s bone-in!”

Calculating that not needing a ticket made the price quite reasonable, she bought ten pounds of pork and even selected a few pounds of ribs. Indeed, the people of Hushi were generous; they wouldn’t bat an eye at buying ten pounds at a time.

After that sister left, Shuxin began to look for her next buyer again. In no time, the meat was sold out. Seeing that the market was good, she discreetly took a few more pieces from her space to sell in a less crowded area.

She was about to stop, fearing that too large a quantity would attract the attention of the black market boss. She also wanted to establish a connection with the suppliers, expecting to handle the supply in the future. But that wasn’t for now; she wanted to operate a few times on her own, gauge the situation, and not get tricked in unfamiliar territory. Even though she wasn’t afraid of trouble, being a bit more cautious was always wise.

After leaving the fish market, she changed her outfit and headed to the black market near the goods building to continue her business.

By the time night fell, Shuxin had already made substantial profits. Adding what she had earned in Xinyang County, her wealth had surpassed a thousand, marking her as a significant player in Xinyang, though still small compared to Hushi.

Most of her deals were pure profit; she was not at a loss. Shuxin calculated in her mind how she could make a thousand on a round trip, and before long, she’d become a ten-thousandaire. Life now was indeed much better than it was during the apocalypse.

As the golden roosters crowed, she planned to go back to the fish market in the morning to restock and check out other general stores.

The next day, bright and early, Shuxin returned from the fish market loaded with goods and leisurely strolled through the general stores. There were still a few remaining, but in another couple of years when the storm hit, many might have to close down.

She bought some cheap fabric to take home and also purchased ten wristwatches at a bargain. While they could cost a lot more in the county town, here they were only a few dozen. The price disparity was indeed significant, especially for larger items.

After finishing her shopping, Shuxin went to a state-run restaurant in Hushi and ordered a couple of local specialties. Finding them quite tasty, she packed a few portions into takeout boxes to save in her space for later.

As soon as Shuxin returned to Xinyang County, she headed to the black market to meet with Brother Hei to sell her goods. Having dealt with him for some time, she understood his character and intended to collaborate with him in the future, not wanting to run around doing everything herself.

Most importantly, Shuxin knew Brother Hei’s background; he still thought she was a boy. She was nearly one meter seventy-five, and when she wore height-increasing shoes, she looked around one meter seventy-eight. Few would suspect she was a girl.

Brother Hei: “Hey! Little bro, it’s been a while! What’s up this time? Got goods?”

Shuxin: “You know it’s easy to get from Xinyang County to Hushi now. I’ve been exploring some routes recently. If you’re willing to handle big business, I can bring fresh seafood and new goods from Hushi. Interested?”

Brother Hei took a puff of his cigarette, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He wasn’t planning to dive into dealing with logistics himself since it required a solid background, and he quickly resolved to go along with it.

“Damn it, let’s do it! How often do you want to deliver goods? What’s the cooperation plan?”

“Brother Hei, let’s keep it simple. You don’t have to worry about the procurement; you’re only responsible for receiving and dispatching the goods. Payment upon delivery—I’ll just take my cut. What you sell it for after that is your business.”

“It’s a deal! When do you plan to deliver this time, and what goods will you have, plus their prices?”

They agreed on the pricing, and Shuxin instructed him to meet in an abandoned old house to collect the goods two nights later.

From now on, she would deliver goods once a month, so she wouldn’t have to return and sell in the black market every time. It would save her a lot of trouble. In time, she planned to find someone in Hushi to help her with the collection, making her even more at ease.

Feeling light after striking the deal, Shuxin found a place to restore her female appearance and rushed home. It had been less than half a month, and she was truly missing her clingy little one at home!