Chapter 21

“The fish this comrade has are of good quality, and there seem to be quite a lot of them. You didn’t just pick these up by the shore, did you?”

The scar-faced man stared sharply at Lan Xiruo, a faint smirk of mockery playing on his lips.

Despite standing amid a group of tall and burly men, Lan Xiruo showed no sign of panic.

She let out a light chuckle and set down the bucket in her hand. “If the boss is so curious about how I got these fish, then see for yourself.”

The scar-faced man furrowed his brows, glanced at the bucket, and nodded toward one of his subordinates.

One of them shot Lan Xiruo a glance before reaching into the bucket and grabbing a fish to inspect.

“Boss, these fish were caught with a hook. Their mouths have wounds.”

“Oh? Caught with a hook? That many?” The scar-faced man was skeptical and pulled out a few more fish to examine.

“Heh, interesting. So, all these fish were actually caught with a hook. Looks like this comrade hasn’t been stealing from the collective. Seems like I’ve misunderstood you.”

“In that case, how about we do business?” He tossed the fish back into the bucket and smiled at Lan Xiruo.

Even though his dealings weren’t exactly legal during this time, he had principles—he would never do anything that harmed the country’s interests.

Stealing even a single fish from the collective? Absolutely not.

Lan Xiruo looked at him steadily before curling her lips into a faint smile. “Of course.”

“Haha, good! From now on, bring whatever seafood you have to me. I’ll buy it at a price 10% lower than the market rate.”

Lan Xiruo thought for a moment and said, “I can only come once every half month. I’ll try to catch as many fish as possible in between.”

She didn’t bother asking about the exact price and simply laid out her own conditions.

Her straightforwardness surprised Qiao Laosi—the scar-faced man. “You really are different from others.”

“You’re the first girl who isn’t afraid of my face.”

“And you act more decisively than most men. Haha, not bad, not bad. A woman with the guts to deal in the black market should be like this.”

Lan Xiruo didn’t respond, only smiling as she looked at Qiao Laosi.

She had been deliberately selling fish in the black market again and again today, all to lure out its boss—Qiao Laosi.

She knew his character well. Working with him would never be a loss.

—-

In her past life, she had frequently done business with Qiao Laosi.

Back then, she only sold small amounts of seafood she gathered from the shore, which wasn’t enough to catch the black market boss’s attention.

Their connection really started when she was once cornered in an alley after selling her goods.

At the time, she hadn’t learned any self-defense skills yet and was terrified when three thugs targeted her. All she had was a kitchen knife, which she swung wildly to keep them at bay.

The three thugs hesitated to approach her because of the knife, but they still taunted her.

“As long as you hand over all your money, we’ll let you go.”

“If not, we’ll call for help and say you were seducing the three of us.”

In those days, if a woman was accused of something like that, her life would be ruined.

Lan Xiruo was so furious that she charged at the speaker with her knife.

But in doing so, she gave them an opening. One of them kicked her wrist, making her drop the knife. Another thug quickly picked it up and pressed it against her neck.

“Damn woman, don’t be stupid. If you don’t hand over your money, we’ll—”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but the look in his eyes made his meaning clear.

But that money was for her mother’s medical treatment—how could she just give it away?

Just as she was about to despair, Qiao Laosi appeared, cigarette dangling from his lips.

He took one look at the scene and coldly said, “Scram.”

That single word sent the three thugs running for their lives.

Then, Qiao Laosi glanced up and down at Lan Xiruo before smirking. “You’ve got guts. But you’re a fool. What’s more important—money or your life?”

Lan Xiruo lowered her head and muttered, “Money is important. Without it, I can’t treat my mother’s illness.”

Qiao Laosi seemed to have overheard her murmuring. He frowned, then said, “Next time you come to the black market, bring your goods to me.”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

Lan Xiruo was overjoyed.

This man—she recognized him. He was the black market boss!

Was she getting special treatment? Ahhh, how lucky!

She quickly shouted after him, “Comrade, thank you! You’re a great person!”

Qiao Laosi stumbled mid-step. He turned back to give her a sharp look before saying:

“Who leaves the black market without changing clothes first?”

“You don’t even bother switching outfits, and you wear the same thing every time. Of course, they’re going to target you.”

Lan Xiruo glanced down at her loose blue cotton outfit, her face flushing. She had thought the oversized clothes would help conceal her figure, but they had only made her more noticeable.

“Big brother, thank you for the advice. Thank you!”

Qiao Laosi coughed awkwardly and corrected her, “I’m not a good person.”

Then, he strode off like something was chasing him.

After that, every time she came to the black market, she sold her goods directly to Qiao Laosi.

Later, she started going to the neighboring province to buy and resell appliances and clothes, and Qiao Laosi helped her sell them.

After the economic reforms, the black market business declined, so they ventured into the seafood trade together.

If she hadn’t been blinded by that scumbag Wen Ze and ignored Qiao Laosi’s repeated warnings, they never would have fallen out.

Thinking about the past, Lan Xiruo felt a wave of sadness.

But then she reminded herself—she had been reborn. None of that would happen again.

A bright smile spread across her face.

This time, they would be the best business partners. She would never fall for a man’s tricks again.

Lan Xiruo took off her straw hat, her smiling eyes locking onto Qiao Laosi’s face.

Qiao Laosi rubbed his chin, frowning. “Do I look funny or something?”

What was with this woman? She wasn’t scared of him and just kept staring at his face with a smile. Didn’t people usually find him terrifying?

But strangely, he didn’t find her gaze annoying. In fact, it felt like he had known her for a long time.

And for some reason…

Qiao Laosi shook his head, thinking he must be losing his mind.

Seeing his expression darken, Lan Xiruo finally spoke slowly:

“You don’t look funny. I just think you look very manly.”

That scar—it was left on the battlefield. How could he not be manly?