Chapter 7

To enter the black market in the city, you have to pay an entrance fee of 20 cents.

Fortunately, Qiao Xiazhi still had the fifty cents that his grandmother gave him when he came to the city.

So now she is increasingly lamenting that the original owner really has a problem with her brain and doesn’t understand at all that she should not appreciate what she has.

However, Qiao Xiazhi did not enter the market directly with money, but exchanged a pack of cigarettes in the system mall, which could be sold for 36 cents at that time.

Qiao Xiazhi handed the cigarette to the old man guarding the gate. The old man saw that it was a pack of good cigarettes and smiled from ear to ear.

“I can tell from your unfamiliar looks that this is your first time here. Ask whatever you want to ask.”

“Do you know any honest consignees here?”

“What do you want to sell?”

“Good stuff from Shanghai.”

“Then go find the uncle at stall No. 9 on Street 2. He’s one of the best bidders here.”

Qiao Xiazhi took out another handful of Little White Rabbit candies from his cloth bag and handed them over.

Seeing that Qiao Xiazhi was generous, the old man kindly reminded him, “Be careful when you meet a bulk trader who doesn’t have a stall, don’t get cheated.”

“Thank you.” After saying this, Qiao Xiazhi walked towards the black market.

Although the old man told her who to contact, she still wanted to compare prices from different stores.

As he was walking around, a man who was also covered up tightly called out to Qiao Xiazhi from behind, “Are you here to buy or sell things in the black market? I see you’ve been walking around here for quite some time.”

After all, it was Qiao Xiazhi’s first time in the black market, so he was somewhat nervous and also on guard.

The other party seemed to see her worry, so he said: “Although this is a black market, it is not the black market you think it is, so you don’t need to be so scared. Is this your first time here?”

Qiao Xiazhi didn’t say anything.

The other party continued to ask: “Are you going to buy something? Or are you going to sell something?”

Qiao Xiazhi simply replied: “Sell?”

“What are you selling?”

“The latest steel watch from Shanghai.”

“Then sell it to me and I’ll charge you 100 yuan.”

When he heard the price was one hundred yuan, Qiao Xiazhi turned around and left. He said it was not cheating, but this was really cheating.

She is not a fool. She must have inquired about it before coming.

This guy said one hundred yuan, which was obviously a scam to deceive her. It was too dishonest.

A Shanghai brand watch costs about RMB 130 when purchased with a watch ticket.

Buying it on the black market would cost at least one-third more, around 170 yuan.

What’s more, hers is the latest model, with a fluctuation of about twenty yuan.

It’s no problem to sell it for two hundred yuan.

Therefore, her ideal price is no less than one hundred and fifty yuan.

This thing is a hot commodity in this big city.

I’ll collect it now and will definitely be able to sell it before today, and make dozens of dollars off the resale!

“How much do you want to sell it for? Can we talk about it?” the man followed and asked.

Qiao Xiazhi stopped and replied, “One hundred and seventy.”

After quoting the price, she continued walking forward and looking slowly.

When the man heard the price Qiao Xiazhi quoted, he was stunned.

But after a careful calculation, he still didn’t want to give up, so he followed up and said, “One hundred and fifty, this is definitely the highest price I’m offering.”

Qiao Xiazhi looked at him, thinking that he was here to sell goods, not to cause trouble, so he shut up again. Then he went straight to the stall No. 9 on No. 2 Street.

The man watched Qiao Xiazhi go to stall No. 9, and then he realized that this was definitely not his first time at the black market.

It seems that I am the one playing the clown.

But the man didn’t take it seriously and continued to ask everyone he met.

Qiao Xiazhi successfully sold a pair of couple watches to the uncle at stall No. 9.

The uncle’s offer was very honest, and Qiao Xiazhi was also a man who understood the ways of the world, so he took out a pack of cigarettes worth one dollar from his cloth bag, put it down and left.

The uncle looked at the cigarette that Qiao Xiazhi put down and also smiled with his eyes curved.

As soon as Qiao Xiazhi left, the man immediately came to the stall and asked, “Old Xu, what did that girl sell to you just now? How much did she sell it for?”

Old Xu looked at Xiao Cui and said with a smile, “You already know everything, but you’re still asking.”

“Watch? How much did I sell it to you for?”

Old Xu first made a three, and then a six.

Xiao Cui was confused for a moment. Was it thirty, sixty, or thirty-six?

“Three hundred and sixty!”

“What! Three…” Xiao Cui stopped talking, looked at Lao Xu in disbelief, and asked in a low voice: “Three hundred and six? Is it true? Isn’t it the latest model of Shanghai brand steel watch? Are you losing money to buy it?”

“Who said I lost money when I received the goods? They sold a pair, so is there anything wrong with me charging 360 yuan?”

“A couple!!!” Xiao Cui almost couldn’t control himself and shouted out again.

Finally, he said with envy: “Your luck today is really something that makes people envious and jealous.”

After saying this, he looked regretful.

If I had known earlier, I would have accepted the 170 yuan. It is a good profit to make 20 yuan by reselling a pair of couple watches. Some people earn less than 20 yuan a month. If he takes this 20 yuan home, his wife will praise him for several days.

Alas… wrong decision.

Seeing Xiao Cui’s regretful expression, Lao Xu patiently taught him:

“I’ve told you many times that you should be honest.”

“Before you bid, don’t just think about how much money you can make. Look at the goods first and then bid. No matter how much you make, you must not make the seller feel that they are at a disadvantage.”

“If you’re not honest from the beginning, no matter how much you offer, people won’t want to sell you to you later.”

“If you want to do this kind of business, don’t just think about how much money you can make at the beginning. First, accumulate credibility. With credibility, why would you worry about not having business?”

“Okay, I’m going to go deliver the goods. You should think about it carefully. Remember next time, it’s important to check the goods.”

Having said that, Lao Xu closed his stall and went out to deliver the goods.

Just this morning, a couple who had been married for six months and was pregnant came to buy watches. They wanted to buy a pair of couple watches.

Look, the deal is done. Even if you only make 40 yuan by selling it, it’s still a profit, right?

Although Qiao Xiazhi didn’t trade anything else after selling the watch, she still spent more time on the black market. Since she had already made some money, it would be good to gain more experience at this time.

But when I came out, there were a lot more good things in the backpack.

Four packets of brown sugar, two packets of Little White Rabbit milk candy, two pounds of the best pork belly with fat and lean parts, and twenty eggs.

Of course, these were all exchanged by her from the mall.

As soon as she came out, Qiao Daguo came to find her after using the toilet.

However, Qiao Daguo did not recognize Qiao Xiazhi because she was fully armed until she walked up to him and said, “I’m here.”

Qiao Daguo then looked at Qiao Xiazhi with a shocked expression and asked a series of questions:

“You went to the black market? Didn’t you not carry a backpack when you came out? Where did you get the backpack?”

Qiao Xiazhi pulled Qiao Daguo aside and took off the towels he had used to arm himself.

“Where did you get this towel?”

Qiao Xiazhi replied: “I borrowed it from my grandma when I came out.”