Chapter 24 ☆ Stir-fried Pork with Plain Noodles (Part 2)

Cheng Yaoyao smiled, opened the oil-paper package, and handed it to Xie San. The white and tender white flour buns came with a sweet fragrance. His stomach, which had only eaten two wild vegetable steamed buns since early morning, immediately started to growl.

Xie San, caught off guard, covered his stomach with his hands, his ears burning.

Cheng Yaoyao burst out laughing and urged, “Don’t be reserved. Eat quickly!”

Xie San swallowed his saliva and picked up a steamed bun. He took a big bite. The bun was soft and hot, with a sweetness that could be easily chewed without water. He swallowed it quickly, eager to savor another bite.

Cheng Yaoyao watched him with a smile, feeling happier than if she had eaten the buns herself.

Before long, Xie San had devoured both steamed buns. He exhaled deeply, realizing how good it felt to be full.

Xie San walked to the public faucet, took a few more sips of cold water, and then wiped his mouth. “Can you take me there now?”

Cheng Yaoyao, feeling a bit puzzled, noticed that Xie San seemed in a worse mood after eating, although his tone was calm. She shrugged and said, “Follow me.”

Cheng Yaoyao led the way, taking Xie San to the black market.

The black market was located on a street behind the archway. It was well-connected, with alleys intertwining, making it easy for vendors to escape and difficult for the inspection team to track them down. It was a good place for both buying and selling discreetly.

The original owner had frequented this market many times. The heroine in the original book had also made her first fortune here, which led to her subsequent wealth.

Cheng Yaoyao remembered that in the original book, Xie San was often bullied and pressured by the salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative. It was the heroine who had sold the leather for him in the black market, significantly increasing his favorability.

It was also in this market that Xie San discovered new opportunities and began his rise.

But Cheng Yaoyao felt a bit nervous. She wasn’t sure if she could find the leather vendor.

In the alley, many vendors were already squatting in the shade, waiting for customers. Some were fanning themselves out and taking naps. If you didn’t ask, you wouldn’t know if they were just enjoying the cool or selling goods. Among them were vendors selling vegetables, fruits, crooked melons, and peaches, and one was selling bayberries, which looked much worse than the ones Xie San had picked for her.

Cheng Yaoyao glanced around the black market. Standing there in her delicate dress and leather shoes, she looked out of place, like a lamb among wolves. Many vendors were hesitant to approach, intimidated by the tall young man standing behind her.

The combination of Cheng Yaoyao and Xie San was indeed peculiar. For a moment, no one knew what to make of them, and no one dared to approach.

Cheng Yaoyao bit her lip and looked around, but she couldn’t find the person she was searching for.

Xie San spoke from behind her, “Forget it. Let’s go back.” He felt uncomfortable being stared at.

Cheng Yaoyao was disheartened. She had only remembered the two vendors from the original heroine’s dealings: one was a woman, and the other was a thin young man. But today, there was no one matching that description in the black market. Leather wasn’t easy to sell in the summer, and not everyone was interested in buying it.

Cheng Yaoyao said, “But… but the things you brought…”

Xie San sighed inwardly and said calmly, “It’s okay. You wait over there to avoid the sun. I’ll go sell it.”

He pointed to a shady open space and asked Cheng Yaoyao to stand there. He placed the basket next to her and walked deeper into the alley.

Cheng Yaoyao felt embarrassed and regretful. If she had known, she would have tried to please the old lady at the supply and marketing cooperative and asked her to accept Xie San’s things. Now, Xie San was left in a difficult situation!

Cheng Yaoyao watched as Xie San approached a middle-aged man in a corner and spoke to him quietly. The man shook his head and squinted his eyes, but Xie San remained calm. Eventually, the man gritted his teeth and nodded reluctantly.

Xie San returned, took out the bag of dried mushrooms from the basket, and said to Cheng Yaoyao, “Wait here. Don’t wander off.”

“I won’t,” Cheng Yaoyao replied.

Xie San looked at her with a distrustful expression.

An old farmer squatting nearby coughed twice and smiled, his face wrinkled. “Young man, you brought such a delicate young woman to the black market. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

Xie San opened his lips, looked at Cheng Yaoyao, and then suddenly turned away, leaving with his belongings.

Cheng Yaoyao squatted next to the old farmer with a smile and asked, “Uncle, what are you selling?”

The old farmer grinned like a fox. “What are you looking to buy?”

Cheng Yaoyao studied him carefully and said, “Food?”

The old farmer cleared his throat and said nothing. Cheng Yaoyao smiled, played with her fingers, and asked, “What’s the price?”

The old farmer’s cloudy eyes lit up as he held up his index finger and thumb. “Eight cents.”

“Tsk!” Cheng Yaoyao made a face and said, “The supply and marketing cooperative’s first-grade white rice is listed at only 1.7 cents!”

The old farmer had raised the price because Cheng Yaoyao was well dressed. When Cheng Yaoyao challenged him, he quickly responded, “I don’t need food coupons here. If you buy more, I’ll give you a discount.”

“How much cheaper?”

“Seven cents.”

“It’s still expensive!” Cheng Yaoyao pulled out two cloth coupons from her bag. “Fifty cents for these two coupons.”

“Cloth coupons!” The old farmer’s eyes sparkled. “You’re trying too hard to bargain. I need at least sixty cents!”

Cheng Yaoyao smiled. “You only get two feet of cloth coupons a year. Do you want them or not?”

The old farmer stared intently at the cloth coupons. Gritting his teeth, he reached out to grab them. “Alright, since you’re so pretty, I’ll take fifty cents!”

The disparity between urban and rural areas was significant. City dwellers worried about food, while old farmers in the countryside were anxious for industrial or cloth tickets.

In addition to the betrothal gift, a wedding also required multiple sets of traditional items, including a new dress. But unlike the city, where cloth was easier to obtain, country folks struggled to buy it from the supply and marketing cooperative.

The old farmer’s daughter had grown up and wanted new clothes, but the cloth vendors hadn’t appeared recently. Although the old farmer had money, he couldn’t buy clothes for his daughter. The cloth coupons in Cheng Yaoyao’s hand were a rare find, making the price of cloth much cheaper than on the black market.

The old farmer called out to someone behind the box, “Hou Zi, Hou Zi, blow the whistle!”

“Blowing the whistle” meant business was coming. A young man behind the box, looking sleepy, asked, “How much?”

The old farmer responded, “How much do you want?”

Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes widened. “Five pounds. And call the Hou Zi over to me!”

A skinny young man emerged holding a bag of food. “Who called me?”

He saw a beautiful girl standing under the eaves, looking at him excitedly. Hou Zi was startled and nervously adjusted his wrinkled clothes. “You… you’re looking for me?”

Hou Zi’s heart raced. He had never spoken to such a beautiful girl before, and her gaze made him feel as if she saw him as something desirable.

Cheng Yaoyao managed her excitement, settled the payment for the grain, and hid the rice bag in Xie San’s basket. The old farmer hurried away with the money and the empty bag.

Cheng Yaoyao then addressed the Hou Zi, “This is high-quality leather. Are you interested in accepting it?”

Hou Zi’s attention snapped back to business. “It’s summer now. Leather can’t be sold for a high price, so I won’t take it.”

Cheng Yaoyao held up a piece of leather and said, “This leather is of very good quality. If you accept it, I’ll buy a few kilograms of sugar from you.”

Hou Zi’s expression became alert. “Who told you I have sugar?”

Sugar and grain were prohibited from being traded on the black market, and vendors were very cautious about such items.

Cheng Yaoyao smiled. “You’re smart and know how to share profits with the old farmers when they sell their grain. You must have a way to get sugar.”

In the original book, Hou Zi was a trader with a sharp mind. He didn’t have much himself but had many connections and knew people from various walks of life. He specialized in matchmaking buyers and sellers and earned a small commission.

Hou Zi rolled his eyes as Cheng Yaoyao slipped a coin into his hand. “You have connections. I’ll always take care of you in the future.”

“How much candy do you want?” Hou Zi asked, holding the fifty cents and finally giving in.

Cheng Yaoyao thought for a moment. “Let’s start with five pounds. You have to take these skins for me.”

“Okay!” Hou Zi quoted a price of one yuan and seventy cents for the white sugar, while Pi Zi’s^[1]refers to another seller or vendor who is offering white sugar at a higher price compared to Hou Zi. price was three yuans and twenty cents. He asked Cheng Yaoyao to wait and quickly ran into the alley.

At this point, Xie San returned. He saw a skinny young man hurriedly leaving and cast a gloomy look at Cheng Yaoyao.

Without saying anything, Xie San’s eyes conveyed a message of “you were disobedient.” Cheng Yaoyao felt a pang of guilt and quickly said, “That man was willing to take the leather.”

Xie San raised his eyebrows slightly, showing surprise. It was impressive that Cheng Yaoyao had managed to sell leather in the summer.

Cheng Yaoyao was also surprised and asked Xie San, “Did you sell all the dried mushrooms? How much did you get?”

Xie San spread his hands. Cheng Yaoyao took the roll of change from him and counted it—there was actually five yuan! Plus several food coupons. “Why did you sell so much?”

Xie San remained silent, pulling out half a pound of food coupons and two cents, handing them to Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao stared at him. “What’s this?”

Xie San answered naturally, “Mantou^[2]is a type of Chinese steamed bun made from wheat flour. .”

This indicated that he still needed to settle things with himself. Cheng Yaoyao glared at him for a moment, then accepted the money and turned away, feeling glum.

After a while, the Hou Zi returned, panting, and pulled out a bag of candy. “Huh… you’re still here. Here’s the five pounds. Weigh it.”

Xie San looked at Cheng Yaoyao with a questioning glance. She whispered, “It’s candy.”

Xie San took the bag, weighed it, and nodded. “Five pounds.”

The Hou Zi laughed. “You’re an expert.”

Cheng Yaoyao handed over the money and asked, “Where’s the leather?”

“Three yuans and fifty cents for the leather!” The Hou Zi counted the money, stuffed it into his pocket, and said proudly, “I raised the price for you!”

The three of them completed the exchange, and Xie San took the basket and left the black market with Cheng Yaoyao. The basket now contained ten more kilograms of goods, but Xie San didn’t ask any more questions.

He led Cheng Yaoyao back to the entrance of the alley by the main road and stopped.

Cheng Yaoyao, feeling triumphant, said to Xie San, “I told you I could sell it!”

Xie San responded with a simple “hmm” and handed her two yuan. “I’ll sell more.”

Cheng Yaoyao looked at the money, rolled her eyes, and accepted it. “This is our cooperation. Look, the black market prices are so good. Why do you always sell to the supply and marketing cooperatives? Come to the black market in the future.”

Xie San remained silent for a moment before saying, “My background isn’t favorable.” He smiled wryly. “People like me aren’t qualified to take risks.”

Cheng Yaoyao bit her lip, staring at Xie San in surprise. Selling dried mushrooms at a high price on the black market showed that he wasn’t just hardworking but also shrewd in business. He just…

Cheng Yaoyao realized many things that were not written in the original book. Why did Xie San have to live a tough life for twenty years, earning meager work points by selling his labor daily? It was because of his background! Unlike others who might only face public shaming for speculation, his background meant he couldn’t afford mistakes. He supported his family, and if he were arrested, his elderly grandmother and weak sister would have no one to care for them.

Suddenly, Cheng Yaoyao grabbed Xie San’s hand and said, “You’re afraid that if something happens to you, no one will take care of grandma and your sister.”

Xie San’s entire body shook, and a wave of shock appeared in his dark eyes. He looked at Cheng Yaoyao with a mix of understanding and sympathy.

That understanding warmed his heart, and the sympathy was like snowmelt in winter, awakening him. He pulled his hand away. “Don’t come to the black market alone. It’s dangerous.”

After a pause, he added, “I won’t come again.”

With that, Xie San picked up the basket and walked out of the alley first.

_

Cheng Yaoyao stood there in shock for a while before heading back to the supply and marketing cooperative alone. Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng had been waiting at the door for a long time. When they saw her, they grabbed her and exclaimed, “Where have you been? You scared us to death!”

“I… I went to the bathroom,” Cheng Yaoyao stammered.

Han Yin was relieved and pulled Cheng Yaoyao aside. “Hurry up, the supply and marketing cooperative just got a batch of new snacks. Go buy them quickly.”

The snacks at the supply and marketing cooperative had always been the same four kinds. Cheng Yaoyao was curious about what new items were available, so she followed Han Yin.

***

Also, don’t forget to check out Vyl’s other projects!

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[Ongoing Project]

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