Chapter 33: We’re Gonna Be Rich

Early the next morning, Nan Qiao set off on her bicycle alone, heading toward the town.

She had already informed Shen Nian in advance that she would be riding there on her own today. So when she left the house and saw that Shen Nian was still asleep, she didn’t wake her. Anyway, the village tractor wasn’t scheduled to leave anytime soon.

She pedaled steadily all the way to town, then slipped into a secluded alley and entered her space. Once inside, she suited up the same way she had last time—completely disguised—before exiting again.

Wobbling along, she made her way to the courtyard Second Master Sheng had given her, unlocked the gate, and went in.

She arranged the items neatly in the room, just like they’d agreed, following the checklist from their last meeting.

Then she stuck a small red flag on the wall beside the gate and sat down on a chair in the courtyard, waiting for the people from the black market to arrive.

Outside, a patrol who made rounds here daily noticed the red flag at the gate and rushed back to Second Master Sheng’s place.

“Brother Dong, the flag’s up!”

“Let’s go,” Dongzi responded immediately and headed out.

“Second Master, the red flag’s up over there. Should we go pick up the goods now?”

“Let’s go now. No need to bring too many people. Keep it low-key. Bring one box of the goods we’ve collected these past few days.”

With that, Second Master Sheng and Dongzi led a few people to the courtyard. Those who stayed behind in Sheng’s courtyard whispered amongst themselves as they watched the group leave.

“Looks like there’s good stuff again this time.”

“Can’t deny it—last batch sold like crazy. We made a killing.”

“Right? All top-quality goods. I just wonder who this person is who can get their hands on so much stuff.”

“Not our place to question that.”

“But hey, have you guys noticed anything weird about Second Master lately?”

“Yes! I thought it was just me. I’ve noticed he keeps staring at that watch and smiling like a creep…”

“Yeah, but that watch is seriously good-looking. Wonder where he got it from.”

…

While the others were chatting away, Sheng Yanchuan’s group had already arrived at Nan Qiao’s place.

“Second Master, the goods are inside. Go ahead and check them,” Nan Qiao said calmly as the men entered the house, showing not a hint of nervousness.

Sheng Yanchuan gave a wave. Dongzi nodded in acknowledgment and went inside quickly.

Even someone like Dongzi—who had seen plenty of big deals traveling with Second Master—was stunned by the sight before him.

The rice and flour were top-notch. The rice was crystal clear and plump, while the flour was snowy white and finely sifted without a trace of impurities.

And that wasn’t all. There were Phoenix brand bicycles, sewing machines, and a small pile of watches. Where the hell was this person getting all this? Was it all just lying around for the taking?

But now wasn’t the time to gawk. Dongzi had to report to Second Master.

He stepped out of the room and gave a brief nod.

“Five hundred jin of rice, five hundred jin of flour, two hundred jin each of brown sugar and cooking oil, ten sewing machines, ten Phoenix brand bicycles, and twenty Shanghai brand watches. Everything checks out.”

Nan Qiao, hearing Dongzi’s report, then chimed in.

“Rice and flour, 350 per batch. Brown sugar and oil, 420 per batch. Watches, 3,000 each. Bicycles, 2,000 each. Sewing machines, I’ll count them as 200 each. Total is 7,770. How would you like to pay?”

She spread her hands.

Sheng Yanchuan pointed to a wooden box in the middle of the courtyard. “This box, at current market value, is worth around 5,000—at least. I’ll pay the remaining 2,770 in cash. Is that okay with you?”

Nan Qiao stood up, opened the box, and peeked inside. The 30 cm square box was filled to the brim—packed with jewelry, pendants, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, jade, and agate. Some were excellent quality, others more ordinary.

To Sheng Yanchuan, this was only worth about 5,000 yuan in this era. But in Nan Qiao’s eyes, in the future, this box alone could easily be worth tens of millions.

She instantly felt like she’d struck gold. Her eyes sparkled with glee. As for Sheng Yanchuan—she didn’t feel the least bit guilty about “taking advantage” of him. He was her boyfriend, after all. What’s his is hers!

“Very satisfied. Let’s keep this standard from now on. As for the goods—just tell me whatever you want.”

“Should we do the delivery again in one week?” Sheng Yanchuan asked as he handed over a wad of cash.

“More or less,” Nan Qiao replied casually, tucking the money into her pocket without counting it.

“Oh, right—I forgot to tell you last time. Pork is one yuan per jin, guaranteed fresh. I’ve also got coarse grains and legumes. Let me know what you want next time.”

Sheng Yanchuan considered it. If the current shipment sold smoothly, there’d still be a good profit. He could expand the variety a bit but keep the quantities steady to avoid drawing attention with too many high-quality goods showing up all at once.

“Still 500 jin of rice and flour, 200 jin of oil, 500 jin of pork, 200 chickens, 10 bicycles, 10 sewing machines. Let’s go with that for next time.”

“Alright, same arrangement. The red flag on the courtyard gate will let you know whether I’ve come.”

“Got it,” Sheng Yanchuan replied and started directing people to move the goods.

“I’ll let you guys get to it, then. I’ll be on my way,” Nan Qiao said, not waiting for Sheng Yanchuan to respond as she picked up the box and walked out.

Sheng Yanchuan watched her retreating figure, a nagging sense of familiarity growing stronger…

“Second Master, the rice, flour, and oil are all loaded up. We’ll come back later for the bikes and sewing machines.”

“Alright, take half of it to the city as usual. Sell the rest here in town,” Sheng Yanchuan ordered before leaving Dongzi to handle the remaining logistics.

Meanwhile, after leaving the courtyard, Nan Qiao twisted and turned through several alleys until she ducked into her space again, safely tucked into a corner.

She stashed the jewelry box in the house inside her space, then washed off all the foundation from her face.

After double-checking from within her space to make sure she wasn’t being followed, she exited again and headed straight for the post and telecommunications office.

She hadn’t called her brother last time. This time, she planned to call everyone.

Arriving at the post office, she found both phone booths empty. She picked the one in the corner and dialed her parents and second brother first.

Then her hand hovered over the dial—her eldest brother’s number clear in her mind—but her fingers hesitated.

She was terrified of being scolded…

“Ugh, whatever. If he yells, he yells.”

She dialed the number. After just a few rings, someone picked up—a man’s unfamiliar voice.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Hello, may I speak to Nan Zhou? I’m his younger sister,” Nan Qiao said.

The voice on the other end became instantly excited.

“Ah! You’re the younger sister of Commander Nan! Hold on, I’ll go get him. He just got back from a mission and was just talking about you. Call again in five minutes, okay?”

Before she could say anything, the man hung up and rushed off toward the training grounds.

“Commander Nan! Commander Nan! Your sister just called. She said she’ll call again in five minutes—go, hurry!”

Nan Zhou, who was in the middle of training, heard this and a gentle smile broke through his usually stern expression. He grabbed the towel he’d tossed aside and ran straight to the office, waiting for Nan Qiao’s call.

“Hey, hey, hey! You got a call from Commander Nan’s sister? How was it, how was it? Is she really as cute as the Commander says?” his soldiers teased.

“Her voice was super soft and sweet.”

“Wonder when we’ll get to meet the girl our commander treasures like a pearl in his palm. Heard he buys her gifts after every mission.”

“So jealous. Having such an amazing brother. I wonder, with so many bachelors in the unit, will Commander Nan set her up with one of us?”

“Dream on! Is there anyone here who can compare to Commander Nan?”

“Sigh, true…” one soldier adjusted his training uniform and sighed deeply. They genuinely admired Nan Zhou’s capabilities.

Riiing—

The phone rang. Nan Zhou answered it immediately.

“Hello, little sis?”

“Ge, it’s me, Qiao Qiao. Did you just get back from a mission? I tried calling you last time but couldn’t reach you.”

“Yeah, I just returned. I bought you a new wool dress this time. I’ll bring it back for you during New Year’s break—just in time for the season.”

Hearing that, Nan Qiao panicked. Her brother had just gotten back and hadn’t called their parents yet…

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Brother, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Nan Zhou tensed slightly.

“What is it? Did you upset Mom and Dad?”

“No, it’s… it’s just… You have to promise not to scold me!”

“What is it? Come on, you can tell me anything.”

“Ge, I’ve gone to the countryside already. It’s been over half a month now. I wanted to tell you last time I called… Don’t scold me, okay? I’m already here and there’s no going back. But I swear I’ll work hard and try to return to the city as soon as I can!”

Nan Qiao blurted everything out in one breath, eyes squeezed shut, not even daring to exhale.

Silence fell on the other end.

Nan Zhou said nothing, and Nan Qiao didn’t dare speak either. After a long stalemate, she finally heard a sigh from the other side of the line.

“Ge, talk to me. Don’t ignore me…” Her voice trembled slightly with suppressed sobs. Just imagining her brother being mad and not speaking to her made her eyes well up with tears.

“Where exactly are you staying in the countryside?” Nan Zhou’s voice had softened. This was the precious sister he’d cherished since they were little. Of course he hurt for her, and he couldn’t bear for her to cry or be scared.

“I’m… I’m at the Hongqi Commune under Qinghe. Don’t worry, Ge. This is one of the wealthiest communes nearby. I’m not lacking food or clothes. Before I left, Mom and Dad gave me plenty of money and ration tickets, and I still have the pocket money you and Second Brother gave me. I have everything I need. The villagers are also really nice to me. You don’t have to worry.”

Nan Qiao tried her best to reassure her big brother, afraid he might suddenly show up unannounced.

“I’m applying for leave to come see you soon,” Nan Zhou replied decisively, dashing all her hopes.

“Ge, really, I’m doing fine here. If you do get leave, just go home and rest for a few days. Mom and Dad miss you too.”

“You don’t miss me?” Nan Zhou asked instinctively, catching her attempt to avoid him.

“Of course I miss you! I just thought, since you don’t get time off easily, it’s better for you to go home and rest.”

“My station’s near the capital. Visiting you might actually be closer than going home… Anyway, it’s settled. I’m submitting my leave application today. Once it’s approved, I’m coming to see you.”

“Alright then, I’ll prepare some food and wait for you,” Nan Qiao said, realizing there was no changing his mind.

“Good. Take care of yourself. If the fieldwork is too tiring, just slack off a bit. The family won’t let you starve.”

“Okay. You take care too, Ge. Make sure to get some proper rest.”

“Alright, I’m hanging up now.”

“Okay, bye, Ge!”

Nan Qiao hung up the phone and went to pay the fee. As she glanced at the postage stamps in the cabinet beside her, a sudden thought struck her: in the future, stamps would be worth a lot to collectors. But looking at them now, she wasn’t sure which ones to buy.

She knew a thing or two about antiques, but when it came to stamps, she was a total novice.

“Miss, how much are these stamps?”

“There are 4-cent ones and 8-cent ones.”

“Miss, can I buy one set of each type of stamp you have here?”

“You can, sure—but I’ve got quite a backlog in storage. Why are you buying so many?” the woman asked, a little suspicious.

“Oh, I’m one of the sent-down youth in this area. My elder relatives don’t have many hobbies, but they love collecting stamps. So I want to send them some unique local ones to make them happy.”

“Ah, I see.” Hearing that, the woman relaxed.

“Alright then, wait here. I’ll get them for you,” she said, disappearing into the back storeroom.

Not long after, she came out with two boxes.

“Here, take a look. This is everything. Pick what you like, and I’ll give you the price.”

Nan Qiao flipped through the contents and immediately spotted a sheet she recognized—“All Red Rivers and Mountains”—a complete ten-stamp panel.

Stars sparkled in her eyes. That stamp had once sold for a whopping 13.8 million yuan in the future!

“We’re gonna be rich!” Nan Qiao cheered inwardly.

Suppressing her excitement, she bought the entire sheet of the red stamps. As for the rest, she didn’t care whether they’d be valuable in the future—she bought one sheet of every kind and stacked them neatly.

“Miss, I’ll take all of these.”

The woman counted them. “That’ll be 80 yuan.”

Without hesitation, Nan Qiao pulled eight big bills from her pocket and handed them over. Then she walked out of the post office, clutching her stamps.

Watching her leave, the woman couldn’t help but murmur, “So filial, huh… But 80 yuan? Wonder if her family will still be smiling when they find out…”

As soon as she stepped out, Nan Qiao slipped the stamps into her storage space, a grin blooming on her face.

“We’re gonna be rich!” she muttered gleefully, hopping on her bike and heading to the state-owned restaurant. She had no idea where Shen Nian was right now.

But even if she had to eat alone at noon, she had to celebrate properly. Not only had she collected a treasure trove of jewelry this morning, she’d also bought a pile of ultra-rare stamps. She was over the moon.

Joy radiated from her face, and her pedaling became much lighter and faster.