Chapter 12

“Miss, you’re back! How much do you have this time?”

“Thirty pounds of rice, forty pounds of flour, ten pounds of millet.”

“Alright, I’ll take it all.”

Aunt Wang quickly agreed to the deal. Normally, she didn’t need this much grain, but it’s so hard to come by now, and every time ration tickets are issued, lines form outside the supply store, with everyone worried there won’t be enough for them. Plus, the grain she bought from this girl last time was so delicious she couldn’t help sharing it with her parents, in-laws, and even her children. The little bit she had left was already running out, and she didn’t know when the girl might come by again, so she seized the opportunity.

After their quick transaction, Xu Niannian left the factory with her earnings.

She knew she needed to think about sustainable growth, so she took her money and went straight to the black market.

Scanning the stalls, she noticed that grains like flour and rice sold quickly, followed by meat. The rest of the random items seemed to move slower. She made her way to a stand selling chicks, selecting a little rooster and a hen. Both were still quite small, covered in soft, fluffy feathers.

She thought about naming them but decided against it. With names, she might grow attached and not be able to bring herself to eat them later.

As she was about to leave the black market, her wrist suddenly warmed up near a particular stall. Curious, she edged closer to see what was being sold.

A middle-aged man with a gaunt face noticed her interest. He quickly lifted the corner of a bundle to reveal what was inside—a fine-looking piece of jade.

Quietly, he began, “My wife’s malnourished, and our newborn is weak. I was hoping to trade this for some food.”

Though embarrassed, the man had no other choice. His newborn had drained the family’s savings, and the baby’s faint, catlike cries of hunger haunted him. Desperate, he brought this family heirloom to the black market, but the entire morning had passed without any takers. He was about to give up hope when he saw the young girl approach, and he knew he had to seize this chance, even if it meant swallowing his pride.

Xu Niannian had just the right thing: food. She had set aside two pounds each of millet and rice and three pounds of flour that morning. She revealed a corner of her bag to show him, “I’ll trade you these.”

The man’s face lit up with gratitude as he clutched the food tightly, nearly dropping to his knees to thank her. Xu Niannian quickly took the jade bracelet and a gold ring and ran off, not noticing the man bowing deeply in her direction before hurrying back to the hospital with hope renewed.

She stashed her new treasures in her spatial pocket, changed back into her regular clothes, and thought about how selling food alone was too slow for her plans. As she wandered, she spotted a nearby herbal medicine shop. While other people crossing into new worlds find wild ginseng in the mountains, she didn’t have mountains nearby—or the means to safely travel to one. So, she decided she’d settle for ginseng slices from a shop.

Upon entering, the shop assistant looked up to see a lovely young girl and promptly approached, “What would you like, miss?”

“I’d like some ginseng slices.”

Of course, she would have preferred a whole ginseng root, but her funds wouldn’t allow it. She hesitated before quietly asking, “Do you have any small ginseng roots? The smallest ones?”

The assistant, noticing her situation, didn’t tease her but instead brought out a small box. “This is a five-year root, ten yuan.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she handed over her newly earned cash, still warm in her hand. “Could I get a free slice of ginseng with it?”

Momentarily caught off guard by her looks, the assistant shook his head, maintaining his professional demeanor, “Sorry, that’ll be twenty cents.”

Xu Niannian reluctantly added twenty cents to the purchase, then carefully tucked the ginseng and slices into her bag. She wasn’t about to let her hard-earned resources go missing.

On her way home, she passed Aunt Liu’s house, where Aunt Liu and her son were having lunch. Aunt Liu noticed her approach and cheerfully stepped out, “Oh, you’re just in time! I was about to come find you myself. There are a few young men with great prospects that I selected. Here, take a look.”

She brought out three photos from a nearby cabinet. “Check them out and see if any catch your eye.”

Xu Niannian accepted the photos, glancing at each one. Aunt Liu’s son watched, heart pounding, as he wondered if this stunning girl was here to be matched with him. Aunt Liu, seeing the eager expression on her son’s face, decided not to risk embarrassing herself or him.

After examining the photos, Xu Niannian handed back two that suited her taste. Aunt Liu explained each in turn.

“Here’s Gu Yuan. His father is the deputy director of the textile factory, and his mother is a primary school teacher. The family has good standing. They said they can help get you a temporary job at the factory, and with some studying, you’ll soon have a formal job too.”

She held up the second photo, “And this one is Xie Yang. His family is really upright. His aunt happened to see your photo here, and it turns out he’s visiting on leave for a couple of days. He’s a battalion commander in the army, and his father’s the director of the electric grid, while his mother works as a saleswoman at the supply store.”

Looking at Xie Yang’s photo, with his gentle yet resolute expression, Xu Niannian felt he had a good vibe and asked Aunt Liu to arrange a meeting.