With the money safely placed in that mysterious and unpredictable space, Lin Jin finally felt relieved. She no longer needed to worry about her money being stolen. At this moment, she felt exceptionally relaxed, her steps lighter, and she could confidently and carefree head to the bustling shopping mall to enjoy herself to the fullest!

After walking for more than half an hour, Lin Jin finally arrived at the mall he had been longing to visit. Looking up, he saw the mall teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder, a truly bustling scene! It was a shopping paradise, overflowing with all kinds of goods. From trendy clothing and accessories to exquisite food and pastries, to tempting jewelry and a wide variety of home furnishings, it was truly a one-stop shop. If you could imagine it, you could buy it. Lin Jin headed towards the clothing section. The clothes there were all fashionable for the era, and the quality was excellent, though a bit pricey. But he had to buy them! A cotton coat cost 30 yuan, and Lin Jin bought two, plus two pairs of pants. The total cost for the clothes and shoes was 210 yuan, which made Lin Jin's heart ache. Money really doesn't last! Lin Jin found a quiet corner, put the things he had just bought into his spatial storage, and then wanted to buy some food. But food required ration coupons, and Lin Jin didn't have many. He had to think of another way.

Unbeknownst to Lin Jin, she had wandered into an alley. When she realized what was happening, two thugs blocked her way. One of them whistled and said, "Hey! Beautiful lady, this isn't a place for you to hang out. Get out of here!" Lin Jin pretended to be calm and said, "My relative lives here. I'm at my relative's house." "What's your relative's name? Tell me, and I'll help you find it," the thug said, trying to pull Lin Jin away. Just then, an older woman came out of a nearby house. "Niece, why don't you come in when you're at your aunt's house?" Lin Jin knew the woman wanted to help her, so she went along with her and said, "Auntie, I just haven't been here in a long time and I forgot the exact location, so I went to the wrong place."

Come on in...come on in quickly. Those two thugs saw that it was really a relative and ran away.

The old woman pulled Lin Jin into the house and asked, "Girl, what are you doing here? This area isn't safe. You can't come here again." Why wasn't it safe? "A few thugs have come here these past few days. They're always loitering around here and chase away any strangers they see. I don't know what they do," the old woman said helplessly.

"Have they actually done anything illegal or criminal?" Lin Jin asked, her face full of suspicion. The other person quickly waved his hand and replied, "No, they really haven't. They just occasionally scare people." Hearing this, Lin Jin fell into deep thought. She wondered to herself, could this be the legendary black market? As far as she knew, these black markets never had a fixed location; they would stay in one place for a few days before moving to another. Moreover, she had heard that there were sentries posted at every intersection, and unless you were a regular customer or knew a specific code, you couldn't get in. But the problem was, Lin Jin had never been involved in the black market before, so how could she possibly know where those mysterious codes were hidden? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh softly, muttering to herself with a self-deprecating tone, "Sigh, how naive and idealistic my idea was! I actually fantasized about buying food from the black market, but I didn't even know which way the black market gate faced..." In this way, Lin Jin was completely immersed in her own thoughts, so much so that the old woman next to her called her many times before she came back to her senses as if from a dream.

"Oh dear, ma'am, I'm so sorry, I was just spacing out! Thank you so much for today, I have to take my leave now." Lin Jin smiled awkwardly at the old lady, then turned and hurried away.

Unable to buy any food, Lin Jin was a little disappointed. Seeing that it was still early, she realized she'd almost forgotten something important: although the relationship was over, the notice hadn't been published yet. Lin Jin hurried to the newspaper office, arriving breathless, and explained her purpose to the staff. Seeing her drenched in sweat, the staff poured her a glass of water and began processing her paperwork. After the paperwork was completed, Lin Jin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had said goodbye to a part of her past.

As Lin Jin stepped out of the newspaper office, dusk was already falling. He looked up at the sky, which was gradually being swallowed by night, and couldn't help but sigh at the fleeting nature of time. However, he had no time to dwell on this, because the day after tomorrow he would be heading to the countryside to begin a new job and life.

Regarding the issue of food to bring to the countryside, Lin Jin decided to wait until he arrived at his destination to make a plan. After all, he still had some money on hand, which made him feel somewhat at ease and less anxious. Moreover, he received news from the newspaper that his article would be published tomorrow, which made Lin Jin feel a little more relaxed.

"Once it's published in the newspaper, I must buy two copies and keep them safe," Lin Jin thought to herself. "Just in case those troublesome things get tangled up again someday, I'll have some evidence to deal with it." With a complex mix of anticipation and worry for the future, Lin Jin slowly blended into the night and disappeared at the end of the bustling street.