In a military green jeep parked by the roadside, Zhao Lei sat in the back seat and Mi Fei sat in the passenger seat, the two of them talking to Dai Donglin on either side.

“The channels in Guangdong Province are all set up. After the company was established, we imported two batches of goods from the water. One batch was sent to Beijing, and the other batch will be delivered to Deyang next week. Next month, the goods will come from the Nanhai Administrative Region of Guangdong Province. Brother, the approval process is all up to you. What did our old man say again?” Zhao Lei asked, smoking a cigarette.

Mi Fei is carefree and irresponsible:

"What else can happen? You know the old man wanted to send Donglin to the army, but Donglin is determined to make his way in the business world. So, last week, the old man locked him up at home... But! Donglin inherited the fearless spirit of his ancestors and was determined to die rather than submit. He jumped from the third floor, but unfortunately, the old man saw him when he jumped. The old man stood on the third floor and shouted, and Donglin twisted his ankle."

Mi Fei described it vividly, which amused Zhao Lei. "That sprain must be pretty bad, right? Is your brother even capable of using his leg anymore?"

"I don't know if the other legs can be used, but this third leg is definitely usable!"

Mi Fei's joy turned to sorrow when Dai Donglin gave him a hard knock on the head.

"Hey bro! What did I say wrong?"

Dai Donglin took a drag of his cigarette, a fierce glint in his eyes, and said coldly, "Say one more word and I'll cripple your third leg!"

Mi Fei pinched his lips hard.

"Getting back to the point, the permit is fine. Otherwise, why do you think I would come to Deyang and stay at my aunt's house?" Dai Donglin flicked his cigarette ash. "The country now allows private transportation, but there are also more roadside checks. Tell Lao Ma to be careful. Last week, Qin Weidong had a shipment seized. He had to beg and plead and pull a lot of strings to get the goods back."

Zhao Lei said, "Okay, I'll talk to Lao Ma about it later."

“Brother, if we manage to get this batch of goods, we should make at least this much profit!” Mi Fei held up five fingers.

"This is nothing!" Dai Donglin looked down on this little bit of money. He made a good living reselling electronic watches, radios, and electronic clocks from Hong Kong to the mainland, but it was still far from his goal. "Last year, Qin Weidong made 500,000 yuan from a single permit, but this time it was all confiscated. Anyway, it's better to keep a low profile when you're out there. There's no harm in keeping a low profile."

Mi Fei and Zhao Lei both nodded. The three of them were quick-witted and had grown up together. As soon as the policy was relaxed, they took advantage of the loopholes to make money. They had made quite a bit of money in the past few years. But Dai Donglin had a big appetite and a wild way of doing things. He didn't care how much money he made.

Mi Fei suddenly rolled down the car window, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly:

"Brother Donglin, isn't that the girl we met at the hospital the day before yesterday who wanted to take care of you?"

Zhao Lei leaned closer, "Who wants to take care of our brother?"

"Lei Zi, you have no idea how funny it was the other day. Our brother went to the hospital on crutches to get his foot checked, and this girl actually gave up her seat for him, saying she wanted to show consideration for disabled people..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the car door opened and then slammed shut.

Mi Fei looked bewildered as Dong Lin took the cane out of the back of the jeep again.

"Brother, didn't the doctor say your foot was fine? Where are you going?"

Dai Donglin, with a crutch in his left hand and a cigarette in his right, uttered a single sentence:

"Seeking care and attention!"

"What???" Mi Fei and Zhao Lei looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I lacked love growing up, don't you understand?"

A cool breeze was blowing, but when Chu Yu pushed her bicycle to the free market, she was still covered in sweat.

Many vendors came to the free market, selling sweet potatoes, eggs, melon seeds, meat, and various receipts.

While far less abundant than later farmers' markets, the free market held extraordinary significance in the resource-scarce 1980s.

Chu Yu was new to the area and found a spot near the back of the street. It was close to the north gate of the pharmaceutical factory, where there was less foot traffic and vendors didn't like to come here; they all set up their stalls along the main road.

Chu Yu propped up his bicycle with the back facing outwards and had just cleaned the sawdust out of the wooden drawer when a well-dressed older woman from next door came over.

"Hey, young lady, where did you get so many quail eggs?"

Chu Yu glanced at the receipts in her hand. "Auntie, where did you get so many receipts?"

The old lady's family all received government-subsidized grain rations. They openly and secretly collected a lot of ration coupons, and when they couldn't finish eating it all, they would bring it to the free market to exchange for eggs and grain. In the early 1980s, ration coupons hadn't been completely abolished, and they were quite popular at the free market. However, the old lady didn't come often; she usually saved up a month's worth and came once a month. This was typical practice for people like her.

But where did the tickets come from? Is this something that can be discussed openly? Does this girl even know how to talk to people?

The old woman felt embarrassed, but couldn't help but glance at Chu Yu by the moonlight. This girl was really pretty! Red lips and white teeth, clear eyes, fair skin, and even the loose, tattered shirt couldn't hide her good figure.

She's a nice person, but unfortunately she's from the countryside and so poor that she has to set up a stall. Her family's financial situation is really quite bad!

She has a nephew who is thirty-two years old this year. He is a bit dark-skinned and chubby, and has a big mole on the corner of his mouth. But it doesn't matter. He may be a bit ugly, but he is a formal employee in the city, with a government-subsidized food supply and a salary. He is more than a match for a country girl like Chu Yu.

I wonder how many people are in this girl's family, whether her parents are in good health, and how heavy the family burden is.

Although she is not good enough for her nephew, she can let him flirt with her first. If he really can't find a better match, they can just make do and have a child.

"Young lady, how old are you?" the older woman asked, leaning closer. "I know someone here who isn't particularly good-looking, but he's honest and has great prospects! You should definitely seize this opportunity!"

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