It wasn't until he left the textile factory's residential compound that Chen Shuning belatedly realized how foolish he had been. He could have just made up an excuse; it was just a reason to go out. Why did he have to travel so far to find someone he didn't even know?

It's like her parents can check up on her whereabouts; that's probably what they call a guilty conscience.

Thinking that there was still plenty of time, Chen Shuning started wandering around aimlessly.

Nowadays, Beijing doesn't have many skyscrapers. Everywhere there are gray buildings with red slogans on the gray walls. Pedestrians on the street are dressed in black, blue, and gray, with a few green military uniforms occasionally interspersed among them. The styles are all Zhongshan suits, Lenin suits, or old-fashioned cloth shirts, which is monotonous and depressing.

Chen Shuning is a typical person with no sense of direction; in modern times, he either takes a taxi or uses GPS navigation when he goes out.

Although there are fewer people and cars in this era, Chen Shuning still got lost without any sense of purpose.

Chen Shuning inadvertently walked into an alley and was momentarily dazed by the lively scene inside.

One by one, signs advertising barbershops, shaves, car repairs, and tire patching fluttered in the wind. What surprised Chen Shuning the most was that there were quite a few food stalls along the roadside.

I don't know if she has some misunderstanding about this period of history, but in her mind, private street vending should not have been allowed in that era.

But there were more than just so many food stalls here; Chen Shuning even saw quite a few people squatting on the ground selling vegetables.

Piles of seasonal vegetables like cabbages and radishes were simply laid out by the roadside.

Could this be the black market in Beijing? If so, the boss behind this black market must be quite powerful. Things that are done secretly elsewhere have been turned into something so large by him.

Looking at the street in front of him, which resembled a pedestrian street in later generations, Chen Shuning immediately became interested. After observing that there was no toll at the entrance of the alley, he walked directly into the alley.

Since transmigrating, I've only been able to buy things from supply and marketing cooperatives, department stores, and the black market. The first two are alright, except for the limited variety of goods, they're similar to shopping malls in my previous life.

However, you can find some good stuff on the black market, though not much. Most of what's sold there are scarce items like grains, meats, fabrics, and bed sheets. You have to sneak around like a thief to buy something, and it's an uncomfortable feeling to spend money.

But this street full of all kinds of snacks was the first time Chen Shuning had ever seen it since he came here.

Then, Chen Shuning, with one hand rolling on the ground and the other holding a sesame seed cake, darted to the stall selling fried liver and chatted with the owner with a smile.

Her joyful expression, like a little mouse entering a rice granary, immediately caught the attention of two men who had just walked out of the yard not far away.