Chapter 27 Black Market
Liu Xiangyang explained the ins and outs of the black market in great detail, and Liu Xuejun nervously wrote it all down.
The next day, before dawn, the siblings set off with their belongings on their backs.
When they arrived at the location Liu Xiangyang had mentioned, they indeed saw two people standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Groups of two or three people went inside, but no one came out from there.
Liu Xiangyang had also told them that the entrance and exit were different here for easier management.
The two men took out something they had prepared beforehand to cover their faces, and were stopped by two burly men as soon as they reached the door.
What are you doing?
Liu Xuejun's prepared remarks suddenly stalled, and he stammered in fear.
Liu Zhixia remained calm and, following the code Liu Xiangyang had taught her, whispered, "I have some things at home that I'd like to share here."
As she spoke, she casually opened the basket, revealing the meat and noodles inside.
The two men inspected the goods and then glanced warily at the nervous Liu Xuejun. Liu Zhixia immediately understood and discreetly slipped a few cents into his hand: "My younger brother, he's young and doesn't know any better."
After receiving the money, the two men's expressions softened: "Alright, go in. Remember, don't talk about it when you get out."
The courtyard was a hidden gem, bustling with noise and activity. The two had just found an empty spot and put down their baskets when someone approached them, offering advice: "Want to sell meat and noodles? Just go find Old Liu over there, he buys everything, it'll save you trouble."
The siblings found Old Liu. Liu Zhixia went straight to the point: "Sell meat and flour."
Old Liu glanced at the goods, weighed them without saying a word, and then held up three fingers: "Three yuan."
Liu Xuejun panicked: "So little? We even used a receipt when we bought it!"
Old Liu looked at him with a forced smile: "Then go sell it elsewhere. This is the price I'm offering."
His confident and domineering demeanor made the onlookers around him look on with anticipation for a good show.
Liu Zhixia immediately pulled her younger brother back from arguing and said to Old Liu with a smile, "Sorry, we're new here and don't know the rules. Three yuan will do. By the way, do you buy medicinal herbs here?"
Seeing that she was sensible, Old Liu's attitude softened: "I buy ordinary medicinal herbs. What do you want to sell?"
Liu Zhixia took a cloth bag out of her basket and carefully unfolded it: "Dendrobium officinale."
Old Liu's eyes narrowed, then he shook his head: "I can't accept this. You should try setting up a stall yourself."
The siblings took three yuan and had no choice but to return to the open space to set up their stall. Seeing the constant shouts around them, Liu Zhixia gritted her teeth and called out, "Selling medicinal herbs! Dendrobium officinale! The immortal herb for longevity!"
Sure enough, someone was drawn over: "Miss, how much is this?"
"One pound, five yuan."
"Five yuan?!" Upon hearing the price, the onlookers scattered in a clamor.
Liu Xuejun exclaimed anxiously, "Sister, this price is outrageous!"
“You call yourself a scholar,” Liu Zhixia tapped his head. “Dendrobium officinale grows on cliffs and is extremely rare. It’s only five yuan a pound. I’m not ripping anyone off.”
Shen Yi had picked two jin of Dendrobium officinale from the cliff for her. She kept one jin to grow in her spatial storage, and the other jin had been nurtured by the spiritual spring, ready to be sold. Nourished by the spiritual spring, the Dendrobium officinale was even more vibrant and fresh than when it was first picked, so she was absolutely right to ask for five yuan.
Liu Xuejun looked at her nervously: "Comrade Liu Zhixia! You've got some nerve! You dare to pick something so dangerous?"
“I didn’t pick them,” Liu Zhixia explained. “Comrade Shen picked them for me. He specifically told me to hide them well so that no one in the brigade would find them.”
Liu Xuejun breathed a sigh of relief and then exclaimed, "I didn't expect him to be such a good person, so much better than that Lu Huaiyuan."
“Yes,” Liu Zhixia echoed softly.
He was many times stronger than Shen Yi; Shen Yi and Lu Huaiyuan were not even on the same level.
Seeing that many people were asking questions but no one was buying, Liu Zhixia was getting anxious. Just then, she spotted a familiar figure in the crowd—it was the herbal medicine merchant she had met in her past life!
Overjoyed, she immediately ran over: "Brother, do you buy medicinal herbs?"
The man was taken aback and looked at her warily.
Liu Zhixia immediately realized she had been too rash and quickly lowered her voice: "I've heard of you before. I have some fresh Dendrobium officinale here, would you like some?"
The man's eyes lit up instantly, and his voice became excited: "You have that thing? Quick, take me to see it!"
When the man arrived at the stall, his hands trembled slightly when he saw the Dendrobium officinale of excellent quality.
"Yes, I do! How much? I'll take them all!"
Liu Zhixia held up one hand: "Five yuan."
“Okay!” The man said without hesitation, even looking at her with admiration. “You’re a straightforward person. You didn’t ask for a price without realizing I needed it urgently. I’ll take them all! Do you have any more?”
Liu Zhixia remained cautious: "Yes, there is, but it will take time."
“I understand!” The man immediately got it. “My name is Gangzi. I collect medicinal herbs here all year round. If you have any more, just come to me! Especially this one, my family member is sick and urgently needs it, the price is negotiable!”
Liu Zhixia smiled: "Don't worry, big brother, I'll definitely contact you first when I have goods."
"Alright! What's your name, young lady?"
"Just call me Xia Xia, this is my younger brother Xiao Jun."
"Okay! Xia, I look forward to our next collaboration!"
Gangzi didn't weigh it; he just hefted it in his hand and readily handed her five yuan.
As soon as he got the money, Liu Xuejun's eyes widened. He looked at his sister with admiration, never imagining that his usually quiet sister could be so shrewd in business.
Liu Zhixia put the money away, but then called out to Gangzi.
“Oh, right, Brother Gangzi,” she said naturally, “I have an egg in my basket. I think I accidentally put it in while packing things, and I’m afraid it will break when I go shopping later. Since you have a sick person at home, why don’t you take it back for your family to eat to help them recover? It’s an egg laid by one of our own chickens, so it’s very nutritious.”
As she spoke, she reached into her basket as if to reach in, but actually took out a freshly laid egg that was still slightly warm and handed it over.
Since the intention is to cooperate long-term, this investment in personal relationships is necessary. She can't afford to give expensive gifts, and the other party might not dare to accept them. On the contrary, these seemingly ordinary but practical farm eggs are the most thoughtful and show the most sincerity.
Seeing Gangzi hesitate, she smiled and added, "The chickens raised in the mountains and rivers where this kind of Dendrobium grows will naturally lay better eggs than those from other places. It's perfect for nourishing patients."
That made sense, so Gangzi stopped refusing, thanked him sincerely, and carefully accepted the eggs.
After Gangzi walked away, Liu Xuejun still looked at the basket with some confusion.
He doesn't remember seeing any eggs when he was loading the goods.
Moreover, I didn't see a single egg when I was selling things earlier.
Where did his sister get it from?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com