Chapter 19: Selling Pork on the Black Market
Shen Lingning responded in a low voice in his mind: "Yes, this is our home. It will be better in the future."
At the same time, she separated a wisp of hericium and black fungus and the ten kilograms of white flour piled in the corner.
The black soil at the edge of the space exudes vigorous vitality, and the two spiritual tea seedlings seem to have stretched out some tender leaves.
After a bumpy ride to the commune, I waved goodbye to the villagers and the two educated youth, and then changed to a shabby, crowded minibus that smelled of sweat and gasoline.
Shen Lingning protected Fubao and squeezed onto the bus with the crowd. He had a hard time standing in the crowded carriage and took out the two cents he had prepared and handed it to the conductor.
Fubao has adapted well: "The Mama brand cradle has a built-in vibration mode and is a great sleep aid..."
My heart was filled with a dazed, baby-like voice, and I actually fell asleep during the bumpy ride.
It was almost noon when we finally arrived at the county town. The familiar hustle and bustle and the smell of coal smoke, food and dust hit us in the face. It was more prosperous and crowded than the town.
Chen Lingning was standing on the noisy street, holding the sleeping Fubao in his arms. The loose hair on his forehead that was not covered by the headscarf was blown back by the wind, revealing his smooth and full forehead, which brought a hint of coolness.
She took a deep breath, her goal clear - fill her stomach first, then get down to business.
The red-painted wooden door of the state-owned Red Star Restaurant was open, and the tempting aroma of food wafted from inside.
Shen Lingning walked in holding Fubao and found a relatively clean place in the corner to sit down. On the wall was a menu written in red brush on paper and a slogan "Serve the People".
The waiter was wearing a white apron and didn't say hello. She looked at Shen Lingning holding the child with a cold expression.
"Comrade, a bowl of plain noodles and a plate of stir-fried vegetables."
Shen Lingning handed over the money and food coupons. She deliberately didn't order any meat dishes. Keeping a low profile is the rule of survival.
While waiting for her meal, she looked around casually.
At the next table, a few men wearing work clothes, who looked like workers in a machinery factory, were eating greasy braised pork with big mouthfuls and talking loudly about things in the workshop.
At a table by the window sat a well-dressed couple who looked like cadres. In front of them was a rare white porcelain plate filled with crystal clear dumplings.
The noodles were served quickly, the soup was watery with a few chopped green onions floating in it, and the stir-fried vegetables were fried until dry with very little water.
Shen Lingning didn't care at all. He held Fubao in his arms with one hand and carefully picked up the noodles with the other hand, blew them cool, and ate them in small bites.
Huai Fubao was awakened by the aroma: "Hmm... Yangchun noodles from the state-owned restaurant! The legendary clear soup noodles! Mom, can you save some soup for me to taste?"
The little guy's voice was filled with greed.
Shen Lingning laughed, dipped a little noodle soup with the tip of the chopsticks, and carefully wiped it on Fubao's slightly open mouth.
"Suck... This most delicious food in the world really has no taste..."
Fubao smacked his lips, a little disappointed, but was soon attracted by the various people and sounds in the restaurant.
After eating, Shen Lingning did not go to the trust store immediately.
Holding Fubao in her arms, she seemed to be wandering aimlessly through the relatively busy streets of the county town, but in fact her eyes were scanning every corner sharply, paying attention to the characteristics described by Li Tiezhu.
She first had to go to the black market to exchange the things she had.
It was only around eight or nine in the morning, and the sun was high in the sky. Deep in a dead end on the edge of the county town, filled with sewage and debris, there was a faint sign of life.
This is the so-called "Pigeon City", and the air is filled with a mixture of damp mold, cheap tobacco and a hint of tension.
Shen Lingning wrapped his old headscarf tightly, revealing only a pair of vigilant eyes. He carefully shuttled among the shadowy figures, holding Fubao in his arms, wrapped in a large black and gray cotton jacket to block the wind.
She originally thought that she was behaving strangely, but when she got here, she found that everyone was in disguise, with hurried expressions and low voices, as if they were meeting with spies, very furtive.
Shen Lingning was holding the child, and she looked more normal than these people.
She was carrying a small bamboo backpack on her back, which was a tool she took out from the space to conceal herself and Fubao from others, so that the object would not appear out of nowhere and scare people.
She deliberately lowered her body to avoid those inquiring or turbid gazes, and finally stopped in front of a middle-aged man who was squatting at the foot of the wall with a few handfuls of wilted vegetable leaves casually placed in front of him.
This man looked unremarkable, but his pair of bright eyes and the cuffs of his cotton jacket, which were worn to a shine, revealed the shrewdness of a seasoned veteran.
Shen Lingning took a half step closer, his voice extremely low, with just the right amount of timidity: "Uncle, would you like to buy... some meat? Fresh, just got from the mountains."
She first took out some wild boar meat that had suddenly hit a rock in the mountains two days ago to test the water.
After the wild boar was hit to death that day, she sent a message to her space. She was a girl who grew up in Shanghai. She was afraid of being discovered, so she took a knife and bled the wild boar at home and cleaned it up.
Only then did she realize that since she had been drinking the spiritual spring water every day, her strength had increased.
The man didn't even raise his eyelids, puffing on his pipe, and mumbled, "What kind of meat? How much?"
His tone was flat, but Shen Lingning caught the slight pause in his fingers holding the pipe.
There's hope!
"Wild boar meat."
Shen Lingning's voice was lower, but clearer: "It's a complete operation. He just died not long ago. He's still fat."
"Is it whole?"
The man finally raised his eyes, and his turbid gaze swept over Shen Lingning's body like a searchlight, with scrutiny and a hint of imperceptible surprise.
"Little girl, you're so arrogant. Where's the stuff?"
He obviously didn't believe that this skinny girl could get the whole wild boar.
Shen Lingning remained calm, moving sideways to block the view of others. He quickly pointed to a dark corner nearby that was filled with broken baskets and rubbish and was almost unnoticed. "Over there, at the very end of the alley. Can you... check it out?"
The man followed her to the corner doubtfully.
When Shen Lingning used the broken basket as cover and moved his mind slightly, a huge wild boar with blood still fresh on its broken neck appeared "out of thin air" on the ground, the man gasped!
The shiny fur and thick fat are at least three fingers thick!
And the heavy weight shows that this is a windfall!
The gleam in his eyes suddenly flashed, and he couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He squatted down, and his rough hands couldn't wait to press the fat pig's back. He then opened the pig's mouth to look at the teeth, and a satisfied gurgling sound came from his throat.
"Good stuff! Really fucking good stuff!"
The man murmured in praise, then lowered his voice and began to bargain tentatively: "Little girl, it's not easy to get this stuff these days, right? It's very risky... Three hundred and fifty, I'll take it all, cash!"
Fubao lay in Shen Lingning's arms, staring with his dark eyes, thinking to himself: "He's trying to trick me! Mom, he wants to trick you!"
Shen Lingning patted Fubao's back to comfort him. He didn't agree in his heart, but his face showed embarrassment and a hint of grievance just right: "Uncle, look at this fat, this quality... The supply and marketing cooperative will have to pay a high price for it, right? And... this is in exchange for my life."
She gritted her teeth and quoted a target price: "Six hundred! A penny less, and I'd rather cut it up myself and sell it in small pieces. It's a little troublesome..."
She knew that a whole pig would sell quickly and would be more attractive to the other party.
"How much? Six hundred?!"
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