Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Market
Inexplicable things happened one after another, whether it was the inexplicably hot weather recently, or some unexpected unknown creatures on the seabed.
Thinking of this, Chang Ruijia let out a long breath. She always felt that the world was bringing more and more difficulties to them.
The conversation with Wu Jin did not last long.
Even if they knew each other before, Chang Ruijia and Wu Jin had only met a few times in the crowd before, and it could not be considered a very close relationship.
Seeing that Wu Jin was doing well after getting rid of the past, and had no intention of bringing up the past again, Chang Ruijia simply collected some information she wanted, and then threw him a quarter of a watermelon, the same as the one she gave to the Northeastern brother, as a reward for the information exchange, and then turned around and said goodbye.
The big brother from Northeast China took the opportunity to look at what was happening on Chang Ruijia's side. Seeing Chang Ruijia turn around and paddle back neatly, he looked back and forth between her and Wu Jin in some confusion.
"Hey hey hey? Girl, why didn't you chat with that awesome guy for a bit? Don't you two know each other?"
"How can we have such a deep friendship?" Chang Ruijia smiled faintly, seeing that the Northeastern man had clearly misunderstood something. "We've only met twice before on other seas. It's nothing to be proud of."
"So that's how it is," Although he said this, the brother from Northeast still had a look of regret on his face.
Ever since that talented guy became famous around this market, he has been keeping to himself. No one has ever made him look surprised. It would be a shame if he didn't try to make some friends with people like him.
He is a powerful man who can fight against underwater monsters!
Seeing her brother's expression, Chang Ruijia quickly changed the subject. "Brother, I've known you for almost a day, and I still don't know what to call you. My name is Chang Ruijia, so just call me whatever feels comfortable."
"Ah, I haven't introduced myself properly yet," the eldest brother scratched his head. "My name is Hongta, sister, you can just call me by my name. I'd rather call you sister, it's more intimate!"
"Brother Hong," Chang Ruijia chose a decent name and looked at the mess in front of him. "Are you ready to start making something?"
Hong Ta nodded happily, looking at the cloth in front of him as if he were looking at some rare treasure. "The weather has changed so much recently, and no one has any suitable clothes. I'll stay up late tonight and make some. Maybe I can exchange them for something suitable at the market tomorrow morning."
Noticing Chang Ruijia curiously watching his skillful movements, Hong Ta chuckled, "Practice makes perfect, practice makes perfect!"
Hong Ta's movements gradually became regular, and Chang Ruijia stopped making any noise to disturb him. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the bed, quietly looking at the sea and thinking.
When she lived alone, she didn't feel much about the strange and sudden hot weather. After all, under the protection of the sky, the rising temperature was as normal as the change of seasons.
However, when she saw the person today who was directly burned by the scorching sun just because he accidentally stretched his legs out of the cover of the cabinet, she really realized that something was wrong with the weather.
Indeed! If severe weather like storms can occur on the sea, why can't cloudless sunshine have an even more dramatic impact on humans?
After all, they can encounter even the most unexpected things that happen in this sea area.
Chang Ruijia sighed. For them now, the belief that man can conquer nature is no longer valid. Being able to survive the threat of nature is already a blessing.
Watching the people around her busying themselves packing up their things and doing things that they had not finished during the day, Chang Ruijia also began to tidy up the bed which had been messed up because of her rush to travel.
It's useless to think about more things now. Since we are already facing such a crisis in this world, the most important thing is to find a way to survive. For others, she already has a big cheat in her hands.
Since the people here are used to starting the most important morning market activities of the day as soon as it gets light, what she needs to do now is to conserve her energy and wait to continue shopping in the market during tomorrow's morning market.
——
As soon as a faint light appeared on the horizon, Chang Ruijia was awakened by a series of noisy sounds around her.
"Sister, sister! The morning market has already started. Let's pack up and go change things." Looking at Chang Ruijia slowly waking up, Hong Ta, who was not far away, said excitedly.
This was the first time since he came to the market that he was so excited to go to the market to exchange things. For no other reason than that he could finally become a member of the market who had the ability to exchange things.
"So early? I'll be there right away!" Chang Ruijia woke up instantly, moved across the bed and followed Hong Ta's footsteps.
Although she knew that the morning market here usually took place at the earliest time, she did not expect that the morning market would have already started when the light was not yet bright enough to see everything on the sea clearly.
"It's because we don't know when the weather will get hot, so everyone prefers to go early rather than late. They gather early and disperse as soon as the sun starts to get a little warm." Hong Ta explained to Chang Ruijia, "You're new here, so you don't know how much we suffered because we didn't manage the time well."
"Okay, I'm following you!" It was not a pleasant feeling to be woken up from bed at three or four in the morning, but Chang Ruijia still chose to follow the experience these people had gained through their hard work.
"Follow me closely. Everyone here has his own way forward." Hong Ta turned around and reminded Chang Ruijia.
After all, these people started to gather just when they saw vague human figures. In order to avoid more accidental tragedies, they must have life-saving measures in their hands.
Chang Ruijia followed Hong Ta in twists and turns, as if there was some special way of moving, and finally brought her to an empty sea where there were not many people.
"Okay, this is where we can set up our stall for today's morning market!" Hong Ta placed the clothes he had hurriedly made last night on the floral fabric in front of him while introducing them to Chang Ruijia. "To ensure there won't be any chaos when everyone gets going, the exchanges here are done in batches. Don't be impatient for a moment."
Chang Ruijia watched the huge crowd in front of her. After a brief period of chaos when everyone returned to their respective places, a large group of people suddenly appeared and began to walk around the streets among the crowd.
"Is this the first batch of exchanges?" Chang Ruijia asked Hong Ta with some curiosity.
"Yes!" Hong Ta nodded affirmatively. Although he was the farthest away from those who had already taken action, there was no trace of anxiety on his face about what to do if he could not exchange it.
"This is a rule we've slowly figured out. Everyone's like a group, circulating. Those closest to you can exchange directly. Generally, the first person moves through the crowd to the last. During this time, if someone finds something they like or thinks is valuable, they can exchange it directly."
"Oh, this is a pretty good idea." Chang Ruijia nodded affirmatively.
Although this method is a bit unfair to the last group of people who exchange, it can ensure to the greatest extent that such a large group of people will not be accidentally injured. It can also be regarded as another kind of gain and loss.
"However, this initial ranking is not fixed. It is adjusted every day based on the previous day..."
Before Hongta finished explaining his words, the first group of people with exchange items were about to come to them.
Perhaps because everyone had a default exchange direction at the previous market, the first batch of people did not show much hesitation and simply walked straight through the crowd.
"Hey, Brother Hong, have you found new things to sell?" Looking at the neatly cut and simple clothes placed on the floral cloth in front of Hong Ta, an acquaintance's eyes lit up and he ran over directly.
"Yes, yes," Hong Ta nodded. "Isn't it that I was inspired and suddenly realized something. I can find a way to exchange some things and support myself better."
After a brief chat, I don't know if the man really liked the homemade clothes in front of Hongta, or because of their friendship, but when he left Hongta's stall, the thing in his hand had been replaced with a new set of clothes.
However, when she passed Hong Ta and was about to stand in the last row of the crowd, she suddenly saw the unfamiliar face of Chang Ruijia appearing behind Hong Ta.
"Who is this person..." Before she could finish her doubtful words, when she saw what was placed in front of Chang Ruijia, her eyes widened instantly, and her pupils were filled with shock that could not be concealed at all.
This, this, this, this...are the things in front of this girl real?
Steamed buns, mangoes, watermelons, game consoles, tires...
Things that she had taken for granted in her previous life but had not seen for a long time were now laid out in an array on the bed in front of her.
If it weren't for the gentle waves on the sea still bobbing her body up and down, she might have thought she was in front of a grocery stall in her previous life.
"Ah? This is my friend..." Hong Ta, who had heard the man's voice, was about to introduce Chang Ruijia to that person, but unexpectedly, when he turned around, he and that person saw the rich variety of goods in front of Chang Ruijia.
At this moment, Hongta was a hundred times more shocked than the first person who saw it.
He originally thought that Chang Ruijia was very generous by giving him a quarter of a watermelon, but he didn't expect that it was just a drop in the bucket of her collection!
Look at what he discovered in front of Chang Ruijia?
The value of these things is almost comparable to half of the market bundled together. With such abundant things, why does this girl need to come to the market?
The rich woman can almost take over the entire market!
Those who were initially shocked by the scene before them have gradually recovered.
Looking at the things in front of Chang Ruijia, the annoyance in her eyes fully revealed her regret for having just exchanged the clothes from Hongta's stall.
Hong Ta was an old man in the market, and their friendship had been built up over and over again as they met, which meant that she could easily exchange clothes for him later.
But I don't know when this strange girl came here. What if she left after the market ended? Wouldn't she miss the opportunity to exchange those items?
"I..." Looking at the item he coveted so much, which was placed in front of Chang Ruijia but was looked at with disgust from time to time, the words that the man was about to say were suddenly stuck.
For the first time! For the first time, she felt how huge the gap between people was!
Think about how I used to be so stingy just to have enough food to survive every day, and then look at this girl who took the things she coveted and treated them like grass. This kind of gap is simply not something a person can easily bear.
But, no matter how big it is, it can't become hers. He rationally threw all the things in his head out and looked at the little girl in front of him. He suddenly asked tentatively.
"Well, little girl, how long do you plan to stay here? I don't have much stuff right now. Can I come back to you tomorrow to change?"
Anyway, the market is here. As long as the girl doesn't leave, she will definitely be able to exchange what she wants.
"It doesn't matter," Chang Ruijia shook her head.
She was not in a hurry to exchange everything she had. She came to the market to barter just to find out the situation and the current situation of the people.
Moreover, she also saw the transaction between that person and Hong Ta. Although the item was very good, it was not something she urgently needed, so there was no need to exchange it in a hurry.
"I might be here for a while, so feel free to come find me if you need anything."
"That's right," Hong Ta finally recovered and looked at the man. Although the shock was still obvious on his face, he started to persuade him, "This is a new girl I met. If it's inconvenient for you to find her, don't you know how to find me? Since the girl said so, she must be planning to stay here for a while."
The man looked back every few steps as he walked behind Chang Ruijia, and changed the cards and put them back in the last row of the entire market team.
This was the first time that she was dissatisfied with the items she had exchanged with great enthusiasm. If it had happened earlier, she would have jumped for joy just to get a set of clothes. However, when she saw something she needed more, the items she had exchanged for before were no longer so attractive.
She even felt regretful in her heart. She used to spend lavishly on so many things, but now she had no "savings" at all when she wanted to find another one.
If she had known earlier... but knowing earlier is priceless.
Even though the man had already gone behind her, Chang Ruijia seemed to be able to feel the burning gaze coming from behind, as if it wanted to carve her into her bones.
"Sister, you should have told me earlier that you have so many things in your hands," Hong Ta looked at the people around him who were glancing at him from time to time, turned around and whispered to Chang Ruijia.
"What? Big Brother Hong, do you have a favorite?" Seeing Hong Ta's eyes looking around, Chang Ruijia chuckled and said, "It's okay, Big Brother Hong, if you like someone, just tell me directly. I haven't thanked you for showing me around the market before. It's just a small thing."
"Oh, no," Hong Ta seemed not to understand the hidden meaning in Chang Ruijia's words. He looked at her anxiously and said, "Even if you want to show off your wealth, you don't have to do it like this. Even if the people in the market can be guaranteed to be safe, you can't put all your things out to trade. You have to understand the principle that a big tree attracts the wind."
"Is that so?" Looking at Hong Ta's serious expression, Chang Ruijia nodded hesitantly and said, "It's okay, Brother Hong. Since I have laid out all the things, I have never cared about such things. Besides, don't you, Brother Hong, still have me here?"
Chang Ruijia flattered him a little.
However, since she was willing to take out some of the things that appeared every night and put them in front of her for exchange, she had already thought about these things very clearly.
What's more, she is no longer the little girl who could only threaten others to survive. During the period of continuous fighting with monsters, her skills and strength have increased several times. Now she can even say that 90% of the people in this entire market are not her opponents.
Even if we take a step back and assume that there really is someone in this market who is more capable than her and intends to attack her, she still has a weapon in her hand.
Who says slingshot kitchen knives can only be used for fishing?
"Alas," Hong Ta sighed inexplicably as he looked at Chang Ruijia who seemed to be confident and didn't understand that she said this entirely based on her own strength.
She originally looked like a mature girl, but now it seems that she is just a child who has never experienced the harsh beatings of today's society.
People nowadays are not those bound by the law as she thought. How could they not take action in the face of such a great temptation? The danger brought by the people around them is not virtual.
And if someone really attacks her, how can a skinny and weak little girl like her escape safely from such danger?
Thinking this in his mind, Hong Ta had already silently made a decision in his heart.
If it weren't for the idea of making clothes that this girl had given him before, he might still be wandering aimlessly around the market with his two pieces of floral cloth.
It is no exaggeration to say that Chang Ruijia is his adopted parent in this sea area. No matter what, if someone really intends to attack this little girl without any sense, he will definitely stand up.
Not knowing that Hong Ta in front of her had so many thoughts, Chang Ruijia was waiting for the rows of people behind her to move backwards, but she could see Hong Ta standing in front of her. When everyone ran towards his stall with shining eyes, for some reason he always moved away and headed straight towards her.
Soon after, Chang Ruijia discovered that the business at her stall was simply the best it could be, and it seemed that the items in the hands of everyone who came to her stall had not been exchanged before.
The market has completely changed from people who had items in their hands randomly selecting sellers to her one-man show, and these people seem to enjoy it.
"No more, no more. Everything has been changed!" Chang Ruijia suddenly spoke up and reminded loudly when she saw the people in the last rows still rushing towards her.
No matter how rich and numerous the items in front of her were, they could not stop all the people in the market from running towards her with a clear goal, and those items were quickly exchanged out.
Even later, her little bed served as a second-hand market. When she saw that some people behind her needed the things that had been exchanged for her, she would calm down and exchange some of them again.
But even so, those who didn't get a spot at all had regrets in their eyes, and some even walked around in front of him in a big circle. Only after seeing that he really didn't have what he wanted did they give up.
"Hurry up early tomorrow, there are only so many things. If you want more, you have to rely on first come first served!" Looking at everyone circling in front of Chang Ruijia, Hong Ta, the only one who did not automatically go back, reminded them loudly.
It wasn't Chang Ruijia's fault that all the things were sold out. If someone was petty enough to put the blame entirely on her, that would be another unexpected disaster.
Hongta didn't want to see this happen.
He had previously reminded the people who were heading straight for his stall that there was someone behind him selling better things, in order to avoid as many regrets as possible at today's market. Otherwise, if gossip spread like wildfire, his sister might be the one to suffer!
As the market was going on, the sun was slowly hanging high in the sky. Although there was still a little cool breeze in the air, it was obvious that the temperature brought by the sun had begun to rise gradually.
Even at this moment, some people were unwilling to give up because they did not exchange for the right things, but facing the inevitable disaster brought by the rising sun, they still cherished their lives more.
The crowd that had gathered together gradually dispersed and began to return to their original positions, waiting to get through the unbearable temperature throughout the day.
There was a major reshuffle in the positions of everyone in the entire market, so at this moment Chang Ruijia and Hong Ta were basically in front of the crowd.
After seeing that the basic exchange process of the crowd was almost completed, Hong Ta immediately called Chang Ruijia to move away from the crowd gathered in the market.
Watching Hong Ta look left and right, and finally running to a place where a small piece of floral cloth seemed to be floating and stopped moving, Chang Ruijia realized that this should be the place where they first met yesterday.
Although he did exchange some good things in the market this time, Hong Ta didn't have the heart to fiddle with those things again. With quick and decisive movements, he directly carried the cabinet board he had seen yesterday on his head and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, the temperature of the sea surface illuminated by the sunlight has reached a level that makes people sweat slightly. According to his previous experience, if this set of steps had been completed one step later, he might have been directly burned by the scorching sun.
Enjoying the brief coolness hiding under the cabinet, and looking at Chang Ruijia who did not make any unnecessary movements under the canopy, Hong Ta couldn't help but flash a trace of envy in his eyes.
Not only do you have a wide variety of goods in your hands, but your own float is not only large enough, but also contains many things that can help you survive better on the sea. How can you not envy them?
But soon, Hong Ta buried the secret envy in his heart, and looked at Chang Ruijia with eyes full of disappointment.
"Sister, do you think you don't trust your brother?"
"Ah? Where did you get this from?" Seeing Hong Ta go through a series of psychological struggles and finally regain his composure, Chang Ruijia asked in some confusion after hearing the words that suddenly came out of his mouth.
"If you had told me earlier that you had so many good things in your hands and that going to the market was such an important matter, I would have stopped you first!" Hong Ta said with some regret, "At the very least, I should have asked you not to take out so many things. What if someone spots you?"
"It's okay," Chang Ruijia said with some surprise, not expecting Hong Ta to actually be talking about this matter. "Don't worry, even if you encounter danger, you can protect yourself."
Seeing that Chang Ruijia's arms and legs were not even as thick as his own arms, the eldest brother couldn't help but sigh.
It’s over. Having said that, people are even more worried about this tiger girl!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
