Chapter 65 Exploring the Black Market
But where is the black market? That's the question.
Just then, she heard several middle-aged women whispering in the distance. Because she had drunk seawater, her hearing was still quite good, and she could vaguely hear the words "black market".
Jinran followed carefully behind the women, but dared not get too close. She watched them quickly disappear into an alley. A burly man, after asking a perfunctory question, stepped aside. This man was probably a lookout.
Knowing the location, Jinran was no longer afraid. First, she found an empty alley and, after confirming that no one was around, she entered the space.
After a thorough dressing and grooming, Jinran applied black foundation lavishly to her neck and face. She drew thick eyebrows, then donned a wig and men's clothing. Once finished, Jinran admired herself in the mirror.
Even their own parents wouldn't recognize them.
Once outside the space, Jinran carried the basket on her back and headed towards the black market.
"Hey kid, what do you do for a living?"
Jinran lowered her voice and whispered, "Sell goods!"
The man didn't stop her any further and let her in. He let her in so easily? Jinran felt that this black market wasn't a place to stay for long; she would sell some money and leave.
The key issue is that she's really short of money. Even if she had a treasure trove that could rival a nation's wealth, she couldn't immediately convert it into cash, so it's like a chicken and a mackerel caught in a trap.
Upon entering the black market, it wasn't the bustling scene Jinran had imagined—no stalls hawking their wares, no lively crowds coming and going.
There were only a few people scattered around, and they were quite far apart from each other. Even when they were trading, they were haggling in hushed tones, and from what she observed, there were more buyers than sellers.
Jinran also found a corner and looked around aimlessly. Inadvertently, her eyes met those of an old woman wearing clothes without patches.
Jinran smiled, his dark face making his teeth appear exceptionally white. The older woman paused for a moment, then looked Jinran up and down before approaching him to chat.
The old woman asked in a low voice, "Young man, are you buying or selling something?"
"Sell!"
What kinds are there?
“Polished rice and fine noodles.”
The old woman's eyes lit up, and she leaned closer, asking in an even softer voice, "How much?"
Oh no, she said she forgot something, that she forgot to ask about the price.
Jinran said calmly, "Auntie, give me a price. I'll take a look. If it's suitable, I'll make the purchase. I have an older sister who isn't mentally sound at home. I can't be away for too long."
She wasn't lying; she did indeed have an older sister with intellectual disabilities—Shen Yanhong.
The old woman's eyes darted around, she coughed lightly, and held up a five with her hand. "You want to buy this for five cents? That's a bit of a rip-off on a newbie."
Although she didn't know the price on the black market, given the scarcity of such high-quality grains, it definitely wouldn't be that price.
Jinran glanced at the old woman but didn't say anything. The old woman looked a little embarrassed. She knew that it was impossible to buy refined rice and flour on the market now; these refined grains had been driven up to exorbitant prices on the black market. Moreover, there was no market for them.
At this moment, an old man stepped forward and asked, "Young man, what are you selling?"
The old lady immediately became anxious and said, "I want all of this young man's things. We're negotiating the price right now. Why don't you go look somewhere else?"
The old man sneered, "Didn't you not pay? Even if the deal fell through, I can still buy it. Young man, tell me what you have to offer?"
Jinran didn't want to argue any further, so she frowned and said directly, "I only have twenty catties each of refined rice and refined flour. It's one yuan and fifty cents a piece, no coupons needed, but no bargaining." After saying that, Jinran opened a small hole to show them the goods.
The old woman knew the price was high, but reasonable. She gritted her teeth and said directly, "Young man, give me five jin of each."
Jinran handed the packed grain to the old woman, then took the money from her, thus completing the transaction.
The old lady carefully weighed it, and feeling that the weight was more than expected, she turned around and left without hesitation.
Jinran then looked at the old man, but the old man waved his hand and said, "Give me the rest, young man. Do you have any more grain like this? You can call me Old Man Mo. I'll take as much as you have. I can exchange money, banknotes, jewelry, or antiques."
That's a bit too ambitious, but fortune favors the bold. She has too much grain; it would be better to exchange it for antiques and jewelry to preserve its value.
Jinran pretended to think for a moment, then said, "There's a wild graveyard area to the west. The transaction is at 2 a.m. sharp. No waiting after that time, and no meeting when there are too many people. Just take all your stock. I'll exchange whatever antiques, jewelry, money, and receipts you have. I'll keep my word. Consider this grain as a treat for you to try."
Old Mo smiled and said, "You're a real talent, young man. I cherish talent the most, so don't let me down."
Jinran gave Old Man Mo a deep look, nodded, and turned to leave.
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