“Whoa, whoa, whoa—”
The donkey cart with red tassels stopped beside the crooked tree at the entrance of Wulin Town.
Jiang Henian jumped out of the car with a half-eaten corn in his hand and waved to the old man in the car.
"Thank you, Uncle Niu~"
Chen Niu, who was wearing a straw hat, laughed heartily, raised his head, and shook the corn cob he had gnawed clean in his hand. "Thank you for the corn, my dear. If you want to take the bus home later, just wait for me here!"
"Okay! Uncle, let's go~"
Early that morning, Jiang Henian and He Jinshan cooked some corns and took them to the village entrance, where they took a donkey cart to the town.
It was not yet eight o'clock, the time when everyone went out to buy vegetables and go to the morning market. The two of them passed by the supply and marketing cooperative and the grocery store, and there were people everywhere.
In an era of material scarcity, good things had to be snatched up. Even when a batch of fresh fish arrived, one had to hurry up early, grab money and food coupons, and queue up to buy it. If one was late, one would miss out on the delicious fish.
As the weather got colder, everyone put on their coats and stood in long queues in front of the supply and marketing cooperative with their hands in their pockets and sleeves, their hair blown into bald slicked back combs by the morning breeze.
I wonder what hot-selling item has arrived.
The state-owned restaurant in front was emitting a steaming aroma, and the fragrance of freshly-made buns and pancakes wafted out.
Jiang Henian followed He Jinshan with a small backpack on his back, his eyes glued to that place, and in his hand he still held half a head of corn that had already gone cold.
"Want to eat?"
Jiang Henian turned around and saw He Jinshan turning around to go there, so he waved his hands and said, "No, no, I haven't finished eating the corn yet. I was just looking around."
Seeing that the man still wanted to take her, she took a step closer, covered her mouth with the back of her hand, raised her head and whispered: "I still have a lot of cakes and buns in my space, no need to buy."
"Then do your work first, and I'll bring you here for lunch at noon."
Jiang Henian actually wanted to try it, so he nodded happily, put the corn in his hand to his mouth and took a few bites with relish.
The other hand stretched forward habitually, glanced around, and stopped in time.
It was an unfamiliar environment with many people coming and going, and she couldn't help but want to grab He Jinshan's clothes.
Alas, how come we have to live in such a conservative era, where even legal couples are not allowed to hold hands when they go out?
She withdrew her hand regretfully, but the man put his arm around her wrist as if no one was around and continued to lead her forward.
Jiang Henian braved the surprised gazes of passersby and hurriedly followed, saying in a low voice, "He Jinshan, it will be troublesome if we run into the discipline team..."
He Jinshantou didn't even turn around and said: "If you meet me, you'd better be smart and jump up. I'll carry you and run away."
Jiang Henian looked up at the man's tall back, and couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth, and even his steps became arrogant.
Yes, He Jinshan is very powerful.
The architectural environment in Wulin Town is better than that in the village. There are quite a few one- or two-story bungalows and brick houses.
The two of them walked around the busiest streets and alleys and arrived at a relatively quiet intersection with houses nearby.
He Jinshan stopped and asked Jiang Henian to cover his face with a piece of cloth.
Jiang Henian understood immediately.
In the black market, you always have to conceal your identity and appearance to avoid getting into trouble. That's what it says in novels.
She reached into the bamboo basket and pretended to take out a black and gray headscarf, which she quickly twisted around to cover her head and face, leaving only a pair of bright and beautiful peach blossom eyes exposed.
"Okay! You use this."
Her dark, moist eyes, like black pearls, blinked playfully, as if she was proud: I'm smart, right?
He Jinshan took the black cloth handed to him by the girl with a smile, but did not cover his face like her. Instead, he wrapped it around his palm and took her into the alley.
Jiang Henian followed behind him and pursed his lips secretly, "What's the matter? I'm the only one who can't see anyone."
Walk ten meters in and you will see another wide fork in the road with an old ash tree on the left.
A tall, thin man with a monkey face was squatting on a big rock under a tree, smoking with his eyes squinting. When he saw the two people coming, he just glanced at them with the corner of his eye.
He Jinshan reported four numbers in a calm voice.
The man then turned around and looked the two of them up and down. His gaze stayed on Jiang Henian behind He Jinshan for two seconds before retracting.
He flicked the cigarette butt with his fingers, pointed to the alley on the left, and continued smoking without saying a word.
Jiang Henian suppressed his curiosity, lowered his head slightly, and quietly followed He Jinshan into the alley.
It was long and narrow at first, but it became wider and wider as you walked five meters in. There were actually quite a few people hiding in the long alley.
Some were squatting in the corner with bamboo baskets and sacks in front of them; some were standing by the wall with things on their shoulders.
Everyone who brought goods stood apart consciously, at least a few meters apart, without interfering with each other or chatting.
There are many branches in the alley, leading to all directions. If there is a patrol, as long as the sentry gives a warning, the people inside can immediately escape through the branches.
While Jiang Henian was observing, footsteps were heard behind him.
An old lady holding an empty cloth bag walked in. Her eyes couldn't help but linger on He Jinshan's overly handsome face for several seconds. Then she lowered her head, walked past the two of them, and walked up to a dark-skinned man carrying a bamboo basket.
The exchanges between the two were quiet, and their movements were quick and secretive.
The old lady clenched her hand and handed the money to the man. The latter half lifted the white cloth on the bamboo basket, took out a piece of fatty strip of meat, and stuffed it into the old lady's open cloth bag, and immediately covered it with the white cloth again.
The old lady grabbed the bag, stood up and went out to the other end. The whole process was smooth and silent.
No one nearby turned their heads to take a second look, except Jiang Henian, a curious baby who found everything new to him.
So this is how the black market works...
There were people on guard, and the whole transaction was conducted secretly and quietly. Everyone understood the rules. So the number He Jinshan just mentioned was the secret pass?
He Jinshan lowered his eyes to look at the girl's big eyes, which were shining and full of excitement, and he couldn't help feeling happy.
Jiang Henian wanted to ask how they took out the whole pigs and sheep for sale, but the environment here was too quiet, so he had to shut up and follow He Jinshan inside.
"Hey, you're here again."
A hoarse and vulgar voice came.
Jiang Henian looked up when he heard the voice and saw a large brown armchair placed abruptly in front of him.
A round-faced man wearing a black marching cap was half lying on it with his legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.
The sparks almost burned the black hair on the big mole at the corner of his mouth.
Wang Daqiang held the cigarette between his fingers and glanced at He Jinshan. "Anything good?"
He Jinshan raised his hand and made a gesture that Jiang Henian couldn't understand.
Wang Daqiang lowered his crossed legs and smiled crookedly, "What a coincidence."
He stood up and led He Jinshan into the yard next door for a detailed discussion. Jiang Henian automatically followed He Jinshan and wanted to go in.
Wang Daqiang turned around and snorted, "The young wife can't come in."
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