"How do you plan to exchange it? Do you want a ticket, or something else?"
The old man's shrewdness wasn't the kind that takes advantage of you. It was the kind that leverages his connections to get things. He was a bit like an amateur middleman.
"I don't want anything. Just tell me how to get to the market down there."
"No, no, no." The third uncle waved his hands repeatedly: "I'd give you this information for free. Just tell me, what do you want?"
"Then it's the same as before?"
"Alright! It's settled then."
Wang Shouren would occasionally publish some things, but he generally wasn't very interested in unusual or unusual items.
And so, he caught the eye of the Third Uncle, who told him that if he was willing, he could help him get out. As for how he would get out, Wang Shouren was told not to worry about it.
That's quite an achievement for the old man.
After all, one person has to support a large family and doesn't earn much. They really have to find a way.
"Are you planning to go to a bigger one or a smaller one?" the third uncle asked in a low voice after making sure no one was around.
"Is there any particular reason for this?"
"There are a lot of rules to follow. If you're looking to buy some ordinary things, like rice, flour, and cooking oil, then go to the smaller stalls. You might even run into a few fellow villagers selling meat there. These small pigeon markets are usually run by people from a few nearby streets. They charge a fee, the stalls aren't big, and there aren't any unusual items."
"Moreover, they don't recycle things on the street; they just collect protection money, usually one or two cents. You can buy things here, but it's best not to sell anything."
"If you want to sell things, you have to go to a larger pigeon market, and a larger pigeon market is also more reliable."
Goodness, this has developed into a pigeon city culture.
There's nothing we can do about it; you need tickets everywhere, and without them you can't buy anything.
During the Lunar New Year, if you want to have a good meal with some meat, you really can't buy these things unless you go to the pigeon market.
"Okay, so where should we get the location?"
“After 9 p.m., walk west. Go down this alley and count backwards for three alleys. There’s a house there. Remember it. First, knock on the doorknob, then knock twice with the back of your hand. Finally, if someone inside asks, ‘Who is it?’, just reply, ‘Pockmarked’.”
"A transaction inside the house?"
“What are you thinking? I’m taking you to the transaction location. In a place like Pigeon City, you have to change locations all the time. If you don’t, you’ll be shut down in a few days. It’s only because the checks haven’t been so strict lately that things have settled down. Usually, it’s in…” At this point, the Third Uncle paused and waved his hand: “You’ll see when you get there.”
"And the bigger one?"
"Big one?"
"Mmm,"
"I have no idea."
"Hey, you're amazing!"
"Look at what you're saying. I heard it costs this much to get in, who would go there for no reason? I advise you not to even consider it. That place, you might get watched as soon as you come out." The old man waved his hand, indicating that it cost five cents to get in, and as a stingy old man, that five cents would keep him up at night for days. How could I possibly go?
————
As dusk fell
On the east street of Qiangulouyuan, Kui Datou, wearing a tattered overcoat, walked silently into the courtyard house, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Big Head, you're back!"
As soon as he was admitted to the hospital, many neighbors greeted him cheerfully.
Kui Datou waved his hand, flicked his sleeve, and left without a trace.
"Hey, that big guy, I wonder where he's made his fortune again today."
"Come on, get rich? You guys just listen to his mother's nonsense. She'll say anything to find him a wife."
"But Big Head is living a really good life."
"Who knows what he's doing outside? He doesn't have a proper job. What good girl would marry him?"
Gossip about this family and that family has always been a favorite topic of conversation among the neighborhood aunties. And ever since Kui Datou moved here, he has been the center of attention.
I carefully opened the door to my house, then quickly slipped inside, as if afraid the wind would blow in.
The food for today was already laid out on the table inside, still steaming hot.
But there was no one there.
"Mom, what are you doing? Come out for dinner."
No one answered.
Upon hearing this, Da Tou thought, "Oh no!" and rushed into the house.
He saw his mother lying motionless on the kang (a heated brick bed). He was so anxious that his eyes turned red. He ran over and was about to carry his mother outside.
"What are you doing? What are you doing!" At this moment, Aunt Kui, who had been pretending to sleep, dared not sleep anymore, and anger surged up.
She was genuinely afraid that her foolish son would actually be carried away by her.
"Hey, Mom, what are you doing?" Kui Datou put his mother down and breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Don't you know? How old are you this year? When are you planning to find a proper job?!"
Kui Datou nonchalantly pulled off his coat, along with a large piece of pork, slamming it onto the table with a "thud": "This is it, Mom. I didn't want to look for it, otherwise I would have found it already. You know how many brothers under my command are waiting for me to eat..."
"Eat! Eat!" Aunt Kui slapped him twice hard. "You're 27 this year! If you don't get married and have children soon, when are you going to get married?!"
Aunt Kui became more and more aggrieved as she spoke: "Back then, I shouldn't have let you go with your father! Now look what's happened, no one wants to marry into our family anymore. Tell me, tell me, what use is this thing to you!"
Perhaps blinded by anger, Aunt Kui threw the piece of pork on the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Kui Datou didn't say anything, but silently picked up the meat, put it on the table, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Mother, don't be angry. I'll wait a little longer. After this year, I'll find a job. Is that alright?"
"Swear an oath before your father's memorial tablet!" Aunt Kui was now truly determined.
"Mother, you're making things difficult for me. Besides, I only did this work because Father made me. You're basically telling Father you're discrediting him. What if he comes after you're gone..."
"You bastard, I'll beat you to death!!"
Sometimes, anger can outweigh sadness.
Kui Datou pushed open the door, slipped out in a flash, and walked away without daring to look back.
I walked up to the gatekeeper (similar to the old man in the back), extended my hand, and he extended his hand as well. We shook hands.
The gatekeeper waved happily.
Before long, Kui Datou disappeared into the snowstorm.
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