Chapter 8: County Black Market (Minor Update) He, Xiong Heizi was...
Chapter 8: County Black Market
After returning to the guesthouse, Yan Jiuru once again felt the excitement and enthusiastic service of the waitress as everyone gathered in the reception room to praise him.
He returned to his room and checked what was under his quilt. Seeing that everything was normal, he lay down with his clothes on and fell asleep soon.
On this day, I first got up early, then took a bumpy ride in the car for several hours, and then caught a thief and took him to the police station. Even though I was young, I was still a little tired after all the trouble.
He woke up because he was hungry. He opened his eyes and looked out the window at the sky. It should be time for dinner.
At this moment, he felt that he really couldn't live without a watch.
Watches and bicycles must be put on the agenda.
After closing the window and putting the money and tickets in his pocket, Yan Jiu went downstairs.
The lady in the reception room was particularly friendly. When she heard that he was going out to eat, she introduced all the delicious and inexpensive restaurants and noodle shops in the area, and she also specifically emphasized that the canteen in the guesthouse was also good.
Yan Jiuru mainly wanted to find out some news about the black market while eating.
There are not many people in the guesthouse, so there are too few sources of information.
He heard from the waitress that there was a place called "Juxianlou" where most of the locals went for drinks and chatting. It was said that those who came here were all wealthy people and it was a good place to see the world. The chefs there even had several levels of certificates.
Yan Jiuru searched all the way there.
At night, the Juxian Tower is brightly lit and packed with guests.
He found an empty seat on the first floor and ordered two dishes, a soup, and a pound of rice as usual. He ate slowly while listening to what those who were drinking and chatting were saying.
After a while, he caught a few words in his ears.
A man whispered, "We're going to sell half a pig tonight. Liangzi can't do it alone, so let Qiangzi go with us."
Another person muttered, "Qiangzi's nonsense. He can't even figure out the bill. Last time, he undercharged me by four dollars, which was enough to cover the black market expenses for ten days or half a month."
"Then don't drink tonight, Dajun. Just come with me. You can rest during the day tomorrow, and I'll go to the market."
. . . . . .
Yan Jiuru: It was worth it that I spent nearly two dollars on this meal.
He branded the army and the other person who was giving the orders with his spiritual consciousness, and then went back to the guesthouse to rest after dinner.
***
A new man was on duty at the guesthouse at night, and he introduced himself as Li Shengli.
Li Shengli was obviously promoted by the waitress before. When she saw him, she opened the door without saying a word and said that she was on duty in the room at night and he could just call him if there was anything.
Yan Jiuru looked at the clock on the wall of the reception room. The time was 7:45 in the evening.
He looked at the warm yellow light in the reception room with emotion and chatted with Li Shengli: "While eating, I saw the lights in the Juxian Building. They were very bright, not quite the same as ours."
Li Shengli: "Well, that's definitely different. Our bulbs are only 15 or 25 watts, how can they compare to the 60 watts at Juxianlou? Besides, they have several installed in the restaurant, how can they not be bright!"
Yan Jiuru recalled the knowledge of high school physics. Well, theory still needs to be linked with practice, otherwise it would be a waste of time.
I returned to the room and pulled out the light cord with a "click". The whole room was suddenly lit up. In the warm yellow light, it seemed as if people's vision became exceptionally clear, and the world in front of them seemed a little different.
Yan Jiuru: We can’t live this poor life any longer. We need to try to get some electric lighting. He wants a 60-watt one.
Yan Jiuru thought about going to the hardware store and department store tomorrow to see what they have.
***
At night, at the guesthouse.
The clock on the wall of the duty room pointed to 8:55. The lights in the room flickered twice, indicating that the power would go out in five minutes.
Sure enough, it got dark at nine o'clock.
Yan Jiuru stared at the tungsten filament in the light bulb as it changed from red to dark, until it was completely invisible. His eyes slowly adjusted.
It was during his conversation with Li Shengli that he learned that the so-called "long-term electricity" was only available in the city. Most units and residents' homes had scheduled power supply, with the power cut off at 9 pm and the power restored at 5 am.
The voltage lines were often unstable, and sometimes the filament seemed to burn out. Power outages were also common, so oil lamps and candles were still indispensable.
Yan Jiuru used his spiritual sense to check the duty room. Li Shengli was already lying on the bed with his clothes on and snoring. He got up and went to the window. It was pitch black outside. Only a few dim street lights were still on in the main streets and the central area in the distance.
There are still pedestrians on the street, some holding flashlights, some carrying horseshoe lanterns, some walking hurriedly, some riding bicycles, and there are also a few couples strolling under the street lights after watching a movie.
However, at this time, the men and women were talking to each other at an arm's length, discussing the plot of the movie or something.
Yan Jiuru: He and Yin Yin haven’t watched a movie for a long time, so they can arrange it after she is out of confinement.
***
In the darkness, Yan Jiuru, carrying a bulging bag, jumped down from the window gently, landed silently, and followed the spiritual imprints on the army's bodies, sneaking carefully all the way.
About half an hour later, Yan Jiuru couldn't help but smile. He found himself in an abandoned factory yard not far from the station.
He hid in the dark, watching Da Jun walking in with a flashlight and talking in low voices with a man pushing a cart. At the entrance, a man in a coat shone a flashlight, scanned the things on the cart, and held up three fingers. Da Jun paid thirty cents without bargaining, and pushed the cart in.
There are quite a few people coming here now, about twenty or thirty people have come one after another. Those who come empty-handed pay one cent, and those who bring goods pay between twenty and fifty cents.
That's okay.
Yan Jiuru used his spiritual sense to modify his face and figure, turned on the flashlight, and followed the crowd with his bag in hand.
The other party took a look at the bag and held up two fingers. He paid two cents and went in.
Yan Jiuru guessed that this black market was so bold, most likely because they had bigger backers and were basically not afraid of trouble.
***
After entering the factory, Yan Jiuru saw a bright light in front of him. There were three wooden brackets connected to electric wires, with light bulbs hung on them. There was the "thump thump" noise of the generator in his ears: Wow, this is eye-opening, it actually generates its own electricity!
It’s really extraordinary.
He saw that everyone who came in found a place to set up their stall, so Yan Jiuru also found a place where no one was occupying and opened his bag.
Twenty pairs of military-style high-top rubber shoes were placed on the left and right sides of the bundle, and a cardboard box was taken out with the price and introduction written on it.
"Brother Li, I haven't seen you for several days. Why are you here today?"
A medium-sized, square-faced man holding a cigarette was talking to a stall owner not far away.
It seems that everyone is quite familiar with it.
Old Brother Li laughed heartily. "I went out a few days ago, and today I brought some dried seafood, a gift from a relative. My family doesn't like the fishy smell, so I'll bring it out for everyone to see."
There were several baskets of dried seafood on his stall, including kelp, dried shrimp, shrimp meat, dried conger eel, mackerel, squid, sea cucumber, dried small fish, clams, etc. It was quite a complete variety.
Which relative would give someone a gift like this?
Haha, everyone understands it.
Yan Jiuru deeply suspected that he had gone to "sell seafood" during the past few days.
The people here were greeting each other warmly, and the army over there, which Yan Jiuru paid special attention to, had already started business as soon as it was settled.
Fat is one dollar and fifty cents, pork belly is one dollar and thirty cents, lean meat is one dollar, half a pig's head and bones and trotters are three dollars and fifty cents.
No tickets are needed.
Yan Jiuru watched as the fat was snatched away in just a few bites, and the pork belly was soon after.
Some people also complained: "Dajun, why are there so few things today? This is too little."
Da Jun was in charge of collecting and giving change. He blew out a smoke ring and said, "There's a wedding banquet at Juxianlou tomorrow. I specially invited Brother Xiao to discuss it. He ordered half a head right away."
Oh~ It turns out that the dinner they had that night was treated to by the owner of Juxianlou.
Da Jun also promised: "Brother Quan, if you want it, go to the back of the farmers' market during the day. Brother Xiao is there during the day and he has half a pig."
The chopping boy laughed and slammed his knife down on the counter. "It can't be helped. The pig farm is tough. We lost about ten pigs during the attack at the beginning of the month. Damn Black Bear, if he gets angry, I'll chop him up one day!"
Does this count as using the best attitude while saying the harshest words?!
***
Brother Quan was indignant and said, "He eats and takes a lot every day, but he didn't tell anyone about it! Aren't you afraid he'll choke to death?"
A man who was fiddling with a wine box over there said quietly, "I'm afraid it won't be cut down..."
"How do you say that?"
Everyone's appetite was piqued, and those who were trying to buy and sell things around stopped.
The man laboriously stacked up the famous liquors on the ground, including Fenjiu, Zhuyeqing, Erguotou, Yellow Crane Tower, Maotai, Quanxing Daqu, etc., before saying:
"Don't you know? Xiong Heizi can't report the news even if he wants to."
"What's going on?"
"Brother, what do you know? Tell me quickly."
Someone handed him a cigarette. The man looked at it and put it between his ears. He snorted and laughed a few times, saying, "He, Xiong Heizi, was reported by the bitch he fucked. Hahaha, he's under investigation by the Revolutionary Committee."
"What? Reported by your mistress?"
"This black bear is such a coward! He even let a bitch trip him up!"
"Well, brother, tell me more. How did you know?"
The brother sighed and said slowly, "Brother, I followed you to rob the house, how could I not know this?"
“Wow~”
"That's awesome, bro!"
Immediately, several people came up and said, "Come on, brother, have a smoke."
"Brother, this is not simple. Tell me, what's going on?"
When they heard that this man was the one whose house was confiscated by the Revolutionary Committee, these people were not afraid at all. Instead, they crowded over to curry favor with him.
"That's right. We suffered a lot that day. The people are counting on us for the next two weeks."
Although the black market is illegal, it does solve the purchasing difficulties of many families. If you randomly ask anyone on the street, you will find out if they have ever bought goods on the black market.
For example, the ten feet of cloth coupons issued every year are enough for one person to wear a set of clothes. Does that mean everyone else in the family is starving?
It cannot be said that the black market alone solved the supply shortage, but it did temporarily solve many urgent needs.
Having said that.
Brother Cao Jia patted the wine box and said, "It's not just you who suffered losses, our losses are much greater than yours. The key is that this matter was not ours, and it was too late when we received the news."
Otherwise, would they come out to sell confiscated high-end liquor?
With common interests, the few people chatted more happily.
"By the way, brother, what happened to that woman?"
Jiuxiong was helpless, "What can I do? The whistleblower is protected.
Besides, that TM Xiong Heizi is not a good person either. He ruined the educated youth on the farm and took advantage of them for free. He even had several abortions and still refused to do anything for them!
If they didn't put drugs in the food, they're just not cruel enough."
Yan Jiuru listened with great interest.
"Hey, brother, come back to your senses!" A stall owner knocked on the cardboard and called him.
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