After walking a short distance, he stopped Xu Zhenzhu, his face showing apology: "Zhenzhu, I forgot to tell you, the factory has been very busy these past few days. I have to work overtime until midnight every day, and it's not good to go home and disturb my parents. I can only stay in the dormitory! Why don't you go back to your hometown first? After all, you're about to start work, and you can't be late for your registration!"
Xu Zhenzhu pouted, a little unhappy. She had been staying in Lu Kai's dormitory for the past few days, using her food coupons to get meals at the canteen every day, and going to the state-run restaurant after get off work. Most importantly, Lu Kai was with her, and she was so happy that she didn't want to go back to the Tuanjie Brigade at all.
“But I want to take care of you a little longer,” she said.
Lu Kai gently coaxed her, "If love between two people lasts forever, why should they be together every day? You're the only one in my heart, so listen to me! Once you've settled into your work and I've finished my work here, and my leg is probably healed, I'll have my parents go to your house to ask for your hand in marriage, okay? Then we can be together forever and never be apart!"
Xu Zhenzhu was overjoyed, her mind and eyes were only focused on this one thing, and she was so dizzy that Lu Kai put her on the bus to the bus station.
In the black market, Xu Ningyan disgusted Lu Kai and Xu Zhenzhu, and felt happy.
Seeing that only two scarves were left, one girl finally couldn't resist, picked out the green scarf, paid eight yuan, and happily put it on before leaving amidst the envious glances of the others.
The remaining purple scarf lay there forlornly. Xu Ningyan had just finished testing the purchasing power of women in the county town and was about to pack up her stall.
Then they saw Lu Kai, who had just left, hurrying back with his cane, looking flustered and covered in sweat.
Seeing that only the purple scarf was left on the stall, a look of disappointment instantly appeared on his face.
But he quickly composed himself. "Do you have any other colors of scarf?"
Xu Ningyan sized up Lu Kai, thought for a moment, and said, "There's another plum-red one, which I was planning to keep for myself. Do you want it? Nine yuan!"
Lu Kai, no longer angry, nodded and calmly said, "Let me see the goods."
Xu Ningyan thought to herself that Lu Kai was quite different from before, and looked rather strange.
On a whim, while reaching for the plum-red gauze scarf in her spatial storage, she also casually took out a Chanel lipstick as a gift.
However, it was only a fleeting moment before Xu Ningyan showed a look of panic and snatched the lipstick into her hand. No one else saw it clearly, but Xu Ningyan, who had been paying attention to Lu Kai, saw a hint of surprise flash in his eyes.
After taking the magenta scarf and looking at it, Lu Kai said, "I'll take both this one and the purple one!"
Xu Ningyan casually called out the price: "Eighteen yuan in total!"
Lu Kai's brow twitched, but he suppressed his urges. He readily paid eighteen yuan, folded both scarves, and put them in his pocket. Then he looked at Xu Ningyan and whispered, "How much is that thing?"
He glanced at Xu Ningyan's hand holding the lipstick, gesturing towards her.
Xu Ningyan glanced at him and lowered her voice: "This is a good thing! It's from the Friendship Store! I'm not bragging, there's only one like this in the whole county! If you really want it, it'll cost twenty."
Even Lu Kai felt a pang of pain at the price; these three scarves, plus this lipstick, cost him a month's salary.
For some reason, even though it hurt his heart, he silently took out twenty yuan and gave it to Xu Ningyan.
As Xu Ningyan received the money, she casually slipped the lipstick into Lu Kai's hand.
She was still wondering why she had bought two more scarves after already buying Xu Zhenzhu a scarf, and even lipstick. But she only thought about it briefly and didn't have time to think about it further.
The two quickly completed the transaction of money and goods.
Then one of them lowered his head and walked out, while the other packed his basket. Once they were out of the grove of trees near the black market, they went their separate ways without even glancing at each other.
After walking quite a distance, Xu Ningyan hid in an alley and came out again, having changed back into the clothes she wore when she worked at the supply and marketing cooperative.
With several hundred yuan in his pocket, which he had just earned that day, Xu Ningyan slowly returned to the supply and marketing cooperative.
For dinner, Sister Hu still enthusiastically invited Xu Ningyan to her house for dinner, and Xu Ningyan couldn't refuse.
I had no choice but to go, but I didn't leave empty-handed.
He carried a bag of red dates, a small bag of dried meat, and two kilograms of noodles into Li Jian's house in a small basket.
As soon as he entered, he unwrapped the dried meat and stuffed one into the mouths of each of Li Jianguo's two sons.
When Li Jianguo's two sons tasted the dried meat, their eyes widened. They covered their mouths and looked at their father, chewing rapidly as if afraid that their father would disapprove of them eating it and make them spit it out and return it.
Li Jianguo was both annoyed and amused, and Xu Ningyan also stuffed one into his hand.
He took it in his hand, examined it, and squinted: "This is beef jerky. Did you go to the black market today?"
Although it was a question, it was phrased with certainty.
Xu Ningyan smiled ingratiatingly and tacitly agreed.
Seeing that she was alright, Li Jianguo didn't say anything. These days, who doesn't go to the black market when they need something?
Their family visits the black market less often than others due to their work, but they are still familiar with it.
He asked Xu Ningyan which black market it was, and when he heard it was behind the culvert, his expression relaxed even more.
Previously, there were four or five small black markets in Jingshan County, which were chaotic and precarious. However, I heard that last year a group of people came from somewhere with powerful connections and a group of very capable men.
They quickly unified the black market in Jingshan County, and now it's much more orderly and safer.
At least they wouldn't have to worry about being raided and their property confiscated by the Red Guard inspection teams under the Revolutionary Committee every few days, or being thrown into a dark room to write self-criticisms.
Moreover, the variety is abundant and the prices are not too outrageous. The people of Jingshan County now tacitly understand that if they don't have something they need, they can go to the black market and find something suitable nine times out of ten.
Therefore, he only reminded Xu Ningyan to be careful in the future and try to avoid buying things from those places.
Xu Ningyan obediently agreed. After all, she was going to sell things, not buy things, so this wouldn't count as disobeying, right?
After the meal, Xu Ningyan suggested that after picking up any leftovers from the warehouse the next morning, they should head back.
Although she didn't have to do farm work during the two days she was away, it wasn't easy for her either.
The main concern is the big boss and his lackeys.
Li Jianguo nodded, which was taken as agreement.
The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Ningyan was dragged directly to the warehouse by Lin Hong.
After a day and a half of sorting and inventory, a lot of defective and damaged items were piled up in the corner of the warehouse.
Lin Hong, holding a teacup filled with red dates, pointed to a particular spot and said, "Go pick some!"
Xu Ningyan didn't stand on ceremony. She squatted in the corner and spent a long time choosing clothes. She picked out a set for herself and a set for Xu Ningyan. Seeing that the big boss seemed to only have two sets of clothes to change into, she couldn't bear it.
Then she picked out a few items from the rough porcelain bowls, plates, and chopsticks. There were two flashlights, the casings of which were dented a bit, but it didn't affect their use, so she took one.
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