Chapter 3 County Town
It is said that there was a black market in the 1960s, and she had food, so he could use the food to exchange for some money and tickets. After all, how could she find a job with an empty pocket? The job would not fall from the sky for her, and she would have a chance only if she went out.
Thinking of this, Ye Qian cleaned up the food garbage and fell asleep peacefully.
…
The next day, Ye Qian woke up early and headed straight for the county town. She carried a small backpack on her back, which her father had made for her when she was a child. She had been to the county town with her parents several years before, so she had some memories and wouldn't mistake the route.
Ye Qian's home was quite remote; aside from the family next door, the others were quite far away. It was breakfast time, so she didn't bother them. In those days, food was precious, and no one wanted to share more than one bite with others, as that meant they would have to eat less themselves. Ye Qian was aware of this, so she didn't dare to bother them during mealtime.
There were no mountains in Yejia Village, but there were several ponds. The villagers never lacked fish, but the ponds now belonged to the production team. If you caught fishing without permission, you'd be criticized. The only difference was that you'd get a few extra fish during the Lunar New Year.
The ponds in the 1960s were different from those today. The outside of the pond was not fenced off and was covered with moss, which made it easy for accidents to occur.
There used to be a pond in front of Ye Qian's house. When Ye Qian was little, an old woman died there. Everyone was working in the fields when she fell into the pond, and by the time they found her, she was gone. A few years later, a little boy died there, and the production team filled in the pond. Otherwise, people kept dying, and the production team couldn't bear the responsibility.
…
There were buses from the village to the county town, but Ye Qian was reluctant to spend the money. She only had so little money on her. Although she wanted to go to the black market to exchange money, she was not sure whether she could get it. Ye Qian could only rely on her legs. She got hungry on the way and took out a steamed bun from her space and ate it while walking.
The road to the county town was much farther than Ye Qian had imagined, and it took her nearly an hour and a half to get there. Although she had the original owner's memories, she was still surprised when she arrived at the county town.
After all, this county town is too... dilapidated.
The county town's houses are mostly bungalows, but there are also quite a few brick, wood, and thatched huts. There's a small, two-story brick and tile building, which also houses the supply and marketing cooperative. The road is also muddy and uneven from the rain the previous two days. The passersby look pale and thin, but their clothes are much better than those in the countryside. At least many of them have clothes that are washed white and rarely patched. Unlike in the countryside, where patches are everywhere, patches are everywhere.
Ye Qian walked to the door of the supply and marketing cooperative and saw the words "Serve the People" written on it. This was quite novel to her. But she didn't dare to stay any longer. She took a look and walked in. There were very few people inside the supply and marketing cooperative. There were actually more people selling things than buying things.
Ye Qian walked around the supply and marketing cooperative, carefully examining each counter. Although she had memories of the original owner, they were still a child and her memories were vague. Therefore, her first priority was to find out what supplies were available now. If she went out to sell supplies and found items that didn't fit the era, it would be difficult to explain.
Ye Qian looked at the worn-out goods. Most of them were empty. There was no other way, supplies were scarce right now. The snacks at the door had been there for who knows how long; they were dry and stale. If you looked closely, you might even see some hair growing on them. They were inedible. Ye Qian frowned and walked a few steps forward to the cloth counter. Most of the fabrics were dark in color: black, gray, blue, military green, and some white cotton. There were no other brighter fabrics, and they were not suitable for wear in this era.
The other counter was selling watches. Because of her clothes, she looked like she couldn't afford to buy anything. The salesgirl ignored her and even rolled her eyes as she passed by. Ye Qian was really speechless.
All the other counters were empty, and I walked around for about 2 minutes before coming out.
Forget about anything else; let's just find a way to sell some food. There were some unbranded noodles and flour in the space, which could be taken out and sold directly. Ye Qian remembered that in those days, private trading was considered speculation, and if caught, the consequences seemed quite serious. Even if she was bold, she didn't dare to rashly approach and ask. Before she could come up with a plan, she simply found a corner, sat there and rested for a while, and by the way, packed some supplies into her small backpack for easy sale later.
Ye Qian took out a white flour bun from her backpack, actually from the space, and started eating. Before she had taken two bites, a woman stood by and looked at her.
Ye Qian was a little confused. The woman's gaze made her feel a little uneasy, like a wolf looking at a lamb to be slaughtered. Ye Qian was a little scared. Just as she was about to get up and leave, the woman walked straight towards her, afraid that she would run away. She grabbed her sleeve and asked, "Girl, where did you buy this white flour?"
Ye Qian was startled by the woman's sudden action, but quickly calmed down and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
The woman looked at the white flour buns in Ye Qian's hand and said, "Supplies are in short supply right now. Even coarse grains may not be available, let alone rice and flour. But your buns are really white! If you have any connections, please let me know. I won't treat you unfairly."
Ye Qian had already been thinking about selling grain, and this elder sister asked at the right time, solving her urgent problem.
Ye Qian asked tentatively: "Do you want white flour? Do you want noodles?" It's not that Ye Qian is foolish and bold, but there are only two of them here now. If this woman plays any tricks, she can just hide in the space. Even if this woman sees it, no one will believe it if she tells others about it, and she would have run away by then.
When the woman heard this, a glint of surprise flashed in her eyes and she nodded quickly, "Yes, both."
Ye Qian opened the backpack and showed it to the woman, who immediately grabbed Ye Qian's hand.
"Girl, this is too much for you. It's not easy for me to take it all back. Why don't you go to my house?" She said and kindly showed me the way. "It's just in front. Just turn a corner and you'll be there. You can ask for money or tickets." To be honest, Ye Qian was really afraid to go to her house. If something happened, it would be difficult to run away.
Seeing Ye Qian's hesitant expression, the aunt said, "My name is Zheng Xiaomei. I work at the supply and marketing cooperative, at the counter selling daily necessities over there. You can come to the supply and marketing cooperative to find me later." I didn't think the aunt was lying, otherwise I would know if I asked at the supply and marketing cooperative. "Take me there."
Ye Qian followed the auntie and walked over. After turning a corner, they arrived at the gate of a courtyard. Inside was a brick house. It seemed that the family was well-off. After entering the courtyard, they saw three rooms. The auntie walked to the room on the left, took out the key and unlocked the door. Then she turned to Ye Qian and said, "My husband and I both have jobs. My husband went to work. Because the elderly person at home is in the hospital, I took a few days off. It was just right that I ran into you, girl." After entering the door, the kitchen was on the left. After taking a look, Ye Qian said to the auntie, "Just put the things in the kitchen."
Seeing that she was really scared, the aunt did not force her and went into the kitchen to take out the things. There were a total of 6 buckets of noodles, each weighing 5 kilograms, and 20 kilograms of white flour.
Noodles cost 1.5 yuan per catty, plus 5 taels of food coupons, and flour cost 2 yuan per catty, plus 5 taels of food coupons. She paid according to the black market price, which was also the price given by the aunt herself. She had just arrived and had not figured it out yet, so she didn't know if it was the exact price. But the aunt had a painful expression on her face when she took the money, so it didn't seem like she gave too little, so Ye Qian accepted it.
After making her first transaction, she became a little bolder. After leaving her aunt's house, Ye Qian walked around the area and looked at the red brick houses. She thought these people must be from well-off families, so she decided to knock on their doors and ask.
(End of this chapter)
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