Buling didn't plan to go back immediately after taking the holiday. She intended to stay in the compound for a couple more days, as she wanted to catch the market on the 24th.
When Sangshen found out, she wholeheartedly supported her decision.
"Shall I take you to the black market tomorrow? To buy some New Year's goods?" Sangshen asked with a smile.
Bling was also very interested: "Sure, let's go take a look around and see what new and interesting things we can find."
"Sure," Sangshen said expectantly, imagining the two of them holding hands and such, how romantic!
The next day, Buling and Sangshen rode their bicycles to the black market. This time, they left their bicycles at Xie Dong's house. It was then that Sangshen remembered that he still had something to tell Buling.
"Hey? Lingling, didn't you like Xie Dong's house?"
"yes."
Mulberry puffed out her chest proudly: "I have one, right next door, the second one."
Bling's eyes lit up: "The house next door is yours?"
Sangshen nodded reservedly, then casually added ambiguously, "If you like it, we can move in after we get married~"
Buling was very tempted, then shook her head: "Never mind, I still prefer the compound."
If she had just transmigrated, she would have agreed without hesitation. But now she prefers the liveliness of the compound. If she were to live in a separate courtyard now, she would find it a bit too quiet.
“However, we can come and stay from time to time and have a private meal,” Bu Ling added.
As Bu Ling described it, Sang Shen couldn't help but feel excited: "I really can't wait until next year!"
Bling glanced at him; coincidentally, she was the opposite.
The two strolled around the black market and found that the most common items for sale were wild game, eggs, and vegetables, with very little grain. But Buling didn't mind and the two of them browsed from stall to stall. When you're shopping, the main thing is to look around; nothing else matters.
Finally, the two returned home with a full load of goods.
When she returned to the compound, Aunt Lan saw her and gave her another sarcastic remark, which Bu Ling was used to. "Aunt Lan, aren't you going to do laundry today?" she asked.
Aunt Lan looked at her suspiciously: "What do you want to do?"
Bu Ling smiled slightly: "Nothing, just asking."
When Aunt Lan saw Bu Ling's smile, she turned and left. She didn't believe that the little girl was just asking; she was definitely up to something. No, she had to get out of there quickly.
Bling: She was just asking!
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, Buling and Sangshen went to the market with the group of older women from the compound.
With the same setup, Bling was dressed like a ball, standing next to the towering mulberry tree, creating a rather stark contrast.
Buling was also helpless, as her height hadn't changed at all in the past year, remaining at 1.55 meters.
With her height, she's not even the tallest among the mulberries, let alone the older women in the yard. It's really hurtful to her self-esteem.
The market was as lively as ever this year. Buling and Sangshen strolled around, while Wu Yuanyuan followed her two sisters-in-law from the Qi family.
This time, Buling was prepared. She and Sangshen each carried a bamboo basket and excitedly squeezed into the crowd. Sangshen quickly followed.
"Hey, cousin, you're here to the market too?" Xia Qingmei, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted the mulberry next to Bu Ling before noticing Bu Ling herself.
Upon hearing the sound, Bu Ling looked over and saw Xia Qingmei waving at her. She then pulled Sangshen along and squeezed through, saying, "Cousin, you're here to sell cloth again?"
Xia Qingmei nodded: "Yes, let me introduce you, this is my mother."
"Hello, ma'am!" Bu Ling greeted politely.
"Oh, is this Xiao Bu? Thank you so much for taking care of our Qingmei. Here, this is a little something from your auntie. Take it home and enjoy it." Old Madam Xia was very hospitable.
Without a word, a basket of eggs was shoved into someone's hand. The basket was quite large. Bling quickly waved her hand, "No, no, no, I can't accept it."
"Take it, take it, don't be polite with me, Auntie." Old Lady Xia put it directly into the bamboo basket behind Bu Ling.
Bu Ling wanted to refuse, but Xia Qingmei persuaded her, "Take it, consider it a New Year's gift from your mother, right, cousin?"
Hearing her say that, Buling couldn't refuse anymore: "Then thank you, Auntie." After saying that, she gave Sangshen a wink.
Mulberry immediately understood and took out a pound of brown sugar from the bamboo basket: "Auntie, this is for you." Then she added: "Lingling prepared this."
Seeing that Old Lady Xia refused, Bu Ling followed her example and stuffed the mulberry into her hands without saying a word, then grabbed the mulberry and left.
She had specially asked Sangshen to prepare this brown sugar, based on last year's experience, she found that people at the market preferred to barter.
That's understandable. We live in a rationing system where you need coupons to buy anything, and in rural areas, coupons are very rare, often meaning that even if you have money, you can't buy anything.
Next, the two of them traded brown sugar all the way, and as Bling had predicted, brown sugar was quite popular. In this episode, as long as she took out brown sugar, there was nothing she couldn't get in return.
It's not surprising, though. You need coupons to buy brown sugar in the city, and not many people can usually afford to come up with so much at once. The reason Buling could come up with it is because she has a boyfriend who runs a black market.
Today is another day to praise my own good judgment.
After shopping around, Buling had exchanged all the brown sugar in her hands, and her and Sangs' bamboo baskets were also full.
It was quite a struggle to carry Buling, who was so small, but it didn't matter because she had Sangshen. Sangshen carried herself on her back and also supported Buling, which was both painful and joyful.
When I returned to the compound at noon, I happened to run into the postman coming out of the neighboring compound and walking towards their compound.
"Hey, you two, are you from this compound?" the postman asked.
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