Chapter 99: Being a Human Trafficker
Yun Qiao was a little uncertain. She suspected that she had seen it wrong, so she walked to the front of the stall, picked up a piece, looked at it carefully again and again, and then put it under her nose to smell it.
Soon, Yun Qiao smelled a light and elegant fragrance, which was somewhat like the smell of cinnamon, but also like the smell of fermented rotten leaves. The smell was very special and difficult to describe accurately.
But Yun Qiao was very sure that this black, bumpy surface, similar to the bumpy surface of the moon, was the black truffle!
In her previous life, she had followed Pan Zhiyuan to Hong Kong in order to learn about the world's most advanced heart surgery technology.
That was in October 1980. Pan Zhiyuan had already made a fortune, with a net worth of several million, and was considered a prominent figure in Shanghai's business community.
At that time, Pan Zhiyuan was very stylish. Whenever he went out, he would be accompanied by a female secretary and bodyguards. He only rode in imported cars, wore sunglasses on his chest, and never let go of a cigar. He wore big gold chains and big gold rings as if they were free, and he wished he could wear them on all ten fingers.
In Shanghai, he was flattered and praised wherever he went, and he really thought he was an upper-class person. But when he came to Hong Kong, he became the nouveau riche that the upper class looked down upon the most.
The wealthy looked down on him, so he fawned and declined in order to negotiate deals, trying his best to please a group of younger generations.
It was when he invited these generations to dinner that he was humiliated by them using "black truffles".
He had never seen or eaten it before, so when he ate it for the first time, he thought he had eaten something foreign and vomited it out. He saw a piece of black food and yelled at the waiter, saying that the food in their western restaurant was not clean and questioned what they had given him to eat.
As a result, he was severely ridiculed by the older generations of Hong Kong's wealthy families, who said he was a country bumpkin with no taste and had never even seen a black truffle!
Pan Zhiyuan was furious and vowed to avenge his previous humiliation.
He was determined to get rid of his "nouveau riche" image, so he began to change his style and clothing, dressing in an artistic and hipster style. He also opened a Western restaurant and started a black truffle business. He gave black truffles to everyone he met, and always told them that they were expensive and top-notch, costing two hundred dollars per pound.
Yun Qiao is indeed no stranger to black truffles.
Because there was a time in her previous life when her kitchen was filled with this stuff.
But Yun Qiao never imagined that she could actually see and buy black truffles at a sky-high price on a small stall in this remote corner for just a dozen pieces!
You know, two hundred US dollars in 1989 meant a lot!
Can buy a full ten grams of gold!
Half a room in Shanghai!!
Even if no one in China knows about this thing now, sooner or later someone will recognize its value!
When the reform and opening up began in the 1980s, this would become a huge business opportunity to make a fortune!
It’s just a short distance of a dozen or so!
She can wait!
The black truffle seller was a young girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was wearing an old patched cotton jacket and had a big braid tied behind her back.
Yun Qiao's heart surged with emotion. Suppressing his inner excitement, he asked, "Little girl, how much are your black pine... black lumps for?"
The girl had been setting up the stall all morning, and this was the first time anyone came to ask the price. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Sister, these are pig's mitten mushrooms. They're delicious with meat, salad, scrambled eggs, or even soup! Only ten cents a piece!"
"One cent?! How dare you ask for it!" Zheng Jing was dumbfounded, thinking she had misheard. "One cent can buy three strings of candied haws! Who would spend that much money on your black pimple?"
Although Zheng Jing didn't know why Yun Qiao wanted to buy this black lump, it didn't affect her dislike for it.
She couldn't help but say, "In my opinion, one cent and one dollar is about right!"
In fact, the little girl herself felt that the price of one cent per piece was a bit expensive, but this was the price set by her brother himself, so she could only listen and could not change it on her own.
She bit her lip and said guiltily, "One cent a piece is a bit expensive, but trust me, these mushrooms taste really good. You won't feel like you've missed out if you buy them."
"Look, you think ten cents a piece is a bit too high, and you still want to sell it to us at that price." Zheng Jing crossed her arms and said, "How about you give us a lower price? Then we'll consider buying a few pieces."
The little girl said, "I can't sell it cheaply. My brother won't let me."
Zheng Jing: "What about your brother? Let him negotiate the price for us."
The little girl shook her head: "My brother is selling mushrooms at the stall over in the village, so he can't come."
"Forget it, we don't..." Before Zheng Jing could finish her words, Yun Qiao grabbed her arm and said, "One dime a piece, right? We want them all. Pack them up!"
"Okay, okay."
The little girl was hit by the huge surprise and felt a little dizzy.
She quickly took out a piece of oil paper, counted all the black truffles and put them in a box: "One box is 16 yuan, sister, just give me one yuan and a dime, and the extra one is a gift to you!"
"OK."
Yun Qiao counted out a dime from his pocket and handed it to the little girl: "Count it and see if it's right."
The little girl counted them quickly: "Right, right."
Zheng Jing was a little confused: "Yun Qiao, why did you buy so many black lumps? They cost a whole dime! They can buy two kilograms of pork!!!"
"Eat." Yun Qiao said as a matter of course.
The black truffles the little girl picked out were of very good quality, but they were in large pieces, about six centimeters in size. These sixteen pieces weighed almost a kilogram.
Calculated based on the price of 800g, it is almost equivalent to ten grams of gold!
And now she only has one dime!
Hehehe, Yun Qiao thinks it’s quite worth it!
After giving the money, Yun Qiao didn't rush to leave, but started talking to the girl.
"Little sister, what's your name?"
The little girl didn't say anything, but her eyes suddenly became alert and she even subconsciously took a step back.
Yun Qiao was stunned by her reaction and it took him a long time to react. He felt both amused and helpless.
Does she think of herself as a child kidnapper or human trafficker?
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