Chapter 024 Sisters Separated
"Someone really followed me, this bastard," Sun Dong complained to Tang Yuan, "If you hadn't reminded me in advance, I would have been caught up. Fortunately, I was smart and escaped from him for a few days. Today, I got rid of him directly."
"Are you sure you haven't been discovered?" Tang Yuan herself didn't think there was anything wrong with doing business, but since she was in this era, she naturally had to abide by the laws of this era.
She did business because she didn't think it was illegal deep down, but doing business was indeed prohibited at this time, so she could only hide herself as much as possible.
"No, no, I looked back several times before I came here to make sure I had gotten rid of him. I asked Afeng to watch over him," Sun Dong pushed the basket in front of Tang Yuan, "There are today's eggs in it, Sister Fang, take a look."
Tang Yuan also took her own basket and transferred the eggs one by one into the basket she brought.
This time there were forty-five eggs in total, placed in a large basket and covered with layers of straw, so that no traces could be seen.
The total is two dollars and twenty-five cents.
She counted the money and handed it to Sun Dong: "Since there are still people watching, you can come back later next time, come back in five days, but the eggs you bring must be laid from today."
The weather is hot right now, and if the eggs are left outside, they won't last too long. But in the woods, where the temperature is cool, they can be kept for more than ten days without any problem. After bringing them here, she put the eggs in the play space, where the temperature is more suitable, and they can be kept for a few more days.
"Don't worry, we're out of stock now, so we'll definitely bring you something fresh," Sun Dong promised. "Sister Fang should go first today. I'll hide in the corner for a while before leaving."
"Okay." Tang Yuan nodded, walked to the door carrying the basket full of eggs, checked to make sure there were no outsiders, and then left quickly.
After walking a certain distance, she slung the basket over her shoulder and headed towards the scrap yard.
As soon as she reached the door, she saw Shen Wenyu from the scrap yard yawning.
"Today is such a big event, how much stuff are you going to carry?"
"If there are good things, carry them. If there are none, don't carry them. I can't bear to put them in the basket." Tang Yuan walked closer and let the other person take a look at the things in the basket.
Shen Wenyu had bought things from her more than once, so she was not surprised to see the eggs in the basket. She asked, "How many are there? Give me twenty?"
"How often do you eat eggs?" Tang Yuan asked. "If you don't eat them often, the eggs won't keep well now."
"Then give me ten," Shen Wenyu said with a hint of regret, "I don't know when the weather will cool down. Nothing can be stored these days."
Tang Yuan picked up ten eggs from the basket and took eighty cents from Shen Wenyu's hand.
Put the basket on the table: "I'll go in and pick something out."
"No one is selling any decent antiques these days," Shen Wenyu said. "By the way, do you need plates? Someone in the corner over there is selling some plates."
Tang Yuan first walked through the waste paper area and picked up a few high school textbooks from the top, then went to the corner and saw several large European-style plates.
European style means gorgeous style. Even if it looks seamless, it is incompatible with the current situation.
"Will this work?"
Shen Wenyu walked up to her and raised an eyebrow at her, "If it was usable, it wouldn't have been sent to us. I don't know who it belongs to. It was hidden so deeply. If it was exposed and seen by others, they would think he had relatives overseas. When the person came to sell it, he said he was going to smash it, but thought it was a pity, so he came to the scrap yard to exchange it for some money. You can hide things, and you can take this thing back and hide it too."
Tang Yuan picked one up and showed it to Shen Wenyu: "It's so hard to take this thing back and hide it."
"If you can avoid being discovered, you can use it as a proper plate. Although this pattern doesn't look very suitable, at least there is no gap," Shen Wenyu advised. "It's really cheap. This set is only fifty cents for you."
"Four cents."
"Fifty cents, how about this? Pick one more thing from here and I won't split it with you. It's fifty cents."
Tang Yuan looked at the pile of old things covered in dust and frowned in disgust.
Although she wanted to make a profit from it, she knew nothing about antiques. These dusty things would be useless if she took them home, and they would just be gathering dust anyway. She didn't want to take even a cent, let alone a dime.
"Here, here," Shen Wenyu took a stick and swept out a small jar from the corner, "This jar is also complete. You can take it home and pickle sauerkraut."
"Such a small jar can only be used to pickle a few bites of sauerkraut, right?" Tang Yuan expressed her disdain again. This thing was not much bigger than her palm. She probably sold it to the scrap yard because it was too small.
"It's definitely enough for a few meals. It's only ten cents, not much. I'll give it to you. You can take these plates yourself. You happened to bring a basket today, so it's just the right size to hold them." Shen Wenyu bent down, picked up the small jar, and went to pay her.
Tang Yuan picked up a few plates and found two large European-style bowls from the corner, and placed them on the table at the door.
Shen Wenyu frowned when he saw the two extra large bowls.
"These 50 cents and these books," Tang Yuan put the books on the scale, looking like he had gotten a bargain, "Sister Shen, no one wants these things except me."
"Here, here, I'm giving it to you. I didn't say I wouldn't give it to you. I'll give it to you for free." She was unwilling to accept the large European plate. The other party kept begging her, so she spent 40 cents to buy it. That was why she was unwilling to sell it for 40 cents. The jar was worthless and was very dirty. So she only took 5 cents. Adding all the things together, she just managed to break even.
However, the scrap yard does not make money from these things. The real money is made from ironware, wire and some things that can be recycled. These porcelain jars will be disposed of after being taken away, and they can be sold for 50 cents.
After writing down the bill, she looked at the weight of the waste paper and calculated the bill for her as well.
After settling the accounts, she whispered to Tang Yuan, "You have a way. Can you please keep an eye out for the cabbage growing area in two months and harvest some for me?"
"Won't it be sold then?" Tang Yuan asked.
"It's definitely better to have more. We can eat more after the Chinese New Year. We'll have to eat that for several months. If we don't have enough, we'll always have to worry about the cabbage and get very anxious," Shen Wenyu said. "Please help me find out about it on the way. It would be great if you have it, but it's also OK if you don't."
"Okay, I'll ask around for you then." Even if there isn't any, she can still grow some.
However, cabbage was not worth much. She had overheard in the boiler room that cabbage was sold at designated locations for only four cents per pound, and the price of purchasing it from farmers' fields was not high either. Taking into account the costs of transportation and labor, the cabbage sold at designated locations was subsidized by the state.
In this situation, she definitely couldn't name a price.
"You'll have to find large quantities on your own, but I can bring some from time to time. It doesn't have to be cabbage, it could be other vegetables grown in people's private plots," Tang Yuan said. "If I have it, I'll charge you an extra cent per pound, okay?"
"Okay, sure. Then please help me find out more." This was better than what Shen Wenyu had thought.
After saying that, Tang Yuan left the waste station and walked towards his "temporary residence".
After walking for a while, I suddenly heard screaming and crying coming from the front, and the voice sounded a little familiar.
When she went forward, she found that the person crying was the little girl who had helped her a few days ago. Now she was calling "sister", saying that her uncle and aunt wanted to give her sister away and that she could raise her sister.
There were many people watching around, but most of them looked as if they were willing but unable to do anything.
The affairs of sisters and uncles are family matters, which involve the question of whether to support them or not. Others may say more, but if they are "dependent", how can the family support one more person?
Tang Yuan listened for a while and soon heard the cause and effect of the matter from the onlookers' chattering.
The little girl's parents died unexpectedly, and she has been raised by her aunt and uncle, who have been doing so for three years now. Perhaps because they have spent all the compensation, their aunt and uncle have been treating her and her sisters worse and worse in the past few months. The little girl has no choice but to make matchboxes to earn some money, hoping that her aunt and uncle can continue to support them.
But unexpectedly, the uncle and aunt still planned to give the little girl's sister away.
As for the house they lived in, it originally belonged to the two brothers. When the elder brother died, it was understandable that the house belonged to the younger brother.
Moreover, the younger one was just given away. In those days, families with poor living conditions would even give away their own children, not to mention that the uncle and aunt were a generation apart from the two sisters.
At this time, the younger one had already been sent out, and the uncle and aunt were at home, locking the little girl outside the door. The neighbors didn't say much, but there were a few who couldn't stand it and shouted at the couple inside to come out and bring the little girl in.
The door opened, and the person inside came out and spoke to the little girl in a low voice. Seeing that she was still wailing, he couldn't help but look helpless: "She is just angry. She will be fine after she is no longer angry. You guys should not just stand there. The more you do this, the more she will think that she can solve the problem by crying. You all know what kind of family we are in. It's not that we don't want to support you, but we really can't afford it. So I beg you, just break up."
The neighbors talked in low voices for a while, but finally dispersed helplessly.
Tang Yuan also pushed back and walked to a secluded place and stood still.
The man who came out whispered to the girl, "Okay, if you've made enough noise, go inside and don't embarrass yourself at the door."
"I don't want to. Tell me where you sent my sister! I can support her! You promised me before that as long as I made money from making matchboxes, you would not let her go. Second uncle, second uncle, tell me where my sister is, okay?"
"She's already been sent away, what's the point of bringing her back? She's eating and wearing the best clothes in that family, she'll forget about you in less than two months. I advise you to be obedient, otherwise... I'll sell you too!"
As he said this, the man glared at her fiercely, went into the house, and slammed the door shut.
The little girl lowered her head and couldn't help crying softly.
Tang Yuan looked around and saw no one else coming out. She waited a little longer, making sure no one was paying attention, and then she quietly walked up.
Hearing the footsteps, the little girl raised her head and asked, "Sister?"
"Come with me."
Tang Yuan called her, took the little girl to a corner, whispered in her ear, and finally said: "This is your last resort. Otherwise, with your strength, you can only accept the separation of sisters."
"I don't accept it," the little girl clenched her fists, "I listen to you, I'll do as you say!"
"You are very smart. I believe you can do better in this matter," Tang Yuan gave her sincere expectations, "I hope that next time I see you, you can bring me good news."