Chapter 134 First Visit to the Black Market
After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Qin Xiaoxiao stood on the street watching the passersby, wondering whether she should go to the black market.
She doesn't want to go.
The black market is too dangerous; you could easily get arrested.
Having finally been reborn, she only wanted to live a good life and didn't want to do anything risky.
She has no shortage of money or things; she just regrets not having a reasonable reason to use them.
"We absolutely must go to this black market!"
Qin Xiaoxiao squatted down listlessly, rubbing her face vigorously with both hands to try and wake herself up.
Without coupons, she couldn't buy cotton, so she couldn't make cotton-padded clothes. As a result, she had no change of cotton-padded clothes and had to wear them all winter.
Qin Xiaoxiao was already feeling nauseous, not even needing to think about what would happen if she wore a cotton-padded coat all winter.
Even in the worst of times, she couldn't afford to wear the same clothes for months. But now that it's peacetime, she's living a life worse than she did in the apocalypse.
Qin Xiaoxiao sighed, stood up, checked her bearings, and walked south along the road.
She remembered Sun Zhirou telling her that there were three black markets in Hong County, one of which was in Huzhen, the closest to Qinjiagou. However, this black market didn't sell many kinds of goods, and rare items like cotton were even rarer. Therefore, Qin Xiaoxiao ruled it out first.
The other two, one of which was the place she went to when she followed Miao Feifei. That place is too shady, double-crossing is common, and people with valuable stuff wouldn't sell it there.
The remaining one is also the largest black market in Hong County. It has a powerful background, is rarely investigated, and is safe enough. Moreover, the boss of this black market seems to be quite good. The prices are fair, the black market is strictly managed, and no one is allowed to cause trouble. There is also no double-crossing among the black market operators.
Qin Xiaoxiao felt that if she had to go to the black market, then this black market in the south was her best choice.
Following the example in the novel, Qin Xiaoxiao first found a dead end, and when no one was around, she entered the space to put on old-age makeup, then wrapped her entire face with a headscarf, changed into a tattered floral jacket with patches upon patches, and left the space carrying a vegetable basket.
Following Sun Zhirou's directions, Qin Xiaoxiao made her way there and found the old locust tree in a maze of alleyways. She walked three houses further and knocked on the door of one of the houses.
"What for?"
Qin Xiaoxiao lowered her voice and said softly, "The Hu family sent me to deliver some things."
The old man who opened the door squinted and carefully examined Qin Xiaoxiao before opening the door and letting her in.
After entering, the old man held out his hand, "Two cents."
Without saying a word, Qin Xiaoxiao took out two cents and stuffed them into the old man's hand.
The old man stepped aside to let her pass, and Qin Xiaoxiao then walked inside.
When Qin Xiaoxiao entered the backyard, she discovered that the family had connected the two houses on the sides and the back, forming a huge courtyard in the backyard. There were nearly a hundred people in the courtyard, but they all remained silent, conducting transactions without making a sound, whether buying or selling.
Qin Xiaoxiao found it very novel and walked around the yard twice, imitating the people who bought things by squatting on the ground to look at the goods.
The seller doesn't speak, but when someone comes to look at the goods, he gestures with his hand to give a price. If the buyer feels it's not right and wants to bargain, he uses his hand to negotiate. Once the price is agreed upon and both parties are satisfied, the transaction can proceed.
This is quite different from what's written in the novel, but Qin Xiaoxiao thinks it's great. It's so quiet, and as long as no one causes trouble or reports it, it's safe here.
Qin Xiaoxiao didn't dare to waste any time and headed towards the stall she had just spotted, which was the only place in this black market that sold cotton.
Qin Xiaoxiao squatted down to check the quality of the cotton. The seller pointed to a number, and Qin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and then pointed to a number as well. The seller hesitated at first, but then nodded in agreement.
Qin Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, and she happily took out her money to buy all the cotton.
The seller was delighted to see Qin Xiaoxiao's decisiveness and quickly helped her wrap up all the cotton.
Once the transaction was complete, the seller packed up his stall and quickly left the black market.
Qin Xiaoxiao went around again, bought twenty eggs and some rice, and then sneaked out of the black market.
Once outside the black market, Qin Xiaoxiao didn't dare stop for a moment and headed straight for the dead end she had just been in.
The moment she turned into the dead end, Qin Xiaoxiao took advantage of the fact that no one was around and disappeared into the alley.
After removing her makeup and changing her clothes, Qin Xiaoxiao added ten catties of rice and ten eggs from her spatial storage. She then carefully left the space, hid in the alley for a while, and, finding no one following her, returned home.
Arriving home safely, Qin Xiaoxiao put the eggs and rice in the kitchen cabinet, tied the ten pounds of cotton, a piece of red floral cotton cloth, and a piece of black cotton cloth together, and carried them to the Qin family home.
Upon arriving at the Qin family home, Qin Xiaoxiao went straight to Ma Dahua's room.
"Auntie, I bought some cotton and want to make another cotton-padded jacket and trousers. Can you help me?"
Ma Dahua was sewing clothes for Qin Feng inside the house when she heard the noise. She quickly put down her needle and thread and looked up at the door.
"Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
Qin Xiaoxiao closed the door, placed the cotton and cloth on the kang (a heated brick bed), took off her shoes, and followed her onto the kang.
The kang (heated brick bed) was burning hot, and Qin Xiaoxiao's feet were freezing cold, so it was a good place to warm them up.
Ma Dahua took another cotton quilt from the kang (heated brick bed) and covered Qin Xiaoxiao's legs before looking at the cotton on the kang.
"Where did you buy the cotton? Do you have cotton coupons?"
Qin Xiaoxiao smiled knowingly and said softly, "I don't have any cotton coupons. I got them from the black market, Auntie. My grandma won't let me go to the black market. Don't tell my grandma about this. If she asks, I'll just say I got the coupons from my second aunt. Don't let it slip."
Ma Dahua looked up and smacked Qin Xiaoxiao, "Are you going to die? You dare to go to that place?"
After glaring at Qin Xiaoxiao, Ma Dahua opened the window and looked out. Seeing that no one was in the yard, she closed the window again.
"You've got some nerve! You think you can go to the black market? Wait till your grandpa gets back and I'll tell him everything."
Qin Xiaoxiao clung to Ma Dahua's arm and said coquettishly, "No, Auntie, I won't do it again next time, just this once."
If I hadn't only been wearing a cotton-padded coat, I wouldn't have risked going to the black market.
Don't worry, I covered my whole head when I went in, so no one will recognize me and it won't cause any trouble for my family.
Ma Dahua got even angrier. "Am I afraid of trouble? I'm worried about you."
Qin Xiaoxiao nodded quickly, "I know, I know, I'm just afraid of implicating my family."
"Auntie, I promise I won't go there again. Please don't tell my husband."
She wasn't afraid of her uncle finding out; she was afraid of her grandfather. Her uncle told her everything, and telling him was the same as telling her grandfather. She couldn't withstand her grandfather's beating.
Ma Dahua dotes on Qin Xiaoxiao, but she is never ambiguous when it comes to matters of principle.
"There's no room for discussion. I can keep other things a secret for you, but not this."
Qin Xiaoxiao was unwilling to give up and begged for a long time, but Ma Dahua was stubborn and felt that what Qin Xiaoxiao did was too dangerous and that she had to be taught a lesson so that she would not dare to do it again next time.
(End of this chapter)
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