"Young man, I'll take all this rice. How much? I'd like to check the flour as well."
Zhang Hongmei untied the flour sack, only letting her glance at it, but the snow-white flour was still so conspicuous.
He took out a packet of noodles, waved it in front of her, and put it in the basket.
"Young man, name your price."
"Rice is five yuan. Wheat flour is four yuan, and noodles are four yuan. No negotiation, ten jin of each."
The old lady suddenly stood up, grabbing the basket with one hand, and said, "I'll take them all, and give me the basket too."
With his other hand, he pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket, then pulled the basket between his legs and held it between his calves.
Zhang Hongmei: What kind of move is this? Nobody's going to steal it.
The old lady counted out thirteen ten-yuan bills and stuffed them into Zhang Hongmei's hand. She then bent down, picked up her basket, and jogged away.
The speed of his movements is unusual for someone his age.
When Zhang Hongmei ran out of stock, she would wander around to see if there was anything she needed.
"Comrade, come here with me and let's talk."
A middle-aged man with a long beard stopped Zhang Hongmei.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Hongmei looked at him warily. Was he planning to rob her?
"Don't get me wrong, I just want to trade some goods with you. No ill intentions. I have a good reputation in the black market, you can ask around. My name is Zhang Da Hu Zi, my real name is Zhang Qiang. You can ask around before deciding whether to trade with me."
What do you want to pour out?
"Rice, wheat flour, noodles. I want it all, as much as you can get."
"Want some wild boar? Between 700 and 800."
After listening, Zhang Dahuzi's usually calm eyes finally showed some emotion.
"I'll take the wild boar you mentioned. It's a hairy boar, right? The price for this kind of boar is 750 yuan, and I'll give you four yuan per jin. That's the highest price I can offer."
"I have two of them, can you handle them?"
Zhang Dahu frowned. "Is this head really this big?"
"Yes, it can only be big, not small."
"I'll take them all. Just name your price. I'll take responsibility for any losses or gains myself."
"1,600 jin".
Zhang Dahuzi clicked his tongue, then steeled his resolve and said, "I'll take it. Where will we trade?"
"Under the third bridge over there at 8 PM. If someone's following us, then forget it."
"I can't guarantee anything else, but my people won't be watching us."
"Hehe." Zhang Hongmei turned and left. There was no need to continue the conversation. She wasn't in a position to sell, so why waste her breath on him?
"This young man has quite a temper; I really can't guarantee anything."
Zhang Hongmei completely ignored him; there was no need for him to take the risk. He had been too hasty today; he should have found a better place first.
Zhang Dahuzi watched Zhang Hongmei leave, then waved his hand and someone followed Zhang Hongmei away.
Zhang Hongmei walked around intermittently, unaware that anyone was following her, but still wandered around outside for safety's sake.
I can't find a good place to unload here, so it seems I can't sell the wild boar this time. Anyway, I came here just to try it out, so there's nothing to be disappointed about.
It was getting dark, and there were many pedestrians on the road. They were all in a hurry, and everyone looked tired. Most of them were hunched over, as if they couldn't bear the pressure of life.
Zhang Hongmei suddenly heard, "What's wrong with you? Why didn't you apologize after hitting someone?"
Zhang Hongmei glanced back in confusion and met the man's gaze. Startled, she sensed that he was coming for her. She quickly turned and left, knowing that the people behind her would be held up for five minutes and she would be safe.
Ignoring everything, I rushed forward, the noise behind me fading into the distance. Suddenly, I saw a dark alley ahead and plunged into it.
She slipped into the space, looking outside in terror, pressing one hand to her chest. This is too dangerous! Mom, I want to go home!
The people following Zhang Hongmei finally managed to shake off the group surrounding them, only to find that Zhang Hongmei was gone. They took off after her, but there was no trace of her.
He cursed a few times in anger before turning and leaving.
Zhang Hongmei drank a large glass of water and sat on the ground for a long time before getting up.
I quickly removed my makeup and took a shower. I went to bed without even eating.
In her previous life, Zhang Hongmei spent most of her time studying and had a smooth and successful life in society, never encountering any danger. However, in this life, her background is dramatic and she may even face life-threatening danger.
I didn't sleep soundly, I was in a daze, and finally I just opened my eyes and gave up. I decided to go back to Liujiatun and live a good life. Everything else was just fluff.
After changing clothes, I left the space and went straight to the train station. However, there were no trains running back, so I had no choice but to return to the hotel and figure it out tomorrow.
I didn't dare enter the space while in the hotel. Now I know I'm scared. I also remember my decision back then, 'I can't easily enter the space,' because I was too complacent and presumptuous.
That night was agonizing. Finally, dawn broke, and without even having breakfast, I went to the train station to buy a ticket. I knew there was still plenty of time, but I really didn't want to stay there any longer.
I finally boarded the train home, and I felt a sense of relief. After this experience, I was especially homesick.
I got off the train in the middle of the night and went straight back to my home in the city. I used to feel a lack of belonging, but now I feel an extraordinary sense of belonging.
The next morning, instead of returning to Liujiatun, I went to the department store. I don't know when I'll be able to come again; it's time to prepare for the Chinese New Year.
I bought two jin of fruit candy, four jin of brown sugar, four jin of glutinous rice strips, and four jin of peach shortbread. Except for the fruit candy, everything else was sold in one-jin bags, to be given away as gifts during the Chinese New Year.
Liu Jianguo went back to the cotton mill. He can't go home yet, but the good news is that he's been promoted to a permanent position. His salary is now 32.5 yuan a month.
In the afternoon, Zhang Hongmei was at home preparing the things to take back. These were all things that had been taken by legitimate means, so she would have to do the hard work of carrying them all back tomorrow.
The next day, I took the first bus and, upon arriving in the township, slowly walked towards the village carrying my basket. It was just too heavy.
It took three hours to get there, and we had to rest five or six times along the way. There were nearly 100 pounds of grain in the basket.
When I got home, I saw that all the sheep had been fed. I had been gone for eight days, and the sheep had only eaten hay for eight days. When they saw me come back, they all bleated at me. I gave them some bean stalks to satisfy their cravings, and then they quieted down.
I'll start a fire and cook a meal; I'm really hungry, I haven't eaten all day.
Simple millet porridge. I ate a boiled egg. There was also pickled vegetable shreds, and I secretly ate a sausage.
"Hongmei, you're back? I knew you were back when I saw smoke coming from your chimney."
"Sister Erya, you've worked hard these past few days."
"Why are you being so polite with me? Is the city fun? I'll go check it out next time I have the chance."
"I don't think it's very fun. It's just a bit crowded. You'll see when you go."
“Hongmei, my family is going to slaughter a pig in a few days. Many families in the village are slaughtering pigs this year.”
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