Therefore, the black market arose to adapt to the market, and given the current chaotic situation, many local officials probably turn a blind eye to it.
Looking at the small grove of trees on the eastern outskirts of the town from afar, and seeing that there were no residential areas or factories nearby, the area around the deserted grove should not have been too lively.
But you can always see one or two people going in and out of here, always carrying bags or baskets. They go in empty, but come out full.
Thinking that the black market was probably in the woods, Chen Shuning started walking towards the woods.
Sure enough, as she approached the grove, a burly man with a full beard stepped out of the bushes and asked sternly, "What are you doing, sneaking around like that?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Shuning was speechless. How could a burly man who looked to be at least 1.9 meters tall suddenly emerge from the bushes in broad daylight and have the nerve to accuse her of being sneaky?
However, thinking that this person was probably the gatekeeper of the black market, he didn't want to argue with him. So he smiled and waved the basket in his hand, deliberately lowering his voice to make it sound a bit old, and said, "I have a few duck eggs stored at home, and I wanted to see if I could sell them."
Since this trip was just to test the waters, Chen Shuning didn't bring much, only ten catties of duck eggs.
Although eggs should be easier to sell at this time, the eggs in Chen Shuning's space are all the large, red-shelled eggs common in modern times, while the eggs in this era are mostly small, white-shelled eggs, so she dared not take out any of the eggs in her space.
Perhaps because she was a stranger, the burly man remained wary. He stepped forward, lifted the blue cloth covering the bamboo basket, and saw that it was indeed full of duck eggs. Only then did he relax his guard, wave towards the woods, and then retreat back into the bushes.
She hadn't noticed it before, but as she got closer, Chen Shuning realized that the burly man was actually in a small thatched hut built in a pit. And the burly man wasn't squatting in the grass as she had initially thought; he was sitting in the hut, with tea and peanuts on a small table in front of him, looking quite carefree.
Just as Chen Shuning was watching with a look of amazement, another burly man emerged from the woods, making Chen Shuning wonder if everyone in this place was so physically strong.
The burly man walked over and asked her in a low voice, "Buy or sell?" As he spoke, he stared intently at Chen Shuning's made-up face.
Chen had systematically learned makeup skills from a senior makeup artist. In this era when no one knew what the four great evil arts of Asia were, the other party naturally couldn't see anything from her face, and their vigilance dropped even further.
Seeing that the other party did not suspect anything, Chen Shuning felt a little relieved. He still spoke in a low voice, "Nephew, my old man at home is sick and we urgently need money. We happen to have a few duck eggs at home, so I came to see if we can sell them to raise some money for his medicine."
(Sorry, future old man, I couldn't find an excuse at the last minute, so I'm just using you as a substitute. I didn't mean to curse you.)
(To that old man, thank you for always thinking of me when good things happen.)
Chen Shuning deliberately raised his voice, and it really did sound like an old woman's voice.
"Hmm, two cents. Be quiet inside, don't cause any trouble."
“Okay, okay, I understand. Uncle Wang told me before I came,” Chen Shuning said, while pretending to be in pain as she looked at the burly man and asked, “Nephew, I have another question for you. I wonder if anyone here buys watches.”
A few days ago, my child brought home a watch. You know, I'm already so old, isn't it a waste to wear such a nice thing?
Then the old man fell ill, so I thought I'd see if I could sell this watch too, to get more money back.
"I'll exchange some money for the old man to improve his health."
Upon hearing that the old woman in front of him actually possessed such a rare item as a watch, the burly man became intrigued.
It's important to understand that China's industry was not developed at that time, and watches were truly in high demand. Supply and marketing cooperatives required both money and coupons, and even if you had both, they might not have the watches, because watches were supplied in limited quantities.
Nowadays, young people are into getting married with things like "three turns, one sound, and thirty-two legs," so this watch has become a hot commodity everywhere, definitely priced but unavailable.
Coincidentally, he had recently started dating someone, and the two had a good relationship. The girl was a primary school teacher in town, and marrying her was considered a step down for her. The girl had also told him that everything else about marriage was fine, but she insisted that he get her a watch.
You see, he's been in charge of the black market here for several years, and he's never seen anyone come here to sell watches, not even a single watch ticket. He's been worrying about this lately, but unexpectedly, someone has come to his door today.
So, with a look of surprise and eagerness, he asked, "This land is under my management. If you have anything good, you can sell it to me directly. Don't worry, I guarantee it won't be lower than the price you would have paid yourself."
Chen Shuning twitched her lips, secretly pleased. She hadn't expected him to be so lucky. He had run into a buyer on his first visit, which made things much easier for her and reduced the risk of having to set up her own stall.
Considering they're in the business, they shouldn't be too shady. They certainly can't be openly engaging in double-crossing in broad daylight, otherwise how would they survive in the future?
Without saying a word, he put down the basket slung over his arm, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, opened it, and held the watch inside up to the burly man's eyes, saying, "This is it. How much do you want for it?"
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