But if it's because of Cheng Baidong, then it's not worth it, is it?
After all, Cheng Baidong from her family is a director, and Liu Dongliang from Li Dan's family is also a director. They are at the same level and their jobs don't overlap.
Fang Qiao thought about it again and again but still couldn't figure it out. However, she figured she would deal with whatever came her way, and that thinking about it would only cause more trouble. So she simply put it out of her mind for now and tried to get along normally with him.
After Li Dan finished talking, she asked Chen Guizhi, "Sister-in-law, is the sewing machine you ordered on the black market due soon?"
"Soon, tomorrow. I'm planning to have my husband take half a day off to go to the black market with me, so we won't get ripped off again." Chen Guizhi invited, "Didn't you say you wanted to buy a sewing machine? Do you want to come with me to check out the goods?"
Fang Qiao nodded in agreement: "Okay."
Before they knew it, it was noon the next day.
Before leaving, Fang Qiao fed An An a full meal, and then went to Chen Guizhi's house to meet her.
Chen Guizhi's boyfriend, Qian Dechao, wasn't very tall, but he had regular features. Although he was middle-aged, he had thick hair and maintained a good physique, without the small belly that is common among middle-aged men. He made a very good first impression.
On the way to the black market by bus, Fang Qiao learned through conversation that Qian Dechao was two years older than Li Dan's husband, Liu Dongliang, but Qian Dechao looked younger.
After all, hair loss is the number one killer of appearance, while middle-aged weight gain comes later.
Unfortunately, Liu Dongliang has both.
Not only did her hairline recede all the way to the back of her head, but her protruding belly also made her look like a woman who was six or seven months pregnant.
Every time Fang Qiao saw Liu Dongliang come home from get off work with a big belly, she wondered if the reason why Li Dan couldn't get pregnant for many years was because of Liu Dongliang.
We chatted about gossip along the way, and time flew by. Soon we arrived at our destination.
After getting off the bus, it was about a ten-minute walk to the grove where the black market was located.
As usual, there were many young people keeping watch around the grove. Chen Guizhi led the two of them to the stall where sewing machines were resold.
After making contact, the young man who resold sewing machines looked around to make sure everything was alright before leading them to a secluded patch of bushes on the northwest side of the grove where the black market was located.
Parting the dense undergrowth, Fang Qiao discovered a two-meter square clearing that had been cut into the bushes, where a donkey cart was hidden.
There was an even younger man sitting on the donkey cart. When he saw people coming, he quickly jumped off the cart and called out, "Brother Lan."
Lan Ge nodded slightly and said to him, "Let someone take a look at the goods."
"Okay." The young man replied, jumped onto the cart, and lifted the tattered quilt covering the back of the donkey cart, revealing the sewing machine hidden inside.
"Take a look," Lan said to Fang Qiao and the other two.
Fang Qiao doesn't know anything about sewing machines; in both her past and present lives, she's never had a talent for them and had long since given up on needlework. Therefore, the person mainly looking at the goods was Qian Dechao.
Qian Dechao jumped onto the donkey cart, looked it over, touched it, and studied it for about ten minutes before jumping off and nodding to Chen Guizhi: "The sewing machine is fine, no problem."
Lan Ge also said, "Don't worry, these are all brand new products that just came out of the factory, there's absolutely no problem."
"Is the source okay?" Qian Dechao asked again, still not entirely convinced.
"Don't worry, it's all from legitimate sources." As if sensing Qian Dechao's concerns, Brother Lan added, "It's not stolen goods."
"That's good, that's good." Qian Dechao chuckled twice. "I'll take this sewing machine. Can you deliver it?"
Lan Ge nodded: "I can deliver it."
Chen Guizhi asked, "How much will it cost? My brother's village is quite far away."
She told him her family's address, and Lan Ge waved his hand and said, "Heshan isn't too far. No need to pay, just buy each of us a bottle of soda."
"Okay!" Brother Lan agreed readily, and Chen Guizhi was also a straightforward person; she paid half the money on the spot.
"Let's go, get in the car."
Lan Ge covered the sewing machine back with the tattered blanket and then let the person get into the car.
The donkey cart wasn't big; it was just a flatbed cart mounted on a donkey's back, with a sewing machine in the middle that took up almost half the space.
Lan Ge and the young man driving the carriage sat in the front, while Fang Qiao, Chen Guizhi, and Qian Dechao sat in the back.
All three people were sitting with their heads facing backward, only their buttocks on the cart, their calves dangling in the air, swaying back and forth as the donkey cart moved forward, like they were on a swing.
As the donkey cart circled the edge of the grove and passed the entrance to the black market, Fang Qiao spotted a familiar figure.
It's Jin Xin.
He came back to do his little business on his bicycle.
Jin Xin saw her too, and a bright smile appeared on his face. He waved to her and said, "Xiao Qiao, what a coincidence, I've run into you again."
"Yes, what a coincidence." The donkey cart didn't stop, so Fang Qiao could only wave her hand with a smile: "I have something to do, I'll be going now."
"Alright, alright, you go ahead with your work." Jin Xin, carrying a small bamboo basket, jogged a few steps to catch up and stuffed the basket into Fang Qiao's hands: "Here are some small cherries that grew at home, take them and eat them."
"I don't want it," Fang Qiao declined.
"Here, take it. These are cherries picked from my grandma's own cherry tree. They're so sweet." Jin Xin shoved the bamboo basket into Fang Qiao's arms and turned to walk back.
Fang Qiao quickly called out to Lan Ge, "Stop the car. Stop for a moment."
"Whoa..." The donkey cart stopped.
Fang Qiao quickly jumped off the car, took out a 50-cent bill from her bag, ran to Jin Xin, and threw it on top of his bicycle: "Take it, consider it a purchase from me."
After saying that, Fang Qiao turned around and ran back.
Jin Xin quickly picked up the money and chased after him, saying, "I'm just giving you some cherries, we're neighbors. It's just a few cherries. It would be too much of a formality for you to give me money."
"That's not just a little bit, it's at least two pounds."
Cheng Baidong was jealous of Jin Xin not long ago, so Fang Qiao felt embarrassed to accept his gifts for nothing.
But refusing would be too formal, so I had to give them money.
Cherries in the market cost about 50 cents for two or three pounds, and with the bamboo basket for carrying the cherries, 50 cents is just right.
She jumped onto the donkey cart and said to Lan Ge, "Hurry up, hurry up!"
One party gives something, the other gives money; these days, it's common to see people arguing over a few cents or dimes for dozens of rounds on the street.
Lan Ge has watched it since he was a child, and he still finds it hilarious.
He smiled, a smirk playing on his lips, and cracked his whip, "Giddy up!"
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