Thanks to Mai Sui, the driver left the bus ten minutes earlier.

We drove very fast during the journey, and the original one hour and ten minutes of driving was compressed into 40 minutes.

The driver didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Mai Sui got off the bus.

Along the way, no one in the carriage dared to speak.

Even the noisy chickens and ducks seemed to have become spiritual.

As if sensing a powerful and dangerous presence nearby, it curled up quietly under the seat, not daring to make a sound.

It was not until today that Mai Laosan and Mai Hongcai realized that Mai Sui had really shown mercy to them before.

If Mai Sui had dealt with them the same way he did today, they would probably be buried in the ground now.

Mai Laosan: My daughter, I am so touched. When I make money in the future, I will take you to a big hospital in the provincial capital to have your brain treated.

Mai Hongcai: Sister, I will never dare to act naughty again. I will listen to you obediently. Just please don’t hit me!

As soon as Mai Sui got off the car, he said to Mai Lao San: "Let's ride a bicycle next time, or buy a car ourselves.

I never want to ride in this crappy minibus again. It stinks."

Mai Laosan didn't dare to refute and could only nod in agreement.

He certainly couldn't think of buying a car, so he could only work harder and ride a bicycle.

The county seat of Xiangxi County is much more prosperous than Hongqi Commune.

There are not only state-owned restaurants, Xinhua Bookstore, post office, supply and marketing cooperatives, etc. on the street, but even department stores.

Mai Laosan and Mai Hongcai were soon immersed in the joy of entering the city. They were dazzled by the "bustling metropolis" and forgot the little episode in the car.

However, Mai Sui discovered something that made her very unhappy.

That is, she was a big shot, but when she got here, she became illiterate.

It cannot be said that she is completely illiterate. Some of the words are similar to those in the world she lives in, so she can still know them by guessing.

But one third is completely different.

Can this wheat ear endure?

So, their first stop was not the black market, but Xinhua Bookstore.

Mai Laosan and Mai Hongcai were very confused.

Since Yuan Mai Sui had only attended a free literacy class for one year, he probably couldn't even write his own name, so what was he doing in the bookstore?

But Mai Sui insisted on coming, so they had no choice but to follow.

Mai Sui chose a Xinhua Dictionary, and then found out... he didn't have enough money.

Mai Laosan had previously borrowed two yuan from Mai Xiangdong, plus all the wealth he had saved over the years, a total of 2.75 yuan.

After deducting the 90 cents spent on the bus, there is still 1.85 yuan left.

The Xinhua Dictionary costs 2 yuan.

Wheat ear: ...

"Mai Lao San, you're almost 40 years old, and your entire net worth is only 75 cents? How can you be so shameless?"

"This...life kisses me with pain, and I can only lie down and enjoy it. Otherwise, what else can I do?"

In the end, the three of them had no choice but to sell chickens on the black market.

Relying on his vague memories from many years ago, Mai Laosan came to the black market den on Sixi Street.

Sure enough, many suspicious people were found here.

The seller usually stands somewhere on the street, carrying a basket or a bag on his back and holding a "sample" in his hand.

There are also people who take the initiative to ask if the customer wants it, but this situation is relatively rare. Most of the time, they just wait for the customers to come to them.

The buyer was like a thief, looking around here and there.

If you like something, just go up and bargain.

Mai Sui and the other two walked from the beginning to the end of the street, but they didn't see anyone selling game, not even anyone selling meat.

They couldn't ask the price, so they could only decide for themselves.

Previously, when they passed by the supply and marketing cooperative, they saw that the price of pork was 78 cents per pound, and the price of chicken was 60 cents.

The price on the black market is definitely more expensive than that in the supply and marketing cooperatives.

They sell it for 80 cents a pound, which shouldn't be too much.

Mai Sui was not good at this kind of thing, so she left it to Mai Lao San to handle, and she was responsible for keeping watch nearby.

As a result, as soon as Mai Laosan took out the chicken, he immediately attracted the attention of people around him.

Not only buyers, but also sellers gathered around.

Nowadays, whether in the city or in the countryside, everyone is hungry for meat.

Everything sold in the supply and marketing cooperative is in limited supply; if you go too late, it will be sold out.

Moreover, not only money is required, but tickets are also required.

For example, if you want to buy pork, you need a pork ticket.

To buy chicken, you need a chicken ticket.

There are also special egg tickets for eggs.

They cannot be mixed with each other, and the supply and marketing cooperatives have strict restrictions on this.

However, it is difficult to catch prey in the mountains, and not everyone has the skills of Mai Sui.

Therefore, meat products are rarely seen on the black market.

Although ordinary people in this era are generally poor, there are relatively rich people among the poor.

Such scarce supplies are hard to come by, and no one wants to miss it.

"Comrade, this is a pheasant, right? Wow, it's really fat, it must be four or five pounds, right?"

Pheasants are generally smaller than domestic chickens, and a pheasant weighing four or five kilograms is indeed considered relatively fat.

"Comrade, how much do you sell it for?"

"How much do you have in this basket? If the price is right, I'll take it all.

My wife and sister are both pregnant and need some nourishment.”

"Hey, how can you be like this? If you take everything, what should we buy? I'm telling you, this is not allowed!"

"That's right. My dad is still in the hospital and needs to replenish his body as well."

"That's right! Each person can only buy one at most. If anyone dares to grab it, I will be angry with them!"

Before Mai Lao San even started selling, they were already on the verge of quarreling.

So, Mai Laosan rolled his eyes and immediately said, "One yuan per pound, and give some food coupons, or other coupons will do."

I was planning to sell it for 80 cents, but in less than three minutes, it became one dollar.

The speed at which Mai Laosan raises the price is quite good!

But he was clearly inexperienced and the price he quoted was far below the general market price.

The price of meat on the black market is generally twice that of the supply and marketing cooperatives.

Although pheasants have feathers, they are still twice as expensive.

If resources are in short supply recently, the price may triple or even higher.

This is the basic situation of the black market.

When everyone heard the price, they were afraid that there wouldn't be enough, so they all said, "I want one!"

"I want one too!"

"I came here first, I'm third in line!"

"And me, I'm fourth!"

"I'm fifth!"

No one even bargained.

Mai Laosan was not stupid either. He immediately realized that his price was too low.

But the words have been spoken, there is nothing that can be done.

In the end, all five pheasants were sold out.

Many people didn’t buy it and kept asking Mai Laosan when the next stock would be available.

Mai Lao San pretended to be profound: "It's hard to find goods in the mountains. I can't say for sure. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow."

Afterwards, Mai Sui and the other two quickly left Sixi Street.

As soon as they left, two strong men came and asked if there was anyone selling pheasants here.

If Mai Laosan were here, he would be able to immediately recognize that one of them was Lao Ding from the next village.

The organization that Lao Ding belongs to is a gang that specializes in black market transactions and controls the black market in the south of the city.

If it's just selling some small gadgets, that's fine.

But if you want to sell pheasant, which is a scarce commodity, on the black market, you must first pay a visit to the port.

It is obvious that Mai Laosan doesn't understand this rule.