Zhao Youcai smiled and thanked them as he got off the oxcart, then headed straight for the black market with his basket.
On the way to the black market, Zhao Youcai couldn't help but marvel at the powerful effects of the muscle-relaxing pills once again.
Look at the brigade leader, his butt was sore from sitting and he was still rubbing his back. Then look at me, I was still full of energy after walking all this way. The contrast is just too obvious.
Without the medicine provided by the system, Zhao Youcai had no doubt that he might not have been able to make it this far.
As soon as Zhao Youcai entered the black market with his basket, he took out one or two of each item from the farm's warehouse. However, the basket was covered with a floral cloth, so it was impossible to see what was inside.
Zhao Youcai knew that the black market was full of people and shady characters. He was just an ordinary old man, and it wouldn't be good if he were targeted and ganged up on by some scoundrel.
Feeling that fewer eyes were on him, Zhao Youcai noticed that many people wearing headscarves who came to buy groceries were walking in the same direction.
Zhao Youcai silently followed, carrying his basket. After inquiring about the vegetable prices from several other vendors, he walked to an inconspicuous corner, then slightly lifted a corner of the floral cloth to reveal the large cabbages inside.
Most of the people who frequently buy things at the black market have met the people who sell things there before. When Zhao Youcai, a strange old man, appeared, they didn't think much of it and assumed that he was also there to buy things.
Until a plump woman caught sight of the plump, emerald-green cabbages still glistening with dew in Zhao Youcai's basket, her eyes widened instantly, and she rushed over to Zhao Youcai, using her broad body to completely block him from view.
Zhao Youcai's eyes also lit up.
These days, everyone's skinny like sticks, so for a woman to have this kind of physique is definitely a lucky charm!
"How about it, little sister? Want to buy something?" Zhao Youcai asked tentatively.
Despite having lived two lives, this was the first time he had ever secretly sold vegetables like this, and he was genuinely a little nervous.
Zhao Youcai quietly moved some more items from the warehouse into the basket, adjusted the floral fabric, and the woman smiled and pulled him toward a more secluded corner.
"Brother! I'm not going to play games with you, is this price okay?"
Zhao Youcai saw the woman hold up three fingers and knew that this was the highest price for cabbage on the black market.
However, his cabbage is different from other people's cabbage.
Everyone else's cabbages are for winter storage, but his cabbages are freshly grown from the ground.
Zhao Youcai shook his head and took out a cabbage from the basket to show the woman.
"You can rummage through any vegetables on the black market, and you won't find one that's as fresh and tender as the cabbages I grow!"
The plump woman squinted at the cabbage carefully. With years of experience, she knew that if someone couldn't even tell whether a cabbage was freshly grown or had been watered, they wouldn't need to go out to buy anything anymore.
“I grew these Chinese cabbages indoors, and I don’t know how much firewood I used up in one winter.”
The lush green cabbage leaves and the juicy cabbage stalks—just looking at them makes you imagine how sweet they must be.
Especially at this time of year, it will be at least two more months before we can eat other fresh vegetables.
The plump woman gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and held up two fingers with trembling hands, "Five cents a pound! That's the highest I can go!"
Zhao Youcai wanted to roll his eyes and leave, but then he thought about the prices these days; an egg only cost five cents.
Selling a pound of Chinese cabbage for the price of an egg is indeed a high price.
Zhao Youcai didn't waste any time, "How many do you want to buy?"
If this woman had been haggling for so long, and then said she only wanted one, he was sure he would have raised the price even higher.
Can retail and wholesale prices be the same?!
The plump woman didn't disappoint him. "I'll take everything you brought."
Zhao Youcai's eyes lit up, revealing the radishes and red bean buns in the basket.
"This basket of mine isn't just full of cabbages, are you going to take it all?"
Radishes are cheaper than cabbages in the market, but everything Zhao Youcai brings out is of top quality.
The plump woman noticed that the old man was calmly negotiating prices, and knew he was offering high-quality goods. She guessed he probably had quite a few similar items in his possession.
Especially these plump, steaming red bean buns; they made her mouth water.
The plump woman, eager to befriend the old man, immediately decided to raise the price of radishes to the same level as cabbage.
Red bean buns are made with white flour and are about the size of steamed buns, so they are naturally more expensive.
Zhao Youcai figured he couldn't exchange all his money at the black market this time. He wanted to get some receipts so he could buy something else from the supply and marketing cooperative and take it back with him. So he set the price of the fifty red bean buns he had at 15 cents each.
Three radishes and three cabbages weighed a total of thirty-six jin (approximately 18.5 catties) and sold for one yuan and eighty cents.
After some back and forth, Zhao Youcai finally sold the contents of the basket for a total of eight yuan and eighty cents, plus three jin of grain coupons, one jin of sugar coupons, and one jin of meat coupons.
"Could you help me deliver a shipment? I won't lie to you, I'm the purchasing manager at the steel mill."
The plump woman said with a smile, seemingly implying something.
Zhao Youcai was taken aback. Although he had his own guesses, it was impossible for someone who could buy so many things at once to have no connections.
I was still surprised to hear that this person said he was the purchasing manager of the steel plant.
You should know that there is only one steel mill in the vicinity, but it supports a lot of workers and provides many job opportunities.
That's exactly what Zhao Youcai realized. This was definitely the biggest customer he could ever meet.
Since the other person had already introduced herself, Zhao Youcai naturally understood what she meant.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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