Following the old lady's instructions, we arrived at the location of the black market and found that it was the old street in the town. The alleys here are interconnected and the alleys are crisscrossed. No wonder the black market is here. Even if the law enforcement team comes to arrest people, they can run and hide anywhere in the well-connected area, making it really not easy to catch them.
Su Tao saw figures moving through every alley. Some were honest farmers, squatting on street corners, setting up small stalls selling their own vegetables and crops. Others were clearly profiteers, their faces covered with scarves or wearing large-brimmed hats pulled low, obscuring their features. They were standing at alley corners, their eyes alert, peering around. If they spotted something unusual, they'd be quicker to flee.
Su Tao noticed a man holding a piece of pork and looking around. He approached and asked in a low voice, "Are you selling this pork?"
The man looked up at the sound and was stunned. My goodness, how could this girl be so beautiful and yet she came to the black market to buy meat without hiding anything? If he hadn't confirmed that it was the person in front of him who spoke, the man would have thought it was a mistake.
"Oh, for sale, 1 yuan per pound, I don't need a ticket, do you want it?" the man said excitedly.
Seeing Su Tao frown and not reply, the man thought Su Tao thought it was too expensive and might not want it. He immediately looked around without interest, looking for the next buyer.
"Yes, do you only want this piece of pork? Do you have any more?" The little girl's crisp and soft voice came.
The man thought Su Tao would not take it, but he turned out to be a big customer. The man looked at Su Tao carefully and confirmed that Su Tao was not a cop. He did not want to be caught in the act, so he said cautiously: "Yes, yes, how much do you want?"
Su Tao said slowly, "I want 5 jin of Wuqi meat and 5 jin of lean meat. Do you have any?"
The man looked at Su Tao in surprise. Why would a little girl buy so much meat? You know, refrigerators were not common in those days. Meat was usually eaten soon after it was bought, so it was not easy to preserve.
Su Tao saw the man's puzzled look, then reacted and explained, "My eldest brother is getting married, so I bought some meat to hold the wedding banquet."
The man suddenly realized something and said, "Who would buy so much meat for no reason? He was just being nosy. As long as people paid, why should he care what they bought?"
The man hurriedly said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go get the goods and be back soon." Then he ran into a dark alley behind him and disappeared.
Su Tao waited for more than ten minutes but no one came back. He was about to leave to see if there were other people selling meat when he saw a familiar figure rushing out from the dark alley and handing a large bundle of meat to Su Tao.
There was no scale, so Su Tao weighed it and found it was heavy enough. He counted out ten one-yuan bills to the man, who quickly disappeared down the alley with the money.
Su Tao also found a hidden place to put the meat in the space to keep it fresh, and then swaggered out empty-handed again, not at all like the person he had just cheated with.
With his experience buying meat, Su Tao wandered around again, figuring out the layout of the black market and the items on sale. Of course, this wasn't just the layout for today; the vendors would change locations from time to time and wouldn't stay for long. They wouldn't return to the same spot the next time they sold something.
Su Tao was lucky enough to buy two chickens. Chickens are harder to come by than pork, as most families have a limited number of chickens, usually kept for eggs. Few sell them. Only occasionally, a daring individual secretly raises a few more, creating a surplus for sale.
There were no tickets in Su Tao, so black market chickens were 1.2 yuan per jin (approximately 5 jin)—a little cheaper if you had tickets. Two chickens, weighing 5 jin (approximately 100 kg), cost 6 yuan in Su Tao.
Su Tao also saw someone selling spices, so she bought some that the supply and marketing cooperative didn't have. This purchase cost her nearly 30 yuan, a staggering sum. Now that she had a good understanding of the black market, it would be easier for her to sell her goods next time.
Su Tao looked at the space filled with harvest, and rode back happily. She had to hurry back to make delicious food for He Chuan and her younger sister. Oh, and she also called Zhang Jijun and made an appointment with Hu Xiao later. Su Tao made plans in her mind while pedaling hard to hurry back.
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