Chapter 45: First Visit to the City
After several consecutive sunny days, the snow outside the forest finally began to melt, and the beautiful Snow Girl left reluctantly with tears in her eyes. The melted snow on the trees and houses dripped to the ground like beads with broken strings, and the "tick-tick" music rang in people's ears. The happy farmers carried pigs' heads to the fields to sow a year's hope. Even though spring came a little late, people still welcomed it warmly. The wheat seedlings in the field opened their bellies and drank the snow water in big gulps, and suddenly grew a lot taller as if they had drunk magic water.
As the saying goes, "It's not cold when it snows, but it is cold when it melts." Yi Ke couldn't help shivering while walking on the road.
"After buying the herbs, go buy a thicker cotton coat." Ziyi said, holding Yike's hand.
"Okay, I'll buy some more cotton and make one for you, Uncle Hao, and Auntie too. I'll make one for everyone."
Li Haoran, Ziyi and Yike got up early today in order to go into the city. After they had breakfast, they hid their long knives and skis, and set off for the city carrying herbs and mushrooms.
Yike learned from Ziyi on the way that they were going to a city in the northern part of the southwest region.
The journey was not easy, as the road was full of potholes. My feet were walking on the muddy road made of melted snow, which splashed up a lot of mud and made my trouser legs very dirty. Yike was a little bit of a germaphobe at the time, but in this environment, that little germaphobe disappeared completely, and she followed Ziyi, walking with one foot deep and one foot shallow. Although Ziyi felt distressed, he did not dare to carry Yike away.
Otherwise, you would be criticized. Nowadays, even holding hands has to be done secretly, let alone such an intimate gesture as hugging. They traveled without stopping and finally arrived in the city.
Yi Ke walked and looked around curiously. There were narrow streets, low black and white brick houses, and sparse crowds of people. He turned a street and entered another wider street with a beautiful environment. Most of the buildings here were large courtyards. Ziyi said that this was where the city government offices were located.
Yike was shocked. This was too bold. Carrying so many things into a government department was like walking into a trap. Ziyi looked at it as if he understood, and explained to Yike who pulled him, "Only the government canteen needs so many mushrooms. No one else can buy so many at once. It's okay. We are very familiar with the canteen manager. We used to sell them to him."
I feel relieved, yes! What are you worried about? This isn't the first time Ziyi and his friends have come here, so they already know the ins and outs of this place. There's no point in worrying about nothing.
"These courtyards are so magnificent!" I thought of the street I just passed by and saw that the difference between the houses in front and behind was too big.
"In the old society, this area was inhabited by dignitaries, gentry and wealthy businessmen, so the houses here were exquisitely built and looked solemn and imposing. Now in the new society, this area has become the headquarters of government agencies."
"Oh! No wonder the street ahead looked so shabby, and this one is so different."
Soon, Uncle Hao, Ziyi and Yike took many detours and finally arrived at the back door of a courtyard house.
Ziyi and Yike stood at a corner not far away so that they would not be easily noticed by passers-by. Although there were not many passers-by, Li Haoran's bag was placed next to Ziyi.
Yike stretched his head and looked, only to see Li Haoran knocking on the door. A big boy came to open the door. The two of them said something to each other, and then the boy left and the door closed again. Li Haoran stood by the door and didn't leave. After a while, the door opened again. The older boy said something, and Uncle Hao waved to Ziyi. Ziyi took the bag of mushrooms that Li Haoran had brought over, handed it to Li Hao, and then returned to Yike.
Li Haoran went in with the big boy carrying the snakeskin bag. Not long after, the door opened again and Li Haoran walked out with a smile on his face. The snakeskin bag was deflated. Ziyi and Yike looked at each other and smiled at the same time.
"Sell it. Good price. Let's go sell the herbs." Haoran came over and whispered, then led them through twists and turns to a bungalow.
The door of the bungalow was open, and this time it was Ziyi who went to sell it.
He walked in openly with a snakeskin bag on his back. Yike wanted to follow him in to take a look, but was stopped by Uncle Hao.
"This is just a purchasing station. It specializes in purchasing medicinal herbs. There's nothing to see. I'll take you to the black market to see it for yourself later."
"Isn't it said that every blade of grass and every tree in the mountains is publicly owned? Isn't Ziyi afraid to go in like this?"
"That's just what we say to the public. If that's true, then the herbs are so scarce that the purchasing stations won't be able to get them. Without herbs, the hospitals won't have medicine to use, and people will just have to wait to die. So everyone turned a blind eye to the herbs, no one reported it, and no one came to confiscate them."
"I understand. So you are all afraid of death! Ha!" Yi Ke couldn't help laughing.
Ziyi came back soon and half a day had passed.
"Ziyi, take Yike to the black market to have some fun, and sell the ginseng and ganoderma lucidum on the way. I'll go to the blacksmith shop and ask Lao Tie to make a knife for Yike for self-defense." Li Haoran said.
"Uncle Hao, you are so nice! Please tell the blacksmith that the blade should not be too wide and the handle should not be too big." Yike was very happy to hear that he could make his own self-defense weapon. From now on, he would not have to carry that heavy hatchet when going to the forest to hunt.
So the three of them parted ways, Ziyi and Yike went to the black market, and Li Haoran went to the blacksmith shop.
"Brother Ziyi, is the black market in a very remote place? Do we need to cover our faces?" Yike asked curiously.
"You think this is an act? You even wear a mask. Aren't you afraid of being mistaken for a spy?" Ziyi laughed.
"Oh! There really is a spy!"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense outside." Ziyi hurriedly stopped him in a low voice, "Be careful with what you say outside. Did you see that there are people with armbands around? If those people hear what you say, they will arrest you." Ziyi was afraid that Yi Ke would talk nonsense outside without knowing his place, so he reminded Yi Ke to be careful.
"Ah! Oh! Okay!" Yike suddenly remembered that this was an era where one had to say a red quotation before speaking. Maybe he had lived in the forest for too long after he came here, and he actually forgot these things that he had to remember.
What an unfree age! Yike no longer had that excited mood, and walked dejectedly and silently following Ziyi.
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