Sure Enough, It Was Them

This program was produced by Tomato Listening. Episode 26: Sure Enough, It Was Them. There were neither many nor few people in the Black Market. The entire alley was fairly quiet, and even bargaining had to be done in low voices.

Lin Yuzhu carried a basket on her back, drawing quite a bit of attention. She found an extremely inconspicuous corner and squatted down. Her heart was beating a little uneasily. In her view, this Black Market was less safe than walking the streets as a peddler. She remained on full alert, ready to run at the first sign of trouble.

When her first customer arrived, Lin Yuzhu looked up and hesitated. Wasn't this the salesperson from the grain store?

Why had he come to the Black Market?

Lin Yuzhu did not have a photographic memory. She had only noticed him because the man squatting across from her was rather eye-catching.

In this modest little town, there truly were not many people who could wear nothing but black, white, and gray all day while still looking distinguished. Not to mention someone who was quite good-looking!

The man before her might not have matched the beauty standards of this era. At a time when everyone admired thick brows, big eyes, and square faces, he was the complete opposite. His narrow phoenix eyes tilted slightly upward, making him look sharp and difficult to approach. Yet Lin Yuzhu liked that sort of look. He had an air of abstinence about him.

They said that people with thin lips were all cold-hearted, and this man had that trait in full.

With that face, he would have been disliked by rural aunties purely on merit. He stood tall and straight, though he was somewhat lean. If he were thrown into the countryside, he would probably have a miserable time.

Lin Yuzhu realized that the village aunties had corrupted her.

His looks truly suited the aesthetic standards of later generations, which was why Lin Yuzhu still recognized him now.

The man glanced at Lin Yuzhu, his gaze gradually deepening. He should never have met this little boy before, so why did the other party seem to know him? Before he could investigate further, the boy looked at him as though he did not know him after all, as if he had mistaken him for someone else.

Brother Dao, are you buying anything?

Lin Yuzhu spoke in an honest, guileless manner.

Shen Bojun nodded and asked in a low, indifferent voice, "What do you have?"

Cornmeal, rice, flour, and eggs.

Shen Bojun raised a brow. They were all goods that sold well. After asking about the prices once more, he stood and left without another word.

Lin Yuzhu was speechless. You're making me really nervous like this!

Someone who could so easily resist the temptation of rice and flour—was he really here to buy things at the Black Market?

Could he be a spy sent by Liang Zhan, preparing to sweep up this entire Black Market in one go?

Lin Yuzhu hesitated for a moment. Should she leave immediately? No matter how she looked at it, safety came first. After thinking for a while, she decided to withdraw. She had already stood up when she saw that fellow strolling back with a fat man. He raised a brow at her, seemingly puzzled by what she was doing.

With all her goods already on her back again, Lin Yuzhu smiled awkwardly. "I was thinking of moving over there. It might sell better."

The other man neither agreed nor disagreed. "This spot really isn't noticeable. Buy all his goods, then bargain with him over the price."

After giving Fatty Li his instructions, Shen Bojun went to the next stall.

Lin Yuzhu froze. This setup felt strangely familiar.

A cool and detached salesperson who was also a minor leader in the Black Market.

After receiving his orders, Fatty Li pulled Lin Yuzhu over to ask about the goods.

After opening everything to inspect it, Fatty Li was quite pleased inside, though he looked thoroughly disdainful on the surface.

Thus, after another fierce round of bargaining, they finally settled on a price.

Lin Yuzhu had secretly transferred in some rice and flour just then, so she sold fifty jin of cornmeal at thirteen cents per jin, twenty jin of rice at ninety cents per jin, twenty jin of flour at sixty cents per jin, and ten jin of eggs at fifty-five cents per jin. Including ten jin of soybean oil at forty cents per jin and a stack of coupons, she earned more than two hundred and fifty yuan.

Fatty Li carried the goods on his back, and his body sank under the weight. He could not help muttering, "That kid looks short and skinny, but she's pretty strong."

Lin Yuzhu, who had not gone far, was speechless.

Short? Lin Yuzhu suddenly remembered that there was a Black Market spot in the original story around the train station, but she did not intend to go there for now. That place was filled with all sorts of people and even had a small gang. One of its minor leaders was extremely lecherous. Even though the female lead had disguised herself, she had not escaped his prying eyes and was still recognized by him.

Moreover, the rice and flour she sold were far better than what was available on the market. Little Taomu had someone follow the female lead. Though she managed to shake them off, she ran into them again during her next resale trip.

Seeing that she still had goods, the minor leader clearly did not intend to let the female lead go again. He personally followed her and saw what she really looked like after removing her disguise. Lust rose in his heart, and he also wanted to control the resources in her hands. There would inevitably be several rounds of entanglement after that.

The female lead faced danger after danger, but relying on her powerful protagonist halo, she secretly helped the police wipe out the entire gang. She even took away half their supplies and made a hefty profit.

Naturally, the male lead's help had been indispensable.

If Lin Yuzhu remembered correctly, he seemed to know an undercover agent. From then on, that Black Market became the female lead's money-making base.

Lin Yuzhu estimated that the Black Market was in its most chaotic period right now. With one halo and two backers, she still felt it was better not to get involved. She preferred steady development.

No matter when it was, money was nothing compared to one's life.

Seeing that it was nearly noon, Lin Yuzhu decided to stop and find a place to change her appearance.

Unexpectedly, the moment she stepped out of the alley, she was grabbed by an older woman.

"Little comrade, do you have any goods?"

The older woman spoke softly and kept glancing around as though she were committing a crime.

Lin Yuzhu rubbed her nose. Acting so shifty only made one more suspicious. She secretly shook her head, guessing that the woman did not want to enter the Black Market and had deliberately waited at the alley entrance to intercept people.

"Auntie, why didn't you go in?"

"Who could still have goods after coming out at this time?"

"I don't want to go in. You have to pay to enter, and it's not necessarily safe."

"You have to pay to buy things there?"

"Of course. It costs three cents."

"They say they can't help people for free. That Wang Feng is really ruthless. Little comrade, do you have goods or not?"

Perhaps because she felt the alley entrance was unsafe as well, the older woman became a little impatient.

"I do, but I have to go get them."

"How long will it take you to get them?"

"Is it far from here?"

"If it isn't far, I'll go with you."

The older woman clearly did not want to stay there any longer. She seemed eager to leave with Lin Yuzhu immediately.

Lin Yuzhu only wanted to find an empty place and take out some goods. How could she possibly bring this older woman along?

"Auntie, I can't take you with me. I don't need to spell out why—you should understand. How about you give me your home address? I'll bring the goods to you after I get them."

The older woman thought for a moment and nodded. "All right. My home is right behind here."

"Number Three, the innermost house. Just knock when you get there, little comrade."

Lin Yuzhu nodded in understanding. "Auntie, I have rice, flour, oil, and cornmeal. What would you like?"

"About how many jin would you need?"

The older woman's eyes lit up. "Give me twenty jin of cornmeal, ten jin each of rice and flour, and ten jin of oil too."

"Hey, let me make this clear. This stuff isn't easy to get, so you can't refuse to pay, all right? Hehe."

"Don't worry. It'll definitely be good-quality goods."

After settling the deal, Lin Yuzhu separated from the older woman. Once she walked out through another alley entrance, she noticed someone following behind her. Her eyes shifted, and she quickened her pace before turning into another maze-like alley. The moment no one was around, she immediately entered her space.

Fortunately, the system could monitor the activity outside. Sure enough, several dozen seconds later, it sensed someone pursuing her. However, the system currently had no function that allowed it to observe the outside world.

Lin Yuzhu had no way of knowing who was following her. She patted her little heart, which was thumping wildly.

Lin Yuzhu forced herself to calm down and think it over carefully. Logically speaking, such a small quantity of goods should not have drawn attention. Her goods were considered refined goods, but—huh?

Something was wrong. That older woman.

Lin Yuzhu's eyes darted back and forth as she carefully recalled the scene. Then she suddenly remembered that when she had entered the Black Market, someone dressed similarly to that older woman had passed by her. If she had not guessed wrong, it had been this very woman.

That older woman was probably testing whether she still had goods on someone else's behalf. If Lin Yuzhu foolishly went to retrieve the goods, she might very well expose her source.

That was the optimistic possibility. In the worst-case scenario, they might even kill her and steal her goods. They could also be spies.

Although Lin Yuzhu did not know whether her guess was correct, the deal with that older woman was definitely off.

She could not risk walking into a wolf's den. Since she was alone, it was better not to take the chance.

Planning to wait about half an hour before going out, Lin Yuzhu sat on the grass with a smile and began counting her money.

There were more than two hundred and thirty yuan in the thick stack.

Lin Yuzhu was so happy that she wanted to shake her feet. She had managed to get quite a few industrial coupons today. She had only obtained two cloth coupons, along with two miscellaneous coupons.

After sorting out the money and coupons, Lin Yuzhu got up and entered the little thatched hut to remove her disguise.

After washing up and fixing herself again, the mirror reflected a delicate young girl.

Other than being a little dark-skinned, Lin Yuzhu thought as she looked in the mirror, she still needed to buy a more expensive bottle of sunscreen.

Life was not easy, and everything cost money. Wang Xiaomei had said she was visiting relatives, so Lin Yuzhu could only go have lunch by herself.

The two had agreed to meet at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the afternoon. After leaving her space, Lin Yuzhu slipped from the small alley onto the main street, then headed toward the State-Run Restaurant with the swagger of someone who feared neither heaven nor earth.

The State-Run Restaurant had strict rules in those days: meals were served exactly when scheduled. They would not let you order even a minute early. If you arrived after business hours, the chef would refuse to cook for you even if he was sitting beside the stove. That was just how brazen they were.

It was already noon, and Lin Yuzhu did not dare delay any longer. She had been busy all morning and was genuinely starving. She did not want to return to her space to cook right now. At the very least, she had to experience the legendary State-Run Restaurant once.

When she arrived, it was neither too early nor too late, just after the peak ordering period. There were only two people ahead of her in line at the window. As someone from the future, how could she be timid?

When it was Lin Yuzhu's turn, she held her head high and declared boldly, "One bowl of rice and one serving of braised pork."

The server lazily took the money and coupons from Lin Yuzhu's hand, dismissed her with a single "Wait," and sent her away.

Lin Yuzhu clicked her tongue internally. This service attitude was truly unprecedented and would likely never be surpassed.

To avoid wasting resources, someone eating alone like her inevitably had to share a table with others.

Yet fate was wonderful. Not long after Lin Yuzhu sat down, an acquaintance came over and sat beside her.