Chapter 29: First Entry into the Black Market

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: First Entry into the Black Market

"Hey, aren’t you going to stay with him until he wakes up?" the male educated youth asked. He tugged at her sleeve, quickly letting go. After a glance at the distance between them and the ox cart, he lowered his voice. "You saved his life. If you’re there when he wakes up, he might give you a bigger reward. After all... for the sake of reputation, your credit has already been downplayed a lot."

Deng Yuyuan shook her head. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about money, but she still couldn’t gauge the boundaries of "stealing the protagonist’s luck" that the customer service system had mentioned. What if interacting with him too much counted as stealing the favor of key factions? She was willing to risk herself to save a life, but it really wasn’t worth it just for some reward money.

"I still have to go to town to buy milk powder for Tuantuan. What’s the point of watching over him? I’m not a young, unwed maiden anyway, so I can’t ask for too much. Besides, rich people like him usually won’t be stingy with their rewards regardless."

The male youth scratched his head, feeling like something was off.

"If you really think it’s a missed opportunity, why don’t you bring Tuantuan over to wait by his side? A little savior is still a savior," Deng Yuyuan joked. She waved at him and walked away without looking back.

Since the ox cart was transporting the others, it naturally couldn’t take her. Moreover, unless it was for official business or a medical emergency, borrowing the ox cart required trading supplies—a price Deng Yuyuan currently couldn’t afford in the eyes of the others. She’d just treat the walk as exercise!

The male youth watched her leave. Suddenly, a look of realization washed over his face, and he jogged back toward the Knowledge Youth Institute. She had smoothly pawned off the tasks of babysitting and watching the patient onto a single person. As expected of Comrade Deng Yuyuan—so smart!

As soon as Deng Yuyuan arrived in town, she ducked into a dead-end alley. She took out the cheapest dark headscarf and drab padded jacket she had bought from the system shop. Tying the scarf and pulling on a dark cotton mask, she hooked a bamboo basket covered with coarse linen over her arm. Once her disguise was complete, she navigated through the winding alleys and stepped back out.

"Customer service, please turn on the scanner and show me the way. Thanks," Deng Yuyuan ordered politely.

[I am not obligated to do so.]

She really had been too nice to it.

Deng Yuyuan carefully observed her surroundings and the passersby. By tailing a woman who was walking briskly with a sense of urgency, she successfully found the black market.

The so-called black market was really just a few people carrying baskets, trading in a narrow alley. Most were selling meat products, vegetables, and ration coupons, along with some daily necessities, cooking oil, and handicrafts.

Deng Yuyuan stepped away from the crowd slightly. Facing the wall, she took out a bag of rice, then approached a woman carrying a large sack to ask for information.

The woman eyed her for a moment. "New here?"

"Yes, yes." Deng Yuyuan smiled and nodded, hunching her back slightly. "I heard you can make some money here. My man passed away, and I’m raising my child alone. I really had no other choice but to come and try my luck. How do things sell here?"

"I don’t see you... bringing much of anything," the woman said. Her hand gently pressed against her own basket, her visible eyes filled with vigilance.

"I hid my goods outside. I’m timid and didn’t dare bring them straight in," Deng Yuyuan replied.

"Alright. Whatever you want to sell, just find a corner and set it out, or hold it in your hand and ask people as they pass. If you set up a stall, remember to lay a sturdy cloth underneath. That way, if someone comes to inspect, you can bundle it up instantly and slip away." The woman gave her some vague instructions before urging, "Come on, bring your things out. If it’s something I need, I might buy some."

She looked extremely untrusting; in fact, she was highly suspicious of her.

Deng Yuyuan hadn’t planned on setting up a stall, but now she had a reason to.

She forcibly gifted the bowl of rice to the stubborn woman who insisted she didn’t want it, then walked out and turned a few corners. From her farming game, she exchanged for rice and milk, bought cloth bags and glass bottles, and swiftly portioned everything out. Her basket was soon bulging.

The woman was still waiting for her. Deng Yuyuan proactively lifted the covering cloth to show her. On one side were bottles of milk, and on the other was a bag of rice. The white rice was large, pristine, and plump—clearly of premium quality at a glance.

"How much are you planning to sell this for?" the woman asked. She casually opened the rice Deng Yuyuan had given her to take a peek. The quality was identical to what she was selling. She was an honest seller.

Deng Yuyuan rubbed the back of her head. "I guess... whatever the market price is."

Well, the woman could tell right away that she was a complete novice. For the sake of the bag of rice she had gifted, she decided not to scam her. "Your rice is excellent quality, and the milk looks fresh. For items that normally require ration coupons, the selling price here is ten to twenty percent higher than outside. For things that don’t need coupons, it’s ten to twenty percent lower. Rice is already priced higher than the regular market rate, and since yours is such high quality, it can go even higher."

The woman helped her set the prices, then bought half a bag of rice and four bottles of milk for herself. She advised Deng Yuyuan to hold a handful of rice in her palm to pitch to buyers, and before long, everything was sold out.

"Will you come back next time?" the woman asked.

Deng Yuyuan nodded. "I’m not sure when, but next time I might bring some wooden goods too."

"Alright. If your food and drinks are good, we might just have a long-term business arrangement," the woman said with a smile. "I’m here to sell clothes. Do you want to buy any? I’ll let you have first pick."

The woman opened her sack. Deng Yuyuan took a look. It was entirely women’s clothing, along with some fabric.

"Yes, yes, thank you, ma’am!"

Tuantuan was right in the middle of a growth spurt, changing by the day, so she needed some new clothes too.

Most of the clothes were dark-colored with narrow shoulders and tight sleeves. Only a few were in the latest fashionable styles. Deng Yuyuan bought some dark clothes for herself, and estimating Zhao Erdong and Tian Tian’s sizes, she bought two sets for them as well. For Tuantuan, however, she chose brightly colored fabrics. The clothes had clearly been processed—the tags were cut off—but the stitching was tight and the quality was good.

The woman had a family of her own, so she understood perfectly just by looking at her selections. "I’ll be here next Wednesday. I’ll bring some children’s clothes, shoes, and hats. Do you want them?"

"Yes, please." Deng Yuyuan nodded repeatedly, volunteering, "Mine is a little girl."

The woman’s gaze became visibly more compassionate. In this era, a widow raising an orphaned daughter was vulnerable to danger and having her property seized by relatives.

In the end, all the money Deng Yuyuan had just earned went into buying clothes. She knew very well that while this sum was considered a lot compared to a peasant’s earning speed, it absolutely couldn’t buy this large a pile of clothes at normal prices. The woman had definitely given her a huge discount. Next time, she would have to return the favor and gift her something nice. Once she had chickens and ducks in her farm game, she’d be able to earn even more.

Her goods had sold out quickly. Deng Yuyuan returned to the deserted dead-end alley, stashed the clothes, and then headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy milk powder and sugar. If she headed back to the village now, she could still make it in time for lunch.

She rubbed her flat stomach. She hadn’t eaten breakfast and had been working straight until now; it was time to reward herself. She happened to pass by a nearby breakfast stall and bought seven large meat buns in one go—two for herself, and one for each of the other youths.

After buying the large meat buns, Deng Yuyuan’s cash for the day was completely spent. Meat was not cheap in this era, but even so, the business for large meat buns was exceptionally good. This proved that there were still plenty of wealthy people in town. She would have to come often to make some money!