RIRW – Chapter 23

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Having gained some experience in business, Zuo Dan’s second transaction also went smoothly.

Since she couldn’t sell at the supply and marketing cooperative anymore, Zuo Dan decided to check out the black market. With a larger quantity of goods this time, selling to individual buyers wasn’t realistic.

At this time, black markets were technically illegal. However, for the general populace, they were indispensable for survival. The rationed grain and oil supplies each month were limited, and people couldn’t go hungry. Without coupons to buy from the supply cooperative, they had to turn to the black market. Thus, the existence of black markets was an open secret.

Of course, black market vendors didn’t openly display their goods. Instead, they would conceal their items and use subtle signals. For example, someone selling wild chickens would keep the chickens in a bag and hold a single feather in hand. Buyers would discreetly approach them for a transaction.

Following this practice, Zuo Dan casually held an apple in her hand and began eating it.

As she ate, other black market “vendors” nearby, waiting to sell their own goods, couldn’t help but lick their lips at the sight of the crisp, juicy apple.

Zuo Dan believed in the power of demonstration, especially when selling food—if it looked delicious, people would be tempted.

Sure enough, after she’d taken just a couple of bites, a middle-aged woman carrying a basket approached her. Judging by her clothes, Zuo Dan could tell she was well-off.

The woman leaned in and whispered, “Comrade, how do you trade your apples?” No one dared to say “buy” outright.

Zuo Dan mimicked her whisper and said, “No coupons, three dimes. With coupons, it’s two dimes and two cents—any kind of coupon works.” She had already done her research: black market prices were higher than those at the supply cooperative.

Hearing this, the woman’s eyes lit up. She’d been observing Zuo Dan eating the apple—it was bright red and shiny, and the sound of its crisp bite was irresistible. Swallowing her saliva, she asked, “Three dimes is quite a bit. Refined grains only cost a bit over one dime.”

“The price can’t be lower,” Zuo Dan replied. “The supply cooperative doesn’t even have stock right now. I had to bring these from far away, and lodging and meals cost money too. Besides, grains have different qualities, and my fruit is top-quality—big and sweet.”

As Zuo Dan spoke, she took another bite, the sweet juice dripping slightly from the corner of her mouth.

The middle-aged woman swallowed hard and stopped bargaining. “I’ll take ten pounds. I’ll pay with coupons—fabric and industrial ones.”

Having frequented the black market for a while, she’d never seen such high-quality fruit. These apples were even better than what the supply cooperative usually stocked. She had to seize the opportunity to buy them. If not for concerns about storage, she would’ve bought the entire lot. After all, her household, filled with workers earning decent wages, could afford to splurge on some fruit.

They found a secluded spot to complete the transaction. In one go, Zuo Dan’s sack was reduced by a third.

After the woman left, a few other customers trickled in, gritting their teeth to buy smaller quantities. Despite the smaller purchases, the remaining 20 pounds were soon sold out.

Once she was out of stock, Zuo Dan didn’t linger. She quickly pocketed the money and coupons, grabbed her empty sack, and left.

By the end of the day, she had made a profit of ten yuan. Considering the prices of the time, this was equivalent to a few hundred yuan in future purchasing power.

With plans to sell her remaining 50 pounds of apples at the morning market, Zuo Dan decided she’d head back to Zuojiatun after that.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman who had bought apples earlier returned with a few similarly-aged sisters, all carrying baskets and bags. Upon finding Zuo Dan’s spot empty, they anxiously asked around. When they learned that she had sold out and left, the woman slapped her thigh in frustration. “If I’d known you all wanted some, I would’ve bought more!”

One of her companions sighed, “If I’d known, I would’ve come with you. My kids haven’t had fruit in half a year.”

“Never mind,” another said. “We’ll come back tomorrow and check again.”

Unaware of this scene, Zuo Dan returned to the guesthouse without eating out. Back in her room, she entered the orchard inside her spatial ring. While it was dark outside, the orchard was bright and inviting. Counting the day’s earnings, both in money and coupons, Zuo Dan grinned widely. After being broke for so long, she finally had some money in hand.

Looking at the meat coupons, she smacked her lips in anticipation. After the morning market tomorrow, she planned to visit the supply cooperative and buy some meat.

At the town’s bus station, the vehicle from the county finally arrived, though it was already twilight. Shen Yiming pushed his bicycle forward to check.

A steady stream of passengers disembarked, but they were all unfamiliar faces.

When the last passenger stepped off and the driver drove away, Shen Yiming sighed. Swinging his leg over his bicycle, he began pedaling toward Zuojiatun. His rare attempt at doing a good deed had come to nothing.

By the time he returned to Zuojiatun, the educated youth had already finished dinner. Xu Dapeng was still punching a sandbag when he spotted Shen Yiming riding a bicycle. He broke into a grin. “Where’d you get the bike?”

“It’s the commune’s. I have to return it tomorrow.”

“Not bad! They even lent you a bicycle. This gig of yours is pretty sweet,” Xu Dapeng said, patting the bicycle. Public bicycles were far better quality than the ones they could afford.

“Have you eaten? I didn’t save any for you since I didn’t know you were coming back. By the way, why’d you come back so late? You’ll have to walk in the dark.”

Shen Yiming took a sip of water from the kitchen and smiled. “I sleep better here.”

“Sleep better? If I were you, I wouldn’t come back at all. That Li Chenliang struts around like he owns the place—it’s unbearable.”

Shen Yiming gave him a meaningful look. “Thinking of leaving this place?”

“Who wouldn’t want to leave if they could?” Xu Dapeng replied bitterly. He’d originally planned to join the army during the down-to-the-countryside movement, but someone else had taken his spot. Left with no choice, he ended up in the countryside. Fortunately, he had Shen Yiming as a companion.

Lowering his voice, Shen Yiming said, “While I was at the commune, I heard the officials mention a coal factory that needs skilled workers. Your uncle works at a coal mine in the county, doesn’t he? That’s an advantage—you could get in.”

Who said educated youth had to toil in the fields forever?

Hearing this, Xu Dapeng’s eyes lit up. “Really? Could it work?”

“With the right effort, there’s a chance,” Shen Yiming said. “The commune handles local assignments; higher authorities don’t interfere. It all depends on what the commune decides.”

Xu Dapeng nodded repeatedly. He knew Shen Yiming was sharp. If Shen Yiming said it was doable, it must be.

“You know, Yiming,” Xu Dapeng added, “you never should’ve come to the countryside. With your skills, you’d have done great in a proper job. Wasting time farming here—it’s such a loss.”

Shen Yiming warmed up a steamed corn bun, took a bite, and said, “It’s the same everywhere. Besides, I’ll be going back eventually.”

In the dormitory for the educated youth, Li Chenliang was doing push-ups on his bed.

Gao Wei returned from outside, saw Su Dai reading, and teasingly grabbed his book. “I say, Su Dai, you and that Li Hongbing are a perfect match—always buried in books! Haha!”

Su Dai blushed furiously and tried several times to retrieve his book but failed, his face turning red with frustration.

Li Chenliang interjected, “What are you up to?” Gao Wei reluctantly handed the book back to Su Dai and said, “We’re just messing around.”

Then he walked over to Li Chenliang and said, “By the way, Shen Yiming came back. You know, the guy’s really something. He doesn’t even need to work in the fields anymore. He’s at the commune earning work points—and the good ones too.”

Li Chenliang scoffed, “What’s so great about that? It’s just the commune.” Glancing at Su Dai, he whispered, “In a little while, we’ll be eating white flour buns every day. Does the commune even have white flour?”

Having said that, he became slightly irritated. That girl hasn’t sent a single letter. Could it be she forgot?

Meanwhile, Zuo Dan had a restful night’s sleep. She started her morning with an apple, which served as her breakfast, and hurried back to the black market.

The black market opened very early, before dawn, when it was still dark. Many people who had traveled from their hometowns couldn’t afford to stay in a guesthouse and spent the night under a nearby bridge. As a result, they arrived earlier than Zuo Dan.

As soon as she arrived, even before unpacking her fruit, someone approached her. It turned out that those who bought from her yesterday had spread the word that fresh fruit was available here, prompting others to come early.

Large, red apples were naturally appealing, and people eagerly waited for her. Fortunately, Zuo Dan had indeed shown up; otherwise, it would have been a wasted trip for them.

Fifty pounds of fruit, including the bags, were bought outright to be divided at their workplace.

“Truly, this is the workers’ era,” Zuo Dan sighed as she watched them walk off with their purchases. Feeling the bulging money and ration tickets in her pockets, she couldn’t help but compare it to life in the village. There, even with full work points, one earned only 20 cents a day—about six yuan a month. And that was the best-case scenario; if points were insufficient, one even had to supplement with money. As for other benefits? They were but a pipe dream.

The disparity left Zuo Dan seriously considering moving to the city to become a worker herself. But she knew that too was wishful thinking. For one thing, the household registration system was a significant barrier. Unless one was specially recruited or had connections, urban job postings always prioritized local residents.

When her younger brother Zuo Cong attended high school, the family had to plead with everyone they could think of. For Zuo Dan to move to the city as a worker? There was no one she could turn to for help.

With her earnings, she went to another supply and marketing cooperative and bought pork. Without connections, she could only purchase lean cuts. However, she did manage to acquire a large cast iron pot, which she decided to keep for a suitable opportunity.

The return bus wouldn’t depart until 4 p.m., so Zuo Dan treated herself to a hearty meal of fresh pork and celery dumplings at a local restaurant. Though there was more celery than pork, they were still freshly made dumplings. Afterward, she strolled around the county town before boarding the bus with ration tickets, 25 yuan in cash, a pound of pork wrapped in kraft paper, and a large iron pot stored in her orchard.

The trip had been worthwhile. Zuo Dan leaned back, closed her eyes, and fell asleep, avoiding motion sickness.

By the time the bus reached the town, it was already 6:15 p.m. Dusk was settling in, and the cool evening air prompted Zuo Dan to pull her shoulders inward. Luckily, there were villagers on the bus heading in the same direction, so she had company for part of the journey.

Zuo Dan, ever chatty, struck up conversations with her fellow travelers. Even an older woman began asking about her family background, subtly probing with matchmaking intentions.

Startled, Zuo Dan quickly shut her mouth, realizing she had been too sociable.

Suddenly, the sound of a bicycle bell rang from behind them, accompanied by a beam of light.

Bicycles were still a rarity in the countryside at this time, so everyone stepped aside to let it pass and turned to look.

A young man rode swiftly toward them, with a flashlight strapped to the front of his bicycle. He stopped right in front of them. “Zuo Dan,” he called out.

To her surprise, it was Shen Yiming.

The elderly woman, noticing their familiarity, smiled knowingly. “Oh, is this your fiancé? I see now—such a fine match!”

The others joined in with laughter. An older man chimed in, “It’s getting late. You should head back with your fiancé.”

“We’re not—”

“Zuo Dan, hurry up and get on the bike. The road is still quite a distance,” Shen Yiming urged.

“Go on, go on,” the elderly man and woman encouraged with playful enthusiasm.

Left with no choice, Zuo Dan climbed onto the bicycle.

“Grandpa, Grandma, we’ll head off now. You take your time,” Shen Yiming said cheerfully, greeting everyone warmly before pedaling away.

As the flashlight illuminated their path, Zuo Dan found it surprisingly similar to an actual bike light and couldn’t help but admire Shen Yiming’s ingenuity. “Comrade Shen Yiming, why are you returning so late? Didn’t the commune arrange a place for you to stay?”

“I can’t sleep well in a strange bed,” Shen Yiming replied. Then, he asked, “By the way, Comrade Zuo Dan, weren’t you supposed to return yesterday? Why are you only coming back today?”

Zuo Dan’s eyes darted around as she concocted a story. “Wasn’t it all for you? I went around asking about grain prices. Being unfamiliar with the area, I had to visit several places, including two supply and marketing cooperatives, to confirm the prices. By the time I was done, I’d missed the bus and had to stay another day. So, you giving me a ride today makes us even. No need for thanks on either side; we’re square now.”