Chapter 192: Buying And Selling
“Older brother, that Xiao Qi kid really has good fortune! To meet such a good girl like Su Ning.”
Yan Dong nodded slightly in deep agreement, indeed good fortune.
He couldn’t help turning back again to look at the person still standing at the door seeing them off, and upon seeing him turn back, that person still returned a full-faced smile and cutely waved.
“I only hope such a good girl can soon become one of our own!”
“Xiao Qi is more impatient than you, wait and see, maybe it won’t be long before we get good news.”
“Hahaha!”
The two brothers returned to the cell, and Yan Ziyu, who had been waiting for a long time, exhaled hot air as his tense nerves finally relaxed.
Although he had already heard the news brought by Old Chu and had some guesses in his heart, he was always worried about unexpected situations until he actually saw the person.
“Dad.”
“Dad, guess who came today? You definitely won’t expect it!”
Without even having time to put down the things, Yan Nan eagerly asked him the question, clearly thrilled from the bottom of his heart.
Raising his eyebrows, Yan Ziyu had a gentle look in his eyes and his usual refined elegance on his face; since there was no issue, he was very willing to cooperate with his son’s rare childish guessing game.
“To make you this happy, it must be someone unexpected yet very joyful to see, Xiao Qi and your uncle are unable to come even if they wanted to…”
Brothers or friends from the courtyard or military?
He secretly shook his head; for Wang Xu to come was already rare, not everyone would selflessly wade into such murky waters.
Could it be…
“Su Ning?”
“No, Dad, how did you guess it right?!”
“Really Ning Ning? How did she come? By herself? Nothing happened to your grandparents, right?”
Yan Ziyu first lit up with joy, then felt shocked, and asked his two sons repeatedly.
“Dad, rest assured, grandparents and Xiao Qi are all fine. Su Ning came with one of her brothers to Jilin Province for important business, and stopped by on the way after finishing to visit us on behalf of Xiao Qi.”
So that’s how it is.
Nodding in understanding, Yan Ziyu carefully listened to the news brought by Su Ning as retold by his eldest son.
Only after getting all the information he wanted to know did he have the mind to look through the things she brought.
……
The story branches in two directions, each told separately.
Leaving the reclaimed land farm, without the big and small bags, Su Ning and Zhang Ze were naturally much lighter than when they came.
With hands and heart both empty, walking in the thick snow, listening to the crunching sounds by their ears, they experienced a novelty absent on the way there.
“Ning Ning, you have a good impression of the Yan family members?”
“Why would Brother Zhang ask that?”
“I can tell you were very happy to see those two brothers.”
It was said to be on the way, but it was actually a deliberate detour; if not truly cared for, why go through such hardship.
Zhang Ze thought of Yan Bei, whom he had only met a few times but left a deep impression.
Before, he had no opinion on who she wanted as a partner as long as the person had good character.
But now, if she really chose Yan Bei, given the Yan family’s situation, how could Zhang Ze not worry? Even if it annoyed her, he had to say something.
“The Yan family members seem pretty good, but Ning Ning, if you really want to be with Yan Bei, you need to think it through carefully; their current situation will definitely affect you.”
Even with Mao Jinqian from the commune above and Su Qingshan from the brigade behind, and himself being the only barefoot doctor in the surrounding brigades, the necessary colored looks, criticisms, and even implicated investigations were unavoidable.
Fortunately, Yan Bei’s situation was special, unlike the other Yan family members; he was receiving middle-peasant education, not sent down for reform—similar in name but quite different in reality.
Also because of the nature of his work, if handled properly with help, using this as a breakthrough to transfer to a certain research group—even as the most peripheral ordinary member—would be a great move with multiple benefits.
At least if the two really got together, Su Ning’s situation wouldn’t need to be worried about so much.
“Brother Zhang, rest assured, I will think it through.”
Because she trusted him as one of her own, even though the question made her a bit embarrassed, Su Ning didn’t brush it off casually but responded seriously.
“As long as you have it figured out.”
A little girl’s face is thin; seeing her face as red as her nose tip, and thinking his worries were still just shadows, Zhang Ze smiled and naturally dropped the topic.
“Eh? There seems to be a large market ahead, shall we go take a look?”
“What good luck, come on Brother Zhang, let’s check out the market here too!”
“Sure.”
In Beijing City, the surrounding villages held markets irregularly led by the commune, convenient for villagers with little money and ration coupons to trade daily necessities.
As for the larger townships under Xiangnan, it was mainly because there were many ethnic minorities, and market days every few days was a traditional culture passed down for generations.
Later, after discussions by the leadership, it was decided to retain it appropriately, but changed from individual buying and selling to brigade collective units, still requiring the commune to lead and guarantee.
Su Ning had attended a market once in the brigade; the lively scene was indeed unforgettable.
Unlike Xiangnan’s mostly various handmade bamboo crafts, cotton, and linen products, what would be different here?
……
Perhaps due to the time, upon reaching the market, the two found few people left, with many stalls preparing to pack up.
Looking around, the stalls still displayed mostly various wild game, furs, and quite a few nuts, mountain mushrooms, and dried goods.
No wonder despite the risk of eating peanuts, so many people secretly engaged in speculator buying and selling.
Just exchanging things unique to the north and south would guarantee big profits.
With these furs and nuts transported to the southern black market, wouldn’t people go crazy grabbing them?
“Brother Zhang, shall we buy some to take back?”
“Sure.”
He was carrying the factory’s proof, so buying and selling wasn’t a worry.
Purchasing a batch of goods in the name of the textile factory transport team was something these large truck drivers often did, an unwritten rule.
“Just right, in less than two months it’s almost New Year, I’ll buy more wind-dried meat to bring back for your sister-in-law and them.”
“These furs and nuts are good too.”
Showing the proof, the people standing guard with red armbands checking indeed said nothing and didn’t even ask questions.
Zhang Ze began leading her to buy around in circles.
He mainly bought various wild game, while Su Ning was obsessed with nuts—like thin-shelled large walnuts, oily plump large pine nuts, and hard-shelled hazelnuts with rich fragrant meat so tasty you couldn’t stop.
Only when the market closed did they reluctantly stop.
Zhang Ze made several trips to load the bought things onto the found mule cart, and returned to the nearby county town fully loaded with her.
After mailing all the things back, he made a few phone calls at the post office.
Then they went to the state-run restaurant to fill their stomachs, and returned to the guesthouse satisfied to rest.
……
Beijing City, Qinghe Lane, Fu family.
After dinner, Li Hehua, belly protruding, routinely took a walk supported by Fu Ying.
After a few sets of movements, sweat appeared on her forehead, but the stiffness was much relieved, undoubtedly very comfortable.
“Dad.” “Grandfather!”
Fu Ying looked at the returning grandfather with a joyful expression, “Was it a call from Sister Ning Ning?”
“Yes, yes? Where is Sister Ning now?”
Not just her, Fu Ting was also restless; he dashed from under the eaves in two or three steps, impatiently grabbing his arm and shaking it hard, urging, “Grandfather?!”
“You little brat, let go! Same big piety as your dad!”
This damn little thing, he was almost shaken apart!
Glaring at him irritably, after he seemed to come back to his senses and immediately put on a silly grinning fool act, Fu Chenggong didn’t keep teasing and said, “It was Ning Yatou’s call.”
“She’s not in Jilin Province now, where else could she be? She said she’s preparing to return tomorrow.”
“Dad, does Ning Ning have something going on?”
Unlike the two children who only cared about being happily silly upon hearing it was Ning Ning, Li Hehua noticed something off in his eyes.
“Ning Ning is fine, you, don’t overthink, take care of your own body.”
Waving his hand, Fu Chenggong clearly didn’t want to say more, scanned them and instructed, “When the big brat comes back, have him come to my study room.”
With that, he limped step by step toward the study room, leaving the mother and two sons looking at each other in dismay.
“Grandpa is very off.”
“Isn’t that nonsense!”
Every time he got a call from Sister Ning Ning, Grandpa’s beard would fly up with joy; this time after the call, his face was long, which was extremely off.
“Could Sister Ning Ning really have run into something?”
“What exactly? No, I have to go ask clearly!”
