Chapter 260: You Get What I Mean, Right?
The so-called runners are not people who pull carts or drive cars, but people who mainly make a living by reselling grain.
After Beiping fell, the city’s economy deteriorated sharply, prices soared, and supplies were extremely scarce.
The plunder by the Japanese puppet regime caused a severe shortage of survival supplies for Beiping residents, while grain production in the Zhangjiakou and Xuanhua areas was relatively abundant, and grain prices were much lower than in Beiping.
Despite the Japanese Army implementing a control policy on strategic supplies, with violators being charged with “economic crimes,”
the pressure of hunger, the difference in grain prices, and the relatively short distance still drove many people to risk taking the train from Beiping, carrying small commodities to the Xuanhua and Zhangjiakou areas to sell, then buying grain to bring back to Beiping.
These are the so-called runners.
To put it this way, in Beiping City at this time, there were at least no fewer than eighty thousand people making a living as runners, and there were also quite a few from out of town who came to Beiping to do so.
However, because the checks were strict, the amount each person could carry was relatively limited, and the vast majority couldn’t make much of it.
If talking about bigger ones, then it would be those traitors.
Although they didn’t personally participate in this, those carrying larger quantities all had their shadows behind them.
There were many black markets in Beiping, and most of the grain sold there came this way.
For example, the black market managed by Little Ear had quite a few runners selling grain there.
“Runners?” Little Ear’s mind turned for a moment, “Big Brother Cao, are you thinking of doing the grain reselling business?”
“Something like that.” Cao Weida nodded, then waved his hand again: “Alright, hurry up and handle it. I need to go out for a bit. Tell me when it’s done.”
With that, he got up and left the police station.
At noon, Cao Weida met with Zheng Chaoyang and mentioned the supplies matter.
When he learned there was a batch of grain and guns and ammunition, Zheng Chaoyang was happy, but when asked to privately contact Old Luo and avoid Ruixin General Store to transport this batch of supplies out, he was a bit doubtful:
“Why not just put it at Ruixin General Store and let Old Luo sell it directly?”
Cao Weida shook his head directly: “No can do. Leaving aside that guns and ammunition can’t be openly transported out from Ruixin General Store, even just coming in and out is a problem.”
“Any goods going in and out through Ruixin General Store must be registered and recorded, and Ruixin General Store isn’t just for the Japanese Army alone; there’s also the Navy.”
“This batch of supplies can’t see the light of day, and the Army won’t want to share with the Navy. You get what I mean.”
Zheng Chaoyang understood and didn’t say much more, getting up and leaving directly.
In the afternoon, Xu Jin’ge came to see him again.
“I’ve already conveyed your intentions to my superior. He has agreed. From now on, they won’t assign Liu Rusi any tasks. She will serve solely as your intermediary liaison, transferred under my name to be led by me, and I will assist you in establishing the transportation line.”
“That’s for the best.” Hearing this result, Cao Weida nodded, his emotions showing no fluctuation, as this was something he had long anticipated.
However, what he hadn’t expected was that Liu Rusi would be transferred under Xu Jin’ge’s command.
This was fine too. With his friendship with Xu Jin’ge, even if the War of Resistance was won, Liu Rusi would receive great shelter and care.
“Start preparing. If you need any help, just tell me. I’ll do my best to help you.”
“Good, then I won’t stand on ceremony with you. I do have something I need your help with. I’ve already selected the transportation line. I need you to prepare some passes, good citizen certificates, and exemption certificates.”
Hearing Xu Jin’ge’s request, Cao Weida chuckled inwardly. How convenient.
Before, he might have had to put in some effort, but now, for exemption certificates and passes, he might not have unlimited quantities, but he could easily get ten or so more without issue, definitely enough for Xu Jin’ge.
You see, Ono Shiota and Fujita Sosuke, in order to “accumulate virtue,” and because such matters couldn’t be publicly proclaimed, plus troubled by Beiping’s grain shortage and stuck in the state of a clever woman without rice, had given Cao Weida considerable authority to figure out a way to get grain.
Therefore, special passes, exemption certificates, and the like—didn’t he just say how many he wanted?
Of course, there had to be a limit on quantity, but a few more or less—wasn’t that just a word from him?
He smilingly agreed. After returning to Sesame Hutong in the afternoon, he didn’t go home but knocked on the main gate of Yan Zhensheng’s house diagonally across.
“Oh my, Cao Ye! Please come in, please come in!” Seeing it was Cao Weida at the door, Yan Zhensheng hurriedly smiled and invited him into the house, then had someone serve tea.
Soon, a woman in coarse clothes came in with tea and respectfully said: “Master, sir, please have some tea.”
Cao Weida picked up the teacup and gave her a once-over, then smiled at Yan Zhensheng:
“Boss Yan’s family discipline is indeed impressive. Even a maidservant is so rule-abiding and knows etiquette.”
Yan Zhensheng smiled humbly: “Cao Ye, don’t tease me. Our Yan Family has been pickling vegetables for generations. Where would we learn the rules of great households?”
“She is called Baofeng, a descendant of Qiren. She was originally the daughter of a great household, but unfortunately, the family fell on hard times, so she came to our house to do some work to support herself.”
Baofeng looked at Yan Zhensheng with some gratitude. “Coming here to do some work to support herself” was just a nice way of putting it; this was giving her face in front of outsiders.
The truth was, she had been sold to the Yan Family by her parents!
To be precise, she was a servant of the Yan Family!
“Boss Yan is truly fortunate. Even a former great household’s miss can be brought under his wing.”
“Cao Ye, you’re joking. What fortune? It’s just mixing a meal while conveniently lending a hand to save one or two.”
Cao Weida chuckled and didn’t dwell on the issue.
His impression of Baofeng was actually quite good. Of noble birth, the daughter of a great household, raised in luxury from childhood, then family downfall leading to being sold to the Yan Family as a servant.
Her personality was straightforward and outspoken, bold and decisive, with some cunning and a bit of selfishness.
But she had never done anything truly wicked; her nature wasn’t bad.
Though her aspirations were high and she was unwilling to accept her current fate, wanting to change her life—what was wrong with that?
Anyway, Cao Weida didn’t see it as a flaw. People strive upwards, water flows downwards—isn’t that human nature?
Not to mention her; how many modern women didn’t have such thoughts?
However, he had no ideas about Baofeng, mainly because she didn’t suit his taste.
Now, with wife and concubines filling his home, and two women in Xiaguang Garden whom he had favored only once, he was no longer the boy who had just transmigrated and would gawk at any pretty woman.
Nowadays, if it wasn’t someone he really liked, he was too lazy to bother.
His eyes glanced around and he said:
“Is Boss Yan’s home preparing for a joyous event? Red decorations everywhere.”
“Haha, indeed. My son Yan Kuan is getting married. As his father, I naturally have to hurry and prepare.” Mentioning his son’s marriage, Yan Zhensheng’s face lit up with joy, but he didn’t notice the odd glint in Cao Weida’s eyes.
In Cao Weida’s view, the Yan Family was a complete mess, full of oddballs.
It had been mentioned before, but now he still wanted to complain: Yan Zhensheng’s brain must have been kicked by a donkey.
Thinking his son was dead, making his daughter-in-law marry his son’s good brother.
That was one thing, but he even agreed to change his grandson’s surname.
Later, Yan Zhensheng’s wife Lin Cuiqing was even more outrageous. Because the new marriage law was promulgated, Yan Zhensheng decided to divorce her. After the divorce, Lin Cuiqing developed feelings with the Yan Family cook Baoxiang and had a daughter Baocuicui.
Anyway, when watching this TV series back then, his worldview was pretty shattered.
Never mind that after liberation the marriage law didn’t work that way—no one could force a divorce—just the Yan Family relationships.
Tsk, hard to describe in a word.
His heart filled with oddity, but on his lips he cheerfully congratulated: “Oh my, so it’s Young Master Yan getting married. Congratulations, congratulations. Let me know when the wedding is, and I’ll definitely prepare a generous gift.”
“Haha, then thank you in advance, Cao Ye.”
The two chatted a bit more, then Cao Weida looked around. Yan Zhensheng understood and waved for all the servants in the room to leave.
Seeing no outsiders left, Cao Weida then said: “The things are all prepared and can be picked up anytime. Here’s the address.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Cao Ye!” Yan Zhensheng hurriedly took the note, excitedly thanking him. “Wait a moment, I’ll get you the money right now!”
This was a major matter concerning his son’s future safety; he couldn’t neglect it in the slightest.
“.”
Returning home, Cao Weida found these women playing mahjong, with Mohe happily watching from the side.
“Yo, playing mahjong, huh? How’s it going, who’s winning and who’s losing?” Cao Weida walked to Mohe, who was happily watching them play cards from the side, pulled her into his arms, and pretended to be angry:
“Look at you, they didn’t even include you in the game, and you’re still here grinning. Are you missing a few brain cells?”
“No, it’s not like that. Mainly, I don’t play well and hate losing money.” Being held publicly in front of the sisters, Mohe was a bit shy but also secretly pleased, hurriedly waving her hands to explain, afraid the master would really misunderstand the sisters.
“Two of cylinders.”
Liu Rusi played a tile and covered her mouth laughing: “Third Sister, don’t listen to him. The master is teasing you.”
Then, she coquettishly gave someone a glare: “Master, you really are something. We sisters get along so well and have a great time together.”
“And here you come stirring up trouble between us sisters. Do you really hope for unrest in the rear residence?”
“Exactly, exactly. The master is so naughty!” The remaining concubines chimed in immediately, their faces full of harmony.
“Yes, yes, yes. The master is bad, the master apologizes to you all, alright?”
Cao Weida chuckled helplessly and took out the small peachwood box, handing it to Mohe: “Here, some gold bars inside. Consider it my apology to you all. Take them for pocket money.”
Then, in a voice soft but loud enough for them all to hear, he said:
“They play without you, so when dividing later, sneak a little away and hide it. Don’t let them find out!”
