Yu Xinyan asked a few questions and found out that the grandfather and grandson had come to the city by the village mule cart to get medicine for Goushengâs grandmother. They were short on money, so they brought these things over to see if anyone would want them, hoping to scrape together enough for the medicine fees.
Xinyan sighed internally. Looking at the elderly man and his grandson in front of her, she felt sympathy and took out two yuan from her pocket, "Uncle, please take this money."
Master Gousheng saw the money Xinyan handed out and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Itâs too much, too much, I canât accept it."
Xinyan explained, "These seeds and herbs are already priced low at eight mao. You have a sick family member waiting for medicine. I canât take advantage of you."
Master Gousheng knew the price of eight mao wasnât high, but the two yuan felt a bit too much. He, whoâd spent his life farming, couldnât do something that deceptive, "That really isnât necessary."
Xinyan glanced at the herbs in the basket, "Uncle, I like collecting rare things like these herbs, or pretty flowers, or rare seeds. If you come across anything like that, save it for me. Iâll come find you at the town market."
Master Gousheng gratefully agreed.
Only then did Xinyan take the items, placing them into the basket behind her, while actually storing them in her space. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the grandfather and grandson, she then left.
Master Gousheng watched as Xinyan walked away, "What a kind person. If it werenât for this young lady, we might not have gathered enough for the medicine."
Gousheng was also happy, "Grandpa, letâs hurry to get the medicine, otherwise, weâll miss Uncle Liangâs mule cart."
Master Gousheng patted his grandsonâs head, thinking to himself that he would gather more peculiar items for that young lady next time he went up the mountain.
*
Xinyan arrived at the agreed place, went directly into the woods, walked a bit further in, and once she was sure no one was around, found a secluded spot to enter her space.
She bagged the remaining grain, knowing they would bring scales, so there was no need to weigh herself, but she knew the total weight in her mind.
Having packed the grain, she noticed the seeds sheâd recently planted had sprouted, and then went to see the seeds she had just bought from the grandfather and grandson.
She first planted those herbs and two small ginseng seedlings under the fruit trees, and then planted a few of each vegetable seed by the creek. She marked the remaining seeds to avoid future confusion before putting them away.
Once everything was done, estimating that enough time had passed, she quickly tidied up and exited the space, finding a spot with a great view to wait.
Before long, she saw the small leader and his men approaching from afar, placing the grain at the previously selected spot.
The black market had its own rules. When those people arrived, they asked no questions, just weighed and recorded the grain.
Wheat was priced at two and a half mao, and rice at three mao per jin, which was the price for processed products. Of course, that was their purchase price; the black marketâs selling price was higher.
The black marketâs small leader inspected all the goods, confirming that the quality was the same as the samples heâd seen earlier, and then took out the pre-prepared money.
There were two thousand two hundred and three jin of wheat and three thousand one hundred and five jin of rice. Xinyan waived the fractions. The black market leader felt Xinyan was sensible, as he had been instructed by Brother Biao, "Alright, youâre a straightforward person. If you have more goods of such quality, just bring them here. You definitely wonât lose out."
This transaction netted her one thousand four hundred and eighty, during a time when there were no hundred-yuan bills, just ten-yuan notes. Xinyan took the money and counted it in front of them, "Everythingâs settled, take care now. Iâll be off first."