bullyxtreme Chapter 75 60 The Youngest Daughter of a Farming Family (8)
Chapter 75 60 The Youngest Daughter of a Farming Family (8)
While Xia's mother and Xia Mingwei strolled along the street, Xia's father also found a way in. Actually, it wasn't him who sought it out, but rather someone else who approached him.
A young man noticed the heavy basket on Xia's father's shoulder and came up to strike up a conversation.
"Brother, are we going to that place?" He lowered his voice and spoke to Xia's father in a tone that only the two of them could hear.
Hearing this, Xia's father's eyes lit up, and he nodded hurriedly, "That's right, I'm just about to go there. Do you have any connections, young man?"
Upon hearing Xia's father's words, the man smiled knowingly. It seemed he hadn't guessed wrong; this person had indeed come looking for the black market.
“The higher-ups are cracking down hard lately, and that place has moved. Would you like me to take you there?” He whispered in Xia’s father’s ear.
Xia's father was naturally happy to have found a way to get to the black market. However, this happiness didn't cloud his judgment. He calmed down and asked, "How much does it cost to go there?"
"Not much, just two cents!" he said, smiling as he held up two fingers.
Mr. Xia frowned. "So expensive!"
"It's not expensive at all, brother! I'll take you there, and I'll bring you all along! These two cents are definitely worth it!"
Hearing this, Xia's father's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. After thinking for a moment, he finally agreed to his asking price.
And so, Xia's parents and Xia Mingwei, along with their group, followed this young man through many twists and turns and through numerous alleys, until they arrived at the black market.
With his help, Xia's father quickly found a seller and resolved the issue of exchanging grain.
Meanwhile, Xia Mingwei was also carefully observing this legendary black market. After her observation, she did discover some subtle details about it.
This market is very secluded, and according to the young man, its location isn't fixed. Therefore, you need connections to do business here. Otherwise, if you only have supplies, it's like a three-year-old carrying gold bricks through a bustling market—you're easy prey. Forget making money; you might even lose your life.
This black market completely shattered Xia Mingwei's image of it. Wasn't the "black market" supposed to be the easiest place to make money? Why was this "black market" so different from the ones in period novels? Didn't they always say the female protagonist earned her first fortune on the black market with her skills? Why couldn't she do it? Was she just cannon fodder? Thinking this, Xia Mingwei felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. Novels were definitely all lies!
Just as Xia Mingwei was lost in thought, a whistle suddenly sounded in her ear. Although the sound was far away, she could still hear a chaotic commotion in the distance.
With just one glance, the young man who had brought them in noticed something amiss.
The young man said to them, "Oh no, someone reported this place, and the police are here to arrest people!"
Upon hearing what the young man said, Xia's parents immediately carried the grain they had exchanged and picked up Xia Mingwei.
The young man said to them anxiously, "You'd better come with me quickly! Otherwise, it will be too late when the police arrive!"
Xia's parents naturally did not doubt the truth of his words and followed closely behind him.
He then performed another series of maneuvers, leading Xia's parents through numerous alleyways before finally shaking off the group of pursuers behind them.
Once back on the street and seeing that their safety was assured, the group stopped running.
After stopping, the group looked at each other's faces and breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the young man in front of him, Xia's father thanked him, saying, "Young man, thank goodness you were here just now! Otherwise, our whole family would have been in trouble today!"
He waved his hand, "This is all my duty, brother, you don't need to be so polite!"
When Xia's father saw how generous he was, he promptly paid him his wages.
He pulled out two cents from his pants pocket and handed them to the deliveryman.
The young man took the money, and seeing that he had received his payment, he continued to say to Xia's father, "Brother, if you need to go to that place again next time, remember to come find me!"
Hearing this, Mr. Xia didn't refuse. He felt that although two cents was a bit pricey, it would save him some trouble. Those two cents were definitely worth it!
So Xia's father nodded to the young man as if pounding garlic.
Upon witnessing this, the young man pocketed the money and left happily.
Xia Mingwei thought the matter was over, but to her surprise, the black market arrest had a sequel.
Just as the three were walking back, they ran into black market dealers being paraded through the streets.
These men had their hands tied together, wooden placards around their necks, and were covered in "dirty goods." The surrounding police officers kept a close watch on them, preventing any possibility of escape.
According to onlookers, one of them had been arrested several times already. Many people watched him, pointing and whispering among themselves.
"Do you think this person was arrested last time as well?"
"That's right, I saw him during the parade last time! He has a mole on his left cheek, it's hard not to remember him!"
"Tell me, how many times has this happened? Why is he still on the black market?"
"They make money! I heard from others that they resell some of their goods, and the profit is..."
He didn't continue speaking, but everyone around him could tell what he was leaving out.
At this moment, the police chief spoke up: "Fellow villagers, look at these! These are the harmful speculators! It is these parasites who jeopardize the stability of our country's market and are detrimental factors that undermine socialism. What's worse, some have repeatedly refused to mend their ways despite warnings, so now we must severely punish them!"
Hearing the police chief's words, people became somewhat curious. These black market dealers, known for their "speculation and profiteering," were paraded through the streets every so often. But the severe punishment he spoke of was something they'd never heard of before.
Seeing that he had successfully piqued everyone's curiosity, the police chief stopped keeping them in suspense.
He pointed to one of the men being paraded through the streets and said, "This 'speculator' is named Dai Laosan. We have arrested him multiple times and have evidence of his exploitation of loopholes in socialism. However, he has repeatedly refused to mend his ways. Therefore, after deliberation, our bureau has decided to execute him by firing squad in one month!"
These words caused an uproar in the crowd. Such punishments were only seen in newspapers; they had never happened in their own community!
Upon hearing this, Xia Mingwei patted her chest. Her plan to make a fortune through the black market had failed before it even began!