Chapter 50 Black Market
"Shengli, let your third aunt and I take care of the remaining vegetables for you. I have already talked to Jie Cheng and Jiefang, and they will help you unload them when you ride your bike back. Once you have unloaded all the cabbages, just let Jie Cheng ride the bike over." Yan Bugui said, pushing his glasses.

"Okay, then I'll take the vegetables back first." Li Shengli didn't bother to be polite with Yan Bugui. After all, the sooner he unloaded the truck, the sooner Yan Bugui could use it.

Li Shengli first put the first-grade cabbages into the basket at the back of the car. After loading the vegetables, he pushed the car steadily towards the courtyard.

Riding a bike on the way back to Siheyuan, Li Shengli glanced at the queue, which was quite long. In the queue, he also saw people from Siheyuan, like an old man Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, who were standing together and pushing a small cart.

Judging from the appearance of the uncle Yi Zhonghai, he should have bought the vegetables for the old lady in the backyard as well. This uncle has been in charge of the old lady's food and drink in the backyard. Maybe he wants to set an example for the people in the yard?
When they returned to the courtyard, Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang were already waiting in the yard. The third uncle had given specific instructions to the two brothers, and when they saw Li Shengli coming over on his bike, the two brothers hurried over to lend a hand.

"Shengli, your cabbage is so good. I pinched the heart and it is so firm." Yan Jiecheng took out the cabbage from the basket and felt it was firm just by pinching it.

"Of course, this is first-class quality." Li Shengli replied while working. The cabbages would be placed on the wooden rack under the eaves.

"It's good that you're the only one getting paid." Yan Jiecheng put down the cabbage in his hand and sighed.

"What's wrong? Ask your dad to buy some more first-grade vegetables. The larger your family is, the more shares you will get." Li Shengli joked with a smile.

Li Shengli knew what kind of person Yan Bugui was. He was a man who would save as much as possible and could cook four dishes with one cabbage.

"Well, you know what kind of person my father is. It's good enough that you can buy some second-grade vegetables." Yan Jiecheng knew Yan Bugui's character and gave up early.

"Aren't you working?" Li Shengli was also a little curious. Yan Jiecheng should have some spare money since he had just started working.

"Oh, don't mention it. I just started working and I'm still receiving an internship salary. My family also has to pay for food and accommodation. There is not much money left in a month." After hearing what Li Shengli said, Yan Jiecheng also replied with a sigh.

Li Shengli almost laughed out loud. This was something that a third uncle could do.

The few of them stopped talking. After unloading the cabbage, Li Shengli rode his bike to the sales point and brought back all the remaining vegetables. After unloading the vegetables, he asked Yan Jiecheng to ride his bike to the sales point.

After arranging his own dishes, Li Shengli found a straw mat to cover his cabbages. It felt strange to see cabbages and honeycomb coal placed on the doorstep at the same time.

Not long after, Yan Jiecheng came back on his bike with two baskets of cabbage on the back. The third aunt also came back with him. It was up to the third aunt to check where and how the vegetables were put.

Li Shengli helped unload the goods, and left it to the three aunts to decide how to put them. Yan Jieti and Yan Jiekuang also joined in the fun. Most people in this yard were buying vegetables for winter storage today. Those who had connections would ask the street office to reserve them in advance.

After the family bought all the vegetables, Li Shengli went to buy potatoes and radishes. These potatoes and radishes were available in limited quantities. After he bought the potatoes and radishes, Li Shengli dug a small hole near the wall at the door and buried the potatoes and radishes separately.

After finishing the work, Li Shengli finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now he had almost everything he needed for the winter New Year.

I can save up for other things like clothes and New Year's goods slowly, but I don't need too much, after all, I'm the only one at home.

After preparing winter supplies, Li Shengli's life became a routine again, either working in the canteen of the steel mill or resting at home.

The New Year is coming soon, and there are more and more receptions in the factory. Li Shengli is no longer doing receptions based on cuisine. He makes all kinds of dishes according to the ingredients. After all, the leaders in the factory have different tastes. Li Shengli is good at making other homely dishes, which makes Sha Zhu less arrogant. After all, there is really someone in the factory who can replace him.

By January, the Chinese New Year was approaching, and Li Shengli was thinking about whether he could make himself a new set of clothes.

But these cloth coupons are hard to find. I guess I have to go to the black market.

If you want to do it, just do it. Li Shengli got up very early that day. Usually the black market opens at one or two in the middle of the night and closes at four or five.

Li Shengli quietly left the door. This black market is illegal. Generally, the black market is run by people with some background. There is no problem in going to the black market as long as you don't get caught. Li Shengli was afraid that someone in the hospital would report him.

Wearing a cotton hat on his head and a scarf around his neck, Li Shengli pulled the scarf up to his nose, covering half of his face. It was cold at the moment, and the north wind was blowing outside. Li Shengli wrapped in a cotton coat and walked towards the black market near Dongzhimen. Before he got close, he saw two big men standing at the entrance of the alley. They were dressed similarly to Li Shengli, with their hands in their sleeves, their faces wrapped in scarves and their heads covered with cotton hats.

When Li Shengli approached, the two big men looked at Li Shengli vigilantly. After looking at him for a long time, they felt that Li Shengli did not look like a policeman.

"Buy or sell?" the big man on the left asked in a muffled voice.

"Buy it." Li Shengli also replied in a muffled voice.

All three of them had scarves wrapped around their faces, and their voices changed.

"Go in." The big man on the right had been looking at Li Shengli. After hearing what Li Shengli said, he tilted his head and gestured to Li Shengli and said.

Li Shengli nodded, paid the money and walked in, trying to speak as little as possible in this black market.

After entering the black market, Li Shengli first looked around. Those selling things were squatting there, and usually they had goods in front of them, while the ticket sellers were standing where they were selling things, and there was nothing in front of them.

Li Shengli walked around and saw a man dressed as a hunter with two rabbits placed in front of him. The rabbits were frozen hard and didn't look too fat.

"Comrade, how much do you sell this rabbit for?" Li Shengli came up and asked.

"Two for five dollars." The hunter said calmly.

"Five dollars." Li Shengli thought for a while and felt that the price was not expensive.

"I want it." Li Shengli took out the money and handed it to the hunter. Although the rabbit was not very fat, five dollars was still worth it. Maybe all the people in the black market went to buy pork.

After walking around with the rabbit for a while, Li Shengli was thinking about where to find a ticket scalper. These people didn't have the word "ticket scalper" engraved on their faces.

Just when Lee Seung-ri was in trouble, a man dressed similarly to Lee Seung-ri came over.

"Brother, do you want a ticket?" the man said stealthily.

"Do you have cloth coupons?" Influenced by him, Li Shengli also asked stealthily.

"Yes, how much do you want?"

"How much per foot?"

"One dollar and three feet."

"How much!?" Li Shengli was shocked. Is it so expensive?

"Brother, this is not expensive. There are not many tickets." The ticket seller did not blame Li Shengli for making a fuss.

Li Shengli thought about it and realized that each person only had a few tickets per year.

"Forget it, let me take a look." Li Shengli gave up the idea of ​​buying cloth coupons.

(End of this chapter)