Chapter 199: Material Supply

"Dad..."

"Yan'er, where have you been all these years?" Lv Xiangjun's trembling voice came through the receiver.

"Sobbing, I..." Second Aunt was so emotional now that she couldn't say a complete sentence, sobbing continuously.

"Dad, I am Yan'er's wife—ah, no, I am Yan'er's husband, I, um..."

Second Uncle finally had the chance to experience what it felt like to have a father-in-law, but who knew the first thing he said would be a critical hit.

"..."

"Second Uncle, stay calm. Just give a simple introduction of yourself and the children."

"Ah, right. Dad, I am Yan'er's husband, named Zhang Laiwen. I am currently a Worker. We have two sons and one daughter, and they have all started their own families and have children of their own." With Zhang Ping'an's reminder, Second Uncle spoke much more fluently this time.

"Good, good, good. That's good."

Second Aunt finally steadied her emotions, and after another five or six minutes of simple reminiscing, she hung up the phone.

It was fortunate that neither side's phone service was metered; otherwise, for these ten-plus minutes of inter-provincial call time, both sides would have had to pay over ten yuan.

"Head of the household, I want to go back for a visit."

Before, there was no news, so it didn't matter, but now that she knew, her parents were no longer young—they were in their seventies, which was a ripe old age in this era.

"Good, I will accompany you. Let the children go see their grandmother and grandfather as well."

"Mm, good."

"Um, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, it's easy on my end, but it would be best if Department Head Lv put in a word for Daniu and Erniu. After all, this trip back and forth won't be short; just the time spent on the road will take about a week."

Erniu worked in the workshop. If he were in logistics, Zhang Ping'an could just put in a word with Li Huaide, but the workshop fell under the jurisdiction of Deputy Factory Director Yang.

"Right, right, right. I'll have a word with Brother Aimin."

Zhang Ping'an directly helped dial the phone number for Lv Aimin's office. The result was naturally very smooth, and he even managed to get sleeper train tickets.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, here are some National Grain Coupons for you to keep for emergencies on the road."

"Good, then Second Uncle won't stand on ceremony with you."

They would definitely need to use Grain Coupons throughout their journey. At this time, Grain Coupons were more useful than money, especially National Grain Coupons.

"Mm, which day is your train, Second Uncle?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. We'll go back to tell Dad and Mom, then pack up and set off."

Zhang Ping'an's small courtyard.

"You're saying you got through on the phone to your father-in-law?"

Zhang Dadan found it incredible. As soon as this couple came to the city to work, they recognized their cousin from the maternal side, and now they were even going to visit their father-in-law.

"It's true, Dad, Mom. I even find it incredible myself. It's been over forty years, and I could still recognize him."

"Mm, it's good to go back and see them. Mother of the children, pack some things for them to eat on the road."

"No need, Dad, Mom. Ping'an gave me quite a few National Grain Coupons."

"You take what your nephew gives you, but you won't take what your own father gives you?"

"..."

"Alright, Second Son, listen to your father." Grandma quickly packed a small parcel containing dry rations like biscuits and peach blossom cakes.

"Mm, good." Zhang Laiwen felt a lump in his throat; it was really good to be cared for by his parents.

The following afternoon, the family of five took their parcels and boarded the train to Sichuan Province.

Over the past six months or so, Zhang Ping'an hadn't run to the Black Market any less. Every few days, he would dump tens of thousands of catties of sweet potatoes and a few Wild Boars, becoming increasingly familiar with Daoba from the Black Market.

It was also at this time that Zhang Ping'an learned that Daoba was a former soldier. Those who followed him in running the Black Market were all his former comrades-in-arms or their children. Of course, the peripheral members were just recruited thugs with some semblance of a bottom line, used to maintain order and act as lookouts.

The conversation he had with Daoba half a year ago was still fresh in his mind.

"Brother Changping, the price of grain in the Black Market has skyrocketed. I can't give you a high price, and I don't want to hinder you from making money, so I won't be taking any more sweet potatoes from you."

"As for meat, feel free to send it over; I'll follow the market rate."

In Daoba's view, those who could afford meat in this day and age were wealthy people, so he had no moral burden in overcharging them; he wouldn't earn money from the poor.

"Hahaha, Brother Daoba is a man of principle. Although I'm not a good person, I'm also a poor commoner. I wouldn't feel at ease earning their money either. Let's just stick to the price of Sanmao."

"Brother Changping is also a man of character. It was my small-mindedness judging a gentleman."

Previously, when he bought sweet potatoes from Zhang Ping'an, he would add five to ten cents to the price when selling them; any less wouldn't even cover the wages for his men.

"Eh~ if I can't finish them, they'll just go to waste on the mountain. It's better to exchange them for some yellow and white stuff; it's more pleasing to the eye."

Zhang Ping'an hadn't intended to raise the price anyway and was wondering what excuse to give Daoba, but he didn't expect Daoba to have such integrity, which saved him the trouble.

Daoba nodded, and thus the two reached a tacit understanding. Zhang Ping'an began to pour large quantities of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins into the Black Market.

He also invested thirty to fifty Wild Boars every month, not to mention wild rabbits, of which there were still three to five hundred every month.

Of course, a business like Zhang Ping'an's that didn't make money—and was even losing money according to market rates—naturally had to find a place to recoup, and thus our Tong Siye arrived.

"Brother Chang'an, your Tiger Penis Wine is top-notch, even more potent than what was in the palace before. Ahem, look at this price?"

"Three Small Yellow Fish per catty, or antiques of equal value."

"Done." The bottom line given to him by the noble was five Small Yellow Fish, but who knew Zhang Ping'an would only quote three? He didn't even have the interest to haggle.

"Damn, I asked for too little." Zhang Ping'an felt depressed inside; he had suffered from his own lack of experience.

"Let's start with a hundred catties to get a taste."

"..."

"Brother, you don't have it?"

"I do, but there won't be much left after this. It will have to be specially prepared next time, which is quite troublesome."

"Don't say that. How about this, I'll give you three and a half—no, four—Small Yellow Fish, and you supply it continuously, deal? This hundred catties is only enough to last ten days or half a month."

The Imperial Physician in their circle said that this Tiger Penis Wine not only improves male function without side effects, but also has the miraculous effect of slowly improving one's physical fitness. The recipe for the wine is a rare and unique formula.

Even though he could identify most of the medicinal ingredients, he couldn't grasp the proportions.

"Fine, I will try my best to mobilize the fleet to deliver them."

"Ah, now that is the right attitude, little brother."

Regarding other rice, flour, grain, oil, meat, melons, fruits, and vegetables, Zhang Ping'an also began to strike hard, offering prices fifty cents higher than the Black Market, euphemistically calling it "bulk pricing at a premium," though Tong Siye did not mind.

The next day at dawn, five twenty-jin jars of Tiger Penis Wine were hauled back by Tong Siye, also at the price of four Small Yellow Fish per jin.

Adding in the rice, flour, grain, oil, chicken, duck, fish, meat, and eggs, Zhang Ping'an earned fifty Big Yellow Fish on this trip alone.

"I used to underestimate these remnants of the old nobility; the price for just the Tiger Penis Wine alone is not something an ordinary person could offer, and they even took the initiative to raise the price—this kind of wealth, tsk tsk tsk."

Before, Zhang Ping'an would feel smug looking at the Golden Bricks in his space, but compared to them, his advantage was not that great, or perhaps he had no advantage at all.

Just like this, maintaining two to three transactions with Tong Siye every month, Zhang Ping'an had long since recouped the losses from selling sweet potatoes and other grains at low prices; now, even if he gave them away for free, he would still make a profit.

"Brother Chang'an, do you have a source for Milk Powder?"

"How much do you need? I have a little, but for a large amount, I would need to source it."

"Start with ten cans."

"Alright, ten Small Yellow Fish. Brother Si, please don't think it's expensive; it's worth more than the price, as it's all imported from outside."

Zhang Ping'an was not at all bashful; the price of Milk Powder at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was only five yuan, but ordinary people had no channel to buy it at all, not to mention that his was all high-quality Milk Powder.

"Hmm, it's not expensive."

"..."