Chapter 81: Setting the Bait

In the next few days, Yang Qing was still constantly being ordered around by Sha Zhu each day.

Every afternoon he would still go to the northern suburbs to forage for wild game.

The several cans of silver coins he brought out were also cleverly hidden by him.

As time passed, Sha Zhu's injury improved greatly, and he began to take leave and abandon his post.

Xu Damao these days was also very at ease, with no trouble.

That day Yang Qing got up early and went to the Pigeon Market.

(The following is a personal judgment based on search data; any errors are normal and can be corrected.

The Pigeon Market differs from the black market; many novels say one must go to the Pigeon Market at midnight, but in fact the Pigeon Market is a morning market, starting at three or four in summer, five or six in winter, ending at eight or nine, timed to government work hours, selling mostly homemade products in small quantities.

The black market mostly deals in goods of questionable origin, such as black gold, black market items, things with unclear sources, and food diverted by those in charge of grain; it is a bulk commodity trade, opens at night, with no fixed location, often changing venues, containing all sorts of people, and is relatively dangerous.)

Outside the Pigeon Market, someone on guard saw Yang Qing and raised a finger; Yang Qing produced a dime and handed it over.

The guard took it, waved him in, and said nothing extra the whole way.

Inside the Pigeon Market, there were many people but it was very quiet; stall owners opened a corner of their baskets, bags, or baskets, revealing some goods.

Only if someone wanted to buy would they open it fully for viewing; bargaining was done entirely by nods, head shakes, and gestures.

The goods for sale were varied, everything available, with food mostly wild vegetables.

Occasionally one could see someone selling refined flour and rice, but only a few jin each.

There were also sellers of sprouted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peanuts; Yang Qing approached and asked, the price reaching as high as seventy or eighty cents.

Yang Qing selected several potatoes and sweet potatoes with more sprouts and bought them.

Afterwards Yang Qing came to the area selling implements; here there were sellers of jade, cultural trinkets, porcelain, and calligraphy and paintings…

These were mostly small items, easy to carry; anything troublesome should have been handed over to consignment shops.

Yang Qing found a stall whose goods were more varied, obviously not his own.

This was someone doing business covertly, and also someone very bold.

Yang Qing crouched and revealed a coin from his palm.

The stall owner, seeing the coin's good quality, knew what Yang Qing was there for.

He extended two fingers.

Yang Qing shook his head and extended five fingers.

The stall owner shook his head, signaling Yang Qing to leave.

Yang Qing produced ten coins.

The stall owner paused, then extended three fingers.

Yang Qing shook his head again.

Nowadays a silver coin can fetch up to about eight yuan (my guess; if sold as silver it would be worth four or five yuan, but these coins are certainly worth a bit more. No data available, only that the early official exchange rate was one silver coin for one yuan, which obviously no one would accept.)

Even if the quality is poor, a bit lower, it can still sell for five or six yuan.

Your three yuan is the price given for black market goods.

If it weren't for the fact that in this famine year such goods are hard to sell and would take a long time to move, Yang Qing would have wanted to sell them himself.

Yang Qing then took out five more coins.

Seeing this, the stall owner hesitated, then finally extended three fingers and then five.

Yang Qing understood this meant three and a half yuan.

He nodded and handed over the silver coins.

The stall owner produced 52.5 yuan and handed it to Yang Qing.

Yang Qing took the money, turned and left, doing so cleanly and swiftly.

The stall owner glanced at Yang Qing, then at the silver coins, and subsequently gave a look to a young man strolling down the street.

That person nodded slightly and followed after him.

Yang Qing then went to several other places, selling a total of fifty silver coins.

He collected over a hundred yuan.

Feeling that more people were following him, he then left the Pigeon Market.

After walking out to a remote spot, Yang Qing dropped his disguise and revealed his true appearance.

Those following him, upon seeing his appearance, had one person turn back.

The others continued to follow him all the way to the Siheyuan before returning.

Afterwards, Yang Qing's life returned to normal.

However, he could feel that many more eyes were watching him from the shadows.

He knew it was about time.

In the afternoon he came to the Jiedao Office as before.

Chen Hong had grown accustomed to his arrival.

Upon seeing him, she took out her lunch box.

"You haven't eaten again today, have you?"

Yang Qing gave an embarrassed laugh.

"There's nothing to be done; who let us offend Sha Zhu?"

After learning that Yang Qing was being targeted by Sha Zhu, Chen Hong felt a bit regretful and had acted impulsively that night.

She looked down on that sort of person Sha Zhu and also wanted to educate him a bit, to establish her authority.

Who would have thought that later Xu Damao would exploit this, also deeply offending Yi Zhonghai.

Chen Hong opened the lunch box, pushed it toward him, and said resentfully.

Come on, eat, Sha Zhu this guy—I still need to find a chance to give him a lesson.

Yang Qing laughed, speaking frankly, he also wanted to watch his wife bully Sha Zhu.

But now it's not appropriate.

"As for Sha Zhu's matter, I've already settled it."

"We're putting on a show for Yi Zhonghai to watch."

"You haven't come home these days, you don't know, but now our household has been isolated again—aside from Xu Damao, nobody else associates with us."

Director Wang arrived just then, happened to hear Yang Qing's words, and her face immediately darkened.

"Yi Zhonghai is getting more and more outrageous."

Seeing Director Wang arrive, Yang Qing hurriedly stepped aside to let her in.

"Aunt Wang, you've come!"

Then he comforted her.

"Nothing much—being isolated has actually made things quieter."

Director Wang pressed him back onto the stool.

"You eat your meal; by the way, I'll tell you some good news."

Upon hearing that, Yang Qing's eyes lit up.

Chen Hong also lifted her gaze to Yang Qing; their eyes met, and they thought of a possibility.

Chen Hong looked toward Director Wang.

"Any news about the old lady's situation?"

Director Wang nodded solemnly.

"After final deliberation by the higher-ups, you may take the old lady home to care for her, and all her benefits can be transferred to Chen Hong."

"The housing in the army compound can also be left for you."

"However, you must treat the elderly well; the street office of the army compound will come each month to investigate the old lady's living conditions."

"If any signs of abuse are found, all previous arrangements will be nullified, and you will face severe punishment."

"If the circumstances are heinous, punishment is not limited to execution."

"In that case, do you still want to bring the old lady back?"

Upon hearing that, Yang Qing was overjoyed and nodded firmly.

"This is what we should do; we will treat her like our own grandmother."

Chen Hong also nodded.

"The old lady's situation is similar to ours; she is practically my own grandmother, Director Wang, you can rest assured."

Having received the two people's assurances, Director Wang finally relaxed her stern expression and nodded.

"All right, you can bring the old lady to the siheyuan anytime."

Afterward, she gave Yang Qing a meaningful look.

"With the old lady presiding over things, no one will dare to bully you openly anymore."

Obviously, people could see Yang Qing's intention.

But the matter was still handled for him.

Yang Qing also thought a lot about being able to get the matter done.

"Parents, it seems my status isn't simple either; otherwise, with my standing, it would be utterly impossible to accomplish something like this."