Chapter 65: People of the Jianghu

Seeing Li Xuewu emerge from the alley entrance, the half-grown kid squatting by the wall ran back inside; it looked like this wasn't his first time acting as a lookout.

Except for grain and oil, which were under unified purchase and sales at a fixed price, other local specialties had local prices. This was why national grain coupons existed, while other types of coupons rarely did.

This was specifically reflected in each province issuing coupons based on their own annual production.

Although there was no price difference on the coupons themselves, their scarcity was a manifestation of this difference.

Li Xuewu's team was currently engaged in scalping coupons; other coupons couldn't be used if taken back, and could they really go to the Northeast to buy grain coupons?

That would be the same logic as digging coal in Datong, Shanxi, and hauling it to Pingdingshan to sell.

Furthermore, scalping coupons was fun for a moment, but it wasn't a long-term plan. Li Xuewu wanted to find a stable path for his brothers and himself.

Li Xuewu was wandering around the Da Chuner City market to figure out the price system for local specialties. The July 1st Factory had business dealings with the Rolling Steel Factory, so the number of times he would come here definitely wouldn't be small.

There were too many steel enterprises in the Northeast, and the opportunities to come here were frequent, so it was best to have an agent.

There were only a few types of agency businesses. Li Xuewu couldn't produce resources in this era, but he could be a transporter of resources.

Hairy crabs from the Magic City were 70 cents a jin; how much would they cost if transported to the Capital?

What if they were supplied year-round from his space?

It wasn't a matter of money; it was that you couldn't buy them even if you had the money.

Nowadays, there were plenty of people like the Lou family who held gold bars in their hands but couldn't spend them.

These people were miserable; where had they ever endured such a life of lacking food and clothing?

Li Xuewu wanted to serve these people and help them solve part of their food and clothing problems. It wasn't purely for those golden-yellow gold bars; it was also out of a Bodhisattva's heart.

Li Xuewu held his notebook and covertly recorded the prices he asked for at the local specialty stalls in the market. Considering the time, he just gained a simple, side-glance understanding of the market trends throughout the four seasons.

Just as Li Xuewu was conducting his market research, two burly men squeezed over from the opposite side, and looking behind them, there were two more.

Li Xuewu abruptly pushed through the crowd and ran to the wall behind a stall. He leaned his body against the wall, his expression very calm, only pulling out his Type 54 pistol and holding it in his sleeve, while also disengaging the safety.

Seeing Li Xuewu's actions, the footsteps of these burly men all paused in unison. One of the men walked over with a bitter smile, his hands covering his head.

When he reached Li Xuewu, the burly man didn't lower his hands but said in a muffled voice, "My name is Da Qiangzi. Brother, don't be nervous. Since you're on our turf, if something happens to you, we won't be able to mix in the Jianghu anymore. We're even more nervous than you."

Li Xuewu smiled and didn't speak, nor did he put away the Type 54, just watching Da Qiangzi like that.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just browsing the market. What do you want?"

Da Qiangzi's expression stiffened, and he cursed inwardly: Is there anyone who browses the market while carrying a 'black star' (pistol)?

Da Qiangzi's smile was very forced. He tried hard to stretch his mouth into a smile and whispered, "Stop joking, brother. Sha Chun'er already told the boss. Sha Chun'er pointed you out over there, which is why we came over."

Li Xuewu looked toward the place Da Qiangzi pointed. The person he had just met, who called himself Da Chun, was looking toward this side.

Damn it, there really wasn't a single word of truth.

He was clearly named Sha Chun'er, yet he told him his name was Da Chun. Sure enough, when out and about, everyone walking the Jianghu had to use a stage name.

Seeing Li Xuewu look at Sha Chun'er, Da Qiangzi said again, "The boss is waiting for you at Sha Chun'er's place. He wants to have a chat."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You lead the way."

Da Qiangzi nodded and walked toward the alley where Li Xuewu had just met Sha Chun'er.

Seeing these two move, the other few people all dispersed and walked toward that side.

They gathered at the alley entrance in a bustling manner.

That half-grown kid squatted back at the alley entrance. Da Qiangzi left two burly men to wander at the entrance, while he took Li Xuewu and one burly man inside. Sha Chun'er also followed.

When they reached the entrance of the low house, the burly man who followed wrapped his arm around Sha Chun'er's shoulder and stood at the entrance.

Sha Chun'er's expression stiffened, thinking to himself: This is damn well killing the donkey after the millstone; they don't want to play with me anymore.

Da Qiangzi pushed open the door and let Li Xuewu enter the room. Before entering, Li Xuewu looked at Sha Chun'er and said sternly, "You are not honest."

After saying this, he ignored the stunned young lad and entered the room.

Sitting on the kang inside the room was a burly man in his forties. He looked burly, but his appearance seemed to have a bit of culture.

Seeing Li Xuewu enter the room, the burly man got up from the kang, faced Li Xuewu, placed his left hand over his right, cupped his fists, and said, "Guest, you've had a hard journey from afar."

Li Xuewu also learned from the burly man, cupped his hands, and replied, "You are too polite."

Meeting and speaking of hardship—they must be people of the Jianghu.

The burly man smiled and said to Li Xuewu, "I'm truly sorry. My brothers are all uncultured, rough people. We have offended you greatly."

【Author's note: beqege.】

Under the burly man's gesture, Li Xuewu sat on the kang, while Da Qiangzi sat leaning against the entrance.

"Shopkeeper, you are too polite. We met by chance, and I was just thinking if there was an opportunity to cooperate, which is why I asked Brother Da Chun about the market conditions on the ground."

The burly man said politely, "Ai~ Brother, you flatter me. We are either those who carry bags at the station, pedal tricycles in the market, or float rafts on the river. Or we are half-grown kids like Sha Chun. The years are bad, and we are starving, so we can only huddle together for warmth. I don't deserve the title of shopkeeper. You can call me Old Zhang."

Li Xuewu smiled and handed over a cigarette, saying, "Then I'll call you Brother Zhang. As for me, I have some connections. I run to the Northeast a few times a year, and I might run all over the country. So, it's convenient for me to bring some local specialties for colleagues and friends. If it's convenient for you, we can cooperate, and I'll save the time of collecting scattered goods myself."

Old Zhang smiled and took the cigarette, placing it by the table. He didn't believe Li Xuewu's words; how many friends could bring goods by train?

Pouring a cup of tea for Li Xuewu, Old Zhang said, "Just now, Sha Chun'er ran to me in a fluster, saying you could arrange train cars. It gave me a fright, hahahaha. Look at this mess; it was that kid Sha Chun'er who got it wrong."

Li Xuewu didn't drink that cup of tea. When out and about, Old Zhang didn't dare smoke his cigarette, and he dared even less to drink his tea.

"His name is Sha Chun'er, huh? Hahaha, he didn't get it wrong. I did say I could arrange train cars, but it's not that mysterious. You don't need to ask about the specifics. If we cooperate, I won't let you be responsible for transportation."

With this probing, Old Zhang obtained the information he wanted, but he was troubled again. He truly couldn't figure out what the identity and status of the person opposite him were, and he felt very unsure in his heart.

Seeing Old Zhang hesitate, Li Xuewu didn't talk about these things anymore, but instead asked about the local specialties and prices in the Da Chuner City market.

Old Zhang answered one by one, unable to laugh or cry. By the time Li Xuewu finished asking, he was eighty percent convinced.

Li Xuewu put down his pencil and notebook and said with a smile, "It's fine. Anyone would have concerns about this matter. I'm not planning to take goods away this time; I'm just doing a survey. We can take it slow. After a few more exchanges and building trust, you'll be at ease."

Old Zhang laughed, not giving a definite answer, just nodding and offering tea.

Li Xuewu pushed the list of local specialty categories he had just written toward Old Zhang. Seeing Old Zhang take the paper with suspicion, he said, "This is the list of local specialties you just mentioned and my address. If you have the intention to cooperate with me, then write a letter to this address. The name is Yang Zhou Dahai. You are his relative from the Northeast, his cousin."

Li Xuewu tapped the table and said, "If there is anything that can be traded, just write in the letter what you ate recently and how much. Reduce the quantity to a normal multiple, and for the multiple, write the date and time you ate it: 1 year represents the multiple, 1 month represents 1000 times, 1 day represents 100 times, and 1 hour represents 10 times."

"If you need local specialties from other places, just write what your child wants to eat. Reduce the required quantity to a normal multiple, and for the multiple, write when you thought of it, the same as before. Conversely, it's the same. If I want something, I will write it this way too."

Hearing this, Old Zhang was dumbfounded, his heart thumping. Could it be that he had run into... this place had always been in turmoil over this, so how could there still be secret code communication?

Thinking of Li Xuewu's Type 54, he was even more unsure of Li Xuewu's identity. ===== CHAPTER 66 =====