Chapter 30: Entering the Black Market to Purchase Coarse Grain

"Brother Fan, I haven't gone back home yet because I wanted to visit the black market to pick up some emergency supplies for my family. Do you happen to know where it is?"

After bidding farewell to Xu Xiaoya, he and Huzi wandered around until evening before arriving at the state-run restaurant. They ordered a bowl of wontons and a plate of dumplings and began to eat. Manager Fan came over upon hearing they were there, leading to the conversation above.

"The black market? Wait a moment, I'll ask around for you."

To be honest, Manager Fan had never been to the black market, nor did he know where it was, but that didn't stop him from asking others. Although the black market was illegal and against regulations, it wasn't as if no one went there. If the state truly wanted to crack down on and completely shut down the black market, it could—after all, if the common people knew where it was, how could the government not?

However, the police only conducted periodic sweeps; if you ran, you were fine, and a few days later, once the heat died down, business would continue as usual. Those with official government jobs certainly wouldn't risk going to the black market, because getting caught meant not only losing their job but also facing jail time and ideological re-education. For ordinary people, the outcome was simple: either prison or criticism and ideological re-education.

The authorities focused primarily on education, but they would inevitably notify the offender's workplace—ostensibly for "supervisory education," but most would end up losing their jobs. Therefore, those who frequented black markets, ghost markets, and pigeon markets were mostly impoverished people with nowhere else to turn.

"I asked for you. Here is the address. Keep it safe. What are you going to the black market for, brother? Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need your older brother's help?"

"Sigh... It's a last resort. My family is struggling, and we've run out of food. I wanted to buy some grain, but I'm strapped for cash and have no ration coupons."

Manager Fan glanced at Su Yu, thinking to himself, *You're tall, sturdy, and look healthy; you don't look like someone who isn't getting enough to eat. Are you trying to fool me? Do you take me for a fool?*

However, Manager Fan was a shrewd man who had dealt with all sorts of people for years. His speech was smooth, polished, and left no room for suspicion.

"I see. If you aren't in a desperate rush, little brother, I can help you scrape some together. Let's see how many pounds of ration coupons I can gather. Take them for your emergency. Unless it's an absolute last resort, it's best not to go to the black market. It’s a chaotic place; it's not a good environment."

Su Yu readily agreed. Ten minutes later, Manager Fan returned with several ration coupons in his hand.

"Here, I've managed to get you eight pounds of fine grain coupons and twenty pounds of coarse grain coupons. Is that enough?"

"Oh, Brother Fan, thank you so much! This is a life-saving favor. Tell you what, I'll pay you the market price. I can't have you covering the cost for me."

The two exchanged pleasantries. Manager Fan naturally wanted to give them away, but Su Yu couldn't accept them for free—if he took them, how could he justify the price of the soft-shelled turtle he planned to bring later?

In the end, he couldn't win against Su Yu. For the eight pounds of fine grain coupons and twenty pounds of coarse grain coupons, Su Yu gave him five yuan. Don't think that's cheap; you have to realize that one pound of white flour was only seventeen cents, and rice was only thirteen point eight cents. Cornmeal was seven cents a pound. The market price for the grain definitely wouldn't reach five yuan, but there was also the bowl of dumplings and two bowls of wontons to account for. He had to pay it all at once; otherwise, Manager Fan might not have accepted the money.

"Brother Yu, are we still going to the black market then?" Huzi asked suddenly as they walked out of the state-run restaurant.

"Of course. Otherwise, this bit of grain is enough for my family, but what about yours? Even if your family is barely getting by, times must be tight, right? Don't you want a bit more cornmeal in your flatbreads?"

Huzi swallowed hard and nodded.

Pigeon markets and ghost markets usually started around three or four in the morning, while the black market began after dark. These three markets were distinct: the ghost market dealt with stolen goods, the pigeon market was where commoners bought daily necessities, and the black market was far more sophisticated. It was a chaotic mix of everything. If you had money, you could buy gold, hunting rifles, antiques, calligraphy, and all kinds of scarce supplies. The black market generally had it all.

But commoners were more accustomed to the pigeon market than the black market because the latter was dangerous. Those who ran black markets or ghost markets were undoubtedly well-connected, thriving in the underworld, and had someone powerful backing them.

Therefore, Su Yu and Huzi had to wait until dark. They found a sheltered spot and chatted. Su Yu took a pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and offered it to Huzi, who declined. Su Yu didn't mind and smoked it himself. He had picked up the habit in his previous life; although he wasn't addicted in this one, he didn't plan on quitting either.

Time passed bit by bit, and finally, it was dark.

"Let's go. Find something handy for self-defense."

Entering the black market, it was always better to be prepared. While it was true that since the market was open, it was meant for people to browse—if something went wrong every time someone visited, it would have been shut down long ago—most people didn't run into trouble. But because he and Huzi were young and needed to buy so much, they were bound to be targeted.

The two found two short sticks broken off from a tree, about as thick as a child's arm. They sanded them down and tucked them into their waistbands.

"Hats and scarves, make sure they're on tight."

To enter the black market, they had prepared during the day. They pulled out their hats and used scarves to cover their noses and mouths, bundling up securely.

"Huzi, you push the bicycle and stay right behind me. Keep it low-key, and don't lose the bike."

"Don't worry, I'm a grown man, how could I lose it? Relax."

Su Yu nodded, and the two walked together toward the entrance of the black market. The address was the one Manager Fan had written on the slip of paper, and they had been squatting outside waiting for nightfall.

"Stop. Are you here to buy or sell?"

There were men blocking the path—several burly guys who looked like trouble, holding machetes. Huzi instinctively reached for the stick at his back, but Su Yu stopped him.

"Brother, we're here to buy a few things."

"Since you're buying, it's one dime per person."

The man held out his hand, and Su Yu quickly handed over twenty cents. The man waved his hand, signaling they could pass.

"Brother Yu, are they robbers?"

"Don't talk nonsense. They run the black market and maintain order. Simply put, they're the managers. Whether you're buying or selling, you have to pay a management fee. Otherwise, who do you think would be bored enough to run a black market?"

Huzi nodded, half-understanding, and the two entered.

"Brother Yu, why isn't anyone displaying their goods? I can't see a thing. How are we supposed to buy anything?"

Su Yu was also a bit stunned; it was indeed true. But as he observed carefully, he noticed the differences. For instance, those selling fine grain would place a stalk of wheat nearby—everything was designed for convenience so they could flee at a moment's notice. If they laid everything out and there was a sudden raid, no matter how much they had earned, they would have to give it up. That was why these people were so cautious.

"Let's go take a look over there."

The two squatted in front of an older man's stall. He had a corn cob placed in front of him; it was clear he was selling coarse grain.

"What's the price?"

"Ten cents a pound, no coupons needed."

The market price was only seven cents a pound. Ten cents was a full three cents more, but without needing coupons, it wasn't expensive. It was common knowledge that black market prices were higher than standard ones. Even if Su Yu didn't frequent the black market often, he was a man of this era and understood that much.

"How much do you have?"

The man eyed them and muttered, "How much do you need?"

Clearly, the man didn't trust them either, which was why he answered with a question.

"Do you have sixty pounds of coarse grain? If you don't even have sixty pounds, I'll go ask someone else."

The price was fair, and Su Yu didn't want to switch, but if it was too little, it wouldn't be worth the trouble. Since the man had nothing on him, it was obvious he would have to go fetch it from elsewhere.

"I have it—eighty pounds. Do you want it?"

"I'll take it. Go get it."

The man didn't hesitate. He turned and walked into an alley. Before long, he and another young man carried the grain over from the alley entrance.

Su Yu opened the bag, reached in, and pulled out a handful to inspect.

"Don't worry, the grain at the bottom is just like the stuff on top. We aren't the type to be heartless and mix in chaff."

"Haha, alright, Uncle, you're a straightforward man. Here's eight yuan. Please, you two, help me load it onto the bike."

The man took the money, counted it, and then he and the young man loaded the cornmeal onto the bicycle and helped Huzi tie it down securely.

"Done. Farewell."

With that, the two turned and left without a moment's hesitation.

"Let's go. It's time for us to leave, too."