Su Wen felt the urge to urinate in his sleep, and his body began to squirm involuntarily. He frowned slightly and tried to find the toilet in his dream, but he couldn't find it.
The urge to urinate became stronger and stronger, and Su Wen began to roll around, trying to find a comfortable position, but it was of no use. His bladder felt like it was going to explode and he started calling the name of the toilet, hoping to find a savior in his dreams.
Suddenly, Su Wen realized that he had to wake up or he would wet the bed. He opened his eyes and found that the surroundings were dark. Su Wen got dressed, put on an old felt hat, and found two pieces of cloth to cover his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. He climbed out of the courtyard from the back wall and solved his physical problems in the alley behind. After Su Wen solved his physical problems, he felt much more relaxed.
Putting his hands into each other's sleeves and finding the right direction, Su Wen's first trip to the black market began.
Su Wen groped forward in the darkness. More than half an hour later, he came to the edge of the black market. In a dark corner with no one, he checked the shotgun and put it on his waist, rearranged the equipment that covered his face, and finally Get the panniers and fish out of the space. Carrying a basket on his back, Su Wen arrived at the entrance of the black market.
"Buy or sell?" a man wearing a mask asked.
"Both."
"Two cents."
Su Wen paid two cents and was let in.
Su Wen found a place to squat down, took out a black fish from his backpack and put it on the snakeskin bag covering his backpack. Su Wen squatted motionless and waited for the guests to come.
Not long after, a stranger walked towards Su Wen. The man was tall, wearing a black coat and a hat that covered most of his face. He leaned down and looked at the fish in front of Su Wen and asked, "Is this a black fish?"
Su Wen nodded and replied: "Yes, I caught this in the river."
"I just need this, how can I sell it?"
"Two yuan a pound, if you want them all, ten yuan a piece."
"This is fish, your price is a bit expensive."
“Corn flour is not expensive anymore and you can’t even buy a pound for one yuan.”
"How many more do you have in your bamboo basket?"
"Eleven items, all of them must be very cost-effective." As he spoke, Su Wen opened the snakeskin bag covering the bamboo basket.
"Okay, I want all the 110 yuan."
After collecting the money, Su Wen poured the fish out of the bamboo basket, put the bamboo basket on his back, and started shopping in the black market. There was only one food seller, and the price of cornmeal was 1.2 yuan per catty. Su Wen negotiated the price to 1.1 yuan per catty, and handed over the money he just received in exchange for 100 catties of cornmeal.
In the black market, Su Wen also saw some other people trading items. Some are selling weird things, such as a small animal, a pack of herbs, and even some ancient cultural relics. He knew that these transactions were illegal, but he also understood that these people were forced by life and could only obtain some daily necessities in this way.
When leaving the black market, he was stopped by the gatekeeper, "Brother, our boss wants to see you, come with me."
Su Wen's heart tightened. He didn't know who this so-called "boss" was or why he wanted to see him. He tried to resist, but looking at the three people surrounding him, he knew that resistance was useless. He had no choice but to take a deep breath and follow the man.
After passing through two dark alleys, we came to a dilapidated courtyard house. Su Wen followed the man into the courtyard, and there was a damp smell in the air. In the center of the main room sat a man dressed in black, his face covered by a hat, and only a pair of deep eyes could be seen. He looked very unpleasant, and Su Wen knew that he was the so-called "boss".
Su Wen was nervous and uneasy. He didn't know what this "boss" wanted from him. He tried to calm down, but he couldn't calm down.
The man took Su Wen to the door of the main room, then turned and left, leaving Su Wen alone to face the mysterious boss. Su Wen took a deep breath and walked into the room. The eleven fish he sold were placed in a large wooden basin on the right side of the boss.
"Sit down." The boss pointed to a chair and said.
Su Wen sat down carefully, trying to relieve his nervousness. He didn't know what the boss was looking for, but he decided to remain silent and wait for the boss to speak.
The boss looked at Su Wen, was silent for a while, and then said, "Are you short of food?"
Su Wen was caught off guard by the boss's sudden question. He hesitated for a moment, and then answered: "Yes. My family is from a rural area and I am the only one who recruited workers into the city. I have parents who need relief. My rations are not enough to eat."
"You are still filial. Did you catch this fish yourself?"
"Well, I was lucky enough to find a fish nest. I have been fishing for more than ten years, and this is the first time I have caught so many."
"If you catch such a big fish in the future, you can sell it directly to me, and I will exchange it for you with one pound of cornmeal for two pounds."
"OK."
"You go."
After Su Wen heard what the boss said, he didn't expect that the boss would let him go so easily. He decided to leave here first.
Su Wen stood up and walked cautiously towards the door.
After leaving this dilapidated courtyard house, Su Wen's back was wet with sweat. When he walked around the corner of the alley, Su Wen ran back to the vicinity of Nanluogu Lane. He checked carefully and found no one following him. He climbed over the wall and returned to the neighborhood. In your own home.
When Su Wen returned to his home, he couldn't help but feel a little lucky. He realized that his actions were still too risky, and his successful escape this time was purely lucky. He decided to be more careful in the future and not take risks on the black market.
It was still dark outside. Su Wen was very tired. He took off his clothes and lay on the bed, and fell asleep soon after.
Su Wen slept deeply until the next morning when he heard a sound of beatings and scolding in the yard. He heard carefully that it was the second uncle beating the child. He sat up, feeling his head was a little dizzy, and what happened last night seemed like a dream.
Su Wen got dressed and walked to the yard, where he saw the second uncle beating a child with a belt and cursing. Su Wen couldn't bear it, so he stepped forward to stop the second uncle's violence.
"Second uncle, stop fighting. Guangfu is still young and not sensible." Su Wen advised.
The second uncle glanced at Su Wen, snorted and said, "This bastard doesn't listen to me. If I don't hit him, who will I hit?"
Su Wen knew the second uncle's temper and didn't say much. He just advised him not to spank the child. When the second uncle saw Su Wen standing nearby, he had no choice but to give up.
Su Wen bent down to help Liu Guangfu, who was lying on the ground, and patted the dust off his body. Liu Guangfu was trembling, his eyes full of fear and pain. He held Su Wen's hand tightly, as if he had found a support.
Seeing Liu Guangfu like this, Su Wen felt a little pity for him. He knew that this child had a hard time. The second uncle had a bad temper and often beat and scolded his two younger sons.
