I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 12 Buying Grain

Instead of setting up a stall, I strolled around the area slowly for a couple of minutes, quietly figuring out the market situation.

In the market, some people were secretly selling cornmeal and dried sweet potatoes, while others had a small amount of pork on display. Everyone was vigilantly watching their surroundings, afraid that patrolling militiamen would rush in. After getting a general idea of ​​the situation, Gao Huaiyi found an inconspicuous spot in a corner, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then gently placed the two wild animals he was carrying on the ground, laid them out simply, and planned to set up a stall to sell them.

Not long after the wild animal landed, several villagers who had been wandering around nearby gathered around it, their eyes fixed on the animal with longing in them.

"Young man, how much for this wild game?" someone in the crowd asked first, their voice not too low.

Gao Huaiyi looked up at the crowd and said in a calm tone, "It's the same price as pork."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd. Some people frowned, looking completely bewildered: "Why is it the same price as pork? Pork is so delicious! What's so good about wild game?"

Gao Huaiyi had anticipated this remark and calmly explained, "This is genuine wild game, purely from the mountains, with firm meat. The key is that it doesn't require meat coupons. These days, even with coupons, pork from the supply and marketing cooperative is hard to get. Where else can you find such a good deal where I can take it without coupons?"

Hearing this, everyone nodded, their doubts largely dispelled. At that moment, a middle-aged man in a dark blue jacket pushed through the crowd, his eyes gleaming with eagerness, and said, "Eight yuan a pound! I'll take both!"

Gao Huaiyi nodded in agreement. The middle-aged man immediately picked up the two wild animals, walked to the pork vendor next door, and politely borrowed the scales. The scales wobbled slightly, and after weighing them, the vendor announced the amount: "The two weigh four and a half jin in total."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man subconsciously touched his pockets, his expression changing slightly. He repeatedly turned his pockets inside out, looking somewhat embarrassed, clearly indicating he didn't have enough money. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to Gao Huaiyi, his tone pleading: "Young man, I'm really sorry, I don't have enough money on me. I'll give you the money for one first. Wait here for me a moment, I'll go home and get the money right away, and I'll be right back."

Gao Huaiyi's gaze remained calm as he sized up the other man for a few seconds. The man appeared to be middle-aged, with a composed demeanor, dressed in a blue suit without patches. In those days, it was rare to see someone in unpatched clothes, indicating wealth. He wondered why the man would be at the black market. Black market transactions valued integrity, and the man didn't seem like a dishonest person. After a moment's thought, Gao Huaiyi slowly nodded: "Alright, I'll wait for you here. Go quickly and come back soon."

The middle-aged man quickly thanked him, handed over some money, and then hurried towards the alley exit. Gao Huaiyi stood still, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, keeping an eye on the commotion while waiting quietly.

Gao Huaiyi squatted in place, waiting patiently. The market was bustling with people, footsteps and whispers mingling together, and everyone's face carried a hint of caution.

After waiting for about ten minutes, a familiar figure strode in from the entrance of the black market. It was the middle-aged man from before. He walked straight up to Gao Huaiyi, his face apologetic, and repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Sorry to keep you waiting, young brother. I'm so sorry to have troubled you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached into his inner pocket, took out neatly folded change, counted it carefully, and solemnly handed it to Gao Huaiyi.

Gao Huaiyi took the money, ran his fingers over the brand-new banknotes, carefully counted them, and after confirming that the amount was correct, bent down and handed over the two wild animals on the ground.

The middle-aged man took the game with both hands. The heavy weight brought a satisfied smile to his face, and he thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Thank you so much, young man. You've really helped me a lot."

He sighed, his tone full of helplessness: "These days are too hard to bear. Every household is short of food, and every meal is just watery soup. Adults and children are all malnourished. Nowadays, it's hard to buy meat even if you have money. Your wild game is fresh and doesn't require coupons, so it's already the best you can get."

After saying that, he looked at Gao Huaiyi with sincere eyes, his tone carrying a hint of trying to win him over: "Young man, I genuinely think you're a good catch. If you hunt any more wild animals in the future, save them for me first. I won't haggle; I'll give you the highest price on the black market. We can arrange a time and place to trade, which is safer than setting up a stall here."

Gao Huaiyi understood, but his expression remained calm. He knew that the current situation was tense and people's hearts were unpredictable. Making long-term deals with people casually would be tantamount to planting seeds of future trouble for himself. Moreover, wild game was a scarce commodity, and there was no worry about finding a market for it. It could fetch a good price anywhere, so there was absolutely no need to tie himself to a single buyer.

Therefore, he simply nodded slightly, without responding or making any promises.

Seeing his cold attitude and clear-headed nature, the middle-aged man knew that the other party was a cautious person, so he stopped trying to persuade him. He smiled, picked up the wild game, turned around and walked quickly towards the exit of the black market, and soon disappeared at the entrance.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Gao Huaiyi carefully tucked the money into his innermost pocket, then turned and walked towards the grain market. As he walked, Gao Huaiyi couldn't contain his excitement. He looked down and felt the money in his pocket—a full thirty-six yuan!

This was the first pot of gold he had earned since being reborn into this era, and it was extremely valuable. You have to understand, the monthly salary of a regular factory worker these days is only five or six yuan, so thirty-six yuan is almost equivalent to half a year's income for an average worker!

This money is enough to get the family through this month!

After calming his excitement, Gao Huaiyi immediately headed towards the stalls selling coarse grains deep within the black market. In those days, grain was the real currency; having grain in hand was better than having money.

He found a reliable stall owner, and after a brief conversation, he decisively bought fifty pounds of coarse grains at a price of eight cents per pound.

After paying and looking at the heavy load of grain, Gao Huaiyi felt incredibly at ease. With this grain as a foundation, plus the money he had left, he finally felt more secure for the future.

After paying for the grain, Gao Huaiyi tied the fifty jin of coarse grain tightly with a rope, hoisted it onto his back, and felt a sense of peace and joy despite the heavy weight weighing down his shoulders. He didn't linger and turned to walk quickly towards the exit of the black market.

There were still guards at the entrance to the black market, all sharp-eyed and serious-looking men watching everyone coming and going. Gao Huaiyi was prepared; he walked up, took out fifteen cents from his pocket, and handed it over discreetly. The guard took the money, glanced casually at the grain on his back, didn't ask any further questions, and waved him through.

Emerging from the dark grove, the light outside suddenly brightened. Gao Huaiyi looked around; there weren't many pedestrians, most hurrying out, with only one or two occasionally going in. No one paid any attention to him, the farmer carrying grain. He strode back towards the village, following the path he had come from.

After walking about thirty or fifty meters, the roadside was quiet and deserted, with not a single passerby in sight. Gao Huaiyi stopped warily, carefully looked around, and after confirming that no one was following or spying on him, he felt relieved. With a thought, the heavy fifty pounds of coarse grain on his back instantly disappeared, silently stored in his personal space.

With his burden lifted, he felt much lighter. He looked up at the sky; the sun was already slightly setting, the sunlight no longer scorching, and the horizon was tinged with a faint orange hue. Judging by the time, it was probably around five or six in the afternoon. Not wanting to linger, Gao Huaiyi quickened his pace and hurried towards the village.

The country road was rugged and uneven, with lush wild grass growing on both sides, rustling in the wind. Gao Huaiyi walked briskly for two hours. The sunset gradually faded and night fell, and the outline of the village gradually came into clear view.

As he neared his home, he checked again to make sure no one was around. On a whim, he took the fifty pounds of coarse grain from his spatial storage and hoisted it onto his shoulder once more. The grain was heavy, pressing down on his shoulder, but it brought him immense peace of mind.

He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, carried the grain, and steadily pushed open the courtyard gate, walking straight into his home.