I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 22 Daily Necessities

Gao Huaiyi glanced warily at the entrance to the black market, then looked away, whispering with lingering fear, "That was close. Luckily I dodged quickly, or they would have stopped me. Money is a small matter; I'm afraid they're so ruthless that they won't even spare people."

Zhou Xiuying was still shaken, her eyes filled with confusion and curiosity. She eagerly asked, "What was that place just now? It seemed completely different from the outside..."

Gao Huaiyi looked at her calmly and slowly said, "That's my special ability, a private space that belongs only to me."

Zhou Xiuying was utterly shocked and couldn't help but exclaim, "An independent space? I've never heard of such a thing before, nor have I ever heard anyone claim to have this ability. It's truly amazing!"

Her eyes were filled with envy, and her tone was full of amazement as she continued, "So, this is a small world detached from the mortal realm? That's an ability only gods could possess! With this divine skill, you can remain safe and sound, unaffected by famine or war, no matter how chaotic the world becomes. Especially now, during this time of famine, while everyone else is starving, you don't have to worry about food or drink at all. Life is just too peaceful."

Zhou Xiuying composed herself, recalling the brief glimpse she had just seen. It was about five acres in size, covered with seedlings and vegetables, though none of them were very large. Her eyes widened in surprise as she softly said, "When I went in with you, I glanced around quickly. It seemed like there were quite a few crops planted there, different from what we grow in our commune's fields. The seeds in the fields outside were just planted and haven't even sprouted yet! The seedlings in your fields are already over half an inch tall."

Zhou Xiuying, her face full of curiosity, pressed on, asking, "What's going on where you are? How come the crops in your space are growing so fast?"

Seeing her persistent questioning, Gao Huaiyi frowned and quickly interrupted, his tone urgent: "You still have the mind to ask this now? Aren't you afraid?" "Now is not the time to talk about this. I'll explain it to you slowly later when we have time. The most important thing right now is to get out of here as soon as possible. If those people don't give up and chase after us, we really won't be able to escape."

He paused, lowered his voice, and added solemnly, "Judging from their fierce appearance, if we get caught, they might not dare to kill us, but we definitely won't be able to keep the money on us, and we might even get a beating."

Having said that, he didn't linger. He grabbed Zhou Xiuying's hand and hurried towards the commune. As they walked, Zhou Xiuying replied, "I'm alright! If I can't escape, I'll just hide in your space!" Gao Huaiyi was speechless upon hearing this.

The two walked briskly to the commune, and only when they entered the bustling area did their tense nerves relax slightly. They found a sheltered corner to sit down and rest for a while, whispered a few words to each other, and then headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative.

In those days, supplies were scarce, and everything in high demand required ration coupons. However, the supply and marketing cooperatives always had groceries and non-staple foods that didn't require coupons. The two decided to go and take a look to buy some necessities.

Gao Huaiyi and Zhou Xiuying walked into the supply and marketing cooperative one after the other. They immediately noticed several middle-aged female shop assistants standing behind the counter, chatting and eating melon seeds together. Their tone was casual, their expressions arrogant, and they didn't pay any attention to the two people who entered.

Only when the two reached the counter did one of the clerks selling grains and oils slowly turn around, barely lifting his eyelids, and ask in a lukewarm tone, "What would you two like to buy?"

That attitude was casual and perfunctory, lacking any hospitality whatsoever, a far cry from the customer-centric service of later generations.

Gao Huaiyi was already prepared, knowing that in those days, the employees of supply and marketing cooperatives had secure jobs and were mostly arrogant and had poor service attitudes. But when he actually felt this coldness and contempt, he still felt a little awkward.

At this moment, another female shop assistant in charge of selling grain looked the two of them up and down. Seeing that they were dressed simply and did not seem like they could buy scarce goods, she curled her lips into a sneer and said in a sarcastic tone, "You two look unfamiliar. Is this your first time at the commune supply and marketing cooperative? If you want to buy grain, oil, or meat, you'd better not ask. You can't buy anything without coupons. Don't waste your time and delay our conversation."

Another shop assistant chimed in, scoffing, "That's right, stop lingering here. If you're not going to buy anything, go wander around somewhere else and don't block the people behind you."

Gao Huaiyi was so angry at the shop assistants' harsh words that he glared at them. He glanced up and saw a sign on the wall that read "It is strictly forbidden to beat or scold customers without cause." He could only suppress his anger and felt speechless.

He turned to Zhou Xiuying and softened his tone, saying, "You go first. I have money here, so don't be shy. I'll buy it after you've chosen."

Zhou Xiuying looked at him gratefully and said softly, "Thank you, Comrade Huaiyi. I'll make my choice first. Consider this money a loan from me. I'll definitely pay you back when my family sends me my living expenses."

Gao Huaiyi nodded slightly and replied, "Okay, no rush, let's talk about it when you're better off."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiuying turned to the counter and listed the items she needed. She knew perfectly well that she couldn't touch any goods that required coupons; she only picked out daily necessities that didn't require coupons.

After she finished selecting, Gao Huaiyi's anger subsided considerably. He stepped forward and, similarly, only chose items that did not require receipts.

In the end, the two of them spent a total of more than thirty yuan. Of that, Zhou Xiuying's things accounted for more than twenty yuan, most of which were necessities such as salt, kerosene, and needles and thread, while consumables such as paper and pens accounted for only a small part.

Finally, they came out carrying large and small bags of things.

Most of the items were bought for Zhou Xiuying. She had only been in the countryside for a short time and was living frugally, so she had to buy everything from scratch. Salt, needles and thread, pens, ink, notebooks, and kerosene for lighting were the most urgent necessities at the moment, and she managed to gather a whole bag full of them.

In comparison, Gao Huaiyi bought far less. He weighed out some candy for his sister, bought a bottle of bulk liquor for his father, and picked out a piece of floral fabric that didn't require ration coupons, intending for his mother and sister to make a new dress together. Finally, he bought himself a pair of sturdy cloth shoes—after days of hiking up the mountain, his old shoes had worn through, and wearing them any longer would ruin his feet!

As they left the supply and marketing cooperative, Gao Huaiyi, carrying large and small bags, said with a hint of regret, "I didn't manage to buy any grain today. I'll find another opportunity to go and prepare some food for you."

Zhou Xiuying quickly waved her hand to comfort her, saying, "It's alright, don't worry about it. When I first arrived, the team gave me a month or two's worth of rations. Although there's not much left, it'll last me a while. My family's living expenses should arrive in a few days, so I won't trouble you then."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and a look of worry appeared between her brows. She added, "By the way, we managed to escape today. If you go to the black market again, won't those greedy people hold a grudge and come after you again? They saw us making money with their own eyes, and they're probably already green with envy."

Gao Huaiyi's face darkened, and after a moment's thought, he said, "Those few money-grubbing hooligans are nothing to worry about. What I'm really worried about is that their ability to operate in the black market for so many years must mean they're in cahoots with Brother Biao. If they're working together, our situation will be very difficult."

He paused, then softened his tone and said in a deep voice, "But you don't need to worry too much. Once things calm down in a couple of days, I'll find another way to go to the black market. By then, they'll probably think I've already spent all my money, and they won't get anything out of robbing me again, so they won't keep targeting me. I'll be much safer then."