I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 28 The Seasonings Are in Hand

For the past ten days or so, he has been leaving home before dawn and returning home exhausted after sunset, plunging into the dense forest to search for traces of wild animals.

Through continuous efforts, coupled with the safety net of his personal space, Gao Huaiyi's harvest never stopped. In just over ten days, he amassed twenty or thirty plump wild rabbits and a dozen or so pheasants with bright feathers, intact fur, and firm meat—enough to improve his family's meals for several nights. The most dangerous and rarest harvest, however, was a half-grown wild boar.

That afternoon, following the messy hoofprints on the ground, he found himself in an oak grove and heard heavy grunting in the distance. A black wild boar, weighing about a hundred pounds, was digging into the tree roots, searching for acorns, its tusks bared, and its temper flaring. Gao Huaiyi quietly circled around to the back, intending to strike first, but a dry branch under his feet cracked sharply, startling the boar, which turned its head sharply, its bloodshot eyes fixed on him, and charged straight at him with all four hooves on the ground.

The wild boar charged with incredible speed, covering the distance in an instant. A foul stench assaulted his senses, and its sharp tusks were about to pierce his chest. Gao Huaiyi's heart clenched. In a split second, a thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly stored the charging boar in his storage space. The next second, there was nothing in front of him. The tense danger vanished instantly. His back was already soaked with cold sweat. He leaned against a tree trunk, panting heavily, filled with lingering fear. If he had been even half a second later, he would certainly be seriously injured. In this desolate mountain, even medical treatment would be impossible, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Previously, when they occasionally roasted a wild rabbit, the meat was divided among the family. After a few meals of meat, everyone's faces would show a rare smile. After eating wild game for several meals in a row, the complexions of the family members visibly improved.

But a worry weighed on their minds, greatly diminishing the deliciousness of the meal. A few days ago, the village collected all its ironware and established a communal cooking system. Every household handed in their iron pots, shovels, knives, and ceramic pots and jars. Now, they can't even find a pot to stew. The once-delicious rabbit and pheasant meat can now only be roasted directly over a wood fire.

While meat roasted over a wood fire carries a smoky aroma, it lacks the rich, savory flavor of slow-cooked meat. Without a slow-cooking pot and the ability to simmer it in broth, the meat becomes dry, tough, and unpleasant, and eating too much can cause internal heat. Every time Gao Huaiyi gnaws on dry, roasted meat, he feels particularly frustrated; such delicious wild game has been wasted.

At night, the family went to bed early. The mud-brick house was quiet, with only the rustling of the autumn wind through the treetops outside the window. Gao Huaiyi lay on the hard bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep, his mind racing with plans for what to do next.

The most urgent task right now is to acquire a set of cooking utensils and stock up on oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings. The village's supply and marketing cooperative is experiencing shortages, and ironware like iron pots is completely sold out; it's impossible to buy them. The only option is the hidden black market on the outskirts of town. The black market is a mixed bag, strictly regulated, and quite risky. Some items don't require ration coupons, but they are more expensive. However, its advantage lies in its comprehensive selection: pots and pans, grains, oils, seasonings, and fabrics—everything is available. As long as you're willing to exchange goods, you can always gather what you need.

He plans to head to the black market tomorrow afternoon to find a sturdy iron pot, along with a small earthenware pot, porcelain bowls, a kitchen knife, and plenty of basic seasonings, storing them all in his spatial storage for later use. Afterwards, when he hunts wild animals, he can stew meat broth and braise meat dishes, eliminating the need for dry, roasted food, and allowing his family to enjoy nourishing meat broth to strengthen their bodies.

Secondly, there's the food in the space. The wheat and corn planted on the land there will be ripe in a few days, and the vegetables have an extremely high yield, piling up in several heaps. They can't possibly consume it all themselves, and hoarding it will only take up space; they must find a market in advance. Food control is strict, and private transactions are extremely risky. They can't sell in small quantities; it's best to contact purchasing agents from state-owned units for large-scale, unified purchases. This way, they can sell at a fair price and reduce the risk of exposure.

This trip to the black market isn't just about buying cooking utensils and seasonings; it's also an opportunity to inquire about connections and see if I can get acquainted with someone who has connections to become a purchasing agent. If I can establish a relationship and become a purchasing agent to reliably sell the food produced in the area, my family's life will be much more comfortable from now on, and I won't have to worry about how to sell the food every day! It's strange that we didn't have any food to buy, and now that we have too much food, we still have to think about how to sell it.

Besides, he also had Zhou Xiuying on his mind. More than ten days had passed in a flash, and the two hadn't seen each other since their last parting. Zhou Xiuying was gentle by nature and lived alone in a small house on the edge of the village. She received little care and lived a poor life. Gao Huaiyi kept her in his thoughts and decided to make a detour to her place on his way to the black market the next day to bring her some wild rabbit meat and ask if she was having any difficulties. If she was short of food or cloth, he hoped he could help her out.

With several things piled up, Gao Huaiyi sorted out his thoughts, made a clear plan in his mind, relaxed his tense nerves a little, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Gao Huaiyi got up early as usual and went up the mountain. He only caught two small rabbits again, not many, so he put them directly into his spatial storage. He'd caught almost all the wild animals around there lately, and his catches were getting smaller and smaller. He didn't linger. He went home, ate two simple cornbread buns, casually told his mother he was going out to run some errands, then tucked a few old banknotes he'd saved into his pocket and headed to the city. He wanted to see if there were any direct job openings for purchasing agents! He had to check the black market first before going to the city.

As the sun slowly rose, dust swirled along the country dirt roads. Occasionally, Gao Huaiyi would encounter villagers heading to work in the fields, greeting them with a smile and a nod as he hurried towards the outskirts of the city. He avoided the village officials patrolling the village entrance, choosing instead to take secluded paths. After about two hours, he finally reached the vicinity of the woods where the black market was hidden.

A number of passersby were gathered around the edge of the woods, most speaking in hushed tones, their hands concealing various goods. Some traded eggs for coarse cloth, others for timber for grains, all exuding caution. Gao Huaiyi slowed his pace, discreetly surveying his surroundings, wary of patrols. Only after confirming it was temporarily safe did he slowly venture deeper into the woods. He thought to himself, "Running a black market in broad daylight is a bit too blatant! At this rate, the police won't be able to leave this place!"

Upon entering the woods, the first thing that caught Gao Huaiyi's eye was a few farmers setting up stalls. The ground was covered with tattered burlap sacks, and displayed earthenware pots, wooden spoons, and rough porcelain bowls, but there were no suitable iron pots. Gao Huaiyi asked each stall owner, but most of them shook their heads, saying that ironware was strictly controlled and very difficult to obtain.

After wandering to the innermost corner of the black market, Gao Huaiyi found a middle-aged woman wearing a gray headscarf standing before a gleaming black iron pot. The pot was thick and intact, and it came with a small earthenware pot and two large, rough porcelain bowls. Gao Huaiyi approached and asked the price in a low voice. The woman sized him up for a long time before asking for a hefty price. After some haggling, Gao Huaiyi took out a pheasant and twenty catties of grain, which he used to offset most of the price. He then paid a few more bills and successfully bought the entire cooking set. When no one was looking, he quietly stored it in his spatial storage.

After solving his major concern about cooking utensils, he then searched through the stalls one by one for seasonings: coarse salt, soy sauce, dried chili peppers, cinnamon, star anise—he bought all the seasonings that could be stored for a long time and gradually stored them in his storage compartments for future home use.

After completing his purchases, he didn't leave immediately. He stayed at the brickyard, gathering information and casually chatting with vendors to inquire about any job openings at the state-owned grain station, food factory, and other state-owned enterprises. Most people were reluctant to discuss it, only vaguely mentioning that being a purchasing agent was a lucrative and desirable job, but not everyone could handle it. Being a purchasing agent was different from being a permanent one; initially, they were all temporary workers without pay, earning commission based on the items purchased. Those who failed to meet their targets were dismissed. Everyone wanted to be a purchasing agent, but very few actually had the ability to procure the necessary supplies.

After several conversations, he only managed to glean a clue from an old man who had been dealing in grains for years. The old man said that in the middle of each month, purchasing agents from food factories would secretly come to the black market to buy dried goods. If he wanted to sell grain in large quantities, he should come back in the middle of the month to try his luck, and prepare samples in advance to have room for negotiation. Gao Huaiyi memorized this date, thanked the old man, and said goodbye. He thought he would talk to the purchasing agent later and ask him for an introduction. He wandered around for a long time, buying everything he needed and asking all the questions he needed to know! There was no need to go to the city anymore!

As the crowds in the black market thinned out and the patrol officers were about to arrive, Gao Huaiyi dared not linger. He turned and left the black market, heading towards the village where Zhou Xiaoya lived.

More than an hour later, they arrived outside Zhou Xiuying's courtyard. Hearing footsteps, Zhou Xiaoya looked up abruptly and saw that it was Gao Huaiyi. Her eyes instantly lit up with surprise and joy. She put down her work and quickly stood up: "Huaiyi? What brings you here? I haven't seen you for days."

Gao Huaiyi smiled, took out half a wild rabbit that he had prepared in advance from his sleeve, and handed it to her: "I've been hunting in the mountains every day these past few days and haven't had time to come and see you. I was thinking that you don't eat much meat, so I brought you some meat to stew and nourish your body."

Zhou Xiaoya quickly waved her hand to refuse, saying, "Your family has many people and is already short of food. How can I take your prey? You still need them to open doors and find work!"

"It's alright, I have a good harvest from the mountain, a little bit won't make a difference." Gao Huaiyi stuffed the rabbit meat into her arms, looked around the small courtyard, and asked, "How have things been lately? Do you have enough food? If you're missing anything, just tell me."

Zhou Xiaoya held the rabbit meat between her fingers, her eyes crinkling with happiness as she softly said, "The food is barely enough to feed us, but we don't have any cooking utensils. Even if we have some grains, we can only boil them. It's not a big problem though, thank you for always thinking of me."

The two sat on a stone bench in the courtyard chatting for a while. Gao Huaiyi told her about his trip to the black market to buy cookware that day. After speaking, he took out an iron can and some seasonings from his spatial storage, saying, "Take these and use them for now. You can use these for stewing soup and stir-frying. I'll buy you some more cookware when I find it for sale later." They chatted about some daily village matters, and as it became completely dark, Gao Huaiyi left some food for Zhou Xiuying before getting up to take his leave.

As he embarked on the return journey on the dirt road, the evening breeze blowing in his face brought Gao Huaiyi a sense of relief. The cooking utensils and seasonings were all prepared and stored in his spatial storage, the general sales channels for the grain had been identified, and Zhou Xiaoya's situation was also settled. All his worries were finally put to rest.

Back home, it was already dark. His mother and family were waiting for him under the oil lamp. Seeing him return safely, they quickly asked about his day's catch. Gao Huaiyi didn't mention the dangers of the black market; he simply took out the pots, pans, and seasonings he had traded. He planned to go hunting in the mountains again tomorrow and make a big pot of meat soup. His family was overjoyed to see so many things. His parents even told them not to tell anyone that they could cook at home. The children all nodded repeatedly!

At night, Gao Huaiyi checked on things alone. The newly acquired iron pot, seasonings, and several bowls were neatly arranged in the corner of the wooden house, with each type of seasoning categorized and placed in its proper place. He was quite pleased to see them. The grains in the black soil of the space were plump and would be fully ripe in another three or four days. The wild boar that had almost injured him was quietly staying in its enclosure, while the wild rabbits and pheasants were kept in their pen on the other side. With ample supplies, he felt incredibly at ease.

Remembering the information he had gathered about the purchasing agent during the day, he secretly made a plan: once the food in his space was ready, he could ask the purchasing agent for a job recommendation! But he couldn't come empty-handed; he would have to bring some gifts as a token of his appreciation!

After more than ten days of hunting from dawn till dusk, gathering wild game, acquiring cooking utensils and seasonings through the black market, securing hidden fertile land, and gradually establishing a clear sales channel, all the groundwork was in place. All that was missing was a job opportunity!

The autumn wind still swept through the mountains and forests outside, while inside, the oil lamp flickered dimly. Gao Huaiyi gazed at the deep night outside the window, his heart filled with anticipation. They had already weathered the difficult years of scarcity; with the space at their disposal and his own diligence, he was certain he could provide his family with a more comfortable and happy life!