Chapter 12: Black Market Wholesale

The boss of the black market was a man in his thirties, looking exceptionally refined with his scholarly air, glasses, and a Zhongshan suit.

He didn't look like a businessman; he looked more like a pedantic old scholar.

His tone was quite gentle: "Comrade, please sit. Do you mind if I take a look at the goods?"

Tu Shan let go of the bag: "Be my guest."

Yang Jiajiang personally reached out to open the bag, then froze: "This isn't cotton?"

Tu Shan asked: "Do you only accept cotton?"

Yang Jiajiang smiled, softening his expression: "No, it’s just a surprise. I didn't expect you to be so strong, Comrade." Peanuts. He had tried to lift a bag earlier, and well, he hadn't been able to budge it, so he retracted his hand in embarrassment.

The corners of Tu Shan’s mouth curled high: "Born with it, not worth mentioning."

Yang Jiajiang silently looked away. One could only see a mouth on that face, and that mouth was curled upward—it was inexplicably eerie.

"My surname is Yang, Yang Jiajiang. I hope we can be friends, Comrade. In the future, if you have any goods, you can come directly here to trade them; the price will be absolutely fair. Or, if you need anything, you can also come to me." Making friends with a powerhouse, Yang Jiajiang felt, was a worthwhile deal.

Whether it’s useful or not is one thing, but one must have the connections.

"Yang Jiajiang, huh? Your name is quite memorable. Just call me Third Sister."

Yang Jiajiang smiled: "My father hoped I would become a general. Nice to meet you, Third Sister. I’ll be counting on your support in the future."

Yang Jiajiang truly had the flair of a businessman—slick, adaptable, and able to bend when necessary.

Facing a thin, frail-looking female comrade who looked younger than him, dressed in shabby, peculiar gear, and reeking of poverty, he didn't feel offended in the slightest when asked to call her "Third Sister."

Tu Shan was noncommittal: "What are the prices for peanuts and fish?"

Yang Jiajiang adopted his businessman persona: "The market price for peanuts is three jiao per jin; the black market price is five jiao, no coupons required.

Black carp is nine jiao, grass carp is eight jiao; both are black market prices, no coupons required.

Normally, the wholesale price would be lower, but I see your goods are of excellent quality, so I’ll buy them at the retail price. How does that sound?"

Tu Shan had no issues with the price: "I want coupons. Do you have them? How does the exchange work?"

"I have coupons. If you want them, the price will be twenty percent lower. What kind of coupons do you need, Third Sister?"

"I want industrial coupons and some cloth coupons. Use your pricing. I’m trading six and a half bags of peanuts and half the fish. Let’s do a fifty-fifty split between cash and coupons."

Yang Jiajiang was a bit surprised: "You don't want grain or meat coupons?" Food, clothing, housing, and transportation—food always came first, and the demand was highest. Usually, when people traded for coupons, they wanted grain or meat coupons.

"No need," Tu Shan thought for a moment and asked: "Do you have seeds for sale?"

Yang Jiajiang felt he had figured it out. This "Third Sister" must have a plot of land; otherwise, she couldn't grow so many peanuts. No wonder she didn't need grain coupons—she wasn't lacking in food.

She probably raised poultry too, so she wasn't lacking in meat coupons either.

He didn't know how much she had, but this could be a long-term partnership.

"I do have some seeds, though not many. Some are old, and they’re quite mixed.

If you don't mind, Third Sister, I can give them to you for free. But there’s a condition: I hope that when you sell the produce or livestock you raise in the future, you’ll give me priority."

Tu Shan didn't know what kind of mental gymnastics he had performed to say all that, but it was fine—just empty pleasantries.

"Sure, I’ll consider it. No need to give them for free; just deduct the cost from these goods. I want every variety of seed you have. I don't care if they aren't new; just a little of each is fine, no need for much."

"Alright." Yang Jiajiang wasn't discouraged by failing to secure a deeper connection. Not being greedy was a good thing; he wouldn't dare partner with someone greedy anyway.

He called someone over, and they efficiently weighed the goods and calculated the money.

The peanuts totaled an unexpected nine hundred and eighteen jin. She kept sixty-eight jin and sold eight hundred and fifty jin.

The fish were sold by the piece. Each black carp was two yuan and seven jiao; each grass carp was two yuan and four jiao.

Ten black carp made twenty-seven, and ten grass carp made twenty-four.

Eight hundred and fifty jin of peanuts, calculated at four jiao per jin plus coupons, resulted in one hundred and seventy yuan plus coupons.

After deducting twenty for the seeds, the total income was two hundred and one yuan plus coupons.

Not bad, not bad. She was very satisfied with the income.

Tu Shan left with her things; she still had to sell the rest of her fish retail.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. She had to sell them in small batches to attract customers and understand the market.

She hadn't spent too long with Yang Jiajiang; when she came out, it was about the same time she had arrived at the black market yesterday.

However, yesterday's spot had already been taken, so she chose a new spot and squatted down.

Customers came quickly, and they were familiar faces.

"Oh my, girl, I'm so glad you came. Is today's fish the same as yesterday's?"

Tu Shan recognized the person—it was the wealthy old lady who had bought the soft-shelled turtle last.

Today, the old lady wasn't dressed up, and she wasn't followed by anyone.

"Ma'am, it's different. There are no soft-shelled turtles today."

The old lady was stunned. She wasn't dressed up today, so even if someone recognized her from yesterday's attire, they shouldn't have recognized her now.

"You have sharp eyes, girl." To be able to see her face through such a disguise.

Tu Shan smiled: "I've had a good memory since I was a child. I never forget what I see."

The old lady didn't believe her bragging: "I didn't necessarily come to buy a soft-shelled turtle today. I just wanted to ask if today's fish are as fresh as yesterday's—are they caught in the same river?"

Tu Shan understood what the old lady meant; she was likely referring to the supernatural energy.

"My fish are all caught in the Anyang River outside. I sell them as soon as I catch them; they are absolutely fresh."

The old lady felt they weren't talking about the same thing, but she couldn't describe it.

"Alright, give me five black carp." Whether it was true or not, she could afford five fish.

Tu Shan smiled as she packed the fish: "If you can't finish them in one meal, keep them in clean water at home and change it frequently. They can live for four or five days." Having consumed her energy, even without water, these fish could hold on for two days; four or five was a conservative estimate.

"Alright." Not knowing if the old lady believed her, she took the fish, paid, and hurried off.

After selling two more fish, another familiar face arrived.

The man who had bought fish for his pregnant wife yesterday.

He said that after his wife ate the fish, her stomach, which had always been uncomfortable, felt much better, and her morning sickness had vanished.

Today, he bought four fish—two black carp and two grass carp.

Two black carp and seven grass carp remained.

Ten minutes later, after selling the two black carp, the sweating old lady returned.

"Are there any left? You didn't sell out, did you?"

This old lady, around sixty, had quite a bit of stamina.

"There are still seven grass carp."

The old lady was overjoyed: "I'll take them all. You don't know—I went back and tried a bit of the fish meat, and it’s the same taste as yesterday.

Can these fish really live for four or five days like you said?"

Before Tu Shan could answer, she answered herself: "It doesn't matter if they can't; there are many people in my family, we'll finish them.

Girl, you'll come to sell fish every day, right?"

Tu Shan smiled: "Not necessarily. Fish are hard to catch."

The old lady thought that made sense, so she would have to eat them sparingly.

"What's in that bag?"

"Peanuts I grew myself."

The old lady's eyes lit up: "Are those for sale too? Why didn't you display them? Peanuts are good things. How many do you have? I'll buy them all."

Tu Shan moved a step to block the old lady's view: "These aren't for sale. They're gifts."

The old lady was anxious: "How can you not sell them? Sell some, sell some. For the sake of me giving you so much business, sell some to me."

She was playing the emotional card.

But Tu Shan really wasn't selling them; they were for He Jiahuan and the others.

"I really can't sell them. But thank you for your patronage, Ma'am. I'll give you two jin to taste."

Tu Shan used an empty straw bag to pack a little over two jin of peanuts and gave the remaining fish, along with another straw bag, to the old lady.

"That'll be twelve yuan."

Although the old lady didn't get to buy the peanuts, she was beaming: "You're a generous girl. Alright, thank you, and I'll keep coming to support your business in the future."

Tu Shan smiled as she sent the old lady off, packed her things, and left.