Chapter 13: 13 Business Trip 4

Chapter 13: 13 Business Trip 4

Song Suisui slept very comfortably that night. She woke up punctually at six o'clock the next morning to open her blind boxes.

However, she wasn't sure if it was her bad luck this time, or if the "salted fish" simply hadn't given her any special treatment.

The items from this morning's three blind boxes couldn't be described as useless, but they weren't applicable to what she planned to do later.

Song Suisui had pulled out a complete set of the *Self-Study Series of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry*, a full set of skincare products from a certain top-tier luxury brand from her previous life, and finally, a bicycle.

After putting the items away, Song Suisui wasn't particularly disappointed.

She hadn't even had the chance to trade the 100 bolts of cloth she pulled out a few days ago with Boss Tan. She might as well head to the capital's black market today to test the waters.

After greeting the lady at the front desk, she took a vehicle to the steel mill to arrange for tomorrow's shipment. Then, Song Suisui found a deserted alleyway, and by the time she emerged again, she had transformed into a man through makeup.

Riding her bicycle, she made her way to the alleyway she had suspected was the black market yesterday, standing in a remote spot to observe for a while.

She noticed that everyone entering and exiting was carrying baskets or back-carriers.

It didn't look like a den for criminals.

*Ahem—thinking that way isn't quite right. In this era, speculation and profiteering are crimes.*

Calling it a "den for criminals" wasn't actually wrong.

*Pfft—* Thinking about it this way, Song Suisui couldn't help but find it funny.

She pulled a mirror out of her space, confirmed her makeup and hair were correct, stowed the bicycle, and walked toward the alley.

"What are you doing here?" the lookout asked warily, watching her.

Song Suisui smiled and handed him a cigarette, saying, "Brother, I want to buy some things."

The man accepted the cigarette. Hearing that she was there to buy things, he said, "Five cents."

Hearing this, Song Suisui quickly fished out five cents and handed it to him.

The man told her that once she entered the alley, she just had to knock on the door of the house at the very end.

Following his instructions, Song Suisui arrived at a door at the very end of the alley.

The door wasn't large, and being in an alley, it looked like the back gate of a wealthy family's courtyard.

She went up and knocked. Soon, a one-eyed old man poked his head out and asked, "What is it?"

"Buying things."

Upon hearing this, the one-eyed old man pulled the door open just a crack, enough for her to pass through.

Once inside the courtyard, everything changed. The courtyard was very large, and many people were conducting low-voiced transactions within it.

Song Suisui looked around and inquired about the prices.

Comparing them to Boss Tan's prices, she had to admit that the cost of living in the capital was among the highest regardless of the era.

After understanding the market prices, Song Suisui found the one-eyed gatekeeper and said, "Grandpa, I have a large order. I wonder if you guys take such business?"

The old man glanced at her and snorted, "You say it's a big business, so it's a big business?"

"If it weren't big, I wouldn't have come!"

Hearing this, the one-eyed old man said, "Wait."

He then left the courtyard and entered the front yard.

*Knock, knock, knock...*

The knocking sounded, and soon the door was opened from the inside.

Two young men were seen sitting in the room.

If Song Suisui were here right now, she would definitely recognize that the man lying lazily on the chaise longue in the room was Qin Mulin, whom she had seen at the state-run restaurant last time.

After hearing the one-eyed old man's words, Tao Zhu whispered, "Brother Lin, are you going or should I?"

"You go," Qin Mulin said lazily.

Song Suisui waited for a moment. Seeing the one-eyed old man bring back a young man who looked to be only in his early twenties, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

It seemed this black market was likely run by the children of the prominent families in the Imperial Capital.

Don't ask her how she knew; if you ask, it's because she had read countless books. If she still couldn't guess, she'd just be a fool.

She followed Tao Zhu into a room. Once inside, there was no pleasantry or small talk; the man asked directly, "Uncle Long said you want to do business with us?"

Tao Zhu was 1.85 meters tall and looked down at Song Suisui somewhat condescendingly.

"Yes," Song Suisui nodded.

Tao Zhu motioned for her to sit down, then asked curiously, "Judging by your accent, you don't seem to be from the capital."

"I'm indeed not. I'm traveling from out of town with some goods and passing through the capital. I thought there were many wealthy people here, so they would surely be able to take what I have in hand."

"Oh~ I'm curious then, what is your cargo?"

"100 bolts of various colors and materials of flawless fabric. I don't know if you can handle it here."

Fabric was considered a high-demand item. Tao Zhu thought about 100 bolts; he could handle it, and there should be a profit to be made.

"How much do you plan to sell a bolt to us for?"

Song Suisui had already decided on the price. She didn't want to stay here long, so she didn't haggle with Tao Zhu.

"I will be leaving the capital very soon. I want two yuan per meter for these fabrics."

The batch of fabric in her hands had 35 meters per bolt. Calculating at two yuan per meter, one bolt would be 70 yuan, and 100 bolts would be 7,000 yuan.

Tao Zhu had originally intended to bargain, but Song Suisui anticipated what he was going to say and continued, "The price is firm. If you can't make the decision, I'll find someone else to sell to. If all else fails, I can just go back to my hometown and distribute them slowly."

Seeing her determined attitude with no room for negotiation, the price was actually acceptable.

Thus, Tao Zhu agreed.

After the two agreed on where to pick up the goods tonight, Song Suisui pulled two boxes from her bag, placed them on the table, and asked, "There is a century-old ginseng and some lingzhi here. Do you want them?"

Hearing this, Tao Zhu hurriedly opened the boxes to look. He couldn't distinguish medicinal herbs, so he stood up and called Uncle Long over.

Uncle Long was the one-eyed old man who had opened the door earlier.

After entering, he picked up the medicinal herbs and examined them repeatedly.

"This ginseng is over a hundred and twenty years old, and its condition is perfect. This lingzhi is just an ordinary variety, but it's large enough, and the harvesting and preservation were done well, so the medicinal potency hasn't dissipated. Both can be taken."

After hearing his words, Tao Zhu smiled and said to Song Suisui, "Brother, how about this: I'll give you 2,300 yuan for the ginseng and 500 yuan for the lingzhi?"

Lingzhi also had different varieties; the price of high-grade lingzhi was naturally exorbitant, while the price of ordinary lingzhi was not as high.

Song Suisui knew this, and she was somewhat dissatisfied with the offer.

"The price for the lingzhi is fine, but I want 2,500 yuan for the ginseng."

There were plenty of wealthy people in the capital. For a life-saving medicine like century-old ginseng, money was certainly no object.

She felt that asking for 2,500 yuan was not high.

Tao Zhu frowned slightly upon hearing this, but then he agreed.

Because he didn't plan to sell this ginseng; Brother Lin needed a piece of ginseng right about now.

After settling the payment for the ginseng and lingzhi, Song Suisui put the money into her bag—throwing it into her space—and then left.

Watching her departing figure, Uncle Long leaned in and asked, "Should we have someone follow her?"

"No need. We aren't bandits looking to kill and rob. Once the transaction is done, it's done. There's no need to worry about it further."

With that, Tao Zhu took the ginseng and lingzhi to find Qin Mulin.

After leaving the black market, Song Suisui took a long detour. After confirming no one was following her, she found a secluded corner, entered her space, and removed her makeup.