Chapter 21: An Auspicious Encounter Upon Leaving the House

After lunch, Liu Dazhao rested for a while before riding his heavy bicycle to Wang Dachui’s house.

Liu Xing wasn’t idle either. He led the black calf out from the cowshed, loaded it with the freshly washed river snails, and headed toward HY City. Since there was no one at home to look after Guazi, he brought her along as well. She’d accompanied him before, so he wasn’t worried about her safety. Determined to reach HY City as quickly as possible, he didn’t walk this time; instead, he held Guazi in his arms and rode atop the black calf, advancing at full speed.

The black calf, knowing that HY City meant delicious treats, was particularly eager today. Still, even with its enthusiasm, they didn’t arrive in HY City until after four in the afternoon. It was much faster than walking the roads at night, yet the black calf was utterly exhausted.

Seeing the sturdy animal, Liu Xing dismounted with Guazi and began to walk, calling out to sell river snails as they went. To his surprise, though many gathered to watch, few were interested in buying, and most were dissatisfied with the price of forty cents a pound.

Afraid the river snails wouldn’t sell, Liu Xing led the black calf toward the street where he’d sold snails the day before. Passing by Hengshui Distillery, he paused. He considered seeking out Wang Zhongyu in the canteen, as Wang Zhongyu had given him a contact to sell river snails, but ultimately dismissed the idea. After all, Wang Zhongyu wanted wild chives and wild celery, not river snails.

"Brother, are we selling river snails here?" Guazi looked around, her little head tilted curiously at the bustling scene.

"Yes," Liu Xing nodded, just about to clear his throat and call out, when a middle-aged man with a crew cut and work clothes approached.

"Uncle, would you like to buy some river snails?" Guazi piped up sweetly, her tender voice almost melting the hearts of those nearby.

The man was startled, then laughed, "Such a young child out here selling river snails with her brother—quite impressive!"

But when he noticed Guazi’s bare feet, his smile faded, and after a soft sigh, he asked Liu Xing, "How much for the river snails?"

"Forty cents a pound," Liu Xing replied.

"That’s expensive. Just a few days ago, the Donghe market had them for thirty-five cents a pound," the man noted.

"Are the ones at the market as big as ours?" Guazi reached into the basket, grabbed a handful of river snails, and showed them to the man.

"No, they aren’t," the man admitted with a smile, then lifted Guazi into his arms.

Liu Xing didn’t object; he could tell the man liked Guazi—otherwise, he wouldn’t be lingering at the distillery’s gate.

"Since they’re not as big, ours aren’t expensive at all," Guazi answered shyly.

"Haha, you’re absolutely right." The man set Guazi down and said to Liu Xing, "Give me a yuan’s worth."

"Alright!" Liu Xing responded quickly.

He gave the man over three pounds of river snails for the one yuan.

After all, in the eighties, even spare ribs cost only sixty cents a pound, so four cents a pound for river snails was indeed a bit steep. The man was clearly an experienced shopper; he weighed the snails in his hand and, finding they were heavier than expected, nodded approvingly. "You’re honest in your business. Here’s your yuan."

"They’re all picked from the river—I couldn’t lose my conscience just for a few extra coins," Liu Xing replied with a gentle smile, accepting the money.

"That’s the right attitude," the man said, checking the time. "How about this: I’ll take you to the distillery’s residential block to sell your snails. There are plenty of people there, and as long as your price is fair, you’ll sell out those two bamboo baskets in no time."

"But… but I can’t go into Hengshui Distillery," Liu Xing said awkwardly, scratching his head.

He wasn’t foolish. In the eighties, Hengshui Distillery was a major factory with strict management! Rural folks like him, without proper documents, could easily be detained if they entered. It wasn’t just an empty threat—it was the truth.

"If I say you can enter, you can. Don’t worry," the man said, leading the way.

Liu Xing hesitated, then took Guazi’s hand in one and the black calf’s lead in the other, following behind.

The two security guards at the gate straightened up as they saw the man approaching with two rural children. "Good afternoon, Director Li!"

"Mm," the man nodded slightly, hands behind his back as he strode into Hengshui Distillery.

Liu Xing was stunned to witness this. Even Guazi was a bit bewildered. The middle-aged man with the crew cut, who seemed so ordinary, was actually the director of Hengshui Distillery—that was unbelievable!

At the entrance to the dormitory building, Director Li stopped. "Wait here. I’ll notify the families who want river snails. But let’s agree on the price first—it can’t be too high. Is thirty cents a pound acceptable?"

"If so, the gates of Hengshui Distillery will always be open to you," Director Li added after a pause.

"Of course, if you’re straightforward, so am I," Liu Xing replied eagerly.

"Good!" Director Li patted Liu Xing’s shoulder and headed toward one of the dormitory entrances.

Liu Xing and Guazi waited quietly.

They expected to wait ten minutes or more, but less than a minute later, dozens of people—mostly women and elderly—poured out of the stairwell, carrying basins and woven bags, clearly meant for river snails.

Guazi was startled by the crowd; even Liu Xing was taken aback.

For the siblings, Director Li’s influence was truly remarkable.

As more people emerged, Liu Xing hurriedly snapped out of his daze, grabbed his small scale, and began selling river snails. The price was set—thirty cents a pound—and he wouldn’t go back on his word.

Seeing Liu Xing sweat from the rush, Guazi quickly helped collect money, stuffing bills and coins indiscriminately into her pocket. In just over ten minutes, her pocket was so full it couldn’t hold any more, and she had to use a woven bag instead.

Director Li had returned at some point, smiling quietly as he watched, occasionally helping to carry bags.

Though the two baskets held more than two hundred pounds of river snails, with so many buyers, they sold out in just half an hour—not a single snail remained.

Liu Xing, exhausted, sat on the ground, panting heavily.

Guazi, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected. She pulled out the money from her pocket and the plastic bag, organized it, and handed it to Liu Xing.

Counting it, they found sixty-three yuan—a remarkable sum.

Despite the chaos, the residents of Hengshui Distillery hadn’t cheated them; otherwise, they wouldn’t have received so much.

"A good harvest today!" Director Li smiled.

"Thank you for your help," Liu Xing said, rising from the ground.

"No need to thank me. It’s because your river snails were large that they sold so well," Director Li replied, checking his watch. "It’s getting late. Where do you live? If it’s far, you should head home soon."

"I live in Xiaoshi Village," Liu Xing replied, putting the money away.

"My goodness, that’s quite far!" Director Li frowned.

"It is, but with him, I’m not worried. We should make it back before dark," Liu Xing said, patting the black calf and lifting Guazi onto its back.

"You’re quite unique. When I was a child, I herded cattle too—I know it’s hard to make a cow behave," Director Li laughed. "Go on home! In the future, if you want to sell farm produce at the dormitory entrance, just mention my name, Li Dawei, at the gate."

"Thank you," Liu Xing mounted the black calf. "I’m Liu Xing, and my sister is Liu Qingmei—you can call her Guazi."

"No need for thanks. I know how tough life is in the countryside. Oh, and buy your sister some shoes—bare feet aren’t ideal," Director Li advised.

"Yes!" Liu Xing nodded eagerly, tightened the rope, and led the black calf away.

"Goodbye, Uncle! Next time I come, I’ll bring fat goodies for you to eat!" Guazi waved at Director Li.

"Fat goodies?" Director Li was puzzled.

"She means crabs—river crabs," Liu Xing explained.

"Ha ha ha… Wonderful! I’ll look forward to your fat goodies," Director Li laughed heartily.

To him, this little girl, Liu Qingmei, was truly delightful.

As the siblings rode away on the water buffalo, disappearing from view, Director Li’s smile faded, replaced by a stern expression. Workers passing by quickly kept their distance, though they were curious about the earlier laughter.

After all, Director Li was known as a man of few words; the last time anyone saw him laugh had been a year ago...

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