Chapter 38: Astonishing Purchasing Power

Hearing the murmurs around him, Liu Xing couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t interject, choosing instead to wait quietly.

About five minutes later, a young man with a large nose carried a wooden bath tub and placed it in front of him. “Brother Xie asked me to bring this to you. Keep it safe.”

“Alright,” Liu Xing nodded.

The young man turned and quickly disappeared from sight.

Liu Xing bent down to inspect the quality of the bath tub and found its craftsmanship impressive, giving a satisfied nod.

Soon, a tall, skinny fellow brought over two iron buckets and five washbasins. Inside the basins were cups for rinsing, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

Judging by the quantity, it seemed to be the standard configuration for a household of four.

Liu Xing couldn’t help but gasp inwardly. The price of these iron buckets and washbasins at the supply and marketing cooperative must be close to ten yuan each! And the cups and toothpaste… Adding it all up, wasn’t this configuration approaching sixty yuan already?

Just as he was about to ask the tall man, a middle-aged woman arrived with a wok for stir-frying, a spatula, bowls, and chopsticks—all standard supplies for a family of four.

Liu Xing picked up the wok, weighing it in his hands. It was hefty, and the hammer marks around its surface were all handcrafted. He couldn’t help but think he’d gotten a bargain.

Decades later, such fully handmade woks would cost at least a hundred yuan, and the quality wouldn’t be nearly as good.

“Is Xie Zhong sending me the best things on purpose because he saw I have money? Planning to tally up the bill with me later?” Liu Xing wondered, watching as more items arrived—kitchen knives, scissors, a complete set of leatherworking tools, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and so on. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

What made him chuckle helplessly was that with so many items, there was no way he could carry them all back on his old bicycle.

Just as he was about to go find Xie Zhong for clarification, Xie Zhong appeared in the distance, walking and laughing beside a plump middle-aged man.

Xie Zhong was carrying a bamboo mat and, seeing Liu Xing’s anxious expression, laughed, “What’s wrong? Are you finding the items a bit much?”

“Yes. These things must be worth more than sixty yuan, right?” Liu Xing said, spreading his hands in frustration.

“No! You’re mistaken. There are still some jars and pots yet to arrive. But altogether, it really is only sixty yuan.” Xie Zhong’s smile faded as he handed Liu Xing a handwritten list, his demeanor serious. “Take a look! If you need anything else, I can supply it, but it won’t be included in the sixty yuan.”

Liu Xing looked at the list—its items and prices—and was stunned, eyes wide in disbelief. “My goodness, sixty yuan has incredible purchasing power!”

“It’s mainly because Xie ‘Lion’s Head’ didn’t gouge you. Many vendors gave you their wholesale prices,” the plump man reminded him with a chuckle.

“So that’s it.” Liu Xing nodded in sudden understanding.

He’d wondered how so many items could cost only sixty yuan.

It turned out Xie Zhong had quietly arranged the best deals for him. Otherwise, it would have cost at least a hundred or two hundred yuan.

“Oh, right. I’m Zhong Jun, the owner of the grain and oil shop here. Does your sister’s family need premium cooking oil? I’ve got soybean oil, too.” The plump man introduced himself, mentioning his purpose.

“How much is cooking oil per jin?” Liu Xing asked casually.

“Seventy cents, no ration tickets needed. Soybean oil is fifty-eight cents, also no tickets,” Zhong Jun replied with a faint smile.

“Then give me ten jin of cooking oil, ten jin of soybean oil. Do you have sesame oil? If so, give me two jin of that as well,” Liu Xing said after thinking it over.

“Yes, yes! As long as you have money, I have every kind of oil!” Zhong Jun made a gesture as if counting money.

“Here’s twenty yuan. Use the remainder to give me extra cooking oil.” Liu Xing smiled, handing the money to Zhong Jun.

With Xie Zhong there, he felt at ease.

But his spending made Xie Zhong uneasy. “Little brother, your parents gave you this money, didn’t they? Don’t blame me if you get a beating when you return home after buying so much.”

“You underestimate me. This money is earned by myself. I spend it as I wish—no need for my parents’ approval,” Liu Xing replied with a faint smile.

“You earned it yourself?” Xie Zhong’s eyes widened.

Zhong Jun didn’t believe him either, but didn’t expose Liu Xing’s claim. He simply took the money and left.

Xie Zhong wanted to ask how Liu Xing had earned the money, but changed the subject instead. “You’ve bought so many things for your sister. How will you get it all home? Should I call a tractor for you?”

“Sure,” Liu Xing agreed with a nod.

With all the items piled up, plus the oil he’d just bought, it was impossible to carry them all back.

A tractor would solve this problem perfectly.

“I’ll call one for you. As long as it’s within Zhangmu Township, the shipping fee is two yuan,” Xie Zhong said, patting Liu Xing’s shoulder before turning to leave.

Moments later, not only did he find a tractor, but he also gathered several young men to help load everything onto the tractor’s open cargo bed.

Zhong Jun soon returned, carrying two large buckets of oil, followed by an assistant with a small bucket—apparently sesame oil. “Little brother, I still don’t know your name. Next time you come to buy oil, I’ll know how to greet you!”

“I’m Liu Xing, from Xiaoshi Village in Zhangmu Township,” Liu Xing replied with a smile.

“Liu Xing… Good! I’ll remember it.” Zhong Jun nodded, placing the two large oil buckets into the tractor’s cargo bed.

“Anything else you need?” Xie Zhong asked.

“No, thanks for your help, big brother!” Liu Xing breathed a sigh of relief.

“No need to thank me. From now on, if you come to this black market, just mention my name—no one will dare cheat you,” Xie Zhong said, stroking his beard with a smile.

“Alright! I’ll go get my bicycle.” Liu Xing turned to the tractor driver. “Wait for me, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay!” the driver nodded.

Just then, Zhong Jun pulled Xie Zhong aside. “My assistant said Old Ma stole a bicycle, looks like Liu Xing’s. He’s probably already left the black market. What do you want to do? Pretend nothing happened?”

“That’s impossible.”

“That scoundrel Old Ma even dared steal my brother’s bicycle!” Xie Zhong flared up, muttering instructions to several young men nearby.

They hurried off and quickly disappeared into the streets.

Unaware of this, Liu Xing hummed a mountain song as he walked to the bicycle parking area.

When he saw his father’s bicycle missing, he stood frozen, at a loss for words.

His father’s bicycle—a prized possession bought for his wedding with a ration ticket and one hundred eighty yuan—if lost today, he’d surely be beaten within an inch of his life.

Just as he didn’t know what to do, Xie Zhong came over. “Brother, don’t worry. There’s been a misunderstanding. The person who took your bicycle is one of my men—he didn’t know it was yours, or he wouldn’t have dared.”

“Can my bicycle be recovered?” Liu Xing asked, torn between laughter and tears.

“Yes. Just wait a moment,” Xie Zhong replied.

“Alright!” Liu Xing could only wait.

The tractor driver seemed on friendly terms with Xie Zhong and didn’t ask questions. He got down from the cab, took out cigarettes, and smoked with Xie Zhong.

He offered Liu Xing one, but seeing him decline, simply smiled and said nothing.

More than ten minutes later, a young man appeared pushing Liu Xing’s father’s bicycle—though the lock was missing.

Liu Xing wasn’t bothered by this detail. He took the bike and thanked Xie Zhong profusely.

Xie Zhong laughed heartily, patting Liu Xing on the shoulder. “Brother, we’ve become friends through adversity. I know you’re busy today, so I won’t keep you. Next time you come here, I’ll treat you to meat and wine.”

He was so happy because Liu Xing’s character suited him perfectly—a rare find in the black market.

“Alright!” Liu Xing nodded.

Though he’d skip the wine; he couldn’t handle much.

“Let’s go!” Xie Zhong waved to the tractor driver and Liu Xing.

Liu Xing bid farewell, mounted the bicycle, and rode toward Xiaoshi Village.

The tractor followed slowly behind.

Xie Zhong watched Liu Xing’s figure disappear, stroked his beard, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

The black market returned to normal. Shouts, curses, and bargaining echoed once more, spreading far and wide.

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