Chapter 20: Aren’t You Afraid of Getting Beaten Up for Bargaining Like That?

A matron carrying a basket, her clothes free of patches, saw Lin Jingyue unzip her bag and hurried over. “Young man, how much are you selling these chickens for?”

The meat looked excellent—fresh and plump. Her daughter-in-law had just given birth to a healthy baby boy, and there was little oil or meat at home. With scarce meat coupons, she had come to the black market to try her luck.

Lin Jingyue lowered her voice, making it hard to tell whether it was male or female. “Fifty cents with a coupon, eighty cents without.”

She had checked prices at the slaughterhouse before coming—this rate was reasonable, neither exorbitant nor too cheap.

“No coupon, could you do seventy cents?” The chicken looked so good that the matron couldn’t bear to let it go and tried to haggle.

“Auntie, if you’re serious, just pick one and take it. If you start bargaining, I’ll raise the price right here,” Lin Jingyue’s eyes were clear and transparent.

The matron hesitated. “Young man, is this how you do business?”

“My chicken is excellent—you know quality, Auntie. Plenty of meat on the market isn’t as good as mine, yet sells for more,” Lin Jingyue replied truthfully. Sometimes, black market prices soared as high as a whole yuan.

It was frightening.

“How much for the chicken?” As they spoke, a man in work clothes squatted down nearby.

Seeing this, the matron hurriedly said, “I’ll take this one! Young man, weigh it for me.”

Lin Jingyue smiled at the man. “Uncle, please wait a moment. Let me help the auntie first.”

She borrowed a scale from the nearby sweet potato vendor and weighed the chicken—six and a half pounds. It was indeed plump.

“Auntie, that’ll be five yuan and twenty cents.”

The matron quickly counted out the money and handed it over, stuffed the chicken into her basket, and hurried away.

Lin Jingyue pocketed the cash. “Uncle, same price for chickens and ducks: fifty cents with a coupon, eighty cents without.”

“That’s fair enough. Weigh them all for me.” Meat was rare these days, mainly because coupons were so limited.

The meat from the meat factory was always in short supply.

Chickens and ducks were excellent, especially such fat ones.

Lin Jingyue hadn’t expected to meet a big customer. With a beaming smile, she sold the remaining chicken and two ducks, collecting fourteen yuan and thirty cents.

She returned the scale to the sweet potato vendor next door, handing over a few fruit candies. “Thank you for the scale.”

The vendor didn’t stand on ceremony. “Come borrow it anytime.”

Lin Jingyue merely smiled.

She put away her bag, preparing to browse the black market.

After circling the market, she ended up with some dried goods, but still hadn’t found an iron pot. Undeterred, as she was leaving, she lowered her voice to ask the man at the entrance, “Brother, do you know where I can get an iron pot?”

Someone in the black market ought to be able to find one.

Glancing at the fifty-cent note in her hand, Tian Yang looked at Lin Jingyue, impressed by her generosity. “What size iron pot do you want?”

“There’s a choice?” Lin Jingyue was delighted.

“You’re in luck. Just got hold of two. Go take a look, but they’re not cheap,” he cautioned.

“I understand.”

Tian Yang called to someone nearby to keep watch, then personally led Lin Jingyue into a side alley.

Lin Jingyue grew wary, ready to summon the stick from her space if needed.

They stopped at a small courtyard. Tian Yang knocked a specific pattern on the door, and soon someone opened it.

“Come in,” Tian Yang said.

Lin Jingyue followed, but remained alert.

The courtyard wasn’t large—three rooms in the main house, one each in the east and west wings, and a spacious yard.

“The pots are inside. Take your pick,” Tian Yang led Lin Jingyue to the west wing.

Inside, many items were piled up.

Lin Jingyue glanced at him, meeting Tian Yang’s openly inquisitive gaze, and rolled her eyes inwardly.

She knew it—the meat she sold was too good and attracted attention.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to harbor any malicious intent.

“This one,” Lin Jingyue chose the slightly larger pot, about seventy or eighty centimeters in diameter, similar to the one at the Knowledge Youth Point.

“Twenty-five yuan.”

Lin Jingyue turned to leave without a word.

Tian Yang… “You can negotiate,” he said helplessly.

“Fifteen,” Lin Jingyue turned back, looking as if she wouldn’t hold back since he offered.

Tian Yang was exasperated, slashing ten yuan off—ruthless.

“Twenty.”

“Fourteen!”

“Nineteen—why are you lowering the price?”

Lin Jingyue was about to reply when she saw his mouth twitch fiercely. “Eighteen for you!”

“Thirteen!”

“Fifteen! Take it and go!”

“Alright, thank you!” Lin Jingyue promptly handed over fifteen yuan, hefted the pot onto her shoulder, and scampered off.

Tian Yang… utterly stunned!

Lin Jingyue dashed out of the alley, winding her way through several turns until she found a secluded spot. She took out a package from her space—not too big or small.

Most of it was grain: ten pounds of rice, ten pounds of white flour, one pound of White Rabbit milk candy, one pound of fruit candy, two pounds of brown sugar, and one pound of white sugar.

The rice and flour were from her space; the other items were bought at the department store.

She also went to the supply cooperative and bought two pounds of Jiangmi strips and two pounds of peach crisps—perfect for dinner.

…

At the city gate, where the tractors were parked, everyone was stunned to see Lin Jingyue with a large bundle and a hefty iron pot slung over her shoulder!

Jiang Xun chuckled, quickly jumped down, and walked over to take the pot. “Why didn’t you say you needed a pot earlier?”

“It’s inconvenient to use the pot with the folks at the Knowledge Youth Point,” Lin Jingyue replied candidly, handing it over.

She shook her hand. “I’m exhausted.”

Jiang Xun noticed the red marks left on her hand. “Next time, call me… or us for heavy things.”

“Alright.” Lin Jingyue’s eyes curved in a smile.

Jiang Xun placed the pot on the tractor by his feet, making sure to secure it against bumps, then took Lin Jingyue’s bundle and stowed it carefully. Only then did Lin Jingyue climb aboard.

Aunt Chun watched the two with a cheerful smile but said nothing.

Sun Lanlan glared at Lin Jingyue, casting a shy, bashful look at Jiang Xun.

“Well, Lin, what did you buy? Even managed to get an iron pot!” Aunt Sun’s eyes darted—she was in a foul mood and looking for trouble.

Lin Jingyue seemed to have plenty of money.

She had more than one son, after all.

Jiang Xun lifted his eyelids. “Some of these things I asked Lin to buy for me. Aunt Sun, perhaps it’s not convenient for you to look.”

“Oh, asked Lin to buy them? What’s your relationship that you’d ask her?” Aunt Sun sneered.

“Does someone have to be related to ask a favor? Can’t people help each other? Aunt Sun, your ideological awareness is lacking,” Jiang Xun said with a smirk.

Even Lin Jingyue was surprised; she’d thought Jiang Xun was a man of few words.

With such a heavy accusation, Aunt Sun and Sun Lanlan’s expressions changed instantly.

“You… what nonsense are you talking about?”

“I’ll have a chat with Sun Zhigang another day and see if his ideological awareness is the same,” Jiang Xun said mildly.

Aunt Sun’s eyes widened. “No, you mustn’t talk to him!”

Sun Zhigang was the second son of the Party Secretary’s family.

PS: Don’t compare with history—this is a novel, as long as it’s not too outrageous.