Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 162 - 161 The Poor Man’s Earth

Chapter 162: Chapter 161 The Poor Man’s Earth

Bai Bo laughed like a big bad wolf and turned back to give Laosan a kick: "Get going, let down Brother Qian and Brother Sun. You are rough and clumsy, let’s see how I deal with you later!"

Laosan didn’t respond but looked at Lin Nianhe.

After a while, since he didn’t hear Lin Nianhe speak, he got kicked again.

Only then did Laosan scramble up and release the two from the tree. To show his initiative, he also went to find a barefoot doctor to treat their injuries.

Lin Nianhe did not pay any more attention to their side, as if Qian Guozhu and Sun ManCang were just two lackeys she picked up casually from the roadside.

She smiled lightly at Bai Bo: "Brother-in-law, take me to see your place here."

"Sure, sure!"

Bai Bo was all smiles, personally leading Lin Nianhe out of the courtyard.

"Look, this coal mountain of ours—this is all directly hauled from the mines. Sis, tell your brother-in-law where you live, and from now on, I’ll have someone send it to you every month, guaranteed enough," Bai Bo declared generously, waving his hand.

Lin Nianhe watched the people pulling carts to buy coal in the distance and nodded with a soft laugh: "Brother-in-law, you’re really capable, getting your hands on such stuff."

"Eh, it’s nothing special, just friends and brothers helping out," Bai Bo said.

Lin Nianhe casually picked up a piece of coal, tossed it a bit, then threw it back, patting the black dust off her hands: "In Lan County, it’s not easy to buy some coal, even with a ration coupon you might not get the goods."

In the towns, every household relied on burning coal for cooking, and in winter also for heating the kang. Sometimes, if they really couldn’t buy coal, they could only find ways to fetch some firewood from the countryside.

Lin Nianhe had never been to a coal station, but seeing the coal mountain at Bai Bo’s place, she could roughly guess why it was difficult for the common people to buy coal.

Bai Bo laughed heartily, repeating the same line: "Sis, rest assured, the coal will be delivered to your door just after you get home."

Seeing his emperor-like attitude, Lin Nianhe simply smiled without a word.

She continued to stroll with Bai Bo through the black market, asking about prices. Bai Bo didn’t hide anything, frankly disclosing them.

Apples and pears sold for seventy-five cents, rice for twenty cents, white flour for twenty-two cents, soybean oil for one yuan and forty cents... twice as high as the prices at the Cooperative Society, and as for the sorghum rice and cornmeal loved by the poorer households, he did not sell them.

Lin Nianhe felt her blood pressure rise a little, her thoughts repeatedly fixating on that space where the Tang sword rumored to cut through iron like mud resided.

She really wanted to chop something.

She bit her tongue tip to force herself to calm down.

"Brother-in-law, selling so expensively, can the poor afford it?" Lin Nianhe asked, her voice slightly cold.

"If they can’t afford it, they’ll just starve to death. With two or three hundred thousand people in Ice City, if half can afford it, that’s enough for me to take care of your sister," Bai Bo said nonchalantly.

Lin Nianhe twitched her mouth corner.

"Sis, we’re businessmen, we don’t care whether those poor bastards live or die," Bai Bo sensed Lin Nianhe’s mood and added another sentence, "You don’t know about these things in Beijing. Give those troublemakers a bit of kindness and they’ll climb all over you, they’d turn around and bully you."

Lin Nianhe nodded slightly: "Mhm, I’ve learned my lesson."

"Hey, as long as you understand." Bai Bo stopped, pointed at the way they had come, "It seems like we’ve seen enough, let’s head back."

"Okay," said Lin Nianhe.

The bustling and thriving black market was Bai Bo’s heaven, the rich man’s hell, the poor man’s Earth.

When they returned to the yard, the aroma of the meal had already wafted from the kitchen windows and doors, Qian Guozhu and Sun ManCang’s wounds had been bandaged, and they had changed clothes. Lin Nianhe arrived just in time; their injuries were not too serious, and they could still walk.

Lin Nianhe approached them and asked, "Where’s the sewing machine I wanted?"

"Haven’t got it yet," Qian Guozhu looked at her with complex eyes.

Lin Nianhe seemed to ignore it and turned to Bai Bo instead.

"Ah, about the sewing machine, it’s already been moved to Brother Qian’s car. You can take it directly, sis!" Bai Bo said readily, without waiting for her to ask.

"Great, how much is it?" Lin Nianhe said, reaching for her pocket.

"What money? Are you trying to make a fool of your brother-in-law?" Bai Bo frowned, feigning seriousness.

Lin Nianhe: "Then thank you, brother-in-law."

One sewing machine, considered as thanks for her today’s forbearance from chopping.

Lin Nianhe stepped forward, giving Bai Bo a slight nod, "Brother-in-law, I’m going back tomorrow. As for the meal, let’s have it next time. Leave me your number, so I can call you when the goods arrive."

"Okay, okay. Hold on, brother-in-law will write it for you!"

Bai Bo went inside the house, and Lin Nianhe looked around, spotting Zheng Lirong behind the window of the east room.

Lin Nianhe walked over, knocked twice on the door, and went in.

Zheng Lirong sat on the kang bed, her eyes vacant and lost.

When she saw Lin Nianhe, her welcome was not as warm as before, her gaze a bit cold – almost the same as when she looked at her own husband.

Lin Nianhe smiled, asking her, "Sister, do you still have any milk powder?"

Zheng Lirong was caught off guard by the question and then sneered, "You, a trafficker, are asking me to buy something?"

"Believe it or not, I really am here to buy two bags of milk powder," Lin Nianhe said, spreading her hands. "If you don’t believe me, forget it... Sister, if you run into any difficulties later, you can find me at Ten Miles Team."

Zheng Lirong did not respond, just coldly staring at Lin Nianhe.

Lin Nianhe didn’t linger and turned to leave.

Taking the piece of paper with the phone number from Bai Bo, she gave Qian Guozhu and Sun ManCang a signal with her eyes, and the three of them started walking out.

"Wait a moment!"

Just as Lin Nianhe stepped through the courtyard gate, Zheng Lirong’s voice sounded from behind.

Lin Nianhe halted, turned around, and looked back at her with a light smile.

Zheng Lirong, still with a cold face, walked over quickly and stuffed two bags of milk powder into Lin Nianhe’s arms.

Then she turned around and went back into the house without saying anything.

Laughing softly, Lin Nianhe said to her retreating back, "Sister, don’t forget what I said. If there’s trouble, come find me."

Zheng Lirong paused at the door.

Holding onto the doorframe without turning around, she took a moment and then responded softly with a "Hmm."

After leaving the courtyard, Lin Nianhe asked in a low voice, "Are you two doing okay?"

"It’s alright, but you..."

"Don’t ask now, let’s go."

Lin Nianhe walked slowly, unhurriedly stepping out of the black market.

At the entrance, the short one and the young one with white hair were still diligently watching the door, and upon seeing Lin Nianhe come out, the young one with white hair immediately stood at attention.

Before he could say anything, the short one preempted with, "Hello, sister-in-law!"

Lin Nianhe had been pondering all along her way, and this unexpected, bizarre address jolted her for a second.

Sister-in-law... there really was nothing wrong with this name.

Lin Nianhe gave them a serious wave, "Hello."

Then without waiting for their response, she carried herself with the dignity befitting a sister-in-law and walked on.

Once they were out of sight, the short one finally let out a breath of relief and asked the young one with white hair, "Maomao, sister-in-law won’t kill me, right?"

The young one with white hair replied, "Whether sister-in-law will take care of you I don’t know, but big brother definitely wants to kill you."

"Why?"

"You made lewd comments to big brother’s younger aunt. Just think with your butt what big brother will do to you."

"Ah... So I stole big brother’s job? What should I do? Should I go and apologize to big brother?"

...

The young one with white hair wiped his face vigorously, leaned against the wall feeling exhausted, "Dying like this, you can’t complain it’s unfair."

Right at that moment, a runner came out, gesturing to them, "Big brother asks for you to come over."

Upon hearing this, the short one’s legs gave in, and he slumped straight onto the ground.