After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 247, Episode 0259: Visiting the Market

Xiao Hui is a sucker for good looks. After exchanging a few words with Zhang Hongying, she ignored her and turned to chat enthusiastically with Lin Yuexi.

She was a chatterbox, and Lin Yuexi didn't need to engage in any back-and-forth with her. She could chat with herself perfectly well on her own, as long as Lin Yuexi responded occasionally.

Private buying and selling is now prohibited. Only the twice-yearly market day is free for the committee to hold without arresting people. So, people in the neighborhood have been saving up for half a year and waiting for today. As soon as midnight passes, many people come to grab good spots.

You can imagine how lively this place will be today.

Not only were the vendors' stalls packed tightly together, but the customers were also crammed together, creating a massive, dark mass of heads when viewed from above.

The three people were quickly separated.

Fortunately, Xu Shan was experienced and stayed close to Lin Yuexi.

Squeezed at the back, Zhang Hongying saw that Xu Shan was with her daughter, so she wasn't too worried and just tried her best to keep up.

Lin Yuexi walked up to a small stall that was unusually quiet, glanced at the items on display, and then looked at the stall owner. She felt somewhat depressed.

The stall owner was a very thin young man in his early twenties. He seemed to be in poor health, with a pale face and coughing from time to time.

Upon seeing the guests arrive, the young man smiled warmly, seemingly someone who lived a life of sunshine. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that he struggled to stand up from the small stool, supporting himself on his knees.

"Hello comrade, is there anything you need? Please feel free to look around."

Lin Yuexi squatted down and casually picked up a book to flip through.

Yes, this is a used bookstore.

After flipping through several books, Lin Yuexi noticed that each book contained numerous notes, and the handwriting was clearly that of the same person, delicate yet resolute.

"Are all of these yours?" she asked.

The young man was a little nervous, his hands unconsciously gripping the sides of his trouser legs tightly. "Yes."

Lin Yuexi looked up at him, her tone unreadable, and asked again, "Judging from these notes you've taken, and the fact that the books have clearly been frequently read yet are so well-preserved, you must have cherished them before. Why are you suddenly willing to sell them?"

The young man's pupils contracted. He shouldn't have told strangers about his hardships, but for some reason, he felt an inexplicable urge to confide in the woman in front of him.

“My younger sister is of school age. My family has already spent all our savings on my medical treatment. We can’t afford to send her to school. Even if I can exchange these books for a dollar, I can send my sister to school first.”

Lin Yuexi didn't dwell on his family matters. She pointed to the book in her hand and asked, "You seem to have only read half of this one, yet you're willing to exchange it?"

The young man looked at the book "Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications" in her hand, his eyes showing reluctance, but he still hardened his heart and closed his eyes tightly, "I'm willing to part with it."

He was a man who didn't know how many days he had left to live. He left behind a book, and he probably wouldn't be able to finish reading it before he died. So he might as well take it out and try his luck. Maybe someone who knows its value will find it and appreciate its true worth, so that he can save up a few more years of tuition for his sister.

Lin Yuexi put down her book and stood up. Seeing the young man's disappointment, she suddenly asked again, "Where do you live?"

youth:"???"

Do I need to ask for your address just to buy a book?

The books he took out weren't banned, so they shouldn't cause any trouble for his family, right?
The young man looked at Lin Yuexi and, judging from her demeanor, she was most likely someone of status. Moreover, she seemed approachable and not a malicious person. He thought she was trustworthy... right?

After thinking for a moment, he decided to take a gamble and gave his address: he was from the Honglin Brigade where Xiao Hui had bought the beef.

Lin Yuexi nodded, turned and whispered a few words to Xu Shan, then left.

The young man didn't understand. Did this mean he wouldn't buy the book? Right?

Why ask him for the address?
Feeling a little uneasy, and even more confused, I propped myself up on my knees, ready to sit down again and wait for the next customer.

He had just bent down when a burly, dark-skinned man suddenly jumped out from beside him. "Hello comrade, the commander has ordered us to take you back."

"Chief...Chief?" the young man exclaimed in shock.

That beautiful woman from earlier was actually a high-ranking official?!

No wonder she exudes such a commanding aura.

But why won't the leader let him sell books?
The young man didn't dare ask these questions; after all, the man was a high-ranking official.

Moreover, his mind is a bit foggy right now, and he can't quite process things.

"Oh, oh, thank you."

The dark-faced man quickly packed up the books he had laid out on the ground, hoisted them onto his shoulder, and glanced at him with his piercing eyes.

He didn't say anything, but the young man miraculously understood what he meant—lead the way.

He quickly picked up a small stool and led the way, saying, "This way, this way."

Lin Yuexi continued browsing. She had enough resources from half a planet in her space, so she lacked nothing. However, many handicrafts from this era were lost in later generations, and she didn't have any of them in her space, not even imitations. She only had a few lines from history books, and at most, a painting.

So Lin Yuexi was very happy to be able to see these handicrafts, which were like ancient artifacts to her, and she bought quite a lot.

Straw sandals, straw hats, baskets, backpacks, wood carvings—she buys every kind, big and small, in different colors and patterns; she doesn't care, she wants them all.

I bought every wood carving I saw, and even placed a lot of orders.

It was during this visit that she learned that even something as simple as weaving straw sandals involves different techniques and skills, and wood carving is no exception.

There are also Chinese knots and embroidery. Wow, there are even more different techniques and categories here, such as double-sided weaving and double-sided embroidery.

Lin Yuexi also saw a peony cheongsam. The bright red cheongsam was adorned with gradient-colored peonies in full bloom. It was not at all gaudy, but rather elegant and dignified. Just looking at the dress gave off a sense of grace and luxury.

She liked it at first sight and bought it without saying a word.

There were many people surrounding the cheongsam stall, and some people did buy it. Although it was so luxurious that anyone passing by would be attracted to it, no one was actually willing to buy it. Not only did it cost nearly two hundred yuan, but it also required cloth coupons, which was too expensive, and no one was willing to spend the money.

So as soon as Lin Yuexi bought it, people around her immediately cast strange glances at her. Some were envious, some felt like they were looking at a spendthrift, and some even had the urge to go up and scold her.

Seeing a man who looked like a tough guy following behind her, this impulse was just a fleeting one.

Lin Yuexi didn't care what they thought. She was spending her own money and tickets, so she didn't care what others thought or how they felt.

She continued browsing and saw some dried wild grass and dried wild fruit, which pleased her so much that she bought some as well.

When I come across homemade rice cakes, they may look ordinary, but they smell very authentic, so I'll have some.

They even have chestnuts here, I'd like a few pounds.

The original form of Jianbing Guozi (a type of savory crepe) was here. Here, she hasn't forgotten those who protected her, so she asked Xu Shan to deliver it to everyone.

When he met up with Zhang Hongying, Zhang Hongying saw Xu Shan's appearance from a distance and laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

Xu Shan carried a large basket in front of him and another large basket behind him. Both baskets were piled high with their contents, so much so that they had to be secured with ropes to prevent the contents from falling out.

That's already outrageous enough, but he was carrying a huge bunch in each of his hands.

Looking at the whole person, it's like a small mountain is supporting their two legs.