The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 107 A New Team to Be Recruited Has Emerged (Please Subscribe)
The wind is very strong in the coastal city, especially at night.

The snow had stopped, but as Qian Jin and his group walked under the trees, the night wind blew the branches, and the accumulated snow still pelted them.

Qian Jin did not escape this calamity.

He hunched his neck as he crawled under the paulownia tree, when a dead branch broke off and the snow splattered all over his velvet collar. The chill ran down his spine, making him shiver uncontrollably.

"Go to the small warehouse and warm up first," Zhu Tao said, gesturing for them to head to the main area of ​​the People's Mobile Canteen.

The students have already left.

It's normal for them to finish at this time. Nowadays, they study until midnight, and some students even stay up until 2 a.m. before rushing to the study room at 6 or 7 p.m.

Qian Jin led the assault team, the educated youth transport team, and the Wei siblings to the small warehouse, where two stoves were burning loudly.

To keep warm, some people even stoked a fire.

Xu Weidong suggested to Qian Jin, "How about we get some late-night snacks?"

The firewood, a mixture of corncobs and wood, crackled and burned in the bonfire, producing a lot of smoke. The group coughed as soon as they entered.

Someone took out a rock-hard steamed bun from their pocket, took a couple of bites, but it was too cold and hard to eat, so they used a stick to pick it up and put it on the campfire to roast.

Qian Jin coughed and waved his hand: "Just light the stove, put out the campfire quickly, and open the doors and windows to let in some fresh air."

Zhu Tao chuckled: "I was thinking of warming up the room first. More smoke is fine; it'll make it warmer."

Wang Dong pressed hard on his shoulder: "You're really a talent! Chief Qian is lucky to have a subordinate like you!"

The newly appointed fifth team leader, who lit the fire, explained to Shi Zhentao, "We used oak scraps we found while cleaning the warehouse. Normally, dry oak produces very little smoke when burning, but today's oak might not be pure..."

"Open the window!" Qian Jin ordered.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and none of them have to go to work, so Qian Jin decided to cook a late-night snack.

With a pot, vegetables, and broth, a ready-made hot pot is right in front of you.

Zhu Tao arranged for people to prepare hot pot.

Xu Weidong said regretfully, "I was thinking you could slaughter a sheep and we could have mutton soup."

The sheep that Qian Jin brought back from the commune is still being raised.

Because the mobile canteen's mala tang (spicy hot pot) business requires a lot of vegetables, it generates a large amount of dirty vegetable leaves and old vegetable stalks every day.

So the ewe was in for a treat, eating until her belly was bulging every day, and she successfully gained weight over the years.

Qian Jin said, "If it were broad daylight, we could really slaughter a sheep, but it's too late now. Let's just have hot pot instead."

“There are good things to eat even when you have hot pot.” Wei Qinghuan handed her house key to Zhang Aijun. “There’s meat on the table as soon as you open the door. Go get it.”

Zhang Aijun rushed home.

When he came back, he had half a pig on his shoulder!

The hundred or so people who were warming themselves in the warehouse were stunned: "Wow, this huge chunk of meat!"

"What's going on? Teacher Wei, were you butchering a pig?"

"Is it because the night school is giving the teachers some perks?"

Wei Qinghuan nodded with a smile: "Yes, I entered the school the year before last, and this is the first time I've enjoyed this benefit."

"That's right, many of our colleagues at the slaughterhouse wanted to take the college entrance examination, so our unit added a class to our night school."

"To express their gratitude, they sent some pork to our school, and each teacher received half a carcass..."

"That's great!" The group of educated youth moving team were green with envy.

Wang Dong and the others also asked with envy: "Old Xu, your investment agency is known as a good place. What kind of benefits do you get?"

Xu Weidong: "What the hell did you distribute? What about your No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill? Did you distribute anything?"

Wang Dong: "Got it? Got it my foot!"

Everyone laughed.

Someone asked Zhou Yaozu, who spread his hands and said, "We did receive towels, and they even had 'Learn from Daqing in Industry' printed on them. I guess they were old stock, and they came undone after being washed three times at home."

The laughter grew even louder.

With the resumption of the college entrance examination, all schools became highly sought-after institutions.

Qiu Dayong said to Wei Qinghuan very politely, "Teacher Wei, this piece of pork must weigh several dozen pounds, enough for your family to have a good New Year."

"How can we possibly accept that you're going to let us eat it all tonight?"

Wei Qing smiled and said, “I’m learning from Chief Qian. Of course, I should share good things with my comrades.”

"Whether the New Year is good or not has little to do with what you eat, but rather with who you spend it with."

Just as Qian Jin was about to leave, upon hearing this, he instinctively said, "Let's celebrate the New Year together this year!"

This is inevitable.

Qian Jin was all alone, and the Wei siblings were basically all alone in Haibin City.

He knew about this, so he just went along with Wei Qinghuan's words.

But this sparked a lot of imagination among the young people:
"Hey, Teacher Wei, you and Captain Qian are working together so well!"

"What is this? Chief Qian, you're making revolutionary declarations to each other?"

"You two are together? I don't approve..."

"Old Xu, you can get out of here. They're a perfect match, do they need your approval?" Wang Dong pushed Xu Weidong away.

Wei Qinghuan blushed deeply.

Her intention was to say that she could reunite with her brother for the Lunar New Year this year, and even if they ate coarse food, she would be happier than in previous years.

As a result, Qian Jin's response gave the young people an opportunity to make their own decisions.

A campfire is burning.

The female teacher blushed.

Qian Jin looked back and had only one thought.

Nothing is more beautiful than the blush of a young girl's shy glow.

He yelled at Wei Qinghuan, "Hurry up and come out with me! If you stay here, they'll stop eating hot pot and start skewering you!"

Wei Qinghuan got up, smiled, and chased after him out the door.

Dozens of people behind them started jeering, causing the plastic sheeting on the window to shake violently.

Qian went back to get luncheon meat, bacon, and sausages.

He doesn't care whether these things are suitable for hot pot.

These days, as long as it's meat, as long as it's cooked in a pot, it's a delicacy that people will fight tooth and nail to get their hands on.

The two walked side by side, their footsteps crunching through the snow.

It's quite pleasant to listen to.

Qian Jin said apologetically, "I didn't think much about what you said just now, and I said it subconsciously, which made them misunderstand your meaning. I'm sorry."

Wei Qinghuan held his hand and chuckled, "Why apologize?"

"They didn't misunderstand, that's exactly what I meant!"

Qian Jin's steps suddenly froze.

Then I felt incredibly excited.

The night wind continued to blow fiercely, but he felt no chill at all.

Wei Qinghuan tugged at him and laughed, "Come on, how do we step back to the starting position?"

Qian Jin grabbed her hand and started running.

This is a very bold act in the current climate, and if it happens to the neighborhood committee or the public security bureau, it could lead to an investigation.

But Qian Jin wasn't afraid.

Whether it's the neighborhood committee or the public security bureau, he controls all the teams responsible for investigating misconduct!

He could say without hesitation that he is one of the most influential people on Taishan Road right now.

When Huang Chui got home and opened the door, he saw the two of them and hurriedly exposed his belly, begging for affection.

Qian Jin gave it a light kick: "Go back to your pipe dream and stop being a third wheel."

Huang Chui straightened his airplane ears, sensing that the man's attitude towards him had changed.

"Keep your voice down, don't wake them up." Wei Qinghuan patted him and then hugged Huang Chui to scratch its itch. Huang Chui leaned against her.

The four little ones and the little dumpling were all sleeping in the inner room.

Now that the Wei siblings are busy during the day, the four little ones take care of her, forming a five-person team.

They were constantly on the move, launching rapid attacks.

With Brother Liu Dajia around at night, he can coax the four little ones to sleep.

Tangyuan is only four years old and has no sense of gender yet, so she sleeps with her brothers without any qualms.

Wu Xiao slept upright on the bed, with Tangyuan nestled in the middle.

Both her brothers were like little stoves, and despite the cold weather and the lack of heating in the house, she still slept comfortably.

Qian Jin opened the wardrobe and quietly rummaged through the items.

Wei Qinghuan gently covered them with the blankets that had been thrown back.

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Xiao Tangyuan's chubby face, whose expression remained calm.

For a moment, Wei Qinghuan felt a little sentimental: "It's so good to move here. Little Tangyuan finally has a regular playmate and someone to protect her."

Qian Jin took her hand and put a watch on her wrist: "The Taishan Road family can't do without anyone."

“You have to pay attention to the time during class. I traded this for one of these foreigners’ black market items. Take a look.”

Wei Qinghuan stretched out her wrist in the moonlight, and a red watch face emitted a crystalline light.

This is clearly a women's watch; it has an elegant and unique style and a fresh and romantic design.

Domestic watches are all the same and old-fashioned, and the beauty of this watch is astonishing in the present day.

Qian Jin had already tried to buy the most common models. At least the time on this watch was in Arabic numerals, while most women's watches in the mall were in Roman numerals or even had no numerals at all.

The Arabic numerals on the dial are adorned with rhinestones, and the decorative pattern is an arrow piercing a heart, which is also decorated with rhinestones.

The watch cover has a high-hardness coating, providing excellent visibility and light transmission. Moonlight shines directly into the diamonds on the dial as if it were unobstructed.

Wei Qinghuan, with her somewhat artsy and intellectual air, was immediately captivated by the watch: "So beautiful!"

Qian Jin was very grateful for the existence of the Ghost Market.

I need to inquire more and hang out with people more often in the future.

The ghost market was a very effective cover-up.

He can't usually take this watch out because it has English on it.

Now that it can be given to Wei Qinghuan openly, Wei Qinghuan has no doubt about its origin.

But she was worried about Qian Jin's safety: "Don't go to the ghost market anymore, my brother said it's quite dangerous."

Qian Jin held her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I don't deal with random stuff, and I won't mess around with the things I get from the ghost market. I only keep the good stuff for ourselves."

"I will be as careful as possible, there will be no danger."

The two packed their things and returned to the warehouse.

The assault team members and the educated youth porters sat around the straw mats like hungry tigers.

The young people were full of energy, and with the added heat from the two stoves, the warehouse was sweltering.

Zhang Aijun unbuttoned his cotton-padded jacket, revealing his shiny belly: "Where have you two been? On a date? Hurry up and sit down! I can smell the delicious food!"

He grabbed a shovel and used it as a chopping axe. "This piece of coal is pretty hard. Come on, add more firewood. The main event is here. Time to eat!"

The two aluminum pots were bubbling with fiery red soup, and the aroma of spiciness wafted with the white steam, making the group of people, who were already starving, swallow their saliva.

"Come on, Captain Zhu, take some men and get rid of these things. I've brought all the stock I had at home." Qian Jin poured the contents of the bag into an enamel basin.

The hot pot was bubbling away, and the moon was already setting in the west.

Qian Jin distributed the liquor in small plastic buckets.

Qiu Dayong took the cigarette out of his mouth and exclaimed, "Brother Qian, how come you have so many good things?"

Qian Jin chuckled softly, “You’re one of us, so I won’t lie to you. I often go to the black market to speculate and make money, and I’ve managed to save up a little bit of wealth.”

"Tomorrow—no, today, today is Sunday, the black market is bustling, want to come with me for a look?"

Qiu Dayong shook his head: "Forget it, I'm not going. We don't have anything with us, we'll just be envious if we go."

"The noodles are cooked, they're ready, hurry up and eat," Zhu Tao urged everyone to start eating.

The two pots of noodles were emptied in no time.

Hot, piping hot noodles, soaked in broth, are perfect for filling the emptiness in people's hearts on a cold night.

After a series of slurping sounds, a satisfied sigh followed:
"Beautiful!"

"That feels so good!"

"This tastes so good! What is this? It's spicy and numbing, so delicious!"

"Hey buddy, have some soup. Captain Zhu, get some potatoes and tofu for our workers to try!"

Zhu Tao then added sweet potatoes, tofu, and potato slices to the pot.

Qian Jin was surprised to see that the cut had created a flower shape, and exclaimed, "You have this skill too?"

Zhu Tao chuckled: "I taught myself. Since you've asked me to lead the sales team, I need to have some skills to keep my subordinates in check."

"This is called 'Sunflower in Bloom,' symbolizing that our great socialist cause is as brilliant as a flower!" Zhao Bo added.

Qian Jin exclaimed, "Awesome!"

Xu Weidong suddenly exclaimed, "Where are my eggs? Damn it, my eggs are gone!"

Qian Jin said helplessly, "My dear comrade, there are several female comrades here, please don't..."

"No, there were my eggs in this pot. I took two eggs from the company cafeteria, ate one, and left the other one because I couldn't bear to eat it. I just secretly put it in here." Xu Weidong anxiously scooped the eggs out of the pot with his chopsticks.

There wasn't even a noodle head left in the pot.

Zhang Aijun chuckled as he held his bowl.

Xu Weidong looked at him upon hearing the sound.

In the end, all that was left was frustration and acceptance of defeat.

Snatching food from Zhang Aijun's bowl is no different from taking food from a tiger's mouth.

The aroma of wine and food filled the room.

Wang Dong used an enamel mug as a wine bowl and put a handful of fresh snow into it.

He raised a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) mixed with snow water and said, "Comrades, let's toast to ourselves for being able to fight tough battles and win victories in the cold winter!"

"Let's toast to our new toilet," Zhou Yaozu joked, then downed his drink in one gulp.

Everyone joked around and happily took a sip of their drink.

Some of the educated youth were still making the most of their time to do their homework. After listening to him mutter to himself, Qiu Dayong laughed and said, "What does X equal? ​​X equals having enough to eat!"

Wei Qinghuan sat down, picked up the exam paper that still smelled of ink, and said, "It's a quadratic equation in three variables. It's actually quite easy to solve..."

As the night wore on, the hot pot gradually emptied, and Zhu Tao poured in another pot of boiling water and added a box of hot pot base.

As large pieces of meat were put into the pot, everyone began to look forward to it.

The meat cooks slowly.

Fearing that this would lead to a fight and everyone eating raw meat, Qian Jin called out, "Teacher Wei, come on, conduct us in singing a song!"

Wei Xiongtu stood up and said with a smile, "How about we sing 'We Are Walking on the Great Road'?"

He stood between the two groups, waving his hand as if to conduct, and a bold song rang out:
"We march on the great road, raising the red flag towards the sun. Our great leader leads the revolutionary ranks, overcoming all obstacles and rushing forward, forward, forward..."

"The vast land is ablaze with red, the people's revolution has achieved a glorious victory, the working class leads everything, and 700 million people are full of fighting spirit..." The song ended.

The oil in the pot thickened, and the slices of fatty pork, cooked until they turned white, tumbled in the red oil. Everyone began to scramble to eat with their chopsticks, their mouths dripping with oil.

The boiled cured meat was highly praised by the educated youth who were working as porters.

This one is the chewiest, and the more you chew it, the more flavorful it becomes. It can fill your stomach and satisfy your cravings.

The stomachs of today's youth are like granaries in a famine; no matter how much grain you stuff in, it will never be full.

Qian Jin usually eats well and doesn't need much oil or fat, so he stopped eating it and went to the cutting board to chop vegetables himself.

The sound of the cleaver chopping on the frozen cabbage was crisp and clear. Now, whatever's in the pot is thrown in; everything can be sautéed.

There's not enough wine.

A team member ran home and brought over some sweet potato liquor stored at home. The moment the bottle cap was bitten open with his teeth, several enamel mugs were handed over.

Qian Jin saw that there was also a bundle of vermicelli and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, where did this good stuff come from?"

Zhu Tao glanced back and said, "Oh, Lin Zi has a relative whose commune runs a sweet potato workshop that specializes in making sweet potato noodles."

"Then our company took advantage of this connection and bought a batch. We tried it, and the rice noodles tasted great."

Qian Jin nodded: "Vermicelli is suitable for stewing, and it would be even better if there were glass noodles."

A handful of glass noodles can absorb two pounds of soup when put into the pot!

Zhang Aijun pulled two cornbreads out of his bag; the cornbreads floated on the red soup like a golden fleet.

Some of the educated youth who were moving supplies also brought their own dry rations.

They were initially embarrassed to take it out, but now that they saw someone taking the lead, they also took out their dry rations and soaked them to eat.

After the collective labor and shared meals, Qiu Dayong's group of educated youth porters began to integrate into Taishan Road.

Upon seeing this, Qian Jin wiped his mouth and fell into thought.

Perhaps it's time to recruit this highly capable team.

He has resources and foresight, making him very suitable to lead a team because he can afford to support a workforce.

There's no rush.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone burped and went home.

Wu Xiao slept in Qian Jin's bed, so Qian Jin had to share the outer room with Zhang Aijun.

Zhang Aijun's snoring sounded like a frog croaking.

Unable to bear it any longer, Qian Jin carried his bedding to knock on the neighbor's door.

He'd rather sleep in the same room as Wei Xiongtu!
He had to go to the night market again today, so he set his alarm early in the morning. When he got up, he saw Wei Xiongtu sitting on the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest, lost in thought.

He asked in confusion, "Why are you up so early? Aren't you sleepy? Or is something on your mind?"

Wei Xiongtu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Qian Jin said, "We're family now, so just say what you want to say. Why are you being so coy like a young lady?"

Wei Xiongtu gritted his teeth and said, "Do you even know you snore?"

Qian Jin was stunned and asked, "Could you have misheard?"

Wei Xiongtu shook his head: "You're right beside me, how could I mishear you?"

Then he said, somewhat embarrassed, "I didn't mean anything by it, but I'm a light sleeper, so could you please not sleep in my room anymore?"

Qian Jin asked expectantly, "Then shall I sleep in the inner room?"

Wei Xiongtu glanced at his sister's room and his expression changed immediately: "No, no, I was just joking with you. I'd love to sleep with you."

Qian Jin laughed heartily: "I was just joking with you."

How many truths are spoken as jokes?

He returned to room 205, grabbed his pre-packed bag, put on a cotton hat and mask, and rode his bicycle toward Jiutiao Lane.

Before we knew it, 1977 had come to its last month, which was the most important month for many young people in many years.

In some places, the college entrance examination is scheduled for a tight timeframe, with the exam starting in just one week!

The money came into the Nine Alleys.

This time, no one is collecting the sanitation fee called 'protection money'.

Furthermore, business in Jiutiao Lane is booming, resembling a market day, with many people openly setting up stalls there.

Qian Jin changed into a new silicone headgear, and this time he was a handsome bald young man.

He first wandered around the black market by himself and quickly found what he needed:

A ticket for a Forever brand bicycle!

Because of the size of the gold box, he couldn't directly purchase large items like bicycles from the mall.

Therefore, if you wanted to buy a bicycle, you had to rely on a train ticket from that era.

The ticket price wasn't expensive; the seller was asking for 50 yuan.

Qian Jin now had money, but didn't want to be ripped off, so he bargained, saying, "It's too expensive, how about forty yuan?"

The seller said unhappily, "50 yuan is too expensive?"

"To be honest, comrade, if you had the time, you could take a ticket like this to the countryside, show it to a commune cadre, and easily sell it for seventy or eighty yuan!"

"I originally planned to sell it for 80 yuan, but someone somehow got hold of a bicycle exchange ticket, which attracted customers away, so I had to lower the price to sell the ticket."

Qian Jin had an idea and handed him 50 yuan to buy the ticket.

He asked the seller, then walked deeper into the black market, and sure enough, he saw a dozen people surrounding someone, whispering about something.

What they're selling here are bicycle vouchers.

When the flashlight shone on the ticket, Qian Jin immediately recognized it as the real thing.

The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives awarded him and Wei Xiongtu with just this one ticket!

It was this very ticket that sparked the conflict between him and Song Hongbing.

This is a top-tier, highly sought-after item.

Qian Jin squeezed through the crowd and asked, "What's the price?"

The middle-aged ticket seller proudly raised his head and said, "400 yuan!"

Then someone next to me explained, "This isn't a regular bicycle voucher; it's a trendy one with a speed axle!"

The middle-aged man nodded smugly: "That's right. Let me tell you, these kinds of tickets are not available to ordinary people nowadays, not even to cadres' families."

"I have a nephew who works at the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. This is a gift he gave me as a token of his respect!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin suddenly looked up and stared intently at the middle-aged man.

People who enter the black market will try to disguise themselves to some extent; men wear hats and women wear headscarves. Qian Jin, for example, wore large sunglasses.

He took off his sunglasses and looked at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man covered his mouth with a scarf.

Looking at the face above the mouth, you can tell that this is a person with delicate features.

Qian Jin immediately guessed his identity.

This is Lu Changfan.

Wei Xiongtu's maternal uncle!

Qian Jin gets angry just thinking about the ugly faces of this family.

Qian Jin wanted to teach this family a lesson back then.

However, Wei Xiongtu suddenly unleashed his firepower, intending to kill someone, which disrupted his plans.

Now that he has met his enemy again, he is filled with rage.

Calming himself, Qian Jin quickly devised a new revenge plan.

He smiled and asked, "Four hundred yuan is a bit expensive, isn't it? I don't have that much money on me..."

"Four hundred yuan, no bargaining!" Lu Changfan firmly maintained control.

Qian Jin said, "Those who come to the black market are all ordinary people like us. Who would carry four hundred yuan?"

"I have two hundred dollars on hand right now, but I also have remittance certificates!"

Overseas remittance certificates were also a form of hard currency.

It can be used to purchase many special supplies.

Currently, only overseas Chinese families and families of high-ranking officials can obtain these documents, so the remittance certificates have taken on a new purpose:
It is proof of a distinguished status.

Lu Changfan was immediately tempted.

The two bargained, and then Qian Jin exchanged the exchange ticket for two hundred dollars in cash plus two hundred dollars in remittance certificates.

Some people shook their heads upon seeing this: "Young man, you don't know how to do business. You're exchanging such a valuable thing as remittance certificates for cash one-to-one?"

Someone even eagerly grabbed Qian Jin's arm and asked, "Do you still have remittance vouchers? I have 100 yuan here, I'll buy you 100 yuan worth of vouchers."

Qian Jin shook his head helplessly: "That's all."

He thought to himself, "I'm not stupid. Of course I know that the remittance certificate is more valuable than the RMB. How could I possibly exchange it for you at a one-to-one ratio?"
The reason for giving Lu Changfan a 200 yuan remittance voucher was that he could get it back later.

Actually, he wanted to give Lu Changfan 400 yuan in remittance certificates but not pay him the money.

It was already astonishing that he could produce 200 yuan worth of remittance certificates at once; if he were to produce 400 yuan worth of remittance certificates, he would probably attract robbers to follow him.

The money and goods were settled.

Qian Jin took the voucher, quickly went into the shadows, retrieved the gold box, and took the Polaroid camera out of the store.

Lu Changfan, carrying money and coupons, happily yet cautiously prepared to leave the black market.

Qian Jin turned on the flash and took a picture of him from the shadows.

The lights suddenly came on.

Everyone around was startled.

Lu Changfan was so frightened that he jumped up—

In this respect, the nephew resembles his uncle; his courage is not much greater than Wei Xiongtu's.

After taking the photos, Qian Jin packed up his camera and quickly fled.

Those around them noticed nothing unusual and, relieved, continued the transaction.

The black market in Nine Lanes is doing quite well now.

Two jin of national grain coupons could be exchanged for five eggs, while cloth coupons were worth up to three times the official price.

Industrial vouchers are very valuable; they can be used to purchase three turns and one sound device (transfer, recycling, radio, and watch). Several people set up stalls specifically to exchange industrial vouchers.

Then Qian Jin discovered that there were also book stalls in the black market, selling handwritten copies of "The Second Handshake," the Soviet novel "And Quiet Flows the Don," and unabridged versions of Lu Xun's works, among other things. There weren't many books, but they were very popular among young people.

He went over to see what was going on, and someone handed him a copy of "Quotations from Leaders".

Qian Jin saw that the book of quotations looked ordinary, so he waved his hand and said, "I have one at home."

The stall owner scoffed.

When the cover of the book of quotes was opened, a classic copy of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was revealed inside!
Qian Jin's interest was piqued, and he asked, "What's the price?"

The stall owner whispered, "Twenty yuan!"

Qian Jin gasped.

This is half a month's wages for an ordinary worker!

He glanced at the information about "Dream of the Red Chamber" and then bought the book.

This must be something from before the liberation.

Traditional Chinese characters.

Besides "Dream of the Red Chamber," he also bought a set of "Water Margin," both in traditional Chinese characters.

As he continued browsing the black market, he discovered more and more valuable items:
Someone hid a Japanese soldier's Casio calculator in a hollow winter melon, someone else tucked black nylon stockings into a magazine, and someone else was even exchanging US dollars!

Qian Jin probably guessed it.

This is all thanks to the workers of Kaohsiung who ventured into the ghost market!
He went to look at the US dollars.

The official exchange rate for 1 US dollar is 1.5 yuan, but here it can be sold for 5.8 yuan.

Qian Jin didn't bring a UV light to check the counterfeit money, but he suspected that the US dollars might be counterfeit.

So he took a look and quickly left.

You can't come to Nine Lanes anymore; counterfeit US dollars will cause trouble.

Qian Jin went into the darkness, removed his hood, changed his identity, and went to find Lao Wei with supplies such as a pen, watch, milk candy, and tea.

The aroma of chocolate wafted from Lao Wei's stall.

Qian Jin looked down and saw a rather large cardboard box; the fragrance was emanating from inside.

He was quite surprised: "Old Tail, your business has really taken off! You've managed to get so much chocolate."

Old Wei opened the box with a smile: "I wish I could do business this big!"

The box contained loose chocolate wrappers, which had chocolate stains on them, giving them a pleasant aroma.

Qian Jin asked in confusion, "What's the use of this?"

Old Wei explained, "It's covered in cocoa butter. A teacher asked me to buy this."

"He has the ability to extract the cocoa butter from it, and then sell it to food factories. He can easily earn two or three months' wages as an ordinary worker!"

Qian Jin was surprised.

There are all kinds of talented people here.

Then another thought struck him: "Could you help me get in touch with him? I know of a school that's looking for teachers. If I can successfully introduce someone there, I can earn a referral fee."

"As for salary—we can definitely offer him a price that satisfies him!"

Old Wei nodded: "No problem, I'll definitely get it done for you."

Qian Jin generously gave a ten-dollar deposit, telling the other party that if they were interested, he could find time to meet at the Seagull Pavilion in Jiagang.

He guessed that the teacher was a chemistry teacher and would play a significant role in the study room.

As for meeting at the port, it was to protect himself.

Old Wei didn't know his identity, so he couldn't leave any information related to himself. He had to find an excuse to say that he was helping a school find a teacher.

He asked Lao Wei to help him buy a Shanghai-brand watch, the same kind that Lao Guai was swindled out of.

This was a simple matter for Lao Wei.

Old Guai's watch was a common style, and he easily found one from his friend.

Qian Jin exchanged this watch for his new one, thus completing the main objective of this black market transaction.

Before leaving, he told Lao Wei, "Be careful lately. There are people tinkering with US dollars on the black market. If I'm not mistaken, they are counterfeit."

“If someone buys counterfeit US dollars, they are likely to call the police, and then this place could be dangerous.”

This message is priceless.

Old Wei was surprised: "Are you sure those US dollars are fake? I was planning to exchange some, but I was worried about counterfeit bills, so I haven't made a move yet."

Qian Jin said, "If the US dollars were recently smuggled out by them from the American black market in Hong Kong, then they are most likely counterfeit."

“I’ve been to the black market before, and I saw foreigners using counterfeit money to fool our compatriots.”

After he left, Lao Wei went to inquire about the news, then packed his things and left as well.

Qian Jin didn't manage to get any large quantities of goods on the black market, so instead of rushing home, he went to gather Cheng Hua, Xu Weidong, Wang Dong, and the rest of the group out:

"Let's go, let's make a name for ourselves!"

(End of this chapter)