The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 150 Hope for Motorcycles, Shocking Changes in the Black Market

Hundreds of kerosene lamps and flashlights illuminated the dock in a hazy, shadowy way, with figures swaying in the mist like shadow puppets.

The vendors' calls were kept extremely low, yet they conveyed a sense of fervor.
"Newly arrived Dacron fabric, no fabric coupons required!"

"A genuine pack of White Rabbit candy from Shanghai costs 50 cents!"

"Homemade salted fish, exchanged for food coupons..."

Qian Jin walked close to the wall, his canvas bag containing, as usual, things like a watch, a pen, sunglasses, hair clips, and buttons.

The flashlight beam shone on the salted fish stall.

The flesh of the salted mackerel glowed with a beautiful yellow light.

He touched the salted fish to check its dryness and asked, "How do I exchange it?"

"Three jin of grain coupons per jin." The old man didn't even lift his eyelids. "Or a jin of meat coupons and a pack of economy cigarettes."

Just as Qian Jin was about to haggle, a commotion suddenly came from the dock.

The crowd scattered to both sides like an anthill being stirred up by a stick.

He stood on tiptoe to look and saw three fishermen wearing rubber pants carrying two rattan boxes. Some fishy water seeped out from the seams of the boxes, leaving a few shiny streaks on the muddy ground.

"Ribbonfish! Fresh ribbonfish!" The lead fisherman's voice was incredibly loud, his dark red face covered in sea salt crystals. "They just came ashore in the middle of the night!"

Qian Jin was speechless.

They're not afraid of getting caught at all.

The crowd immediately surrounded them.

He felt the black market was becoming a bit too high-profile.

Seeing so many people crowding around, Qian Jin suspected there was something fishy about the ribbonfish:

Some smugglers use code names to identify different types of seafood.

He quickly grabbed two salted fish and went to take a look, then was pushed to the front row and smelled a strong fishy smell.

The moment the lid of the rattan box was lifted, a flash of silver light appeared—rows of ribbonfish, like slender swords drawn from their sheaths, were neatly arranged on the crushed ice, their eyes gleaming like glass.

"How do I change?" A middle-aged man in a blue cotton-padded jacket squeezed to the front.

The fisherman held up three fingers: "Seventy-five cents a pound, no coupons required."

There was a gasping sound all around.

This price is three cents more expensive than at the state-run vegetable market.

Someone said, "Your price is too high. Can't you ask for 45 cents? That's enough to buy a pound of pork."

The fisherman laughed: "Forty-five cents? You think I'd sell it to you? Wouldn't it be better if I sold it to the government?"

"Forty-five cents? You can get such fresh fish for forty-five cents? Everyone here knows what they're talking about. I won't say more about whether it's good or not, just look for yourselves."

"Your pork is worth more than a pound of pork? Can your pork be as fresh as my ribbonfish? You can buy pork for seven cents on the black market? The official meat stalls at the farmers' market sell it for eight cents a pound, and you need a ration coupon for that!"

Another fisherman added, "This isn't frozen ribbonfish from the East China Sea; it's fresh right now. It's good for the elderly to eat to boost their energy, and for children to eat to strengthen their bones."

"If you want something good to eat, come here, but don't skimp on your money."

When Qian Jin saw that they were indeed selling ribbonfish, he lost interest.

Indeed, fresh ribbonfish is in high demand even in coastal cities. Due to low production capacity, fresh ribbonfish can be found in the market only three times a month; most are frozen.

A middle-aged man in a blue cotton-padded jacket gritted his teeth and said, "Weigh out five catties for me. This fish is good. Fry it up and store it to entertain relatives during the first month of the lunar year."

The transaction took place in full view of everyone.

The fisherman pulled an old-fashioned steelyard balance from his rubber trouser pocket; the weight was rusted black.

"Exactly five jin!" The fisherman deftly tied the fish with straw rope.

The man in the blue cotton-padded jacket frowned as he took the fish, weighing it in his hand: "Something's not right, is it? This can weigh five pounds?"

"What's wrong with it?" The fisherman's voice suddenly rose. "I, Liang Laoshi, have been selling fish in this area for three years. Who doesn't know that my scales are accurate?"

The man in the blue cotton-padded jacket persisted, pulling a spring scale from his pocket—a rare find that drew gasps from those around him.

This was the first time Qian Jin had ever seen a spring scale in the world; he hadn't realized that spring scales existed now.

The ribbonfish was hung up, and the needle jerked violently a few times before stopping at 4.2 jin (approximately 2.6 catties).

"You honest Liang," the man in the blue cotton-padded jacket said smugly, raising his head. "So you were using a short-lived scale!"

"Fuck your short-lived scale!" Liang Laoshi suddenly sprang up and slammed his hand on the spring scale, sending sparks flying as it hit the ground.

The ribbonfish in the blue cotton-padded jacket's hand all fell to the ground.

A flash of silver light appeared, cascading down like a waterfall and scattering across the ground.

The crowd erupted in a buzz of excitement.

Qian Jin was pushed and shoved forward, and saw Liang Laoshi's face turn from red to green.

He said, embarrassed and annoyed, "Your scale is accurate? Your scale is a scale for longevity? My scale is a scale for a short life?"

"Fuck your mother, this is slander! Slander of us fishermen!"

"Damn it, you have to find a way to restore our reputation, or you're not leaving today, or nobody will buy this good ribbonfish today."

Blue Cotton-padded Jacket was angry, but the other side had more people and more power, and their last sentence was an attempt to use everyone's eagerness to buy fresh ribbonfish to manipulate public opinion.

The result was a chorus of curses erupting from all around:
"Heartless and rotten-necked!"

"Speculators and profiteers!"

"Beat that son of a bitch!"

Blue Cotton-padded Jacket was also an impulsive man. Seeing that public opinion was on his side, he raised his fist and punched Liang Laoshi in the face.

This is trouble.

Liang Laoshi staggered backward, knocking over the new box that his companions had just carried behind him—and now, dozens of ribbonfish scattered in the muddy water, causing chaos among the crowd, with some dodging and others reaching out to grab them.

Qian Jin was about to retreat when he was suddenly pushed forward by a strong force.

In the chaos, it was unclear whether it was Liang Laoshi or Lan Mian'ao, but a sturdy body crashed heavily into his back.

Qian Jin stumbled and rushed into the fray, his military overcoat immediately becoming covered in fishy smell and mud.

"Stop it, you bastards!" he shouted instinctively.

But the voices were drowned out by the curses.

Liang Laoshi pulled out a fish-gutting knife from somewhere, its gleaming tip pointed directly at the throat of the man in the blue cotton-padded jacket: "I'm going to bleed you today!"

"And those damn fish thieves who stole my fish, leave them with your lives or your money!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then scattered and fled like a hornet's nest that had been blown apart.

Qian Jin saw the man in the blue cotton-padded jacket trembling but still trying to hold on: "You, you dare! If the security guards are alerted, everyone will be detained!"

"Let's see if I dare," Liang Laoshi grinned maliciously as he pressed forward, "Let's see if they get here faster, or if my knife is faster!"

"I'll run away then, let's see where they'll find me!"

Another man pointed at Qian Jin: "And him, and this kid, damn it, he just hit me..."

Qian Jin, who was about to leave, was speechless.

No delusion!

As a result, several fishermen actually surrounded him.

Qian Jin doesn't waste words.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a crossbow he used for self-defense.

Under the flashlight beam, the steel crossbow gleamed coldly.

"What does this have to do with me?" Qian Jin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the authority he had cultivated by issuing commands.

Liang Laoshi was stunned for a moment, then turned the knife towards Qian Jin: "Get out of the way! Or you'll be taken down with you..."

The words got stuck in his throat before he could finish speaking.

Qian Jin lifted the hem of his coat, revealing a bulging waist.

"Brother Liang, harmony brings wealth." Qian Jin's voice was calm, and his expressionless face throughout sent chills down one's spine.

He can cock the crossbow with one hand—a move he's practiced thousands of times—and is now incredibly skilled at it.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the crossbow head around, and with a "whoosh," an arrow pinned the ribbonfish's head to the rattan box.

Precision!

Liang Laoshi's knife tip trembled slightly.

Qian Jin continued, "Your ribbonfish is good, the price is a bit high but it's okay. Give me ten catties, I have many brothers in my family, and we eat a lot."

Liang Laoshi shoved the knife back into his waistband: "This brother knows his stuff. Come on, brothers, weigh out ten jin for him."

Qian Jin took out some money and threw it on the ground: "Eight yuan, keep the change."

Liang Laoshi laughed: "Brother, you're so generous! We brothers shouldn't be stingy, let's weigh things up for you!"

"Twelve catties." The man weighing the fish handed over the money and then looked at the sights.

Qian Jin didn't put down the crossbow. He turned to the woman in the blue cotton-padded jacket who was about to leave and said, "Don't forget your spring scale."

The man in the blue cotton-padded jacket thanked her, picked up the spring scale, and walked away with his head down.

The fishermen continued cleaning the ribbonfish and hawking their wares, and only then did Qian Jin put down his crossbow.

A whistle sounded in the distance, and someone shouted, "The city management team is here!" The crowd scattered like birds.

Qian Jin picked up the ribbonfish and was about to leave.

Applause came from behind.

"Good skills."

Qian Jin suddenly turned around.

A middle-aged man in a woolen overcoat stood in the shadows of the warehouse, fiddling with a pair of sunglasses in his hand.

Qian Jin glanced at him and then left.

The middle-aged man was taken aback, then hurriedly chased after him: "Brother, your archery skills are quite good."

Qian Jin quickly blended into the crowd.

The middle-aged man shook his head and laughed when he saw this. A young man next to him had a gloomy face and wanted to chase after Qian Jin, but he stopped him and said, "The officials are coming. Forget it, it's not worth it."

As a result, no officials came.

I don't know who was just blowing the whistle randomly.

And so the black market began to bustle again.

However, after the conflict just now, Qian Jin felt an unusual restlessness in the air.

The black market wasn't behaving properly today, and he wanted to leave, but he had only bought salted fish and fresh fish, and hadn't bought anything that could make him money in the marketplace, so he wasn't entirely satisfied.

So he wandered around for a bit more.

Then I discovered a new business opportunity.

A lame man wearing a felt hat leaned against a brick wall, with several wax-sealed vials of penicillin in front of him; the labels were already yellowed.
"Tetracycline, an anti-inflammatory drug specially supplied to military hospitals!"

The lame man's hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper scraping: "Whether it's a cold or an injury, as long as it's infected and inflamed, one pill will be effective!"

Qian Jin stood with his arms crossed, observing.

The wax seals on the bottle openings were clearly applied later, and the workmanship was rough. Some of the bottles even had clumps of powder inside.

But the crowd kept growing. The college entrance examination, which had only resumed in October of last year, had driven countless educated youth to study desperately, and many of them developed boils and carbuncles. Antibiotics were hard to get from regular hospitals.

"How much?" Several people asked eagerly.

The lame man held up three fingers: "Sold by the bottle, five yuan a bottle or twenty-five jin of grain coupons."

A young man gritted his teeth, pulled out a handkerchief pouch from his inner pocket, and took out five industrial coupons printed with a lathe image: "Will the industrial coupons work? But I want two bottles." The transaction was completed in full view of everyone.

Some people are even willing to pay money to buy it.

Qian Jin was tempted.

The store has countless anti-inflammatory drugs!

The young man immediately pried open a bottle sealed with wax and poured out a few pills into his palm.

The tetracycline, which should have been snow-white, had clumped into yellowish-brown lumps, resembling uncooked sweet potato chips.

Upon seeing this, his expression changed drastically: "Wait a minute, isn't this medicine expired?"

The cripple's expression remained unchanged: "Young man, you can't recognize it and you're talking nonsense. This is military supplies, stored in a special way, and its efficacy is absolutely guaranteed."

"I worked at a clinic when I was sent to the countryside, what nonsense are you spouting?" the young man's voice trembled. "Either the medicine is expired or it wasn't stored properly and has clumped together. Why would you still use it like that?"

"Give me my industrial vouchers!"

What happened next was so fast it was dizzying.

The cripple suddenly pulled a triangular scraper from his cane, stretched out his arm, and pressed it against the young man's abdomen: "You're not going to honor the deal after selling the goods? Don't you know the rules of the black market?"

The young man said angrily, "What kind of rule is this? Don't try to fool me!"

"You sell fake medicine and then threaten people?"

The two started arguing, and it looked like another conflict was about to break out.

Qian Jin quietly stepped back.

This is not his business.

But as soon as he turned around, he bumped into a wall of people—a tall man in an old military uniform with a scar on his left cheek and a bulging military satchel slung across his shoulder.

"Comrade, do you need a motorcycle?" The tall man's hushed voice caught Qian Jin's attention.

He tore open his satchel and revealed a purchase certificate stamped with an official seal to a middle-aged man standing next to him: "Comrade's belongings, urgently needed."

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat.

motorcycle?!

These days, ordinary people have to save up industrial coupons for a year to buy a bicycle, while motorcycles are a rare luxury item that only cadres can afford.

He had had enough of riding bicycles and had always wanted to tinker with a car.

Buying a car is unrealistic now. No private individual can be provided with a car, and it's also very difficult for ordinary companies to be provided with one.

If he wants to buy a car, he can only do so through the People's Mobile Canteen and register it under the company's name.

However, small collective enterprises have too low qualifications, and the state will not approve car purchase permits for them.

A tractor is fine, but the question is, why would he buy a tractor in the city?
Having a motorcycle would be great in this situation.

He glanced at the purchase certificate as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Quancheng Qingqi "Type 15-75" motorcycle!

This is the most common type of motorcycle in society today, with purebred origins and a well-known domestic brand.

It was developed in 1964 by Quancheng Bicycle Parts Factory based on the Sujiejiawa 50 engine, and quickly became the first choice for various units due to its reliable quality.

Qian Jin had read the newspaper report that the annual production of the Qingqi 15 motorcycle was only 5000 units, making it an extremely rare item, even difficult for supply and marketing cooperative cadres to obtain.

The middle-aged man dressed like a government official was clearly interested: "What's the price?"

"This is a Qingqi 75, not a Qingqi 15. It's in high demand, so I need two hundred yuan in cash, plus a thousand jin of national grain coupons, or equivalent industrial vouchers or foreign exchange certificates." The veteran's tone was firm.

Although it's just a purchase certificate, it's rare enough that it can fetch a price.

Qian Jin was tempted.

He had money and tickets, but lacked a purchase certificate: "Comrade, I'll buy it!"

The big man looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting that someone who smelled of fish and was carrying salted fish could afford the price.

Then a shrill voice chimed in: "I'll buy it! Give it to me! I'll offer another two hundred catties of national grain coupons, plus fifty catties of meat coupons and twenty feet of cloth coupons!"

The speaker was a short man in a Zhongshan suit, with a briefcase tucked under his arm, and glasses with lenses as thick as the bottom of a wine bottle; he looked like an accountant from a state-owned enterprise.

The tall young man swallowed hard: "Really?"

The accountant-looking man pushed Qian Jin aside and shoved a stack of receipts into the veteran's hand: "No one can bring a thousand catties of grain coupons to this place. I'll give you a deposit first. Come with me, okay?"

Not wanting to be outmaneuvered, Qian Jin immediately opened his satchel and said, "I have a thousand catties of grain coupons here."

"Brother, look for yourself. I could easily exchange all this stuff for a thousand catties of grain coupons, right?"

The tall man and the accountant were looking at handbags together.

The two were dazzled by the brand-new watches, pens, and other fine items inside.

But after hesitating, the big man decided to do business with the accountant: "Comrade, I'm sorry, but I want to sell to this leader."

The accountant smiled.

Qian Jin said, "Wait a minute, how much does he offer? It doesn't matter, no matter how high the price is, I'll give you an extra two hundred catties of grain coupons!"

The accountant frowned, revealing a gloomy expression.

But the big man shook his head: "I promised to sell it to him, so I sold it to him. A person should keep their word."

"Moreover, these banknotes are enough to settle the families of my comrades."

The accountant smiled and said, "Then come with me."

The big man shone his flashlight on the grain coupons: "Let me see your things first."

The accountant made a casual gesture.

After flipping through a few pages, the big guy suddenly looked up at the accountant.

The accountant took a step back: "What's wrong?"

The big man lowered his head to continue looking, then sneered, "The serial numbers on these grain coupons are wrong."

The accountant said suspiciously, "What's wrong? You mean I used a fake ticket? What a joke! If I used a fake ticket, I welcome you to take me to the police station..."

“D0245678, D0245679, D0245680,” the big man interrupted him, his sneer growing louder, “I can’t say whether they’re fake or not, but these are consecutive national grain coupons?”

Upon hearing this, onlookers nearby were immediately shocked: "Consecutive-numbered grain coupons? Damn! They belong to the city management team!"

City Management Team!
Qian Jin never expected to encounter this legendary organization here.

The duties of the city management team and the anti-voting and anti-pollution team are similar, but the team has greater authority.

Just as he was pondering this rarely seen unit, the accountant suddenly pulled out a whistle and blew it.

Amidst the piercing whistle, several particularly dazzling beams of flashlight suddenly shone from the crowd of onlookers, as plainclothes city management officers surged in from all directions.

Someone shouted, "The city management team is raiding the stalls!" and the entire black market erupted in chaos.

Some people were knocked off their feet by the crowd, and a stall selling used books was suddenly overturned. A hardcover copy of a math, physics and chemistry exercise book was smashed on the ground, and fragments flew everywhere.

The accountant grabbed the big guy: "Give me your certificate!"

The big guy raised his leg, and the accountant screamed and flew backward. The big guy turned and ran.

Upon seeing this, the accountant scrambled to his feet, clutching his bleeding nose, and shouted, "Grab him! Grab him first!"

Two plainclothes officers rushed out from the side and grabbed the big man.

Qian Jin also ran away, but the accountant pointed at him and said, "Don't let that kid get away, he's a big fish!"

The third plainclothes officer lunged at Qian Jin.

There is no time to think.

Qian Jin couldn't fall into the hands of these people, so he turned and ran towards the accountant, grabbed her and held her in front of his chest, pulled out a pistol from his back waist, and cocked it with a click.

The dark muzzle of the gun gleamed blue in the moonlight, and the plainclothes officer who had lunged at him froze on the spot.

"Don't you dare move!" Qian Jin was surprised by the calmness in his voice.

He grabbed the accountant by the back of his collar, pressing the gun barrel against the man's temple: "Tell the city management team to retreat!"

The accountant's glasses were askew, and he was trembling all over: "Comrade, this is resisting the law..."

Qian Jin raised his hand and pulled the trigger:

boom!
The bullet landed at the accountant's feet.

"The next shot will be to the knee," Qian Jin whispered in his ear. "I'll count to three."

Before he could even start counting, the accountant shouted, "Everyone back up! Back up now!"

The city management officers were in complete disarray.

The big guy was incredibly strong; the two men had only managed to grab him in the chaos, but they hadn't been able to control him.

Now, taking advantage of the opportunity, he raised his fist and elbow, and nearby city management team members screamed and fell to the ground.

After taking down the two men, he didn't stop; he continued to attack the other team members who surrounded him.

His figure moved nimbly through the crowd, and the city management team members were no match for him. More than a dozen people were quickly knocked to the ground.

Qian Jin was surprised.

This big guy's fighting ability is probably no less than Zhang Aijun's.

After knocking these people down, the big guy yelled at him, "Run now!"

He then disappeared around the corner of the warehouse.

Qian Jin dragged the accountant to a corner piled with fishing nets, then raised his hand and slammed the accountant's head hard with the butt of his gun.

The accountant let out a wail and collapsed to the ground, and Qian Jin hurriedly ran away.

The accountant then jumped up and ran back to the line, yelling, "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Cover me!"

He was faking his death.

Qian Jin cursed, turned around, and climbed over a low wall.

Behind me, there was a chaotic mix of whistles and shouts.

Qian Jin ran wildly through the maze-like alleys, completely unaware that his military overcoat was being torn by barbed wire.

Thankfully, this is his home turf, otherwise he might have gotten lost.

After turning a few corners, he slipped into an abandoned warehouse, and there was no sound of footsteps for a long time.

A rustling sound came from outside the boiler room.

Qian Jin immediately raised his gun and pointed it at the door, but the big guy popped his head out and said, "Comrade, don't shoot, we're on the same side!"

Qian Jin was able to escape only because the big guy took down all the team members, so the two of them managed to win this battle.

Qian Jin put down his gun and asked, "Why are you following me?"

The big guy chuckled and said, "Only you can afford to buy this certificate. Who else would I follow if not you?"

Qian Jin sighed and said, "I can't eat anymore either. I hadn't even opened my stall yet, and you saw me."

The big man said, "I see you have a lot of stuff here. If you don't have money or tickets, you can exchange them for your stuff!"

Motorcycles are great stuff, but the procurement permits are very valuable, and most people can't afford them. Those who can afford them are not ordinary people, and they don't have access to them.

But if he exchanges it for small, valuable items like pens, watches, or hair clips, he can find a way to exchange them for money.

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin didn't bother haggling and simply handed him everything from his bag.

"Twenty watches, twenty pens, twenty pairs of sunglasses, and over a hundred hair clips—enough to get you a purchase certificate."

Just as the big guy was about to grin, he suddenly clenched his fist and lowered it while looking to the side against the wall:

"Who goes there! Show yourself or we'll shoot!"

(End of this chapter)