Yan Jiecheng's Leisurely Life in Siheyuan

Chapter 124 Trading
The vendor glanced at Yan Jiecheng, then at the bamboo basket on Yan Jiecheng's back, and said with a look of disdain.

"Hey buddy, do you know how long I've been sitting here at my stall? Do you know how many big yellow croakers I have?"

"You're really like a toad yawning, with an unusually big mouth."

Despite the vendor's disdain, Yan Jiecheng was not angry. He simply took out an oil paper package from the bamboo basket with a mysterious expression and handed it to the vendor.

The vendor took the package with a puzzled look, opened it, and saw that it contained a piece of lean meat weighing about one pound.

The vendor first smelled it, then tore off a small piece and put it in his mouth to taste it.

After the vendor swallowed the meat, he looked at Yan Jiecheng with disbelief and said...

"Is this beef?"

Although pork is quite popular these days, pork farming is large-scale, so most people in Beijing can still enjoy it every month.

But beef is different. These days, cattle are not only farmers' helpers in farming, but also an important means of transportation in rural areas, which makes beef a rare delicacy on the dining table.

Seeing the vendor's surprised tone, Yan Jiecheng didn't say anything and just watched quietly.

After chuckling twice, the vendor quickly spoke up.

"Dude, I was blind to your true worth. I didn't know you had so many of these."

"Boss, I don't have many of these rare items. How many large yellow croakers do you have?"

The vendor thought for a moment before speaking.

"Hey buddy, I can tell you're a big customer. How about I introduce you to my boss, and you two can talk it over?"

Talk to the boss? Although this would significantly increase the risk of exposure, it might be worth the risk if it could resolve the issue once and for all.

Yan Jiecheng hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Seeing that Yan Jiecheng had agreed, the vendor immediately went to greet him and came to the only intact room in the courtyard.

The vendor first knocked on the door and then whispered a few words to the person inside.

After he finished speaking, the vendor came to Yan Jiecheng's side and said something.

"Sir, our boss would like to invite you inside for a chat."

Yan Jiecheng nodded and went into the room.

As soon as Yan Jiecheng entered the room, the vendor closed the door from the outside.

Faced with the pitch-black environment, Yan Jiecheng felt slightly nervous.

Just then, a "snap" sound of a match rang out, and the room instantly became much brighter.

A middle-aged man wearing a woolen overcoat lit a candle.

The other party scrutinized Yan Jiecheng carefully before speaking after a while.

"Please have a seat, sir. Let me introduce myself. I'm the person in charge of this black market. You can call me Boss San."

Yan Jiecheng didn't stand on ceremony. He came to the third boss's side, put down the bamboo basket on his back, and sat down directly.

"Third boss, nice to meet you. You can call me Xiao Wu."

The third boss cupped his hands in greeting and said...

"Fifth Master, it's a pleasure to meet you. I heard from my men that you have a rare item?"

Yan Jiecheng nodded and said.

“I’ll be frank with you, the Third Boss, who is a true Buddha.”

"I have about 300 jin of beef, 400 jin of mutton, 4,000 jin of rice, 3,000 jin of flour, 200 jin of apples, 300 jin of bananas, 300 jin of pears, 1,000 jin of watermelon, and 150 jin of grapes."

"I also have some cash, not much, about a thousand yuan, which I plan to exchange for large yellow croakers."

The third boss was slightly surprised when he heard the number Yan Jiecheng mentioned, but only slightly surprised. After the surprise subsided, the third boss chuckled and said...

"I didn't expect Fifth Master to have such wide connections, possessing so many rare items. But all these things could be exchanged for quite a few large yellow croakers. I wonder when Fifth Master plans to make the transaction?"

"Tonight would be best."

"tonight?"

"What? Is it inconvenient for you, Third Boss?" The Third Boss stared at Yan Jiecheng for a while before speaking.

"There's nothing inconvenient about it, but did Fifth Master bring all this stuff?"

"The goods are nearby. As long as we can agree on the price, we can exchange money for goods on the spot."

What followed was a round of bargaining, and the two quickly reached an agreement.

After agreeing on a price, Yan Jiecheng led the three bosses out of the black market.

Of course, the third boss wasn't alone; he was followed by more than a dozen fully armed men.

Soon Yan Jiecheng led the three bosses to a low, dilapidated wall.

"Third boss, please wait here for a moment while I go check if the goods are ready?"

The third boss carefully observed the surroundings, and only after confirming that there was no ambush was there did he nod in agreement.

Yan Jiecheng only came to the wall and took a look before returning to the Third Boss's side and speaking.

"Third boss, the goods are ready. Please come and inspect them?"

The third boss gave a wink to his subordinates behind him, and one of them went straight to the wall and began to observe cautiously.

A moment later, the subordinate came to the third boss's side and whispered a few words.

The third boss nodded and said to Yan Jiecheng.

"Fifth Master, shall we go over and inspect the goods together?"

After the third boss finished speaking, he walked towards the wall.

When the third boss arrived at the wall, he saw the goods piled on the ground and looked at Yan Jiecheng in surprise.

"Fifth Master, why didn't you prepare a basket or something for us?"

This transaction was somewhat impromptu, and Yan Jiecheng was not prepared for it.

They could only find a few plain-colored sheets in the space and lay them on the floor, leaving the fruit lying naked on the sheets.

Fortunately, Yan Jie had already changed the packaging of the rice and flour, otherwise it would have been really difficult to handle this situation.

Faced with the third boss's question, Yan Jiecheng was a little embarrassed, but at this point he could only brazenly answer.

"Third boss, it's no big deal for you with your large business, but these baskets cost money too."

Looking at the sheet under the fruit, the third boss couldn't help but wonder, "Is the basket more expensive than this cloth?"
Despite his thoughts, the third boss still smiled and spoke.

"Fifth Master is indeed a man of practicality, meticulous in his calculations."

Yan Jiecheng glanced at the third boss and thought, "Are you sure you're praising me? Fine, I'll take it as a compliment."

"Third boss, please arrange for someone to inspect the goods as soon as possible. It's the middle of the night, and I need to get back to rest."

Upon hearing this, the third boss immediately signaled to his two subordinates to place the briefcase next to Yan Jiecheng.

"Fifth Master, this is the large yellow croaker we agreed on. Please check it."

Yan Jiecheng opened each suitcase one by one, and after confirming that everything was in order, he closed the suitcases again.

"Third boss, there's nothing wrong with the goods. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

"Of course, Fifth Master, if you have any good stuff next time, you must come to me."

"of course."

After Yan Jiecheng finished speaking, he picked up his two suitcases and quickly left.

After Yan Jiecheng walked away, one of his subordinates said to the third boss with a surprised look.

"Boss, this guy is something else. Each of his suitcases weighs about a hundred pounds, but he just carries them away like nothing's wrong."

The third boss, however, didn't seem to care and said...

"In this day and age, everyone has some skills when they're out in the world."

(End of this chapter)