Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

Li Zhenhua lowered the brim of his hat, pretending to stroll around casually, and slowly walked among them.

His sharp eyes swept across each stall, his ears picking up the scattered, hushed conversations.

"Hey bro, got any food? Anything's fine!"

A hoarse voice asked.

"What a load of rubbish! If we had grain, would I be here selling this junk?"

The stall owner replied irritably.

"Sigh, these days... The grain stations in the city are empty, the harvest in the countryside is completely lost, and there's no grain left on the black market..."

"I heard that there were still some dried sweet potatoes at the pigeon market a couple of days ago, but they were all sold out before dawn, and the prices were outrageous!"

"If we can't get any food soon, we'll really have to eat dirt..."

An atmosphere of despair permeated the entire black market.

Li Zhenhua understood that this year's disaster was indeed beyond imagination, and even the black market, the last underground channel, was about to dry up.

It's no wonder that the people in the courtyard were so excited when they heard about 100 jin of grain.

He walked around and indeed didn't see any stalls selling grain.

Just as he was feeling somewhat disappointed and preparing to leave for the warehouse, his gaze was drawn to a stall in the corner.

It was an old man with gray hair and tattered clothes, squatting on the ground. In front of him was a dirty blue cloth with a few things scattered on it: a jade bracelet of dull color, a writing brush with a cracked handle, a small incense burner covered with verdigris, and a few copper coins with illegible inscriptions.

The most eye-catching item was a square wooden box, about a foot in size, wrapped in rags, placed in the center of the blue cloth.

The old man's eyes were cloudy, with a kind of resigned numbness, and he paid no attention to the sparse flow of people passing by.

Li Zhenhua's heart stirred, and he walked over. He squatted down, seemingly casually picked up the bronze incense burner, looked at it, and then weighed the few copper coins in his hand.

These were all ordinary items, not worth much money. But his attention eventually fell on the wooden box.

"Sir, what's in this box?"

Li Zhenhua asked in a low voice.

The old man looked up at him and saw that although Li Zhenhua was dressed plainly, he had a calm demeanor and sharp eyes, unlike ordinary people.

A faint glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice, "It's...it's a few old books and an inkstone. They were passed down from my ancestors; they said they were old objects."

Li Zhenhua's heart skipped a beat: "Can I take a look?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, but still carefully opened the wooden box.

Sure enough, there were several thread-bound ancient books inside. The paper was yellowed and fragile, and the writing on the cover was a bit blurry, but it was vaguely visible that they were common classics such as "Collected Annotations on the Analects". There was also a Duan inkstone with simple cloud patterns carved on it. It looked quite old, but its condition was average.

Normally, these items would only fetch the price of a few steamed buns on the black market.

But at this moment, Li Zhenhua's breathing became slightly rapid! Because the instant his gaze fell upon the books and the inkstone, the long-dormant "Pinduoduo System" in his mind suddenly emitted a faint notification sound, and at the same time, a virtual screen that only he could see appeared before his eyes:

[A recyclable cultural relic has been detected: a fragment of a Ming Dynasty imperial edition of "Collected Annotations on the Analects," with a system valuation of 120000.]

[Recyclable cultural relic detected: Early Qing Dynasty Chengni inkstone (with inscription), system appraisal value: 80000.]

[Recyclable artifacts detected...]

The screen displayed a list, including not only the items in the wooden box, but also the inconspicuous bronze incense burner and jade bracelet on the ground. The system gave an appraised value, which, although not high, added up to more than 500000!

Li Zhenhua knew that within the system, 500000 was enough to exchange for far more than 3,000 catties of ordinary coarse grains, or some industrial products that were extremely scarce in this era, or even basic technical data!

Suppressing his inner elation, Li Zhenhua remained outwardly calm, casually flipping through the books, glancing at the inkstone, and shaking his head in feigned disappointment.

"Uncle, these are just ordinary old books and inkstones. In this day and age, they can't be eaten or drunk, so they're pretty useless."

The glimmer of hope that had just appeared in the old man's eyes instantly dimmed, and he lowered his head bitterly.

"Yes...it's not very useful. But...it was passed down from my ancestors, and if I had no other choice..."

Li Zhenhua interrupted him, pointing to the wooden box and the few items on the ground, and asked casually.

"What are you planning to trade this pile of junk for?"

The old man raised his head, his eyes filled with longing. He held up two fingers, then felt it was too many, and withdrew one, saying in a trembling voice.

"Comrade, please have mercy, give me... give me ten jin, no, five jin! Five jin of coarse grains will do! Cornmeal, dried sweet potatoes, anything will do! My wife is very ill and just wants some thick porridge..."

Li Zhenhua was startled, but frowned, looking very troubled.

"Five catties? Old man, you know how precious grain is these days. This pile of stuff of yours..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, watching the old man's desperate expression before changing his tone, "Sigh, alright, I see you've had a hard life. How about this, I'll take all your things. I'll give you twenty catties of cornmeal, what do you say?"

"Twenty...twenty jin?"

The old man could hardly believe his ears; he was so excited that he trembled all over and almost knelt down before Li Zhenhua.

"Comrade! Thank you! Thank you so much! You're a true saint!"

Li Zhenhua helped him up and whispered.

"Don't make a sound! I don't have any food on me. Come with me to the alley entrance and wait for me. I'll bring it to you in a bit."

"Okay! Okay! I trust you! I'll get ready right away!"

The old man hurriedly wrapped the items in a rag and held them tightly to his chest, as if clutching a lifeline.

Li Zhenhua quickly left the black market, found a secluded corner, and immersed his consciousness into the system. He exchanged a negligible amount of money for twenty jin of cornmeal in an old burlap sack, then carried it to the alley entrance and handed it to the anxiously waiting old man.

The old man, full of gratitude, clutched the grain and staggered away into the night.

Li Zhenhua held the wooden box wrapped in rags and a few small items, his heart filled with the joy of his harvest.

This trip to the black market was totally worth it!

Trading twenty kilograms of cornmeal for "cultural relics" worth hundreds of thousands in the system is simply a risk-free and highly profitable deal!

More importantly, it showed him another possibility for rapidly accumulating systemic capital during times of scarcity.

He stored the "cultural relic" in his system space, then turned and strode quickly towards a direction outside the city. The food supplies needed to be delivered.

Li Zhenhua did not return to the courtyard house, but went straight to an abandoned warehouse located in the suburbs near the railway line.

This place was originally a warehouse of a small factory. After the factory moved, it was abandoned and left in a remote location, rarely visited by people.

Li Zhenhua secretly rented the place under an alias through various channels, using it as a secret base for transferring supplies using the "system".

At the warehouse entrance hung a large, seemingly rusty padlock that actually concealed a hidden mechanism.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, and only after confirming that no one was following him did he use a special key to unlock the door and slip inside.

The warehouse was spacious, filled with miscellaneous items covered by tarpaulins, and the air was thick with the smell of dust and rust.

In the innermost corner of the warehouse, piles of supplies packed in sacks were neatly stacked, mainly coarse grains such as corn, sorghum, and dried sweet potatoes, as well as a small amount of scarce goods such as white sugar and cooking oil.

These were all the inventory he had accumulated piecemeal over time by using the "system's" "one-yuan flash sale" and "limited-time special offer" functions. Originally intended for extra subsidies for key positions in the steel rolling mill or to deal with more urgent situations, they were now being used to solve the urgent needs of the courtyard house.

He counted the grains and found that the amount far exceeded three thousand catties.

Having a clear understanding of the situation, he was no longer in a hurry.

He walked to a small rest area partitioned off with wooden planks in a corner of the warehouse. Inside, there was a broken table, a chair, and a thermos. He poured himself a glass of water and slowly drank it, waiting for time to pass.

He needed to create the illusion of a "long journey" and "arduous grain transport".

It wasn't until nearly midnight, when everyone in the courtyard was probably getting impatient, that Li Zhenhua finally got up and started working.

He walked to the warehouse door and knocked rhythmically a few times.

A moment later, a young man wearing a patched old military uniform, who looked honest and strong, emerged from a small compartment behind the warehouse.

This is Wang Gensheng, a retired soldier under Li Yunlong. He comes from a poor family but is loyal and reliable. Li Zhenhua assigned him to guard the warehouse here and he is also responsible for some simple material handover work. He is considered one of Li Zhenhua's secret confidants.

"Brother Hua, you've arrived!"

Wang Gensheng lowered his voice, his face showing respect.

"Okay, Gensheng, get ready. Hitch up the cart and load it with three thousand catties of cornmeal and sorghum rice, mixed together, using old burlap sacks."

Li Zhenhua gave the order, his tone concise and forceful.

"Three thousand catties? Where to send them?"

Wang Gensheng was somewhat surprised; this was a large sum of money.

"Nanluo Courtyard in Luogu Lane. Be careful on the road and avoid the patrols."

Li Zhenhua didn't say much.

"clear!"

Without asking any further questions, Wang Gensheng immediately took action.

He had absolute trust in and obedience to Li Zhenhua.

In the warehouse yard, there was a donkey used for hauling odds and ends and a dilapidated cart.

Wang Gensheng quickly harnessed the cart, and together with Li Zhenhua, they swiftly loaded three thousand catties of grain onto it, tied it securely with broken hemp rope, and covered it with a tattered rag, making it look like a cartload of ordinary feed or miscellaneous goods.

"Let's go, I'll follow behind."

Li Zhenhua checked it and said after confirming that it was correct.

Wang Gensheng nodded, picked up the whip, and gave a soft shout. The donkey pulled the heavy cart, creaking and groaning as it drove out of the warehouse yard and disappeared into the night.

Li Zhenhua followed the car at a distance, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings like a ghostly guard.

The streets were even quieter at midnight, with only the monotonous sound of cart wheels rolling over the road and the occasional snorting of a donkey.

They deliberately chose the most secluded and darkest paths, and luckily they did not encounter any patrols along the way.

The closer Li Zhenhua got to the city, the more vigilant he became.

Finally, around 1 a.m., the cart quietly stopped outside the gate of Nanluo Courtyard in Luogu Lane.

At this time, almost no one in the courtyard was asleep.

More than two hours have passed since Li Zhenhua left.

Every minute was agonizing for everyone in the ward. The initial anticipation was gradually replaced by anxiety, which then began to breed doubt and fear.

"Why haven't they come back yet? Could something have happened to them?"

Some people started whispering.

"Yeah, it's already past one o'clock... the black market should be closing up by now, right?"

"Could it be... a lie? That he couldn't get any food and just ran away?"

Xu Damao said something sinister, which immediately drew several angry glances, but many more people also began to feel uneasy.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and others were even more restless. The fear of signing the document outweighed their desire for food. If Li Zhenhua was caught for not keeping secrets, the document would be a death warrant!

Qin Huairu's hands were ice-cold as she tightly embraced her sleeping child, praying silently to all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens.

Sha Zhu squatted at his own door, his eyes wide open, muttering curses that time was passing too slowly.

Just as this panic was about to reach its peak, a very faint but clearly audible sound of wheels rolling and livestock panting suddenly came from outside the gate!

Everyone held their breath for a split second! Their hearts pounded!

It's here! It's really here!

Immediately following was a series of two short knocks followed by a long one, all in a very regular pattern—this was the pre-arranged code between Li Zhenhua and others!

Yan Bugui, who was closest to the gate, practically scrambled over and frantically pulled open the latch.

With a creak, the courtyard gate opened. In the moonlight, a cart piled high with straws was parked outside, driven by a burly, unfamiliar man with a blank expression.

Li Zhenhua, on the other hand, stood leisurely by the car, as if he had just gone out for a walk and returned, showing no signs of fatigue or tension on his face.

"Zhenhua...no, Director Li, you...you're back!"

Yan Bugui's voice trembled, and he was so excited that he almost became incoherent.

Li Zhenhua nodded slightly and gave Wang Gensheng a wink.

Wang Gensheng understood, silently pulled the cart into the yard, then turned and went out, disappearing into the night. He didn't say a word from beginning to end, showing his well-trained nature.

As the cart entered the yard, the unique aroma of grain, mixed with the scent of dust and cereal, instantly filled the air. For the hungry people, this was undoubtedly the most wonderful smell in the world!

Everyone in the hospital, regardless of age or gender, was instantly drawn together as if by a magnet, their eyes fixed on the bulge covered by the rag on the cart, their gazes gleaming with a green, yearning light.

But no one dared to make a sound or move forward. Everyone consciously kept a distance from the cart and Li Zhenhua, their eyes fixed on him, waiting for his instructions.

Even seasoned veterans like Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong stood respectfully like elementary school students.

Li Zhenhua glanced around at the silent crowd and was very satisfied with the result.

He walked to the cart, lifted a corner of the rag to reveal bulging burlap sacks inside, and casually untied the rope at the top of one sack. The golden corn kernels and sorghum glistened enticingly in the moonlight.

"Gulp!"

Someone couldn't help but swallow a loud gulp.

Li Zhenhua dusted off his hands, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"The grain has arrived, three thousand catties, half cornmeal and half sorghum. Now, as agreed beforehand, each household will receive one hundred catties. Teacher Yan, you have beautiful handwriting, come over and register. Master Liu, Master Yi, please help maintain order. Line up by household, no pushing, no grabbing! Whoever breaks the rules will lose their grain!"