During times of famine: I have a spiritual spring space

"Brother, I didn't see you just now?" Zhuang Liming asked as he returned with water.

I didn't sleep well last night, so I woke up early this morning and went out for a walk.

Zhuang Lihui continued to spout nonsense.

"..."

What kind of logic is this?

I didn't sleep well last night, so I must be tired, right? Shouldn't I be sleeping in?

Zhuang Liming's brain isn't quite working properly.

"Go get something to eat!"

Zhuang Liming's eyes widened instantly: "Eating it in the morning?"

These days, who eats three meals a day? Two meals a day, or even just one, is the norm. Has his brother started getting cocky just because they have a little food?

"I'm going out and won't be back until noon. I might even stay at a friend's house tonight and not return until tomorrow," Zhuang Lihui explained briefly.

"Alright!" Zhuang Liming swallowed back the words he was about to say to his older brother.

"While you're at home, grind some of the corn into powder so you can make cornbread later," Zhuang Lihui continued.

"good!"

He cooked two or three more bowls of corn porridge, mainly for his older brother. He didn't ask what his brother was doing outside, but he guessed that he was probably looking for food or making money.

When there's food, the eldest brother has to be given priority, because he's the pillar of the family.

Zhuang Lihui ate two bowls of corn porridge, which made his stomach feel much better. He then took his knife and other tools and went out.

As he walked out of the village, he saw that the fields were barren and the farmland was cracked due to lack of water, with cracks large enough to fit a fist.

In this situation, planting anything will be futile.

The world outside the village was similar, or even worse. Everyone Zhuang Lihui could see was sallow-faced, thin, and listless, as if a gust of wind could blow them away.

On the way, Zhuang Lihui could even see people fleeing famine, carrying luggage, presumably leaving their homes to seek refuge with relatives in distant places.

Everyone was at their wits' end.

A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives!

I can't even survive in my hometown anymore. If I don't leave now, am I just waiting to die?

The outside world may not be ideal either, but at least there is a possibility and hope to survive.

Passing by other village entrances and seeing the devastation in some villages, Zhuang Lihui almost succumbed to his sanctimonious tendencies. Thankfully, he managed to hold back for now, otherwise he would have been bombarded with criticism.

Giving alms and showing sympathy to others is acceptable, but only if you have the strength and ability to do so, and only if you can ensure your own safety.

To completely ignore it would seem too cold-blooded and heartless.

(Not a saint, but not cold-blooded either; otherwise, the personality wouldn't be likable, and the author would easily get criticized.)

Zhuang Lihui didn't go to the nearest commune, but went straight to the county town. Even though he had drunk the spiritual spring and his physique had improved, it still took him most of the day to reach the county town.

This was his first time in the county town. The farthest and most bustling place he had ever been before was the streets of the commune.

The people in the county are slightly better off, but not by much; the streets are mostly filled with malnourished people.

Zhuang Lihui secretly inquired about the location of the black market in their county.

That's right! What he's about to do is something that many protagonists in period dramas do—go to the black market to sell food, exchange it for tickets, and exchange it for supplies.

There was no black market in the commune, but he thought there should be in the county town.

Zhuang Lihui followed a middle-aged man and observed him for a while. When they entered an alley, he quickly caught up with him and said, "Uncle, can I ask you something?"

The middle-aged man turned around, his tone somewhat sharp, or rather, annoyed, and even a little defensive.

"Who are you calling 'uncle'? I'm not necessarily older than you."

Zhuang Lihui was taken aback: "I'm 17."

"I'm 16," the other person said.

Zhuang Lihui looked astonished: "You look way too old! You look like you're in your twenties or thirties."

"Is there anything else?" the man asked impatiently.

Zhuang Lihui took a small handful of corn from a rice bag he was carrying and stuffed it into the other person's pocket: "Sorry! I really didn't mean to."

The man's eyes lit up when he saw it was corn.

"It's okay, it's okay! I'm used to it."

For the sake of that handful of corn, I won't hold it against Zhuang Lihui.

"What do you want to know?" he asked again.

However, staring at Zhuang Lihui's rice bag, I felt that there must be at least four or five pounds inside.

"You know about the black market around here, right?"

The man's eyes darted around, and he hesitated before saying, "I know, but the black market is dangerous. Getting caught would be troublesome, and it might even implicate me..."

Alright! Zhuang Lihui understood what that meant, grabbed another small handful, and stuffed it into the man's pocket.

It's for lay Buddhists who want to pay more!

He then smiled broadly and said, "There are three locations for the black market, and they rotate. This alley we're in is one of them, and it starts after nine o'clock tonight."

Brother, I'm not lying to you, the black market is indeed dangerous. If you want to sell this corn, you don't need to go to the black market at all! Just sell it to me, the price is negotiable.

I guarantee you won't lose out.

His calling him "Big Brother" made Zhuang Lihui feel extremely uncomfortable, giving him goosebumps.

The phrase "I guarantee you won't lose out" is one of the top ten lies in China! Other examples include "seeking a child for a large sum of money," "prime shop for rent," "selling at a loss," and "buying back at a high price," etc.

"Do you have money?" Zhuang Lihui glanced at him.

Wasn't she only 16? She probably doesn't even have a job yet.

"I don't have money, but my family does."

Zhuang Lihui looked him up and down for a while. No matter how you look at him, you don't seem like a "rich second generation"!

Seemingly insulted by Zhuang Lihui's gaze, the guy said, "Wait here for me, don't go anywhere. I'll go back and get the money right away."

Fine!

He deliberately took out a few kilograms just to test the waters and find out the market.

There are still over a hundred pounds of food inside!

He came from afar, so he must have gotten everything he wanted before he left.

Without keeping Zhuang Lihui waiting, the guy quickly rushed back with money in his pocket.

"The price of corn kernels on the black market is 3 yuan per kilogram recently. Shall we go with that price?" he asked.

The black market grain prices were insane; corn grits were only worth about 1 cents on the market. However, grain at the grain stations required ration coupons, and there was always too much demand and too little supply, making it impossible to buy any.

That's why, even when the price of food on the black market skyrockets, people still risk buying it.

"Oh? Then I'll go check out the black market!"

"4 yuan, that's really the highest price on the black market, brother, you can trust me."

Zhuang Lihui rolled his eyes in a classic way: Believe you? You might as well believe I am Qin Shi Huang.

Although they had only known each other for less than half an hour, Zhuang Lihui could tell that this guy wasn't an honest person.

Zhuang Lihui didn't say anything, just quietly looked at him.

The guy quickly gave in: "Five dollars? You can't even sell it for that price on the black market."

Alright! Zhuang Lihui decided to stop while he was ahead.

Five yuan a pound for corn kernels is already outrageous. He figured that even if the black market price were higher, it probably wouldn't be much higher.

"Okay, I have 5 jin here."

The man picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and said, "It weighs 5 jin? Why does it feel so light?"

"Adding those two from before, that makes exactly 5 jin (2.5 catties). Do you want it?"

The man almost laughed in anger.

Good grief! So those two rounds weren't just freebies after all.

What else can we do? Pay up!