CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41 SELLING PHEASANTS

Xia Xiao directly stuffed the Clam Oil under her pillow, and Yang Xuehua lightly tapped Xia Xiao’s forehead, "You really don’t worry enough, she hasn’t even opened her own."

"It’s just that Dong Meihua has this bad habit of always borrowing other people’s Clam Oil," Feng Ying complained as well, since she was the one Dong Meihua borrowed from the most.

Sun Yuhua also nodded in agreement, but Dong Meihua could never borrow anything from her. Sun Yuhua didn’t like sharing her belongings with others.

Wang Aihua wouldn’t even consider buying such things, and Yang Xuehua, noticing that Dong Meihua borrowed and misused them, simply stopped lending.

Xia Xiao didn’t want to make a big deal out of it with Dong Meihua. There were only six people in their dormitory, and overall it was pretty nice. Although Dong Meihua had some minor flaws, it didn’t affect the dormitory’s unity.

Besides, everyone had their little quirks, like Sun Yuhua’s obsession with cleanliness, Feng Ying’s disregard for hygiene, Wang Aihua’s brisk tomboy manner, and sometimes being lax about small details.

Sometimes, Yang Xuehua would be forgetful, and she always forgot to put away her sewing needles properly. After Xia Xiao discovered it once, she would always help Yang Xuehua put them away whenever she saw her sewing. She was truly startled once when she almost pricked herself.

However, Yang Xuehua’s sewing was the best in the dorm, and she could also embroider, which Xia Xiao admired and couldn’t manage herself.

Thinking about the several pheasants in her space, Xia Xiao considered finding an opportunity to scout the black market to sell these pheasants or trade them for food. Mainly because she didn’t know how to distinguish between male and female chickens, and the chickens had been in the space for so long they were too old; she guessed the meat would be tough to chew by then.

Finishing work early that day, Xia Xiao found an excuse to slip into the mountains, and after entering her space, she headed straight for the county town.

After finding out more at the black market, Xia Xiao covered her forehead and half of her eyes with her bangs, put on a straw hat pulled low over her face, dressed up as a little boy, looked at herself in the mirror, then put two pheasants in a cage, ready to squat in a corner of the black market.

This was an era when it was hard to get a piece of meat, but not everyone was unable to get meat. There were poor people, and naturally, there were rich people too.

This was Xia Xiao’s first time selling at the black market, and she was still somewhat nervous inside, feeling as if she was doing something bad, almost like committing a crime.

But now she had six pheasants, more than she could eat, and keeping so many in her space was useless. If she returned to S city, she could bring some to her family; otherwise, it was better to trade them for money or food.

"Kid, how are you selling these pheasants? Where are your folks?" a man approached Xia Xiao.

Xia Xiao glanced and shuddered inside; this was Gao Yongfang’s husband, whom she had seen at the beginning of the year, still an ’acquaintance.’ Immediately, Xia Xiao buried her head even lower, not expecting to encounter an acquaintance on her first visit to the black market. Fortunately, she was disguised, and she wasn’t familiar with Gao Yongfang’s husband at that time, or else she’d have been exposed.

But she still deliberately lowered her voice and weakly said, "Uncle, whatever you think is fair. My dad hurt his leg while hunting, and I need money to get him treatment."

"Where is your family from?" Feng Zhiguang asked. He and Xia Xiao weren’t familiar, and he wouldn’t have noticed Xia Xiao that day at the beginning of the year, and even if he had seen her briefly, he wouldn’t remember her; so disguised as she was now, Feng Zhiguang wouldn’t think she was the woman related to his mother-in-law’s side.

Xia Xiao looked warily at Feng Zhiguang, hugging the chicken cage tightly, a clear refusal.

"Don’t be scared, okay, I won’t ask," the man said hurriedly when he saw Xia Xiao’s demeanor, "I’ll give you US$ 6.5, you give me the chicken cage and the chickens, deal?"

Xia Xiao paused. US$ 6.5 was cheaper than the black market price, but she nodded her head. Feng Zhiguang breathed a sigh of relief and directly took out the money to give to Xia Xiao.

Xia Xiao took the money and ran away immediately. She didn’t want to run, but she was terrified of being recognized by Feng Zhiguang, after all, she had only smeared something on her face and worn a straw hat to cover her forehead—it wasn’t a disguise.

She had already planned it out, if someone caught her, she would hit them with a rock and then pick up another rock and run. She had imagined being discovered or running into local tyrants, but she had not anticipated it going so smoothly, unexpectedly running into Gao Yongfang’s man, which gave Xia Xiao an unreal feeling.

Holding the US$ 6.5 she had just obtained, it was not Xia Xiao’s first time trading; she often traded in her past life, but back then, she could do it openly, unlike now.

"Brother, it would be nice if I could transform," she wouldn’t have to trade in fear of being recognized.

"You’d need an energy stone for that," Shitou said.

Xia Xiao sighed; if she could avoid being discovered, she could even mingle with Feng Zhiguang. Seeing how readily he gave her money, perhaps she could even sell the few pheasants in her space.

Unfortunately, she didn’t dare to interact with Feng Zhiguang again. The first time was lucky, the second time might not be.

After all, she had to live in the production team for over a decade, and she had a good relationship with the Gao family. If she interacted with them too much, she would eventually be recognized.

On the other hand, Feng Zhiguang also felt some regret that Xia Xiao had run away too quickly as he still wanted to ask if she had more. The two pheasants were not for him but were gifts for his leaders.

If there were more, he could have had one for his family to enjoy too.

Though he had spent money, at that time, having money did not guarantee food, and yet US$ 6.5 for two pheasants including the cages was within Feng Zhinguang’s acceptable range.

Xia Xiao bought a few more cages to put in her space and walked around the city, eventually stopping near the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Ah, even with meat coupons, it’s hard to buy meat."

"These days, you can’t survive; even with food coupons, you can’t get food."

"The black market is expensive; a radish costs one yuan— it’s killing me."

...

Listening to these people lament, Xia Xiao left disappointed, truly feeling everyone’s difficulties. She noticed a young woman who seemed very weak, and heavily bundled up, somewhat resembling someone in confinement.

This thought startled Xia Xiao, yet it seemed impossible—how could someone in confinement come out to shop? But considering the era, pregnant women had to work in the fields, and there were people washing clothes and carrying water.

Xia Xiao followed the young woman to a secluded place, where the woman stopped and turned to look at Xia Xiao, "Kid, why are you following me?"

Xia Xiao, realizing she was caught, felt a bit embarrassed. She bowed her head and approached, saying, "Auntie, I have pheasants at home. Do you want any?"

The young woman paused, looked around suspiciously, and scrutinized Xia Xiao, "How do you have pheasants?"

"Auntie, my dad was hunting and twisted his ankle. We have two pheasants at home, do you want them?" Xia Xiao tried to lower her voice to sound like a boy’s.