The medicine Song Wei had brought was also wanted by the hospital, sold at a higher price than ordinary drugs.
In particular, that fifty-year old wild ginseng it wasn’t considered exceedingly rare but was still uncommon.
Just that single root of wild ginseng sold for 130 yuan, and the remaining medicinal herbs brought in another 40 yuan.
Altogether, she earned 170 yuan from this trip.
Calculating their assets: the money earned from selling fish, the profits Lin Zhen made by bringing goods north to sell, the money from selling wild boars, and now the money she earned from selling medicinal herbs…
Adding it all up, their family assets totaled nearly 10,000 yuan.
What a joy!
Su Fang, on the other hand, had collected some more common herbs. While the quantity was high, she only earned 12 yuan.
It was her first time earning money, and it was money she could hold in her hands.
For a moment, Su Fang was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.
She clutched the 12 yuan in her hands as if it were a treasure, proof that she could stand on her own. No matter what, she could live independently, even by herself.
Song Wei patted her shoulder. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a meal to celebrate.”
Su Fang laughed through her tears, quickly wiping them away to regain her composure.
“I’ll do it. Today, it’s my treat.”
Song Wei said, “It’s your first time earning money. Keep it as a souvenir. Next time you treat me, I won’t refuse.”
Hearing this, Su Fang didn’t argue further. The two went to a state-run restaurant and enjoyed a hearty meal. Song Wei also packed some steamed buns, dumplings, and steamed pork ribs for Lin Zhen and Heidan.
As they were leaving the state-run restaurant, Song Wei suddenly paused when she spotted a familiar figure.
“Wait here for a moment. I think I saw someone I know. I’ll go check.”
Su Fang said, “It’s Lin Youfu, isn’t it? I saw him too. I’ll come with you.”
Fair enough.
The two of them quietly followed from a distance.
Lin Youfu blended seamlessly into a group of local ruffians.
Moreover, he appeared particularly fawning toward them, handing out a pack of cigarettes with a servile attitude.
Song Wei suddenly remembered how old lady Lin had been boasting recently, telling everyone that her grandson would be successful and make big money.
She even went as far as showing off in front of Song Wei and Lin Zhen, but the mere sight of their two wolves baring their teeth scared her off.
So, the money Lin Youfu was bragging about couldn’t have been related to this group, could it?
Tsk… It didn’t look like they were making money legitimately.
Song Wei and Su Fang watched as the group entered the black market.
Song Wei had been to that place before.
At this point, she had no intention of following further.
Since she didn’t need to buy or sell anything on the black market right now, entering would only cause unnecessary trouble.
As they were about to leave, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed in the air.
Song Wei reacted quickly, pulling Su Fang to find a hiding spot.
Moments later, they saw a group of people wearing red armbands storm into the black market.
Not long after, chaos broke out inside.
People fled in panic—some running fast with twisted expressions, others scrambling over walls in desperation.
While some managed to escape, others were caught as they tried to flee.
Song Wei and Su Fang, hidden securely in their spot, remained still. Su Fang covered her mouth tightly, her eyes wide with fear.
She had previously thought about going to the black market to sell something for money, but she hadn’t decided what to sell. After all, she didn’t have much to sell in the first place.
Now, witnessing the chaos, Su Fang broke into a cold sweat, feeling immense relief that she had never actually gone to the black market.
Song Wei comforted her. “Don’t be scared. Nobody will find us here.”
Su Fang nodded, her face pale.
In the midst of the commotion, people were dragged out of the black market.
Song Wei saw Lin Youfu among them.
He was crying and sniveling, shouting about his innocence.
No one paid him any mind; instead, he got kicked and told to behave.
Song Wei noticed that even the police seemed to be involved. It was clear this group wasn’t just engaging in illegal trading but possibly worse activities.
When the crowd dispersed, Song Wei and Su Fang finally emerged from their hiding spot and returned to the Ping’an Brigade.
Because of the delay, Lin Zhen had already prepared lunch.
The food Song Wei brought back from the state-run restaurant became side dishes.
At the dining table, Song Wei recounted what she had witnessed at the black market to Lin Zhen.
Judging by his calm demeanor, Song Wei guessed that he already knew something about it.
She looked at him expectantly.
Although she was staring at him, her hands didn’t stop as she cheerfully devoured her meal, even after already eating at the restaurant.
“They were smuggling antiques.”
In troubled times, gold was valuable, and in prosperous times, antiques were treasures. But regardless of the era, both had consistently high value.
This era was no exception, though few could afford antiques.
Moreover, smuggling such items was illegal and came with severe consequences.
Song Wei’s eyes widened. “How did he dare do that? Where did they even get those antiques?”
“In the past, during chaotic times, many wealthy families were looted. Those local thugs took advantage of the disorder to steal. These items are stained with others’ blood. They didn’t dare sell them before, but now they think the situation has stabilized. The black market hasn’t had a crackdown in a while, so they got complacent.”
“They’re just a bunch of lazy thugs who took a gamble. Their greed for money outweighed their caution. They sold successfully once, but instead of stopping, their greed only grew.”
“What they didn’t realize was that the moment they made their first sale, they were already being watched.”
Lin Zhen broke a steamed bun, stuffed it with some meat, and handed it to Song Wei. Seeing her bright, curious eyes fixed on him, he knew what she wanted to ask.
“Lin Youfu is arrogant but incompetent. He looks down on earning work points in the fields. All he wants is quick money. I just had someone show him those thugs flaunting their wealth, and he eagerly joined them. When they promised to help him make big money, he believed them. What a fool.”
Chewing on the bun, Song Wei asked, “Was he directly involved? If he didn’t handle the goods, how will they sentence him?”
Lin Zhen smiled. “Don’t worry. Even if he didn’t handle the goods, he’s tied to that group. He won’t get out so easily.”
The news of Lin Youfu’s arrest didn’t spread immediately.
That afternoon, while working, Song Wei overheard old lady Lin boasting again about her grandson.
“Look here! This money—five yuan—was given to me by my grandson! Who says he’s useless? Your grandsons may work hard in the fields, but can they bring back five yuan like mine?”
Her five yuan and her smug expression practically soared into the sky.
Song Wei thought, Go ahead, keep boasting. Let’s see how long it lasts.
She only glanced at the old lady but was immediately noticed.
The overly prideful old woman, intoxicated by her delusions, seemed to have forgotten the pain Song Wei caused her in the past.
“Song Zhiqing, heh… As if you could ever match my grandson! He’s going to marry a real city girl someday!”
Song Wei’s mouth twitched. This old woman was more than just drifting away. She was so lost that she didn’t know which direction was which!
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