Chapter 33: Zeng Yue Moves House

After dinner, Zeng Yue quickly started cleaning up. Since she hadn't helped with the cooking or contributed any of her own rations, she would have felt too embarrassed not to be diligent.

"It’s alright, don’t be so formal. We’re not that short on a meal," Ye Simin said, helping her tidy up and trying to put her at ease.

"Okay, thank you."

Once finished, Su Yao called Zeng Yue over. "Zeng, since there is only one kitchen here, would you prefer to cook your own meals, or would you like to join us?"

"Could I eat with you? I know how to cook, it’s just... it’s not as good as yours." Zeng Yue was nervous, terrified that she might do something wrong and be disliked by the others, leaving her with nowhere to go.

"Don't be nervous. It’s great that you can cook. Let me explain how we do things: we all contribute money and ration coupons. I’ve been doing the cooking, and the others handle the cleaning and prep work. I keep the funds and the ledger, which tracks every penny spent. If you’re willing, we can keep doing it this way."

"I am. I’ll follow your lead. I’ll go get my money and coupons right now." She hurried off to retrieve them.

Su Yao calculated the share based on what the others had contributed and collected an equivalent amount from Zeng Yue, along with the few ration coupons she had. With that settled, everyone headed to bed.

After washing up, Zeng Yue lay on the kang, too excited to sleep. She tossed and turned, feeling that this was the most relaxed and comfortable night she had experienced since arriving. She had her own room and her own kang; she was free from constraints and finally rid of that bastard, Tian Zhixue. She eventually drifted off into a sound sleep until dawn.

Meanwhile, Su Yao nestled into Mu Xingjue's arms. "When are you planning to start?"

"No rush. I need to find a secluded place to store the goods first, then go to the black market with Xingyu. It would be best if we could make a connection there."

"Alright, you handle it, but be careful."

"Don't worry, honey, I will."

Things were quiet for now, and Mu Xingjue hadn't signed up for the canal digging. He rode his bike out early and didn't return until nightfall, after everyone else was asleep.

Hearing a knock, Su Yao opened the door. "You must be tired. I kept some food warm for you in the pot. Eat first."

"Okay."

Mu Xingjue ate quickly. Su Yao had prepared bathwater for him, and only after washing up and lying in bed did he finally feel relaxed. He had walked a long way and visited many places that day. Finding a temporary warehouse wasn't easy; it needed to be large, secluded, and have an escape route.

"How did it go? Any luck?" Su Yao asked.

Mu Xingjue pulled her close. "I found one. Remember that grove of trees halfway to town?"

Su Yao nodded.

"Deep inside, near the mountain, there's an unoccupied house. The roof is a bit damaged, but the rest is fine. I checked the perimeter; it’s the only house there, with no neighbors nearby. Plus, it’s backed by the mountain, so if anything happens, we can disappear directly into the woods."

"That works. It ensures safety in an emergency. Later, we can try walking from the mountain behind it to see how long it takes to get here. By the way, when are you two going?"

"Tomorrow. I didn't see him today, but tomorrow morning, you get the goods ready, and I'll talk to him."

"Sounds good."

The next morning, Su Yao prepared rice, flour, apples, green dates, and oranges to test the waters. They would prepare more of whatever was in demand later.

Mu Xingjue pulled Xu Xingyu aside and explained the plan. Xu Xingyu agreed without a second thought. He wanted to make money; his family lived in the military compound, but his grandfather’s generation still held onto the old, backward customs of having multiple wives and concubines. While his father was his grandfather’s only legitimate son, there were many illegitimate ones, and his third uncle was the favorite. His father, raised by his grandmother to be upright and principled, was capable but lacked the gift of flattery, so he wasn't favored. Aside from his salary, the family had no other income. His mother didn't work, and there were younger siblings to support. He had long wanted a way to earn money but was held back by his family background and status. He had come to the countryside partly to accompany Mu Xingjue, but mostly to save his family some grain.

The two men each took a bicycle, strapped on their baskets, and set off. Before entering the black market, they made themselves look a bit disheveled, then walked in with their baskets. They were stopped at the entrance. "Buying or selling?"

"Selling."

"Two mao for the two of you."

Mu Xingjue paid immediately.

"Don't shout once you're inside. If trouble happens, don't blame us."

"Understood."

"Rat," the guard, watched them walk away and felt something was off. "Wood, do you think those two looked like they were here to sell things?"

Wood, slow-witted, turned to look, but they were already gone. "Who knows? Doesn't matter. Even the rich and powerful have to disguise themselves to come here and buy things. Don't overthink it."

Rat thought that made sense, but then it clicked. "Wait, they were here to sell. I've never seen them before. What if they're undercover?"

Wood still didn't think so. "You're always paranoid. The boss has people everywhere; if there were an investigation, we'd have heard about it."

Rat decided to report it anyway, just in case. "You keep watch. I'm going in to tell the boss. Whether it's true or not, I've done my duty."

"Fine, fine, go ahead. I'll watch," Wood said dismissively.

Rat entered an inner courtyard and knocked. "Boss, I have something to report."

"One-Eye" opened the door. He was a burly man with a long scar running from his left temple to the corner of his mouth, and an eyepatch covering his left eye. He looked terrifying.

Rat swallowed hard. "Boss, two men just came in to sell goods. I have a bad feeling about them. Should you take a look?"

The man called "Boss"—a man named Qian—looked quite refined, more like a scholar. He had once been very wealthy but had handed his fortune over to the state to avoid being labeled a capitalist, after which the Qian family fell into decline. To survive, he had teamed up with One-Eye and a scholar to run this black market operation.

Qian merely frowned at Rat’s report and waved him away.