“Want to find out who needs large quantities of eels?”

After their busy morning, Xia Xiaolan’s fair face was flushed pink, like an enticing peach. Though Zhou Cheng found her entirely pleasing to look at, knowing she disliked his direct gaze, he reluctantly shifted his eyes away.

Xia Xiaolan nodded.

“Not just eels – there are many good things in the countryside. It doesn’t hurt to ask around; we might discover new opportunities.”

Farmers couldn’t save much money because agricultural product procurement prices were inherently low.

After unified state purchases, goods were prioritized for large cities. Buyers had limited money, and in places with insufficient rations, people couldn’t buy things even with money. Not all urban workers were wealthy, though they could manage monthly meals. Xia Xiaolan was seeking business opportunities arising from information asymmetry between buyers and sellers.

Zhou Cheng was happy seeing her excited.

Even under the fierce late summer sun, he didn’t feel tired.

However, Xia Xiaolan’s business wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. Several noodle stands showed little interest in regular eel purchases. Besides Xia Xiaolan, others already supplied them with eels. While eels couldn’t be caught in Shang Du itself, surrounding farmers also came to sell. For Xia Xiaolan to dominate this supply market, she’d need to push others out… But one person couldn’t fight many, and unlike Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei, she couldn’t solve problems with force.

Lowering prices wasn’t viable either.

Disrupting market order with price wars would only hurt her.

Others sold sporadically, mostly self-caught eels – just time and effort invested, no monetary cost. Xia Xiaolan’s eels were purchased, earning from price differences. The lower the price, the thinner her profit margin.

Was retail the only option?

What about state-owned restaurants?

Anyone with “state-owned” in their title looked down on others, and Xia Xiaolan’s beauty wouldn’t earn her special treatment. Seeing her worry, Zhou Cheng wanted to tell her to quit, suggesting that having Kang Wei bring goods from the south every fortnight would be better than selling eels.

“You can do this business for two more months, right? Eels are harder to catch after November. You’re not planning to do this forever, so why worry so much? Once you’ve saved enough capital, let Kang Wei bring you some clothes to sell.”

Xia Xiaolan asked suspiciously, “How did you know I wanted to sell clothes?”

Zhou Cheng laughed, “At the farmers’ market, you stared at that vendor without blinking – looked like you wanted to push them aside and take over! Selling clothes is good; they’re cheap in Yang City.”

Zhou Cheng didn’t mention that the vendor might have misinterpreted Xia Xiaolan’s staring as interest in him. That’s why he’d claimed she was his girlfriend – her beauty was troublesome, requiring constant vigilance!

Let Kang Wei bring clothes back.

Xia Xiaolan shook her head.

It wasn’t about refusing help – she just didn’t trust men’s aesthetic judgment.

She needed to select clothes in Yang City herself. There were trains from Shang Du to Yang City, though conditions were poor and travel time longer. Zhou Cheng understood her reasoning and didn’t persist, suggesting lunch instead – but Xia Xiaolan firmly refused. While she wanted comfort within her means, eating out every meal exceeded her current circumstances.

Even if Zhou Cheng paid, why should she accept his money without hesitation?

Zhou Cheng had no choice but to buy some buns.

Returning, Xia Xiaolan detoured through the farmers’ market. The meat stall still had unsold spare ribs. People preferred fatty meat then, criticizing lean meat, making bone-in cuts like spare ribs less economical. But Xia Xiaolan liked them and bought the remaining two jin.

Zhou Cheng knew Xia Xiaolan was staying with her uncle, otherwise, he’d have shamelessly tried her cooking.

Then again, maybe not – her fair delicateness wasn’t suited for kitchen smoke. She should have a housekeeper cook in the future.

Southern businessmen had housekeepers, and Beijing officials had domestic staff – why couldn’t he? Here he was, hadn’t even held her hand, but by the third day was thinking about marriage.

Chairman Mao said courtship without marriage intentions was hooliganism. Having taken a liking to Xia Xiaolan and wanting to be with her, Zhou Cheng naturally thought about marriage.

Returning, Zhou Cheng stacked the two baskets on one side of the rear seat, allowing Xia Xiaolan to sit without bending her legs. Once settled, she touched his waist less often, disappointing him.

His soft heart, sparing her uncomfortable leg-bending, had cost him opportunities.

Back in Anqing County while it was still early, Zhou Cheng offered to escort her to Qijing Village, but Xia Xiaolan refused.

“You don’t have transportation – you’d have to walk back to town after dropping me off. That’s too inconvenient.”

Zhou Cheng thought he didn’t mind the trouble – he even hoped it would get late enough to stay in Qijing Village. But arriving empty-handed wasn’t his style, and he was concerned about Kang Wei’s results. After repeatedly cautioning Xia Xiaolan about safety, he let her go.

When Xia Xiaolan had ridden about ten meters, Zhou Cheng called out: “Are you going to Shang Du tomorrow?”

“No, I’ll just go to Anqing County at most, need to collect goods from other villages.”

Zhou Cheng made a mental note.

Back at the guesthouse, Kang Wei was squatting beside their truck smoking, with a beaten, cowering man beside him – Zhang Erlai from Shipozi Village.

Usually a village bully himself, Zhang Erlai wouldn’t normally submit so easily.

But Kang Wei was not only fierce with his fists but had pointed a black gun at him, nearly making Zhang Erlai wet himself. With the recent crackdown and tighter county security, Zhang Erlai thought his past crimes had caught up with him, arrested by plainclothes police. But Kang Wei brought him to the guesthouse instead of the police station.

Zhang Erlai grew more fearful.

“Brother Cheng, you’re back! This bastard was so scared he pissed himself – nearly suffocated me!”

No wonder Kang Wei stood several meters from Zhang Erlai.

“Take him to the room. It’s not good to stand in the guesthouse courtyard.”

They weren’t local to Anqing County – even a strong dragon shouldn’t pressure local snakes. Zhou Cheng preferred keeping a low profile. If Kang Wei brought him back, he must have reasons. Perhaps Zhang Erlai could solve the mystery of Xia Xiaolan’s ruined reputation.

Zhou Cheng’s eyes darkened.

Zhang Erlai thought Kang Wei was tough, not knowing he’d provoked a true demon.