After traveling through the book, I realized my wish in my previous life

Shen Xiaoxia changed the basket into a backpack, found the place her aunt mentioned, and observed for a while. There was an old man sitting at the entrance of the alley smoking. She wondered if he was the contact person of the black market.

Shen Xiaoxia stood not far away and hesitated for a long time, but decided to go forward and ask.

"Uncle, I heard you can exchange things here?"

The gatekeeper had already seen Shen Xiaoxia hanging around there. He could tell it was her first time in such a place. She was carrying a basket on her back, and it was unclear whether she was buying or selling. "Buy or sell?"

When Shen Xiaoxia heard this, she knew she had found the right person and quickly replied, "Buy it."

"Buy one cent, sell two cents," the old man pointed to the backpack on her back. Shen Xiaoxia opened the backpack and showed it to the old man. It was empty.

Shen Xiaoxia handed a dime to the old man. The old man took the money, pointed to a door and asked Shen Xiaoxia to go and knock on it herself.

Shen Xiaoxia walked to the door and knocked. The person inside heard the knock and came over to open the door.

The man didn't ask Shen Xiaoxia what she did and led Shen Xiaoxia into the house.

Shen Xiaoxia thought the transaction was taking place in the house, but she didn't expect the man to take her through the main room and out the back door.

Following the people, I turned into two narrow and dim alleys. It was obvious that the alleys were very old.

After walking for a while, Shen Xiaoxia followed the man to an old residential area with densely populated and complex layout of old houses. Shen Xiaoxia thought this was the black market, and the man continued to move forward.

After observing the surroundings, I found that this place should be deep in an old housing complex. There were crisscrossing roads and many dilapidated houses around.

If there is no one to lead the way, it is easy for strangers to get lost.

If Shen Xiaoxia came in by herself, she would probably get dizzy and not be able to find the right place.

After a while, the man finally pointed to an alley and let Shen Xiaoxia go in by herself.

Although it is a black market, it also has its own rules. After paying the money and entering, you can buy and sell freely, but you cannot cause trouble. Anyone who causes trouble will be kicked out.

Shen Xiaoxia took a deep breath and walked in bravely.

Once inside, it was much more lively and the items sold were quite varied.

In this era of material scarcity, the supply of goods in the supply and marketing cooperatives was limited, and tickets were required to buy things. Many people had to find ways to obtain some daily necessities or exchange them for some scarce items on the black market.

Although the things here are much more expensive than those in the supply and marketing cooperatives, and some things are even 3-5 times the price of those in the supply and marketing cooperatives, for some people who are in urgent need of supplies, they have to buy them.

Shen Xiaoxia walked inside, looking around as she walked. Most of the items were daily necessities, such as food, oil, vegetables and the like.

The seller doesn't shout out his wares, he just puts the items on the ground, and those who want to buy go over and quietly ask for the price, and the two parties make the transaction in secret.

Shen Xiaoxia also saw people selling fabrics. Some of the fabrics were not available in the supply and marketing cooperatives. They were brightly colored and of good quality.

Shen Xiaoxia went up and asked, and found out that the price was ridiculously high. Most people couldn't afford it, but there was no shortage of people who wanted to buy it.

After looking around, she didn't see the stove she wanted to buy.

Just as I was about to ask someone, I saw a grandmother in her fifties or sixties in a corner deep inside. There were two jewelry boxes in front of her, which looked like old items.

Shen Xiaoxia was a little curious, so she walked up and asked, "Grandma, what do you sell here?"

When the mother-in-law heard the question, she looked up at Shen Xiaoxia and said, "These are old items, a jade bracelet and a hairpin. I only want to exchange them and not sell them. I only accept food."

If her family wasn't about to go broke, she wouldn't have taken these things out to exchange. These things are worthless now. She wanted to exchange them for 30 kilograms of coarse grains, but no one was willing to do so.

Someone had previously offered her 10 kilograms of cornmeal in exchange, but she was reluctant.

Shen Xiaoxia's eyes lit up when she heard this, "Mother-in-law, can I take a look?"

The mother-in-law nodded, and Shen Xiaoxia opened it and took a look.

The hairpin is made of solid gold. Shen Xiaoxia weighed it in her hand and found it quite heavy. If it were in modern times, it would be worth a lot of money!

The jade bracelet is emerald green all over. Even if Shen Xiaoxia doesn't understand it, she knows it is a good thing.

It would be fine if she didn’t meet him, but if she met him and missed him, Shen Xiaoxia would regret it to death.

"Mother-in-law, how much do you plan to change?"

The mother-in-law hesitated for a moment, then said, "30 kilograms of coarse grains."

This is the amount of food she needs. She would feel reluctant if it was less than this.

For Shen Xiaoxia, this amount of money is almost free if used to exchange for bracelets and hairpins.

After thinking for a while, he said to his mother-in-law, "Mother-in-law, I want to exchange with you, but I don't have any food on hand right now, so I have to go back to get some. Do you think we can go out and exchange?"

The mother-in-law heard this and asked in disbelief, "Are you willing to give 30 kilograms of grain?"

Shen Xiaoxia nodded and asked her mother-in-law to wait for her for a moment. She also wanted to ask if there was a stove for sale.

Unfortunately, after asking around, Shen Xiaoxia couldn't find anyone or any channel selling stoves.

When she went out with her mother-in-law, Shen Xiaoxia realized that she and her grandson were the only two people left in her mother-in-law's house. Her son and daughter-in-law were both gone. If the family had not been running out of food, they would not have taken out their things to exchange for food.

After hearing what her mother-in-law said, Shen Xiaoxia felt heavy in her heart. At this time, it was not easy for too many people.

After finding a relatively secluded place, Shen Xiaoxia asked her mother-in-law to wait for a while while she went to get some food.

After turning two alleys, Shen Xiaoxia took 20 kilograms of cornmeal and 10 kilograms of corn grits while there was no one around. After thinking for a while, she added 10 kilograms of rice and 20 kilograms of sweet potatoes.

If two people eat these things sparingly, they can last for a while.

Shen Xiaoxia is not a saint and doesn't want to meddle in other people's affairs. There are too many poor people and she can't help them all.

But the things that the grandfather and grandson exchanged for her would definitely be worth more than just this little bit of food in the future. If you really want to calculate it, she still made a profit.

I put the things in the backpack and carried it to where my mother-in-law was.

Shen Xiaoxia walked over and said, "Grandma, let me help you carry it back." She added some things, which were a bit heavy and her grandma might not be able to carry them.

"Thank you, my dear. I'm getting old now, and my legs and feet are not as nimble as they used to be."

Shen Xiaoxia followed her mother-in-law back to her residence. Her mother-in-law knocked on the door. The grandson inside asked who it was. When he heard that it was his grandmother who had returned, he ran over to open the door.

Shen Xiaoxia entered the yard and helped close the door. Otherwise, it would not be good to leave things in the yard and be seen by passers-by.

Although the house is very old, it is cleaned very well.

Shen Xiaoxia put down the backpack and took out the food inside one by one.

The mother-in-law looked at the food that was obviously more than she asked for and said, "My daughter, did you give too much food? There is also rice in it."

"Mother-in-law, please keep it. In my opinion, your things are worth this much."

When the mother-in-law heard what Shen Xiaoxia said, she gratefully took Shen Xiaoxia's hand and said, "My daughter, thank you." She then took her grandson's hand and said, "Xiaochu, thank your aunt quickly."

The eight or nine-year-old child looked very well-educated. He raised his head and smiled, and thanked Shen Xiaoxia sincerely, "Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Xiaoxia touched his head and said, "You're welcome."

After accepting the things given by her mother-in-law, Shen Xiaoxia said goodbye and left without disturbing the two of them.

In the yard, Xiaochu looked up at his grandmother and asked, "Grandma, with so much food, we won't have to go hungry anymore, right?"

The mother-in-law suppressed the tears in her eyes and said, "Yes, Xiaochu, we have met a good person."

The grandfather and grandson worked together to move the food into the house and hid it in different places.