Chapter 24

Gao Weimin was moved by Li Dong's sense of righteousness, thinking to himself what a good person he was. They had only just met, and Li Dong was willing to help without hesitation. "Brother, thank you."

"Too polite, I'll definitely help if I can."

Li Dong laughed and patted Gao Weimin on the back. After all, they had been comrades-in-arms. Gao Weimin was amused by Li Dong's words.

"If this really works out, I'll definitely thank you properly." Gao Weimin meant it sincerely. His family situation was not bad; they had plenty of meat and some cooking oil, but this watch was a bit tricky.

Industrial coupons were hard to come by. As soon as Li Dong hinted at it, Gao Weimin wanted to finalize it right away. However, Li Dong wasn't foolish; the longer he dragged it out, the more difficult it seemed, and the greater the favor would be.

Gao Weimin could be the militia captain, and Li Dong didn't believe he had no connections. Just the way Picasso and Zhang Hongbing followed Gao Weimin's orders without question was telling.

"I'll do my best."

Li Dong gritted his teeth. "Weimin, don't worry, I'll help you even if it means skinning myself alive." A round trip would take more than ten hours of sun exposure, which was like shedding a layer of skin. Li Dong was exaggerating, but he was determined to do his best.

This deeply moved Gao Weimin. By the time they reached the commune intersection, it was almost noon. Li Dong yawned and said, "Li Dong, you can rest for a while. I'll wake you up later and take you to get some benefits."

"What do you mean?"

Li Dong didn't understand, but sleeping sounded great. He didn't hesitate and took out a coil of mosquito repellent to light it. Gao Weimin glanced at the mosquito repellent, wondering what kind of fragrant thing it was.

"It repels mosquitoes, bought from outside. It's just a bit expensive, costing about ten to twenty cents per coil."

Li Dong lit the mosquito repellent and placed it. Surprisingly, the mosquito repellent from another time and place worked extremely well, perhaps because the mosquitoes hadn't evolved yet.

This was a good thing. Gao Weimin now believed Li Dong had some skills, as he had never seen such a thing before. It might have come from a coastal city or even from abroad. How could someone without connections get such good things?

However, Gao Weimin was puzzled. If Li Dong had such connections, he shouldn't be staying in the countryside. Gao Weimin didn't ask, to avoid causing trouble. Li Dong leaned against a tree, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

After a while, Gao Weimin nudged Li Dong. "Li Dong, wake up."

"What, is there a situation?"

"There's a rat."

Rat, Li Dong muttered. What was so alarming about a rat? But seeing Gao Weimin raise his rifle, Li Dong quickly got up.

"Don't move."

"Huh?"

Oh, the rat turned out to be a person. Li Dong was almost scared out of his wits. Two dark lanterns swayed, and a black shadow floated up and down, which was quite terrifying.

A ghost! Li Dong almost screamed but saw that Gao Weimin was quite calm.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot."

"It's a person?"

Li Dong held up the lantern and looked closely. It was a person carrying a load. He was almost scared to death. Seeing it was a person, Li Dong breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's you, Zhang Cui?"

Gao Weimin walked closer and glanced at the person. The man was wearing a black hat similar to a flying tiger's. Li Dong thought it was impressive that Gao Weimin could recognize him.

"Yes, yes, Captain Gao, you're on patrol."

Zhang Cui pulled up his hat, revealing a simple middle-aged farmer's face, smiling and nodding. Seeing Li Dong, he quickly smiled and bowed.

"What do you have?"

"Some radishes and a bit of leek from home, Captain Gao, try them." He handed two large radishes to Gao Weimin and didn't forget Li Dong. Gao Weimin grunted.

"You're speculating and profiteering."

"Captain Gao, how is this speculating and profiteering? We just have too much at home."

Zhang Cui panicked. Speculating and profiteering was no joke. If caught, he could be criticized, and his goods confiscated, which would be a minor issue.

"Alright, alright, don't pretend. This isn't the first time."

"I smoke, really, we have too much."

Zhang Cui quickly took out a pack of cigarettes, costing fifteen cents, and offered it. Li Dong smiled and shook his head, not taking it. Gao Weimin took it without hesitation, checked the two loads, and took two cucumbers.

There weren't many cucumbers to begin with, and now two more were taken. Zhang Cui's mouth twitched, but he smiled. "Alright, you can go."

"Thank you, Captain Gao."

Zhang Cui gratefully thanked and picked up his load. Gao Weimin handed the cucumbers to Li Dong. "This Zhang Cui was a skilled vegetable grower before the Cultural Revolution. I heard his family used to sell vegetables to landlords."

"Really?"

Li Dong took the cucumbers and thought of something. "Weimin, I'll be right back."

"Uncle Zhang, wait a moment."

Zhang Cui was startled and his mouth twitched. He was afraid Li Dong was going to find something to pick on him. "Little brother, what's the matter?"

"I just want to ask where you're selling your vegetables."

"Oh, not selling, not selling. Just exchanging for some grain, we don't have enough at home."

Zhang Cui waved his hands. Selling would be speculating and profiteering, but exchanging for grain was a minor issue, and everyone turned a blind eye.

"Don't worry, I'm just asking. How much do radishes, cucumbers, and greens cost now?"

As he spoke, Li Dong took out ten cents and handed it to Zhang Cui. "This is for the radishes and cucumbers. Weimin was just joking."

Zhang Cui was stunned, waving his hands, refusing the money. Was Li Dong trying to frame him? Zhang Cui was almost in tears. "Little brother, I really have no choice. We have several mouths to feed, and my legs aren't good for work. I can only grow vegetables. I really have no money, please let me go."

He pushed Li Dong's hand away, not daring to take the money. These patrol members weren't good people, often taking his things, but things were better now, and they turned a blind eye.

In the past, his goods would be confiscated and he would be criticized. Even if Zhang Cui had ten more lives, he wouldn't dare sell vegetables in the city.

"Uncle Zhang, you misunderstood."

Li Dong whispered, "I'll tell you the truth. I'm a bit lazy, grew up in the city, and now live in Hanzhuang. I don't know how to grow vegetables, but I like fresh vegetables. I saw your vegetables are good, so I want to buy some."

"Really?"

Zhang Cui was skeptical but thought Li Dong had no reason to lie. "Alright, how much do you want? I'll bring it to you tomorrow night."

"Ten pounds each."

Li Dong took out fifty cents and handed it to Zhang Cui. "This is a deposit."

"No need, just tell me where, and I'll bring it. You can pay later."

Zhang Cui thought, these city people were generous, giving fifty cents right away, while a load of vegetables only sold for a few cents.

"Alright, I live at the first house on the east side of Hanzhuang."

"Han Weiliang?"

"No, he... Now the house belongs to me. Xiaojuan recognized me as her godfather."

Li Dong didn't expect Zhang Cui to know Xiaojuan's father. They must have some connection.

"Alright, I understand."

"Can I go now?"

"Are you going to the commune?"

"No, to the county. Few people in the commune buy vegetables."

Most families in the commune had their own vegetable plots, so they didn't buy vegetables. Only workers in the county bought vegetables.

County, Li Dong was surprised. Zhang Cui, a cripple, carrying at least sixty to seventy pounds of vegetables, walking forty to fifty miles to the county, no wonder he was out so late. He was preparing to go to the black market, which usually ended around 5:30 AM.

"Be careful on the way."

Li Dong handed Zhang Cui the ten cents. Zhang Cui was stunned, waving his hands. "Take it, the extra will be your deposit." Li Dong didn't know the price of radishes and cucumbers, but ten cents was enough.

Zhang Cui looked at Li Dong, thinking he was a decent person. "Alright, I'll bring you the best."

Zhang Cui carried his load and limped into the darkness until he disappeared. Li Dong saw a bright future in the dark night. "I wonder what he'll be like forty years from now. Maybe he'll live in a villa and drive a Mercedes or BMW."

Gao Weimin had been watching silently. Seeing Li Dong return, he said, "It wasn't necessary. If you told him, he would have brought you vegetables for free."

"He's had a tough life."

Li Dong smiled. "Besides, a few cents don't matter. It's not necessary."

Gao Weimin looked at Li Dong, feeling he was different. "You're right, it's not necessary to haggle with them. Let's go, there are a few more rats."

Rats, Li Dong smiled, a fitting term. In the dark of night, one was digging a hole, and the other was undermining socialism.

Li Dong wiped the cucumber on his shirt and started eating it. It was crisp, a bit sweet, and juicy, very delicious, definitely grown without pesticides. Not just cucumbers, but radishes were even better, small but full of water.

Gao Weimin praised, "This Zhang Cui is skilled. His cucumbers and radishes are better than others."

Li Dong's mouth twitched, thinking how many families' vegetables he had tasted, but this was indeed delicious. The vegetables in Li Dong's farm were also grown organically, but they didn't taste as good as Zhang Cui's.

A skilled vegetable grower wasn't just a title. Li Dong thought, maybe he should make Zhang Cui a supplier for the farm. "This is good, organic, and delicious. It's hard to find."

He didn't expect to find it forty years ago.

Li Dong had seen the rats, completing his patrol task. He leaned against the tree and continued sleeping. They encountered someone selling dried goods, like mushrooms and black fungus, and Li Dong bought some to take back.

"Wild game?"

There was indeed some. Li Dong was woken up by a hunter. Gao Weimin didn't relax, loading his rifle, and Li Dong became nervous. Most people in the mountains had hunting rifles, mostly homemade, with significant power.

They cautiously approached. "Don't move, raise your hands."

Li Dong was stunned, nervous, and hadn't even loaded his rifle.

"I won't move, I won't move."

A tall man was carrying a black roe deer, a valuable game animal. Li Dong remembered it from the future, but it was rare. There were also two wild rabbits and a few pheasants. Gao Weimin's eyes lit up.

"Good stuff."

"I hunted them."

The middle-aged man raised his hands, looking at the two men with rifles. Gao Weimin examined him closely. "They're yours, Bi Zhuang."

"Uncle Weimin?"

"Oh, family."

Gao Weimin smiled at Li Dong and patted Bi Zhuang's shoulder. "Bi Zhuang, my cousin."

Li Dong almost burst out laughing. His cousin was taller, stronger, and older than Gao Weimin. He almost had to jump to pat his shoulder.

"Cousin, can I go now?"

"Go, wait, leave one rabbit for me." Gao Weimin took out a yuan and gave it to Bi Zhuang. "I want to eat rabbit."

"I don't want money."

Bi Zhuang threw the money and ran, leaving Gao Weimin speechless. "Brother, take the rabbit."

Li Dong was stunned but quickly reacted, smiling and taking the rabbit. It was a good catch, a large wild rabbit, about two to three pounds, with delicious meat. "Thank you, Weimin. I'll go to the city in a few days to help you ask around."

Good stuff. Li Dong happily carried the rabbit back to Hanzhuang as the sky was just beginning to lighten. The patrol was quite pleasant. Not only did he eat well, but he also gained some insights. The social restrictions were gradually loosening.

Farmers were selling vegetables, dried goods, and even wild game in the city, though it was still on the black market. Li Dong believed it wouldn't be long before it was legal.

"Xiaojuan, look what Dad brought back."

At the door, Li Dong forgot everything, happily pushed the door open, and called out to the house.