Chapter 4

Ever since he had this idea, Ning Weimin quickly overcame the psychological barrier.

After all, he was a穿越者 (time traveler).

Coming from the future, he was more pragmatic and didn't have the same vanity issues as people of this era, who would rather suffer than lose face.

His experience as an orphan had taught him that survival was more important than pride.

So for him, the real question was only whether it was worth doing.

Based on his observations,

Compared to the average monthly wage of a few dozen yuan, the current prices for scrap were quite high.

A pound of waste paper could sell for seven cents, scrap iron for twelve cents, scrap plastic for thirty cents, raw aluminum for eighty-four cents, refined aluminum for one yuan and thirty-five cents, yellow mixed copper for two yuan and eighty cents, and purple mixed copper for three yuan and eighty cents.

Moreover, the range of recyclable waste was quite broad, and some items that were completely useless in the future could still be sold for money.

Things like meat bones, orange peels, rags, broken wood, broken glass, toothpaste tubes, and used batteries could all be turned into cash.

And because people at this time were too concerned with their image and thought it was shameful to do this, there were few competitors.

So his conclusion was that picking up scrap might not be dignified, but it could earn as much as working as a formal industrial worker in a state-owned factory.

Moreover, he had seen an interesting period drama.

The protagonist, a poor boy from a crowded courtyard,

Started in the 1980s by collecting scrap and eventually became a renowned collector.

In his previous life, he was hooked on that TV series.

Perhaps it was because his profession was similar.

Or perhaps it was because he, too, had once been a poor boy looked down upon, making it easy for him to relate.

When he watched it, he always thought that if he had such an opportunity, it would be incredibly awesome.

And now, looking at himself as Ning Weimin, the character setup was almost identical to the protagonist in the TV series.

The same era...

The same impoverished situation...

Living under the Qianmen Gate...

And there was even a wise old man, Kang Lao, at home...

The only difference was that he didn't have a quirky girlfriend or a mysterious enemy dog.

Hey! It couldn't be more fitting!

If the TV series were to be released thirty years later, he would sue the production team.

How could they use his life story without his permission?

At least they should change the actor, right?

They couldn't find someone less handsome than him.

Yes, that's what he would do!

A hero's origin doesn't matter!

If the heavens offer it and you don't take it, you will be punished by the heavens!

So without much hesitation, Ning Weimin made up his mind to follow the same path and make a fortune by finding hidden treasures.

Unfortunately, his limited knowledge of this era led him to make a mistake.

When he actually started, he realized it wasn't as good as he had imagined.

First, there was very little scrap to be found.

This was a truly poor era, and everyone was struggling.

Even the government emphasized the effective use of resources and avoided unnecessary waste.

That's why the range of recyclable items was so broad, and the prices for scrap were so high.

People weren't foolish; who wouldn't keep things that could be sold?

So often, Ning Weimin would search through ten alleys' trash bins and barely find enough to sell for a few cents.

The TV series was misleading, saying that as people's lives improved, there was less scrap to collect.

Nonsense! The poorer people were, the less they had to throw away.

Second, due to the limited resources, competition was intense.

After a few days of carrying a sack, Ning Weimin discovered that there were many people collecting scrap, and each trash bin had its regulars.

These professionals were often old men and women in tattered clothes.

They pushed a small garbage cart with three iron wheels, and the main body was a wicker basket.

Various tools like iron hooks, wooden tongs, and wire rakes were attached to the handle.

They would put the sellable items in the cart, which was very convenient.

The sound of the cart moving through the quiet alleys was particularly clear and loud.

These carts were mockingly called "dirt tanks" by the children in the alleys.

As a young man, Ning Weimin felt guilty competing for territory with these obviously destitute elders.

Moreover, even if he had no ill intentions, they might still have bad intentions.

Once, while he was searching a trash bin in one of the famous Eight Alleys, the Yan Zhi Alley, he encountered a territorial dispute.

He had just pulled out a few oil-stained kraft papers from the bin and was about to put them in his sack when he heard a rustling sound behind him.

Turning around, he saw a thin old woman with gray hair standing behind him, staring at him with fierce yellow eyes.

He noticed she was holding an iron hook and understood the situation.

But before he could explain, the old woman started cursing at him.

"You little brat, who told you to come here! This is my territory!"

"Get lost, or I'll make your life hell!"

She raised her tool and hooked the kraft papers to the ground.

Ning Weimin was so scared that he ran away, his heart almost stopping.

But it wasn't really his fault for being cowardly.

The old woman looked terrifying.

With large eyes, long nails, and a face full of wrinkles, she looked more like a monster from a horror movie than Mei Chaofeng.

Moreover, he had to collect scrap in the dark alleys after nightfall.

The alleys were dark and gloomy, with peeling gray walls and exposed bricks that looked like they had been chiseled.

In such an environment, it was easy to feel a chill, and the appearance of an old woman like a demon from the Black Mountain was enough to scare anyone.

It was a miracle he didn't suffer severe psychological trauma.

So after that, he felt that this line of work was truly not for him, and he spent his days at home sighing and worrying.

What was even more distressing was that he couldn't help but hate himself for being a failure.

Think about it, being able to return to this era was a great fortune.

But to see the opportunities and not be able to seize them was a great torment.

He prided himself on his abilities, but found no place to use them.

After all the effort, even collecting scrap was a failure.

What a great blow!

He might be the most miserable time traveler ever.

But on the other hand,

Fortunately, Ning Weimin had Kang Shude, a true expert, by his side.

When Kang Lao noticed Ning Weimin's poor mental state, he asked about the situation and gave him a few pointers.

These words greatly inspired Ning Weimin and gave him a new direction.

Kang Lao said that although the scrap collection business in the capital didn't have a storefront, there were different levels of practitioners.

The skill levels varied widely, and there was much to ponder.

The most important thing was where to buy and where to sell.

For the high-level practitioners, they dressed well and specialized in visiting mansions and estates.

They only collected valuable items like jewelry, fine furs, antiques, paintings, and porcelain.

After acquiring these items, they would resell them to antique shops, gold and silver stores, or well-connected collectors.

The mid-level practitioners also dressed neatly.

They didn't need to wander the streets but dealt with pawnshops.

They would take over old clothes, shoes, and various household items that had become dead pawns.

They would then clean and resell them at the market or set up a "tiger stall."

The low-level practitioners were similar to the current scrap collectors, known as "street wanderers."

They collected scrap metal, broken furniture, farm tools, and clothes, and sometimes even took stolen goods.

The lowest level were those who lived solely by scavenging, known as "scrap collectors."

Even among the "scrap collectors," there were different levels.

The foolish ones had no fixed territory and picked up whatever they found, often going hungry.

The smart ones knew how to find profitable spots.

For example, some collected rotten fruits in the fruit market, followed the foreign carriages in Dongjiaomin Alley to collect manure, or picked up coal along the Western Mountain railway.

At least they could make a living.

This showed that success in any business required thinking.

Now, although the high-level and mid-level opportunities were not available, one could still make a small profit by figuring out what to collect and where to collect it.

Kang Lao, being a seasoned expert, gave valuable advice.

A smart person would understand immediately, and Ning Weimin started to think actively.

Indeed, figuring out these two things was the most important.

So he started to think along these lines.

What kind of scrap was the most profitable?

Of course, it was non-ferrous metals.

Where were non-ferrous metals most abundant?

Definitely in factories.

Where did the factory garbage trucks go?

With this realization, Ning Weimin felt enlightened.

In the following days, he went to the road near Dabeiliao to watch the garbage trucks from various factories.

Whenever he saw a garbage truck leaving a factory, he would quickly wave to the driver with a pack of cigarettes.

After trying this several times, a few drivers did stop for him.

Ning Weimin seized the opportunity, handed the cigarettes to the driver, and found out where the factory garbage was dumped.

Note: "Tiger stall" refers to a stall that sells refurbished goods, implying that the stall owners are unscrupulous and sell inferior goods as new.