Luo Jinping stopped and turned around when he heard the sound.

Seeing that it was Yang Xiaole running over, he stopped and waited.

When he ran closer, Yang Xiaole asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you need something from me?"

Yang Xiaole just made a sound of agreement without answering him, but turned his head and shouted towards Yang Guangzhi, "Dad, Teacher Luo is here! Don't worry."

Seeing that Yang Guangzhi didn't come over, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that he should go to school as soon as possible.

Find a chance to stroll out.

Then he said to Luo Jinping, "Let's go, Teacher Luo, I have something to tell you."

Luo Jinping didn't suspect anything.

He nodded and the two of them walked towards the dimly lit street.

As they walked, Yang Xiaole started talking nonsense:

"Teacher Luo, I actually came to find you about my sister going to school. My dad doesn't want my sister to go to school, but I want her to go."

Luo Jinping nodded in agreement, "Hmm, going to school is a good thing. Going to school allows you to learn knowledge, acquire skills, enrich your spirit, and enjoy spiritual fulfillment."

Then he sighed, "But the current situation is like this, there is no way. Whether you can go to school or not depends on the family situation. If it exceeds the ability, there is no need to force it. Forcing it may not bring any benefits."

Yang Xiaole nodded in response and looked back. He couldn't see his dad anymore.

He smiled and said, "Alright, I'll go back first, Teacher Luo, you can go home. But if my dad and mom ask, please help me speak up so that my sister can go to school."

Luo Jinping smiled and agreed, "Alright, I got it. You can go back!"

"Okay, Teacher Luo, I'll go first!"

After saying that, he greeted and ran towards the back.

Watching Yang Xiaole's figure disappear, Luo Jinping shook his head. It shouldn't be a problem on such a short road.

And there were many cars going to the vegetable market along the way.

He didn't think too much and turned to leave.

After walking for a while, Yang Xiaole stopped in the darkness.

There were few streetlights, and people could only be vaguely seen from a distance.

Looking around, waiting for a few minutes, seeing Luo Jinping walking far away and Yang Guangzhi not following, he finally felt relieved.

"Damn it, mosquitoes are biting me."

He drove away the mosquitoes on his body and smiled as he followed the vegetable farmer in front.

He didn't know the way, but Luo Jinping had just said that these people were all going to Xidan Vegetable Market.

Walking on the road, he was also curious about this place.

The road was still paved with green bricks, and there were plenty of shops on both sides of the street, all kinds of them.

There were two-story old wooden restaurants, quadrangle courtyards in the hutongs, and some newly built cement brick houses.

A few tall office buildings.

Occasionally, he would see some residential buildings.

"Grandpa, you guys are up so early!"

Looking at the nearby carrying pole team, he greeted a man in his fifties with a smile.

The man had just stopped to change shoulders.

He picked up the towel around his neck and wiped off the sweat, then picked up the pole and followed.

At this moment, he smiled and said, "Yes, there's no other way. We have to deliver the vegetables on time and not delay the city folks' time to buy vegetables!"

Yang Xiaole nodded lightly and looked at the vegetables in the basket.

A basket of eggplants, a basket of green peppers, all packed full, with several layers on top.

As they walked, they chatted.

Yang Xiaole also inquired about the specific location of the pigeon market.

It was in the second hutong east of Xidan Vegetable Market.

But there were people who would come to sweep early in the morning from time to time. Of course, not every day someone would take care of it, after all, they needed to sleep.

If someone got caught one day, then they would be unlucky.

And there were also situations where people turned a blind eye to it.

Otherwise, if the authorities really wanted to put an end to it, it would never have become so large-scale.

The journey didn't seem far, only about six or seven li, a little over 3 kilometers. It took a full fifty minutes to get there.

He was exhausted from trying to keep up with the old men's pace.

By now, it was already past four o'clock, and there was still a little over an hour before dawn.

The vegetable market had a huge storefront with a large iron gate, which was already open.

There were already scattered aunties carrying bamboo baskets entering to buy things, while the vegetable delivery people went around from the side and didn't go through the main gate.

Yang Xiaole didn't pay attention to that and followed the old man's instructions, walking towards the south.

When he reached the second alley about a hundred meters away, there was someone standing at the entrance, about fourteen or fifteen years old.

His eyes were rolling around.

When he saw Yang Xiaole approaching, he only glanced at him and didn't pay any more attention.

Yang Xiaole looked over and in the dim alley, there were many people whispering there.

Most of their faces were covered, making it hard to see their appearance.

"What are you looking at? If you're going in, then go in. If you're not, then get lost. Don't stand here and attract attention. You'll bring trouble here."

The teenager shouted unhappily when he saw that Yang Xiaole was just looking and not going in.

Yang Xiaole glanced at the other person.

After thinking for a moment, he still walked in.

The hutong was quite long, about three hundred meters in length, with many small alleys scattered in between.

Many people were lingering here.

But their eyes were full of vigilance, occasionally looking towards the entrance of the alley, ready to run if anything happened.

After Yang Xiaole entered, he quietly observed.

There were people selling eggs, selling chickens, ducks, and fish, selling peanuts and melon seeds grown in their own fields, and selling grains.

There were also some people who didn't have anything in their hands and would ask around when they saw someone.

Yang Xiaole didn't speak, quietly watching these people trade.

After about ten minutes, he also figured out the general situation here.Chickens, fish, ducks, these things don't require tickets, they can be bought in the Vegetable Market, but the daily supply is limited, whoever gets up early can grab them.

If you're late, they're gone.

However, during the New Year, a certain amount will be provided to the whole city, no need to scramble.

Yang Xiaole had already learned about this situation through Luo Jinping.

The prices of these things are much lower than the market price.

The price of carp over one jin is 28 fen per jin, and the price of crucian carp over half a jin is 14 fen per jin.

The market price is even more expensive.

Hearing this price, Yang Xiaole wanted to curse.

The prices that the rural Supply and Marketing Cooperative buys are too low!

However, for eggs and other scarce items with a fixed quantity, the price is much higher than the market price.

6 fen each.

According to the price of 66 fen per jin that Luo Jinping mentioned before, this price is at least two or three tenths higher.

But it's still acceptable.

Because these eggs should be selected, although the size is only about two-thirds of the size in the future, it is considered large for this era.

"Is this too small, do you have any that are five or six jin?"

In the midst of her thoughts, a woman in her thirties asked the fish seller.

Yang Xiaole heard the voice and looked over, only to see her asking the fish seller who was holding three carps of two or three jin in his hand.

All three fish were dead.

The fish seller was a middle-aged woman!

Hearing this, the woman wiped her sweat and laughed, "If you buy all three, wouldn't that be five or six jin? If you take them all, I'll give you a discount. If you buy such a big fish, it's a first-class fish, it costs 46 fen per jin! Buying this is much cheaper."

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

The woman hesitated there.

In the midst of her thoughts, a middle-aged fat man appeared in the lane, followed by two young men.

All three of them had their faces tightly covered.

The young men carried baskets and sacks behind them.

When they came to the egg seller, they asked for the price, and finally bought all the eggs for 5 fen each.

Leaving a young man here to pick things, the fat man led another person to walk inside.

When they came to the fish seller, they looked at the fish.

After looking at the fish, they asked for the price.

Generously said, "Give me all three! But these fish have been dead for quite some time, I'll take them for 20 fen."

The woman happily agreed.

How could there be live fish coming into the city.

If they can't be sold, they will stink after a long time, and they can only go back and make salted fish.

Seeing this, the fat man took the fish and picked up the scale that his apprentice brought, skillfully weighed it and said, "7 jin and 1 liang, let's count it as 7 jin, a total of 1 yuan and 40 fen, okay?"

The woman didn't mind.

The straw rope also has weight!

She happily agreed, took the money and left the lane.

The fat man glanced at Yang Xiaole next to him, handed the fish to his apprentice behind him, and walked inside without caring.

Along the way, he was sweeping like he didn't need money.

Yang Xiaole glanced at him, this guy is either a purchaser for a restaurant or a factory, or the logistics of a special unit.

After watching for a while.

He hesitated for a while, but finally made up his mind and left from another small lane.

Fortunately, no one was watching here.

After leaving the lane, he looked around.

He found his way to the back of a restaurant and quietly entered the space.

He came to the slope, pulled a few vines, and got two big carps about five jin from the water pit, tied their mouths with a rope.

He took off his clothes to cover his face before he left the space.

However, he also brought out a big yellow eel about two jin, clamped its mouth with a branch, and carried it.

Let's try it first, if it gets snatched, it gets snatched!

Then he struggled to carry the two big fish into the lane.

When he came here, everyone just looked at him in surprise and didn't pay any more attention.

There are all kinds of people coming here, it's not that there haven't been children.

Yang Xiaole didn't rush to find the fat man.

He just waited there.

No matter what, the business that comes to the door is not valuable.

The woman who didn't get the fish before saw him carrying the fish over and was very happy.

She glanced at Yang Xiaole.

Regardless of his age, she asked, "How much is this fish?"

"Two yuan each."

He roughly estimated that it was about five jin, which came to about 40 fen per jin, cheaper than the Vegetable Market, but not much cheaper.

The woman hesitated for a moment, "Can I try it?"

"Sure!"

Yang Xiaole handed her a fish.

The woman took it and weighed it, seeing that it was alive, she had already made up her mind.

However, she still asked, "I'll take it for 1 yuan and 50 fen."

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole smiled and stretched out his hand, "Forget it, give it back to me, you can go look somewhere else."

Seeing that he didn't even want to haggle, she thought for a moment.

In the end, she took out a handkerchief from her pocket, opened it, and handed him two yuan.

"Take a look!"

Yang Xiaole took the two one-yuan bills and looked at them under the dim light.

Then he nodded, "Hmm, no problem."

Seeing this, the woman took the fish and left.

Watching her leave, Yang Xiaole smiled.

Perhaps because he came late, there were quite a few people here, but there wasn't much stuff.

It should be that they ran away after selling things.

He didn't care, but squatted there.

In the meantime, many people came to ask for the price, but when they heard that it was close to 40 fen per jin, they all left.

"Shout and Sell, it's so big? And it's alive?"

At this time, the fat man had swept a circle inside and came back, surprised when he saw the fish in his hand.

Upon closer inspection, he was surprised again, "Ouch! There's a big yellow eel too!"

Then he looked at him and laughed, "Little friend, you just went back to get the fish, didn't you? Waiting for me here?"

Hearing this, Yang Xiaole was startled.

Good guy.

In such dim light, the other party remembered him after just one glance.

And he was shirtless at the moment!

It must be because of his height!

Without saying a word, he smiled and said, "Uncle, my dad just asked me to bring the fish over to see if we could exchange it for something. I don't know you!"

Upon hearing this, the fat man looked around.

He didn't notice anything, then turned his head and laughed, "Kid, you're trying to play tricks on me! You're still too green."

Then he said, "Alright, name your price, I'll take them all. I have to go back soon!"

Yang Xiaole thought for a moment and quoted a price: "2 yuan for each carp, and for the yellow eel, you decide! After all, I've never sold such a big one."

He was also being cunning, saying he had never sold such a big one.

Not that he had never sold any.

The fat man didn't say anything, he just reached out his hand.

Yang Xiaole handed over the two items directly, knowing that the other party wanted to weigh them.

The fat man took them, weighed the fish and handed it to the young man behind him, then weighed the large yellow eel in his hand.

Then he fell into thought.

It was indeed difficult to price this thing, usually anything over half a kilogram was 50 fen per kilogram.

But such a big one was rare!

After hesitating for a while, he finally asked, "How about 2 yuan for this, a total of 4 yuan?"

"Deal! That's the price."

Yang Xiaole finished speaking and reached out his hand.

The fat man happily handed the items to the person behind him, took out four yuan and handed it to him.

"Alright, I'm leaving. You, do whatever you were doing. If I find you staring at me, don't blame me for getting angry!"

After saying that, he even added a threatening sentence.

Yang Xiaole didn't care, he just happily took the money.

Seeing this, the other party called his two apprentices, and they left the lane with their full load.

Yang Xiaole watched the other party's retreating figure, thinking it would be nice if he could establish a relationship, so it wouldn't be so troublesome to sell things in the future.

Shaking his head, he put these fanciful thoughts behind him.

People like this are usually quite dangerous, it's better to be careful. If he met them openly on the street, he could negotiate.

Then he took the money and went straight to the man who was selling tickets.

He had been watching him for a long time.

This was a ticket seller.

The other party was also covering his face, so he couldn't see his appearance, but judging by his voice, he should be no more than thirty.

The man had also noticed the transaction between the two.

Seeing him coming over, he smiled and asked, "What kind of ticket do you want?"

"Do you have meat coupons? Food coupons? What's the price? Sugar coupons? Tofu coupons?"

He mentioned several types of coupons in a row.

The man laughed and said, "I only have two jin of meat coupons, 82 fen per jin. As for food coupons, 12 fen, not much, only a dozen jin. Sugar coupons are 90 fen. I don't have tofu coupons."

(Here's an explanation, food coupons were only divided into fine grain coupons and coarse grain coupons when supplies were really scarce during the difficult times.

Fine grain coupons are divided into many types, including flour coupons, rice coupons, millet... collectively referred to as fine grain coupons.

Coarse grain coupons are mainly for cornmeal, sorghum flour, sweet potatoes and the like.

Except for those few years, the usual food coupons are just food coupons, universal.

If you're interested, you can check the markings on the coupons and you'll find that all the rice coupons are from those few years, before and after the disaster, and they were not divided until the reform and opening up.)

Upon hearing the price, Yang Xiaole frowned. The price was quite high.

Now, including what he had left before, he only had 6 yuan, 4 fen, and 5 fen.

After thinking about it, he felt that he could skip the sugar for now. There was sorghum candy that didn't require a coupon, he could use that to fill up for now, and worry about the rest later.

After calculating the money in his hand, he said, "Give me all the food coupons, and 2 jin of meat coupons. By the way, do you have oil coupons? Do you have pot coupons?"

He could think of ways to get money, but these coupons were hard to come by.

Upon hearing his words, the man fumbled in the bag on his chest and pulled out several coupons.

"I don't have pot coupons, but I do have two jin of oil coupons, 64 fen per jin, do you want them?"

"Yes!"

"11 jin of food coupons, 1 yuan and 32 fen, 2 jin of meat coupons, 1 yuan and 64 fen, 2 jin of oil coupons 1 yuan and 28 fen, a total of 4 yuan and 24 fen."

Yang Xiaole cursed inwardly, it was really expensive.

But he still took out the money and handed it to him.

The man took the money, counted it, and gave him 8 fen change along with the coupons.

Seeing this, Yang Xiaole took the things and ran off.

Now that he knew the general situation, he could come back if he had the chance in the future. For now, he needed to get some things to fill up.

For the things he didn't have, he would have to figure out a way later.

After leaving the lane, he walked a distance before finally taking off his clothes and putting them on, heading towards the vegetable market.

Just now, the eggs were all sold out, and there were no chickens for sale.

Otherwise, he could buy some.

After getting everything ready, he came to the vegetable market to see if there was anything for sale.

It was almost five o'clock now.