After a brief moment of reflection, however, Li Shuying felt no regret about the price she had set.
Five jiao per jin was fair.
She had no intention of inflating her prices recklessly. Not only could she plant and harvest endlessly without visible investment, but she also understood something others did not—the coming year would be harsh. When famine reached its peak, food prices would soar beyond imagination. Ordinary families would struggle even to afford coarse grain, let alone fresh vegetables.
If she raised her prices now, what would happen later?
Some things should not be pursued to the extreme.
Zhang Wenhao continued thoughtfully, "This is only a small black market. Its customers and vendors are limited. With produce of such quality, you should try the larger one."
Li Shuying's attention sharpened.
"There is a bigger market?" she asked.
Zhang Wenhao nodded. "It opens before dawn—only for about two hours. People go there to trade quickly and disperse before daylight strengthens. If what you sell is in demand—coarse grain, fine grain, meat—or if the produce is exceptional, it will be sold in moments."
Li Shuying's eyes brightened at once, but before she could speak, Li Jianmin eagerly interjected.
"Uncle, tell me more! I would love to see that market."
The light in his eyes betrayed him—it was not merely profit he sought, but the thrill of watching commerce in motion.
Zhang Wenhao smiled faintly. "It's on the outskirts of the county, along the old East River Road."
Li Jianmin gasped. "That's on the way to our village! But that entire stretch is forest. I've never seen any courtyard house there."
Zhang Wenhao shook his head. "It isn't held in a courtyard like this one. It takes place in the forest, behind the old ancestral hall."
Li Jianmin nodded slowly. "I know the place. It's not far from the road. I'll go there one day."
They walked together for quite some distance. Before parting, Zhang Wenhao even pointed out his residence and invited them to visit if they ever needed assistance. He would remain in the county for a month, after all.
"Remember," he said lightly, "if there is trouble, come find me."
The siblings thanked him once more before turning toward the path that led back to their village.
As they walked along the dusty road bordered by winter-bare trees, Li Shuying said contentedly, "Eldest Brother and Second Brother will surely be happy when they see how many supplies we've brought back."
Li Jianmin did not respond immediately.
Instead, after a stretch of silence, he spoke in a tone she rarely heard from him—serious, measured.
"Little sister," he said, "I didn't ask earlier because we were not alone. But now that it's just the two of us… shouldn't you explain?"
His gaze rested on her steadily.
"Where did those radishes come from? And how do you happen to know someone in the county who can provide produce of that quality?"
Li Shuying felt a flicker of surprise at his tone. He was usually cheerful, quick to laugh, quick to act.
She had expected this question.
Taking a slow breath, she replied calmly, "Third Brother, a few days ago I met a group of people through a school friends contact. They have extensive connections—even in the south. They can obtain supplies from places as far as Hong Kong."
Li Jianmin frowned slightly. "Why would such people come into contact with you? And why would they give you radishes?"
Li Shuying continued, her voice steady and deliberate.
"They are not ordinary traders. They operate on a large scale. When we were heading to the black market today, I suddenly remembered they lived nearby. Since we were already going there, I thought we could try earning something."
She paused before adding, "I asked them for the cheapest goods they could spare—something that would sell quickly and bring a modest profit. They provided the radishes. And as you saw, we not only made money, but secured supplies for our household."
Li Jianmin's brows remained furrowed. "Then how did you pay them? Goods are not given freely."
"We will pay them tomorrow," she replied. "Didn't we keep six yuan aside? I'll give them that amount on my way to school."
Li Jianmin stopped walking for a second.
"So…" he murmured, calculating rapidly, "we made nearly twenty-five yuan from a six-yuan investment?"
The number stunned him.
But suspicion soon crept into his thoughts.
"If it's so profitable," he said slowly, "why don't they sell the produce themselves? Why give it to someone else to earn the profit?"
Li Shuying sighed inwardly. Her third brother's instincts were sharp—too sharp.
"They operate on a much larger scale," she explained patiently. "Their goods move in bulk. Why would they waste time in a small county black market? It would be far more efficient for them to act as suppliers and let smaller traders distribute locally."
She kept her tone reasonable, even slightly dismissive, as if the answer were obvious.
Li Jianmin nodded slowly. The logic made sense. Yet the idea that such influential figures existed quietly within their small county unsettled him.
"Are they truly that capable?" he asked cautiously. "What if they're dangerous? What if they're some kind of gang? We shouldn't associate with people we don't fully understand."
Li Shuying's heart lurched as though gripped by an invisible hand. No—this cannot happen, she thought. She had plans far greater. The moment she found out about the black market and given her system space she had planned the entire life for her entire family. With Zhao Hongmei as a female protagonist and her Protogonist halo she knew she couldn't stand against her, and knowing how horrible the fate of her family is she was already in hurry, to make money and build power.
"Third Brother, how can you say such a thing?" she said at once, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest. "Do you truly think I would throw myself into danger? I know what I am doing. They are not some roaming gang of idlers. In these difficult years, when grain is worth more than silver, having the right connections is a blessing sent by Heaven."
She lifted her chin slightly, her eyes bright with resolve.
"Father is already thirty-four. He has served the army faithfully for years, yet he remains only a squad leader. Nineteen years of marriage, four children, and still no house allocated in the military compound. That is why Mother must stay behind in the village, earning work points under the scorching sun just so we may eat our fill. Are we to wait forever for Father's promotion? For some uncertain day when a house might be alloted? Mother is not growing younger. I cannot bear to see her bend her back in the fields any longer. I want her to become a city resident—to live with dignity."
Li Jianmin's expression darkened. The image of their mother, sleeves rolled, standing knee-deep in mud, rose unbidden in his mind. He sighed heavily.
"But what can we do?" he replied. "We cannot simply leave the village and walk into the city. Our household registration is rural. Without a proper urban registration, how could Mother settle there? The only way is for her to obtain an iron rice bowl, and even that is like plucking the moon from the sky these days—especially for someone with a rural hukou."
Li Shuying nodded, as though she had anticipated every objection.
"And what if we have money?" she countered softly. "What if we have contacts? Would the road not become smoother? If we purchase small supplies and sell them discreetly, would that not bring profit? And with profit comes opportunity. Right now, food is the most precious thing under Heaven. If we know someone who can help secure grain and daily necessities, do you know how many doors that will open? Third Brother, associating with such people is not recklessness—it is foresight. It is a win-win path."
Her words hung in the cold evening air.
Li Jianmin stood rooted to the spot for a long time. He could not deny that her reasoning pierced his heart. He, too, resented their helplessness. Yet he was her elder brother. It was his duty to protect her, not to let her tread dangerous waters for the sake of a few yuan.
At last, he looked up.
"Very well," he said slowly. "But I must meet these people myself. Only when I see them with my own eyes and judge whether there is danger will I be at ease."
For a fleeting second, triumph lit Li Shuying's face—then she heard the second half of his statement and panic followed like a shadow. Meet them? How could he meet people who existed only in her invented story?
She steadied herself quickly, forcing calm into her voice.
"Third Brother, I fear that may not be possible for now. You know that private trade and profiteering are serious offenses. If discovered, one could be sent to prison. These people operate in secrecy. The only reason they agreed to speak with me was because one of them is related to a classmate of mine. For the time being, let me handle it alone. Once trust is established, they may allow me to introduce you."
Li Jianmin frowned. "But—"
She cut him off gently. "Please, Third Brother. Trust me this once. I will not risk my safety for money. I told you because I wish us to work together in the future. And we will not frequent the black market. Going too often with goods would attract suspicion. So it will not interfere with our studies either."
Her tone was earnest, almost pleading.
He fell silent again, wrestling with his doubts. In truth, he had never known his sister to act recklessly. Though young, she possessed a composure beyond her years. Finally, with a reluctant nod, he turned and began walking ahead.
Li Shuying nearly leapt with relief, but she restrained herself. Watching her brother's broad back retreating down the dusty path, her chest tightened.
This was the first time she had ever lied to him.
But how could she speak of the system space? To reveal such a thing would not only sound absurd—it could invite calamity upon their entire family. In these uncertain times, even a whisper of the extraordinary could bring disaster.
No. For now, deception was her only shield.
She knew her brother remained unconvinced, his trust resting on fragile ground. Yet that was enough. So long as he did not probe too deeply, she would have time. Time to gather resources. Time to strengthen her position. Time to make her fabricated story appear real.
Greater ambitions burned within her heart in this lifetime, this time she not only wants to send her brother's to university but she herself will enter one and become a university student before collage entrance exam are suspended.
She would take her family far from the village and the shadow of that so-called female protagonist, far from schemes and humiliation of Li family, and allow them to live a life of modest abundance. Even her mother won't have to bend under the sun for a handful of work points, no more swallowing grievances in silence. A life of steadiness. A life of contentment.
With that resolve settled like iron in her bones, Li Shuying's lips curved into a faint smile. She quickened her steps to walk beside her brother.
But just as they neared the village entrance, where the old locust tree leaned crookedly over the path like a silent sentinel, their way was abruptly blocked.
A figure stepped forward.
Before they could react, an oily, grating voice slithered through the air.
"You little wretch… and you bastard. You actually dared to spend my money? Have you grown tired of living?"