Chapter 23: Turbulence in the Black Market

Gu Wennuan woke up early to prepare the meal for the beam-raising ceremony.

Hu Ailian brought out the leavened dough to steam buns. For such an important occasion, she had specifically prepared white flour buns. Gu Wennuan went to town early to buy firecrackers; since it was not the New Year, they were hard to find, and the supply and marketing cooperative staff had to rummage for a long time before finally locating a pack from last year.

Gu Wennuan also bought two pounds of pork. Having arrived late, that was all that was left, so she decided to supplement it with several pounds from her storage space to ensure the meal was generous.

Passing by Great Green Mountain, she slipped into her storage space, only to be greeted by the howling of wolves. She hadn't checked on the wolf pack she had captured the day before; they had treated the space like an all-you-can-eat buffet, devouring over a dozen chickens and two pigs. Furious, Gu Wennuan hung them in the air as punishment for a few days. She collected a basket of eggs, caught two chickens, and took five pounds of meat, deciding to leave the grain for when she officially moved in.

By the time she descended from the mountain, her basket was full again. Hu Ailian had already steamed the buns at home, waiting for her to begin the ceremony. When Gu Wennuan arrived and handed over the basket, Hu Ailian caught sight of the meat and pulled her aside.

"Nuannuan, where did this meat come from? Did you go to that place again?"

Gu Wennuan knew what she meant. "Mother, the cooperative was out of meat, so I had no choice. Don't worry, I wrapped everything well; nothing will happen."

Hu Ailian remained anxious. The current crackdown was severe, and they couldn't afford any mishaps. "Don't go again. I'll go stew the vegetables. Later, when we throw the buns during the ceremony, you do the throwing, and let Siyue catch them."

As they prepared, Zhou Siyue lit the firecrackers. Gu Wennuan threw the buns from the roof beam, while Zhou Siyue caught them on the other side. As a former special agent, Gu Wennuan’s aim was impeccable; not a single bun hit the ground.

"The beams are raised!"

With the roof beams in place, the house began to take shape. Gu Wennuan was overjoyed to see they were one step closer to their new home. When Gu Tie-zhu arrived with his three children, the ceremony had already concluded.

"Sister, you've moved fast. Have you ordered the doors and windows?"

Gu Wennuan had already taken care of that in town that morning and planned to borrow Old Liu’s ox cart the next day to pick them up.

"Brother, have the kids been well-behaved lately?"

"Very good. Maomao has been playing with them. Sister, I’m planning to send Maomao to school in September. I have a little money saved, and the child needs an education."

Gu Wennuan, having listened to the news back at the base, knew the college entrance exam would soon be reinstated; schooling was far better than struggling for food in the countryside.

"Brother, you’re right. I’m planning to send Yaya to school too. It’ll be good for them to have each other."

Currently, the entire commune had only one primary school. Due to the severe political climate, many qualified teachers had been sent to work in cowsheds, leading to poor educational quality.

"Brother, why not send them to town? The commune’s teaching quality isn't good."

Gu Tie-zhu wanted to, but the town school didn't accept students from the village, and he was powerless to change that.

"I’ll find a way."

Returning to the courtyard, Gu Wennuan began washing vegetables. For lunch, Hu Ailian prepared stewed green beans with pork, chili with eggs, a cold salad, and chicken stewed with mushrooms. By late afternoon, the house was nearly finished, awaiting only the installation of the doors and windows the next day. Standing inside the structure, Gu Wennuan felt an indescribable joy; she would finally have a comfortable home.

The next day, she went to town early with the ox cart, brought back the fixtures, and once the workers installed them, she began the interior finishing. Following her own design sketches, she worked step by step, completing the interior in half a month. She looked at her new home with immense satisfaction—a bright, tiled-roof house, the only one of its kind in the village.

She wanted to buy some furniture, but after counting her remaining money—only a thousand yuan, with seven or eight hundred already spent on the house—she realized earning money had to become a priority. She considered making more whitening cream and decided to send a letter to Qin Aiwen in town.

Hearing she was going to town, Hu Ailian brought up Zhou Sinian’s packages. "Sinian used to send a package at the end of every month. It’s been nearly a month now with no word. Could something have happened?"

Zhou Sinian had left five years ago without a word; he harbored resentment toward Gu Wennuan, as his hope for their marriage had been destroyed. Gu Wennuan didn't blame him, but she didn't want him to come to harm.

"Mother, I’ll go to town and check."

Gu Wennuan walked to town, intending to carry some grain to sell on the black market. Through various inquiries, she learned the market was currently controlled by a man known as Fifth Master.

Wrapped tightly, she entered the black market. Following an old woman with a covered face, she passed an inspection and was let in after being warned not to cause trouble. It was her first time there. In the dimly lit corners, small stalls were set up, with people coming and going. She noticed many guards watching for troublemakers, intervening whenever an argument grew too loud. Reassured by the tight security, she knew the risk of being caught was minimal. After surveying the prices, she turned to leave.

She approached a small door where two burly men stood guard, glancing toward the alley. Gu Wennuan stepped forward and whispered, "Heavenly King conquers the earth’s tiger."

The guards froze. After scanning her, one told her to wait, spoke to his companion, and entered the market. Gu Wennuan, having picked up this phrase from television shows back at the base, waited patiently outside.

Soon, the man returned. "Fifth Master will see you."

Inside, she found a dark room filled with a dozen men, with a middle-aged man sitting in the center.

"I heard you were looking for me."

Gu Wennuan lowered her voice. "Fifth Master, I have a batch of goods to offload. Are you interested in a partnership?"

Fifth Master eyed the veiled woman and signaled his men to close the door. He chuckled, "Little girl, do you know where you are? You dare come here to talk business? Let me teach you a lesson."

As a guard stepped forward, Gu Wennuan moved with lightning speed, striking the man’s head and dropping him instantly. Before Fifth Master could react, she was standing before him.

"Fifth Master, I offered a partnership out of respect. I can take down your men in minutes. Now, let’s talk business."

Terrified, Fifth Master gestured for his men to bring her a chair. "I wonder what the heroine wishes to sell?"

Gu Wennuan pulled rice from her basket. "Rice and white flour. The quality is top-tier. I have ten thousand pounds in total. I trust you can handle that."

Hearing the quantity, Fifth Master was nervous, wondering where she had obtained it, but he eventually decided to take the risk. "Tomorrow at twelve, at Great Green Mountain. Don't be late."

After she left, Fifth Master sent men to follow her, but they returned battered and bruised, having learned nothing. From that day on, the legend of the "Heroine" spread through the black market.