Early in the morning, Su Wen went out with a hefty bag.
Little sister Su had made a fuss about wanting to go along, but Su Wen glared at her, so she shrank her shoulders like a little sheep and didn't dare to speak.
Su Wen's heart softened, and she eventually brought little sister Su along.
This girl was six years old this year, and she didn't go to school. When she played in the village, she was often bullied by Niuniu and a group of naughty children. She didn't feel at ease leaving her alone at home.
From Trinity village to Clear Water county, there was a distance of 12 miles.
The two sisters carried their bags and left the house before dawn. They hurried along and arrived at the right time.
Su Wen had never seen the county in the 1980s. As soon as she entered the city, she looked around curiously, silently thinking about the plot of the novel.
At this time, there was no specifically proposed farmer's market for free trade of agricultural products.
According to the timeline of the original story, the farmer's market would only be established in 1981 after the production was distributed to the households.
In other words, buying or selling things was not allowed. One could only do it sneakily at the black market.
"Big sister, there are people on patrol." Little sister Su had never sold anything before, so she had a guilty conscience. She was so scared that her legs went limp when she saw the patrolmen with green hats.
If they were caught, they would be locked up in the study class.
"It'll be fine!" Su Wen stuck out her chest and pulled little sister Su past the patrol without looking sideways.
Little sister Su looked at her big sister with admiration, her eyes full of stars.
"Big sister, do you know where the black market is?"
"I don't know, but I can find it."
Su Wen had been making observations along the way, staring at a scrawny and tanned man in his thirties. He was carrying a sack full of things on his back, and it was obvious that he was going to the black market to sell his items.
There should be no mistake in following.
She had already planned it out. Going to the black market was just to try her luck. If she couldn't sell them, she would go to the family quarters of the nearby factory.
"Big sister, you're so smart." Little sister Su was so excited that her face was as red as a rose.
Su Wen's hand itched and she reached out to give her a pinch. It felt good! It's just that there's too little flesh, so she'd have to nourish it in future.
Little sister Su didn't get upset after being pinched. Instead, she jumped up and down in excitement. She wished that big sister would pinch her other cheek.
The two sisters followed the man who was carrying a sack and successfully arrived at the black market. When they arrived, they discovered that there were far more people selling things than they had imagined. The people coming and going already gave the shape of a future farmer's market.
In less than a year, an official trading market for agricultural products would be established here.
"I say, you two have been following me all the way, right?" The scrawny and tanned man put the sack on the ground, glanced at Su Wen, and showed a kind smile.
Su Wen saw that the other party wasn't angry and knew that her chance had come. Having a reliable companion when going out to sell things would be of great help in the future if she built a good relationship with him.
"I'm really sorry, big brother. It's the first time we sisters are here to sell things, and we don't know how to do it. Please don't mind; we apologize to you."
As she spoke, she took out a pair of plain blue sleeve guards and stuffed them into the other party's hands.
"These are the sleeve guards we made ourselves. We're giving them to Sister to wear. They can protect from the sun and prevent bites from leeches when planting rice in the field."
"Little girl, you're too polite. How can I accept your things? I didn't do anything."
"Big brother, you must accept it. It's not something valuable. My second sister is an apprentice tailor; this was made by us. You can take it home and give it to Sister."
Su Wen was good at talking and was eloquent. Her words were so reasonable that it was difficult for the other party to refuse.
Moreover, the sleeve guards were made to look good and were practical. The man accepted it with a smile and enthusiastically introduced the black market to Su Wen.
For example, what was good to sell, how to hide when the patrols came, and so on.
Su Wen was also listening attentively, while little sister Su nimbly removed the sleeve guards and shawls from the bag and placed them neatly on the ground for display.
The little girl had walked for more than an hour, yet didn't make a fuss, but instead looked for an opportunity to help. Even though she was really tired, she would still clench her teeth and persevere. This would be an even more desperate display.
The tanned man kept complimenting little sister Su, making her blush in embarrassment.
No one had ever praised her since she was young. The most she had heard were 'money-losing goods' and 'debt-collector'.
This was the first time someone had complimented her, and she was so happy!