Chapter 118: A Day Trip to the Black Market

Tang Banxia’s request to visit the black market was quickly approved by her superiors. The decision came just one day after she proposed it.

That same evening, Geng Zhengfei and Xu Sheng arrived together.

"Professor Tang, would this evening work for your black market visit?"

Being addressed as "Professor" always made Tang Banxia feel a bit of an imposter. "Sure, that works. I’m free. May I bring Xiao Bai along?"

Geng Zhengfei and Xu Sheng exchanged glances before agreeing. They were well aware of what Tang Banxia’s partner did for a living, but since it was minor, the authorities had chosen to turn a blind eye.

When Wen Mubai returned, Tang Banxia informed him of the plan, and he readily agreed. "Banxia, which black market are you planning to visit?"

"The one you go to," she replied, making no attempt to hide it.

The four of them set off under the cover of night after dinner. Wen Mubai took the lead, guiding them to the black market run by the bald man, Doggy. He navigated the familiar path and opened the mysterious, heavy door.

The bustle of the market hit them immediately. Tang Banxia had dressed for the occasion: she wore patched clothes, a hat, and had her hair let down, obscuring her face. Beside her, Wen Mubai, Geng Zhengfei, and Xu Sheng were similarly masked with scarves. Their attire was unremarkable, as the entire warehouse was filled with people concealing their faces and whispering to one another.

After looking around for a moment, Tang Banxia nudged Wen Mubai. "Lead the way."

Wen Mubai smiled dotingly and took her hand. "It’s crowded; we might get separated."

Tang Banxia rolled her eyes—in such a tight space, what did it matter? Still, she let him hold her hand. In the black market, no one cared about such things anyway.

They strolled past the stalls one by one. After a while, Tang Banxia realized it was no different from a regular market, just with more precious, expensive goods that were sold in bulk rather than individually. She also noticed that the vendors were mostly suppliers, while the buyers were the street-peddlers who traveled from place to place. The way they interacted with such familiarity left her somewhat stunned.

Since arriving in this world, she had spent most of her time in Guyue Village. Though she had been curious about the black market, her natural caution had kept her away. Seeing it now, she realized the person running this place must be quite capable. This business model was essentially a direct connection between manufacturers and retailers, spreading the risk while ensuring everyone got a share of the profit.

"Do you know who the boss behind this black market is?" Tang Banxia asked quietly, out of pure curiosity.

Wen Mubai blinked his innocent, peach-blossom eyes and shook his head. "No idea. I’m just a small fry; how would I know such secrets?"

Fair enough. Tang Banxia turned her question to Geng Zhengfei and Xu Sheng. Surprisingly, they also shook their heads. "We haven't been able to uncover the identity of the owner, but our superiors have assured us that this black market is safe."

Xu Sheng leaned in to whisper in Tang Banxia’s ear, "If you ever can't find us, Professor Tang, you can come to this black market to seek help."

Hearing this, Tang Banxia understood. Having watched dramas about undercover operations, she found the implications easy to guess. However, a problem arose. She leaned toward Xu Sheng and whispered, "But I don't know who the boss is. Who would I ask for help?"

As she focused on whispering, she didn't notice a bald man brushing past them. Just then, Wen Mubai reached out to tidy her hair, and the bald man caught a clear glimpse of her face.

At the same time, Xu Sheng’s voice came back: "Once you arrive, the master of the black market will naturally come to find you."

Tang Banxia grew thoughtful. Does that mean the master of this market outranks me? It seemed Changshan Commune held even more secrets than she had realized.

Her attention shifted when she spotted a jewelry stall run by a bald man. The stall seemed to be shunned, tucked away behind a pillar; had it not been for Wen Mubai’s sharp eyes, they would have missed it. At the first glance, the sparkle of the jewelry caught Tang Banxia’s eye, and she tugged at Wen Mubai and Xu Sheng.

The four of them approached. "How much for these?" Wen Mubai asked.

The bald vendor looked miserable. "I’ll trade them for grain."

So cheap? Tang Banxia looked at the kingfisher feather hairpin, the plump pink pearl necklace, and the solid ink-jade bracelet. Every piece was a treasure. Even without being an expert, she could tell these were high quality. To trade such treasures for mere grain without any other conditions? It sounded suspiciously like a trap, or perhaps the items were stolen.

Wen Mubai shot the bald vendor a warning look. The vendor mumbled, seemingly unable to speak clearly, "Trade for grain."

"How many catties?" Geng Zhengfei asked.

"Which ones do you want?"

Geng Zhengfei looked at Tang Banxia. She picked out the ink-jade bracelet, the kingfisher hairpin, and a camellia jade pendant. "How much grain for these?"

The bald man squinted and appraised them for a moment. "One thousand catties!" He added, "Fine grain!"

Tang Banxia dropped the items and turned to leave. That was practically robbery. In the future, these items would be priceless, but demanding a thousand catties of fine grain now was intentionally difficult.

"Hey, wait!" the vendor called out. "Nine hundred and ninety catties!"

Tang Banxia ignored him. Seeing them walking away, the vendor grew anxious. He packed up his bundle and followed them, nagging and haggling. Tang Banxia remained silent, and the other three followed her lead. Finally, after the price dropped repeatedly, she responded when it hit three hundred catties of fine grain: "Deal!"

She couldn't push him too hard; she could afford three hundred catties of fine grain. She handed the money to Geng Zhengfei to facilitate the trade. The bald man wore an expression that was half-laugh, half-cry, and sighed without saying another word.

Once the grain was exchanged and the items were in her possession, the bald man packed up his stall. Tang Banxia didn't pay him much mind, assuming she had simply been lucky.

They wandered a bit longer, but finding nothing else of interest, Tang Banxia decided it was time to go. She had seen the black market, and since she wasn't lacking for supplies, this trip had been purely for fun. She couldn't spend all her time in the village making medicine; she would go stir-crazy. With the autumn harvest approaching, she couldn't afford to be too conspicuous, so she had seized this opportunity.

The group of four headed home. Once back in the village, they parted ways, and Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai returned to their house.

Inside, Tang Banxia took out the camellia jade pendant. "This is for you. Do you like it?" The moment she saw the pendant, she had thought of him.

Wen Mubai took it, his joy evident. "For me? I love it! I love it so much!"

Tang Banxia curled her lips into a smile. "I'm glad. Just don't wear it out." She didn't want him to attract unnecessary attention.

Wen Mubai nodded eagerly. That night, he tucked the pendant under his pillow, and even in his sleep, he wore a smile. Even though he knew it was his own property, having it pass through her hands made it feel all the more precious.