BXBX NOVEL Chapter 306 - 306: Deal
From the moment they arrived at the black market, Jiang Chuan noticed people constantly inquiring about vegetable prices.
Walking over, Jiang Chuan instinctively reached for a cigarette to offer the man, only to remember that he hadn’t smoked for a long time since arriving here and didn’t have a cigarette pack on him. While Jiang Chuan didn’t really have a smoking habit, lighting one up was often a necessary social ritual when doing business.
Without cigarettes, he decided to offer some water instead.
Moving closer, Jiang Chuan noticed the man had finished the last drop in his cup. Before the man could close the lid, Jiang Chuan tried to strike up a conversation, “Brother, I see you’ve finished your water. Would you like a refill?”
The man, seeing a new face, regarded Jiang Chuan with suspicion, but still handed over his cup. Having stood there all noon and talked so much, he was genuinely thirsty. Even if he was wary of strangers, he couldn’t resist the allure of water at the moment.
While pouring the water, Jiang Chuan asked, “Brother, to be honest, I also want to sell some vegetables, but no one has inquired about the price. I see that you always have many customers. Do you have any tricks?”
After drinking the water, the man felt suddenly refreshed. He didn’t attribute it to the water, simply assuming he had been extremely thirsty. In reality, it was because the water had properties from Jiang Xia interspace, making him feel rejuvenated.
The man, after benefiting from Jiang Chuan’s water, felt it’d be rude to ignore him. Glancing at Jiang Chuan’s vegetable basket, he asked, “What are you selling?”
Jiang Chuan replied with a smile, “White radishes, carrots, some mushrooms, and a few fish.”
“Oh, that’s quite a lot.”
Thinking that he had almost sold all his goods, the man decided to give Jiang Chuan some tips, considering it a gesture of friendship.
“You can’t sell vegetables like this,” the man pointed out, “You’ve covered your basket so tightly. How will people know what vegetables you’re selling or whether they’re fresh?” He twisted around, revealing his own open basket. “In the black market, we use these kinds of baskets. Yours won’t work.”
Jiang Chuan’s basket had a lid, while the man’s did not, clearly displaying its contents. Jiang Chuan noticed only a small bundle of celery remained in the man’s basket, indicating he was almost done for the day.
Seeing the fresh celery, Jiang Chuan expressed his interest, “Brother, how much for your celery? I could trade with you.”
Eager to head home, the man quickly agreed, “I heard you mention mushrooms. I want some. Let’s barter. This small bundle of celery, by black market standards, is worth three coins. Show me your mushrooms.”
Jiang Xia, upon hearing the price, mentally criticized the man for overcharging. Such a small bundle of celery, probably just a hundred grams, and he dared ask for three coins? That could buy 1.5 kilograms of food outside!
The mushrooms were in Zhou Lan’s basket. Opening the lid, Jiang Chuan said, “This is our first time here. We don’t know the market rate for mushrooms. You name a price.”
The man noticed the large size of the mushrooms and assumed they were wild. Such large mushrooms couldn’t be cultivated in regular farms.
Having just benefited from Jiang Chuan’s water, the man didn’t want to take advantage. “Let’s keep it simple: same price for mushrooms and celery. I’ll take 1.5 kilograms of your mushrooms in exchange for my celery. How does that sound?”
Jiang Chuan readily agreed, even throwing in an extra mushroom as a bonus.
The man, seeing Jiang Chuan’s accommodating manner, took a liking to him and proceeded to explain more about the distribution of goods in the black market.
Pointing to a zone deep inside, he said, “Money is mainly useful within the black market. Once you step outside, everything needs to be exchanged for food tickets or other types of tickets. That particular area is specifically for buying and selling food tickets. After you finish selling your vegetables, you might want to check it out.”
It seemed that offering the mushroom was a good move. Jiang Chuan then asked, “What else is available in this black market?”
The man began listing with his fingers, “There’s a wide variety. Clothes, fabric, cotton, and even beverages like alcohol and milk. In short, anything you’d find in a shopping mall, you can find here.”
Jiang Chuan was not curious about common things. They came to the black market to find things that were not available elsewhere.. “Don’t you have any rare items?”