Chapter 293 The Black Market Trip
Ye Shengsongs face was covered by a veil, making it inconvenient to taste. Besides, it wasn't a particularly expensive item. If it didn't taste good, she would have Ah Sen and the other men handle it.
"How many pounds are there in total? I'll buy it all."
"Good, good, good. There are twenty-three pounds here. It's three yuan and forty-five cents. I'll give you the basket for free too."
Zi Yisheng took out money and handed it to the vendor, taking the basket along with it.
"If the young lady likes it, I'll be here every Thursday. You can come find me then."
Ye Shengsong was easily softened by people who smiled, especially the elderly.
"Okay, we have a large family. If it's delicious, I'll have someone come find you to buy more."
The two continued to stroll. Zi Yisheng picked up a piece of dried mango and secretly stuffed it into the little girl's mouth.
"If you like it, I'll have Wei Shi buy more for you."
Ye Shengsong's mouth was filled with the taste of mango. Although it had lost its moisture, the mango's aroma seemed even richer.
In fact, Ye Shengsong loved mangoes. In the past, servants would cut them for her, but now that there was no one to do it, she was too lazy to eat them. Cutting mangoes was really troublesome.
"It's delicious. I'll have Wei Shi find the old woman and order some. We really do have a lot of family."
Zi Yisheng liked the word "our family," which made him feel warm.
"Okay, I'll ask the old woman for her address later and go buy directly. We can also ask her to make more varieties."
The black market usually sold dried goods, grains, and wild game. Ye Shengsong walked to the deepest part before seeing stalls selling antiques and jewelry.
This was also why Ye Shengsong came to the black market to try her luck. If she stumbled upon something genuine, she would have made a profit.
The seller of antiques and jewelry was a young girl, her face smeared with dark paint, but one could still tell she was young. However, her beautiful eyes held a deep sorrow, like a wounded little beast.
Ye Shengsong squatted down and looked at the items on the ground: a pair of porcelain vases with pretty patterns, but their authenticity was unclear. There were also two bronze artifacts and a jewelry box.
"How much are these?"
The girl looked up and was stunned by the beautiful eyes Ye Shengsong revealed. She then lowered her head shyly, her voice barely audible.
"Fifty catties of fine grain for all of these. I only want fine grain."
Just as Ye Shengsong was about to speak, she saw Wei Shi rushing over. The people in the alley also started to stir.
"Young Master Zi, hurry and leave with me."
The girl sitting on the ground quickly gathered her belongings. Before Ye Shengsong could say anything, Zi Yisheng scooped her up by the waist.
"Take her with us."
Wei Shi then grabbed the girl and quickly left. On both sides of the alley were two open rooms, convenient for evading inspectors.
Zi Yisheng also ran into a courtyard, passing through the rooms to the adjacent alley.
The girl Wei Shi was carrying was so scared she was out of her mind, only able to clutch her bundle tightly.
Zi Yisheng entered another courtyard in the alley. Wei Shi dropped the girl aside and closed the door.
Zi Yisheng put Ye Shengsong down, his expression grim.
"What's going on?"
"We were suddenly reported. We've already sent people to investigate who did it."
Ye Shengsong helped up the girl who was still sitting on the ground, her frightened eyes softening her heart.
"Girl, we're safe now. Don't be scared."
Seeing Wei Shi, the girl hid behind Ye Shengsong. Such a move made Ye Shengsong chuckle. She looked at the fair-skinned Wei Shi with a teasing glint in her eye.
Wei Shi didn't even glance at her, just stood beside Zi Yisheng with his head bowed, looking as if he had made a mistake.
"Don't be scared, girl. I'll take all your things. I'll give you the grain when we can go out."
"Really! Thank you, thank you so much."
Since they couldn't leave anytime soon, Ye Shengsong found herself in the mood to chat with the girl.
"Do you have more at home? I really like these things. If you do, I can give you more grain."
The girl's eyes lit up, then she seemed to remember something, speaking hesitantly.
"I have a lot more at home, but I want to exchange it for some gold. Can I?"
Ye Shengsong was quite surprised. Not many people were selling gold now, and even fewer were willing to buy it.
"Don't you need fine grain anymore? Is fifty catties enough to eat?"
The girl's eyes dimmed instantly.
"Soon, no one will eat it. Fifty catties won't even be enough."
Ye Shengsong turned to look at Zi Yisheng, but he just smiled at her, indicating she should decide.
"How much gold do you want for the items at your home? I need to prepare."
"Five small gold ingots will do. They aren't expensive. The items at my home are all top quality. You definitely won't lose out."
The girl was afraid Ye Shengsong would find it too expensive, her tone becoming anxious.
"Alright, I need to see the goods first. If they're really worth that price, I'll take them all."
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. She bowed to Ye Shengsong, startling her into quickly dodging.
"Thank you. You saved my family. Thank you so much."
Zi Yisheng glanced at Wei Shi, who nodded and turned to leave.
Zi Yisheng brought a chair from inside the room and gestured for the little girl to sit.
"Sit down and rest for a while, and see if fifty catties of fine grain are worth it."
The girl quickly placed her bundle at Ye Shengsong's feet. Ye Shengsong picked up a porcelain vase and handed it to Zi Yisheng.
"What do you think?"
Ye Shengsong winked at Zi Yisheng. Zi Yisheng chuckled, took the vase, and examined it carefully. After a moment, he nodded at Ye Shengsong.
Ye Shengsong's eyes curved into a smile. She quickly handed another bronze artifact to Zi Yisheng. It was good to have someone knowledgeable.
Ye Shengsong picked up the jewelry box and placed it on her lap. Lifting the lid revealed a set of emerald jewelry. The gems were particularly dazzling in the sunlight, instantly captivating Ye Shengsong.
"It's so beautiful. The whole set is perfect."
The girl showed no regret in her eyes as she looked at the jewelry, as if she didn't care about it.
"Is the price you offered a bit low?"
The girl shook her head, reached out, and opened the second layer, revealing four dark jade tablets with no inscriptions arranged side by side.
Ye Shengsong picked up one and held it up to the sunlight, revealing its greenness through the light.
"These things aren't worth much now. I've waited for a week and no one has inquired, so I'm very grateful that you're willing to give me fifty catties of fine grain."
Ye Shengsong sighed. In her past life, these items would have cost millions, or even been rare treasures.
"I like them very much. Fifty catties of fine grain is a good deal for me."
The girl smiled shyly, not expecting such a gentle buyer today.
Wei Shi returned quickly, carrying a sack of grain on his shoulder and placing it on the ground.
"Young Master Zi, the inspectors have left. The brothers below just said that someone threw an anonymous letter to the inspection team, which is why we didn't receive any advance warning."
"Find out who threw that anonymous letter. I want to know."
"Yes."
The group followed the girl to her home, a shack built from corrugated iron. Ye Shengsong heard coughing from inside from a distance.
Ye Shengsong, who was about to follow them in, was stopped by Zi Yisheng.
"Take the things to a safe place. We won't go in."