He Yu Cheng's mood had calmed down. He left a clone at home and quietly slipped out of the compound.
The punishment of the beasts in the compound had just begun. The dirt needed to be revealed bit by bit, it would be more interesting. If he killed all these beasts at once, how boring would his infinite life be?
He Yu Cheng had heard of the Ghost Market before but never had the chance to visit. Now he had transmigrated and got the opportunity.
What was a Ghost Market? It was actually a special early market (also known as the Dawn Market). The opening hours of the Ghost Market were typically "starting in the middle of the night, closing at cockcrow." (It basically meant no one was around when the sky turned bright.) In other words, it started around 2 or 3 AM and ended around 4 or 5 AM, operating exclusively in the middle of the night. Since the timing was similar to the time when ghosts were believed to appear, the market was given such a strange name.
During the planned economy period, the Ghost Market sold a diverse range of goods, including clothing, food, jewelry, calligraphy, paintings, medicine, and much more!
Based on his perception, He Yu Cheng directly went to the Ghost Market. The small vendors would set up their stalls, place a small stool, and sit comfortably. Soon, buyers would arrive, and business would begin.
Even though it was 3 AM, the crowd was bustling, very lively!
Of course, there was another unique aspect to it. The Ghost Market was exceptionally quiet. Logically speaking, a market, especially one where people traded goods, should be bustling with noise. There should be constant chatter.
For example, the vegetable markets or large shopping malls we see every day are like this. Sometimes the noise is even irritating.
But the Ghost Market was incredibly silent. It had unique traditions and rules that people had become accustomed to.
There were two rules in the Ghost Market: First, no bargaining. The seller determined the price, and if you wanted to buy it, you bought it; if you didn't, you left. Transactions were extremely brief. People could look at the goods and buy, or look and leave. The seller would never try to persuade you, very straightforward!
The second rule was: focus on the goods, not the person. After all, Ghost Market transactions were conducted at night, and the lighting was poor. So, both buyers and sellers needed to use flashlights. There was a rule: you could shine your flashlight on the goods, but never on people. Most sellers didn't want to reveal their identities or let people know what they looked like. The goal was to complete the transaction peacefully. There was no need to get too familiar.
He Yu Cheng arrived to find that many sellers had already started their businesses. The entire Ghost Market was still very quiet. People communicated briefly, whispering softly, without a trace of noise or bustle.
Some even communicated silently, using their fingers to signal or writing on a piece of white paper.
Utilizing his psychic power, He Yu Cheng quickly found an empty spot and displayed his rice and flour.
Food was always the best-selling item in these times. As soon as he set it up, someone came over to inquire about the price!
"How much is the grain per pound?"
"Three yuan per pound for both."
Upon hearing this price, the buyer didn't show any surprise. Money was important, but food coupons were crucial. Most people who came to the Ghost Market were well-off. Those who didn't have money couldn't afford to come to the Ghost Market!
In his previous life, He Yu Cheng had specifically searched for stories from the 1960s. In 1961, a pound of food coupons from the capital city (Beijing) had a "black market price" of 3 yuan. A pound of national food coupons had a black market price of 4 yuan. Even then, there was high demand and limited supply. Now, food could be purchased without coupons, and naturally, the price couldn't be low.
"Give me ten pounds of each!"
Wow, that's sixty yuan in earnings!
He Yu Cheng sometimes wondered if he should go into the mountains and catch some wild game. He knew that in 1960, pork supplies drastically decreased. By July of that year, there was no fresh meat available for residents. That month, canned meat was introduced to the market as a substitute for fresh meat. It took several tickets to buy a can.
He Yu Cheng didn't like canned meat. He preferred fresh meat. If the market didn't have it, he could use his "dead wait" ability to raid other countries, or even go into the forest and capture wild boars, hares, and wild oxen to raise in his "heavenly realm," just like his fish. He could achieve meat freedom.
After one person finished buying, another came over to inquire about the price, and they bought five pounds of each.
In just two hours, He Yu Cheng sold 300 pounds of flour and 300 pounds of rice, earning 1800 yuan. Some might say this price was exaggerated, that he couldn't sell that much. But it was actually the case!
In a short period, he had earned what others earned in four or five years. Even Yi Zhong Hai would have to go two years without eating or drinking to save 1800 yuan!
Now that he had money, He Yu Cheng didn't treat himself poorly. He found a ticket dealer and purchased various types of tickets. After school started, he would give these tickets to Yu Shui...
Some might say, now that he has money, shouldn't he go to school? Why go to school? After having a lot of money, it's just numbers. With his own abilities, let alone other things, a life of wealth is quite simple. If anyone dares to provoke his family, he could make them disappear without a trace with a single thought!
As for why he worked at the street office now and didn't go to the factory, it's because he didn't want to expend his physical energy. Although he had strength, he couldn't overuse it. Going to the street office would make the beasts in the courtyard apprehensive, preventing them from scheming against each other like they used to.
Directly using his "dead wait" ability, he returned to his room with a single thought. Now that he had money, he could buy more seeds and poultry in his heavenly realm, raise them there, and have no shortage of money, tickets, or food. What else could be more satisfying?
He slept until dawn!
Before he even got out of bed, He Yu Cheng heard the sounds of quarreling from the courtyard!
"Can't they just be quiet for once!"
He Yu Cheng opened the door and saw that it was Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhong Hai, the two injured parties, arguing!
Yi Zhong Hai was in a difficult position now. This damn Jia Zhangshi was a terrible person. If she hadn't blabbed everything yesterday, would he have been so humiliated in front of the entire courtyard and Wang Zhuren? She was a real ungrateful wretch. She donated money and ended up causing trouble. Over the years, he had donated a dozen times, always contributing the most. Now, Jia Zhangshi was demanding that he repay the money.
If she had spoken politely, he would have given her the money. But she acted as if he owed her money and was blocking his door early in the morning, demanding her share.