Volume One, Chapter Three: Setting Off for the County Town to Explore the Market!

Tang Yichen’s plan was as follows.

First, they would go to the town market to buy about ten jin of dried small fish and shrimp, to get a sense of the rural market.

Then, they would take the dried fish and shrimp to the county seat by train and try selling them in the provincial capital.

This way, they could understand the prices in the provincial capital while also gauging the market—killing two birds with one stone.

Even if they couldn’t sell the goods, they could bring them back and eat them themselves.

At six o’clock the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, Tang Xionghua patted Tang Yichen on the rear and shouted, “Yichen, get up!”

Tang Yichen, still half-asleep, opened his eyes and looked at his father, who was about to pat him again.

In a childish voice, he said helplessly, “Dad, I’m thirty-eight years old now, with more life experience than you. Could you stop patting my butt? It’s awkward!”

“Oh, I’m just used to it. I couldn’t help myself for a moment…” Tang Xionghua scratched his head awkwardly.

After getting dressed and washing up, Tang Yichen’s stomach began to growl.

Ah, why does a little kid get hungry so easily…

“Let’s go! Dad will take you to the market for breakfast, with your favorite soy milk and fried dough sticks.”

Tang Xionghua put on his only shabby suit, trying to look affluent, and called Tang Yichen to head out.

In truth, he had never been to the provincial capital in all his life and felt a bit nervous inside.

But in front of his son, he had to show the calm demeanor of an adult.

“If you don’t want to make breakfast, just say so. Don’t dress it up with fancy words. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that time when you left me alone at the market as a kid…”

Tang Yichen pouted, slung on a small backpack, and went out first.

Inside the backpack was a small notebook and a pen. He was afraid he might forget some things, so it was best to write them down.

Tang Xionghua was a bit more prepared.

Besides tidying himself up to look respectable, he had hidden a long slaughter knife in his bag.

This was their first long trip away from home, carrying over two hundred yuan and a “child” who was already five.

In this era, one could never be too careful.

Robbery, theft, trafficking… these were commonplace.

If he hadn’t worried about wasting time, Tang Xionghua would have gone back to the countryside to bring his father’s pistol.

Yes, guns had not yet been completely banned in this era.

Tang Yichen’s grandfather, Tang Jiaxiang, had been a militia member and knew how to handle firearms. The family owned a hunting rifle and a revolver.

Tang Yichen had only vague memories of these things.

By the time he was fully aware, several crackdowns had greatly improved social order.

Moreover, Tang Xionghua had one advantage.

He had trained in martial arts with a wandering monk for several years in his teens.

Coupled with his height of one meter eighty-six and a sturdy build, most people simply couldn’t beat him.

Ten minutes later, father and son arrived at the market.

Since they lived in a school-assigned apartment in the town center, it was very close.

Fortunately, the principal had promised Tang Xionghua he could stay until the summer vacation ended and had not immediately kicked him out.

“Sir, how much are you selling these dried small fish for?”

After wandering around, they finally found someone selling dried small fish in a corner.

Tang Xionghua immediately approached to ask the price.

“One yuan each,” the old man replied, holding up one finger.

“Could you give me a discount? One yuan each, I’ll take them all,” Tang Xionghua bargained, estimating there were about ten jin in the old man’s bag.

The old man readily agreed.

He had expected bargaining and didn’t expect to sell everything at once—this was a good thing!

After paying, Tang Xionghua realized he could have bargained for an even lower price, maybe ninety cents each…

They bought twelve jin, losing one yuan and twenty cents unnecessarily.

Seeing Tang Xionghua’s somewhat regretful expression, Tang Yichen comforted him:

“Dad, they say there’s no business without a bit of trickery, but keeping a pure heart and being benevolent while wealthy isn’t bad either. Take it slow…”

“Besides, after walking around, we’ve confirmed that no one in the countryside really wants these dried fish and shrimp.”

“The old man’s fish and shrimp are pretty large, top quality. I guess, like my grandfather, he casually catches them from the river when he has free time, which means the supply is abundant.”

“If profits are high in the city, we won’t have to worry about running out of stock.”

Hearing this, Tang Xionghua agreed it made sense and stopped worrying.

It was his son who thought ahead—if they wanted to get rich, they had to rely on him!

After buying the goods and finishing breakfast, the two went to the town’s bus station.

They had to take a bus to the county seat first…

Once on the bus, Tang Yichen smelled a familiar sour stench.

Buses in this era had no air conditioning, and people often brought poultry and livestock aboard.

Many got motion sickness and vomited inside; conditions were truly harsh…

Tang Yichen covered his nose, found a window seat, and took deep breaths.

Tang Xionghua, however, acted as if nothing was wrong and felt a bit excited inside.

“Hey, Teacher Tang, where are you headed? And why bring little Yichen along?”

“Teacher Tang, it’s you! Have the final exams been graded yet? I want to know my kid’s scores early so I can get ready to discipline him!”

…

Tianshui Town was small, with fewer than twenty teachers at the town middle school.

Tang Xionghua was somewhat well-known locally, and two people who got on the bus immediately recognized him and greeted him.

“Done grading. The papers will be handed out in a few days... It’s almost summer vacation, so I’m taking Yichen to the county for a little trip.”

Tang Xionghua replied with an embarrassed smile.

No one knew he had been dismissed yet, and he was too proud to admit it himself.

“Teacher Tang, little Yichen is growing up day by day. He can’t be without a mother’s care. You’re a good father, but you shouldn’t neglect your own life. I have a niece…”

One familiar woman from the town’s supply and marketing cooperative always tried to push her divorced niece on Tang Xionghua whenever they met.

Tang Yichen remembered this well.

The woman never gave up, even after Tang Yichen started elementary school.

If it weren’t for his father’s dismissal and deportation from the city becoming public a year later, she probably would have kept at it.

“Yichen is still young, very young. No rush…”

Tang Xionghua always used Yichen as an excuse to refuse others, and this time was no exception.

Seeing that Tang Xionghua was unmoved, the woman switched tactics and turned to Tang Yichen.

She forcibly handed him a Big White Rabbit candy: “Here, Yichen, have some candy. This candy is delicious.”

“Thank you, but I have cavities and can’t eat candy,” Tang Yichen smiled and declined.

It was obvious that the supply and marketing cooperative had plenty of profit margin; ordinary families wouldn’t offer Big White Rabbit candies so freely.

It was a bit annoying, but Tang Yichen also felt the rough yet sincere folk customs of this era.

In later years, when material desires ran rampant and social warmth cooled, such scenes would become rare…

Thankfully, after half an hour of nagging, they arrived at the county seat.

“Oh my—”

Tang Yichen stretched his limbs as soon as they got off the bus.

The whole journey had been noisy, reeking of sweat and body odor, with a broken vehicle on bad roads—he was nearly sick from the bumps.

“Yichen, are you okay? Do you want Dad to carry you?” Tang Xionghua walked over and asked.

He truly worried his son’s small frame wouldn’t hold up.

“I’m fine. Let’s hurry to the train station,” Tang Yichen rolled his eyes and, recalling the way, led the way to the train station.

Fortunately, the bus station was right next to the train station, less than six hundred meters away.

Seeing this, Tang Xionghua quickly hurried to catch up.

“My little treasure, the train station is such a chaotic place. You better be careful. If my thirty-eight-year-old son gets abducted, what would I do?”