Chapter 15

Xiao Lin ran home with the candy and saw his brother weaving a bamboo basket in the courtyard under the moonlight. His sister was looking ahead while rubbing the hemp rope skillfully.

“Sister, open your mouth.”

Xiao Li smiled and opened her mouth obediently.

Xiao Lin opened his handkerchief and put a mint into Xiao Li’s mouth. Then, he quickly sealed his sister’s mouth with his hand.

He smiled and asked, “Is it sweet? You’re not allowed to spit it out, or I’ll ignore you.”

Xiao Li felt the candy slowly melting on the tip of her tongue and nodded. Then, she took her hand off her mouth. “Brother, did you give it all to me again?” Although it was a question, Xiao Li knew that Xiao Lin definitely didn’t eat it.

Xiao Lin quickly replied, “I did. I couldn’t help but eat one on the way.”

Xiao Li looked suspicious.

Xiao Sheng looked at the handkerchief and asked Xiao Lin how he got it. Xiao Lin told him the whole story.

Hearing that Yu Bing had given him four candies, Xiao Li asked Xiao Lin for them. Xiao Lin handed them over without thinking much about it. Xiao Li felt that there were still three candies in her handkerchief and felt a little touched. She took out one and said sternly, “Second Brother, you lied to me again. Come over and I’ll feed you.”

Xiao Lin slapped his forehead and realized that he had been seen through by Xiao Li. He didn’t want to make his sister sad, so he obediently opened his mouth and ate the candy in Xiao Li’s hand. He felt the unique coolness and sweetness of the mint candy and smiled.

Xiao Li took out another one and said, “I’ll feed you.”

Xiao Sheng looked at Xiao Li’s serious expression. He could only helplessly extend his head and open his mouth to eat it.

After confirming that both of them had eaten it, Xiao Li savored the candy in her mouth and felt extremely happy.

Seeing how happy his siblings were, Xiao Sheng couldn’t help but smile.

His hands kept weaving as he said gently, “I’ll be back late tonight. Sleep early and leave the door open for me.”

Xiao Lin’s eyes lit up as he looked at Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng had inherited his father’s hunting skills and often went up the mountain to secretly dig traps. Most of the prey he hunted was exchanged for money in the county’s black market.

In this era, there was public ownership and a centralized system. Private transactions were not allowed, but things were in short supply. The stamps obtained by people working in the city were limited every month, so there were often cases of people with money but no stamps, or people with money and stamps but no supplies in the supply companies!

Thus, the black market appeared. Many people with connections found things that were difficult to buy from supply companies and looked for buyers to exchange for stamps or money, such as Xiao Sheng.

However, the risk of black market transactions were very high. Once they were caught, they would be charged with speculation. At best, they would be criticized by everyone at the village meeting. In other words, they would be beaten and insulted. At worst, they would go to jail. Therefore, many people wouldn’t go to the black market unless they had no choice.

However, this phenomenon slowly disappeared after the reform. The planned economy turned into a market economy, and the entire country began to allow free trade.

Xiao Lin knew that this was money to treat his sister’s eyes. If not for the fact that he was worried about his sister being at home alone, he would have entered the mountain to help his brother dig a few more traps.

Xiao Sheng guessed that most of the families in the village were asleep by now. He carried two empty baskets from the back of his house and went up the mountain. After walking for about half an hour, he stopped at a fork completely covered by tall weeds.

After pushing aside the grass, Xiao Sheng carefully stepped over. He even turned his head to observe carefully. He only continued forward after seeing that there were no signs of anyone walking past.

After walking for more than ten minutes, he first went to the place where the trap was dug. The trap caught a pheasant and a wild rabbit. He placed them in the basket.

He continued walking for a while and entered a low-lying valley. Xiao Sheng had plowed two acres and planted many vegetables. Xiao Sheng quickly harvested them into the wicker basket and covered them with the tattered linen cloth he had prepared.

After taking the things down the mountain, he made some turns before going into a hidden cave. He took out a dilapidated bicycle from a pile of weeds and placed the wicker basket on both sides. He rode towards the county in the darkness.