Volume 1, Chapter 7: The First Order

Qin Xiangdong had left in such a hurry that he forgot to lock his door. Liu Cuilian walked right in and began rummaging through his cupboards and drawers, hoping to see if he had been hiding money from them, but she found nothing.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Brother Qin, it’s Director Lin from the North Station. About that..." Director Lin on the other end sounded hesitant.

"If you have something to say, Director Lin, just say it."

"It’s about yesterday's case. I wanted to ask, do you happen to know the young girl, Sun Yaqin?"

Qin Xiangdong hesitated for a moment before asking, "Has someone been pressuring you?"

"Brother Qin, you’ve misunderstood. I was just asking."

"Director Lin, as the head of the police station, handling cases impartially is your duty. Regardless of my relationship with Sun Yaqin, would that affect how you judge the case?"

"Well... of course not. I was just being a bit nosy. I’ll leave it at that, Brother Qin."

"Click." The line went dead.

Sun Yaqin and Sun Yalin had finished breakfast. "Yaqin, did you know Captain Qin before?"

Sun Yaqin shook her head. "Yesterday was the first time I met him."

"That Captain Qin is quite a kind soul. He saved you yesterday, and then he beat up Yang Mingli just a while ago. Later, your second sister will take you to the market to buy him some gifts as a proper thank you."

"Okay!"

The two tidied up and headed to the market. Being Saturday, it was much busier than usual, though most stalls sold textiles and daily necessities.

Nowadays, it was no longer as it had been in previous years; people could buy many things without ration coupons. While food was still strictly controlled, the national economic reforms now allowed individuals to sell some meat and eggs.

The market was filled with a chorus of hawkers. Sun Yaqin noticed someone selling pheasant and venison and walked over to inquire.

"Grandpa, how much for the pheasant and venison?"

"Who are you calling 'Grandpa'!" The man looked up from under his leather cap, and Sun Yaqin realized he was only in his twenties.

"Big brother, I’m sorry. How much are you selling the pheasant and venison for?"

Seeing the young girl with her large, bright eyes, the man felt a bit embarrassed about his earlier hostility and scratched his head.

"Pheasant is one yuan and twenty cents a pound, venison is one yuan and fifty cents."

"Big brother, do you have a permit? You’re just selling these out in the open like this?"

The peddler grew annoyed, stood up, and put his hands on his hips. "Listen here, young lady, everyone who sells things on this street has a permit."

He pulled several documents from the board where the meat was displayed. "Take a look! These are my papers! Genuine and authentic! I don't engage in any illegal activities!"

Sun Yalin tugged at Sun Yaqin’s sleeve and whispered, "Yaqin, what are you doing? We don't lack these things at home."

Sun Yaqin gave her second sister a look to stay quiet. She smiled at the peddler and leaned in. "Big brother, do you buy pheasant and venison?"

The peddler frowned, eyeing her suspiciously. "So, you’re not here to buy, you’re here to sell! Go on, get out of here! Don't get in the way of my business!"

"Big brother, don’t be so hasty. I can offer you a very fair price."

"Young lady, move along! Don't cause trouble, or I’ll have to chase you off!"

Sun Yaqin didn’t give up. "Big brother, the Lunar New Year is almost here. Meat and eggs are bound to be in short supply; many people won't be able to buy meat. When that time comes, these wild game items will be hot commodities. I can see you’re almost sold out—if you don't have stock, you’re going to lose out on a huge profit."

Her words struck a chord. The peddler licked his lips and let out a hesitant sound. He hadn't spoken for a while. With the end of the year approaching, every household was busy preparing for the holiday, fewer people were hunting in the mountains, and his regular suppliers were struggling to keep up. There was indeed a shortage.

Sun Yaqin seized the moment. "Big brother, not only can I supply you, but I can help you sell it too, so you don't have to manage the stall all by yourself."

The peddler was tempted. "Alright, wait a moment. It’s busy now; wait until I’m done."

Sun Yaqin, having come prepared, took out a piece of paper detailing the purchase prices and delivery dates. The peddler hadn't had much schooling and struggled to read the document, but when he saw the prices, his face lit up.

"You’re a smart one, aren't you? Fine! We’ll go with your prices. Bring the goods to me before the Little New Year."

"Thank you, big brother. If you agree, please sign here and add your thumbprint!"

The peddler hesitated. "I’m here every day; I’m not going anywhere. Just bring your goods when the time comes."

Sun Yaqin said seriously, "That won't work. I have to transport these goods from Shanglin Village, and the travel costs are high. If you change your mind, I’ll have wasted my time and effort. How about this: either give me the travel expenses now, or sign this, and I’ll cover the costs myself."

The peddler chuckled. "I didn't realize you were so shrewd. Fine! I’ll sign!"

People in this era had little legal awareness, but that didn't mean there were no regulations. Sun Yaqin didn't want a wasted trip, so she used the paper as a safeguard.

Holding the order, Sun Yaqin was delighted. "I’ll be off then, big brother. I’ll see you in a few days."

"Alright! What’s your name, kid?"

"My name is Sun Yaqin!"

"Got it, I’m Xu Tao!"

"Goodbye, Brother Xu Tao!"

Xu Tao watched her walk away and shook his head with a smile.

Sun Yalin felt she couldn't understand her sister anymore. Only a few days ago, she was like a wild monkey, climbing trees and crawling through caves. Had she suddenly become a different person? Could it have something to do with that dream she had?

"Yaqin, are you trying to learn how to do business?"

"Second sister, every household in our village has a hunting rifle, and we have more game than we can eat. Since the New Year is coming and it’s hard to buy meat, why not sell it for cash?"

Sun Yalin thought her sister made sense, especially since she had been so thorough, even checking for the peddler's permit before negotiating.

Villagers had thought about selling their game before, but it required permits, and if they were caught for "speculation and profiteering," the consequences were severe. So, they usually just ate it themselves.

"If you want to try, go ahead. At worst, we only lose the travel money. I’ll give you my wages."

"Second sister, don't worry about your wages. Yang Zhigang and his wife are both locked up; don't count on them for money. In the future, I’ll earn enough to support you."

Sun Yalin looked at her little sister with tenderness and laughed. "Alright, I’ll wait for you to earn enough to support me. Let’s go buy something for Captain Qin."

"Second sister! Look, they have canned goods. Let’s buy some."

Sun Yalin tapped her forehead gently. "I think you’re the one who wants to eat them!"

They bought two cans and a box of pastries and headed back.

"Is Captain Qin home?"

Hearing someone call from outside, Liu Cuilian answered with extreme impatience, pushing the door open and glaring at the two sisters.

"Can’t you be quieter? How annoying!"