Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Black Trade Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Black Trade Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had just returned to their room when the hallway beca livelier; everyone who had been isolated at their workstations due to the acid rain was now back.
In the evening, after Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng had dinner, they went out for a walk. Just as they reached the stairwell, Zhang Ping and a man were also returning.
Previously, Zhang Ping hadn’t had a favorable impression of Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng; however, in her husband’s presence, she still demonstrated her amiable side.
She introduced them, “This is my husband, Old Wang. Others call him an agriculturalist, but he’s really just a farr.” Her statent was actually a boast.
Although Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn’t like Zhang Ping, they respected soone who had achievents in their field and contributed to humanity, so they greeted her husband as Teacher Wang.
Zhang Ping’s husband was Wang Shichu, bespectacled, honest and kind, dark and thin, appearing more than ten years older than Zhang Ping.
He was a farm boy who had made sothing of himself through his own abilities. He had always been focused on his studies and later, entirely devoted to his work. By the ti he was nearly forty and still single, his coworkers, unable to bear it, introduced him to Zhang Ping. Although her family was poor, her young age was an advantage, especially since Wang Shichu was already approaching forty, so they quickly married.
Wang Shichu didn’t usually manage household affairs; he gave all his salary to the household and concentrated single-mindedly on his work, leading a simple life.
He pushed his glasses up his nose and said to Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, “These two young ones are so dignified and respectable, out for a stroll I see.”
Gu Pan responded, “Yes, just finished dinner and decided to walk and digest a bit.”
Wang Shichu said, “Good, good, then go enjoy yourselves.”
After saying goodbye to Wang Shichu, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng continued downstairs for a walk.
After descending the stairs, Gu Pan said to Lu Ruisheng, “This Teacher Wang seems like a decent person. Sotis it’s strange, they don’t seem like they match at all, yet they manage to live a lifeti together.”
Lu Ruisheng remarked, “It’s all about what each person needs, I guess. If both of their needs are t, then it’s not impossible.”
“That makes sense. There must be so aspects in which they suit each other; we’re only seeing the surface. They live behind closed doors.”
“So as long as we keep our distance from them, it’s fine.”
While they were discussing Zhang Ping and Wang Shichu, Wang Shichu and Zhang Ping were also talking about them.
Zhang Ping said to Wang Shichu, “These young people are no ordinary couple; neighbors around here don’t even get invited into their house, very cunning.”
Wang Shichu replied, “Everyone’s cautious since the apocalypse; it’s normal. Tell Wang Yan to be more vigilant too. You’ve spoiled that boy rotten; his studies are poor and now his work ethic is lacking as well.”
Zhang Ping said, “It’s the apocalypse; whether his studies are good doesn’t matter anymore. What’s important is having a skill. He can’t learn from you, so maybe we should consider having him learn hairdressing.”
Wang Shichu frowned tightly, “Hairdressing?”
“So what should we do then? Not everyone is suited for scientific research like you. He simply isn’t a studious type. We need to find a skill for our son, don’t we?”
“After all these years, how co he hasn’t learned anything from all those classes you enrolled him in?”
“You’re always busy with work, leaving to handle everything, including the child. And now you bla ?”
“I’m not blaming you; I’m just frustrated with the boy. Tell , is he really my son? How co he doesn’t resemble at all?”
“What do you an by that? If not yours, then is he picked up from the streets? After all these years, I’ve been the one taking care of everything at ho, even looking after your parents. You just earn the money. What else have you done? And now you still bla ?”
“Look, I didn’t an that. I misspoke.” Wang Shichu hadn’t really been involved in ho affairs over the years, so he did indeed feel a sense of guilt toward his wife.
Zhang Ping also knew her husband well and knew what to say to make him relent.
Her husband might be older and not so good-looking, but he was great at his job. She had always been mistreated in her maternal ho, but marrying him had turned her fortunes around. Over the recent years, she hadn’t been thrifty when buying things for her maternal family. Every ti she drove there, carrying valuable gifts, she would be held in high regard. This feeling encouraged her to spend more money on her maternal ho and enjoy their flattery even more.
In reality, their son hadn’t really attended that many tutoring classes; she had spent the money on her maternal family. However, sotis her husband wouldn’t co ho for months due to a project, and whatever she said, he would just believe.
After the apocalypse, because her husband had stored many seeds in the basent, their family was lucky not to starve.
After all, life is a series of gains and losses. Although she didn’t end up with a man she loved dearly, her life was quite comfortable.
Every ti they argued, Wang Shichu would apologize first, which always soothed Zhang Ping.
anwhile, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng were talking as they reached the plaza where there were quite a few people. It was lit up; everyone was out for a walk since there were no older residents to engage in plaza dancing, just people walking around for exercise.
As they reached a less crowded area, a short, skinny man suddenly appeared: “Excuse , would you like to exchange grain for gold? The prices are based on outside the base.”
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng were startled. What was this about? They dared not agree hastily—who knew what it entailed and whether it might lead to being cheated.
So they quickly shook their heads, indicating they weren’t interested.
The man didn’t give up and followed them, whispering, “I can move in and out of the base. Outside, a pound of fine grain is worth a pound of gold. It should be easy for you to save up a pound in the base, and it’s a good deal to exchange it for gold. Who knows, when the apocalypse is over, your gold could make you rich.”
Although Gu Pan hadn’t been tempted before, the ntion of gold stirred her interest, though the exchange rate seed quite exploitative. Previously, the rate had been one pound of grain for two pounds of gold—now it was apparently a one-to-one exchange, an old price from long ago.
But this was the base, and thus so matters couldn’t be judged by past standards. So, Gu Pan paused and asked, “Aren’t you afraid the base will catch you for trading so openly?”
The man laughed, “If I dare to do this, don’t you think I have connections? Don’t worry, everything’s taken care of.”
Gu Pan couldn’t just trust him on his word; there were rules in the base, and disrupting the market was illegal. Since they were in the base, they hoped for its prosperity, so she didn’t want to engage in such activities inside. If it involved trading with supplies from her Space after leaving the base, that would be a different matter.
Of course, the price was unacceptable; it was too exploitative.
She told the man, “We don’t have anything to exchange at the mont, but can we leave a way to contact you? If we have supplies later, we’ll co to you.”
Even though the deal was exploitative, keeping such a contact wasn’t a mistake—who knew what edible food the base might develop in the future, or how the value of grain and the exchange rates might change.
The man said, “I co here every three days. You can find here next ti.”
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