Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Running into Dai Heng Xin
After Ye Yu Bin agreed, Xiao Ying Chun beamed. “So when can you get me the first batch? I’m in a hurry.”
Ye Yu Bin glared at her. “I’ll check right now. See how much stock I have left.”
He disappeared inside and came back a moment later carrying three boxes. He set them down with a thump. “This is everything I’ve got on hand. Take it first. The rest I’ll deliver in three days. To your shop, yes?”
“Perfect.” Xiao Ying Chun’s eyes lit up. “Uncle Ye, how much? I’ll pay you now.”
He glared again. “Why the rush? We’ll settle it all at once after I restock.”
“Okay, okay.” She grabbed the boxes, staggered one step, and nearly blocked her own view. “Then I’ll go—”
“Stop.” Ye Yu Bin took the boxes back with a sigh. “You can’t even see the road carrying these. I’ll ride them over.”
Xiao Ying Chun immediately surrendered with a grin. “Heh heh. Thanks, Uncle Ye.”
He loaded the medicine onto his electric scooter and brought it to her store, dropping the boxes into the storeroom before leaving.
As soon as he was gone, Xiao Ying Chun headed to the distillery to find Uncle Wu.
Uncle Wu had sold her three hundred jin of strong liquor yesterday. When he saw her again today, his face split into a delighted grin. “What, Xiao Girl? Buying liquor again?”
Xiao Ying Chun smiled right back. “A friend said your liquor’s good and asked me to help buy more. This time I need two thousand jin.”
Ten thousand people—two liang each. It should be about right.
Uncle Wu stared at her like she’d spoken another language. “Two thousand jin?”
Xiao Ying Chun nodded calmly. “Make it stronger.”
Lower proof meant they’d drink more. Better high proof—two liang per person would be enough.
Uncle Wu’s face flushed with excitement. “This one’s fifty-six degrees. Want a taste?”
Xiao Ying Chun waved both hands hard. She had zero interest in liquor. It burned from throat to stomach—what was the appeal?
Uncle Wu didn’t push it. “Ten yuan a jin,” he said, already calculating. Xiao Ying Chun told him to pack it in plastic buckets and deliver it to her shop. Then she went home to wait for another delivery.
She’d ordered instant noodles. She needed to be there when they arrived.
She opened her shop, dragged a lounge chair to the doorway, and sat down like a guard taking her post.
The day was overcast. A breeze slipped past the entrance. Not too hot.
She pulled out her phone and started scrolling. To her surprise, her feed was now full of videos about antique collectibles, silver ingots, gold ingots, and jewelry.
[The algorithm really has me figured out.]
She sold a few packs of cigarettes and a couple bottles of water. Then, right as she was watching a video about the market price of old jewelry, a cheerful male voice rang out.
“Hey, beautiful! You’re here?”
Xiao Ying Chun looked up and froze.
A tall, handsome man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood in front of her, looking down with open delight.
Dai Heng Xin. The pawnshop boss.
His smile was bright enough to be suspicious. “Do you live nearby? How come I’ve never seen you before?”
Xiao Ying Chun pointed toward the urban village. “You’re from around here too?”
[I’ve never seen you either.]
Dai Heng Xin shook his head. “My grandfather lives here. I’m visiting him. Didn’t expect to spot you the second I arrived.”
“Your grandfather is…?”
“Zhao Ji Ping.”
Xiao Ying Chun’s stomach dropped.
[Oh no. He’s Grandpa Zhao’s grandson.]
If Dai Heng Xin asked Grandpa Zhao about her, she was finished. The elders in the village knew everyone’s business. Her parents were ordinary people—where would “family heirloom” gold and silver ingots come from?
Xiao Ying Chun forced a laugh and threw a threadbare warning over the problem like a blanket. “Everyone in the village knows each other. Don’t mention me selling things to you, okay?”
“Okay.” Dai Heng Xin agreed without hesitation. He even added, as if to reassure her, “In my line of work, the most important thing is keeping your mouth shut. If I’m not supposed to ask, I won’t.”
Xiao Ying Chun nodded, only half soothed. “Good. Then I’ll relax.”
She fell silent. Dai Heng Xin took the hint, nodded politely, and left.
The moment he was gone, Xiao Ying Chun couldn’t even focus on her phone anymore. She stared at the road like it might cough up an answer.
What was she supposed to do with the gold and silver ingots from now on?
Should she keep selling them to Dai Heng Xin?
If someone asked where they came from, what would she say?
What if a police uncle came knocking?
She had money, but she didn’t dare turn it into anything usable.
[Who understands this kind of pain, folks?]
She scratched at her hair—then froze as a delivery truck stopped in front of her shop.
Uncle Liang climbed down, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Uncle Liang,” Xiao Ying Chun said automatically, still half lost in her thoughts. “You’re here…”
“Open up,” he said, familiar as family. “I’ll put it in your storeroom.”
He backed the truck neatly into place, rear aligned with the storeroom door. Xiao Ying Chun opened up, and he unloaded the instant noodles and water.
When he finished, he lingered while she checked the invoice and transferred payment. He wiped his face again and lowered his voice. “I heard those four families are planning to sue your aunt. They all came yesterday, right? Nothing happened?”
Xiao Ying Chun verified the count, then sent the transfer. “What could happen? I made everything clear and showed them the contract. They didn’t have a word after that.”
Uncle Liang hesitated, then said it anyway. “Did they tell you to order from them next time?”
Xiao Ying Chun blinked. “How did you know?”
His laugh was awkward. “Someone told me.”
Xiao Ying Chun didn’t dodge it. “We’ve done business for years. If I need something, you’re my first call. If you don’t have it, I’ll ask them too.”
No exclusivity meant she could shop around. Asking wasn’t a crime.
Uncle Liang nodded quickly. “I understand. I understand.”
He said it, but his face stayed stiff with embarrassment.
Xiao Ying Chun didn’t explain further. She lifted her phone slightly. “I transferred the money. I’ll call next time I need stock.”
“Alright.” Uncle Liang climbed back into his truck and drove off.
Not long after, Uncle Wu’s liquor arrived too. Xiao Ying Chun had everything stacked into the storeroom, bucket after bucket, until the space felt like a warehouse.
When she judged the timing was right, she shut the front door. She hung a sign outside that read: Boss out. Call if needed.
Then she opened the back door.
Spacetime Supermarket reopened.
Fu Chen An arrived soon after, carrying a wooden box full of gold ingots.
Xiao Ying Chun met his gaze and pointed to the piles by the door.
Two flat dollies were loaded: cases of instant noodles stacked high, buckets of liquor lined in neat rows. Extra cases and buckets waited beside them.
Fu Chen An didn’t touch the goods first. He handed over the gold ingots and confirmed the count with Xiao Ying Chun.
Three hundred taels of gold—payment for this batch of medicine and liquor.
Xiao Ying Chun was delighted. She pocketed the satisfaction and made her new rule. “From now on, don’t bring me silver. I only want gold ingots. They need to be intact—no dents, no warping—and stamped.”
“No problem,” Fu Chen An said without hesitation.
This raid had turned up hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and thousands of taels of gold from wealthy household homes. Enough to shop at Spacetime Supermarket many times over.
Instant noodles were easy to count. The two thousand jin of liquor, though, made his brows rise. “This… one bowl each and it’ll be gone. Can I order more?”
Xiao Ying Chun didn’t answer directly. She popped open one bucket, poured a little into a cup, and slid it over. “Try it.”
Fu Chen An took one sip.
The next second his face twisted like he’d been punched by fire.
It was too strong—so strong it caught him off guard.
“Ow—” he choked, blinking hard, throat burning.