Chapter 114: I Am Not Buying, Can't I Just Look?

Actually, there was one person who sprang into action: Su Liang. Seeing his goddess trip, he came charging over at a trot.

"Fangfang, Fangfang, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Before he had even reached her, his panicked voice rang out. As he finally rushed up to her, his foot slipped, and he tumbled heavily onto Qin Fang. His chin slammed into her mouth, leaving it bloodied.

"Ugh!" Qian Li turned away in disgust. She truly couldn't understand what Su Liang had going for him; why on earth had Qin Fang taken a liking to such a fool?

Xu Lin, watching the spectacle, chuckled and carried her basin back into the room, not caring in the slightest whether the two of them lived or died.

Seeing Xu Lin retreat, a flash of hatred crossed Qin Fang's eyes. She hadn't expected Xu Lin to show absolutely no reaction after receiving the letter from Qin Zonghan. Could it be that she really didn't care about the Qin family anymore?

Su Liang, meanwhile, muttered under his breath, cursing Xu Lin for being heartless. After all, Qin Fang’s parents had raised her; how could she just ignore Qin Fang falling down? Seeing the blood on Qin Fang’s mouth, Su Liang was heartbroken. He picked her up and started running, intending to find the village doctor.

Qin Fang, however, knew that being seen in such a pathetic state while being buffeted by the cold wind would likely lead to a cold. She was quick to react—pride prevailing—and stopped Su Liang’s impulsive dash, opting instead to have him carry her back to their room.

Once back inside, Xu Lin sat down to a hearty breakfast. Once full, she pushed her bicycle out the door. Her departure was spotted by Su Liang, who was just coming out again, and he was struck by another wave of envy, jealousy, and resentment. He wanted to buy a bicycle too, but his family wouldn’t support him; they wouldn't give him the money. Sighing, Su Liang felt weary. Why couldn't his family understand him? So what if Qin Fang was the daughter of a spy? She hadn't been raised by them, and the Qin family hadn't abandoned her. Why couldn't his parents see past it and agree to let them be together?

The more Su Liang thought about it, the angrier he became, and before long, he began to harbor resentment toward his own parents. *Hmph*, he thought, he was just a tiger fallen on hard times. Once he struck it rich in the future, those people would surely come begging for reconciliation. He would wait for that day.

But Su Liang didn't know that his expression was being interpreted differently by Qin Fang, who was deeply suspicious that he had set his sights on Xu Lin. It made sense; Xu Lin was the Qin family's biological daughter, after all. If Su Liang took a fancy to her, the Qin family would recognize her as their own in a heartbeat.

Coming from a prominent family, Qin Fang understood their mindset all too well: interests were paramount.

Xu Lin remained oblivious to the thoughts of those behind her, and she wouldn't have cared anyway. She first found Wang Facai and casually asked for a day off. She then rode her bicycle to the commune, stopped by the law enforcement bureau to inquire about the situation, and felt relieved to learn that Hu Changming had been detained. Upon hearing that they didn't need her cooperation for the time being, she rode her bicycle to the county seat.

She first went to a photo studio to have the contents of the letter photographed and then asked them to print several copies—an urgent order. It was indeed urgent; money paved the way. After Xu Lin slipped the technician twenty yuan, he told her to come back after three o'clock that afternoon to pick them up.

With nothing else to do, Xu Lin wandered around the county. She went to the department store to buy a radio, two outfits, and a pair of shoes. She then visited the supply and marketing cooperative for daily necessities and food before slipping into the black market. Despite the strict crackdown recently, the market had reopened now that things had eased up just a little. However, compared to before, people were visibly more cautious, all bundled up so tightly that they looked suspicious at a glance.

Although Xu Lin wasn't bundled up, she had used an illusion talisman; to everyone else, she appeared as an elderly woman. Seeing someone selling pork, she unceremoniously bought the entire lot. There was no helping it; buying meat in these times was too difficult. Not only did you need meat coupons, but you also had to be lucky enough to arrive at the right time, or you wouldn't even find bones. Seeing that Xu Lin took everything—fat, lean, and bones—without picking and choosing, the seller was so pleased that he threw in a set of pig intestines for free. They were delicious, though cleaning them took effort, but Xu Lin wasn't worried. A single cleaning talisman would make them spotless.

Later, she saw someone selling ducklings and chicks. There weren't many—only about thirty in total. Xu Lin bought them all, and the delighted seller gave her the crate they came in. Her belongings began to pile up, but she didn't care, continuing her stroll in high spirits.

Soon, she came to a stall selling rice. Xu Lin had her own space, so she didn't need to buy grain or vegetables. However, the stall owner looked familiar. Even though Qin Fang was wrapped up tightly, with only her eyes visible, Xu Lin recognized her instantly.

Xu Lin leaned over to inspect the basket in front of Qin Fang. The grains of rice were plump and exuded a crystalline luster. It was obvious at a glance that this was processed with "high-tech" methods, vastly different from freshly milled rice. This piqued Xu Lin's suspicion. She carefully observed Qin Fang's features, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, the presence of such rice in Qin Fang's hands was a major issue in itself. It seemed, *heh*, that Qin Fang was no simple character.

"Are you buying or not?" Qin Fang asked, rolling her eyes and shrinking back in disgust, as if Xu Lin were contagious.

"I'm not buying. Can't I just look?" Xu Lin rolled her eyes back. Thinking she could earn her money? Dream on. She wouldn't let Qin Fang make a single cent off her. Under Qin Fang's furious glare, Xu Lin left, laden with packages.

Once out of the black market, Xu Lin tossed her haul into her space and returned to the market. This time, however, she had transformed into a middle-aged woman, and she wasn't a buyer—she was a seller of rice and flour. This grain was something she had obtained from Brother Hu; its quality and taste couldn't compare to what she grew in her space. Naturally, Xu Lin wouldn't settle for less, so she had left it untouched in her space.

Now, she set up her wares right next to Qin Fang and just happened to hear the exorbitant price Qin Fang was asking. This woman was truly ruthless; she was asking 1.5 yuan per catty for rice, while the state-run grain shop only charged 0.13 yuan. The potential buyer was genuinely desperate and was pleading with Qin Fang to lower the price, as he truly couldn't afford it. His monthly salary wasn't even thirty yuan; even if he spent all of it on food, it wouldn't be enough.

Qin Fang held firm, believing that because her rice was high quality, selling it for less would be a loss. Besides, in these times, as long as there was food, it would sell.

The buyer was still trying to bargain when his eyes caught the open basket in front of Xu Lin, which was filled with rice and flour. Seeing the substantial amount, he immediately turned to her.

"Comrade, how are you selling your rice and flour?" he asked expectantly.

"With coupons, it's 0.45 yuan for rice and 0.50 yuan for flour. Without coupons, it's 0.60 yuan for rice and 0.70 yuan for flour," Xu Lin said calmly.

When this price was announced, the buyer almost burst into tears. It was an incredibly fair price.