Chapter 98: Hiding Money in the Crotch

“Yes.” Lin Heng nodded.

“Not bad, not bad, really not bad!”

Guo Xu praised repeatedly. He hadn’t expected Lin Heng to have such a noble character—it was truly incredible.

Although this small house was made of mud bricks, it was spotless, with everything neatly arranged. There was even a small courtyard full of leisure and elegance.

The more he looked, the more amazed he felt. Lin Heng had not been crushed by the burdens of life; instead, he still retained a love for living. Guo Xu grew even more curious about him.

After all, he had seen many students who had dropped out of school. Every single one of them had been bent under the weight of life, either working the fields with their backs to the sky or carrying bricks at a brickyard.

Whenever they saw him, they spoke with endless regret, some even shedding tears.

But Lin Heng was the most unique among all the students he had met. Despite their long conversation, Lin Heng had never once expressed regret or complained. Instead, he seemed rather calm.

Guo Xu wanted to understand what exactly he had been through.

“Teacher, this is the old softshell turtle I caught.” Lin Heng pointed to the large wooden basin where the turtle was kept.

Guo Xu glanced around the courtyard, then walked over to take a closer look at the turtle.

“It’s so big!” He was a bit shocked—the turtle was much larger than he had imagined.

“Over thirty years old. I wasn’t lying.” Lin Heng smiled.

“Pack it up for me, I’ll take it.” Guo Xu nodded, then glanced at a Chinese pond turtle nearby. “This turtle is nice too, looks good. Did you catch it yourself?”

“Yes. If you like it, I’ll give it to you, Teacher.” Lin Heng smiled. He wasn’t particularly interested in these things—he could always catch more in the wild rivers.

“No need, I was just saying.” Guo Xu shook his head.

But Lin Heng still insisted on packing it for him. It was just a small turtle—not worth much.

“You…” Guo Xu sighed helplessly and shook his head. “Alright then, I’ll accept your kindness. I’ll keep the turtle.”

After packing everything up, they turned and left. The roar of the motorcycle engine filled the air as they sped back to Huangtan Middle School.

After getting off the bike, Guo Xu found a basin to keep the turtle and handed Lin Heng fifty yuan. After some back-and-forth, Lin Heng finally accepted it.

Then, Guo Xu revved up his bike and took Lin Heng straight to the city.

As they chatted along the way, Guo Xu became even more curious about what Lin Heng had experienced since dropping out of school. He didn’t seem like a twenty-year-old at all.

Normally, it would take three to four hours to walk the small paths, but riding the main roads on a motorcycle, they arrived in just over an hour.

Since Lin Heng wanted to go to the state-run purchasing store, Guo Xu took him directly to the store entrance.

“Mr. Guo, thanks a lot. You have to come visit my house sometime.” After getting off the bike, Lin Heng grasped his teacher’s hand tightly.

“I will. Next time, let’s go fishing.” Guo Xu chuckled.

With that, he rode off and gradually disappeared down the street. Lin Heng watched him leave, glanced around warily, and then stepped into the store.

“I’m here to sell something.” Lin Heng directly approached a purchasing clerk.

He didn’t seek out the supervisor, Jin Fuqiang. Despite his friendly demeanor last time, people like him only maintained relationships based on benefits. If Lin Heng just wanted to take advantage, the goodwill would wear out quickly.

Purchasing clerks generally wouldn’t try to undercut prices since they were buying for the state, not for themselves. The price was fixed—whatever the rate was, that’s what they paid.

After selling everything, Lin Heng was a little surprised by his total earnings—it came to 782.5 yuan.

The main reason was that the price of ganoderma had reached 70 yuan per jin, and the price of dendrobium was also good. On top of that, Tian Baishun had given him a small muntjac hide.

With the 50 yuan from selling the old turtle to Guo Xu, he now had a total of 832.05 yuan.

“How much is Sanghuang fungus per jin now?” Lin Heng pocketed the money and asked.

“Fifty cents per jin—it dropped by fifty cents. I heard it might drop even more.” The clerk laughed.

Lin Heng nodded. The price was exactly as he remembered.

The normal purchase price in the city was one yuan per jin, but now it had dropped by half. In Huangtan Town, they originally bought it for 80 cents per jin, so the price there would likely fall even further.

“Excuse me, where’s the restroom? I need to use the toilet.” Lin Heng looked at the clerk and asked.

“Go left over there, then turn right.” The clerk pointed in a direction.

“Alright.”

Lin Heng nodded, quickly found the restroom, and entered a stall. Locking the door behind him, he took out the 800 yuan in whole bills, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and stuffed it into a small hidden pocket sewn inside his underwear.

Then, he put his pants back on, tightened his belt, and patted the spot lightly before feeling secure.

The chaos of this era was beyond imagination. Pickpockets were rampant, thieves and conmen lurked everywhere, and criminals of all kinds were eyeing people’s money.

In his previous life, after being scammed into owing 50,000 yuan, he had worked at a brickyard in the city, laboring twelve-hour shifts every day, sweating profusely. His life consisted only of working and sleeping.

Finally, after a month of hard work, he received his first proper paycheck—300 yuan. He had planned to buy something nice for his wife and child, and to thank his parents for not giving up on him.

But in the blink of an eye, the money was gone. That 300 yuan was his blood and sweat from an entire month.

He searched for three days, punching walls in frustration until his hands bled, his regret eating him alive. But in the end, the money was gone. His wife and child were heartbroken, and his father was utterly disappointed in him.

Ashamed to return home, he survived in the city by eating coarse black bread, scavenging for rotten fruit in orchards, and drinking cold water for a month.

During that month, he had even contemplated ending his life. But in the end, he endured. From then on, he became extremely cautious with his money.

Either it was sewn into his underwear or tucked inside his undergarments, but even so, he was still extorted twice later on.

As public security improved, this habit gradually became unnecessary.

But after being reborn, he picked up this habit again. This eight hundred yuan was the startup capital he and his wife had painstakingly saved for so long.

If he lost it, he would be so furious that he might vomit blood. Who knew how long it would take to save up another eight hundred yuan?

After securing the money, he squatted in the toilet for half an hour. Once the coast was clear, Lin Heng sneaked out through the back door.

This time was different from the last. The last time, he had been with his father and wife, so those thugs had some scruples. But now that he was alone, he was an easy target.

“Damn it, why hasn’t that fat sheep who just went in come out yet?”

A few thugs loitering around the corner near the recycling shop were getting impatient. Why was this guy still inside?

What they didn’t know was that Lin Heng had spotted them when he entered and had quietly slipped away.

Lin Heng walked several streets away before finally relaxing.

By now, it was already noon. He bought five buns to fill his stomach.

Then, he found a large scrap recycling station and walked in.

“What do you want?”

As soon as he entered, the owner of the recycling station questioned him.

“Well… I’m a student. Can I buy some old books?” Lin Heng asked hesitantly.

“You from the countryside?” The owner glanced at him.

“Yes. How much for a book?” Lin Heng nodded and asked.

“All the old books are in that room. Pick whatever you want. I buy them at five cents per jin; you can take them for eight cents per jin.”

The owner casually said after glancing at Lin Heng.

“Thank you.”

Lin Heng nodded, then walked over to browse through the books. The room was mostly filled with waste paper, and there weren’t many books.

He searched for a long time before finally finding a few decent ones—Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Journey to the West, Jane Eyre, and so on.

Some were just old and worn, while others were missing pages or stained with various unknown substances.

“Huh? The Exploitation of the Works of Nature—and it’s a vertical-bound edition.”

While flipping through the pile, Lin Heng found an ancient book.

He opened it, flipped through a few pages, then suddenly froze. His eyes widened, and he quickly shut the book. Sneaking a glance at the owner to make sure he wasn’t paying attention, Lin Heng finally let out a sigh of relief.

He placed the book among a stack of old and tattered books, then carried them over.

“How much for these?” Lin Heng asked.

The owner glanced at the seven or eight books and waved a hand. “Just give me fifty cents.”

Lin Heng took out five ten-cent notes from his pocket and handed them over. “Thank you, you’re a good person.”

With that, he left with the books in his arms.

After walking a good distance, Lin Heng retrieved the basket he had hidden and placed the books inside.

Once he confirmed that no one was around, he opened The Exploitation of the Works of Nature—inside was a crisp, brand-new ten-yuan bill.

“This must be a blessing from the heavens! I actually got this lucky.”

Lin Heng grinned and stuffed the money into his pocket.

Carrying the books, he went to another recycling station to see if there were any different books.

He visited three recycling stations in total and found a dozen or so decent books, but there were no more surprises like money.

However, he did find a love letter tucked inside Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. After glancing at it, he tossed it aside.

After buying books, Lin Heng went to purchase some plastic fishing lines and specialized nylon lines for fishing.

He visited several stores before finally finding one that sold fishhooks.

Fishhooks existed in this era, but they were all quite large—people used them in the river with longlines to catch big fish.

The smallest ones were about the size of a No. 7 Iseama hook. With no other choice, Lin Heng bought some anyway.

While he was at it, he also bought some netting for making fish traps. If he made a few fish traps, he could expect some additional harvests.

“Time to head home. Hopefully, I won’t have to walk until nightfall.”

Lin Heng glanced up at the sky. Although it was only two in the afternoon and the sun was still high overhead, he needed to start heading back.

Fortunately, he had the straw hat that Xiulan had woven for him, which provided some shade from the sun.

Compared to last time, this trip was much easier. His load was lighter, he had caught a ride into town, and his body wasn’t as exhausted. He should be able to get home before dark.

Carrying his things, Lin Heng started his journey back.

The city was bustling, but without anyone he cared about, there was nothing worth lingering for.

The heat was suffocating—just a few steps and he was drenched in sweat. The roads were almost empty, and the rising heat waves were visible in the air.

After walking for over an hour, he finally entered the mountains. The trees absorbed some of the sunlight, making it much cooler.

“Phew… I almost died from the heat.”

Lin Heng shook his head and sat down under the shade of a tree to rest. His clothes were so drenched with sweat that they could be wrung out.

“When I have money, I’m definitely getting a vehicle. Walking everywhere is torture.”

After complaining, he rested enough and continued on his way.

The summer forest was noisy beyond belief. Cicadas chirped incessantly, annoying him so much that he picked up stones to throw at them.

As he walked, the sun gradually slanted westward, and the forest creatures began to emerge.

From time to time, a snake would slither past his feet. Most were small or worthless species, so he had no interest in catching them.

“I’ve already made it here so quickly? I must’ve walked pretty fast today.”

Lin Heng stopped to take a break. This was the place where he had previously caught grass carp.

But now, the water level had dropped significantly, and the riverbed was visible—there were barely any fish left.

“Gada-gada!!”

As Lin Heng was washing his face, a wild pheasant flew down from the mountain and landed on a tree branch nearby.

“Damn, I should’ve brought my slingshot.”

Lin Heng felt like he was being taunted. If he had his slingshot, he could have taught the bird a lesson.

Now, he could only throw a rock to scare it off.

By the time he reached Huangtan Town, it was already past six in the evening.

He looked at the sun sinking behind the western ridge and decided not to return home tonight. He would stay in Huangtan Town.

There were naturally inns in Huangtan Town.

“How much is a night at the inn?” Lin Heng asked as he arrived at one.

An elderly woman who was eating glanced at Lin Heng and replied, “Thirty cents per night, no meals included, but there’s hot water.”

“Alright, I’ll take a room,” Lin Heng nodded. The price wasn’t too high, so he took out thirty cents.

The woman put down her chopsticks, found a key, and led Lin Heng to a room.

“This is the one. Just return the key to me when you leave tomorrow,” she handed him the key and left without another word.

“It’s really quite shabby,” Lin Heng muttered as he shook his head.

The walls were made of bricks without even a layer of cement. Touching them made dust fall off, showing how poor the quality was. Inside the room, there was only a bed, a small table, a stool, and a kettle of water.

After putting down his belongings, Lin Heng locked the door and went out.

Taking a stroll around Huangtan Town, he eventually stopped on a bridge, gazing at the surging Huangtan River. From time to time, large fish leaped out of the water with a splash, as if taunting him.

This only made him even more eager to fish. The fish in this river probably hadn’t been battered by seasoned anglers, so they should be easy to catch.

“When I have the time, I must teach these damn fish a lesson.”

With a sigh, Lin Heng turned and left.

Leisurely walking, he arrived at the local purchasing station. Even though it wasn’t market day, the gates were still open.

Inside, the owner, Liu Qicheng, was lying on a lounge chair listening to an opera. Next to him, an old-fashioned tape recorder played folk songs, occasionally jamming and producing harsh static noises.

Knock, knock!

Lin Heng rapped on the door. Liu Qicheng opened his eyes, glanced at Lin Heng, but didn’t get up. Lying in his chair, he asked, “Here to sell something?”

“How much is Sanghuang now per jin?” Lin Heng asked.

“Sanghuang has dropped in price—only twenty cents per jin now,” Liu Qicheng replied without lifting his head.

Lin Heng was secretly shocked. That was quite the rip-off. In the city, it was still going for fifty cents, yet here, Liu Qicheng was squeezing an extra thirty cents.

Still, he understood why. Liu Qicheng had likely taken a loss due to the price drop. He usually stockpiled a full truckload before calling people from the city to collect it.

This time, he must have overstocked, and the sudden price drop caught him off guard, leading to considerable losses. To make up for it, he had no choice but to shift the burden onto others.

“If I buy, will you sell?” Lin Heng asked.

Hearing this, Liu Qicheng was taken aback. He sat up and gave Lin Heng a closer look.

He remembered now—this was the young man who had sold ginseng before, but in the end, he had taken it to the city himself.

What was he up to now? Was he playing a trick on him?

“Buy? I have a thousand jin of Sanghuang here—can you afford it?” Liu Qicheng’s tone was unfriendly, thinking Lin Heng was just messing with him.

Lin Heng nodded calmly. “Of course. A thousand jin isn’t much. How much are you selling it for?”

Liu Qicheng laughed, stood up, and looked at Lin Heng. “I won’t even ask for much—sixty cents per jin. That’s six hundred yuan for a thousand jin. If you buy it, I’ll personally deliver it to your house.”

“Fifty-five cents per jin. I’ll take the whole lot,” Lin Heng countered.

“Fifty-five? Fine. As long as you buy it, pay now, and we’ll write up a contract. I’ll arrange for a tractor to deliver it to your doorstep.”

Liu Qicheng spoke coldly. Right now, he needed to recoup whatever he could. If he transported it to the city himself, he could only sell it for fifty cents per jin, and he’d still have to cover the transportation cost.

“Alright, let’s write the contract now,” Lin Heng nodded.

He had anticipated Liu Qicheng’s reaction. The man had merely hitched a ride on the train of the times to make some money. He had no real grasp of market trends or the reasons behind the price drop of Sanghuang.

And such confidential information was never made public—only a select few knew about it.

“You’re not bluffing, are you?”

Liu Qicheng hesitated and confirmed again, “This is a thousand jin of Sanghuang—are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. If you’re worried, we can write a high breach-of-contract penalty into the agreement. Make it a few thousand yuan if you want. If I don’t buy, you can sue me.”

Lin Heng spread his hands nonchalantly.

Liu Qicheng gave him a deep look, wondering if the kid had lost his mind, then nodded. “Alright!”

He figured Lin Heng must have believed that Sanghuang’s price would rise again and was trying to buy low and sell high.

Too naive! If it were that easy to make money, why would he still be running this business?

They quickly drafted two copies of the contract, signed them, and affixed their fingerprints.

To prevent any disputes later, Liu Qicheng even called in two people to act as witnesses.

“You’re doing this of your own free will, right?” The two witnesses looked at Lin Heng, unsure whether to advise him against it, but in the end, they stayed silent.

“Yes,” Lin Heng smiled and pressed his fingerprint onto the contract.

“Young man, bold move,” Liu Qicheng gave him a thumbs-up with a chuckle.

“It’s alright,” Lin Heng shrugged. Then he added, “Deliver it to Hongfeng Village tomorrow morning, and I’ll settle the payment then.”

Renting storage in town was troublesome since it required someone to guard it. After thinking it over, he decided to just transport it home.

“No problem! I’ll get a tractor and have it all delivered to you first thing in the morning,” Liu Qicheng said with a grin.

“Alright, I’ll be off then.” Lin Heng put the contract in his pocket and left.

The whole process had gone unexpectedly smoothly.

But as soon as he stepped out, he noticed people in the distance pointing and whispering.

It was obvious. The two witnesses had already spread the news as a joke.

“Look, that’s the fool who bought Sanghuang for fifty-five cents when others were selling it for twenty.”

Clearly, the deal had become town gossip.

Hands in his pockets, Lin Heng remained completely indifferent.

After a night’s sleep at the inn, he arrived early the next morning.

Liu Qicheng had also arranged for a tractor—an 80s-era Dongfanghong vertical single-cylinder tractor.

“How much does this tractor cost?” Lin Heng asked with a smile.

The driver was a middle-aged man with a face full of stubble. He glanced at Lin Heng and replied with a grin, “I heard it’s a little over five thousand, almost six thousand. But I’m just the driver, so I’m not too sure.”

Lin Heng nodded. “Not bad. When I have the money, I’ll buy one too.”

Hearing this, the driver chuckled. “Young man, it’s better to stay grounded.”

Standing nearby and directing the loading, Liu Qicheng also laughed. “Lin Heng, you think the price of Sanghuang will go up in the future, don’t you?”

Lin Heng nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes, I think it will rise significantly.”

Liu Qicheng couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I wish you success and hope you make a fortune.”

However, inwardly, he found Lin Heng’s belief ridiculous. Was he dreaming? Did he want to make money that badly?

Liu Qicheng had his own insider information—he had heard from unofficial sources that the reason Sanghuang’s price had plummeted was that a certain component of it could now be artificially produced. From now on, its price would only continue to fall.

When that time came, Lin Heng would be the one regretting everything.

(End of Chapter)