Chapter 67: You Are My Own Brother!

Selling cigarettes was a textbook case of speculation and profiteering, taking advantage of the state and the people.

Cheng Gang seemed like a reckless rogue on the surface, but when it came to this business, he was exceptionally cautious.

He was confident he had never left a single trace.

After all, this was a capital offense, a matter of facing a firing squad.

How could he not be careful?

Tomorrow was the Lantern Festival, and a shipment was indeed coming in from the north. The other party had sent a telegram three days ago specifically to arrange it. His superiors had called him in, telling him only that the shipment was large and valuable. If they pulled it off, he and his brothers wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink for the rest of the year. That was why they had to be absolutely careful.

God knew Cheng Gang hadn’t told a soul!

Not to Wu Liu, and not even to his two closest brothers. He hadn’t breathed a single word to anyone.

But how did this kid know?

Cheng Gang narrowed his eyes, staring at Xie Zhao with a fierce glint in his eyes.

He had been a ruthless character since childhood.

Once this matter came to light, his life would be forfeit.

But if he got rid of the young man in front of him… Xie Zhao noticed the flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, but he merely smiled, staring at Cheng Gang as he said softly, “Don’t you want to know how I found out?”

Cheng Gang’s body tensed.

The two brothers flanking him were already staring at him with curiosity.

“Brother Gang? What’s wrong? What is this kid saying?”

“Did he mess with you? Damn it, this kid!”

The two of them chimed in. Seeing that Cheng Gang remained silent, they stepped forward with dark expressions, ready to cause trouble for Xie Zhao.

But in the next moment, Cheng Gang reached out and grabbed them both.

“It’s nothing.”

He regained his lazy smile, waving them off as he said, “Wait for me here a moment. I’m going to have a chat with this little brother!”

With that, Cheng Gang shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to Xie Zhao.

“Shall we talk on the side?”

“Of course, no problem.”

*

Inside the alleyway.

A tall camphor tree leaned out from the roadside, blocking a bit of the sunlight overhead.

The warmth vanished, replaced by a chilly draft carried by the wind that made them shiver, instantly clearing their heads.

“So, tell me. How did you find out?”

Cheng Gang pulled out a cigarette and offered it to Xie Zhao. “If you can’t explain this clearly, you won’t be going home today.”

Xie Zhao didn’t refuse. He took the cigarette and smiled at Cheng Gang. “Brother Cheng, have you ever heard of entrapment?”

Entrapment?

Cheng Gang was uneducated, but the term was self-explanatory, its literal meaning clear.

Cast the bait to catch the big fish!

If they were the fish, then wouldn’t the bait be… Cheng Gang suddenly realized, and in an instant, a cold sweat broke out all over his body!

“You mean there’s something wrong with that shipment?”

Cheng Gang’s voice trembled with shock and uncertainty.

“How is that possible? How could the information he gave me be wrong?”

He muttered to himself.

But Xie Zhao was in no hurry.

He continued, “If this matter were truly a secret, how could I have known? Brother Cheng, you know I run a small business. I have a few guys working under me, and we travel around Hudong County all year round.”

“While eating, one of my brothers happened to overhear the table next to him. Even though they kept their voices down, he still caught the gist of it.”

Xie Zhao said, “Think about it. If my brother could overhear this at a noodle stall, do you think only a few people know about it?”

Cheng Gang kept his face grim and remained silent.

Then, Xie Zhao dropped the final bombshell.

“Brother Cheng, that noodle stall is right next to the police station.”

Cheng Gang’s face turned instantly pale!

Next to the police station!

The implications of this went without saying.

Trembling, he stuffed the cigarette into his mouth, forcing himself to calm down. When he looked up at Xie Zhao again, he asked coldly, “Speak. What do you want?”

“A favor.”

Xie Zhao looked at Cheng Gang unhurriedly.

“I run a small business. If I run into any trouble, I just hope Brother Cheng can look out for me.”

Cheng Gang exhaled a large plume of smoke.

He licked his upper palate and grinned, baring his teeth. “If this turns out to be true tomorrow, you’ll have saved my life. My life, Cheng Gang’s life, is worth a lot more than you think! Forget about looking out for you, you’ll be my own damn brother!”

*

The twenty meters of Special Supply Cloth did not all share the same pattern.

However, just as Xie Zhao had expected, they were all beautiful and well worth the price.

Goods in this era were as genuine as they came.

The twenty meters of Special Supply Cloth featured four different patterns, stacked pile upon pile on the counter.

“Comrade, take a look. Which one do you want?”

The salesclerk blinked and asked, looking at Xie Zhao.

Xie Zhao did not answer immediately. He reached out to feel the fabric, checking if it could be made into satchels.

The material of this Special Supply Cloth was similar to satin. It felt high-quality in the hand. The top pile featured a lucky cloud pattern, woven with white, light red, and black-gold threads to outline an extremely beautiful design.

The middle pile had brighter colors.

One stack was a pale bright yellow, covered in little daisies blooming side by side. It used light and bright yellow threads on a dark, matte background fabric, with shimmering embroidery threads woven together to create a youthful, vibrant look.

As for the next two piles, one was a dark brown classic pattern, with orderly designs stacked layer upon layer, looking elegant and steady.

The other pile had a blue and white color scheme, with patterns like clouds, delicate and beautiful.

Xie Zhao flipped through them and found that the patterns on every pile of cloth were excellent.

He said, “Give me five meters of each. Are the prices all the same?”

The salesclerk nodded with a sweet smile.

“Since you brought the special supply coupons, the price is two yuan per meter. Without the coupons, it would be three yuan per meter, and you’d be limited to buying only two meters.”

Xie Zhao nodded and paid the remaining twenty yuan.

This time, however, he also bought some higher-quality hardware in the department store, such as river snails, nail caps, and zippers.

Once everything was packed up, he paid an additional sixteen yuan.

“Please take your items. Have a wonderful day!”

The salesclerk said with a smile.

Xie Zhao waved, carried his things onto the mule cart, left the department store, and hurried back to Shishui Village.

In the yard, Xie Cheng and Xie Tian were busy working.

They washed the water vats and fed the mules and donkeys. The house was also out of firewood, so they needed to chop some with an axe.

Xie Tian was cradling a small wooden basin, washing diapers.

The basin was piled high with diapers changed from Xi Bao’er and Le Bao’er. They were made from old adult clothing cut into long strips; when used, they were simply tucked into the elastic band at the front and back.

Seeing Xie Zhao return, Xie Tian looked up and cried out in surprise, “Second Brother! What is that? Why is it wrapped so tightly?”

Xie Zhao had wrapped it in several layers of oil paper on purpose, fearing it would get dirty on the road and cause trouble.

Supporting the cart with one hand, he jumped down, clapped his hands, and said to Xie Tian, “Special Supply Cloth.”

Special Supply Cloth?

Good heavens.

Hearing those words, Xie Tian stopped washing the clothes, immediately wiped her hands, and ran over.

Xie Cheng washed his hands and came over to help as well. Together, the three siblings carried the Special Supply Cloth into the main room.