The Great Era of Siheyuan

"Collecting junk! Exchange for matches! We can also exchange for any unwanted young girls or wives!"

Li Wenqiang was pedaling the tricycle while humming. He had assembled this tricycle out of parts he had collected himself. Although it was a bit tattered, its quality was impeccable.

He was in charge of the section from Nanluoguxiang to Gulou Street. According to his previous incarnation's memory, he was not unfamiliar with the route and he went from door to door along the alleys with ease.

You don't need to walk through all the lanes at once, just visit a few lanes every day and come every few days. No one can have things every day. In the era of material shortage, everything is useful, there is no such thing as so much waste.

"Wait a minute, rag collector. Are you serious about what you just said about the split?"

As soon as he reached the alley behind Yuan'en Temple, an old lady came out from the yard next to him and asked him, looking him up and down and nodding at him from time to time, as if she was very satisfied.

"Sister, what did you say?"

Li Wenqiang stopped and asked her.

"Weren't you looking for a wife just now? I heard everything. Let me tell you, I have a daughter at home. She is beautiful, has a good personality, is gentle and virtuous, and has a formal job. How about it, do you want to consider it?"

"Is there such a good thing? What's your name, elder sister? What's your daughter's name? Where is she? Let's find a time to meet!"

Li Wenfeng's eyes lit up when he heard this. To be honest, what he just said must be true. He is a grown-up man. How could he wash his own clothes and cook for himself every day? He can't live without a woman by his side.

"My daughter's name is Liu Lihua, and she's working outside right now! Come over later, and you two can have a good chat when she gets off work!"

When the eldest sister heard Li Wenqiang's agreement, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

"What? Liu Lihua? Sorry, big sister, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

After saying this, Li Wenqiang ran quickly, pedaling the broken tricycle loudly.

As soon as he heard the name, he remembered, isn't this Zhu Bajie's second aunt? Although he has never seen what she looks like, how good can a woman who even Sha Zhu doesn't like be?

He didn't expect that if he didn't go over and say something nice, he would almost fall into the tiger's mouth. He didn't dare to shout anymore.

Now is the time of great disaster, there are many families who are not well fed, and the former died suddenly of malnutrition due to eating indiscriminately. If he really wants a wife, someone with a big mouth will really give it to him.

"Sell your scrap copper and iron. Exchange goose and duck feathers for matches. Foreign needles, foreign thread, and vanishing cream! Sell your broken sneakers and rubber shoes. Sell your old batteries. Sell your broken glass, rags, and old cotton!"

"Junk collector, don't leave! Do you have any syrup?"

Before I had walked far, three or four children came up to me with expectant eyes. The oldest one was about 11 or 12 years old, the same size as Bang Geng, while the youngest one was about 7 or 8 years old, about the same age as Xiao Dang.

Treacle is a light yellow viscous transparent liquid made from malt, with a light sweetness, also known as maltose. It is not as sweet as white sugar and tastes a little lighter.

Children like to collect iron wires, electric wires, toothpaste tubes, glass bottles, etc., hoping that the junk collectors will come soon. They can exchange some syrup for the junk collectors. They can use a small bamboo stick, not much bigger than a matchstick, to dip some syrup the size of soybeans or peanuts into their mouths and enjoy the rare delicacy.

The specific amount depends on the value of the waste. Generally, the receivers will give them a little more, so that sometimes they will work harder to pick up waste in exchange. This is a rare pleasure for children in this era.

"Yes, but what will you give in exchange?"

Li Wenqiang stopped his tricycle. He was very familiar with these kids, or at least his predecessor was very familiar with them. He would often go to the construction site nearby to pick up some scraps that the workers didn't have time to clean up, including wires, steel bars, nails, etc., and he always got a lot of rewards.

"Come with us and we'll show you!"

After a look around, a child king of about 11 or 12 was ready to take Li Wenqiang to their secret base. The situation was familiar, there was a big cargo!

"Wait, get in the car, I'll take you away. We're old acquaintances, I don't know where you want to go! Tell me, what did you get this time?"

Li Wenqiang called them and asked a few of them to get on the car. The children were not shy and climbed on happily.

"You'll know in a moment. I'm telling you, this stuff will definitely buy out your entire bottle of syrup!"

A child said shamelessly.

"Oh, you are just like a toad breathing so loudly, what a big tone! You even want to exchange my bottle of syrup. Fine, I'll wait. If the food doesn't work later, don't blame me for looking down on you!"

Li Wenqiang even used provocation as he spoke. How could a child of about ten years old stand such questioning? He spoke unconvincedly.

"Just wait, if you think the things are not good, we will give them to you for free!"

The King of Children said loudly.

"Okay, this is what you said, don't regret it later!"

Li Wenqiang continued to tease him.

"Yeah, I said, I lied to you and you were a puppy!"

The leader of the children was very dissatisfied and felt insulted.

The tricycle soon arrived at a remote and dilapidated courtyard.

No one knows who owns this house, but it has been abandoned for many years. Apart from the old walls, the roof tiles, beams, doors and windows have all been corroded and collapsed by rain. The small courtyard of more than 300 square meters is full of dry weeds, and it has become a playground for children.

As soon as the car stopped, several children jumped out impatiently.

"follow me!"

The older child jumped down and pulled Li Wenqiang inside.

"Okay, I want to see what gives you the confidence!"

Several people quickly brought him to a corner of the yard, and then they struggled to dig out a broken pottery jar, but they couldn't move it after trying twice.

"Oh, I'm so tired. This thing is too heavy. Look, it's full of copper coins. How much do you think you can give? Is it enough to exchange for your bottle of syrup?"

The leader of the children pointed at the jar on the ground and looked at him proudly.

Li Wenqiang squatted down and looked at it carefully, then his eyes twitched and he said calmly.

"I thought it was something good, but it turned out to be a jar of copper coins. Not bad, right? How much do you want to pay?"

"We found this together at the construction site. This can must weigh at least 20 to 30 kilograms. You have to give us at least 20 yuan, and you have to give us the bottle of syrup as well!"

The older child said very proudly.

"It's too much. Look, it's starting to turn green. I can give you fifteen at most, and then I'll give you the syrup!"

Li Wenqiang bargained with him. Now the price of recycled scrap copper ranges from 80 cents to 1.5 yuan per kilogram, depending on the quality. The amount depends entirely on his words.

Although collecting junk sounds bad, only those who work in this business understand how huge the profits are. However, once they divide the collected items into smaller categories, the difference becomes huge, and they make money from the difference.

"No, there are four of us, how are we going to divide the 15 dollars? You can add more!"

The older child lowered his head and thought about it, and felt that what he said seemed to make sense, but he still couldn't help but bargain.

"Yeah, you're adding some!"

"More!"

Hearing Li Wenqiang lowering the price, the other kids couldn't help but shout out.

"It's really hard to divide. How about this, I'll give you 12 yuan, so each of you gets three yuan? It's the same for everyone, and it's fair!"

Li Wenqiang said with a smile, just wanting to tease them.

"No, no, no!"

Hearing what he said, the children became anxious.

"Hahahaha, alright, I'll give you one more dollar, four dollars each, is that okay?"

Li Wenqiang laughed out loud.

"Okay, give me the money now! I want to buy some comic books and some cartoons!"

When the children heard what he said, they immediately smiled again and urged him to give them money.

Li Wenqiang took out a handful of change from his pocket, carefully counted out 16 yuan and gave it to them, then asked.

"Tell me honestly, where did you find this thing? Do you still have it? Have you touched it?"

"It's at the construction site next door. We dug it out this morning when we were collecting waste. This is the only one. We didn't take it. It's all here!"

The eldest child took the money and counted it carefully. Then he gave two dollars to each of them. Of course, the rest was his, because he was the eldest!

"Alright, forget about what happened today and don't tell anyone about it. Do you hear me?"

Li Wenqiang carefully warned them that the children didn't know what this thing was, but others might know what it was, so he had to be careful.

"I understand. Don't worry, we haven't met today!"

Several children patted their chests to guarantee it, but Li Wenqiang knew that these guys would definitely sell you out after having a meal of fried pork with bamboo shoots.

But he is not afraid. As long as he turns around and leaves and denies his mistake, who can do anything to him?

"Okay, take the money and leave quickly, don't stay here!"

Li Wenqiang stuffed the remaining half bottle of syrup into their hands and prepared to send them away. He would move the jar into the space later and they must not see it.

"Let's go! Let's go buy some picture books!"

After getting the money, the children ran away happily.