A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Little girl, what are you selling? Pig feed? You're selling this stuff? You might as well take it home and feed the pigs!"

The skinny man's sarcastic voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the few people around who were listening intently to see what was going on to hear it clearly.

Immediately, several suppressed snickers rang out.

"Hey, which family's adults are so troublesome, letting a kid bring a bunch of weeds to exchange for something?"

"Look how thin this girl is, she's probably starving, she's taking everything out of the house."

This is the most common trick in the black market—first, devalue your goods, making them seem worthless, then take the opportunity to lower the price and get them at the lowest possible cost.

If it were a real five-year-old child, being scared and mocked like that, they would probably run away crying, and wouldn't even dare to take the things on the ground even if they were given to someone for free.

But who is Su Nianci?

She simply raised her eyelids and quietly glanced at the skinny man with her dark eyes, her gaze devoid of any panic, as calm as a bottomless ancient well.

She didn't say anything, she just looked at him.

The skinny man felt a chill run down his spine as she stared at him. It wasn't like being stared at by a child, but rather like being watched by some wild beast from the mountains.

"Hey, you little mute, you're pretty cocky, aren't you?" The skinny man raised his voice a bit to hide his unease. "What are you looking at? I wouldn't even take this piece of trash for free!"

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to throw away the agrimony in his hand.

Just as he was about to let go, Su Nianci finally spoke.

"Agrimonia, also known as dragon tooth grass or exhaustion grass."

Her voice wasn't loud, but in this relatively quiet corner, every word clearly reached the skinny man's ears.

"It is neutral in nature, bitter and astringent in taste, and enters the heart and liver meridians. Its function is to astringe and stop bleeding, and it is mainly used to treat hemoptysis, hematemesis, metrorrhagia, traumatic bleeding..."

Su Nianci recited the medicinal properties of the agrimony at a leisurely pace, each word like a heavy hammer blow to the skinny man's heart.

The contempt and disdain on the skinny man's face froze instantly.

What...what did he hear?

How could a five-year-old girl recite the properties and effects of herbs perfectly?

His name was Ma San. He had been operating in this black market for several years, relying on his discerning eye and his silver tongue to deceive people. Of course, he recognized Agrimony and knew it was a sought-after hemostatic medicine. He would buy it and resell it to hunters in the mountains, making a fortune.

He thought he could get a great deal today and pick up a big bag of good stuff from a silly kid, but little did he know he would run into a brick wall!

The onlookers were also stunned, staring wide-eyed at Su Nianci as if she were some kind of monster.

"Is...is this girl a child prodigy?"

"Wow, he speaks even better than the barefoot doctor at the clinic!"

Ma San's face turned extremely ugly. He knew that it was impossible to get something for nothing today. He rolled his eyes and put on a smiling face again.

"Oh my, little sister, I didn't know you knew about this!" He carefully placed the agrimony back on the blade of grass, rubbing his hands together. "I was blind to your greatness. So... what would you like to exchange this for?"

Su Nianci's gaze fell on the few pieces of cured meat on his stall.

On the run, she needed high-calorie food to replenish her strength. Steamed buns could only last for a while; meat was the real currency.

"Change the meat," she said succinctly.

"Trade for meat?" Ma San exclaimed dramatically, as if he had heard the funniest joke. "Little sister, you're being a bit ungrateful! Your herbs can stop bleeding, but you can't eat them! This is genuine cured pork hind leg meat, it's delicious! An ounce of meat can buy this whole bag of herbs!"

As he spoke, he picked up his meat cleaver and made a gesture as if to slice off a thin slice from the largest piece of cured meat.

The action was more like scraping than cutting.

Su Nianci looked at him coldly: "This bag of fresh grass I have is about two ounces when dried. According to market prices, one ounce of dried agrimony can be exchanged for half a pound of coarse grains or two ounces of meat. I don't want your four ounces of meat, nor do I want your coarse grains."

She held up three slender fingers: "Three ounces. Three ounces of cured meat, this whole package is yours."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and logical, unlike that of a five-year-old child; she sounded more like a shrewd businesswoman.

Ma San was completely dumbfounded.

He felt his brain wasn't quite up to the task.

Market price? This girl even knows the black market price?

The price she quoted was exactly right, and she even offered a slight discount, showing that she was knowledgeable about the market and not the kind of clueless person who would ask for an exorbitant price.

Who the hell is this monster?!

"You...you..." Ma San stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

Su-Nianci, however, had no patience to waste time with him.

She glanced at the sky; she had to find a safe place to spend the night before dark.

"Change or not?" she asked coldly. "If you don't change, I'll find another job."

As she spoke, she made a gesture as if to wrap up the herbs on the ground.

"Hey! Change! Change!" Ma San cried out anxiously.

This is a large bag of top-quality agrimony, in excellent condition. If someone else manages to snatch it away, he'll regret it terribly.

He gritted his teeth, his heart bleeding, but he still picked up the knife and cut a large, solid piece from the cured meat. He weighed it on his simple steelyard scale; it was exactly three ounces, no more, no less.

"Here! Three ounces! For you!" He handed the cured meat wrapped in oil paper to Su Nianci, his eyes filled with heartache.

Su Nianci took the cured meat, smelled its tempting salty aroma, and resisted the urge to take a bite immediately. She carefully placed it in her bosom. Then, she stood up, not even glancing at the agrimony on the ground, and turned to leave.

Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

Ma San watched her small figure disappear into the crowd, then looked down at the large bag of agrimony on the ground, feeling that something was amiss.

He clearly made the deal, but why does it feel like he was outsmarted by a five-year-old?

He scratched his head, completely baffled.

Meanwhile, Su Nianci, who had already left the black market, revealed a smug smile.

Of course she knew the market price.

But what Ma San didn't know was that among the agrimony she gave him, she secretly mixed in one-third another wild herb that looked extremely similar but had no medicinal value whatsoever.

This was her backup plan.

To deal with such a cunning and treacherous person, you must be even more cunning than him!

With the heavy cured meat and half a steamed bun she had traded for in her arms, Su Nianci felt more at ease than ever before.

This is the first fortune she has earned since she came into this world, through her own mind and hands!

She quickened her pace, intending to find a cave to shelter from the rain before nightfall.

The weather can change in an instant. The sky, which was clear just a moment ago, has suddenly become covered with large patches of dark clouds, and the air is filled with a damp, earthy smell.

"Boom—"

A muffled clap of thunder boomed in the sky, and large raindrops began to fall without warning!

Oh no, it's going to rain heavily!

Su Nianci's expression changed. Clutching the food in her arms, she ran wildly, searching everywhere for a place to take shelter from the rain.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, soon turning into a downpour, blurring visibility.

Just as she was about to be soaked to the bone, she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be the outline of a dilapidated building on the hillside not far away.

It's a dilapidated temple!

Overjoyed, she disregarded the slippery road and crawled towards the dilapidated temple, using both hands and feet.