Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Li Yunjing's hand lightly touched her hair and then withdrew. The movement was natural, but it made Lü Ruoxi's heart skip a beat and her cheeks flush slightly.

She lowered her head to hide the panic she felt for a moment, and when she raised her head again, her face had returned to normal, but there was something different in her eyes.

"Let's go."

Li Yunjing stepped back, his tone more relaxed, "I've been busy all morning, my stomach's rumbling. Shall I treat you to lunch... to celebrate our partnership?"

"OK!"

Lü Ruoxi's eyes lit up, and she nodded: "However... it's a promise that since I'm joining, I should treat you to the first meal!"

"You can treat me next time."

Without giving a chance to explain, Li Yunjing turned and walked outside.

The two locked the door and went downstairs.

On a July afternoon, the sun was scorching and there were few pedestrians on the street.

Li Yunjing didn't take Lü Ruoxi to any fancy restaurant, but instead turned into a long-established stir-fry shop at the east end of the town center.

The shop was small, with a few wooden tables and benches, and a ceiling fan creaking overhead. The air was filled with the rich aroma of bone broth and the smell of vinegar.

"A plate of smashed cucumber, a plate of stewed ribbonfish."

Li Yunjing ordered the dishes with practiced ease.

The steaming hot stewed ribbonfish was served, its fresh aroma filling the air.

The two sat facing each other, eating in silence.

After the dust storm in Xiatun this morning and the heavy conversation in the room just now, this simple meal now has a strange sense of comfort.

"Are we going to Xiatun again this afternoon?"

Lu Ruoxi sipped her soup and asked softly.

"That's about enough for Xiatun today. Going again might not yield any more results."

Li Yunjing shook his head, picked up a piece of smashed cucumber, and chewed it with a crunching sound: "Tomorrow, let's go somewhere else."

"Where to?"

"Liutun, and Heyan Village."

Li Yunjing had already made plans: "They all used to have factories or mines, but they went out of business later."

"The situation in these two places is similar to that in Xiatun: they are isolated from information, live frugally, and are likely to have 'stockpiles' on hand."

Lü Ruoxi nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of Li Yunjing's meticulousness.

He didn't act on a whim; he had a clear goal and plan.

For the next two days, just as Li Yunjing had planned, the two of them went out early and returned late, riding that old-fashioned bicycle between several similar villages around the town.

Liutun is more remote than Xiatun, and the road is more difficult to travel.

Heyan Village is located next to a nearly dried-up river, and the village is mostly inhabited by the elderly and left-behind children.

Li Yunjing was still wearing that slightly oversized outfit, holding a paper megaphone, and shouting out his modified rhymes.

Lu Ruoxi followed him around, and from initially being reserved and observing, she gradually became able to help check the condition of the items and hand over money and collect coupons, eventually taking on the role of "partner".

The harvest was still good, but the process was not without its challenges.

Some villagers were very wary and suspicious of the two unfamiliar teenagers collecting "waste paper," requiring Li Yunjing to spend more time explaining to increase credibility.

Some people brought out treasury bonds that were severely damaged or had incorrect dates, requiring Li Yunjing to carefully examine them and decisively abandon them or significantly reduce their price.

Besides treasury bonds, they also stumbled upon a few "Yuan Shikai" silver dollars.

Although most of them were of average quality, Li Yunjing accepted them without hesitation and offered even lower prices.

In addition, I also collected some copper coins, old stamps, and even a brass cigarette holder from the Republic of China era.

Over the course of two days, Li Yunjing spent another 500 yuan in cash, spending it like water, in return for an increasingly thick and categorized bag filled with various "paper coupons" and "old items" wrapped in oil paper.

The exact value was difficult to estimate at the moment, but Li Yunjing had a rough idea in mind. He calculated that the face value plus the potential value of those miscellaneous items had already exceeded eight hundred yuan.

After deducting costs, I made a net profit of over 300 yuan in two days.

Adding to the previous income of 300, I now have at least 600 in income.

Of course, this is the revenue on paper. To realize it, you need to find a way to sell it.

Should I go to Fengtian or Bincheng?

Li Yunjing hadn't decided yet. He vaguely remembered that Fengtian was one of the first pilot areas to open up, so it should be able to offer the highest price.

As for whether Bincheng is also open, we need to conduct an on-site inspection to find out.

On the evening of the third day, the two dragged their tired but excited bodies back to town.

The setting sun cast long shadows on them.

The canvas backpack in the bicycle basket was heavy.

"tomorrow……"

Looking at the fiery clouds filling the western sky, Lü Ruoxi asked softly, "Are we still going?"

"I've almost spent all my principal; I need to take a break."

Li Yunjing shook his head and patted his bulging backpack: "Besides, we need to 'monetize' some of the things we collect as soon as possible in order to get them circulating."

"One last thing, I need to go help out at my family's convenience store tomorrow when they're getting new stock, so I won't be able to go out."

He looked at Lü Ruoxi. After two days of travel, the girl's fair cheeks had become a little tanned, but her eyes were brighter and sharper than before. She had lost some of her naive and spoiled air and gained more enthusiasm for participating.

"Thank you for your hard work these past two days."

Li Yunjing said this with a sincere tone.

Lü Ruoxi shook her head, a smile appearing on her face: "It's not hard work, it's quite... interesting."

She was telling the truth.

In the past two days, she has seen a vast world beyond books and experienced a completely different kind of "learning" and "growth".

"Do you need me to help out at your convenience store tomorrow?"

Lü Ruoxi pressed for an answer.

"No."

Li Yunjing thought for a moment and shook his head: "The goods will be delivered tomorrow. It'll be a mess, all heavy lifting."

"You've been running around with me these past few days and you've gotten quite a sunburn. Take a good rest at home for a day."

He paused, then added, "Make sure you're well-rested; we have more important things to do the day after tomorrow."

"Something more important?"

Lü Ruoxi blinked curiously.

"Um."

Li Yunjing's gaze fell on the southern horizon where dusk was falling, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible anticipation, "I need to go to Bincheng, check out the market, and turn this 'paper' and 'iron' in my hands into real money."

"If we only buy and don't sell, our money will be tied up."

Bincheng!

The name of the place gave Lü Ruoxi a slight jolt.

It was a port city 60 kilometers away, the place where she would go to university in the future.

Now, however, it will become the first stop in their "business".

"Just...the two of us?"

She asked, her voice tinged with nervousness, but more so with excitement fueled by the impending adventure.

"For now, it's just the two of us."

Li Yunjing withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "What's wrong? Scared?"

"Who's afraid!"

Lü Ruoxi immediately straightened her back, raised her chin slightly, and with the stubbornness unique to young girls, said, "Fine, I'll go!"

"Okay, it's a deal then."

"Let's meet again early the day after tomorrow."

Looking at her like this, Li Yunjing's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.