NOVPUBChapter 46: Chapter 46 Second-hand Dealer
Chapter 46 -46 Second-hand Dealer
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng were finally able to go and talk with the second-hand dealer about trading supplies today. After having breakfast in the morning, they rode a snowmobile to the front of the city’s psychiatric hospital.
This place had been akin to a ragged market, so now it naturally turned into a trading spot for supplies.
The two of them got off a bit away from the crowd, kept the snowmobile in the “Space,” and then walked towards the gathering.
There were more people than they expected. It had been a long time since they had seen so many strangers together, nor had they witnessed such a bustling scene. Watching it all was somewhat exciting.
Gu Pan looked at these people but didn’t find anyone with poor legs. It made sense, though; perhaps that person had become lame later. When she had met him in her previous life it had been about half a year later than this. What had happened in that half-year, who could know?
Now, everyone was dressed like a bear, wrapped up so tightly that only their eyes were visible, but even those were frosted over. How could one discern who was who?
So, Gu Pan could only seek information in a crowded area, “Excuse me, gentlemen, do you know someone called Liangzi?”
At that moment, a man wearing a red scarf stood up and asked cautiously, “What do you want with Liangzi?”
Hearing the accent, a familiar feeling surged through Gu Pan—this was the person, indistinguishable in his pronunciation of tones, yet in her previous life, he hadn’t worn such a conspicuous scarf.
She quickly explained, “I’m here to trade supplies, referred by a friend who said she had traded with a man named Liangzi. She said he was trustworthy, so she told me to find him.”
Relieved, the man replied, “You scared me there. I thought I had offended someone. I am Liangzi. Around here, I’m the only one. If you’re sure about this place, then your friend must have been talking about me.”
Gu Pan looked at Lu Ruisheng and nodded, signalling him that this was the man who had helped them in their past lives.
Lu Ruisheng stepped forward and said to Liangzi, “Then may we have a word in private?”
Liangzi, still cautious, pointed to a secluded spot not far off, “Let’s talk over there.”
The spot was near their base, yet far enough to ensure privacy and safety.
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, being grateful, naturally followed his lead and went to the spot he pointed out.
After stopping, Gu Pan asked, “We’d like to know how food and gold are being exchanged now?”
“You know it’s the apocalypse now. The most valuable thing isn’t gold anymore. Gold used to be solid currency, but its value has declined greatly. Yesterday, a hundred grams of gold was worth five jins of rice, today it’s only four,” Liangzi explained. He mostly handled affluent families coming to buy food, noting from Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng’s attire that they might also be wealthy, possessing some gold and silver for trading food.
Gu Pan realized he had misunderstood and whispered, “We have supplies we want to trade for gold.”
Hearing this, Liangzi’s eyes widened immediately, “You have supplies to sell?” He continued, “I knew you two were extraordinary at first glance, carrying yourselves with dignity, truly dragons among humans.”
Gu Pan smiled, recalling that in the previous life when she met this man, he had lacked vitality and was not very talkative, squatting by a wall. Back then, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng were desperate, aware that their watch was worthless, hence didn’t dare to approach busy second-hand dealers, but had simply asked him, and he ended up helping them.
However, Gu Pan couldn’t say too much now and turned back to business, “Are you suggesting that now isn’t the best time to trade?”
After a moment of indecision, Liangzi nodded, “Though I would like to close a deal soon, honestly speaking, it would be better to wait a while. You found me through a friend, which must be fate. I can’t deceive you; it’s my honor to associate with people of your stature.”
Gu Pan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Our faces are all covered up tight, how can you still tell we have the look of fortune?”
Liangzi wasn’t the least bit embarrassed, “Appearance stems from the heart. Just by looking at your behavior and the way you speak, I can tell you are capable people. You don’t need to show your faces to have the look of wealth.”
Gu Pan smiled and took two packs of compressed biscuits from her backpack, handing them to Liangzi, “Let’s hope your auspicious words hold true. We might come to consult you often in the future. Whenever the time is right to make a move, we cannot let you go unrewarded. After all, it’s not easy for us to find someone we can trust. We will compensate you each time.”
Liangzi felt a bit embarrassed to accept, “No, I haven’t done much. It’s hard to accept this.”
Lu Ruisheng took the biscuits from Gu Pan’s hand and placed them in Liangzi’s arms, “It’s only right. We’ll be working together for a long time to come.”
Liangzi accepted the biscuits and introduced himself with a smile, “I’m Shi Liang, I live nearby. I’m here every day; you can find me anytime. You two are my benefactors. Having met you, I might also live a good life in the future.”
Gu Pan truly hadn’t expected Liangzi to be so cheerful and eloquent.
Looking at his current state, Gu Pan guessed his wife was still around, “Seeing how clean your clothes are, your wife must be a very tidy person.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Liang felt particularly proud, “My wife really is tidy. Even in this cold weather, she boils water for me every day and cleans up. Look at this scarf—my wife just finished knitting it for me. Having such a wonderful wife is truly my good fortune.”
Hearing that Shi Liang’s wife was still alive, Gu Pan was also very pleased, “That’s good, take good care of your wife. Now that we know each other, don’t hesitate to ask us if you need anything. We might not have much, but we have some connections for supplies.”
Shi Liang was delighted to hear this, “That’s wonderful. I’ve met some real patrons today. You two seem so loving together; surely you will grow old happily and live a blissful life.”
Gu Pan listened to him using all the best words he could think of and laughed, “You will too.” Then she glanced at her watch, “It’s getting late; we should be going.”
Shi Liang said, “Then let me walk you out.” After saying it, he realized it wasn’t feasible and scratched his head, “I’ll watch you go.”
Lu Ruisheng responded, “We’ll be seeing each other often, no need for formalities.”
Shi Liang felt entirely engulfed in happiness, “Well, if you ever need anything, just ask me. I know more than just prices; I have lots of information.”
Gu Pan nodded, “Alright, we’re heading off, goodbye.” 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
Shi Liang watched them walk a good distance away, still waving at the two of them.
After walking a bit, Gu Pan sighed, “In our previous life, it took us half a year to connect with him. By then, his wife was gone, his leg was crippled, and he had lost all vitality. I thought he was an introvert, but it turns out he wasn’t; the apocalypse had just ground him down.”
Lu Ruisheng wrapped his arms around Gu Pan’s shoulders, “I can’t even imagine what we went through in our previous life, but in this life, I won’t let you suffer again.”
“There was nothing we could do in our previous life. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the Prophet and the Space, surviving three years would have been tough.”
“The only thing I’m grateful for is that, no matter how hard it was in our prior life, I was always by your side, at least keeping you company.”
“You don’t realize how important companionship is during the apocalypse, so when you were killed, I couldn’t live on my own—I lost the will to live.”
Lu Ruisheng tightened his grip on Gu Pan’s arms, “This life, we must live well.”
“Absolutely.”
