The Fat Wife of the 1980s Awakens

Customers also seemed wary of such transactions. They looked a little uneasy while waiting to make a purchase, and looked around from time to time, fearing that they would be caught by law enforcement officers.

Although this illegal transaction can meet the needs of some people for a cheaper life without the need for food stamps, it is always shrouded in the shadow of the legal edge.

"The things sold at these stalls are indeed cheap, and you don't need a ticket," Xie Yi patiently explained to Xu Xiufang, his eyes showing helplessness and understanding of the current situation, "but such transactions are always shady."

Xu Xiufang nodded slightly, having already understood this in her heart.

Even though the current social atmosphere is gradually relaxing, such private transactions still find it difficult to gain official recognition and support.

Behind this, both sellers and buyers are like dancing on the edge of a knife, and may get into trouble at any time due to a sudden inspection.

"Brother Yi, why don't we go and take a look too?"

Xu Xiufang suggested, with curiosity and inquiry in her eyes.

Xie Yi smiled slightly and pointed in a specific direction: "Wait a moment, let's go over there and take a look."

Xu Xiufang looked in the direction of his finger and saw a thin but nimble peddler hiding in an alley at the corner of a factory.

In front of him was a cart that was so old that it was almost falling apart. On the cart were piled hot buns, golden and crispy fried dough sticks and several large pots of warm soy milk.

However, perhaps because the stall was too hidden, or perhaps for other reasons, even during the prime time in the morning, his business was unusually slow and few people came.

Compared to the bustling and booming stalls around here, this place seems to have been forgotten by the world, quiet and lonely.

Xu Xiufang turned to look at Xie Yi with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Do you know him?"

"Well, we met by chance about a month ago. His name is Wang Degui," Xie Yi slowly told the story of the peddler. "He had gone astray due to some misunderstandings and was imprisoned for a while. After he was released, his family not only could not accept his past, but also worried that he would be implicated, so they took away all his hard-earned savings and tried to kick him out of the house. But he did not give up and insisted on staying at home, but was treated violently by his family. I happened to pass by and helped him. At that time, I was holding a thermos in my hand that I was going to take back to the courtyard, but unfortunately it was broken in that conflict..."

At this point, Xie Yi's tone revealed a hint of emotion and injustice, his eyes flashing with helplessness towards the coldness of the world and his adherence to justice.

Later, he poured out the remaining change in his pocket onto the store counter, exchanged it for a brand new, heat-insulating thermos, and insisted on compensating me.

At that moment, his eyes flashed with determination, as if this was the only compensation he could make.

He himself silently endured hunger and embarked on several days of displacement. Every meal was a struggle against the protest in his stomach. His thin figure seemed increasingly lonely and helpless in the streets and alleys.

When we met again, he looked even thinner, with an indescribable fatigue etched on his haggard face, but the flame of indomitable spirit still burned in his eyes.

My heart tightened and I quickly handed him a hot bun, hoping it would temporarily relieve the emptiness in his stomach.

Then, I took out a crumpled thirty-yuan bill from my pocket and gently put it into his hand. His trembling fingertips revealed his inner emotion and uneasiness.

Xie Yi had a faint smile on his face, and his tone was filled with helplessness and understanding. "I'm not surprised that he could use the money to start a steamed bun business. But I didn't expect him to choose such a down-to-earth yet challenging business."

When Xu Xiufang heard about this story for the first time, she felt curious and warm.

She held Xie Yi's hand tightly, with a gentle light in her eyes, "Let's go see his stall and taste his cooking skills."

Wang Degui saw Xie Yi from afar, his eyes instantly filled with joy. He waved his hands vigorously, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "Brother Yi, it's you!"

"Come, let us see your craft."

Xie Yi's laughter was full of kindness and encouragement.

"Just tell me what you want to eat. I have everything here. You're welcome."

Wang Degui was asking for his own stall, his words filled with the heroic spirit of a man of the world.

He suddenly noticed Xu Xiufang beside Xie Yi, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes. Then he was a little at a loss, "This... is my sister-in-law, right?"

Xu Xiufang responded generously, with a hint of shyness in her smile, "Hello."

Wang Degui's expression became even more reserved, as if he had been suddenly elevated to another social level that required careful treatment.

He looked around his simple stall awkwardly and scratched his head in embarrassment, "This place is really simple, there is nothing to entertain my sister-in-law..."

Xu Xiufang smiled gently, her eyes resting on the neatly arranged buns, her eyes full of understanding and tolerance, "This is already very good."

Wang Degui hurriedly picked out a few plump buns, added two cups of fragrant soy milk and a few golden and crispy dough sticks, and smiled with a bit of trepidation, "Maybe it's not to my taste, please don't mind."

Xu Xiufang and Xie Yi originally thought that this was just the host's humble words, but after taking the first bite, the taste was indeed a bit disappointing.

They stopped chewing at the same time, looking slightly embarrassed.

Wang Degui caught this subtle change and rubbed his palms embarrassedly, "Is it particularly unpalatable?"

As it was just their first meeting, Xu Xiufang didn't want to speak directly, so she gave Xie Yi a questioning look.

Xie Yi expressed his opinion frankly, "It's not that it's hard to eat, but it's still a long way from being truly delicious."

Wang Degui's expression revealed obvious disappointment. "I also know that I haven't done well enough. Look at other people's stalls, there are crowds of people; look at mine, it's very deserted."

Xu Xiufang noticed the buns that didn't look special but were filled with stuffing, as well as the crooked sign that read "Buns 8 cents, no food coupons required, 2 cents cheaper than the state-owned store," and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This is a person who sticks to honesty, even a little too honest!

“Maybe you could consider selling a different variety?”

Xu Xiufang tried to make suggestions.

Wang Degui looked embarrassed. "Actually, before this steamed bun, I also tried selling pancakes, tofu pudding, and rice porridge, but the results were not very satisfactory."

Xu Xiufang was speechless for a moment when she heard this.

Wang Degui's eyes drifted to the surrounding stalls, and he smiled bitterly with a bit of helplessness, "Nowadays, people prefer convenience and speed, and buy the finished product directly to eat."

Xu Xiufang nodded tacitly, understanding the change in the current social atmosphere.