Chapter 010 Storing Provisions

“This is fifty yuan, and we'll give you an extra five. Buy some treats and share them with your sister,” they said. To Yang Tian’s surprise, Yang Bao and his wife merely paused, then cheerfully rummaged through their battered yet immaculately clean bedside cabinet, took out an old booklet, and withdrew five crisp ten-yuan bills and five one-yuan notes from between its pages, stuffing them into Yang Tian’s pocket.

A surge of emotion overwhelmed him. He could see clearly that after the five ten-yuan bills were taken out, only a precious few remained in the booklet, while the larger denominations had long vanished. Bitterness welled up in his heart—his family had always been poor, and change was urgent. He vowed to give them a better life.

Clenching his teeth, Yang Tian pocketed the fifty-five yuan and stepped out.

Early Saturday morning, Yang Bao escorted him to the bus station, repeatedly urging the minibus driver, Er Gou, to look after Yang Tian and to remember to bring him back in the evening. Thus, Yang Tian arrived for the first time in Binhai City in 1991.

“I wish for a home, a place not adorned with splendor, where I can think of it when I am weary. I wish for a home, not too grand, so I won’t be afraid when I’m frightened…” As he walked along Willow Lane in the southern part of Binhai, the latest hit song drifted from the music shops lining the street.

Listening to the melody, Yang Tian felt as if he were dreaming. The feeling of home—something he had overlooked before his rebirth—he was now beginning to cherish.

At this time, Binhai City already had many bookstores, but most sold academic materials, reference books, and literary classics. Yang Tian, however, was searching for resources on combat techniques. Martial artists called them methods for attack, defense, and evasion, but to Yang Tian, the purpose of learning fighting skills was singular: to defeat an opponent swiftly, ruthlessly, and effectively.

In this pursuit, physical strength was critical, so he sought books on strength training, particularly those detailing the methods used by professional boxers. Besides strength, combat skills mattered greatly. Across the world’s ancient martial arts, fighting techniques included traditional Chinese boxing, free fighting, judo, taekwondo, Muay Thai, karate, and French savate, which held a prominent place among European fighting arts.

Despite the scarcity of such books, Yang Tian scoured most of the city and finally found some in a large bookstore. When he approached the counter with a stack of martial arts classics, the store owner was momentarily stunned, unable to believe the buyer was a nine-year-old child.

Even more astonishing was Yang Tian’s bargaining skill. The books, even after discounts, originally cost over a hundred yuan, but through his gentle persistence, he managed to purchase the entire lot for just fifteen yuan.

The main reason for the owner’s concession was that these books had languished unsold for ages. Yang Tian’s words always struck the right note and elicited laughter, convincing even the shrewd owner to accept his price.

Once the deal was struck, Yang Tian quickly packed all the books into his backpack and dashed out, leaving the owner smiling and shaking his head in amazement—never had he seen such a calm, unique child.

After leaving the bookstore, Yang Tian headed for a sports equipment shop. He had wanted a complete set of strength-training gear but, mindful of his limited funds and unwilling to trouble Yang Bao and his wife for more money, decided instead to buy a pair of dumbbells. As a nine-year-old, his body couldn’t withstand intense training, so dumbbells would suffice.

A pair cost twenty yuan, leaving him with fifteen yuan for additional expenses, since five yuan would be needed for round-trip bus fare.

He recalled Li Xiuying’s advice to buy some treats to share with Yang Xueling. In truth, he would have done so regardless; he had silently vowed to always bring something home for Yang Xueling, wherever he went, to make her happy.

Thus, he began exploring Binhai’s grain markets, considering what to buy for Yang Xueling.

After some investigation, Yang Tian discovered that in 1991, rice in Binhai sold for forty-five cents per jin, while paddy averaged forty yuan per dan—forty yuan for a hundred jin. This puzzled him—why were grain prices lower than in 1989 and 1990?

Upon inquiry, he learned that in October of the previous year, the central government implemented the “One River, Two Rivers” water management policy, significantly improving waterways in the major grain-producing regions. Binhai benefited as well, resulting in a bumper early rice harvest and a drop in grain prices. Thanks to state-guaranteed prices, they hadn’t fallen even further.

Hope sparked in Yang Tian’s heart. Early rice was plentiful, but late rice would likely fail. The flood disaster in the Jianghuai and Taihu regions in 1991 was unprecedented, beginning in mid-July, though it hadn’t yet reached Binhai. He believed it would soon arrive, and a plan for sudden wealth took shape: stockpiling grain.

Buy grain cheaply, then sell it to city rice processors after the floods—he could make a tidy profit.

But this plan was best left to Yang Bao and his wife; he could only advise them. Whether they had the courage was uncertain, for stockpiling grain was risky and few rural folk dared attempt it.

Yang Tian decided to persuade Yang Bao and his wife, since it was an excellent strategy for quick wealth.

Next came buying a gift for Yang Xueling. Li Xiuying had suggested snacks, but mentally Yang Tian was already in his twenties and had little interest in such things. He decided instead to buy a real present.

In his memory, Yang Xueling loved toy blue bears. The streets were full of black and gray bears, but blue ones were rare. After searching most of Binhai, he finally found one in a toy shop.

It was large—and expensive. The owner demanded ten yuan, refusing to lower the price. The proprietress, looking as disagreeable as a woman from a hair salon, seemed to realize how much Yang Tian wanted the blue bear.

Gritting his teeth, Yang Tian bought it, and with the remaining money, a box of DaDa bubblegum.

Though his first visit to Binhai City lasted only half a day and he didn’t even stop for lunch, Yang Tian’s gains were considerable. In the afternoon, he happily rode Er Gou’s minibus home.