Chapter 3: Black Bean Pork Trotter Soup

“If I were ordinary, Mr. Tang wouldn’t have chosen me.” Since he was her employer, Sui Yi felt obliged to show him some courtesy, so she softened her expression a little and spoke gently.

Ordinary, after all, meant mediocre.

Mr. Tang’s eyes flickered at her words, then he chuckled to himself.

Yet being unconventional didn’t necessarily mean outstanding—Sui Yi had always been measured in her actions and decisions.

——————

The transaction Mr. Tang entrusted to her was simply to act as the receiver, collecting goods from people in the trade. He always handled the communications himself; Sui Yi was merely the front line.

But being the first to receive the goods was crucial. If she wasn’t clever enough, not only would she fail to get the goods, she might also end up in trouble.

Sui Yi didn’t mind this “work”: first, her age offered her legal protection; second, she never participated in any information exchange regarding the goods, so she remained ignorant and thus legally culpable only to a very limited degree; third, her youth made her less likely to arouse suspicion…

Though she knew the risks were generally minor, Sui Yi was always careful, so much so that she had never failed.

In Mr. Tang’s eyes, this was proof of her efficiency.

Of course, as mentioned before, she was kept in the dark. So after leaving Yan Tang Studio, she knew nothing about the person delivering the goods or the nature of the goods themselves.

Upon leaving, she retrieved a letter from the mailbox at the door, opened it casually, and glanced at the line written inside.

—Black beans and dried tangerine peel, add hot water, simmer for one hour and three minutes, stew with pig’s trotters, delicious flavor…

It was a recipe for black bean pig’s trotter soup. Sui Yi read it and tossed it into the trash, her hands slipping into her school uniform pockets.

Watching Sui Yi’s figure vanish from the doorway, Mr. Tang answered a call, holding a teacup, smiling warmly as if swept up in a spring breeze. “My people are ready here. Don’t let your side drop the ball.”

“The ones I choose won’t disappoint—they get things done. Not many, three thousand yuan will suffice. I thought I’d need to pay ten thousand… As for your people, they’re all sluggish, dragging their feet… This time, that won’t do. It’s a special period. Once this job’s done, you’ll need to lay low… If something happens? Let it happen, it’s not my concern here, but your side…”

“Hey, how am I a profiteer? If I were, there’d be no honest folk left in the world…”

Muttering, Mr. Tang hung up. The previous bright smile faded, hidden among the dappled sunlight and the shadows cast by the blinds.

Obscure and ambiguous, a touch of gloom.

——————————————

Half an hour later, she wandered leisurely to a small restaurant by the Nanxun River, chose a seat by the window—a private booth, a bit pricey, but she intended to have Mr. Tang reimburse her…

———

The place was called “Good Flavor”—a simple, down-to-earth name.

It was lunchtime at the start of the school term; with a free afternoon ahead, most students were relaxed and excited, strolling through the ancient city streets in small groups. The restaurants were lively.

Sui Yi, as a student, didn’t stand out at all.

The scenery in the old city was always beautiful: emerald river water swirling past the windows, stone bridges, flowing streams, homes nestled by the water, wisps of smoke drifting, painting a picture of the misty, rainy Jiangnan.

Even the air was tinged with the age-old scent of ancient trees rooted by the bridge.

Sui Yi ordered a bowl of porridge and two small dishes, and began to eat. After a while, someone sat down across from her, apparently wanting a seat in the booth. Claiming he liked the window spot, he joined her. The proprietress seemed a bit embarrassed, but Sui Yi didn’t object and agreed. The newcomer glanced at Sui Yi, then turned to shout, “Boss, one bowl of beef noodles!”

His voice was deep and gruff; he himself was rough, dark-skinned, with a broad face and a fierce look in his eyes. Through the open door, his legs sprawled wide, his posture bold and unrestrained—like a character straight out of an old gangster film.

The owner dreaded such customers and responded quickly.

“Alright, sir, please wait…”

Soon, the noodles arrived. The man slurped several mouthfuls noisily. Sui Yi had finished eating, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and glanced at the clock on the wall—one thirteen in the afternoon, right on time.

“Blackie, how’s the noodles?”

“They’re alright, but nothing like the spicy noodles from back home,” Blackie replied, slurping a mouthful and dumping a heap of chili paste onto the noodles.

Sui Yi smiled faintly—so fond of spicy food?

“Sichuan Salt City, Old County, people there do love their spice.”

Blackie paused in his eating, lifted his gaze to Sui Yi, a glint of menace in his eyes. “How does a young girl know that?”

In their line of work, nothing was more dangerous than someone knowing your origins; following the trail could easily lead to the whole group being exposed.

Though Blackie was fierce and the booth empty except for them, Sui Yi remained calm, meeting his gaze. She picked up another napkin, wiped her mouth, and spoke softly: “The papers reported that Old County in Salt City has been plagued lately by rats—every hole dug up, even the black cats and white cats can’t stay idle… But don’t worry, I just needed to confirm you were genuine. Now it seems you are the one I’m waiting for.”

Hm? She was testing me before?

Blackie frowned, scrutinizing Sui Yi anew.

Despite his rough appearance, he had a certain meticulousness and savvy, unlike those who only knew how to dig up relics from graves. In his own words, “I’m still a cultured man—I won’t let anyone fool me!”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare show up for a handover at a time like this.

———

He just hadn’t expected that the other side would send such a young girl…

But that was his previous impression. Now, he didn’t think so anymore.

“I’m Blackie—you just confirmed it,” he said, lowering his voice and dumping another heap of chili paste into his noodles, stirring rapidly with his chopsticks. The soup turned crimson, with dark beef chunks floating in it, looking disturbingly like shredded flesh.

Sui Yi turned her face away, indifferent. “Anyone can call themselves Blackie, can’t they?”

Blackie paused, grinned, his teeth yellowed. “True… But the only Blackie who’d come to meet you is me, and the only Blackie with goods is me.”

With that, he held his chopsticks in one hand, grabbed a black bag from beside his feet with the other, and dropped it onto the table. Dust on the bag scattered into the steaming noodle soup, raising a hazy mist.

The zipper rasped as he opened it, revealing a dusty clay jar.

The note had mentioned “simmering”—referring to the jar. This one seemed to be ancient pottery, caked with earth. Sui Yi wasn’t particularly interested in such things, so she merely glanced at it. Once she confirmed it was the “goods,” she said, “Alright, I’ve got it. Someone will contact you soon…”

Her hand was already resting on the bag’s strap.

“Wait!”

Smack! Blackie pressed down on the strap. Sui Yi’s eyes flickered as she looked up.

Blackie grinned at her, beef scraps stuck between his teeth. “No, I thought it over on my way here… This job can’t be done like this! The cops are clamping down hard. I need to get the money now, or who knows what tricks you might pull…”

Normally, their transactions were always cash-and-carry. But legally, exchanging cash or giving a bank card was considered an illicit trade. If the money wasn’t handed over, and was paid later, the chances of conviction were much lower, and the legal loopholes wider. But this depended on trust. Who would willingly hand over their goods without getting paid?

Nowadays, those with money are in charge; some sellers, out of desperation, might accept such risky deals.

Most buyers don’t want to push sellers too far—unless the seller’s already been set up with no way out.

Mr. Tang at Yan Tang Studio had a reputation to uphold. Sui Yi had always handled jobs of this kind, and nothing had ever gone wrong.

But…

Today, something unexpected happened!