Chapter 10: A Trip to the Market, Scolded for My Limping Gait

"Listen, mister, it's 30 yuan each, no bargaining."

Ke Ling'er's voice was crisp and clear, carrying a hint of unquestionable firmness. The old branch secretary frowned upon hearing this, clearly hesitant about the price, but he couldn't help but voice his inner doubts.

"How much wool does this rabbit produce in a year? We need to do the math to see if it's worth it."

Ke Ling'er glanced at the old branch secretary, who was leaning against his Phoenix-brand bicycle, and a smile curled at the corners of her mouth. This was a big potential customer.

"A little over half a jin, conservatively speaking. I raised these with great care; the quality is guaranteed."

Upon hearing this, the old branch secretary began to calculate in his mind: "How much can half a jin of wool sell for? I'm not really sure about the current market rates."

Ke Ling'er immediately chimed in with a grin, "A jin of wool goes for 80 yuan, so do the math—half a jin is already 40 yuan."

Lin Junsheng interjected from the side, "The returns are indeed decent, but the quality of these rabbits doesn't seem very impressive, and the luster of their fur isn't quite up to par."

Ke Ling'er's brows shot up, her tone tinged with annoyance. "What do you know? These are the best Angora rabbits I have. You won't find better ones even in the county. If you're not buying, don't go around nitpicking."

Seeing that the young woman didn't appreciate his input, Lin Junsheng quickly offered a conciliatory smile. "My apologies, miss. I really don't know much about this; please don't take what I said to heart."

Just then, a middle-aged man who had been quite interested in the rabbits put the one he was holding down, seemingly discouraged by the argument he had just witnessed. He, too, began to feel that the rabbits weren't of such high quality after all.

Ke Ling'er hurriedly called out, "Hey, mister, don't go! Take another look."

Having said that, she turned and glared at Lin Junsheng. "You've ruined a perfectly good sale. Do you even know what you're talking about? Have you ever even seen a truly good rabbit?"

Lin Junsheng felt embarrassed by the scolding, but he found it hard to argue. He didn't know much about Angora rabbits, but based on his ten years of experience working with livestock—and supplemented by old newspapers and news reports—he had a rough idea that this breed wasn't top-tier.

Ke Ling'er wasn't finished venting her frustration; ruining her sale had really gotten under her skin. "Hmph, a cripple like you pretending to be an expert. If you aren't buying, get lost; don't be an eyesore."

With that, she grabbed her rabbits and turned to leave, looking as if she wanted nothing more to do with either of them.

Lin Junsheng shook his head helplessly. "What is wrong with that girl?"

The old branch secretary advised him from the side, "You, you're too obsessed with studying livestock. That girl had a hard time just getting out here to sell a rabbit, and you had to go and be so pedantic with her."

Lin Junsheng hadn't expected that while the girl might have been pretty, her tongue was incredibly sharp.

***

"The wool yield of that rabbit, while profitable, doesn't leave much margin after factoring in labor and feed costs. We probably need to head to the county to find better stock if we really want to make money."

The old branch secretary agreed; at 30 yuan a rabbit, shearing half a jin of wool a year only brings in 40 yuan. After a full year, you'd only net 10 yuan profit. It’s fine if you raise many, but raising one or two is just busy work for nothing.

Standing amidst the bustle of the market, Lin Junsheng’s thoughts drifted back to the era before his rebirth. Back then, as a screenwriter looking for inspiration, he used to leaf through yellowed old newspapers. He clearly remembered an article in the *Liberation Daily* titled "The Legend of the Angora Rabbit."

In the report, the Angora rabbits of Shanghai were described as legendary. Their breed quality led the nation, their wool production was astonishingly high, and the quality of the wool was top-tier. In those years, Chinese rabbit fur thrived in the international market, with export volumes consistently ranking first, bringing unprecedented wealth to countless farmers. Farmers cast off the label of poverty, built new houses, and leaped into the ranks of the enviable "ten-thousand-yuan households."

The golden sayings that circulated among the farmers in Shanghai still echoed in his ears: "After gold and silver, the next best thing is rabbits," and "Raising a group of rabbits is better than a small treasury." The report also mentioned anecdotes: village teachers submitting resignation letters just to raise rabbits, and children abandoning their homework after school to cut grass. The rabbits were so "pampered" that they were even fed milk powder and malt extract, causing milk powder shortages in the market.

These scenes flashed through his mind like a movie, making him marvel at the madness of that era. Now, he had been reborn at a time just before this Angora rabbit craze fully took hold. Raising them could bring substantial economic gains; the rabbit meat could sell for a good price, and the wool was worth its weight in gold.

"Let's look around and see if there are any other breeders selling Angora rabbits at the market." The old branch secretary squinted, scanning the bustling crowd. "Angora rabbit farming is a hot trend now; many places are starting it. We need to hurry, or by the time everyone starts, we won't even be able to get a spoonful of broth."

Lin Junsheng nodded, his expression grave. "Exactly. That's how farming goes; the more people do it, the less it's worth. You have to get ahead of the pack to gain an advantage."

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had reached the end of the market. Although they hadn't bought the rabbits they wanted, the old branch secretary was surprisingly magnanimous. "Forget it, if we didn't buy any today, so be it. Let's go, I'll treat you to a bowl of braised noodles."

Lin Junsheng’s eyes lit up immediately. "Braised noodles? That would be fantastic!"

Since his rebirth, Lin Junsheng hadn't had a single bowl of braised noodles.

***

He was absolutely starving for them!

A brilliant smile spread across his face, as if this bowl of noodles were the greatest harvest of his day. They arrived at a noodle shop and ordered two steaming bowls. The noodles were chewy, the broth was rich, and it was topped with tender slices of beef and greens—it was truly a delicacy.

Lin Junsheng ate with great gusto, occasionally letting out a satisfied "tsk-tsk." Seeing him eat with such relish, the old branch secretary couldn't help but laugh. "It looks like you were truly starving. But these noodles are indeed excellent; it's been a while since I've had them, too. Let's enjoy this rare treat today!"

As he ate, Lin Junsheng was busy calculating his next move. He looked up at the old branch secretary with a faint smile. "Old secretary, I still think we should go to the county town. While Angora rabbit farming is starting to heat up, high-quality breeds are still rare. If we can get our hands on a few superior rabbits, the returns won't just double—they'll be far better than that."

The old branch secretary pondered for a moment and shook his head. "The county town is quite far, and the trip back and forth would be a hassle. Besides, these old bones can't take that much wear and tear."

An idea struck Lin Junsheng. "Actually, I have an idea. Didn't you say your son is coming back from the county town in a few days? You could have him help bring back a few good-quality Angora rabbits. That way, you don't have to go through the trouble, and we still get the rabbits we want."

The old branch secretary’s eyes brightened. "Hey, that's a good idea! My son works in the county town and knows the situation there well. I'll call him when I get back and have him bring some good ones in a few days."

He wore a satisfied smile as he said this. In the village, only the commune had a telephone, and one usually had to apply to the old branch secretary to use it.

After finishing their noodles, Lin Junsheng thanked the old branch secretary for his hospitality. "Old secretary, I'm going to go buy some books on livestock farming to study, so I can try to apply what I learn to raising these rabbits."

The old branch secretary laughed heartily. "You’ve got ambition, lad! Go on, go on, study hard."

Lin Junsheng nodded with a smile and promised to wait for him at the noodle shop entrance later. He bade farewell to the old branch secretary and turned toward the post office. It was time to cash those two money orders.