Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space

Chapter 1018 - 891: Junkyard?

The couple continued talking as Zhang Guoqing turned off the main light, switched on the small bedside lamp, propped up the pillows, leaned against the headboard, and gently hugged his wife, patting her softly.Zhou Jiao gave him a sidelong glance in mild annoyance. She wasn’t a child!

"Hahaha..." Zhang Guoqing chuckled heartily, feeling that his little wife often made him feel like he was raising a daughter. Not that there was any real objection!

Zhou Jiao smacked his firm chest speechlessly, then looked at his fair skin under the lamp, giggling at the thought. Imagining his pale complexion among the rough and dark soldiers in the bathhouse was such an incongruous picture.

No wonder this guy didn’t like going to the bathhouse!

She wondered how he managed during military training at the academy with that awkward scene? Was his drive to win awards partly due to this?

Yes, she should find a chance to ask Yi Jiefang.

"Mmm, you like your man a lot?" Zhang Guoqing boasted, flexing his arm, "Look at your man, not even Mr. Universe can compare."

"If your man weren’t always so low-key, I would’ve been on the cover of last year’s military magazine. No one embodies the tough guy image better than me..."

Zhou Jiao grinned mischievously, pinching his cheeks and squeezing hard, "Low-key? Face, where’s your face? Want to pose with some wild woman?"

"Mo... I love you..."

His mumbled "I love you the most" delighted Zhou Jiao, making her smile brightly as she gently caressed his face, tracing his features.

"Wife, darling, beneath the heavens, everything is dust, and only you are the pearl of my heart. Infiltrating my bones, mingling with my blood, never to be relinquished!"

"Hahaha..." As soon as Zhang Guoqing finished speaking, Zhou Jiao burst into laughter, collapsing weakly into his arms.

"Isn’t it odd? Shouldn’t you respond passionately, begging to have little monkeys with me? I took ages to remember this line, it was all the rage online back in the day."

Hearing this, Zhou Jiao looked up at his pretend grievance and laughed even harder, "Oh, my stomach, my intestines, it hurts."

Zhang Guoqing shook his head with a smile, gently rubbing her belly. At least his efforts paid off, and his wife should wear a bright smile every day.

As he rubbed, the atmosphere between the couple grew intimate. Zhou Jiao’s face turned red with shyness, casting him a coquettish eye-roll, shifting slightly in his embrace.

The old hand wanted to drive again!

"Bro, I passed by the west city junkyard today. Oh no, it should be called the recycling station. The yard outside was piled high with stuff, and they were bringing even more in by the truckload."

Zhang Guoqing gave her a mysterious smile, not minding that his wife was playing little tricks on him.

Hehe... Trying to distract himself?

The night was still young.

—No internet or endless social obligations. Rising at dawn, resting at sunset, life felt truly fulfilling.

But thinking about hitting the recycling station so soon? Look at that thought process, truly unwise... Yet, why did he like his wife even more?

"I was thinking of taking a peek inside, but there were too many people around. By the time they left, I was in a rush to get back. Are you interested in treasure hunting?"

Zhang Guoqing scratched his nose, unsure how to respond. If he was too dismissive, they’d waste energy wandering aimlessly and tire his wife out; too encouraging, she might be greatly disappointed.

Actually, actually... not just the west city recycling station, he’d visited those in the suburbs too. No one knew these places better than him!

Rare books and manuscripts, celebrity calligraphy and paintings reduced to pulp at a paper factory; precious woods like huanghuali and zitan along with furniture used as fuel because of their high oil content and burn resistance.

These rumors were false!

No fools, no idiots in Beijing.

At most, the recycling stations had enameled basins with holes, broken kettles, or shattered coarse porcelain bowls.

Besides these discarded everyday items, there was mostly wood bits suitable for firewood. Good quality wood had long been taken to woodworking factories for reprocessing.

There were indeed newspapers, but most were in poor condition. Even textbooks, weren’t families waiting for another generation of kids, practicing recycling with the succession of kids?

Moreover, despite some people losing their resolve, schools still held half-day classes. There weren’t many textbooks around. They’d have to wait for a wave of rural migration.

Occasionally, he witnessed textbooks falling off the back of a truck...

Attentively collected by the recycling station workers, they planned to sell them to students to save state expenses.

"What’s the matter?" Zhou Jiao asked curiously, glancing at him.

Was it that hard?

If she had time, she’d browse, or she’d let it go. She merely wanted to save some old items bearing historical marks.

"Jiao Jiao, too many clever people in Beijing, many with sharp eyes. What you imagined, selling illustrated books by the pile, bronze ware by the pound, or casually hauling around precious furniture, is far from reality."

Zhou Jiao chuckled, "What nonsense." Waving her hand lightly, "Forget it, I’ll check it out when I have time. It’s not a big deal."

To Zhou Jiao, it wasn’t significant. Something she hadn’t voiced—if treasure hunting was her goal, she’d bring her three Fubao, and for sure, they’d find treasures aplenty.

Wouldn’t even take much effort!

However, frequently walking by the river, you’re bound to wet your shoes. For material possessions, she wouldn’t risk her children; she wasn’t an evil stepmother!

Zhang Guoqing felt at ease hearing her say this. He gave her a general overview of the current state of recycling stations to prevent her from wandering off on a whim.

Zhou Jiao listened, all the while her mind spun with thoughts beyond his explanation.

She considered more carefully and broadly than Zhang Guoqing did, particularly with the precious artifacts scattered overseas.

With the nation tightly controlled, apart from the limited exports converted to foreign currency for equipment purchases, how did the rest end up abroad? Her mind turned to the large-scale black market.

Where there’s one, there’s bound to be another. Across so many provinces and cities, how many large black markets could there be?

Unlike trading everyday goods, this was truly against the national policy, truly treasonous.

But a group of desperadoes living with their heads in the noose—what wouldn’t they dare do? But it begged the question: was their supply line linked to individuals or organizations?

The thought of this was terrifying.

Zhou Jiao knew she hadn’t spent much time pondering it. She didn’t intend to share these suspicions with Zhang Guoqing, nor with her father, lest they start worrying about her again.

For her, safeguarding her small family came before the greater community. In these precarious times, how could she, as an individual, fight back?

She wasn’t Ultraman, out to save humanity!

After Zhang Guoqing finished his piece, he sternly reminded her, "If you do want to venture out, remember not to act on your own, it’s quite messy inside. Any action must be done together."

See! There he goes again. Yet if she ever encountered wrongdoers, she would be more than happy to help if it didn’t jeopardize her own safety.

"You’ve said five times tonight not to act on my own, Nanny Zhang!"

"Alright... Well-meaning advice dismissed, wait and see how I’ll punish you!"

As the night deepened, as Zhang Guoqing expected, it was long, and it was drawn out...