"Mom, what should we do?" Qin Mei asked Mrs. Xie, who was beside her. To get caught on her very first trip to the black market... her luck was just plain rotten.
Mrs. Xie stared at the basket of potatoes, lost in thought. 'What's our story now? Are we selling these potatoes or buying them?'
'Getting caught scalping potatoes is a serious offense.'
"Mom, aren't we going to run?" Qin Mei asked again, watching the people scattering in every direction. Her mother-in-law was being far too calm.
'Does she have connections? Is that why she isn't afraid of being caught?'
'We need to run,' Qin Mei thought. 'I don't even care about those spicy fried potatoes anymore. What's a little craving compared to getting arrested?'
'I should have checked the almanac before leaving the house. Following Mom to the black market so rashly was just asking for trouble.'
"Run!" Mrs. Xie finally reacted, grabbing Qin Mei to make a break for it. But it was too late.
