The savory, sour-and-spicy fish with pickled greens, along with spinach in garlic sauce, brought satisfied smiles to the faces of the men who had been eating nothing but dry rations for two days straight.

After the five people at the next table finished eating and drinking, they slung their arms around each other’s shoulders and headed upstairs.

Duan Hongjun scoffed. "Acting so cocky on the road. They’re bound to get themselves into big trouble sooner or later."

"Just eat. Why bother with people who are asking for it?" Liu Biao said, taking a big bite of a pig’s trotter.

Before Li Xiangyang and his group had finished eating, they saw the bearded man and another person come downstairs and leave the guesthouse.

Li Bing glanced at the two and whispered, "They’re probably headed for that little inn up ahead, the one with the red scarves."

Liu Biao looked at him with a sly grin. "Li Bing, you want to go too?"

"No, no, no..." Li Bing said in a rush, shaking his head like a rattle drum. "I’m practically a worn-out old man already; I don’t have the energy. I’d like to live a couple more years."

Li Xiangyang glanced at him with a smile. "You look plenty energetic to me!"

Li Bing leaned in and stared at Li Xiangyang. "Xiangyang, how about I take you out to get some action?"

"Not interested!" Li Xiangyang grabbed his jacket from the back of the wooden chair and headed for his room upstairs.

"We’re heading up to sleep. You guys stay a bit longer, then go to the truck," Duan Hongjun said, then looked at Li Bing. "If you want to tempt fate, you can go try it tonight. But if something happens, I guarantee I won’t help you."

Li Bing waved his hands repeatedly. "Don’t worry, man. I wouldn’t go even if they paid me."

Driving for Uncle Da meant high pay, but also strict rules: no drinking on the road, and no whoring at small inns. Break the rules, and you were out immediately.

"Pay you? In your dreams!" Liu Biao laughed and gave him a light punch, then leaned back in his chair.

Li Xiangyang went upstairs to the bathhouse to wash up. When he returned to his room in slippers, Duan Hongjun was already lying in bed, snoring soundly.

He closed the door, grabbed a towel to dry his hair, and collapsed onto the bed. He was asleep in moments.

Just after one in the morning, a series of frantic knocks suddenly echoed from outside. Someone shouted, "Brothers, open up! Help us!"

Li Xiangyang and Duan Hongjun shot up in bed. After listening for a moment, Li Xiangyang just pulled the covers over his head and went back to sleep.

Duan Hongjun quietly got out of bed, crept to the door, and peered through the crack. He saw several large men standing in the hallway, along with two others who had been beaten black and blue—it was the bearded man and his companion.

’Looks like the three guys who were eating and drinking with them didn’t open their door, so they came to knock on ours instead.’

He shook his head, went back to bed, and pulled the covers over his head.

One of the men said in a tearful voice, "Brothers, please come out and be our witness! We were just passing through, we didn’t solicit anyone!"

Duan Hongjun and Li Xiangyang pretended not to hear. After a while, they heard Old Lu’s voice, and then the sound of a door opening from the room across the hall.

The two of them lay there with their eyes closed for about an hour before getting up and heading to the parking lot downstairs.

Liu Biao glanced at them before lying back down, still fully clothed. "We got a nap in during the first half of the night. You guys go back and get some sleep."

Li Bing yawned and looked at them with a complicated expression. "Those two guys with the beard got beaten up badly. Old Lu mediated, and they had to pay a thousand yuan each before they were let go."

"Old Lu said that inn up the road is run by a few thugs. The bearded guy and his friend got caught in a badger game—cost them a thousand yuan and a beating. Luckily, the two idiots parked their truck here, or they wouldn’t have even been able to get their cargo out."

Duan Hongjun shot him a glare. "See? Damn it. Let’s see if you still dare to mess around in the future." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Li Bing sheepishly took off his Lei Feng hat and scratched his head. "When I’m with you guys, I never go."

Liu Biao lazily raised his hand. "Old Duan, I can vouch for that."

Since Liu Biao and Li Bing didn’t want to go sleep in the room upstairs, Li Xiangyang and Duan Hongjun had no choice but to go back and lie down.

At the crack of dawn, the two of them got up, went downstairs for breakfast, and bought some steamed buns and dry rations. Then, Old Lu arrived, carrying an oil-paper bag.

"Old Duan, I cooked two strips of old cured pork and a few links of sausage. Take them for the road."

Duan Hongjun accepted it readily. "Thanks, Brother Lu. If you and your wife ever go back to your hometown, come find me in East Market."

Old Lu chuckled. "Probably not for the next few years, but I’ll definitely visit when I have the time."

The men got in the truck. Old Lu saw them to the gate, they waved goodbye, and the truck drove out of the guesthouse.

「Three days later, in the afternoon」

Li Xiangyang’s group arrived in the provincial capital. They drove the truck to Liu Da’s courtyard in the city and unloaded the motorcycles, color TVs, and refrigerators.

The men had a good night’s rest in the provincial capital. The next morning, Li Xiangyang and Duan Hongjun drove back to East Market.

In the afternoon, their truck reached East Market. Due to the weather, they arrived a day later than last time.

They first went to Liu Da’s place to unload a batch of goods. Then, with Li Xiangyang driving, the two of them went to the department store.

Old Li heard the truck’s horn, looked up, and saw it parked on the road by the entrance. He ran out happily.

He moved so briskly you couldn’t tell he was a chubby old man.

Li Xiangyang got out of the truck and looked at Old Li. "Dad, I’m back."

Old Li looked at his son, who had lost a fair bit of weight, and said repeatedly, "It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back."

Duan Hongjun got out and looked at Old Li. "Uncle Li, you’re looking younger and younger!"

Old Li reached out with a fan-like hand and slapped him on the back. "You brat, teasing me again."

Duan Hongjun chuckled. "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. You really are getting younger with age, sir."

Li Xiangyang opened the back of the truck. The two of them climbed up and began unloading cardboard boxes, wooden crates, and bags one by one, carrying them to the room in the backyard next to Li Shuqing and his wife’s bedroom.

The clothing was taken to the warehouse across the way, waiting for Lin Lan to arrive to do inventory and stock the new items.

Li Xiangyang said to Duan Hongjun, "Sit for a bit. We’ll go to the noodle shop down the street for a meal before you go."

Duan Hongjun shook his head repeatedly. "I have to get back to my wife and kid. Let’s get together when we have time."

"Alright." Li Xiangyang and Old Li walked him outside and only went back into the store after he had left.

He Li grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "Brother, you’re finally back! If you’d been any later, the customers with pre-orders were going to eat me alive."

Li Xiangyang said with a laugh, "Don’t worry, I guarantee we have plenty of stock this time. It’ll last you until next year."

He Li looked at him with a cheerful grin. "We’ll stock the shelves once Sister Lin gets here." Then she lowered her voice and said to Li Xiangyang, "Brother, guess how much my base salary plus commission is this month?"

’A few days ago, they did inventory. Sister Lin said that at the current rate of business, my monthly salary would be equal to six months’ pay for the salesclerks at the big department store across the street.’

’Sister Lin told me not to get too excited, saying it was because the shop had just opened. She said it would drop after the New Year, but I’d be happy even if it dropped by half.’

’My old man told me not to go around telling people, to avoid making them jealous.’

Li Xiangyang flicked her on the forehead. "You think I don’t know? Don’t go showing off, or you’ll be sent back to gluing your matchboxes."

He Li nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know. My dad already warned me."