Chapter 177

Lei Tingjun climbed onto the roof and, with his tools, began repairing the tiles. Then, Uncle Li and the others drove their cattle back from the fields.

"Xiao Jun, come on, let's go to Uncle Li's house for dinner!"

Lei Tingjun said, "Uncle Li, I won't eat. I came to Honghe Township today to take care of some business and just stopped by to visit. I'll be going back tonight."

"Oh, it's just a meal, a simple meal, it'll only take fifteen minutes, it won't take up much of your time. Your grandma Li has already prepared everything at home, you can just eat it when you get back."

Uncle Li and Aunt Li surrounded Lei Tingjun's car parked on the dam, asking with great curiosity, "Xiao Jun, did you buy this car yourself?"

"Yes, Xiaojun is really doing well now, he's even bought a car!"

"This car must be worth a lot of money, right?"

Lei Tingjun said, "It's a second-hand car, someone else has driven it and is about to retire it, it's not worth much."

"So what if it's secondhand? We can buy a cow that someone else has used, and it still costs three hundred yuan." Uncle Li gave a thumbs up: "If you can afford it, that's your own ability!"

"Let's go home and have dinner."

Lei Tingjun found it hard to refuse the villagers' simple and warm hospitality.

He was taken to Uncle Li's house for a meal.

Before leaving, Lei Tingjun left a bag of the candy and a bag of rice and flour he had bought at Li Erbo's house.

He then visited each of the surrounding neighbors, delivered the gifts, and finally said goodbye to the villagers before driving away.

On the way out of Xiahe Village, Lei Tingjun looked at the bumpy dirt road in the mountains and thought to himself, "I wish they could build a cement road to my hometown someday."

This way, it will be more convenient for the villagers to go out.

***

At six o'clock in the evening, A-Qiang took a pot of chicken soup to the hospital to visit Xie Laosan.

Xie Laosan recovered quickly and didn't blame anyone for the car accident. He happily ate and drank well, only wanting to recover from his leg injury as soon as possible to return to work.

After this incident, he also realized how much drinking affects people like them who drive cars.

I will never be so careless again.

Don't even mention the saying that it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone; he's only been in the hospital for a week or so, and he's already complaining endlessly.

A-Qiang told Xie Laosan that after this incident, Brother Lei reorganized the discipline of the transport team, and that everyone must abide by it when they return to work after recovering from their injuries.

Xie Laosan nodded repeatedly in agreement, having learned his lesson, and would never dare to be dishonest again.

Ah Qiang watched as Xie Laosan finished eating and lay down to rest before leaving the hospital and slowly preparing to walk back.

Lei went to check on the brick factory in Honghe Township today, so he probably won't be back until later.

There's a square across from the hospital, and the night market there is quite lively, with many people setting up stalls.

Ah-Qiang was just strolling through the night market square when he suddenly saw two hooligans harassing a girl who was selling goods on the street.

The thugs, acting like hooligans, were using the act of buying things and getting change as an excuse to grope and seduce people.

That little girl was the bolder one; she coldly rebuked him a few times.

Unexpectedly, those two hooligans got too cocky and overturned the stall.

A-Qiang couldn't stand it anymore. He walked over and grabbed the two thugs by the back of their collars: "What are you doing, bullying an innocent woman in broad daylight?"

"What's it to you!" the thug said, blustering but weak-willed.

Ah Qiang raised his fist, glaring angrily and threatening, "Get out of here now, or I'll punch you!"

If it weren't for Brother Lei's instruction that they should avoid taking action if possible, they would have been in trouble.

Ah Qiang probably already threw that punch a long time ago.

The two thugs weren't as strong as Ah Qiang. They could tell he was all muscle and probably not a good guy. They exchanged a glance and then ran away with their tails between their legs.

The girl at the stall was squatting down picking up items. After she finished, she stood up and said gratefully to A-Qiang, "Thank you! Oh... it's you?"

A-Qiang asked in confusion, "You know me?"

"You forgot? Last month on the bus in Pingquan, you left a pearl necklace with me!" the girl at the stall said with a smile.

Ah Qiang was stunned for a moment, then looked at the girl carefully before suddenly realizing what was going on.

He scratched his head and chuckled, "Sorry, I had a few drinks that day and was a little tipsy, so I didn't recognize you just now."

The girl opposite A-Qiang was petite and pretty, with fair skin. She wore a daisy-print short-sleeved shirt and black pants, and had two small black braids. She had a refined and simple temperament, and her eyes were bright.

No wonder those two hooligans tried to harass her earlier.

Looking at her, Ah Qiang thought about his behavior on the bus earlier, which probably made him look like a hooligan in her eyes, and he couldn't help but blush slightly.

"It's nothing, I should be thanking you." As she spoke, the girl took out the pearl necklace from her bag and handed it to A-Qiang: "I've always carried this with me, just wanting to find a chance to return it to you. Here, now that you're awake, take it back."

Ah Qiang glanced down at it, but didn't take it: "I've already given it away, so I definitely won't take it back. Just keep it. I'm a grown man, I don't need this necklace."

"...Besides, I have no one to give it to if I take it back. If you don't want it, I'll just have to throw it away."

The girl stood there, torn between two options.

Ah Qiang glanced at her again, then found a step next to her stall and sat down: "Are you doing business in Pingdong City?"

"No, I study here and set up a stall at night to earn some living expenses," the girl said softly.

Do you come to set up your stall every day?

"I don't come every day. I usually come from Monday to Friday."

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