Chapter 29 The Rhythm of My Heart Is a Little Chaotic (Watermelon)
When Lü Shuangcai first returned from military service, he also started working in the town. Later, he moved to Rong County for the convenience of driving his truck, since the county seat was more convenient than the town.
“Ji Wei is still working here, so we won’t consider it for now.” Gu Zhiyuan shook his head. Besides, Ji Wei’s plan is to go to the city center, so there’s no need to go to Rong County first.
"Look at my memory, I forgot about that." Lü Shuangcai said, patting his head, and quickly changed the subject.
During the meal, everyone's conversation mainly revolved around everyday family matters. At the end, Lü Shuangcai couldn't help but sigh, "If only Old Wang and his wife had your foresight. When I went out on my last trip, I heard that some factories had already laid off some people."
"Laid off?" Gu Zhiyuan was somewhat surprised.
“Yes, the business is not doing well. At first, wages were reduced, but the business is getting worse and worse. We can’t pay so many people’s wages, so we have to lay off people. There’s no such thing as a job that’s guaranteed for life!” Lu Shuangcai said, shaking his head.
Ji Wei couldn't help but glance at Lü Shuangcai again. It seemed there was nothing to worry about in doing business with him; his foresight was far ahead of most people. Seeing Ji Wei looking over, Lü Shuangcai chuckled and explained to her, "I heard it from others. When wages were cut before, everyone explained it was because the factory wasn't doing well. At the time, I thought, if the business continues to be bad, one day we won't get paid at all. I didn't expect I was right. So it's right to find a way out for yourself early. But Old Wang and his wife are so hesitant. If they knew you were planning to resign, they'd probably be shocked."
Gu Zhiyuan's current job is considered a good job by most people, so Lü Shuangcai didn't forget to confirm with him again: "Are you really going to resign? If you don't want to, there's still room for maneuver." Lü Shuangcai left it at that; there's always a way to deal with a policy.
"Yes, I've already thought it through, Brother Lü, you don't need to persuade me anymore." Gu Zhiyuan had already considered all the pros and cons before making a decision, including the worst possible outcome.
"Think it through. I'm just afraid you'll regret it later," Lü Shuangcai told him frankly.
"Once a move is made, there's no going back. If I don't give it my all now, I'm afraid I won't have the drive later." Gu Zhiyuan said earnestly, feeling that his current job was going to wear down his spirit sooner or later.
"Okay, I like your personality." Lü Shuangcai said, downing the wine in front of him in one gulp.
Throughout their conversation, Ji Wei remained largely in the background, occasionally picking food for the two children. Lu Shuangcai's words reminded her of Ji Shengzhou and his wife's layoffs in her previous life. Counting the days, their layoffs were still over a year away. After being laid off, neither of them went out to find work, continuing to run their family's small shop, which gave Zhou Xiuzhen even more reason to exploit her. Given a second chance, she naturally wouldn't give them that opportunity again.
After drinking, Lü Shuangcai became more talkative, pulling Gu Zhiyuan aside to talk about family matters and his past experiences in the army. Seeing that he was getting more and more excited, Gu Zhiyuan looked at Ji Wei across from him and said with a helpless tone, "You take them back first. It will probably be a while before Brother Lü gets here."
"Okay." Ji Wei nodded, about to remind him to drink less, when she noticed that the cup in front of him was tea. So she changed her mind and said, "Brother Lü has been drinking. Let him go back early tomorrow morning. Should I call your wife first to let her know?"
"You're so thoughtful. There's a notebook in Chen'an's drawer; the first two pages are all phone numbers. Call your sister-in-law and let her know, so she won't worry about Brother Lü." Gu Zhiyuan couldn't help but wonder if she would worry about him if he were the one going to Brother Lü's place today.
"Okay, then ask the boss to help you get off after this." Ji Wei glanced at Lü Shuangcai after saying that. She didn't know how he was when he was drunk, and hoped he wouldn't be too disruptive.
"Okay, then be careful on your way back." Gu Zhiyuan, who was pleased to receive her concern, smiled and watched their backs as they left. Only then did his gaze fall on the person next to him. Lu Shuangcai always liked to bring up the past when he drank, and Gu Zhiyuan regretted for a moment that he hadn't stopped him from drinking earlier.
The two little ones followed behind Ji Wei, skipping and jumping all the way, looking very happy. Ji Wei turned to look at them and asked, "Are you this happy just eating out?"
"The food outside is delicious." Gu Chen'an nodded.
"The food outside is delicious," Lulu chimed in.
Ji Wei raised the corners of her lips: "I also think the food outside is delicious."
"Mom, when I make money in the future, I'll take you to eat delicious food every day." Gu Chen'an took her arm and began to promise her a bright future.
"Then you'd better study hard now. Have you finished the test paper I gave you this afternoon?" Ji Wei asked him.
"There are two more questions left. I'm not sure if it's what I think it is." Gu Chen'an said, then quickly glanced at her. Would his mother think he was stupid?
"Let me see when we get back. Lulu, do you want to draw or write later?" Lulu has suddenly become obsessed with writing numbers these past two days. Although they look like scribbles, she is very happy writing them.
Lulu thought for a moment, her little face full of seriousness: "Write."
"Okay, you guys write first, I'll go tidy up the room next to Chen An's."
"Should we clean it up for Uncle Lü to live in?" Gu Chen'an asked.
“Yes, he’s been drinking and can’t drive, so he’ll have to stay at home for the night,” Ji Wei explained to him.
"Why can't you drive after drinking?" Gu Chen'an asked, puzzled.
"Have you ever seen a drunk person?" Ji Wei couldn't think of a good explanation for a moment, so she asked him if he had ever seen a drunk person.
Gu Chen'an thought for a moment, then nodded, his tone somewhat excited: "I understand. Drunk people can't even walk steadily, so they definitely can't drive."
“Yes, even a little bit is no good. Alcohol affects a person’s judgment, and driving requires focused attention. So don’t drink and drive. How about I give you a task?” Ji Wei said, looking at Gu Chen’an.
"What mission?" Gu Chen'an asked excitedly.
"From now on, you'll be in charge of supervising your dad. If he drinks, he can't drive." Before Ji Wei could finish speaking, Lulu next to her raised her hand and said, "Me too, me too."
“Okay, and you too, how about you and your brother keep an eye on Dad from now on?” Ji Wei thought it would be even better if he could quit drinking, but there’s no rush, we can discuss it later.
"Okay." Both little ones were excited. Usually, adults were in charge of them, but now they finally had the chance to manage the adults. How could they not be excited? Gu Chen'an even confidently assured Ji Wei, "Mom, we will definitely keep a close eye on Dad!"
Ji Wei tidied up the room next to Chen An's, then went to find the phone book Gu Zhiyuan had mentioned. Opening the drawer, she saw a brown notebook. She didn't like invading other people's privacy, but unfortunately, her fingers landed on the middle of the notebook, where it read: "Today I met Teacher Ji, whom Chen An likes very much. I saw hesitation in her eyes."
Ji Wei guessed that this must have been the day she returned. She touched her cheek with some doubt. Was she really that obvious back then? She was somewhat surprised by Gu Zhiyuan's sensitivity. Ji Wei didn't delve into the later parts of the diary. She flipped directly to the beginning, found Lü Shuangcai's home phone number, copied it down, and went to the convenience store on the street to make the call.
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Gu Chen'an felt something was off after making those bold pronouncements, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it until he got home and started doing his homework. It suddenly dawned on him that since there was no car at home, where was he supposed to supervise? He scribbled circles on his draft paper with a pencil, realizing he'd been tricked by Ji Wei and had gotten all excited for nothing.
Lulu's brain capacity wasn't big enough to think that far ahead. She showed Gu Chen'an the number two she had just written: "Brother, look."
"Lulu, the second one looks like a little duck, but I didn't mean you should draw it as a duck directly." Gu Chen'an said, rearranging the numbers for her: "How about writing it like this?"
"Okay." Lulu agreed verbally, but she was a thoughtful child and continued to write according to her own way of thinking, so Gu Chen'an continued to correct her.
When Ji Wei returned from outside, this was the scene she saw: Gu Chen'an looked like he was about to go crazy, while Lulu remained calm. Ji Wei's smile deepened; it was true that whoever was tutoring homework was the one who went mad. She knew Lulu's stubbornness all too well from her past life, but fortunately, she still had a way to handle her: "Lulu, you won't get a little red flower if you write it like that. You have to write it like your brother to get a little red flower."
Finally, the little red flower moved Lulu, and she finally started writing "two" seriously instead of drawing the little duck. Gu Chen'an breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ji Wei with admiration: "Mom, you really have a way with things."
"You can try this method next time." At least this trick will work until Lulu loses interest in the little red flower.
As they were talking, a noise came from the courtyard gate, and Gu Chen'an was the first to turn around: "It must be Dad and Uncle Lü coming back."
Although Lü Shuangcai's speech was already slurred, he still walked steadily. Gu Zhiyuan followed behind him with a cane. Ji Wei quickly stepped forward and asked, "Brother Lü, did you have a hard time on the way?"
"No, Brother Lü is fine except for being talkative when he's drunk." Feeling her concern, Gu Zhiyuan's expression softened.
"That's good. Chen'an, can you take your Uncle Lü over there to wash up and then take him upstairs to rest?" Ji Wei asked him.
"I can do it, Mom." Gu Chen'an nodded to indicate that she could manage. After saying that, she smelled a faint scent of alcohol on the person next to her. She turned to look at him and asked, "You've been drinking too?"
"No, it's probably because I was with Brother Lü and got hooked up." Gu Zhiyuan said, sniffing himself as he spoke.
"It's good that he didn't drink it. I already called my sister-in-law." Ji Wei then thought of the notebook in the drawer. Did this man trust her so much that he thought she wouldn't secretly read his diary?
Gu Zhiyuan belatedly realized that he occasionally wrote a diary in the back of his notebook, and he immediately became nervous: "Did your sister-in-law say anything?"
"It was just polite talk." Ji Wei's expression remained unchanged, and the people next to her secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She probably didn't see it, right?
While speaking, Ji Wei kept observing the person next to her. Hmm, she put it back in time, so it shouldn't count as peeking, right? Neither of them noticed the probing look in the other's eyes, each with their own thoughts.
"Mom, Dad's been drinking." Gu Chen'an's tone was excited, as if he had caught him red-handed.
Ji Wei was amused by his excited expression: "This agreement will only be implemented after your dad's leg heals."
"Okay." Gu Chen'an was a little disappointed.
"What agreement?" Gu Zhiyuan asked, somewhat curious.
"This is an agreement between my mother and me." Gu Chen'an shook his head, not telling him.
"Looks like you're not planning to tell me your secret?" Gu Zhiyuan raised the corners of his lips. He had seen the changes in Chen An during this period.
"Yes, I can't tell you. My sister and I should rest too." Gu Chen'an made an excuse to slip away, and soon only the two of them were left in the courtyard. Afraid that the smell of alcohol on him would bother her, Gu Zhiyuan stepped forward: "I'll go and ask Chen'an to come down and help me."
Ji Wei smiled as she watched his retreating figure, thinking that it was quite nice to have such a lively atmosphere every day.
With the decision to join made, Lü Shuangcai left with the money the next day. Before leaving, he told them to let him know when the new truck was bought. From that day on, time seemed to be on fast-forward. On Sunday, Ji Wei took her two children to the Children's Palace for classes. The two little ones were overjoyed with their respective favorite badminton and dance classes.
Just then, when Ji Wei returned from her second class, good news came from Lü Shuangcai: the new truck had been bought. Lü Shuangcai and the driver he hired drove back together, bringing back a truck full of watermelons. The local watermelons were not yet fully ripe, and the ripe ones were not as big or good-looking as the ones they brought back. So, as soon as they arrived, they were all pre-ordered by fruit vendors. Lü Shuangcai kept a few dozen for himself and to give away.
"Go get the watermelon?" Ji Wei looked at Gu Zhiyuan with some surprise.
"Getting the watermelon was just a side thing; the main thing is to check out the new car. Brother Lü said we should go see it now that it's back," Gu Zhiyuan explained to her.
"So many watermelons have been piled up and taken away?" Ji Wei wondered to herself how many watermelons a truckload would contain, surely a few tons?
"Brother Lü knows a lot of people in the city and Rong County. If we divide it up, there won't be much left." Since starting his freight business, Lü Shuangcai has gotten to know many vendors.
"That's great. We won't have to worry about selling the things we bring back each time." Ji Wei felt more and more at ease thinking about the 20,000 yuan she had invested.
"I don't have classes tomorrow afternoon. After we drop the kids off at school, shall we go to Brother Lü's place?" Ji Wei suggested to him.
"At your pace, the cast will be removed in about ten days, and I'll be relieved." Gu Zhiyuan stared at the cast on his leg, finally seeing the end of his suffocating days ahead.
"Let's hear what the doctor says first. Your opinion doesn't count." Ji Wei wasn't as optimistic as him. After all, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone.
"We'll see what the doctor says then. You must be very tired today, so rest first." For the past three weeks, Ji Wei has been taking the two children to the city by herself, and you can imagine how hard it has been.
"I am indeed a little tired," Ji Wei said, yawning.
The next day, when the two arrived at Lü Shuangcai's house, Wang Haifeng and his wife were also there. A flash of surprise crossed Ji Wei's eyes, and then she greeted them, "Brother Wang, sister-in-law."
After exchanging pleasantries, both of them were surprised to hear that Gu Zhiyuan was preparing to resign: "You two shouldn't act impulsively. You need to think this through carefully."
“I’ve thought it through very clearly. If I don’t resign, I’ll be going to the countryside every day to collect taxes. Even if I go back to the office, I’ll still be dealing with these kinds of things. I can see the end of this kind of life before I know it, and I won’t be able to take care of my family. Although the salary is stable, I still want to take advantage of my youth and try something new. Otherwise, I’m afraid that if I miss this opportunity, I won’t have the courage to do it again.” Gu Zhiyuan’s words were not only for them, but also for himself. If you don’t strive and try when you’re young, are you going to wait until you’re old to do it?
Wang Haifeng admired his boldness. He himself couldn't bring himself to so cleanly and decisively gamble away all his family's savings. Even if he wanted to join now, it was too late. Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a pang of regret. Zhou Meiyun, standing beside him, shared the same thought. Initially, she had assumed that Gu Zhiyuan and Ji Wei, having just gotten married, were still in the process of getting to know each other and probably wouldn't get involved. She hadn't expected them to not only invest money, but Gu Zhiyuan was even planning to quit his job. Now, she regretted her earlier hesitation.
"Come on, have a taste. It's not too hot these days, so I didn't put it in the refrigerator. It's just right to eat it like this." Although it was late June, the weather was still quite cool. Qiao Xiaoxue brought out the sliced watermelon and invited them to try it.
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a big watermelon." The watermelon was cut into long strips, and you could tell it was a large melon.
"The soil and water are different, so the food will definitely be different. Take two back with you when you go back later," Qiao Xiaoxue instructed.
"We feel really bad about all the food and gifts you've given us." Zhou Meiyun was genuinely embarrassed; every time she came to their house, she never left empty-handed.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Lao Lü brought it back for everyone to try. Hurry up and try it, and see how it differs from the local watermelons," Qiao Xiaoxue urged them to eat quickly.
"It's so sweet, and it doesn't have that grainy texture." This is one of Ji Wei's favorite watermelon varieties.
"Right? I also like it crunchy. I was going to keep some for myself, but I was afraid it would get mushy if I left it too long," Qiao Xiaoxue said.
"It's not like we're going this once. We can just bring some back next time we go, right?" Lu Shuangcai waved his hand, indicating that it was no big deal.
"When the weather gets hotter, you should bring back even fewer watermelons. The higher the temperature, the more likely the watermelons will become mushy. Don't lose money then," Qiao Xiaoxue reminded her.
"You don't need to remind me of this. Next time, if you want to haul watermelons, just haul the ones we can eat ourselves." As Lü Shuangcai spoke, he also invited the two people next to him to eat. Seeing that Gu Zhiyuan's leg was inconvenient, he specially picked out the sweetest one in the middle for him.
After eating watermelon, Lü Shuangcai took the two to see the new car. As they walked, he explained to them, "The parking lot we have now is rented. I plan to buy land and build my own garage and warehouse, which will be convenient for parking and storing goods. What do you think?"
“Indeed, renting is not a long-term solution. With the current pace of development, land will likely become even more expensive in the future. Building sooner will save a lot of money.” Ji Wei was the first to agree to build garages and warehouses. Both of these require a large area. In the future, not to mention the cost, it will be impossible to get approval for large plots of land without connections.
"Zhiyuan, what do you think?" Lu Shuangcai didn't expect Ji Wei to see things so clearly, but of course he didn't forget to ask Gu Zhiyuan's opinion.
"Ji Wei is right, and no matter what you do, what matters is having it in your own hands."
"I knew partnering with you guys would be so straightforward." Lu Shuang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had just spent a lot of money on the car, and now there was the warehouse and garage issue. He was worried that they wouldn't approve, but now it seemed that he had underestimated them.
"Brother Lü, it's best to have two drivers take turns driving long distances. Safety is very important, and there's also the issue of overloading. If you're going to do business, you have to plan for the long term. You can't break the rules for short-term gains." Ji Wei had seen too many news reports about fatigued driving and overloaded trucks in her previous life. These two things were her bottom line. After all, you can't earn all the money in the world.
“It seems your sister-in-law has a good understanding of our industry. Don’t worry, I started out as a driver myself. I value these two things just as much as you do. When I first started driving, your sister-in-law was with me. She was worried that I would get tired and fall asleep while driving. At the beginning, we were really risking our lives to make money.” Lu Shuangcai’s tone was full of emotion when he talked about the past.
"I hope we can always maintain this original intention." Ji Wei thought that these words were not only a reminder to them, but also a reminder to herself. Once a person loses their bottom line, many things will follow, and she did not want to become that kind of person.
“Sister-in-law, you’re right. You’re a cultured person. I’m a rough man and can’t say nice things. I’ve also come from a hard life, and I will never mistreat those who work with us. Outsiders only see when we’re living a good life, but they never see when we’re tired. This line of work isn’t actually that easy.” Lu Shuangcai said, looking at Gu Zhiyuan. These words were mainly meant to remind Gu Zhiyuan that he didn’t actually have to resign.
"Don't worry, Brother Lü, I can endure the hardships of being a soldier, so I can definitely do this job." Besides, Gu Zhiyuan only saw this as a starting point.
“You said before that you were going to the countryside every day and couldn’t take care of your family, and this isn’t much better. If you take a long trip, you’ll only be back once every four or five days. Anyway, you can still consider it before you resign.” Lu Shuangcai didn’t want him to resign, after all, it’s easier to get things done if you have connections in the government, but he also understood Gu Zhiyuan’s personality. This reminder was just his unwillingness to give up.
"You didn't even mention the three days of rest you took after your long journey." Gu Zhiyuan chuckled. He understood what Lü Shuangcai meant, but he couldn't have it all.
"Alright, you've made up your mind, so I won't say anything more. Now we just need to wait for you to have your cast removed. The new driver will follow me for now, and when you arrive, he'll work with you."
"I'm fine with anything," Gu Zhiyuan said, indicating that he wasn't picky about who he was paired with.
Lu Shuangcai smiled but didn't say anything. He liked Gu Zhiyuan the most. Gu Zhiyuan was not only decisive but also pragmatic, and of course, he was also ambitious. Ji Wei, on the other hand, gave him a big surprise. He originally thought that Ji Wei had already made a good investment of 10,000 yuan, but judging from what she just said, she was not as ignorant about this industry as he had imagined. It was obvious that she had done some research. Thinking of this, he patted Gu Zhiyuan on the shoulder: "You're lucky this time. You found a good wife."
It's rare to have an understanding partner. Take the Wang family, for example. Old Wang is indecisive, and his wife is even more hesitant. Thinking of this, Lü Shuangcai shook his head. Fortunately, Qiao Xiaoxue always supports whatever decision he makes.
When they left Lü Shuangcai's house in Rong County, they had two extra burlap sacks of watermelons. Lü Shuangcai personally saw them off to the station. After returning, the two of them called a pedicab to take the watermelons back to their home. Since children shouldn't eat things that are too cold, Ji Wei didn't put them in the well water to chill. After putting the watermelons away, she picked out a large one and put it in a basket.
"Should we send some over to your colleagues?" Gu Zhiyuan asked, since they couldn't possibly eat so much.
"I'll send it to them tomorrow. I'll take this to my parents today. Don't they like to cry to people? I know that trick too." Ji Wei winked at him mischievously. It was rare for her to be so playful, and Gu Zhiyuan felt his heartbeat suddenly become a little erratic.
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