Xu Xiangyang is good at driving, but he doesn't know the route.
Xiao Qian, standing to the side, acted as his navigator, pointing out the route and praising him in return.
"Comrade Xu, your driving skills are really good! You drive more steadily than our drivers." He looked at Xu Xiangyang with admiration.
Xiao Qian said he was accompanying the driver, but he was actually an apprentice who came to learn how to drive.
Unfortunately, he had only been learning for a month and didn't dare to practice at all. Just now, Xu Xiangyang showed off a couple of skills, turning and reversing in the yard, which he couldn't do.
Xu Xiangyang smiled and said, "Comrade Qian, I can't compare to my master. I just love driving and have been learning for a while."
While this is a humble remark, it's not offensive. After all, humility is never a bad thing, no matter the context.
Xiao Qian saw that he was quite easygoing, so she directed the route along the way, and the two chatted the whole way.
Xu Xiangyang drove for more than three hours before finally arriving at Hongxing Commune.
There are designated people to unload the truck, so he doesn't need to do it himself.
Compared to his previous backbreaking work, seeing others working now fills him with a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, often including nostalgia or regret).
He was just unloading trucks a moment ago, and now he's turned the tables, watching others do the work.
"Brother Xiangyang, want a cigarette?" Xiao Qian took out a pack of unfiltered cigarettes, then took one out and handed it to him.
Xu Xiangyang looked at him and thought to himself, "He's not calling me 'Comrade Xu' anymore, he's calling me 'Brother' now?"
I glanced at the cigarette again and thought to myself that I haven't smoked in so long, so it doesn't matter whether I smoke or not.
He was about to refuse, but then he thought that he would definitely have to socialize in the future, and he would inevitably encounter smoking and drinking, so it was unavoidable.
"Thanks." He smiled and took the cigarette, letting Xiao Qian light it for him.
Although I'm here to help out, I need to be mindful of boundaries. Even though Xiao Qian remains humble, I can't go too far.
Xu Xiangyang knew what he meant; he simply wanted to learn from Xu Xiangyang's good driving skills.
These days, teaching an apprentice can lead to the master's downfall. Most drivers won't wholeheartedly teach their apprentices, for fear that the apprentice will learn and they'll be outdone.
Xu Xiangyang wasn't afraid of this; he wasn't even a full-time employee yet, so teaching him was no big deal.
Moreover, knowing a driver means having another friend in the future, and having an excuse to take out something if needed.
These drivers sometimes drive long distances and bring back some sought-after items that are not available here.
Even if it's a defective product, you can't buy it here.
The two men stood to the side, puffing on cigarettes, watching the unloading and loading of goods.
Trucks that make round trips usually don't run empty; they deliver goods on their way there and also pick up other necessities on their way back.
This saves time and effort, and most importantly, it saves fuel and avoids wasting resources.
Seeing the people in front of him bustling about, Xu Xiangyang walked to the side and sat down to wait.
Judging by the time estimate, it will take about an hour to finish installing.
Xiao Qian walked up to him and asked, "Brother Xiangyang, why don't you join the transport team if you have this skill?"
He'd been thinking about this question all the way there: if he had this skill, why was he working as a porter at the grain depot? It was tiring and the pay was low.
You should know that working with a stethoscope and a steering wheel are highly sought-after professions, with salaries that are 50% higher than those of ordinary workers.
Not to mention the perks during regular holidays and festivals.
Xu Xiangyang smiled upon hearing this and said, "To be honest, I had to beg to get this temporary porter job. I also wanted to do the driver's job, but unfortunately I didn't have the connections."
He didn't hide it; after all, with so many interactions, people would find out anyway, so it was better to be open about it.
It would be as if I were hiding something, afraid that others would find out.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qian was visibly taken aback for a moment, but then he recovered and realized that this job was indeed not easy.
He himself was also helped by his family's connections; otherwise, he would have had to rely on others.
"That's true, it's hard to arrange work right now." He nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Such a good job, and I have the skills, yet I can't do it.
He felt sorry for Xu Xiangyang just thinking about it, so he decided not to reopen old wounds.
Soon, more than an hour passed, and the truck was loaded with goods again.
Xu Xiangyang took the lead and boarded the truck, while Xiao Qian handled the rest of the work.
Loading and unloading both require receipts, signatures, and stamps. Normally, the drivers would do this, but this time no one was available, so Xiao Qian had to handle it.
Fortunately, the job was simple, and Xiao Qian had done it twice with the driver, so it was done quite efficiently.
As they started the truck back into the city, Xu Xiangyang talked to him a lot about driving along the way.
This isn't difficult to learn, especially for those who enjoy driving; they can figure it out quickly.
After the two returned to the granary, Xiao Qian was still somewhat unsatisfied and hadn't heard enough.
Taking advantage of the moment he got out of the car, he quickly ran over and said, "Brother Xiangyang, if there's anything I can do for you in the future, just let me know, and I'll definitely take care of it!"
Xu Xiangyang's driving skills and willingness to teach others make him very happy to continue associating with him.
After all, the master doesn't teach. He only says a few words each time and gets upset if you ask too many questions.
In contrast, Xu Xiangyang is very easy to talk to and willing to teach.
Xu Xiangyang saw the light in his eyes and naturally understood what he meant. "Okay, if you don't know something in the future, come to me. I'll tell you everything I know."
If he wants to be on good terms with you, he won't refuse these things.
Xiao Qian was clearly delighted to hear this, and after saying a few words, he went back to complete the task.
Xu Xiangyang looked at the truck in front of him, sighed deeply, and then turned and went back to the grain depot's rest room.
As expected, Zhang Xiao was indeed waiting here. Seeing him return, she quickly went up to ask him questions.
"Comrade Xu, how did the trip go?" he asked with a smile.
Xu Xiangyang nodded. "Successfully, Comrade Xiao Qian has already gone to hand in the task."
He knew that Zhang Xiao was so worried because he was the one who had asked him to come, and if there was an accident, he would be responsible.
So there's a reason why he's in such a hurry.
Zhang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, feeling very happy; the task was accomplished.
He smiled and said, "Alright, Brother Xu, go home and rest early today. I'll count it as one day's work for you. Just come back as usual tomorrow."
They've stopped calling him "comrade" and started calling him "brother" instead?
Xu Xiangyang didn't understand why his attitude changed so quickly, but who wouldn't be happy to leave work early?
But he couldn't just agree so readily, so he declined, saying, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? Everyone else is working, what would it look like if I went back early? How about I stay and work with them until the end of the workday?"
After saying that, he made it look like he was about to go out and get to work.
Zhang Xiao grabbed his arm. "Listen to me, go back and rest for a bit, come back tomorrow."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal.
Xu Xiangyang hesitated for a moment, but in the end he could only reluctantly agree.
He then bid farewell to Zhang Xiao and left the grain depot, turning back to look at her every few steps.
Seeing him like this, Zhang Xiao was very satisfied; he was indeed a genuine person.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
