Chapter 46 Life's Journey
Nanjiu stood up and walked towards Zhenmin: "Can you go out into the mountains with me?"
"Now?"
"Yes, let's go now."
"Okay, I'll tell Zhang Jiang."
"I'll drive."
Nanjiu parked the car at the top of the hill. Zhenmin trotted over and opened the door. Nanjiu stepped on the accelerator, and the car turned and sped down the mountain.
Zhenmin sat in the passenger seat, the shadows of trees darting past along the mountain road. She gripped her seatbelt nervously, her gaze involuntarily darting to Nanjiu in the driver's seat. "Did you sleep last night?"
"I can't sleep."
Nanjiu's brows were furrowed, her face pale, but her eyes remained bright. From yesterday until now, the impression Nanjiu had left on Zhenmin had completely overturned her previous impression. The once lazy girl had somehow grown into a calm, towering tree. This quiet strength actually filled Zhenmin with a faint sense of fear.
Nan Jiu noticed Zhen Min's gaze and said, "I might have to trouble you with something. If you don't like it after listening to it, you can refuse me."
"What is it?"
"I just contacted Li Hu, but he's out and can't get back to the mountains today. I was thinking of paying him to act as a middleman, but time is running out, so I guess I can't count on him."
Nanjiu paused, glancing at Zhenmin. "Would you... be willing to make the trip?"
Zhenmin had lived in Heishiwa Village before and was familiar with the locals and the people there, as well as the women. She had a rough idea of what was going on in each household. If she went in person, it would not only save her a lot of communication hassles but also make finding the people easier. However, while Nanjiu could clear this old wound, she couldn't speak for Zhenmin. After all, Heishiwa Village was probably the place Zhenmin least wanted to set foot in her entire life.
The car was silent for a few seconds before Nan Jiu spoke again: "It's okay, I just asked casually. I'll ask Li Hu later if he has a list..."
"I'll go," a voice interrupted her. Zhen Min turned around and said, "Instead of asking them to go door to door, I'll go. I probably know which families are close to Li Hu."
Nan Jiu's taut lips relaxed slightly, "Thank you for your help."
"Don't tell me that. I never had the chance to thank you properly for what happened back then. If you need anything, Zhang Jiang and I will do our best."
There was a flicker of emotion in Nanjiu's eyes.
If there's one thing Nanjiu has always wanted after all her years in the workplace, it's probably her own house in Fengshi. When she was little, her parents divorced early, and she initially lived with her father, her room always cluttered with her brother's things. Adults often had to come into her room to get things, and her door couldn't be locked, allowing anyone to open it at any time. She never had a completely private space of her own.
Later, her father moved away and she didn't even have her own room.
My little sister's grandmother and the dog that always snarled at her lived at my mother's house, so there was no place for her.
She was born and raised in Fengshi, but Fengshi never had a place for her to live. After making money, she always wanted to build a home for herself in Fengshi, a space that belonged completely to her.
The money in her account was redeemed from various funds and stocks last week to pay for the house. It was the foundation she planned to buy for herself before getting married.
However, at this moment, Nanjiu had no time to consider the considerable penalty for breach of contract and the original signing schedule.
Watching the string of numbers displayed on the machine, the meaning of making money was redefined in that moment. Perhaps it wasn't a house, social status, a bright future, or flashy clothes. It was the ability to provide for one's family in times of crisis. Just like when she ran away from home at the age of 12, and Old Man Nan opened his door to her; just like when she was 22, and Song Ting, without asking why, transferred her the first seed money.
Banks require advance reservations for large withdrawals, so Nanjiu and Zhenmin went to several banks and scraped together 200,000 yuan. Before leaving, Nanjiu made another large withdrawal appointment with the bank, and the bank told her to come back in three days to withdraw the money.
By three in the afternoon, all the work had been arranged. Nan Jiu parked the car at the top of the hill, pushed open the door, and got out. Looking down from above, she saw hats rising and falling along the tea ridges, forming flowing lines as the tea pickers moved. The bustle that filled the mountains was like a strong wind, slightly sweeping away her anxiety.
The others had already arrived. The conference room wasn't as crowded as it had been this morning. Everyone sat down along the long table, but they had all left the main seat vacant. The seat at the top of the table, symbolizing authority and leadership, quietly awaited her arrival.
Nan Jiu walked straight to the empty seat and pushed the heavy briefcase in his hand to Zhou Weining. Zhou Weining took it as if relieved.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Nan Jiu's voice remained calm: "Ten minutes to discuss who will go."
Finally, it was decided that Xiang Zhiyang and Zhou Weining would lead their men to Heishiwa Village, while Jiang Qing would stay behind to oversee the mining operation.
Nan Jiu also decided to go with them. Zhang Jiang said worriedly, "I'll go with you, you don't have to go..." Considering that Jiang Qing and the others didn't know what happened back then, he didn't say the second half of the sentence.
Nanjiu stood up and said to him, "I don't know how to pick tea, so it won't be very helpful for me to stay. I can drive you. Let's go."
The mountain road to Heishiwa Village was still winding and rugged. Nanjiu held the steering wheel, a lingering gloom between her brows. That year, at the age of 20, she had been kidnapped by several men and taken back to Heishiwa Village because of a reckless decision. Later, she read about the experiences of other girls in various news reports.
She thought she would never return to that village in her lifetime, but the things in this world seemed to be connected by invisible threads, and eventually brought her back to this nightmarish place.
The car weaved through the village's narrow lanes, where households were scattered about. Nanjiu parked the car beside the lane and, guided by Zhenmin, walked towards a villager's house.
The Zhu family's residence was located not far from the village entrance. As they passed the tightly closed door, Nan Jiu and Zhen Min, who were lagging behind, turned their gazes to the side.
There were some wood piled in front of the Zhu family's courtyard, surrounded by weeds, giving it a run-down appearance. That year, Song Ting told her that the Zhu family's son was in jail, and he didn't know if he had been released yet.
Zhenmin's face tensed, and she couldn't help but quicken her pace. Nanjiu took out a piece of chocolate from his pocket and handed it to her: "Have one, to replenish your energy."
Zhenmin took it, put it in her mouth, and asked, "Is there any news about Brother Song?"
"There was a car accident," Nanjiu's eyes flickered with worry. "I don't know the details. He just told my grandfather that he was safe."
"You guys..." Zhenmin paused, "Aren't you together?"
Nanjiu shook his head and looked at the muddy ground under his feet.
"Brother Song is sincere to you. That year, in order to find you, he took a punch from Zhu Dahai. With his personality, it's not easy for him to do this."
Nanjiu's expression froze, and he turned his head: "What did you say?"
Zhenmin's words, like a rusty key, pierced deep into Nanjiu's memory. On that chaotic, out-of-control night, she had escaped the catastrophe, desperate to grasp at every shred of warmth. She noticed the wound on his face, and he simply said he'd been in a fight, and she easily believed his lies.
She had thought that the brief moment of tenderness he had given her that night was warmth she had grasped. Until now, many years later, the belated truth had unexpectedly entered her heart, carrying a heat far greater than tenderness.
......
Zhenmin knocked on the villagers' door, explained her purpose, and asked Zhiyang and Zhou Weining to mediate. The villagers invited them into the house and explained the matter in detail.
It took them 20 minutes to get out of the first villager's house. They then rushed to the second villager's house and repeated the mobilization speech.
As the sun gradually set, Nan Jiu turned to Xiang Zhiyang and said, "This won't work. It will waste too much time. Come with me."
Following Xiang Zhiyang's instructions, the car drove directly to the village office. Nan Jiu remembered Song Ting had told her that Heishiwa Village had a new village chief. Although she had never met him before, she was afraid to bite the bullet and meet him.
The car stopped at the village gate, and after explaining their purpose, they were invited into the village chief's office. The village chief, surnamed Wei, was a middle-aged man who looked easygoing, but in reality, he had no desire to take on any responsibility.
While Xiang Zhiyang was communicating with him, Nan Jiu sat quietly, surveying his surroundings. The office wasn't large, but it was cluttered with things. Behind the sofa in the corner sat an unassuming basketball, and Nan Jiu's gaze lingered on it for a few seconds.
Xiang Zhiyang turned around and shook his head at Nan Jiu.
Nan Jiu lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, then raised his head again and asked, "Village Chief Wei, do you like playing basketball?"
Village Chief Wei followed her gaze to the basketball behind the sofa and smiled: "That's my son's."
"I just drove around the village, and I didn't seem to see the basketball court?" Nan Jiu continued.
"He just comes over occasionally to take a couple of shots and have fun."
Nan Jiu nodded in understanding and looked at Xiang Zhiyang: "Then we won't bother the village chief any more."
Xiang Zhiyang stood up helplessly, and the two of them walked out of the office one after the other. Nan Jiu's pace gradually slowed down in the corridor, and he said to Xiang Zhiyang with a hint of apology: "My memory is so bad, I left my phone on the sofa. You go back to the car first."
After Xiang Zhiyang turned and left, Nan Jiu knocked on the village chief's door again. The village chief was slightly surprised to see her return and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Nan Jiu gently closed the door, took out a tightly sealed envelope from the inner pocket of his windbreaker, and placed it steadily on the desk.
Village Chief Wei glanced at the envelope and frowned slightly: "What are you doing?"
Nanjiu smiled calmly and said calmly, "Don't misunderstand me, Village Chief. I don't mean anything else. I just think that teenagers are in the period of growth, and getting more exercise is very important for their development. This is just a personal gesture, and I want to contribute to the development of sports in the village. If we can build a proper basketball court in the future, the children will have a decent place to play."
A few minutes later, Nanjiu walked out of the village office, got into the car and started it.
Zhenmin and Zhang Jiang left a villager's house. The sun had already moved westward. Zhou Weining asked Zhenmin, "Which house are we going to next?"
Just as Zhenmin was about to speak, a shrill noise suddenly rang out from the village pa, stopping everyone in their tracks. Then a voice blared from the loudspeaker: "All villagers, please gather at the square immediately..."
The sky darkened at an extremely slow pace, and with every darker moment, Jiang Qing's worries grew heavier.
Finally, when he saw the crowd of villagers behind Zhang Jiang who was walking in the front, the excitement in his eyes was like a surging undercurrent, instantly flowing through his limbs.
Jiang Qing and Guo Qiang immediately returned to the tea garden entrance to count the number of people, divide the work into sections, and immediately join the battle with the villagers of Heishiwa Village.
During this season, the women of Ganjing Village are all busy picking tea leaves. With so many people to feed and house, logistical support is equally crucial. Zhenmin, who knew some of the aunts from Heishiwa Village, stayed behind to make some arrangements. Nanjiu and Zhenmin returned to the village a little later, bringing with them a "logistics team" of aunts.
This brutal war for resources and economic accounts tests the capital chain and management capabilities at every moment.
Once the rush to harvest begins, the tea-withering and rolling machines need to run non-stop for 24 hours. Tea farmers work back and forth for more than ten hours straight, and most of them live and eat in the tea gardens.
Machines can work 24 hours a day, but humans are not made of steel. Work needs to be scheduled and organized, and management must take turns to rest and rest to ensure that there are people on duty 24 hours a day.
The deployment of collective strategic resources and risk management was a dual test of physical and mental endurance. The intense anxiety and intense mental tension made it impossible for Nanjiu to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the mountains of tea trees and Song Ting's figure intertwined and tangled in her mind, disturbing her restlessness. Sometimes she thought she was asleep, but in a blink of an eye, she sat up again, and only twenty minutes had passed before she put on her coat again and walked back into the tea garden.
She called Old Man Nan once, but still hadn't heard back from Song Ting. She'd been away for a few days, and the company had been ringing non-stop. Although Ding Jun had temporarily taken over most matters, some work that required contact with her still required her to handle remotely.
When he was worried sick, Nanjiu held Dahuang in his arms, seeking some comfort.
Perhaps Da Huang was really old and could no longer struggle. Sometimes, he would just let Nan Jiu hold him, curled up in her arms, and not move.
On the third day, Da Huang lay still on the slope. Nan Jiu called out to him, but he ignored her. When she approached him, he simply walked away. Nan Jiu stopped approaching, thinking he would come back on his own. However, this time, Da Huang slowly walked down the slope into the woods.
Nanjiu didn't know where it was going, so she called to it, asking it to come back. It stopped and turned back, its eyes, which had long since lost their focus, fixed on her. After just one glance, it disappeared into the depths of the woods.
Nanjiu didn't have time to look for it. In order to ensure the continuous cash flow during the mining rush, she drove down the mountain again and retrieved the large amount of cash.
She had experienced countless battles over the past few years, whether it was between partners, collaborators, employees, or competitors... This was her first time battling nature.
In just a few days, Nanjiu had become accustomed to looking up. One moment, the sky was covered in dark clouds, the next, the clouds and fog dispersed. Hope and despair alternated back and forth, and every moment was like a roller coaster of emotions.
Countless times, she stood amidst the endless tea mountains, feeling the heavy burden on Song Ting's shoulders, feeling so oppressed that she could barely breathe, and even hallucinated, as if she saw Song Ting's figure moving between the tea ridges. After a moment of distraction, her will became clear again, and she forced herself back from the brink of exhaustion to fighting state.
After several days of traveling day and night, Nanjiu's windbreaker had long been covered in dust, losing its crispness and becoming wrinkled. Fatigue had drained the last trace of redness from her face, leaving only a dark blue under her eyelids.
The transport trucks drove in and then drove away one after another. Nan Jiu stood at the foot of the dusty slope and argued with the transport team leader, his face flushed.
When Zhen Min went to look for her, she happened to hear the transportation manager complaining, "Boss, we really don't have time to install a roof. Look at how many trips we have to make in a day now."
Nanjiu had been dealing with these workers in the mountains for a few days and realized that sometimes talking to them nicely was completely ineffective. She put her hands on her hips, stood in front of the man, and glanced at him. "I didn't ask you to install the roof. If the tarpaulin is broken, just patch it up with other materials. It's so hot today, and the fresh leaves can't withstand such damage. If you don't fix the tarpaulin today, what if it rains tomorrow? Are you going to do the job or not?"
The person in charge's excuses came to an abrupt end under Nan Jiu's suffocating gaze, and he finally swallowed them back: "Okay, okay, I'll find a way."
The transport team leader hurriedly got on the car.
Nan Jiu turned around and saw Zhen Min standing on the slope, and walked towards her.
Two young men were squatting behind a tree eating. One of them, who was about twenty years old, said to the other, "Women from the city are always tough, while girls from our mountain home are more gentle."
Nan Jiu, already on his way, paused. The young man took a bite of his rice. The light around him dimmed, and a question, tinged with laughter, struck his eardrum: "Don't you like me?"
The young man looked up in surprise and saw Nan Jiu bending down to get closer to him. He was so frightened that his throat choked and he almost choked on his food.
"There are so many people who dislike me," she said in a clear voice, with a hint of nonchalant pride. "Who do you think you are?"
"No...sister, I didn't mean that..." The young man's face turned red and he tried to explain hurriedly.
Nan Jiu saw his stupid look and suddenly smiled. His imposing aura just now instantly turned into a cunning one: "Give me the water and I'll forgive you."
The young man quickly grabbed the unopened bottle of mineral water at hand and handed it over respectfully.
Nanjiu had been thirsty all morning. She unscrewed the bottle of mineral water and drank it in big gulps, then stepped onto the slope. For some reason, her legs gave way and she stumbled. Zhenmin quickly reached out to steady her, "Why didn't you eat breakfast?"
"I ate it, right?" Nan Jiu replied in a daze.
Zhen Min looked at her pale face and said worriedly, "You didn't eat. I saw you ran out. I thought you would be back soon."
Nan Jiu used the strength of her wrist to step onto the dirt slope: "I was distracted by something in Beiyuan this morning and forgot to go back."
"Do you want to go take a break?"
"Wait a minute, Jiang Qing has only slept for three hours, let him sleep a little longer."
After coordinating the convoy, Nanjiu hurried back to Beiyuan. A group of people gathered at the entrance to Beiyuan. Nanjiu saw them from afar and couldn't help but quicken his pace.
With such a large-scale rush to harvest, friction between new and established tea farmers was inevitable. They had already dealt with several conflicts in the past few days. Now, whenever she saw a crowd, her heartbeat would pound.
Nanjiu trotted over and shouted, "Junzi, what's going on..."
Before he could utter the word "what happened," Junzi turned around and saw a figure appear in the gap between the crowds of people. For a moment, Nanjiu thought he was too tired and was hallucinating again.
However, she soon realized that it was not an illusion, and several familiar villagers were gathered there.
She ran over, used brute force to squeeze through the crowd, and rushed in front of Song Ting.
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