On the way back to my village, there are several steep slopes. The electric bike was out of power, and it was really hard to pedal. I was also a bit tired tonight, so pedaling was very difficult.
After about 20 minutes, I returned to Liuluo Village. It was another four kilometers to Dafeng Village. However, when I was about to pass the threshing ground in Liuluo Village, I stopped my electric bike early and found a wooden stick by the roadside to carry on my shoulder. There were three vicious dogs there, especially at night, that would chase almost any vehicle. I had been chased a few times on my way home at night before. I wasn't sure if they would dare to bite me, but the way they barked and chased me was really scary.
One time, in particular, I was passing by quietly when these three vicious dogs suddenly jumped out, chased after me, and barked wildly, almost scaring me half to death.
After that, I learned my lesson. Whenever I passed by here at night, I would carry a wooden stick. If any of them dared to come closer, I would just wave it a few times, and those three vicious dogs wouldn't dare to get too close.
I rode my electric bike with one hand and held a wooden stick in the other, slowly passing through the threshing ground of Liuluo Village. I was mentally prepared for the three vicious dogs to come out and scare me, but I had already passed the threshing ground and had not seen any trace of the three vicious dogs.
That's strange, I haven't seen them tonight. I always see them every time I pass by at night.
After passing the threshing ground, I dropped the wooden stick I was holding.
About 10 minutes later, I finally returned to Dafeng Village. It was past 10:30 when I got back, and almost everyone in the village had turned off their lights and gone to sleep.
When I got home, my fifth grandfather was already asleep. I took a shower, charged my electric scooter, and went straight to bed.
I'm so tired today. I plugged my phone into the charger, but before I could even turn it on, I fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
I was woken up by my fifth grandfather's calls as he sold pork. I groggily opened my eyes, picked up my phone, and saw that it wasn't turned on. I pressed the power button, and after a while, the phone vibrated and turned on.
I glanced at my watch again; it was already 6:40. I had to be at the courier station by 7:30. I threw my phone on the bed and hurriedly went to wash up.
After washing up, I didn't even have time for breakfast before I picked up my phone, got on my electric scooter, and headed out.
As I passed through the village, I saw my fifth grandfather selling pork next to the village committee office. I went up to him and greeted him, "Fifth Grandfather."
"It's Changming. Why are you out so late today? There's pork porridge in the kitchen. Have you eaten?" Fifth Grandfather was deboning and dividing a whole pork carcass. He looked up at me and smiled gently.
Over the past ten years, my fifth grandfather and I have grown closer and closer. I remember at the beginning, he wouldn't say a word for a long time, but now he's become more and more affectionate.
Other butchers have several butcher knives, but my great-uncle only had one, a large cleaver. Even so, he could use this cleaver to precisely cut the pork. When selling meat, the weight was almost accurate, and he almost never needed to weigh it when he met someone he knew.
I once asked my fifth grandfather why he only had this one big knife. He replied that this big knife had been with him for decades, and he was so used to it that he didn't need any other knives.
"I worked too late last night and forgot to set my alarm. I'll have breakfast in town. I'm off to work now." I awkwardly scratched my head, said a few words to my fifth grandfather, and hurriedly rode away on my electric bike.
The courier station manager, Zhang Guangyin, already dislikes me. If he catches me being late for clocking in, he'll definitely deduct a lot from my wages.
I parked my car at the Liuluo Village convenience store and said to an old woman in her seventies or eighties, "Old Auntie, the usual, give me a pack of Red Dragon cigarettes for six yuan and fifty cents."
I know almost all the villagers along my delivery route. Even if some elderly people don't know how to shop online or send packages, their children will buy some for them. In our small town, only the post office delivers to the village, so most people will note that it's a post office package. If the online store doesn't cooperate with the post office, they can only pick up the package themselves in town, or they can pay me a small fee to pick it up for them.
"Changming, why are you out so late today?" Old Granny San opened the glass cabinet, took out a pack of Red Dragon cigarettes for me, and put a kind smile on her old face.
"I overslept." I scratched my head awkwardly again.
The old woman handed me the red dragon pendant, leaned closer, and whispered, "Changming, when are you planning to get married?"
"What? Get married? I don't even have a girlfriend." I was dumbfounded. I took out my phone and opened it, wanting to use WeChat to scan the QR code to pay. After entering the password to verify and turn on the phone, I found several missed call messages. I ignored them and opened WeChat to scan 6.5 yuan for my grandmother.
"Nonsense, I saw it all last night. Around 10 o'clock, you drove a girl in a white dress home. Tell me, whose daughter is she?" Old Auntie rolled her eyes at me and asked with a smile.
No, I don't think so.
I opened the cigarette pack, took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth. Just as I was about to light it, I heard what the old woman said, so I stopped what I was doing and looked at her in disbelief.
"Hmph, old woman, my ears may be a little deaf, but my eyes are not blind. Last night I clearly saw you driving a girl in a white dress home. Although I couldn't see her face, I saw that she was carrying a red backpack and had long hair. Tell me quickly, whose girl is she?" The old woman snorted, glared at me, and said confidently.
"What?"
The lighter in my hand fell to the ground with a thud. My face turned pale, and cold sweat gradually appeared on my forehead. Wasn't the person that the old woman was talking about the girl I met last night while waiting for the bus?
Isn't she going home?
How could you possibly be sitting in my car?
Old Lady must be seeing things. I clearly came back by myself last night. When I got out of the car to look for the stick, there was no one in the back seat. Besides, would I not know whether I brought someone back or not?
"Old woman, are you sure you're not mistaken? I was all alone last night, I didn't pick up any girls." I swallowed and retorted uncertainly.
"I'm over eighty years old. When it comes to eyesight, none of my peers in the surrounding villages are as good as me. I'm skilled at sewing and threading needles, how could I be wrong? That girl was wearing a white dress, tall and thin, carrying a red backpack, sitting on the back of your seat, and even hugging you." The old woman angrily patted the back of my seat and said loudly.
I was completely stunned. The person that the old woman was talking about looked exactly like the girl in the white dress I met last night. Now I can confirm that the old woman must have seen her last night, otherwise, how could she describe her clothes so clearly if she didn't know the girl?
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