Chapter 28: Forty-Nine City – I'm Coming

Grandmother said nothing, quietly shedding tears alone, one hand wrapped in her apron, the other silently wiping her eyes.

Xiao Weiguo hurriedly said, “Grandma, don’t cry. I’ll go visit my eldest aunt soon. I’ll ask her to come by more often, to see you both.”

Grandmother turned her head and sighed deeply, “It’s all fate.”

“What fate? Isn’t it just that her two brothers are useless? Without brothers to stand behind her, she can’t be strong at her husband’s family,” Grandfather snapped.

“Your second uncle and your father, every day they make my liver hurt from anger—one is foolish, the other is dull,” Grandfather said, exasperated.

Xiao Weiguo found it hard to say anything appropriate and quickly urged his grandparents to go into their room to sleep.

He also said to Grandfather, “Grandpa, tomorrow help me ask for another day off, just say I’m doing work arranged by Uncle Dahai. If the team leader has any doubts, tell him to ask the deputy secretary.”

Grandfather asked, “What are you taking leave for again? How many work points have you earned? Are you trying to become a reverse household at the end of the year? Can’t you do anything proper?”

The more Grandfather spoke, the angrier he became. With the earlier tension piling up, he suddenly grabbed a broom, ready to give Xiao Weiguo a taste of broom-fried meat.

Grandmother quickly stopped him, “Let’s ask Weiguo what he’s up to first. If there’s nothing going on, why would he ask for leave? Didn’t you hear him say the deputy secretary arranged it?”

“Yes, Grandpa, but this matter needs to stay confidential for now. Don’t worry, it’s legitimate work—Uncle Dahai knows all about it,” Xiao Weiguo thought of Grandfather’s past slip-ups and didn’t want to tell him anything more.

If Grandfather did something again to ruin his efforts, it would be too late for regrets.

“Fine, if you won’t say, tomorrow I’ll ask Dahai myself. Now, go to bed!” Grandfather said, turning back to his bed in the main room.

Xiao Weiguo exchanged a helpless glance with Grandmother.

“Grandma, Grandpa, you two rest first. Tomorrow morning, don’t wait for me at the dining hall—I have to leave early,” Xiao Weiguo finally said.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xiao Weiguo set out from the brigade, heading toward the town.

Unlike before, he didn’t go as early, since the supply and marketing cooperative wouldn’t open so soon—no use arriving early.

Along the way, Xiao Weiguo suddenly realized that getting the fish to appear reasonably and transporting them to the designated place was a real challenge. If nothing else worked, he could stash them in a small grove ahead of time, then lead people over to fetch them. That way, the fish wouldn’t die.

That’s how he decided to handle it.

He headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative in town, where he saw Shi Guanglin persuading a member to let him purchase their goods.

He waited a while for the matter to finish, then walked up to Shi Guanglin.

“Boss, I’m here to report. I’ve already caught a thousand pounds of fish and had the brigade help transport them to a nearby grove. What should we do next about moving them?”

“So soon? I just told you yesterday and gave you three days. You finished in one afternoon?”

If it was true, his abilities were impressive, and worth a temporary worker slot under Shi Guanglin’s name.

“Let’s go, we’ll check out the grove you mentioned,” Shi Guanglin said.

The two walked together toward the grove. As they neared it, Xiao Weiguo said, “Boss, I’ll head over first to tidy things up. You can come along at your own pace.”

Without waiting for a reply, he dashed into the grove, quickly spreading the net on the ground, then shifted over a thousand pounds of fish from the puddle onto the net using his mind.

Just then, Shi Guanglin arrived.

Seeing the netful of fish, he exclaimed in surprise, “Impressive, kid. All right, you stay here and watch them. I’ll go get a truck to haul the fish to the warehouse, then settle the accounts.”

Soon, a Liberation-brand truck rumbled over. Shi Guanglin and the driver got out, and the three of them loaded the fish onto the truck bed in batches. Shi Guanglin climbed into the passenger seat, told Xiao Weiguo to ride in the truck bed, and they headed for the supply and marketing cooperative’s warehouse.

Xiao Weiguo studied the truck carefully—it was painted military green, quite battered, clearly a retired vehicle. The front bore the word “Liberation,” the side read “First Automobile Works,” and the truck bed was wooden, separate from the cab. The truck’s design was wasteful and inefficient compared to later models, but considering the era, it was perfectly reasonable.

Moreover, the Liberation truck, as a domestically developed and manufactured vehicle, held a prestigious status.

He observed the driver, who always wore an energetic, optimistic expression.

Especially upon entering town, with all the envious gazes from pedestrians, the driver’s face seemed to light up even more.

Steering a truck was a coveted job.

“1,156 pounds, at 13 cents per pound, total 150.28 yuan. I’ll contact your brigade by telegram. You don’t need to worry about the rest. Now, you should think about whether you’ll go with us to Forty-Nine City this afternoon, where I’ll handle your paperwork at the factory, or return to the brigade and wait until it’s done before joining us,” Shi Guanglin said after weighing the fish in the warehouse.

“I’ll go with you to Forty-Nine City today, Boss. I already got the introduction letter ready yesterday. Look! And I’ve never been to Forty-Nine City before—this is a good chance to get familiar,” Xiao Weiguo replied.

The introduction letter had been obtained from Uncle Dahai yesterday, just in case he had the chance to head to Forty-Nine City right away.

There was little point in lingering in town. At this time, everyone wanted to go to Forty-Nine City.

In a few years, countless students across the country would flock to the capital via the railway, showing just how attractive Forty-Nine City was in this era.

For Xiao Weiguo, its allure was undeniable.

“All right, get ready. We’ll leave at three in the afternoon. Have lunch with me—we’ll make do at the town restaurant,” Shi Guanglin said.

Xiao Weiguo had heard of the town restaurant before, but never had the chance to go. Hearing this, he was delighted, “Sure, Boss.”

“From now on, don’t call me Boss. Call me Brother Lin—I’m only a few years older than you,” Shi Guanglin said breezily.

“Just right, let me introduce you to Dali, the driver from earlier—he’s my partner in our team.”

They spent some more time together, and as noon approached, the three headed for the restaurant.

It was a storefront facing the street, with a sign reading: Prosperity State Restaurant. Inside were only four or five round tables, most of them already occupied.

“What do you two want to eat? Today we have stir-fried shredded pork, quick-fried pork, egg soup, braised tofu, and stir-fried eggplant. Pick what you like, we’ll order four dishes for the three of us,” Shi Guanglin said.

Xiao Weiguo quickly responded, “Brother Lin, I’m fine with anything—just let you two decide.”

Dali said, “Aren’t there just four dishes today? Let’s get them all and try each one, Brother Lin.”

“All right, I’ll go pay. You two find a place to sit,” Shi Guanglin said.

“Brother Lin, let me pay,” Xiao Weiguo wanted to show initiative, planning to hand over the money and meal tickets.

“What are you so eager for? Our meal expenses can be reimbursed—just sit tight and wait,” Shi Guanglin quickly stopped him and headed to the counter himself.