Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

Chapter 174 Sneaking into the Zhang Compound at Night

The jeep's headlights, like two sharp swords, pierced the oppressive darkness of the county transport team's compound.

Xu Yuecheng suddenly turned the steering wheel, and the car swerved with inertia, coming to a steady stop next to the row of empty parking spaces where the engines were off.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, his brows furrowed.

It's too quiet.

At this time of day, the transport team's compound would usually be brightly lit, or at least bustling with activity.

Those energetic greenhorns in the second team, after work they don't go home. They either gather in the gatehouse to play cards, or sit around those two old radios listening to storytelling. At the very least, a few of them will be in the washroom, shirtless, taking a shower and bragging.

But today, the entire compound was deathly still, not even the guard dog barked.

"These bastards, have they gone too far?" Xu Yuecheng pushed open the car door, his military rubber boots making a crisp "smack" sound as they stepped on the cement floor.

He pulled out the crumpled pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket, intending to light one, but found the matchbox empty, and couldn't help but curse.

Xiao Lan also got off the bus.

She had been lounging in the car the whole way, and now she stretched, her languid charm particularly alluring in the night.

She glanced around the empty courtyard and snorted, "What's wrong, Captain Xu? Looks like your prestige isn't all that great after all. You barely left, and these brats are already playing the empty city trick on you?"

"fart."

Xu Yuecheng crushed the empty cigarette pack, tossed it into the darkness, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Where are they?! Are they all dead?! Get out here, you on duty!"

That shout came from the depths of his lungs, and it echoed in the empty courtyard.

After a long while, a timid figure emerged from a small, dimly lit house in the corner.

The man was wearing an oversized, ill-fitting work jacket and was holding a flashlight, the beam of which was swaying wildly.

"Captain Xu... Captain Xu? You're back?"

The newcomer was a teenager, about sixteen or seventeen years old, as thin as a stick, but with unusually large eyes.

Xu Yuecheng squinted for a long time before recognizing that this was Erdan, the younger brother of "Skinny Monkey," the driver of the second team. Erdan usually did odd jobs in the team and ate a free meal.

"Er Dan?"

Xu Yuecheng strode over, his tall figure looming over the boy like a wall. "Why are you alone? Where's Skinny Monkey? Where's Big Strong? And where's that kid Yang Dong hanging out?"

Erdan trembled at the menacing aura emanating from Xu Yuecheng and stammered, "Brother... my brother and the others... they're all not here. This morning, Captain Qin took attendance and moved all the Liberation trucks from the Second Team away."

"They've all been transferred?" Xu Yuecheng frowned deeply.

He knew the rules of the transport team best.

For short trips, one car is usually enough.

The fact that three large trucks were dispatched at the same time is something only a large organization like the county's materials bureau or supply and marketing cooperative would do.

"Where did it go? What precious stuff did it take?" Xu Yuecheng pressed.

"We're going...we're going to Lijia Village."

Erdan swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with an naive excitement. "They said they're going to haul watermelons. Tens of thousands of kilograms! Captain Qin is personally escorting the truck, and Brother Yang Dong is driving the lead vehicle. Right now... I reckon they're already on their way to the provincial capital."

"Lijia Village? Watermelon?"

Xu Yuecheng was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao Lan.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air, and they both read the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Okay, this Li Xiaotao."

Xu Yuecheng squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth, his tone filled with disbelief and inexplicable admiration, "That little brat actually got it done? I thought she was just all talk, I never expected she could actually get Old Qin, this big shot, to do it."

He knows Qin Rushan too well.

That's the kind of person who won't act until they see a clear benefit; they would never mobilize such a large force without absolute certainty and profit.

Three large Jiefang trucks, fully loaded with tens of thousands of kilograms of watermelons, entered the provincial capital.

This kind of gesture was absolutely unprecedented in this county town in the 1980s.

Xiao Lan reacted quickly. Her eyes darted around, and she walked to Xu Yuecheng's side, took his arm, and gently pinched his flesh with her nails: "Our truckload of 'treasures' may not earn less than those watermelons."

Xu Yuecheng came to his senses and realized, "That's true."

Li Xiaotao's business is a big, public affair; she earns hard-earned money through large volumes.

This is a highly profitable technical job with no initial investment.

"Erdan, stop standing there like an idiot!"

Xu Yuecheng slapped Erdan on the back of the head, not hard, but enough to make the boy stumble. "Come and lend a hand! Unload the goods your sister-in-law... your sister Lan brought back and move them to that empty warehouse in the backyard!"

Erdan covered his head, chuckled foolishly, and quickly ran over to open the car door.

"Alright, Brother Xu! Coming right away!"

The jeep's trunk lid was lifted, revealing sacks stuffed full of stuff inside.

"What's this, Brother Xu? It's incredibly heavy."

Erdan grabbed a corner of a burlap sack and dragged it out with all his might. "It smelled of machine oil and fabric."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Xu Yuecheng lifted a sack weighing over a hundred pounds with one hand, casually tossed it over his shoulder, and moved with lightning speed. "Be careful carrying it, don't tear it. If you ruin even a scrap of cloth, I couldn't afford to pay for it even if I sold myself!"

Xiao Lan wasn't idle either. Although she was wearing high heels, she was also carrying two lighter packages and following behind.

The three of them moved like ants, running back and forth to the backyard.

The empty warehouse in the backyard used to store old tires, but it was cleaned up a few days ago, freeing up a large space.

Now, as the burlap sacks are piled inside, the stale smell of dust and rubber is mixed with the unique dry scent of fabric.

After unloading the last bag of goods, Erdan was exhausted, collapsing onto the doorstep like a dead dog, panting heavily, his ill-fitting coat soaked with sweat.

Xu Yuecheng casually pulled out a two-yuan bill from his pocket. It was the change he had found under the car seat earlier. Without even looking at it, he threw it directly into Erdan's arms.

"Here, go buy an ice pop, or save it up to get married."

Erdan hurriedly caught the banknote, excitedly saying, "Thank... thank you, Brother Xu! Brother Xu is so generous!"

Two yuan! His skinny brother only gets two yuan and fifty cents a short trip as a subsidy! This Brother Xu is really generous!

"Alright, let's go back."

Xu Yuecheng waved his hand, "Keep this matter tonight a secret. Don't tell anyone you saw us moving things. Understand the rules?"

"Got it! Got it! I'm very tight-lipped!"

Erdan carefully put the money away, got up, and dusted off his bottom. "Well, Brother Xu, Sister Lan, I'm going home now. My mom's waiting for me at home for dinner. If I'm late, she'll beat me with a broom handle again."

After Erdan disappeared in a flash, the yard returned to silence.

Xu Yuecheng locked the large iron lock on the warehouse door with a "click," and then tugged it twice to make sure it was secure before letting out a sigh of relief.

He turned around and looked at Xiao Lan standing in the moonlight.

The woman was brushing the dust off her body; her movements were unhurried and exuded composure.

"I'm hungry." Xu Yuecheng rubbed his empty stomach. He had been so busy driving and scheming all day that the pancakes he had eaten were long gone.

"Okay, I'll make it for you right away."

Xiao Lan rolled her eyes at him, then turned and walked towards the kitchen next door. "I'm going to make you a bowl of noodles. You should go take a shower. You smell awful. Aren't you disgusted?"

Xu Yuecheng obediently went to the water room to take a shower.

The cold water poured over his head took away the heat and fatigue of the journey, and also calmed his restless heart a little.

As he dried his hair, he pondered Qin Rushan's move.

Buying melons for six cents and selling them in the provincial capital for 12 or even 15 cents would yield a net profit of several hundred yuan per truckload.

Three vehicles... Goodness, this trip alone has earned more money than the team does in a month.

The key is courage.

These days, although policies have been relaxed, many people are still observing.

Qin Rushan is determined to go all the way down the "individual business" path.

"It seems things are really about to change." Xu Yuecheng grinned at his reflection in the mirror, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

Since the situation has changed, Xu Yuecheng cannot fall behind.

When he returned to the kitchen, a rich aroma of scallion oil wafted out.

Under the dim light bulb, Xiao Lan was standing in front of the coal stove.

She casually pulled her wavy hair back, revealing her slender neck.

The water in the pot was bubbling and gurgling, and the white noodles were rolling around in the water.

"alright?"

Hearing the noise, Xiao Lan didn't turn her head, but poached an egg in the pot. "I haven't been here for the past two days, so there's not much to eat. There are only two eggs left."

Xu Yuecheng walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and took a deep breath of her fragrance. "Smells good!"

I don't know if they're talking about noodles or people.

Xiao Lan let him hold her.

"Stop messing around, the noodles are going to clump together." She stirred the noodles in the pot with her chopsticks, and the steam rising up made her cheeks slightly red.

"It'll still smell good even when it's crumbly." Xu Yuecheng's large hand moved up a little, and through the thin shirt, the heat of his palm made one feel uneasy.

Xiao Lan slapped his hand away and slammed the large bowl full of noodles onto the stove: "Are you eating or not? Didn't you say you were hungry?"

"Eat! Eat!" Xu Yuecheng quickly let go and picked up the bowl of noodles.

The noodles are hand-pulled and have a chewy texture.

A perfectly white poached egg rests on top, drizzled with sesame oil, and sprinkled with a handful of bright green scallions.