Chapter 14: Liang Aishu, Do You Understand Me?
The next morning.
The morning mist had not yet dispersed, but the transportation team’s loading and unloading area was already bustling.
Lu Qiaoge followed behind Lu Zhiguo, her canvas shoes stepping over the puddles on the cement ground, splashing tiny water droplets.
She was prepared to try borrowing a truck from Captain Jin of the transportation team.
“Older brother, do you think Captain Jin will agree?” Lu Qiaoge asked casually.
She didn’t notice the figure that suddenly stopped not far away.
Liang Aishu stood at the corner of the warehouse, the documents in his hand crumpled.
He was supposed to hurry and deliver the dispatch order for this batch of steel, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot.
Lu Qiaoge hadn’t braided her usual braids today; she had tied her hair into a ponytail.
The tips of her hair swayed gently with her tilting head, shimmering with a honey-colored glow in the sunlight.
He remembered that she used to always keep her head down, speaking softly and gently like a timid little sparrow. But now, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes had an indescribable radiance, making her whole person brighten up.
This shouldn’t be the appearance of a young woman whose engagement had been canceled—at least not the Lu Qiaoge that Shen Yun described as “vicious-hearted, despised by everyone, and ugly-looking.”
“Technician Liang?” Someone urged from behind, “The dispatch order…”
Liang Aishu seemed not to hear, only recalling the sight of Shen Yun sobbing on his shoulder last night. He hesitated for a moment, then strode toward the loading and unloading area.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was colder and harsher than he had anticipated.
Lu Qiaoge turned around.
Why was it Liang Aishu?
So early in the morning, what bad luck!
But Captain Jin was walking toward them, so she immediately put on a polite and distant smile: “Technician Liang.”
This form of address was like a fine needle, pricking lightly at Liang Aishu’s heart.
He remembered that she used to call him “Aishu brother” softly and gently.
Now this formal address inexplicably irritated him.
“The loading and unloading area isn’t a place just anyone can enter.” His gaze swept over her face: “What are you here for? If you’re looking for me, you should go to my work unit, not disrupt others’ work here.”
Lu Zhiguo hadn’t expected Liang Aishu to be so self-absorbed.
He really wanted to put a sack over him and beat him up, but his parents had said that since the engagement was canceled, they shouldn’t have any further involvement to avoid trouble.
But his words were really asking for a beating.
Lu Qiaoge stopped her irritable older brother and coolly sized Liang Aishu up and down with her gaze: “Since the engagement is canceled, we shouldn’t disturb each other. Even if we unluckily run into each other, we should know better than to linger, and certainly not say things without knowing the depth. Liang Aishu, do you understand my words?”
Of course Liang Aishu understood; his face flushed red as he stood frozen in place.
Since when had Lu Qiaoge become so sharp-tongued and aggressive?
Then shame and anger surged in his heart.
He suddenly realized that he had never truly understood this young woman who had almost become his wife.
Before he could say anything, Lu Qiaoge had already turned around and said very politely to the approaching Captain Jin: “Captain Jin, I have something to discuss with you. Can you give me a few minutes?”
Captain Jin frowned slightly but looked at Liang Aishu and said with a smile: “Technician Liang, Old Peng said you were looking for me?”
Captain Jin didn’t want to offend Liang Aishu, but Lu Qiaoge had helped find Mrs. Li’s gold ring.
And his third cousin was Old Mrs. Li’s second daughter-in-law; these past few days, the mother- and daughter-in-law had been at each other’s throats over the gold ring, nearly ending up at the police station.
He didn’t know what Lu Qiaoge wanted, so he gave Liang Aishu a way out first.
Liang Aishu came back to his senses and reluctantly said: “I just wanted to tell you about today’s task; we can talk later.”
With that, he turned and left, his back looking very hurried.
Captain Jin couldn’t be bothered to figure out the young man’s thoughts; he looked at Lu Qiaoge and said with a cheerful smile: “You’re Qiao Ge, right? I still need to thank you for helping find back Old Li’s family’s gold ring.”
Lu Qiaoge and Lu Zhiguo exchanged a glance.
The siblings’ genuine astonishment was clearly seen by Captain Jin.
This made him feel a bit better.
Otherwise, he would have thought she was here to ask him for a favor.
He felt a bit regretful.
He shouldn’t have said it so rashly.
Just as he was about to explain, Lu Qiaoge timely cut him off, pretending not to understand regardless of the reason.
“Captain Jin, please take a look at my letter of introduction first.”
Then she handed the letter of introduction to Old Wang and continued: “I discovered it while wandering around the family courtyard these past few days; it’s not very convenient for us to get seasonal leafy greens… But many members in Guzi Village have more vegetables at home than they can eat… And they urgently need daily necessities. I thought both sides could exchange; I reported this to Director Hu, and that’s how this volunteer convenience service station came about. Now we need a truck. I’ve calculated that a round trip to Guzi Village would cost about five yuan; I can pay the transportation team for fuel and labor fees, of course, or we can exchange with vegetables. If it’s feasible, I’ll make a trip to Guzi Village. If not, I’ll think of other methods.”
It was the first time Captain Jin had encountered something like this, but just thinking of the fresh vegetables in the farmers’ vegetable gardens as described by Lu Qiaoge made him very tempted.
Although meat was scarce in this era, their military factory wasn’t short on it, especially for dual-income households, where two people could share three jin of pork per month.
It didn’t really satisfy hunger, but it was better than some work units that got none.
But those living in buildings really lacked vegetables.
Mainly because the supply office and food store bought vegetables in large quantities, mostly storage-friendly cabbage and radishes. They got a bit of spinach, chives, and such every day, but it was snatched up immediately.
Captain Jin asked: “No money, just exchange with things?”
Lu Qiaoge nodded: “Of course, we’re following the regulations.”
Captain Jin told Lu Zhiguo to get to work quickly, then asked Lu Qiaoge a few questions.
Like the prices for drivers’ fuel, vegetables, and such.
Lu Qiaoge was well prepared and gave Captain Jin a satisfactory reply.
Lu Qiaoge finally said: “But I still need to discuss these with the Guzi Village Production Brigade Office to confirm.”
Captain Jin: “Then go ahead, let me know once you’ve discussed it. If it’s okay, I’ll assign you a truck tomorrow.”
Either way, he wouldn’t lose out.
Although as captain of the transportation team, he could go through the backdoor at the food store to buy vegetables, he didn’t dare do it every day.
In this season, getting vegetables in the city was harder than getting meat.
Thus, Lu Qiaoge took Lu Qiaoling on the bus heading to Manshan Commune.
Guzi Village was in the suburbs, the bus’s first stop, taking less than ten minutes.
“Second sister, Mom was right; don’t go to all this effort just to end up thankless.”
Lu Qiaoge glanced at Lu Qiaoling who had come along; the other blinked her eyes, looking at her somewhat cautiously.
She had thrown a little tantrum the day she returned, and after that, she had been timid.
“There are so many people in the family courtyard; they can’t all be stingy. Besides, it’s just one truckload of vegetables; maybe by the time everyone knows, it’ll already be exchanged away.”
Lu Qiaoling thought about it and found it very reasonable.
But her worry came again.
“Second sister, even if the members have vegetables, we have nothing; what do we exchange with? Credit?”
