The next morning, as the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn, the rooster from Uncle Zhang’s place next door crowed several times, waking Xu Chuang from his sleep. Realizing it was getting late, he quickly called Jiu’er to get up. The person in his arms must have felt hot in the middle of the night and kicked off a layer of the quilt. Now, the collar of his shirt was askew, hanging off his shoulder, revealing a patch of fair skin.
Xu Chuang helped adjust the collar, gently lifted him from the bed, and rocked him a couple of times while wrapping him in the quilt.
Ji Yuchen showed no signs of waking up, so Xu Chuang said, “If you don’t get up now, we’ll miss the delivery,” which finally startled the sleeping person into jumping out of bed, putting on his shoes, and heading to the bathroom to wash up.
The mornings and evenings were chilly, so when Ji Yuchen went out, he wore one of Xu Chuang’s thick jackets, as he didn’t have clothes for this season yet. The two of them, along with the driver, loaded all the peaches from the yard into boxes and onto the truck at the village entrance. The small truck could only carry three people, so Aunt Li had to stay in the village and wait for them to return.
The sky outside was still not fully bright, and the road leading out of Qiantang Village was quite bumpy, with no streetlights, forcing the driver to drive slowly until they reached the asphalt road where he could speed up. Ji Yuchen was drowsy the whole way, nodding off with his head down. At one point, he accidentally bumped his head on the driver’s shoulder, startling him. Xu Chuang quickly pulled him closer, apologized to the driver, and adjusted Jiu’er’s head to rest on his shoulder.
They arrived at the town’s fruit and vegetable wholesale market at the agreed time. The driver waited at the intersection since vehicles couldn’t enter. Ji Yuchen and Xu Chuang ran to the fruit stall where they had arranged to deliver the goods the day before and saw the lady boss organizing her stock at the stall, asking them to wait a moment.
She muttered about a few boxes of this and that, then called someone to load the goods onto the truck for delivery. Ji Yuchen noticed that this lady seemed to have a good business and thought about asking her for some tips on making money after they delivered the goods.
Once she finished her tasks, the lady boss found someone to watch the stall and went with them to the truck to inspect the goods.
She glanced over the peaches they brought, picked a few to smell, and then called someone to unload them.
Ji Yuchen thought the deal was done, but the woman turned and said, “I can’t take all these peaches, just two thousand pounds. I’ll find another buyer for the rest. How about that?”
She didn’t give any preamble, and Ji Yuchen didn’t react immediately, taking a couple of seconds to ask, “Can you find one? How will the price be calculated?”
The woman smiled and said she had calculated yesterday that her store couldn’t take that many. Besides, the peaches were going out of season, and if they couldn’t sell, they’d just hang on the trees. It would be better to sell them cheaper, and she would help find a buyer.
This sounded premeditated, and Ji Yuchen frowned slightly. Xu Chuang grabbed his wrist and stepped forward, “So, how much are you offering? If you help us find another buyer.”
His tone was calm, as if he wasn’t too surprised. The woman played with her hair with a hint of inexplicable charm, looking at Xu Chuang, “Sis won’t cheat you. Your peaches are indeed good quality, but you know, they’re going out of season soon, and they won’t fetch a high price. I found Boss Sun from the next street, who happens to need a batch. As for the price, I won’t let you suffer a loss. How about this number?”
She gestured a number with her hand, which seemed lower than the cost price given by Aunt Li. Ji Yuchen was furious, feeling they were being taken advantage of!
He was about to argue when Xu Chuang squeezed his hand and said, “Sis, can you raise it a bit?”
He negotiated earnestly, “You said the peaches are good quality. Even if they’re out of season, they won’t be hard to sell in your store. We worked hard to pick them from the trees until late last night and got up early to deliver them to you. We should do business with some integrity, right?”
When Xu Chuang mentioned “integrity,” Ji Yuchen thought this might backfire, and they could lose the two thousand pounds of business. However, the woman just waved her hand and smiled, patting Xu Chuang’s shoulder with her restless fingers.
“Oh, what are you saying…”
Her tone was gentle, seemingly open to negotiation. Xu Chuang seized the opportunity and finally negotiated the price to be two cents higher than Aunt Li’s selling price, but it couldn’t go any higher.
Xu Chuang said he would discuss it with his family and pulled Ji Yuchen aside to ask what he thought.
Ji Yuchen looked at Xu Chuang, then back at the stall owner, who had a smug look on her face.
How could he not see it? This was clearly a case of raising the price on the spot, taking advantage of the fact that they had already brought the peaches and couldn’t find another buyer immediately. Whether there was a Boss Sun was uncertain, and it was likely just an excuse to lower the price, with the profits ending up in her pocket.
He said disinterestedly, “What else can we do… sell them. It’s better than taking them back and losing money…”
They had only booked a one-way trip for the truck, planning to take the bus back to the village after selling the peaches. If they didn’t sell at this price, they would not only lose a thousand pounds of peaches but also have to pay for another trip.
Reluctantly, Ji Yuchen settled the payment with the stall owner, who asked if they preferred cash or transfer. Xu Chuang didn’t have much need for electronic payments in the village, and Ji Yuchen didn’t have a phone, so they opted for cash.
The woman counted the bills twice, then handed them over, but moved them to Xu Chuang’s chest with a meaningful look, saying, “Young man, if you have more good stuff like this in the future, let me know. Sis will give you a good price~”
Xu Chuang awkwardly replied, “Okay,” took the money, and was about to hand it over, but Ji Yuchen, feeling frustrated, didn’t take it and walked several meters away.
He realized that the woman had her eyes on Xu Chuang! From the start, she had been flirting with him, and they even exchanged phone numbers! He didn’t know if they had been in contact since yesterday, and he started to overthink, wondering if Xu Chuang preferred mature types. He didn’t seem like someone who could negotiate business deals, but now he could? It seemed it depended on the person.
He walked away angrily, ignoring the truck driver who greeted him. Xu Chuang hurriedly settled the payment with the driver, promising to treat him to a meal and drinks another day, then turned to catch up.
He stopped Jiu’er on the street outside the wholesale market, asking why he was walking so fast and not waiting for him.
Ji Yuchen turned around, wanting to shout at him: “You ungrateful guy! I should have known better! How could I have been so blind to like someone with such poor taste!”
His anger was doused by Xu Chuang, who stuffed the wad of bills into his hand, grinning, “Walking so fast and not even taking the money. I counted it, it’s correct! Keep it and see if there’s anything good you want to buy later!”
He said this while making sure the money was safely tucked into his pocket, not left in his hand. Ji Yuchen, a bit slow to react, just replied, “Oh,” feeling like things weren’t going as he had imagined.
He absentmindedly took the money, listening to Xu Chuang sigh beside him, saying it felt good to have settled a matter. Ji Yuchen calculated in his mind: he had agreed with Aunt Li to split the profits fifty-fifty, but Aunt Li insisted that they keep all the earnings. Ji Yuchen calculated that they made twelve hundred from this deal. If Aunt Li didn’t want her share, he and Xu Chuang would each get six hundred. But now, Xu Chuang handed over the entire twelve hundred, including Aunt Li’s share, to him. What did that mean? Didn’t he say yesterday that he wanted to save money?
Ji Yuchen, still sleep-deprived and not thinking clearly, was tempted by the wonton stall on the street, temporarily putting aside Xu Chuang’s strange behavior.
He felt like he could eat several bowls, so he ordered a large portion. Xu Chuang went to pay with the cash they brought from home, and Ji Yuchen didn’t even notice, sitting comfortably on a small stool waiting.
The hot, fragrant wontons were soon served, sprinkled with green onions, and the chicken broth had a layer of oil on top. Ji Yuchen began to eat heartily. He was full after half a bowl, watching Xu Chuang finish his own bowl, even drinking the soup, and then pushing his bowl over.
After breakfast, Xu Chuang wanted to take him to the hospital for a check-up, and Ji Yuchen didn’t refuse, casually registering for the cheapest consultation.
The doctor felt his bones and said there shouldn’t be any problems, but if they were worried, they could get an X-ray.
Xu Chuang insisted on paying for the X-ray, despite Ji Yuchen’s protests. He now understood how hard it was to earn money and didn’t want to waste it. A hundred yuan could cover their meals for half a month, and an X-ray seemed unnecessary.
Xu Chuang was unusually stubborn about this, eventually paying and dragging him to wait outside the X-ray room.
Ji Yuchen started to feel sleepy again, dozing off while waiting in line. After the X-ray, they had to wait for the results, so they decided to wander around the town.
Apart from coming here yesterday to find a buyer, the last time Ji Yuchen was in town was when he first arrived in Qiantang Village. That day involved both the hospital and the police station, and he was limping, not having the chance to explore properly. He thought they had enough time today, so he decided to buy some daily necessities just in case.
They bought a discounted razor and facial cleanser at a small supermarket in town, along with the face cream Ji Yuchen wanted and a lip balm. Since autumn began, his face felt dry, and after washing, it felt like wearing a mask, even hurting when he smiled. Xu Chuang said it was typical for this area, and once they started heating, they’d need to keep a basin of water indoors, or their throats would get too dry to speak comfortably.
After leaving the supermarket, they still had time, so Ji Yuchen went to the market next door to buy some pastries and thick cotton clothes and shoes. Xu Chuang’s clothes were too big for him, and he was picky about styles, visiting several stores before finding something he liked and haggling with the owner for a long time.
Once they finished buying all the odds and ends, the hospital results were out, showing good recovery with no obvious abnormalities. Ji Yuchen waved the report in front of Xu Chuang, telling him not to waste money. Xu Chuang just chuckled and didn’t say much.
They planned to eat at home after returning, so they didn’t spend money dining out in town. Carrying their bags, they headed to the bus station, passing by a temple with a strong incense smell.
Xu Chuang asked if he wanted to go in and pray, saying the deities here were known to be very effective.
Ji Yuchen thought it was superstitious nonsense and was too lazy to climb the steps, so he opted to wait at the entrance.
Xu Chuang told him to stay put and not go anywhere, promising to be back soon.
Ji Yuchen nodded, placing his bags on the ground to show he wouldn’t move.
The midday sun was strong, and wearing cotton clothes made him sweat. Ji Yuchen took off his jacket and draped it over his shoulder, fanning himself with his hand. The town’s streets were bustling with traffic and people, so he didn’t find it strange when someone struck up a conversation.
The person was a middle-aged man in a long-sleeved shirt, carrying a bag of rice and a gift box of sesame oil, asking Ji Yuchen for directions to Xingfu Community.
Ji Yuchen was unfamiliar with the area and didn’t know where the man was talking about. He shook his head, saying he didn’t know, suggesting the man might need to walk further as they were already outside the town center, and going further would lead to the villages.
The man thanked him with a smile, saying he wanted to find a police station to ask for directions since he didn’t have a phone and wasn’t familiar with the area.
Ji Yuchen thought, “This I know,” having just passed by and mentioned it to Xu Chuang. The police hadn’t helped him find his family yet.
He jumped off the steps to point the man in the right direction, saying to turn right at the intersection, then left at the big billboard into a small alley, and the police station would be at the end.
The man repeated the directions softly, seeming not to remember, and apologized, “Oh, young man, I’m sorry. I’m old and can’t remember what you said. How about this? You take me there, and I’ll help you carry your things.”
The man seemed kind, looking like he was visiting relatives in the city and got lost. Ji Yuchen thought of walking him to the intersection, where he could see the billboard, and from there, it wasn’t far to the police station.
He said he’d grab his things, and the man followed to help. As Xu Chuang came down the steps, he saw the man carrying their stuff and called out,
“Jiu’er, where are you going?”
He stuffed a small cloth bag into his pocket and quickly walked over. Ji Yuchen turned back, saying, “This uncle wants to go to the police station to ask for directions. He doesn’t know the way, so I’m taking him to the intersection where he can see it.”
Xu Chuang took the bags from Ji Yuchen, not letting him carry anything, then looked at the man: middle-aged, with a crew cut, not tall, and his eyes crinkled with a smile. He greeted them warmly, exclaiming, “Oh, are you two brothers?”
Ji Yuchen smiled without saying anything, and Xu Chuang asked, “Where are you headed? I might know, saving you a trip to the police station.”
Perhaps due to the midday heat, the man had some sweat on his forehead and scratched his head awkwardly, “Xingfu Community! I just asked this young man how to get to Xingfu Community, and he said he didn’t know, so I thought I’d ask at the police station…”
Xu Chuang looked back at Jiu’er, who blinked innocently, not seeming to lie. He told the man, “Xingfu Community is a bit far. You can take the number 3 bus from that station, and the driver will tell you where to get off. It’s right across the street.”
He pointed to the bus stop across the road, and the man picked up his rice, nodding and thanking them before quickly disappearing from sight.
After the man left, Ji Yuchen stood on tiptoe to watch his back, then turned to Xu Chuang, saying, “Let’s go.”
Xu Chuang paused, “In the future, don’t talk to strangers casually, and don’t go anywhere with them, no matter where.”