Chapter 14

Early the next morning.

The morning mist hadn't dissipated yet, and the loading and unloading area of the transport team was already bustling.

Lu Qiao followed Lu Zhiguo, her canvas shoes stepping on the wet cement ground, splashing small water droplets.

She was preparing to try to see if she could borrow a car from Captain Jin of the transport team.

"Eldest Brother, do you think Captain Jin will agree?" Lu Qiao asked one after another.

She didn't notice the figure that stopped abruptly not far away.

Liang Aishu stood at the corner of the warehouse, the documents in his hand crumpled.

He should have been rushing to send this batch of steel material dispatch orders, but his feet seemed to have taken root.

Lu Qiao wasn't wearing her usual braided hair today; she was wearing a ponytail.

The tips of her hair swayed gently with the movement of her head, shining with a honey-colored luster in the sun.

He remembered that she always used to lower her head, speaking softly, like a timid little bird. But now, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes had a bit of spirit that couldn't be described, and the whole person was bright.

This shouldn't be the appearance of a girl who annulled her engagement—at least not the Lu Qiao who was "vicious, hated by everyone, and ugly" in Shen Yun's words.

"Technician Liang?" Someone urged behind him, "Dispatch order..."

Liang Aishu seemed not to hear, only thinking 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 harder than expected.

Lu Qiao turned around.

Why was it Liang Aishu?

Early in the morning, it was truly bad luck!

But Captain Jin was walking toward this side, so she immediately showed a polite and distant smile: "Technician Liang."

This form of address was like a thin needle, lightly pricking Liang Aishu's heart.

He remembered that she used to call him "Brother Aishu" softly.

Now this polite form of address made him inexplicably irritable.

"The loading and unloading area is not a place where just anyone can come." His gaze swept over her face: "What are you doing here? If you are looking for me, you should go to my unit, don't affect other people's work here."

Lu Zhiguo didn't expect Liang Aishu to be so narcissistic.

He really wanted to put a sack over him and beat him up, but his parents said that since the engagement was annulled, there shouldn't be any involvement, so as not to cause trouble.

But his words were also too asking for a beating.

Lu Qiao stopped her irritable eldest brother and looked at Liang Aishu with cool eyes: "Since the engagement is annulled, there shouldn't be any mutual disturbance. Even if we happen to meet, we should be tactful and avoid each other, and even more so, we shouldn't be self-righteous and say things that don't know the depth. Liang Aishu, can you understand my words?"

Liang Aishu naturally understood. He stood there with his face flushed.

Since when did Lu Qiao become so sharp-tongued and aggressive?

Afterward, shame surged into his heart.

He suddenly realized that he had never truly understood this girl who had almost become his wife.

Before he could say anything, Lu Qiao had already turned around, facing Captain Jin who was walking closer, and said very politely: "Captain Jin, I have something to ask you, can you give me a few minutes?"

Captain Jin frowned, but looked at Liang Aishu and smiled: "Technician Liang, Old Peng said you were looking for me?"

Captain Jin didn't want to offend Liang Aishu, but Lu Qiao helped find Aunt Li's gold ring.

And his third cousin was exactly the second daughter-in-law of Old Lady Li. These days, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were at daggers drawn because of the gold ring, almost fighting into the police station.

He didn't know what Lu Qiao had to do, so he gave Liang Aishu a step down first.

Liang Aishu came back to his senses and barely said: "Just talking about today's task, it's fine to talk later."

After saying this, he turned and left, his back very hurried.

Captain Jin didn't want to ponder the thoughts of young people. He looked at Lu Qiao and said with a smile: "You are Qiao, thank you for helping find Old Lady Li's gold ring."

Lu Qiao and Lu Zhiguo looked at each other.

The astonishment in the eyes of the siblings was truly seen by Captain Jin.

This made him feel a bit more comfortable in his heart.

Otherwise, he really thought they were here to ask him for a favor.

He regretted it a bit.

He shouldn't have said it rashly.

Just as he was about to explain, Lu Qiao blocked his words in time. Regardless of why, she just acted as if she didn't understand.

"Captain Jin, please look at my introduction letter first."

Afterward, she handed the introduction letter to Old Wang and continued: "I also discovered it while strolling around these past few days. It's not very convenient for our family quarters to eat seasonal green vegetables... but in some rural areas in the suburbs, there are definitely green vegetables that they can't finish... I just thought that both sides can exchange, so I reported this matter to Director Hu, and then there was this voluntary convenience service station. Now I need a truck. I calculated that it costs about five yuan to go to Guzitun and back. I can pay for the fuel and labor costs for the transport team. Of course, it can also be exchanged for vegetables. If it works, I'll go to Guzitun for a trip. If it's not convenient, I'll think of other ways."

Captain Jin was encountering this kind of thing for the first time, but thinking of the fresh vegetables in the peasant brothers' vegetable gardens that Lu Qiao described, he was very moved.

Although this era lacked meat, the military factory wasn't considered lacking, especially for double-employee families, who could be allocated three catties of pork per month.

Actually, it wasn't enough to satisfy cravings, but it was better than units that didn't distribute any.

But those living in buildings were really short of vegetables.

Mainly because the supply department and the non-staple food store brought in vegetables in large quantities, the most common being cabbage and radishes that were resistant to storage. They brought in a little spinach and leeks every day, but they were snatched away as soon as they were put on the counter.

Captain Jin asked: "No money, just exchange with things?"

Lu Qiao nodded: "Of course, we are complying with the regulations."

Captain Jin let Lu Zhiguo go to his post, while he asked Lu Qiao a few questions.

Such as the price of fuel and vegetables for the driver.

Lu Qiao had been prepared for a long time and gave Captain Jin a satisfactory answer.

Lu Qiao finally said: "But I still have to discuss these with the brigade office of Guzitun before I can determine."

Captain Jin: "Then you go, tell me once you've discussed it. If it works, I'll send you a car tomorrow."

Anyway, whether it succeeded or not, he wouldn't suffer a loss here.

Although he was the captain of the transport team, he could go through the back door to the non-staple food store to buy vegetables, but he didn't dare to go through the back door every day.

Eating vegetables in the city in this season was really more laborious than eating meat.

Thus, Lu Qiao led Lu Qiaoling and sat on the bus to Manshan Commune.

Guzitun was in the suburbs of the city, and the first stop of the bus was there, taking less than ten minutes.

"Second Sister, Mom is right, don't end up doing thankless work."

Lu Qiao looked at Lu Qiaoling, who followed, and saw her blinking, looking at her cautiously.

She played a little temper when she returned that day, and the rest was just cowardice.

"There are so many people in the family quarters, it's impossible for everyone to be stingy. Besides, it's just a truck of vegetables. Maybe before everyone knows, it will be exchanged."

Lu Qiaoling thought about it and felt it made sense.

But her worry came again.

"Second Sister, even if the commune members have vegetables in their hands, we have nothing, what do we exchange with? Is it credit?"