Chapter 1464: The Letter Has Arrived

"When you go out tomorrow, want to drop by the post office and ask if there's any mail for you? It's already been half a month."

"Sure."

Though he wasn't holding out hope, Ye Yaodong didn't want to miss the letter.

It had taken so much effort to send it out, and it even included letters from the three children—who would have thought he'd have to go back.

Then it really was sent into the void.

But it was destined to be a disappointing trip; these days mail doesn't travel that fast, and it was going across provinces.

He went to check twice in one week and there was nothing, so he had to give up.

Ye Yaodong, not feeling at ease about his father, had been bringing him along on deliveries these past few days, afraid he'd get so caught up in making money he'd make mistakes.

But he didn't restrict him from taking on jobs during the day when he was free—after all, he couldn't stop an old father from improving himself; being diligent and earning money was a good thing.

This week, when he ran into Lin Ji, he mentioned the matter of buying ship tickets to him. Lin Ji had originally refused, saying it wasn't necessary.

But he said he also had over ten tons of cargo to bring back, plus A-Guang and the other two, and additionally a nephew of his who also needed to go back—so many people and so much cargo, they couldn't hitch a free ride anymore; they had to do it by the book, buy tickets and arrange freight.

Lin Ji listened and didn't refuse, directly writing up the order for him, following the proper procedure, and even joked that he'd been favored with business.

Ye Yaodong took the opportunity to book the return tickets as well, handling it all at once to save trouble.

This matter was good for everyone all around.

One side got convenience, the other got money.

A-Guang and the other two had come back a day early on the fresh-goods ship; once they arrived, they went back to rest first, while he kept delivering goods until the dead of night.

Fortunately, the cargo ship's departure time tomorrow was 9:30–10:00. He just needed to arrange for people to load up the two tractors in advance; he didn't need to get up before dawn to haul goods. Getting up a little past 6 and then going to the dock to load and unload would still be in time.

And Fatty, who had been out of sight for several days, suddenly appeared.

Just as they were getting on the tractor and driving out through the main gate, he was sitting on a tractor that had just stopped. He looked up and saw them suddenly stop as well.

"Huh? Where are you all going so early in the morning? You're not going out to sea? How come everyone's here? What are you up to? Why is everyone suddenly together?"

Seeing everyone suddenly so complete, Fatty's mind was filled with questions, somewhat suspicious about what they were up to.

Otherwise, how else to explain them suddenly appearing on the tractor early in the morning? From what he knew of them, even if they weren't going out to sea, at this hour they should still be sleeping in.

"Where the hell did you disappear to? Haven't seen you for days!" Ye Yaodong cursed.

"I've been home! Just out early and back late, so I haven't run into you. But I've bumped into Lin Ji several times. Clearly it's you all going out to sea or sleeping in, so none of you saw me, and yet you're cursing me for disappearing."

That was true enough.

Late morning—if there was nothing going on, he generally didn't get up before 8 o'clock, which was already considered very late by hardworking people.

If he'd delivered goods too late the night before, lying in until 9 or 10 before getting up was perfectly normal.

"Fatty, we're heading home~ You behave and hold down the fort~" A-Zheng laughed and waved at him, urging Ye Yaodong to drive faster.

"WHAT!!!"

Fatty's eyes went wide—he felt as if the sky had fallen!

A-Guang also poked at his sore spot. "Hehe, we bought tickets to go home. You're staying here alone, haha!"

Fatty quickly jumped down from the vehicle, then spread his arms wide, blocking the path of their tractor.

"If you want to leave, you'll have to run over me! Damn it, I was only busy for a few days and you all abandoned me—are you even human?"

"Nobody's allowed to leave! Screw your neighbors, going home without even telling me. If I hadn't come back in time, you'd have been home and I wouldn't have known. Is this how you guys act as brothers?"

Fatty was hopping mad, standing in front of their tractor and cursing up a storm.

Ye Yaodong chuckled. "Aren't you the one who can't stand being on a boat? Every time you ride a ship you look half dead. We're only going home for half a month before coming back up anyway."

"No way! If you all are going home, of course I have to go home too to see my wife and kids…"

"Then are you done with what you've got on hand? It'll be half a month before we can come back up."

"I have to finish it. If I can't, someone else can handle it. My big nephew will keep the accounts for me."

"Then if you want to come, come. I'm in a hurry to get to the dock now—still got two truckloads of cargo to unload and move. You go back first and get your affairs sorted out. Anyway, the 9:30 boat—if you get to the cargo dock by that time, you'll be fine."

Fatty looked at them hesitantly. "Really? You're not tricking me? You won't sneak off?"

"Trick you my ass! Get out of the way, look how long it'll take to unload this truckload of mine? Plus the cargo ship isn't just hauling my goods, we might have to queue up to load. Get the hell out of the way."

"Then why'd you all suddenly go home without calling me?"

"How would we know where you disappeared to? We didn't see you, so how could we call you? Get out of the way."

Fatty stepped aside, half-believing. "Don't lie to an honest man."

Ye Yaodong couldn't be bothered to dawdle with him and drove off in the tractor first.

It was a good thing he'd left plenty of time in reserve, so he could still waste time here with him—otherwise he'd have had someone drag him aside long ago.

Anyway, he'd told him 9:00 at the cargo dock, and it was only just past 7 now. Going back, taking his time, and explaining things—he'd still make it in plenty of time.

Fatty watched the two tractors speed off, leaving him eating their dust. Cursing under his breath, he quickly called for the tractor to drive in and unload.

Just right—he'd gone out again before dawn to buy supplies, hauling back a tractor full of coal briquettes, enough for the short term.

The fruits and vegetables the canteen needed were delivered daily by a fixed vegetable farmer; he didn't need to worry about that, and there was a dedicated person keeping the accounts.

He just needed to have people quickly unload the truckload of coal briquettes, and at the same time brief the canteen manager—pack his bags and he could leave.

9:30 was more than enough time for him to make it; one could even say he had plenty to spare.

But just as he was heading out, he heard the jingling of a bicycle—the newspaper-delivering postman was at the gate waving newspapers and envelopes and shouting.

"Newspapers! And a letter for Ye Yaodong!"

The postman at the gate kept repeating it. Fatty happened to be coming out and took it first, but before he could carry it inside, Ye Fu burst out like a gust of wind.

"A letter for Dongzi? Where is it?"

Ye Fu's mouth was asking urgently, but his eyes had already looked toward Fatty's hand. His hands moved faster than his brain—he snatched the letter away first.

"Waiting every day, asking every day, and it finally arrived… Oh no, Dongzi already left for the dock, he really missed it this time…"

Fatty asked curiously from the side, "What letter is so important? You were asking about it every day, worried you'd miss it?"

"The letter from Dongzi that was reported in the newspaper, Aqing sent it up from home. We waited almost a month, and only got it today. I kept going to the post office to ask these past few days, and they all said there was nothing."

"I'm heading to the cargo dock anyway, taking the same boat back as him. Shall I bring it over for you?"

How the tables have turned!

When he brings it over, he'll have to make Dongzi beg him!

Fatty held the letter in his hand, feeling rather pleased with himself — now he had a firm grip on the lifeline.

Ye Fu nodded repeatedly, "You're going to the dock? Going back together? Then that's perfect, bring it over for him. Otherwise, if we wait forever to mail it up, and he doesn't even glance at it, then goes home instead, it'll drag on for another half month. Might as well not have mailed this letter — just leave it at home for him to pick up when he comes back. Reading it at home would actually be faster."

Fatty slapped the envelope against his hand a couple of times, "His letter was mailed for nothing. Just as he was about to head back, the letter only just arrived. He can only sneak a peek two days early. What a waste of such expensive postage."

"Hurry up and deliver it. Don't get stuck in traffic on the road and end up late."

"Then lend me your bicycle, I'll ride it over — it'll be faster."

"I still have to ride back with you? You'll give me a ride?"

"What else? You give me a ride — can you even pedal with me on it?"

Ye Fu looked at Fatty's build, the corner of his mouth twitching. Fatty could be two of him. Who carries who — did he really not have any idea?

"I'll go push the bike out."

However, after Ye Fu saw him sit on it, the tire underneath visibly sank a bit. He looked at Fatty's build again, and his heart ached for the bicycle…

He deeply regretted it. How had he lent the bicycle to Fatty? He should have made him walk.

Fatty saw Ye Fu standing there motionless, and hurriedly urged him on, "Hurry up, Uncle. If Dongzi's letter doesn't get delivered, it doesn't matter, but don't delay me from going home."

"Does your… home have a bicycle?"

"Of course? Why are you asking that?."

"I'm worried you'll ride it to ruin…"

"It won't break, the quality is great. Three or four hundred jin is no problem for this bicycle, five hundred jin is fine too. Just sit up here and don't worry."

Ye Fu watched the tire underneath with deep worry, and only then carefully sat on, barely grazing it with his backside, afraid of crushing the bicycle tire flat.

But Fatty didn't care about him at all. Seeing that he seemed to have sat down, he immediately rode off.

But Ye Fu's backside had only just touched the bicycle seat, and he hadn't even settled in, when Fatty suddenly did that, and he was flung right off the back.

"Hey hey hey? Fatty, Fatty, I haven't gotten on yet…"

Fatty slowed his pedaling, not even stopping as he said, "Then what were you doing just now? Stop dawdling, hurry up and jog to catch up and sit on."

Ye Fu, who had been chasing behind the whole time, saw him slow down, and jogged to jump on and sit down.

The handlebars wobbled for a moment, but straightened out shortly after.

"I'm worried the tire will break…"

"It won't break. Even if I break, it won't break."

"Don't talk nonsense. Is there anything that doesn't break?"

Fatty shut his mouth, feeling there was no way to communicate with an elder. The less trouble the better — first rush to the dock. Anyway, they were already on the bicycle.

But the two of them dawdling again tightened the schedule.

It was already 9:30. The cargo ship's current cargo had all been loaded, only the deck needed a little tidying up. Everyone on the ship was waiting for Fatty to arrive. If he didn't come soon, they wouldn't make it in time.

Ye Yaodong was starting to regret it — why had he told him to depart between 9:30 and 10:00?

He should have just told him to depart at 9:30. That way he'd have a bit more sense of time, and if it ran a little over, it could still be controlled — not like the current situation.

The worst thing is cutting it close.

But some people just love to arrive right on the dot.

?? Walked for a day, too tired and too sleepy, my eyes can't take it. I'll make up another chapter tomorrow afternoon.

? (End of chapter)