Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 138 Chen Hui Arrives

The Jiefang truck rumbled to the restaurant and parked in the courtyard behind it. Everyone jumped off the truck, dusted themselves off, and ran inside. You can imagine the sizzling smell inside the truck that day—it was so satisfying!

Xiao Wei, Master Chang, and the three carpenters walked behind, and everyone entered the house directly through the back door.

Both back doors were open, and as you approached, you could hear the water pump running. Master Chang said, "The boiler is on, let's check if there's anything wrong with it."

Xiao Wei went over and took a look. The furnace door was closed, and the entire boiler room was as hot as summer, except the water pump was too noisy. The entire boiler room was spotless, with two wires strung horizontally in the air, and several clean towels hanging on them. The stove was also wiped clean, and the steamer baskets were neatly arranged to one side. It was quite tidy.

Going out and in through the back door, the restaurant area is a bit chaotic, but there's no way around it, with so many people working.

The workers were washing their hands noisily, Sister Zhang was preparing vegetables, and Sister Shang was leaning against the stove smoking. Seeing Xiao Wei, she said, "Xia is here too. The three of them are in a private room upstairs. Aren't you going up?"

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "Today we'll divide the work; I'll take charge of this side."

Sister Zhang said, "So, neither of you took care of the restaurant today?"

Xiao Wei said, "With Master Zhai and you guys here, we can rest assured."

That's a very satisfying statement.

The restaurant was warm and cozy at the moment, with plenty of heating. Everyone washed their hands and sat down. Some of the younger people even took off their coats, since they weren't cold anyway, even though their coats were quite dirty.

Xiao Wei offered cigarettes to everyone and asked Chef Chang and Chef Gong to order. Both of them waved their hands, indicating that they wouldn't order and that Xiao Wei could just do whatever he wanted. People these days are honest; they're earning government salaries, and having food is enough for them. Ordering more would seem like they're trying to save money.

Xiao Wei didn't stand on ceremony and turned to let Sister Zhang take care of the food. Anyway, he was sure he would have a good meal. These days, people's food is generally not very good, especially now that it's the dead of winter.

Li Wen came over to pour hot water for everyone, set out chopsticks, and asked if they wanted steamed buns or rice. Xiao Wei asked, "Did we steam some steamed buns?"

Li Wen shook her head and said, "Our old man just closed up, we have to wait a while. There are steamed buns for sale at the market, we can go out and buy some if we want."

Master Chang waved his hand and said, "Why bother? Just eat whatever you have. No need to be polite."

Soon after, the food was served. Old Chang poured himself and Master Gong a glass of baijiu, while the others served themselves rice and started eating.

The workers didn't drink, so they ate quickly. Once all the dishes were served, they were almost done, and one by one they sat down to chat and digest. Only Lao Chang and Master Gong remained at the table drinking. Xiao Wei, having finished his meal, sat beside them, keeping them company. Xia Maosheng stayed upstairs drinking with others and never came down.

I was quite lucky at noon today. Two extra tables came in, and although we didn't make much money, it was still a good thing. These were the first customers since we reopened, and everyone was so enthusiastic that it almost scared us away.

These days, people's hearts aren't that complicated, and there's no such thing as someone who thinks too highly of themselves. It's common for cadres and workers to eat together and drink with each other. It doesn't matter if there's a dirty worker next to you in a suit and tie. Discrimination doesn't exist, and no one feels superior or inferior to anyone else.

Of course, there are always exceptions; nothing is absolute.

After eating and resting, everyone got up, dressed, and prepared to return to the compound to start work. Just as Xiaowei walked into the kitchen, the phone rang in the guardhouse.

Xiao Wei ran over and answered the phone, only to hear a plaintive voice on the receiver: "Hello, I'm looking for Zhang Wei, Xia Maosheng is fine too, can you hurry?"

Xiao Wei coughed and said, "Who are you? Give me your number first, then you can't just look for anyone."

The person on the other end paused for a moment, then immediately realized, "Xiao Wei? Holy crap, where are you? That gay bar won't let me in. I'm freezing to death squatting on the side of the road. It's at least ten degrees colder than Fengtian, and I'm only wearing a jacket."

Xiao Wei asked, "So where are you making this call from?"

"I searched for ages before finally finding a public phone at the convenience store; it costs a dollar to make a call. Where am I supposed to find you?"

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "Ask him where you are now, and I'll come find you. Don't get lost again. Go inside his house and warm up first."

Chen Hui said, "Hurry up, brother, will they let me in? I'm in this alley behind the guesthouse."

Xiao Wei said, "Go east to the main road, and we'll be there in a few minutes."

After hanging up the phone, Xiaowei ran out the back door. Everyone was already in the car, waiting, smoke billowing from the rear. Xiaowei climbed into the driver's seat and said, "Let's go through the guesthouse. A friend of mine has arrived and is waiting there. Apparently, he's about to freeze solid."

Driver Sun shifted gears, started the engine, and asked, "Where is he? East or west?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's right at the main gate. I came from Fengtian, and I didn't know it was colder here than there. I forgot to mention it, and as a result, I wasn't dressed warmly enough and got so cold that the guesthouse wouldn't let me in."

Old Chang laughed and said, "It's at least 15 degrees colder here than in Fengtian, and the wind is strong. No wonder it's so cold. These young people nowadays wear as few layers as possible, which is the opposite of what we did back then. Do you think beauty can feed you or keep you warm? It's good to be cold for a while, so you'll remember to wear more clothes next time."

Master Gong said, "Things are completely different now than they were back then. The young people these days don't understand it. They can't even figure out their own family's business, let alone other people's."

The truck rumbled and pounded the snow as it turned onto the main road. The driver's cab had a recirculating heater, creating a completely different world from the passenger compartment. Fortunately, the wind was blowing with them on the way back. The workers stood with their backs to the truck, their cotton hats pulled down over their ears. Thanks to the warmth from their recent meal, they didn't feel particularly cold and could even light a cigarette and chat.

After walking for about ten minutes, we saw a man in a brown leather jacket hopping around by the roadside. Xiao Wei pointed at him with a smile and said, "That's him. He must be freezing, haha."

The truck hissed out a puff of hot air and stopped next to the leather jacket. Master Gong said, "I'm going to the truck bed. It's not cold now, we'll be there soon. Let him come up and warm up, look how cold he is." He opened the door and jumped out, waving to Chen Hui, "Come on up, come on up, there's warm air up there." He stepped on the tires and was pulled up by the people on top.

Chen Hui paused for a moment, glanced inside a few times, and only when he saw Xiao Wei did he quickly climb up. As soon as the car door closed, he shivered and said, "Damn it, it's so cold, I'm about to pee my pants from the cold."

The car restarted, and Chen Hui shivered for a few minutes before slowly recovering. You know, if you get really cold, you'll feel even colder when you get to a warm place, and it can even hurt.