Courtyard House: They all say I'm a good person

Chapter 133 Let's make a deal, we're all relatives!

Steel rolling mill, transportation department.

Shen Zhishou looked at the transportation task sheet in front of him and felt like crying.

Sure enough, today is not a good day.

Coal transportation in Mentougou!

This time, however, Shen Zhishou had to run the errand himself.

Thinking back to his first trip with Wang Chenggong to haul coal, Shen Zhishou developed a phobia of going to Mentougou to haul coal.

He could confront ordinary highway robbers head-on, and might even be rewarded later.

But if he gets into a conflict with the elderly, weak, women and children, he's lucky if he can keep his job.

"Xiao Shen, remember this: if anything happens, keep the peace!"

"Don't act impulsively!"

"Did you remember?"

Wang Chenggong was genuinely afraid that Shen Zhishou might make a grave mistake in a moment of impulsiveness.

But he couldn't keep carrying this burden for Shen Zhishou forever. Everyone in the transportation department had to go through the task of hauling coal to Mentougou; no one could escape it.

Shen Zhishou had been reported before, and Wang Chenggong guessed it was because of jealousy.

Although he had a clear conscience, it's truly impossible to predict people's hearts.

"Section Chief, don't worry!"

"I promise I won't act impulsively!"

Shen Zhishou isn't brainless.

Go!

Wang Chenggong patted Shen Zhishou's arm and waved.

Shen Zhishou started the car and set off.

The route, of course, is memorized.

His speed was neither fast nor slow, maintaining a steady pace.

On his way to Mentougou, Shen Zhishou did not forget to observe the situation on both sides of the road, but he did not see many people.

After passing the spot where he had been blocked last time, Shen Zhishou saw what appeared to be a dark shadow at the end of the side road by the highway. Unfortunately, it was too far away, and given the speed of the car, he only caught a fleeting glimpse and didn't get a clear look.

"Hopefully, it's not directed at me!"

"You'd better flag down another car and not one of mine!"

Nowadays, Shen Zhishou can only resort to some mental self-consolation, focusing on the idea that it's better to die than to die himself.

When the truck arrived at the Mentougou Coal Mine, after a brief conversation, Shen Zhishou joined the queue; there were quite a few trucks hauling coal.

After waiting for more than an hour, Shen Zhishou's truck was loaded with coal and headed back to the city.

On the way back, Shen Zhishou drove even more steadily.

And then, just like what I feared most came to pass.

The old man reappeared at the same spot where he had been stopped last time, driving his oxcart.

"Sir, could we stop another car?"

Upon seeing the old man, Shen Zhishou simply stopped the car and walked over to him.

"you,----?"

The old man stared at Shen Zhishou for a long while before finally recognizing him. "It's you!"

"Sir, we've known each other for a long time, please let me through!"

"Young man, our village is having a tough time!"

The old man was really going all out, even risking his reputation.

Seeing this, Shen Zhishou took a deep breath, pulled the old man's arm, and said, "Old man, let's talk in private!"

"What are you saying?"

Although the old man looked reluctant, he still followed Shen Zhishou to the side.

Shen Zhishou took a deep breath, looking determined, and said, "Grandpa, how about this? You let me pass, and from now on, whenever I walk this way, if your village is missing anything, I'll bring it to you. No coupons needed, just cash. Is that alright?"

Seeing the old man's shameless attitude, Shen Zhishou finally resorted to his trump card.

Supplies are scarce, life is hard, and it's the same everywhere.

Often, it's not that we don't have money, but that we have money but no tickets.

Especially in rural areas, there is a severe shortage of all kinds of tickets.

Shen Zhishou also came from the village and was very clear about the situation.

"Young man, are you serious?"

"Really, I swear on my honor as an instructor!"

"If I'm lying to you, may you smash my car window if I ever drive on this road again!"

Shen Zhishou's method, though seemingly born of desperation, was actually perfect for him.

If he wants to buy and sell, he needs a stable sales channel!

This old man is so shameless for the sake of the whole village; he's actually a pretty good business partner.

"Good lad!"

"If you can really get what we need, no one will stop you from going down this path! I, this old man, dare to guarantee that!"

After hearing Shen Zhishou's words, the old man perked up.

Shen Zhishou smiled and said, "Old man, let me be clear from the start: strictly speaking, what we're doing isn't allowed by the higher-ups. So, if anything goes wrong later, I will not admit to anything!"

"Don't worry, this old man isn't so untrustworthy!"

The old man spoke with an air of arrogance.

"Then, let's discuss how to proceed with the transaction?"

"How can we trade then?"

The old man glared at him. "Bring your things, and I'll give you the money. It's that simple!"

"That won't do!"

Shen Zhishou rolled his eyes. "What if we get caught red-handed during the transaction?"

"So, tell me, what should we do?"

"Okay, sir, please write down everything you need and give it to me. I'll prepare the items for you now, and deliver them to you when my truck passes by. As for the money, we'll settle the payment for the previous transaction next time we trade goods!"

"You little brat, aren't you afraid we'll steal your stuff?"

The old man smiled.

Shen Zhishou also smiled.

While it may seem that Shen Zhishou is at a disadvantage by accepting payment after receiving the goods, this kind of transaction is based on trust.

Shen Zhishou doesn't care about the money from this transaction; what he needs is trust.

He can afford to lose money on a one-off deal.

"Kid, your Third Steel Rolling Mill's trucks don't go to Mentougou to pick up coal very often, and the drivers are different each time. How can this old man be sure when you'll come again?"

"Sir, don't you think this is a safer approach?"

Shen Zhishou smiled brightly. Hearing the old man ask this question, he knew that the deal was done!

"Besides, it seems like you're always there guarding the place!"

Shen Zhishou pointed to the end of the rugged fork in the road leading into the mountains.

When Shen Zhishou came over earlier, he saw what looked like a dark shadow over there, and now, his judgment has been confirmed.

"I didn't expect you to be such a sly little devil!"

The old man chuckled, "Alright, it's settled then!"

"By the way, we still have some mountain products in our village. Could you help us sell them? Those purchasing agents and the buying stations are offering too low prices!"

"No problem. If the village doesn't have enough money, bartering is also an option!"

These are all wild, naturally grown mountain products; decades from now, they will all be treasures.

Of course, even now, these are all good things, and you might not be able to buy them even if you want to.

"Good lad, a straightforward guy!"

"Old man, what are you saying? I came from the village myself, and I know very well how hard life was there!"

"Don't talk nonsense, we're doing just fine!"

The old man raised his hand and pointed at Shen Zhishou.

Shen Zhishou smiled and said nothing more.

Some things can be seen through but not spoken out!

Shen Zhishou finally set off again without losing a single pound of coal.

However, the old man also said that they need cloth and cotton now, because it's getting cold and every household is short of clothes and quilts for the winter.

There is no specific quantity!

Shen Zhishou was well aware that this thing was missing more than just a little bit.

In his space, Sun Hu's family had a lot of cloth and cotton, which could solve some of the problems in the old man's village.

Although Shen Zhishou had a considerable amount of supplies, these supplies were used up quickly, and he wasn't like those people who had the channels to obtain various supplies.

People like Sun Hu all have powerful backers. His supplies were supposed to be converted into money and handed over, but Shen Zhishou confiscated them all.

Should we find another Sun Hu?

In Beijing, there were many locals like Sun Hu; killing them all wouldn't be a crime against them.

However, dealing with these people is ultimately a one-off deal. Perhaps he should find a new source of supply and become a middleman; without a source of goods, he can't survive.

But where do we find suppliers?

At this moment, Shen Zhishou especially missed Wang Mingliang. If that kid were still here, these things probably wouldn't be a big deal.

After much thought, Shen Zhishou decided to ask Wang Weigong.

As the head of the freight department at the railway station, he should have a lot of information on this matter.

Back at the steel rolling mill, Wang Chenggong was greatly relieved to see Shen Zhishou return unharmed.

"Section Chief, you might not believe it!"

When Wang Chenggong asked Shen Zhishou if he had encountered any obstacles on the road, Shen Zhishou immediately began to tell a story.

"I ran into that old man again!"

"It's that guy we ran into last time. I was arguing with him on the roadside, and guess what? That old man and one of the old ladies in our village are siblings! Hehe, come to think of it, I should call him my great-uncle!"

"We're all relatives. With that connection, how could the old man possibly stop me?"

"I fucking—"

Wang Chenggong rolled his eyes, but he didn't doubt Shen Zhishou's words.

After all, in the past, marriages were mostly arranged through matchmakers. People from one village would marry into another village, and it wasn't strange at all to encounter someone with a marriage relationship wherever they went.

"It's settled then. From now on, you're in charge of hauling coal from Mentougou. No shirking your responsibility!"

Wang Chenggong grinned when he learned that Shen Zhishou had become a beneficiary of connections.

Shen Zhishou rolled his eyes and said, "Section Chief, no way!"

"Yes, I want it!"

"It's settled then!"

Wang Chenggong slapped Shen Zhishou's arm hard twice.

"I'm sure everyone in our transportation department will be very happy about this!"

"I'm not happy!"

Shen Zhishou wanted to cry.

He didn't want to become a full-time driver for a specific transport task; he wanted to travel around and get more opportunities to make money!

Unfortunately, Wang Chenggong made the decision immediately.

When the other members of the transportation department learned of this situation, they had no objections.

After all, if you're unlucky enough to take this route, you might get stopped.

Every time, it's a battle of wits and courage, and in the end, we might still lose a lot of coal and then come back to suffer the consequences.

Now that we have Shen Zhishou as a connected person, we must make use of him.

Shen Zhishou sighed and had no choice but to accept it.

"Brother Zhao, has the section chief investigated that matter from before?"

Shen Zhishou looked at Zhao Meng beside him and pulled him aside. He hadn't been at the factory that morning and had gone to Mentougou in the afternoon, so he really didn't know what had happened in the transportation department that day.

The smile faded from Zhao Meng's face. He said, "We investigated, but we didn't find anything!"

"Xiao Shen, I'm thinking that the thing about reporting you might not have been done by one person alone!"

Zhao Meng lowered his voice and spoke very quietly.

In fact, Shen Zhishou understood the moment he heard Zhao Meng say that he hadn't found anything.

If only one person reports him, then some clues will definitely be found. But if two or three people are involved, then they can testify to each other and each will have an alibi.

That's interesting, really interesting!

The transportation department seems to have changed somewhat since his arrival.

Of course, it's also possible that this change would still have occurred even without his arrival.

The idea of ​​a completely unified whole, with everyone working together in harmony, is ultimately too idealistic.

"Brother Zhao, be more careful in the future!"

Shen Zhishou didn't dwell on the matter, but simply reminded Zhao Meng of something.

Apprentice drivers and experienced drivers are inherently opposing forces.

The apprentice wanted to advance, but there were only so many cars in the factory!

If the experienced drivers don't give way, how can they take their place?

If it's a long-distance trip, you can take turns driving and you'll get a vehicle allowance. But if it's just a local transport job, apprentices basically don't have a chance to get hands-on experience.

Moreover, some apprentices have been learning car repair for a long time, but their progress is not fast.

If you can't become a driver sooner, you'll inevitably overthink things and feel like you're being deliberately targeted.

In short, human greed complicates many things.

Zhao Meng listened to Shen Zhishou's words without refuting them, but simply nodded. He naturally understood what Shen Zhishou meant. He might have a fiery temper, but he wasn't a brainless person.

There are treacherous people hiding in the transportation department who could stab you in the back at any moment. How can anyone not be careful?