Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

In the sweltering summer heat, the surface temperature in the main urban area of ​​Yanghe County has reached an astonishing 60°C, setting a new record for the highest temperature ever recorded.

Despite the sweltering heat, people's enthusiasm for industrial and commercial construction has not diminished in the slightest, and major projects are proceeding at a rapid pace.

In front of a building nearing completion, tower cranes are hoisting waterproof building materials; on the newly constructed Central Avenue, the white traffic signs are still wet with paint; in the wasteland on the outskirts of the city, dozens of large construction vehicles are transferring construction waste, and for a moment, dust flies up, creating towering waves of earth...

During his lunch break, Lao Chengdong squinted and slumped in a bamboo chair behind the cashier, while a radio host's passionate broadcast came from the radio beside him:

"Warmly celebrate the completion and commissioning of Yanghe County's No. 1 Thermal Power Plant! This project, which took three years to complete, represents a total investment of 1 billion yuan and has a total installed capacity of 340,000 kilowatts. It is planned to generate 8.65 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, providing ample power supply to the main urban area and suburban industrial zones..."

After a major news broadcast, a completely exhausted Cheng Dong fell into a deep sleep.

Business has been booming these past few days. We've sold over two thousand cases of beer and beverages alone, a sales volume that far surpasses all the wholesale stores in the county's suburbs.

Cheng Dong is a generous and talkative person, which makes him very popular among small vendors. When some shop owners are short of cash, he will allow them to buy goods on credit. These relatively "generous" practices have gradually earned him a good reputation in the county's suburban retail circle.

Small county towns are close-knit communities where word spreads quickly. As a result, more and more individual vendors are bypassing large consignment stores and buying directly from Erdong Wholesale Store, which is truly unexpected.

When Cheng Dong woke up, he was back to his non-stop work: taking inventory, issuing receipts, and helping vendors move their goods. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to drink water.

In the evening, the beer piled up in front of the shop had been sold out. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to have a cup of tea and take a break when suddenly an extended tricycle roared up.

The three-wheeled vehicle braked suddenly in front of Cheng Dong, and immediately a weasel-faced young man jumped out.

"Brother Dong, I've finally found you!"

The young man rubbed his hands together, bowed, and offered a cigarette, but Cheng Dong waved him off, saying, "Zhang Nao, why are you here again? Didn't I tell you? I only sell beer from major breweries here."

The somewhat sleazy-looking young man was named Zhang Laifu, nicknamed Zhang Nao. His main job was as a truck driver for the county department store, and he also sold alcohol on the side. Seeing that Erdong Wholesale Store was selling goods quickly, he came to promote his products to them repeatedly.

"Brother Dong, this time it's from a big factory, and it's a brand new product! Why don't you try it first?" After saying that, Zhang Nao hurriedly stuffed a bottle of ice-cold beer into Cheng Dong's hand.

Cheng Dong's throat was burning, but after taking a sip of cool beer, the heat and fatigue disappeared almost entirely.

"Yeah, it's a bit bitter, but it's also quite potent. Don't beat around the bush, just tell me, what's the lowest price for this?"

Seeing that Cheng Dong was interested, Zhang Laifu grinned and held up one finger. "Brother Dong, this is our first time working together. To be honest, this is my purchase price. I'm really not making a profit; I just want to do some volume sales with you!"

Although the other party spoke with great conviction, Cheng Dong didn't believe a word of it. Oh, Zhang Nao, you came all this way in this sweltering heat, not to make money, but surely not to be a Good Samaritan, right? This kind of talk is only good for fooling kids. He'd been hanging around with his brother since he was thirteen, and he'd heard this kind of talk far too often.

"Since you call me 'Big Brother' so affectionately, I'll order twenty pieces first. But let's make it clear upfront: I'll settle the payment after I sell the first three batches."

To be honest, Cheng Dong is very reluctant to get goods from middlemen. If he doesn't know the source of the goods, he can't guarantee the quality. So, under normal circumstances, he drives to the major distribution centers in the city to buy goods himself. But recently, business has been too busy. He is both a driver and a salesman, and he is indeed a bit overwhelmed. Now that he has found a supplier who is willing to deliver to his door, he has no reason to turn him away.

"Alright, Brother Dong! We'll do it your way!" Thinking about how he'd closed another deal, Zhang Nao was overjoyed. Before leaving, he patted his chest and assured him, "You can sell my goods as you please. If there's even the slightest problem, just come to the county department store and find me!"

……

After seeing Zhang Laifu off, Cheng Dong strode to the cashier. He picked up his large tea mug and was about to drink some water when the telephone on the counter suddenly rang.

"Second brother, come over for drinks tonight. Don't tell me you don't have time this time." The person on the other end of the phone was Cheng Dong's older brother, Lao Chengxi. Since Cheng Dong went solo, the two brothers have basically never gotten together.

"Brother! I'm too tired. Besides, I can't play that rock-paper-scissors game. There's no point in messing with me!" Cheng Dong frowned and refused his brother's invitation again.

"What do you mean 'us' and 'you'? Aren't we all brothers when we're together?" Lao Chengxi's tone was reproachful.

"Don't say that. You're my own brother. They have nothing to do with me!" Cheng Dong's tone suddenly turned cold as he said this. He wanted to say something more, but then the "beep beep beep" sound of the line being disconnected came through.

Cheng Dong shook his head and hung up the phone helplessly. It seemed that this call still hadn't eased the tension between the two brothers.

Why did Cheng Dong have such a falling out with his own older brother? This story needs to be told from the beginning.

After returning to their hometown from Dongguan, the two brothers ran a pork wholesale business at the Chengguankou vegetable market. During this time, Cheng Dong had a conflict with the butcher Zheng Zhongyi.

The two groups were competitors and originally intended to fight to the death. However, Lao Chengxi turned out to be a ruthless character with a deep mind. He used some unknown means to successfully win over Butcher Zheng, and the two of them joined forces to monopolize the pig slaughtering business in the market.

Lao Chengxi was very shrewd. With simple capital operations, he quickly realized the company's shareholding operation. After that, he made great strides and not only took over the entire vegetable market, but also transformed it into the largest farmers' market in the suburbs of the county!

Lao Chengxi was smug and self-satisfied. However, Cheng Dong and Zheng Zhongyi's relationship became increasingly strained. Later, the two had a falling out over the disposal of a dead pig.

Cheng Dong, who upheld his conscience, suffered a loss and, in a fit of anger, chose to start his own business, never again having any dealings with the gang of thugs under his brother's command...

Despite their bickering and quarreling, the two brothers were born of the same mother. Cheng Dong couldn't sit still at the thought that his older brother would soon become a ruthless and despicable scoundrel influenced by the people around him.

While pacing back and forth in the store, Cheng Dong suddenly slapped his forehead and dialed his sister-in-law Zhou Xiangyi's number: "Sister-in-law, this is Cheng Dong."

"I know, I know, Xiao Dong, you're not busy anymore?" Zhou Xiangyi was very considerate of her brother-in-law, even speaking softly. "Hey, didn't I hear from your brother that you two were going to drink together tonight? What's going on..."

Before his sister-in-law could finish speaking, Cheng Dong interrupted urgently, "Sister-in-law, I want you to persuade my brother to drink less, especially less with Zheng the Butcher's gang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman's sobbing came from the other end of the phone. "Xiao Dong, your brother goes out drinking every night and comes home very late every day. We've argued about it so many times, but he just won't listen. I was thinking of asking you to talk to Mom and persuade him..."

The woman recounted all of Lao Chengxi's faults, which made Chengdong feel even worse. He had originally wanted his sister-in-law to persuade his brother, but he had become the one to confide in. At this moment, Chengdong suppressed his anger, said some comforting words, and then hung up the phone.

"You bastard! You won't listen to your sister-in-law and me. This time, I'm going to tell your mother on you!"

Cheng Dong said angrily, then locked the shop and sped off towards Shuangling Mountain...