Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

"Mom, to be honest, I never even dared to dream of having a boyfriend this young before. I don't know what came over me, but now that I think about it, it seems unbelievable. Maybe I was just captivated by his good looks."

"What? You've changed your mind again?"

"No, I never regret what I do. I'm just afraid I won't be able to handle him in the future. He's so poor right now, yet he still has girls all around him. If he comes with me and his circumstances improve, he'll only have more flies around him."

"Yan'er, to win a man's heart, not just his body. As long as his heart is with you, his body won't run away. Even if he has affairs outside, he will feel guilty."

"Some things aren't black and white. Your dad has also cheated on you, but his heart has always been with Mom."

"Don't let worries about the future hold you back. No matter what, the future will be dealt with in the future. While things are good now, don't have too many concerns. Don't live too repressed a life, as it's not good for your health."

"Mom, I understand."

"Yan'er, are you feeling alright?"

Tan Yan felt a little embarrassed.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a slight, dull pain in my lower body."

"Why don't you go see a doctor? What did the doctor say during your last physical exam?"

"It's only been two months since my physical exam. The doctor said I'm perfectly healthy and there's nothing wrong with me in any way."

"Yan'er, maybe you've been single for too long. This young man is hot-blooded and doesn't know his own strength. He'll be fine in a couple of days."

Tan Yan's face turned bright red.

"Yan'er, you're really in pain. How about you take some painkillers?"

"No need. What if I get pregnant? Why would I need to take medicine?"

"Oh, right!"

"Mom, I'm going to take a nap first. I have to go to the company this afternoon."

"Okay, go to sleep then, Mom won't bother you anymore."

"Oh, Yan'er, bring Xiao Yang over for a meal sometime."

"Let's talk about it later!"

Aunt Tan went downstairs.

"Old Tan, Yan'er was in Guangzhou last night with Xiao Yang. You'll be holding your grandson soon."

"Damn it!"

"Old Tan, now that they're together, we need to find a way to get Xiao Yang to come to Shenzhen. Even if he doesn't come, they should at least live together. We can't just have them living separately, can we?"

"Wife, don't meddle in the affairs of the young people. Yan'er has her own ideas and will do what she wants. You don't need to concern yourself with her."

"How far is Shenzhen from Chang'an? If they want to be together, this distance is nothing. If they don't want to be together, it's no use even if you tie them together."

"Too!"

…………

Ding Yang and Dawei carried cement. Ding Yang carried two bags at a time, while Dawei carried one bag at a time.

After only four trips, Dawei couldn't go on anymore.

"Ding Yang, take a break. I can't take it anymore; my legs are really sore."

"It's normal for your legs to ache. The first time I did this, I felt like my legs weren't even mine anymore, but I still managed to persevere."

"You've never experienced hardship. When we get back, Wang Chang will give you a massage, and you'll feel better after a good night's sleep."

"Don't rest, there are still two cubic meters of sand left, this stuff is even more tiring."

"My God, this is hard-earned money! To use this money to patronize prostitutes would break my heart."

"Just get to work, stop making these kinds of comparisons. If you don't work, who's going to buy your child's formula?"

"Damn it, now I finally understand why a cow has to obediently plow the field. It's because if it doesn't, it will be beaten and killed for meat."

"Life is like an invisible shackle, binding us. Cows are afraid of pain, and we are afraid of poverty."

"Alright, get to work. Don't be afraid of getting tired. You'll get used to it after a few days. Just work as hard as you can, as long as you don't die."

Suddenly my phone rang.

Ding Yang took out his phone and saw that it was Tang Li calling. It had been over three months since that woman had contacted him. What was wrong?

"Hey, Sister Tang!"

"Xiaoyang, are you alright?"

"That's great, how about you?"

"It's alright, same as always."

"Xiaoyang, where are you now?"

"I work in an electronics factory in Chang'an."

"Oh, is it tiring?"

"It's alright, not too tough, just takes a long time and I have to work overtime."

"Oh! I remember you said you went to Yantian last time, why are you going to Chang'an again?"

"The factory in Yantian wasn't very good. I have a classmate in Chang'an, so I came to Chang'an. Now I work in the same factory as him."

"oh!"

"Sis, why are you calling me all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing, it's just that it's my 30th birthday today, and I'm feeling a little sad."

"Oh, sis, I'm so sorry, I really forgot."

"I know you've forgotten, but I can't forget myself."

"Sis, I'm at work now. I'll come over to your place after I get off work."

"No need. I was just feeling a little sad and wanted to call you to let you know. That's all."

"Sister, I know it's tough for you to go out to work without relatives or friends."

"Thanks!"

"Sis, wait for me, I might be a little late."

"Xiaoyang, if it's inconvenient for you to come to work, then don't come. There are no buses at night."

"It's okay, my friend has a small truck, I'll drive it over."

"Sis, that's all for now, I'm busy. Wait for me tonight."

"Oh well!"

After hanging up the phone, Ding Yang suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart. Tang Li was not only his lover, but also his benefactor. If it hadn't been for her taking him in, he would have been homeless.

Putting all that aside, they're still fellow villagers from the same county. Turning 30 is a big birthday; how many 30s does one have in a lifetime?

"Ding Yang, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. You carry the cement, and I'll carry the sand. That'll be faster."

Ding Yang began picking sand.

Seeing Ding Yang working so hard, Dawei felt embarrassed to rest and could only grit his teeth and keep going.

After nearly three hours, the two finally finished.

Ding Yang checked the time; it was 4 o'clock.

David was so tired that he sat on the ground and didn't want to move.

"Damn, I've never done so much work in my life."

"Dawei, get in the car, let's go."

"Ding Yang, how much money did you make just now?"

"How much can we make? Add it all up, maybe around 500 yuan."

"Mom, that's not much!"

"How much do you think you can earn? This price is already pretty good. If you do two trips a day, that's 1000 yuan, isn't it?"

"That makes some sense."

"Just hauling sand costs 80 yuan per cubic meter, and cement costs 3 yuan per bag. How much money can we make? We can make a profit by selling a little bit."

"I'm gone."

"Oh, Dawei, I'm going to Fenggang later, so I won't be having dinner with you guys tonight. You and Wang Chang can go out for fast food."

"Tomorrow we'll go to the market and buy you a complete kitchen set. From now on, you can cook for yourselves. It's more convenient to have a woman at home cooking. Eating fast food every day isn't tasty or hygienic."

"Ding Yang, why are you still going to Fenggang? You have a girl there, why don't you go see her?"