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

Chapter 45 Acting as a Middleman

Ding Yang went to the restroom, washed his face, and then carried his suitcase downstairs.

The two arrived at a small restaurant around 5 p.m.

We ordered three dishes and it cost 20 yuan.

They finished eating in just over ten minutes.

"Dawei, you can't hold your liquor as well as I can. It's still early, go back to your room and lie down for a while. Go pick up your girlfriend around 8 o'clock. I'm leaving now."

"Alright, I'll take you to your car."

David took out 600 yuan and more than half a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

"Ding Yang, here's the money I borrowed from you last time. And here are the cigarettes Lin Nana gave me. I only smoked three. I don't usually smoke, and smoking isn't allowed at the factory. You can take them."

Ding Yang said, "You need to spend money too, and I still have some on me."

"I already told you, I got paid the day before yesterday, and I still have money on me. You'll need money to go to Chang'an too, so take this first."

Ding Yang took the money.

I counted them and it was 600.

"I sent you 300, why did you give me 600? Take the 300 back."

"Brother, you paid for the foot massage last night, how can I let you pay for it here?"

"Are you crazy? Why are we being so calculating? I've already gotten back the money I borrowed from you, so take this 300."

"Ding Yang, you look down on me, don't you? Why are we talking so much? Here, or I'll get angry."

"Alright, bro, that's all for now. Call me if anything comes up."

"Um!"

The two arrived at the Guantai Road bus stop.

At 6:30 p.m., Ding Yang, carrying a suitcase, boarded bus number 113 and headed to Chang'an.

David waved.

Ding Yang bought a ticket; it cost 7 yuan to get to Chang'an.

The bus was packed, with some people even standing.

Ding Yang stood for a few minutes until they arrived at Houjie and someone got off the bus, at which point he finally sat down.

Dusk was falling slowly outside the window, and the factory stretched as far as the eye could see. The bus moved slowly, stopping at every station, such as Humen, Shangsha, Xitou, and the opposite side. I dozed off on the bus.

It took a full hour to finally arrive at the Chang'an Hotel.

"Handsome, we've arrived at the Chang'an Hotel!"

Ding Yang saw how luxurious the place looked outside the car window. This was the city center, and this place was too expensive. He couldn't afford to stay in this hotel.

"Flight attendant, where is the nearest industrial area? I'm going to the industrial area."

"Let's move on to the next stop. The next stop, Wusha, is the industrial zone."

Ding Yang asked, "Do we need to buy a ticket?"

"Never mind, we'll be there soon."

"Thanks!"

About 10 minutes later, we arrived at Wusha Station, and Ding Yang got off the train.

Ding Yang had never been to Chang'an before and was completely in the dark. It was almost 8 o'clock, and it was already dark outside, with the streetlights already on.

Ding Yang walked down the road in the industrial zone and found it crowded with people, much like the area in front of VTech, except the road was a bit narrower and there were vendors everywhere.

Ding Yang had already eaten dinner and wasn't hungry.

When I arrived in the village, I originally wanted to find an internet cafe and stay up all night, but I had drunk quite a bit today and was a little dizzy, so I decided to find a hotel instead.

I found a hotel in the alley, but I didn't expect it to be more expensive than in Houjie. The cheapest single room was 25 yuan.

Ding Yang spent 25 yuan to rent a small room, but damn it, there wasn't even a private bathroom; it was a shared bathroom.

There was a mat on the iron-framed bed, a dirty quilt covered with vomit, a small fan, and a coil of mosquito coils.

Ding Yang closed the door, turned on the fan, and fell asleep on the bed without even washing his face.

Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect, but I drifted off to sleep in a daze.

Ding Yang woke up slowly from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lit a cigarette.

I checked my phone, and damn, it's past 11 o'clock.

Ding Yang walked out of the hotel and into the village alley.

Damn, I ran into a few prostitutes as soon as I went downstairs. Ding Yang had been driving a motorcycle taxi in Fenggang for a month, so he could recognize these prostitutes at a glance.

"Hey handsome, wanna have some fun!"

"Damn, that accent, you can tell he's from Sichuan."

Upon closer inspection, she appeared to be around 30 years old, heavily made up, quite attractive, and slightly overweight.

"How much?"

"Fast food is 50, full meal is 150."

Damn, that's not cheap. I don't even make 50 yuan a day working in the factory, and it's gone in just a few minutes.

Ding Yang wasn't interested in this, so he lit a cigarette and left.

"Hey handsome, wanna have a cigarette?"

Ding Yang took out a cigarette.

"Give!"

He then handed her the lighter.

"Handsome, I've never seen you before. Do you live upstairs?"

"I just came from Houjie and I'm staying at the hotel upstairs."

"Hey handsome, let's go up there and have some fun!"

"Sister, I just got fired from the factory and I have no money."

"You're smoking cigarettes even though you're broke? Who are you trying to fool?"

"This cigarette was given to me by a friend. Even if I had money, I wouldn't be willing to buy Huazi."

"That's true. How many working people can afford to smoke cigarettes?"

"Give me twenty yuan, I'll play a suona..."

I go!

"Thank you, but really, you don't need to."

Two more women walked over, and Ding Yang didn't want to waste his cigarette.

He immediately walked away.

Damn it, on one side, people lament their unfulfilled ambitions and tragic lives in the Pearl River Estuary, while on the other side, people enjoy the bright lights and bustling life in Wusha Liwu.

Perhaps many disillusioned and adrift men, feeling sad, lonely, and resentful, will retreat into these alleyways to temporarily numb themselves.

Once outside on the street, some vendors were already packing up their stalls.

A barbecue stall, a middle-aged couple were preparing to pack up, mainly because the factory had already closed.

"Boss, do you have any more chicken drumsticks?"

"have!"

"Give me a chicken leg, two skewers of chicken feet, and two skewers of chives."

"Okay!"

"Your Majesty, how far is the Jinbao Electronics Factory from here?"

"It's about three or four kilometers away. Jinbao Electronics Factory is in Shatou, and the largest electronics factory here is BBK, which is over there."

"oh!"

Ding Yang didn't ask any more questions.

"How much?"

That's 11 yuan. I'm closing up shop now. 10 yuan will do.

"Thanks!"

We were eating barbecue on our way back when we got lost. This place is so run-down, all the alleys and streets look pretty much the same. It took us ages to find the hotel.

Back in my room, I took out my clothes and went to the bathroom next door to take a shower. It was almost midnight by then, and no one was competing with me for a spot. Damn it, to save money, I stayed in a hotel without even a toilet.

I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, constantly thinking about how to get through the future. Why is life so hard these days?

The next morning, Ding Yang got up early. He thought about calling Zhang Jianguo, but then decided against it. Although they were good friends, they hadn't been in touch for a long time. Even if they did, what difference would it make? Zhang Jianguo worked in a factory, and Ding Yang didn't want to go to work there. At most, Zhang Jianguo would treat him to a meal and they'd chat a bit, but it wouldn't mean much.

Picking up a business card, it was given to me by Yang Ying last time. It was her cousin's phone number; she worked as a real estate agent in Chang'an.

Should I call her and ask? But how should I bring it up?

I hesitated for a while, but around 8 o'clock I couldn't resist and dialed the number.

After three rings, a woman's voice came through.

"Hello!"

"Are you Ms. Huang Xiaoxiao?"

"Yes, who are you?"

"Yes, this is it. My name is Ding Yang, and I'm a friend of your cousin Yang Ying."

"Yingying's friend?"

"Yes!"

"Isn't she in Yantian, Fenggang?"

"Yes, she gave me your number. She said you work as a real estate agent here, and we're good friends."

"oh!"