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

Ding Yang's legs were in terrible pain, and he didn't really want to move, but his friends were coming over, and he felt bad not going.

I opened the roller shutter door, went to the street corner, and waited for about 10 minutes.

A motorcycle stopped in front of me.

"Ding Yang!"

Zhang Jianguo got off the motorcycle and gave the driver three yuan.

He was a little over 1.7 meters tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His skin was a bit dark, but he was quite strong. He looked a bit older than I had seen him in the past few years.

The two immediately shook hands.

"Jianguo, you were quite chubby when you were little. Looks like the girls at the factory fattened you up."

"Ding Yang, you've gotten taller and taller!"

Ding Yang immediately handed him a Temex.

Jianguo took out a lighter from his pocket and lit it, which shows that he smokes regularly.

"Ding Yang, when did you get to Chang'an?"

"They just arrived last night!"

"Come on, let's sit in my shop for a bit."

"You own a shop?"

"No, I met a girlfriend at the factory. This shop belongs to her cousin, and I'm just staying here temporarily."

The two entered the store and sat on the sofa.

"Jianguo, have you been in Chang'an all these years?"

"I've been here for four or five years, working at Jinbao Electronics Factory. I make molds, so I'm kind of a master craftsman. Compared to the assembly line, our department has a lot more freedom."

"How's the salary?"

"I do polishing, I make about two or three thousand yuan a month, and I have to work overtime."

"Ding Yang, what are you planning to do in Chang'an? Are you going to work in a factory?"

"I worked in an electronics factory in Yantian for over a month as a QC worker. I felt there was no future in it, so I quit. I didn't have anywhere to go for a while. I met a girlfriend, and her cousin works as a real estate agent here, so I thought I'd come here to try my luck."

"Look, I did a lot of manual labor today, carrying cement and floor tiles up to the fifth floor. I worked for five or six hours and earned more than 300 yuan."

"Damn, you're actually willing to do this job? This is really hard labor; most people couldn't handle it."

"I'm not afraid of doing manual labor, but I'm afraid of not making any money. I feel that working in a factory is not free, so I want to do something else."

"So, I'm planning to rent a small storefront to sell cement and sand, and I'll continue doing manual labor while I sell them."

"Today I met a contractor who is willing to introduce me to some work. I feel that this is better than working for someone else."

Jianguo said, "Doing business is definitely better than working for someone else. How much money can you make working in a factory? Actually, I'm starting to not want to do it anymore, but I don't have any other jobs."

"So, where do you plan to open your shop?"

"My girlfriend's cousin is helping me rent a place tomorrow, probably in Shatou or Wusha. I'm new here and don't know much about it."

"Jianguo, how about we go grab a couple of drinks at a late-night food stall?"

"Ding Yang, let's do it another day. I already had a late-night snack. Dawei called me and that's why I rushed over. I didn't know you were here. I have to go back to the factory later."

"oh!"

"David said, 'You don't even have money for food anymore, right?'"

"Not really, I still have enough money for food. I'm thinking of opening a small shop, which will probably require about ten thousand yuan in capital. The main thing I want to do is buy a used dump truck, otherwise it's really inconvenient to haul sand and gravel."

"Ding Yang, we've been childhood friends, classmates, and buddies for years. I'll tell you the truth, I have over 5000 yuan on me. I'll lend you 5000. Don't think it's too little; it's all I have."

"Jianguo, how can I do this? You need money too."

"It's alright. I don't spend much money at the factory. A few hundred yuan is enough. Anyway, I'll get paid next month. It's a bit late today, so I'll bring it to you tomorrow afternoon."

"Brother, I'm not saying anything more, thanks!"

"Don't mention it. It's rare for us brothers to get together. With you opening a shop here, we can see each other more often in the future."

"Jianguo, where's your girlfriend? Have you found one yet?"

"Hey, working in an electronics factory is like living in a land of women. How could I not find a girlfriend? I've already had several."

"But to be honest, they're all from out of town, so marriage isn't really suitable for them. Some of them are because the woman's parents don't agree, and most of them are just playing around. I'm not serious about it either."

"With so many women in the factory, haven't you met any from our area?"

"It's tough. There are so many girls, but the chances of meeting one from our county are slim. That's how it is in the factory anyway, just living together as a couple."

The two chatted for about an hour.

"Ding Yang, it's almost 11 o'clock, the dormitory is closed, I'm going back first, I'll come back tomorrow. I don't have to work overtime tomorrow, I can come over at 5:30, and I'll bring you the money then."

"Thank you, let me see you home."

"No need, I know this area very well, it's just a short walk, I can walk there."

"Thank you, take care!"

After Zhang Jianguo left, Ding Yang felt a surge of warmth in his heart. His old classmate, whom he hadn't seen for several years, had unexpectedly offered to help him.

A few minutes later, the phone rang again; it was Dawei calling.

"Hey, David!"

"Ding Yang, I just told my girlfriend that she has more than 3000 yuan on her. I'll send you 3000 yuan. Send me your bank account number."

"Dawei, Wang Chang has her own money to spend, so don't take hers. Jianguo just came by and we chatted for a while. He said he'd lend me 5000 yuan. I'll use it for now, and if things get worse, I'll call you again."

"Ding Yang, 5000 yuan isn't enough?"

"It's okay, I still have more than 1000 yuan on me. It shouldn't cost too much to buy a beat-up car. I'll go take a look first, and I'll call you back when I need more."

"Alright then, don't worry. If it really doesn't work, I'll ask my cousin for help. He'll definitely be able to scrape together a few thousand yuan for you."

"Okay, thanks bro!"

"Oh, Ding Yang, did you call Lin Nana?"

"I called, and she said all her money went into inventory and she didn't have any extra money. Actually, she just didn't want to lend me any more, so I stopped asking."

"Damn it, screw her. For this woman, 1 yuan is just a meal. She can always squeeze it out. We're ignoring her from now on, you bitch."

"Dawei, don't scold her. If she doesn't want to lend it, she doesn't want to lend it. I shouldn't have asked a woman for it in the first place. I must have lost my mind."

"No matter what, we went to Humen, and they've already done their best as hosts, with good food and cigarettes. What more can we say?"

"We owe her a meal, and we'll repay her when we have the chance. There's no need to ruin our relationship over this. It's enough to keep some things in mind. Let's broaden our perspective."

"Okay, just call me if you need anything, and I'll send it to you anytime."

"OK!"

After hanging up the phone, Ding Yang felt a warmth in his heart again. Dawei was still Dawei, unchanged.

Ding Yang continued sleeping, and suddenly felt that his feet didn't hurt as much anymore.

The next morning, Ding Yang opened the door around 7 a.m.

My feet still feel like they're filled with lead, but they don't hurt as much anymore.

After washing up, I went to the street, bought a serving of rice noodle rolls and two fried dough sticks, and went back to the shop to rest.

Not long after, Huang Xiaoxiao arrived. This woman was wearing a long dress today, which made her look quite charming.

"Ding Yang, have you had breakfast yet?"

"I've already eaten. I got up at 7 o'clock."

"Your feet must hurt!"

"It's okay, it's a little sour."

"Sister Huang, you look beautiful today, like a star, you have such a great presence."

"Yeah?"

The woman blushed slightly.

"Sister Huang, are you still out doing sales today?"

"No need, I'll help you rent a place later, Ding Yang. Are you ready? This is no joke; once a place is rented, it can't be canceled."

"Of course I'm serious."

Ding Yang took out his pocket and pulled out the money.

"Sis, I have 1500 yuan here. Take it and use it to rent a shop for me. You can decide where to rent it; you know more about this business than I do."

Huang Xiaoxiao accepted the money without hesitation.

"Okay then, I'll go look for it later."

"Oh, Xiaoyang, I'll take you to the building materials market this afternoon. There are big wholesalers there. You'll need to go there to buy goods. You should get familiar with these places first."

"OK!"

"Actually, there's no rush to open a shop. It's good to get familiar with the environment first."

"Um!"