Chapter 130: Farewell

“Drink up, everyone!”

Cao Shujie raised his glass, signaling to the others. They all followed suit, lifting their glasses and steering away from the previous topic of conversation.

After setting his glass down, Cao Shujie asked, “What are your plans for the holiday?”

“What plans can I have? I’m working the night shift today, have a day off tomorrow, and then back to the day shift. I can’t go anywhere. While you guys are on holiday, we’re busier than ever on the highway,” Cao Shuyang grumbled, feeling frustrated that he had no real time off while everyone else was enjoying themselves.

“Damn it!”

Cao Shulun chimed in, “I’m working one more day at triple pay, then I’ll take my son to Yiling City to see the lake. He wants to see the sea, but I just don’t have the time.”

“Can’t you take a couple of extra days off from your factory?” Cao Shujie asked curiously.

Cao Shulun shook his head. “Our company is like a one-man-one-post situation. Everyone wants time off now. If it were easy to switch shifts, I would have taken my son to the seaside long ago.”

“Giving up triple pay isn’t worth it. The cost of a trip would be too high.”

With that, Cao Shulun took a sip from his glass. He worked at a chemical plant, one of the best state-owned enterprises in the area. Despite having a good salary for Pingyuan County, he still faced his own challenges.

Cao Fei complained, “You guys think you have it tough? National Day is my busiest time. I start work at five or six in the morning and don’t get a day off!”

Indeed, while the foot traffic in supermarkets and malls might not be high during the holiday, the planned activities still had to go on, and the attitude needed to be right.

Among them, the ones with relatively more freedom were Cao Tiemin, who worked in renovations, and Cao Shujie, who had returned home to manage an orchard.

The two looked at each other, a shared thought crossing their minds: “Everyone’s got their struggles.”

Cao Zhen joked, “Damn, we were just talking about life and death, and now you’re all complaining. You guys are something else!”

“Enough talk, who’s got the bottle? Fill up and keep drinking!”

Mengmeng wasn’t paying attention to what her uncles and grandfathers were discussing. She was focused on eating her meat!

Despite her young age, she had a good appetite, especially for fatty meat, though she wasn’t as keen on lean meat.

Cheng Xiaolin was beside her, helping her with the meat, shrimp balls, and beef balls. Seeing her daughter eat happily made her happy too.

Listening to her husband chat with his friends, Cheng Xiaolin felt a sense of realization. Her husband shouldered the family’s burdens, making her less aware of life’s difficulties.

During the meal, Cao Zhen spoke privately to Cao Shujie, “Shujie, I’ve spoken to my uncle. When you have time, visit the Forestry Bureau and the Agricultural Bureau. You’ve met Director Liu from the Agricultural Bureau before. Don’t feel embarrassed; your units are related. Frequent visits will benefit you.”

This was his motto, and the reason many called him “Supervisor Cao.”

What was face worth, anyway?

Cao Shujie had drunk quite a bit, so he couldn’t drive home.

After Cheng Xiaolin called her mother-in-law to explain, Wang Yuelan advised them to find a place to stay and rest well, suggesting they return to Cao Family Village the next day.

The next morning, around six, Cao Shujie suddenly remembered something. He picked up his phone, opened QQ, and sent a message to his childhood friends group: “Hey guys, the apples in my orchard are ripe and taste great. Let me know when you can come pick some.”

There was no immediate response.

Unbothered, Cao Shujie went to wash up.

When he returned, he found the group chat flooded with messages, all scolding him for not mentioning it earlier.

“Damn, I’m already at work. If you’d said something sooner, I could’ve gone home yesterday and picked some apples,” Cao Shulun messaged. He was at his post, surrounded by the pungent smell of chemical reactions, which irritated his eyes after a while.

Cao Fei, already at the supermarket, was directing staff to hang promotional posters. Seeing the message, he was annoyed: “Seriously, you obviously weren’t sincere. Otherwise, you’d have brought me a bag.”

Cao Zhen messaged, “I’m heading to the city around nine to catch an eleven o’clock train to Xinjiang. Could you let us know earlier next time?”

“This year’s a bust. Maybe next year, or you could send some once I settle down.”

Initially upset at Cao Shujie’s lack of notice, the conversation shifted to Cao Zhen after his comment.

“Wait, you’re really leaving today?” They hadn’t expected Cao Zhen’s words from yesterday to be true.

Cao Zhen sent a laughing-crying emoji: “What else? I told you yesterday, but you didn’t believe me!”

The chat fell silent.

When Cao Shujie saw the messages, he realized Cao Zhen was leaving that day. He hadn’t expected him to leave so soon.

“Forget next year. Wait up,” Cao Shujie checked the time, saw his wife and daughter still asleep, and gently tapped his wife. Seeing Cheng Xiaolin groggily turn over, he said, “You two keep sleeping. I’m going home to pick some apples for Cao Zhen. I’ll be back in two hours.”

“Okay, drive safely,” Cheng Xiaolin reminded him.

She didn’t quite understand what was happening but knew her husband wouldn’t leave them without reason.

At that hour, the roads weren’t too busy. Cao Shujie drove back to Cao Family Village, found a sturdy canvas bag, briefly explained to his mother, and went to the orchard to pick a bag full of the best-looking apples. It was heavy even for him to carry, but how Cao Zhen would manage on his journey wasn’t his concern.

Driving back to Pingyuan County Town, it wasn’t yet nine. Cao Shujie called Cao Zhen to ask where he was.

“I’m at the factory, getting ready to head to Yiling City to catch the train. Shujie, do you need something?” Cao Zhen was in the Mingbo Textile Co., Ltd. office, organizing the materials he needed to take to Xinjiang.

He had only packed a few clothes for the trip, leaving the rest in his office to be shipped once he settled in Xinjiang.

After hanging up, Cao Zhen wondered what favor Cao Shujie might need.

“I really can’t help you this time,” Cao Zhen said, glancing at the two suitcases beside him. One was full, and the other was half-packed.

“Supervisor Cao, it’s getting late. Shall we get going?” asked Wei Gang, the company driver.

It was almost nine o’clock, and they needed to budget an hour for the drive to Yiling City Railway Station. Plus, there was the hassle of exchanging and checking tickets in advance.

“Alright, Old Wei, bring the car around and help me load the luggage,” Cao Zhen instructed.

While Wei Gang went to get the car, Cao Zhen thought about his childhood friend, Cao Shujie, who had just called asking him to wait a few minutes. What could be so urgent?

As he waited, five minutes passed… then ten…

There was no sign from Cao Shujie, and Wei Gang asked again if they should leave. Cao Zhen considered calling Cao Shujie to check.

Just as he was about to make the call, he heard a car horn at the entrance. Turning his head, he saw Cao Shujie’s Beijing-plated Buick parked at the factory gate, negotiating with the security personnel.

“Master Wei, drive over there,” Cao Zhen said, heading toward the gate.

He called out loudly, “Shujie, what’s up?”

The security guard understood immediately and opened the gate.

Wei Gang, though puzzled, followed instructions and drove the car to the gate.

At the entrance of Mingbo Textile Co., Ltd., Cao Shujie parked his car to the side and waited.

Seeing Cao Zhen approach, he opened the trunk and said, “Cao Zhen, do you have room for more stuff?”

“What did you bring me?” Cao Zhen asked, puzzled.

Cao Shujie pulled out a canvas bag, from which the fresh scent of apples wafted.

“You rascal, leaving today without a proper heads-up,” Cao Shujie scolded.

“I only saw the message this morning and rushed back to Cao Family Village to pick a bag of apples for you. Don’t complain it’s too little; take them for the road,” he grumbled.

Looking at his friend’s chattering mouth, Cao Zhen felt an inexplicable urge to cry.

Heading to Xinjiang alone, he would be without familiar faces for a long time. Whatever success he achieved would depend solely on his efforts. His heart was filled with anxiety and a hint of anticipation.

A grown man wanting to cry, how ridiculous!

Cao Shujie didn’t look at Cao Zhen, his eyes on the old Jetta coming out of the factory.

“You’re taking this car?” Cao Shujie pointed at the vehicle.

Cao Zhen nodded. “It’s the company’s shared car. I’d like something better, but there isn’t one.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do, I’ll give you a ride,” Cao Shujie offered.

He put the canvas bag back in his trunk, opened the Jetta’s door, and seeing it was empty, he moved the two suitcases into his car.

“Is this everything, Cao Zhen?” Cao Shujie asked.

Watching his friend’s bandit-like actions, Cao Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. “Anyone watching might think we have some kind of relationship.”

“What’s the big deal? Get in the car, or you’ll miss your train,” Cao Shujie said, settling into the driver’s seat.

Wei Gang, observing the scene, was unsure what to do but could see that Supervisor Cao and the young man had a close relationship.

Cao Zhen told Wei Gang, “Old Wei, you can go back to your work.”

“Alright, Supervisor Cao, take care on the road,” Wei Gang said, driving the old Jetta back to the factory.

Watching Supervisor Cao get into the Beijing-plated Buick, which soon disappeared from view, Wei Gang thought, “When did Supervisor Cao make such a well-connected friend?”

On the road from Pingyuan County to Yiling City, Cao Shujie and Cao Zhen chatted in the car, which didn’t slow down Cao Shujie’s driving.

Cao Zhen remembered something and asked, “Shujie, where are your wife and daughter?”

“They were still asleep at the hotel when I left. I called them to go shopping at the mall. I’ll pick them up on the way back.”

Hearing this, Cao Zhen felt genuinely touched. “You really didn’t have to see me off.”

After a moment of silence, Cao Shujie said, “Brother Zhen, to be honest, you’ve helped me a lot since I returned from Beijing.”

“You introduced me to Boss Chen for leasing the mountain land, and to Boss Xia, and took me to the Forestry Bureau for subsidies…”

“Even though I might have managed these on my own, coming back from Beijing, I was unfamiliar with our hometown and had no connections. I would have taken a long detour and probably suffered losses.”

“Besides, we’ve grown up together, catching fish and shrimp in the Yellow River. I can’t do much to help you with your move to Xinjiang, but I can at least see you off.”

Hearing this, Cao Zhen rubbed his face nonchalantly and chuckled. “Shujie, I wasn’t planning on going to Xinjiang. I was just hanging around with some friends in our hometown. I wasn’t aiming for anything great, just making a living.”

“But then you came back from Beijing and started doing so well here. It put a lot of pressure on me. I couldn’t just hang around anymore.”

“While I’m young, I might as well strive for something. Going to Xinjiang is beneficial for me personally. Whether it’s for promotion and a raise or for starting my own business later, at least I’ll gain experience,” Cao Zhen explained.

Cao Shujie was deeply moved, never expecting his friend’s decision to leave was influenced by his own success.

But what could he say about it?

For a moment, Cao Shujie remained silent.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Cao Zhen added, “Shujie, don’t overthink it. My decision to leave isn’t entirely because of you…”

“You know my family’s situation. My second uncle and my uncle are doing well, but my parents are just ordinary. I can’t rely on my uncles forever. It’s not right, and without something tangible, what would that make me?”

“So, I realized I was too naive before, thinking I could avoid doing what I didn’t want to do. But if I don’t do it, who will?”

The car arrived at Yiling City Railway Station. Cao Shujie found a parking spot, stopped the car, and opened the trunk to take out two suitcases and a bag of apples.

Cao Zhen complained, “Why did you bring so many apples? Aren’t you just making things difficult for me?”

“Hey, you’re going to be on the train for two days and two nights, right? You can eat these apples as your meals,” Cao Shujie replied with a laugh.

Cao Zhen opened the half-full suitcase and stuffed most of the apples inside, leaving seven or eight in a plastic bag tied to the suitcase handle. “Alright, you can stop here. Hurry back to pick up your wife and kids, don’t keep them waiting too long.”

After saying this, Cao Zhen turned and pulled the two suitcases toward the train station.

Who knows how long it will be before he can return.

Cao Shujie shouted from behind, “Brother Zhen, don’t go finding a wife over there, or I’m afraid you might never come back!”

“Get lost!” Cao Zhen roared.

That bastard, he did it on purpose!

(End of Chapter)