sbdcsierra Chapter 1795 Overwhelming Combat Power
Chapter 1795 Overwhelming Combat Power
Chapter 1795 Overwhelming Combat Power
It was the first time Ye's mother had traveled so far, and to Guangzhou no less. She was excited for days, and she couldn't calm down until she saw the long train.
"Wow, the train is really that long! I've ridden a train before, so hurry up and grab a good seat before someone else takes it. I heard that people with no seats lie down under the seats..."
"Don't panic, we're in sleeper berths, and each berth has a corresponding number, so we won't be robbed."
"Hehe, really? That's great, no need to fight for seats, that's high-class. I'll have to tell them about it when I get back."
Ye's mother was curious about everything and looked around when she got on the train, but she pretended to be reserved, afraid that others would realize that she had never ridden a train before.
Once inside the sleeper car, he was all smiles, looking around and touching everything. "This is so high-class! There's even a bed to lie on and sleep in? That's so comfortable. I thought my butt would have to sink in."
Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "This is considered good, at least there are seats. Those who can't buy tickets have to stand all the way."
"You don't have to stand. Just find a spot, sit down, and you're good to go."
"It's not that simple. There are plenty of people with standing tickets. As soon as you get up, someone will immediately take your spot."
"I'll go take a look later." Mother Ye said with great interest. If the car hadn't been parked, she would have gone to see it right now.
"At the starting station, it's not crowded yet. But if you go halfway there, it will be packed with people, so crowded you can't even squeeze through, and it's noisy and smelly."
"Then I really need to go and take a good look, so I can tell my old friends about it when I get back."
Ye Yaodong didn't care about her. Anyway, his mother was already old. He had only heard of people trafficking women and children, but never of people trafficking old women.
Over the next two days, Ye's mother was not bored on the train. She wandered around the carriages and even made friends with a woman in the next carriage. When she heard that the woman was also going to the Canton Fair, she became even more excited.
Moreover, he was there to make purchases, even though the products he was buying were unrelated to him. However, he knew people in other organizations who needed fishmeal, and they said they would introduce him to them. They even exchanged business cards.
Ye Yaodong was truly impressed by his mother; he finally understood who Ye Xiaoxi took after for her outgoing and friendly manner.
It's such a waste that his mother doesn't work in sales. If she were 20 or 30 years younger, he probably wouldn't have had a chance.
He was born in the wrong era, spending so many years toiling for a living in the countryside; his talents were wasted.
If you put your skills into practice decades from now, you'd definitely be a top insurance salesperson.
But it's alright. Judging from Ye Xiaoxi's clever appearance, she should be able to do it in the future.
"Dongzi, aren't you amazing, your mom? I can even get you jobs!"
"Impressive, impressive! You can still get me jobs with your broken Mandarin. Imagine how good you would be if you spoke standard Mandarin!"
"That's right. If you're too busy at your stall, I'll help you out."
"Then you'd become the top salesperson, wouldn't you?"
Ye's mother was so amused by his coaxing that she couldn't stop smiling. "Are we almost there? I think I heard Guangzhou on the radio?"
"Yes, it's playing the next stop. Let's pack up and get ready to get off the train."
"Really here? Then hurry up! Ugh, I've been so bored these past two days. I've been stuck in this tiny place, either lying down or sitting, and I can't do anything. My bones are going to rust."
"I see you visiting everyone and having a good time."
"I'm just killing time anyway, so I might as well go around chatting with people to pass the time."
Ye's mother pressed her face against the train window, looking out. "It doesn't seem that different from Shanghai, does it?"
"The houses are all the same. If you want to see what the difference is, you'll have to go down and wander around."
"Okay, anyway, we have about four or five days, so you have to take me around properly."
"understood."
Mother Ye happily followed them downstairs, and then walked to the exhibition hall, looking around.
"There are quite a lot of people, and quite a few foreigners here?"
"Because of the Canton Fair."
"It's quite close, just a few steps from the train station, very convenient."
Speaking of this, Lin Xiuqing couldn't help but laugh, "In the first half of the year, we didn't know the way, so we thought we'd just take a taxi. And guess what? It was only 300 meters, but it took us half an hour to get there by taxi!"
Ye's mother looked at them incredulously, "How could you be so stupid? There are a dozen or twenty of you, and not one of you even thought to ask for directions?"
"I didn't think much about it at the time. I figured Guangzhou is a big city, so it must be a large place. It would be easier to take a taxi directly to the place and save myself the trouble of searching."
"The people here are quite cunning; they'll deliberately try to trick you. All you need to do is ask a simple question or give directions."
"They're not necessarily locals; a lot of people come here to work."
They went to the exhibition hall to report as they talked, following a similar process to that in the first half of the year; they were all quite familiar with it.
After the report, he told everyone to arrange their own activities, and also asked the deputy factory director who had come with him to keep an eye on things and report back when they went out, so that no one would be left out.
The couple and his mother formed a small group of three. After putting down their luggage, they took his mother to wander around first, and then went to pick up the goods and set up the exhibition the next day.
His mother was so eager to get the goods from the Thirteen Factories that she couldn't wait even a couple of days later.
She said that if things were too rushed, she would be too tired and lack energy, and things would fall through. She had to get what she wanted to do done as soon as possible so that she could feel at ease. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night and would be thinking about it all the time.
Seeing that it was only noon, Ye Yaodong decided to take her there first. She, an old woman, didn't feel tired at all, so what could the young people say?
When Ye's mother arrived at the entrance of Lane 13, she looked at the piles of packed goods under the arcades on both sides and the vendors hurriedly pulling their handcarts, her face full of surprise.
Along the narrow streets, the ground floors of almost every old arcade building have been converted into stalls, with densely packed signs layered upon each other. Huge woven bags and black plastic bags wrapped around clothes, like a torrent of goods, surge and pile up on the sidewalks, almost blocking traffic.
"That's it? There are so many people. Is all of this merchandise?"
"Yes, that's right. Every package here is still piled up on the ground, and it will probably arrive in Beijing in a couple of days."
Ye Yaodong carefully pushed his cart, avoiding the flow of people, while loudly explaining.
The air was filled with the smell of new fabric with a slight chemical scent, the smell of sweat, and the aroma of beef offal and the bitterness of herbal tea wafting from roadside stalls.
Mother Ye excitedly pulled them along into the alley, saying, "Let's hurry up and walk faster."
The couple couldn't even squeeze in as well as Ye's mother. Ye's mother would shove and push here and there, and they would squeeze into a stall.
In a space of less than ten square meters, clothes were hanging on the walls and in the air. The owner was shouting loudly at the crowd in Cantonese with a Chaoshan accent, "Wholesale starting from 100! No loose stock!"
"Dongzi, what is this guy talking about?"
He listened to the people around him and discerned the situation. "There are no loose goods. Let's go to another store and head to the very back."
As Ye's mother walked in, she watched as the various stalls nearly came to blows over the goods, pushing and shoving, squeezing, picking at fingers, and elbowing each other.
Some women squeezed into the battlefield in neat rows. After grabbing the goods, they were disheveled, their clothes were in disarray, and their hands were bleeding from scratching. Only then did they leave the battleground with a pile of goods, looking as smug as victorious roosters.
She stared, completely mesmerized.
Looking at Ye's mother's expression, Lin Xiuqing also found it amusing. "When we came here in the first half of the year, it was the same. It must be like this every day. It's terrifying. People fight tooth and nail for a few packages of goods."
"My goodness, these goods must be worth a fortune, otherwise they wouldn't have fought like this! I must have sold them cheaply in the first half of the year!"
After saying that, Ye's mother grabbed Ye Yaodong's arm again, "Dongzi, hurry up and take a picture, the one that was hit the hardest, take a picture of it for me."
"No, take more pictures. I'll develop them and show them to them later. Getting these goods is so difficult; you have to fight tooth and nail to get them. It's only fair that they're a bit more expensive."
Ye Yaodong, with the camera hanging around his neck, had no choice but to comply.
"Fine, I'll do whatever you say, since you're my mother."
"I won't let you down. I'll give you half of what I make when I earn money," Ye's mother said with a grin.
"Come on, I don't need your money. You should keep it for your retirement."
Although it's already October, Guangzhou is still very hot, with short sleeves and shorts everywhere, mixed with the smell of sweat.
At midday, the place was packed with people, and they could only squeeze into some stalls by going to the middle or back of the area.
Following the principle of "practice makes perfect," Ye Yaodong led his mother to the stalls they had visited in the first half of the year, and then let her choose.
Ye's mother muttered under her breath, "There are far fewer people at these stalls. Could the food be of lower quality?"
"There are so many people at other stalls, are you going to compete with them? We got our goods from here in the first half of the year too."
"It's not impossible. Let's check this side first. I'll go to a crowded place and grab a couple of bags later. You just need to watch my wallet."
Lin Xiuqing chuckled and teased, "Mother, are you planning to dominate the battlefield?"
Standing at the door, Ye's mother kept looking back, reluctant to leave the stalls where the fighting was taking place, and somewhat eager to try it out.
"Watching them snatch and scramble for it, I felt like the stuff was better, and I felt like I'd be missing out if I didn't grab a couple of packs."
Ye Yaodong: "..."
It seems there's nothing wrong with it...
"Why don't you just look around here first? Once you've bought enough, you don't need to rush to buy more. That's enough. Do you think you're running a shop?"
"Ok."
Ye's mother glanced back before walking back into the shop.
"What? Summer clothes are five yuan a pound? A pound? Or just one piece?"
"This sack is worth 100 yuan? My goodness..."
"Mom... they're selling autumn and winter clothes now. The summer clothes are being sold off cheaply, and the autumn clothes are probably all out of season and on sale."
Ye's mother glanced at the short-sleeved shirt she was wearing. "Isn't it still very hot?"
“Winter has already arrived in the north, so they must be selling in advance. The goods here are sold all over the country, not just in the south.”
"My goodness, buy, buy, buy more! We can wear them next year and the year after..." Mother Ye's eyes lit up as she looked at the cheap clearance items.
Ye Yaodong stood outside and let the two women choose.
The two of them were grinning from ear to ear, sweating profusely but still beaming with joy.
Shopping is truly a woman's nature.
After they finished buying their items and came out, he thought he could leave, but his mother was still thinking about those "hot items."
"Dongzi, you stay here and watch over these things. Aqing, come with me over there."
Lin Xiuqing looked at the battlegrounds all around and felt a little scared.
"Is that enough? Two bags for summer, one bag for autumn, and one bag for winter. That should be enough. What if you can't sell them? Didn't you just sell a batch in the first half of the year? Villagers don't buy a whole bunch of clothes."
“I can take it to nearby villages to sell, and after ten days or half a month, I’ll have nothing left. Or I can take it to the market during market days, and I won’t have to worry about selling it.”
"How about we wait until next year?"
"Oh, you don't need to do anything. Just stand there and watch my wallet. Once I've grabbed the goods, you can help me take them to the checkout."
Seeing her high spirits, Lin Xiuqing had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow her.
She glanced back at Ye Yaodong, wondering if he could stop it.
"Ah Dong... I'm going with Mom, you wait here..."
"Alright, you guys go ahead, I'll go find a truck to haul the goods."
These are several packages of goods, and it would be difficult for him to carry them by hand. So he left the goods at the stall and went to find a vehicle himself.
After he found a car, he saw his mother and Aqing carrying two large bags of goods out of the alley.
Lin Xiuqing appeared to be completely unharmed.
His mother was in a sorry state. After boarding the train from Shanghai, she maintained her appearance at all times, applying makeup every day on the train.
Now, her fiery red lips had turned into a gaping maw, smeared all over her face, making her look like a monster that was eating babies. The powder that had been applied to her face was now patchy, black and white.
Her once perfectly curled hair was now a mess, her short-sleeved shirt was stretched out of shape, the left hem was pulled too long, the collar was loose, and her clothes looked like she had crawled on the ground.
Ye Yaodong was speechless as he looked at his mother's appearance, which had changed from a stylish Shanghai old lady to a crazy woman after a fight.
Like a victorious rooster, Ye's mother waved to him happily, "Come and help Aqing carry it. Aren't I amazing? I snatched it all by myself."
Ye Yaodong forced a smile, "Impressive..."
"Let's go, let's go back, we've bought everything."
Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?
"It's so cheap, if I don't buy more, I'll regret it."
As she spoke, Ye's mother started cursing again, "Those old women are really awful. They're so good at robbing people. They tore my clothes, and they almost broke my fingers. They're so vicious."
"Luckily, I deliberately pulled down their pants to snatch them back. They shamelessly complained of chest pain and heart attacks."
"If anyone had a heart attack and was as fierce as them, even if the Black and White Impermanence came, they could probably tear their tongues off."
Ye Yaodong felt a chill run down his spine just listening to it; he could imagine how intense the battle must have been.
"Alright, I've already found a car. Hurry up and carry the goods out and put them in the car. Leave the rest of the goods at the store. I'll take you there first. You wait in the car while I carry them over."
"Okay, I'm exhausted. It feels like I've been in several fights. I need to go to the car and rest for a while."
Lin Xiuqing: Haven't you been in several fights?
Ye Yaodong thought to himself that he finally realized he was tired and he couldn't bring his mother over next year. She was already 60 years old and still so brave. What if something went wrong?
I've been on the train for almost two days and two nights, and I haven't even had a chance to rest since I arrived at my destination, yet I'm still so energetic.
Even after menopause, she still has so much blood and energy.
After returning to the guesthouse, Ye's mother lay down on the bed, groaning and complaining of back pain.
"Weren't you quite capable back in the Thirteen Factories?"
"Weren't you excited at the time? You held on all night, but now that you're back, you feel pain all over your body. Those old women must have hit you hard. Ah Qing, come and check me, see if there are any bruises on my body."
Ye Yaodong irritably avoided the situation and went back to his room.
He was so exhausted that he collapsed onto the bed. Only after he had rested enough did he get up to check the things in the room.
With all his luggage intact, he finally pulled out his hidden cell phone to call his father, let him know he was safe, and also to casually mention his mother's misbehavior.
After cursing and swearing on the phone for a while, Ye's father told Ye Yaodong to hurry up and buy a plaster for his mother.
“Your mother has been complaining of back pain all year, but she was afraid you would tell her to go to the hospital, so she didn’t dare to say anything. Now the pain has returned. Go and buy her two plasters to apply.”
"That's just how you guys are. You never say anything when you're not feeling well, and then you regret it when a minor illness turns into a major one. When we go back to Shanghai in a few days, I'll have her go to a Shanghai hospital for a check-up. You should come to Shanghai too, and we'll go for a check-up together."
"Why would I need a checkup? I'm perfectly healthy. Just give your mother a checkup."
"As people get older, they all have some health problems. It's important to get them checked and treated early. Many diseases don't cause any symptoms in their early stages, and by the time you start to feel them, they've often become serious illnesses."
Ye's father was about to retort when Ye Yaodong interrupted him.
“You two need to go for a check-up together. If you don’t get checked, my mother will definitely say that there’s nothing wrong with her. You can go with her so that you can keep each other company.”
"Alright then, it's too much trouble, I'll have to go too. Don't take her to Guangzhou next year."
“I wouldn’t have brought her even if you begged me; one trip is enough.”
"Just going to Guangzhou, and she's dressed up all fancy. Who's she trying to impress? She seems clueless. At her age, she's still running around like this..."
Ye's father rambled on for a few minutes, and Ye Yaodong mentioned the high cost of roaming before hanging up.
Lin Xiuqing also came back saying he was going to buy some plasters for his mother to try.
"I'll go. You stay here and watch over things. While you're at it, go buy two bottles of hot water for my mom and for yourself to wash up first."
"That's fine too. I haven't showered for two days on the train, and it feels even hotter now that I'm in Guangzhou."
"Ah."
When Ye Yaodong returned, he also asked the deputy factory director about the whereabouts of the others, asking him to keep a close eye on them and reminding him to be careful.
Ye's mother lay on the bed groaning, but as soon as Ye Yaodong arrived, she quickly shut her mouth.
"Let's see if you're still so brave. You're 60 years old, you know? Do you think you're 16?"
"Hehe, how could that be? Stop nagging. A grown man shouldn't talk so much. Don't be like your father. I'll take a nap and I'll be fine tomorrow. You guys go back to your own rooms. Don't stay here with that long face."
He was truly impressed by the way the accusation was turned against him.
"I don't care."
He tossed the medicated plaster to Lin Xiuqing, then went to wash up, planning to take a nap before eating. He had to pick up goods and set up the exhibition hall tomorrow; he was busy all day.
Lin Xiuqing returned shortly afterward.
He told her that after returning to Shanghai, he would take his parents to the hospital for a preliminary check-up.
"That's what I was thinking too. It's a rare opportunity for Mom to come all the way to Shanghai, so why not have her get a medical check-up here? The medical standards in Shanghai are quite high, much better than back home."
"Yeah, let's get checked together while we're at it."
"Are we going to investigate again? Didn't we just investigate a few years ago? Why do we need to investigate again?"
"I'm afraid of dying. I've earned so much money and haven't even spent it all. What if I get something bad? We have to cherish our lives."
Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "No wonder people say that the richer a person is, the more afraid they are of dying."
"Definitely. With so much money earned and not yet spent or enjoyed enough, how could I bear to die?"
"Alright, it's just a side trip anyway. We're taking our parents for a checkup, so why don't I ask my second brother and sister-in-law to come along too? We're already here."
"They might not listen to you."
"Anyway, I'll mention it. I can't force them to go if they don't want to. By the way, do you all want to have dinner together tonight?"
"No need. I've already told the deputy factory manager to tell the others to take care of their own dinner. Anyway, there's a daily allowance for business trips. I see none of them have come back yet, so they're probably all eating out."
"Then I'm going to just take a nap and skip dinner. I'm exhausted. I'll eat whenever I wake up."
Without even needing to go out, she quickly climbed into bed and lay down; she was truly exhausted today.
"Together."
"You're exhausted and you still reach out for help..."
"I just touch it to sleep, nothing else. I'm tired too. It's soft, and touching it helps me fall asleep."
"How am I supposed to sleep if you keep kneading and rubbing like that?"
"You go to sleep, don't worry about me. If you can't sleep, it's definitely not my fault, it's just that you're not tired enough!"
Lin Xiuqing believed his nonsense, and as a result, she felt weak all over and fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
Ye Yaodong also falls asleep as soon as he closes his eyes.
The couple slept very well and slept soundly until dawn.
I hadn't slept well on the train for two days, and after arriving, I was exhausted for half a day. After exercising to help me sleep, I slept so well.
After resting, everyone was full of energy. They chose to take a group photo at the gate before picking up their goods.
The group photos from the first half of the year have already been developed and posted on the factory's indoor bulletin board, separated by glass.
He plans to have them take a group photo every year when they come to the exhibition, as it will be a testament to the factory's growth.
Mother Ye smiled and said, "Dongzi, when you get it developed, give me a copy to take back and show everyone."
"Then I'll take a picture of you alone, and you can stay in the same spot."
"That's even better." Mother Ye happily touched her hair a couple of times and struck a pose.
Ye Yaodong also told everyone who wanted to take individual photos to let him know, so they could all take them together.
Once he said that, no one was going to be polite; everyone said they wanted to take pictures, so he had no choice but to take pictures of them one by one.
Fortunately, this is the second time we've come, so we have experience. Setting up the exhibition won't take as much effort as it did in the first half of the year, and we'll have plenty of time.
Lin Xiuqing said, "Adong, let the others who have already taken pictures come with me to the train station to queue up. We still need to queue to pick up the goods."
"Okay, then you take the people who have taken the photos to the train station first, and I'll bring the rest of the people to find you later."
"Ah."