The tricycle stopped at the outer ring road, and the driver said the traffic police were strict, his vehicle had no documentation, so he dared not go further and could only drop us off here.
The driver went above and beyond, and we couldn't let his kindness go unnoticed.
I handed him 50 yuan, which he refused, saying it was just a small favor and he didn't expect anything in return, his genuine smile left a lasting impression on me.
While he wasn't looking, I slipped the money into the worn-out woven bag under his buttocks, leaving half of it visible.
After entering Baishui County, it was already evening.
Thinking we were beggars, the specialty shops wouldn't let us in, so we bought clothes from a roadside stall, rented a budget hotel, took a hot bath in the public bathhouse, and changed into clean clothes.
Finally, our phones were fully charged, and we were back to living like normal people.
During that time, phone batteries were replaceable, and since then, I've made it a habit to always carry a spare battery.
I called Duan Huairan, asking him to come to Yanmen Mountain and take back all the unregistered products, which would fetch us a considerable income.
Walking on the wide streets, amidst the hustle and bustle of traffic, a fragrant breeze swept over us, and my stomach couldn't help but growl.
I asked, "What do you want to eat? It's my treat."
Shi Jingxia said, "I want noodles."
Nose Cannon shook his head, "No way, sis, didn't you used to go to noodle shops before? How come you're not tired of them yet? Listen to me, let's not have noodles; they can't recreate mom's taste anyway."
Hearing this, Shi Jingxia gave a perfunctory smile and remained silent.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Nose Cannon realized his mistake and quickly apologized, patting his mouth a few times.
Shi Jingxia was not one to hold grudges, waving her hand to indicate she didn't mind.
"You've also worked hard all the way, without you, we might have... What do you want to eat?"
I patted Nose Cannon's shoulder and made a gun gesture with my fingers.
"Of course." Nose Cannon became spirited. "I want to eat Hu Lu Tou."
He almost blurted it out without thinking, saying he used to pick up scraps and sell them for money, or sometimes when someone gave him charity, he would have a bowl of Hu Lu Tou, economical and large in quantity.
Hu Lu Tou is actually pig intestines. Due to its appearance resembling a gourd after being sliced and cooked, it's named as such. It is said to have originated during the Northern Song Dynasty and is considered a famous dish.
Each of us ordered a bowl of Hu Lu Tou. Despite its faint smell of pig excrement, it was disgustingly delicious, perhaps because we were genuinely hungry. Nose Cannon and I drank up all the soup, almost licking the bowl with our tongues.
Shi Jingxia ate a little, poked around a few times, then put down her chopsticks and stopped eating, which resulted in Nose Cannon benefiting. After the feast, he belched contentedly.
"That was amazing, but oh, I'm a bit full now."
"These past few days have been tiring for everyone. Let's go back and rest. Tomorrow, we'll go find that bastard Sun Tiedan."
Nose Cannon said sarcastically, "These days, it's dry as a bone or flooding like crazy."
Shi Jingxia tapped Nose Cannon's head with her chopsticks. "Stop talking nonsense, or I'll tear your mouth apart."
That night, Shi Jingxia and I had an intense battle three times, thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
The next morning, as I was preparing to leave, I heard a commotion from Nose Cannon's room, including a woman's voice.
My intuition told me something was wrong; this guy must have done something inappropriate last night.
I knocked on the door, and Nose Cannon, wearing only boxers and a guilty expression, opened it, the first thing he said was asking me to lend him 200 yuan.
"Bro, lend me 200 yuan."
There was a woman in the room, also only in her underwear, and she said sharply, "200 won't do, at least 500."
Nose Cannon cursed, "Damn it, why did it go from 200 to 500?"
The woman immediately retorted, "50 each time. Did you think I'd ask you for over 500?"
Hearing this, I almost fainted and quickly pulled Nose Cannon out, closing the door behind us.
"What's going on?"
"Bro, forget it. Last night, I went to the bathroom and saw this woman taking a shower. I couldn't resist joining her for a bath, and then..."
"How old are you? How could you do such a thing?"
"Bro, I'm also a man. How many men can control themselves in that situation?"
I shook my head, as if what he said made sense.
Standing on the side, Shi Jingxia looked at me with a full gaze and pulled my clothes.
"This is embarrassing. Quickly give them the money."
After inquiring, I learned that the local villages were distinguished by surnames, like Li Family Village, Zhang Family Village, Wang Family Village. Since we were looking for Sun Tiedan, naturally, we had to go to Sun Family Village.
Just as we arrived at the village outskirts, Shi Jingxia suddenly exclaimed, "Look, it's Bai Ruoxue's car."
Looking over, the green Bull Head vehicle was parked under the shade of a locust tree, very conspicuous.
Next to a watermelon stall, Bai Lao Tai, Bai Ruoxue, Huang Erhei, and Liu Yuanbao were sitting together, enjoying sweet and delicious watermelons.
We sat down at another watermelon stall. Shi Jingxia and Nose Cannon had their backs to them, while I faced them sideways.
Baishui watermelons were famous nationwide. When we asked about the price, it startled us. Three yuan per pound, about fifty yuan for one watermelon. At that time, a bag of premium flour was only about twenty-five yuan, which was quite expensive.
The boss said it wasn't yet the season for market release, and these were melons grown in greenhouses with four-layer coverings, so the price was justified.
Upon cutting one open, it didn't disappoint, and with each bite, it was incredibly refreshing.
"Guangting, they're here too."
"Yeah, it seems we're all here for nothing."
"Not necessarily. Whoever finds Sun Tiedan first will be the ultimate winner."
"Xiao Jing, you're oversimplifying it. What does it mean if they can leisurely enjoy watermelons here?"
Shi Jingxia's eyes brightened, and she lowered her voice. "Sun Tiedan isn't here."
I nodded.
Nose Cannon ate watermelon without spitting out the seeds or chewing them, swallowing them all.
"Why aren't you spitting out the seeds?" I asked.
Nose Cannon swallowed hard and said, "In the past, I used this method to fertilize the soil, and the next year, we could still eat watermelons."
Hearing this, I almost vomited.
"Both of you, eat quickly. Money doesn't grow on trees these days. These are really sweet."
I looked over, and my goodness, Nose Cannon had almost finished off a dozen or so catties of watermelon by himself.
Nose Cannon turned to the boss and said, "One more, with sandy flesh this time. This one's a bit too crunchy."
Shi Jingxia hurriedly said, "Can you finish all of them? You want another one."
"Sis, you're being ungrateful. I'm getting these for you two."
Shi Jingxia gave him a glare. "Why don't you burst from being too full."
Nose Cannon burped contentedly. "A few times, I almost starved to death. It wouldn't be too bad to die from being too full."
Back to business, I underestimated Sun Tiedan. He had already anticipated that we would come looking for him, so he simply disappeared.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Lin Canghai calling.
Under the quiet shade of the trees, there was no other sound, and everything seemed to induce drowsiness.
In those days, mobile phones were not yet widely popular, especially in rural areas. My twelve-tone ringtone was particularly jarring.
I looked up, and Bai Ruoxue looked over.
At the same time, Shi Jingxia had a clever idea. She grabbed a piece of watermelon and wiped it on my face directly. Combined with our change of clothes, it didn't arouse Bai Ruoxue's suspicion.
They stuffed more than a dozen watermelons into the trunk, paid, and drove away.
It was a narrow escape.
I answered the phone.