Substitute Driver's Notes

Chapter 58 Casual Chatting and Strolling

The seasoned veteran wouldn't let Jin Ping off the hook: "Oh my! We can't even get food at home? Every day it's pickled vegetable pancakes with scallions? Even beggars don't eat like that every day!"

"They don't even share the living expenses. If they're so capable, they should let the driver do the work himself. Why bother hiring a substitute?"

"Jin Ping, you're being unfair. Bullying honest people is a crime, and you'll be struck by lightning."

Jin Ping snapped, "Bullshit! How have I bullied an honest man? How can I assign him other tasks if I don't let Master Li practice and familiarize himself with the routes?"

The seasoned veteran immediately changed his tune: "Oh! New here? No wonder. Alright, young man, keep up the good work, quickly familiarize yourself with the route, there's plenty of good work to be had."

Li Wei nodded in goodwill to the few seasoned veterans who dared to speak the truth: "Thank you!"

Seeing that Li Wei had agreed, Jin Ping wrote a card and handed it over: "Find a place to rest! After loading the goods, get on the truck at eight o'clock tonight. Remember to eat before you go. This driver is willing to load and seal the truck himself just to earn a little extra money for food, and he's not afraid of working himself to death."

Li Wei agreed, took the card, paid the money, and sat down to listen to the old hand boast for a while.

Jin Ping urged, "Master Li, we'll be working late tonight, you'd better find a place to sleep. Those sly foxes have all worked hard, they can go three days without sleep."

The seasoned veterans immediately objected: "Who are you calling slippery?"

"You just don't want to be provided with meals, don't you?"

"Still not sleeping for three days? You're working yourself to the bone!"

"Brother Li, right? We're not leaving. We're going to insist that she treat us to lunch. If she dares not to, I'll introduce you to a company that I guarantee will be better than the one she recommends."

"You've got to stay up late all the time. Make sure you don't sleep tonight. Make yourself a strong cup of tea and add some coffee. It won't taste good, but it'll really keep you awake."

"Don't listen to this old guy. If he really can't take it anymore, we'll switch people. Tell the driver that if he doesn't switch shifts soon, he'll drive into a ditch. Let's see if he's scared."

Those are all good ideas! Why don't we listen to them more and gain some experience?

Jin Ping angrily retorted, "You bunch of scoundrels, don't you dare corrupt Master Li! Why are you always giving him such terrible ideas?"

"What's wrong? We're just teaching new friends how to make more money with less effort, what's it to you?"

"That's right, it's reasonable to earn your own salary, and you don't get extra pay for putting in extra effort."

"Telling new friends to be more shrewd is a bad idea, but keeping your head down and working hard makes you a good person? You're just like that car dealer. You haven't even made a fortune yet and you already have the face of a heartless capitalist. What kind of person are you?!"

It seems Jin Ping has no way to deal with these old foxes. She got so angry that she banged her head on the table, making a loud thud.

Seeing that Jin Ping's forehead was red, Li Wei glanced at her weakly and then lay down on the table without moving.

Li Wei asked softly, "Aren't you afraid that if you say that, Boss Jin won't assign you any work?"

The seasoned veterans laughed: "That's why you still need to hone your skills. There are more and more semi-trailer trucks now, and skilled drivers can't keep up. Good drivers are hard to find. Our skills will be accepted anywhere."

Jin Ping suddenly stuck out her neck: "What are you bragging about? The wages for truck drivers are getting higher and higher. When there are more people doing this job, I'll team up with my colleagues and not give you any work. You'll be starving."

"There are too many incompetent drivers. Ask the truck owners how many accidents they cause each year. Would they rather spend an extra ten dollars to hire an experienced driver or a complete novice?"

"There are huge promotions for large trucks right now, and there aren't enough drivers to go around. Plus, the government has made the A-level license exam more difficult. By the time that day comes, I'll be home taking care of my grandson. Do you think I'd still let my kids do this kind of work?"

"Oh my! Boss Jin, you've got quite the ambition, haven't you? You want to monopolize the market? Bah! I'll spit dog shit all over your face, Jin Ping."

Li Wei was stunned. As expected of an experienced driver, he could even spew dog poop from his mouth.

Let's just go home and sleep! Practicing staying up all night isn't something that happens overnight. Jin Ping is indeed shrewd, but her vision is a bit narrow. She's gone to great lengths to avoid feeding people.

Consider picking up the office phone to contact the driver. The driver, Mr. Chen, was very polite on the phone. He said that the loading location was a bit out of the way, so Li Wei didn't need to make the trip. He could just pick up the truck at the highway entrance at 9 p.m. He left Li Wei's phone number so that he could be contacted in case anything happened.

The seasoned veterans advised: "If your home isn't far, just go back to sleep. You can drive there at night and park at the gas station at the intersection."

"I don't have a car," Li Wei said, not wanting to say more, and went home with his bag.

After dropping off my things at home, I realized it was still early and I was getting bored staying home alone, so I decided to go to the used car market. Maybe I'd find a bargain and brag about owning a car.

Just hop on a motorcycle and go. If you don't consider anything else, riding a motorcycle in the city is much faster than driving a car.

The newly opened used car market was sparsely populated. At that time, people who wanted to buy or sell cars would usually do so through introductions from their relatives and friends, and very few people came here.

The spacious market was filled with used cars brought in from other places. A dozen or so car dealers sat listlessly in the shade, but when they saw Li Wei ride in on his motorcycle, they immediately perked up and quickly stood up to greet him.

As soon as Li Wei stopped his motorcycle, he was surrounded by more than a dozen people, all greeting him with smiles: "What kind of motorcycle are you looking at, brother?"

First, a large gold chain spoke up: "I have Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi cars here. Good quality and affordable prices. Come and take a look!"

Li Wei shook his head: "Just hearing the name makes it seem unaffordable."

Three or four people pursed their lips and left, lazily returning to their seats without even glancing at Li Wei.

"I have a few Santanas here. They're sturdy, durable, and cheap. Everyone on Earth knows that. The atmosphere can't be repaired, but the Santana can't be broken."

"Oh? How much?"

The car dealer was overjoyed and pulled Li Wei away, saying, "Brother, you've come to the right place! Look at this one. Don't let its 1998 age fool you; it's a one-owner car with no manual labor. I'll give you 58,000 yuan, and I'll even cover the transfer of ownership."

Li Wei shook him off, turned around, and left: "I can't afford it."

In a flash, only one honest-looking but haggard-looking man remained; the rest went back to their seats.

He forced a smile: "What price range are you looking for, brother? I'll keep an eye out for you."

Li Wei was very honest: "The cheaper the better."

The man thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there is. Look at that corner. Don't be fooled by how outdated the van looks. It wasn't registered for long. It was manufactured in 95 and registered in 97. The only problem is that the owner's certificate is lost, so it can't be transferred. But we can sign an agreement."

Li Wei lit a cigarette: "How much?"

He gritted his teeth and said, "Three thousand."

Li Wei walked over and circled the car. It was a white, flat-top Changhe, with some paint peeling off, revealing rusty metal underneath. He could easily repair it with some spray paint. He took the keys, got in, started the car, and drove around for a bit. The engine sounded great, and the price wasn't too expensive.

Li Wei remained noncommittal, parked the car back, took the vehicle registration certificate, looked at it, and shook his head: "Too expensive. Scrap metal costs five cents a pound. With over nine hundred kilograms and the paperwork, this thing is worth at most eighteen hundred yuan."

The guy got impatient: "How can you bargain like that? Go away! I'm not selling!"

Li Wei wouldn't leave: "I'll give you another twenty yuan."

Whoosh, that guy ran away too.

Li Wei looked at the deserted market, shook his head, got on his bike, and shouted, "I'll be back!"

I was just looking for a bargain; I still need to make money. Even if you agree today, I don't have the money to buy it.

Having gained a better understanding of the market, Li Wei went home and decided to save some money to buy a used car, with a price not exceeding three thousand.

After lunch, Li Wei slept until Lu Lili came home from get off work. Upon seeing Li Wei, she asked, "No work today?"

"I'll leave after I eat; it's a full day's pay again," Li Wei boasted about his new job.

Lu Lili nodded and got busy.

After the family finished dinner, Li Wei told them to eat well and then took the bus to the highway entrance to feed the mosquitoes there.