Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 14 A Lucky Encounter

Hu Shutong did not go home for the Spring Festival.

His six-month internship was quite bumpy, and reality taught him lesson after lesson. His state of mind was no longer as full of anticipation as when he left home. Hu Shutong was worried that going back would reinforce his father's idea of ​​driving a truck, so he stayed at the company to work shifts.

The factory gave out New Year's benefits: five jin of pastries, five jin of brown sugar, and ten jin of dried fruit of five or six different kinds. On New Year's Eve, the canteen made pork and scallion dumplings, along with freshly minced garlic and unopened bottles of aged vinegar. As Hu Shutong ate the dumplings, he blinked and felt a pang of homesickness, but it faded after a good night's sleep.

During the more than 20-day holiday, Hu Shutong made more detailed regulations for the replacement of old equipment. These pieces of equipment have been in use for more than 15 years, which means that maintenance needs to be more frequent and the operation of the equipment needs to be more careful.

After the New Year, Yu Dajun brought Hu Shutong a lot of local specialties from his hometown. Hu Shutong had been the one to treat him for half the year, and now it was his turn to "host".

The flour sack was almost full of glutinous rice strips, fried dough sticks, and broad beans, along with homemade fermented bean paste. With scallions and lettuce, he could easily eat two extra steamed buns in one meal. He also bought several secondhand novels, which he showed off to Hu Shutong.

What surprised Hu Shutong the most was that Yu Dajun brought him a new pair of shoes. These shoes, which were neither cloth shoes nor rubber shoes, were called "travel shoes." Hu Shutong was quite touched. This was the only new item he received this New Year. He didn't say much, just gave a simple thank you, and happily accepted them.

After the start of the year, Tianheng experienced an unprecedented surge in activity. With its large cold storage capacity, it handled virtually every order, while costs dropped by a full 30%, making it a highly sought-after supplier for frozen food companies. Consequently, Tianheng began hiring again. However, due to the long payback period and increased labor costs, Tianheng's financial situation became even more strained. Although immediate results were unlikely, the momentum was undeniably strong.

Hu Shutong has taken on an additional task: the second-hand container semi-trailers that Tianheng is currently using do not have automatic refrigeration capabilities and require independent refrigeration plates for cooling. This necessitates an external refrigeration unit to charge the refrigeration plates, a process that can take up to ten hours, and there are a large number of plates involved. Hu Shutong's workload has suddenly increased several times over.

As the warehouse manager, Yu Dajun was extremely busy every day. However, during this period, Yu Dajun was in a bad mood, not because of overwork, but because of a kind of inexplicable inner heaviness. His state was very similar to that of Hu Shutong when he first arrived at Tianheng.

Having spent so much time together, how could Hu Shutong not understand Yu Dajun's struggles? Imagination and reality are always full of gaps. Tianheng is improving, but it is no longer the Tianheng it used to be. Back then, when Yu Dajun talked about Tianheng's constant changes in personnel, when he talked about himself, he didn't say "how long will I stay," but rather "how long will I accompany them."

The word "accompany" carries a lot of emotional weight. If you stand firm, I will walk with you. Over the past five years, he has developed genuine feelings for Tianheng. But now, the "reformed" Tianheng has made him lose the motivation to walk with him. Looking around, he sees Tianheng everywhere.

Moreover, given the choice between romantic moments under the moon and wielding a sword against the wind, Yu Dajun would undoubtedly choose the latter. He's far from being a significant figure here, but he possesses an unusual sensitivity, or rather, a keen sense of humor.

Every now and then he would imitate short phrases from Gu Long: wind, gale, howling gale; rain, heavy rain, torrential rain. Although his skill level was far inferior, his enthusiasm was undeniable.

Now he has lost all hope. After all, he is just a wage earner. Without that spirit, all that's left is separation.

That time, Yu Dajun bought roast chicken and pig's head meat to comfort himself. This time, Hu Shutong bought mackerel, dried shrimp, and beef tendon, all good things to go with alcohol. He also bought Yu Dajun two packs of good cigarettes.

As soon as the small table was set up, Yu Dajun immediately laughed, "You know everything."

Hu Shutong deliberately shrugged, pretending to know nothing.

Grabbing a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), Yu Dajun poured some for Hu Shutong, glancing at the glass and then at Hu Shutong, without giving him any reaction even after the glass was full. Seeing this, Yu Dajun was immediately overjoyed.

They clinked glasses and drank together. As soon as the glass hit the ground, Yu Dajun exhaled heavily through his nose. "Shutong, to be honest, I want to leave. I originally thought I was waiting for Tianheng to flourish, but now I realize I'm waiting for something that I can't hold onto. Tianheng has always been like this, so there's no point in staying."

Where are you planning to go?

"If you go to a different place, you can do both jobs at the same time. You have to have either the ambition in your heart or the income in front of you."

Hu Shutong understood deeply, but couldn't help but sigh, "It's quite bizarre that in the end I was the one who saw you off."

"You wish!" Yu Dajun laughed. "No matter what, I'll stick with you to the end. You won't be staying for more than a few months anyway. Besides, with my connections, our farewell dinner will be a long and drawn-out affair, and it'll take who knows how long. We'll go together after your internship is over."

"What are you doing here with me? Hurry up and make money to get married."

"If anyone else talked to me like that, I would have lost my temper long ago!"

Hu Shutong laughed too, but as he laughed, his nose started to sting. He had known the person in front of him for a long time, and they were now very close. Hu Shutong felt extremely fortunate.

Without Yu Dajun, this journey would have been a nightmare, a daunting and gloomy one. With Yu Dajun, it was like having a roof over one's head; let the wind blow, the rain fall, the gossip spread, and no one could bully Hu Shutong.

Seeing Hu Shutong looking somewhat dejected, Yu Dajun raised an eyebrow. "Who were those hoarded for? I only ate a little more than I should be allowed to eat."

Hu Shutong rolled his eyes. "More? How thick-skinned can you be? I only let you eat a small jar left."

"The problem isn't how much I ate, but why can't I even touch this little bit?"

"Come on! Drink your wine!"

"I understand now." Yu Dajun chuckled, his face full of a forced smile. Seeing Hu Shutong looking like he wanted to explain but didn't know how to start, he couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and simply burst into a loud laugh.

"Alright! Don't worry about my affairs. Just think about where you're going to settle down now."

Yu Dajun stood up, suddenly stretched out his arms, and tilted his chin up in an arc like inviting the bright moon.

"Late autumn, leaves rustling, the setting sun filling the sky. Beneath the rustling leaves stands a figure, seemingly one with the autumn scenery. Because he is so quiet, because he is so cold. Though his eyes are full of indifference and weariness, his piercing killing intent tells the world, 'There is no escaping this world, even I am as resolute as I am!'"

"You should go and take a look."

……