Substitute Driver's Notes

Chapter 8 How to Make Money

After tidying up the house, Lu Lili felt her stomach growling and realized that she hadn't eaten yet. Seeing that it was almost time for her child to get out of school, she quickly put the leftovers on a plate and put them in the pot to boil again.

After setting out the food, a voice called from the doorway: "Mom, we're home."

"Honey, you're home from school. Do you have a lot of homework? Let's eat first."

"Oh! Huh? Dad's home."

"Don't wake him, your dad is tired, let him rest!"

Their footsteps were light, and even the sounds of talking and chewing were much quieter. The mother and her two children ate their meal quickly and then went about their own business.

In the evening, Li Wei sobered up. His late-night conversation with his wife, whom he considered an old married couple, was probably of little interest to anyone, so there was no need to elaborate.

.........

"Lili, don't worry, I'll be back soon. I'll take this opportunity to quit and find a better-paying job. Don't worry, our lives will get better and better."

Life in comfort always goes by quickly. After two days of being waited on hand and foot, Li Wei had to go back to work.

He stood at the door, looking at his wife with reluctance, but casually uttered words of comfort to her.

He waved goodbye, got into Lu Feng's car, and the two headed straight for their destination.

After rudely kicking Lu Feng out, Li Wei saw his roommate, with whom he had spent every day, once again.

"Hey! I've missed you so much these past two days. Did you miss me? Aren't you going to work today?" Li Wei patted Zhang Hao's shoulder hard and sat down casually.

Zhang Hao was sweating profusely, wincing in pain: "Brother Wei is back! I missed you so much! Let's rest today."

"Oh! As long as you don't want me to die. Get some rest!" Li Wei joked with a smile.

"No, no, Brother Wei, you're joking." Zhang Hao carefully offered a pack of good cigarettes with a smile.

Li Wei took the cigarette without ceremony, lit it, and casually stuffed the rest into his pocket: "Alright, huh? You're doing pretty well, kid! This cigarette must be over twenty yuan, right? I only smoke six-yuan ones. Are petty thugs this rich these days?"

Zhang Hao wiped away his cold sweat and said with a forced smile, "Brother Wei, you're too kind. You're such a good fighter. If you joined our boss's team, you'd at least be able to smoke Zhonghua cigarettes."

Li Wei couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Holy crap, you guys deal drugs? That's incredibly profitable?"

"Brother Wei, this is no joke. That kind of business is punishable by death. We absolutely cannot do it."

"Oh! That startled me. What's going on?"

"Brother Wei, he's basically just someone who looks after other people's venues."

Li Wei looked at Zhang Hao suspiciously, then suddenly stood up, clenching his fists so tightly they cracked: "Aren't you guys bad guys? No way, I have to beat you up first and collect some interest, otherwise I'll be the one who suffers the loss when you retaliate."

Zhang Hao was sweating profusely, backing away and frantically waving his hands. His mouth became particularly fluent: "Brother Wei, Brother Wei, please don't be impulsive. How could I dare to retaliate against you? When I came in, our boss said that we should consider changing careers and doing some legitimate business. The police are getting more and more powerful now, and ordinary people call the police at the drop of a hat. In this business, whoever doesn't have protection will die."

"Then why did you say you wanted me to join? You're up to no good! I feel like my fists are itching to punch you!"

Zhang Hao nervously slapped himself on the cheek and said dejectedly, "I'm used to bragging."

Li Wei laughed, sat down, and waved his hand: "I won't hit you anymore. I like to win people over with kindness. Come and chat."

"I don't believe you for a second!" Zhang Hao rolled his eyes, looked around, and resignedly walked over.

The other roommates huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.

Li Wei glared at him disapprovingly: "Why are you all acting like that? I'm not a bad person, give me a smile."

The group quickly chuckled awkwardly.

Li Wei sighed and said to Zhang Hao, "I thought you were doing well and I was planning to find a good job through you, but it turns out even your boss can't make a living anymore. It's really disappointing."

He shifted his body a few times, then suddenly pointed at another roommate and asked casually, "Hey Liu, what do you do for a living?"

This Liu was clearly older than Li Wei, but he still obediently took out a pack of good cigarettes and offered them to him: "Brother Wei, I'm out of work. I was involved in a drunk driving accident and fled the scene. I used to be a public servant. It wasn't a big deal, but this time I'm completely finished. I don't know what I'll do after I get out."

Li Wei took the cigarette and put it away: "Oh! Fleeing? Serves you right. Wang, what do you do for a living?"

Wang was taken aback, then quickly took out a cigarette and handed it to Li Wei: "Brother Wei, you wouldn't be interested in my job."

Li Wei took the cigarette, lit one, and put the rest in his pocket: "Just tell me, as long as it makes money, that's all that matters."

"I drive a large tractor-trailer, you can't do that job! Not only will you have to work all night, but you won't make much money even if you work yourself to death for a month."

"How much is it per month? My driver's license is an old Class B one, which fits perfectly. How did you get in?"

"We only make 2,800 a month, plus 200 for full attendance bonus. We drank too much, got into a fight with the people at the next table, and then we all ended up here."

"Three thousand dollars in total, that's not a small amount! I'll follow you from now on."

"Huh?" Xiao Wang's eyes widened in surprise: "Brother Wei, do you...do you have experience? Do you have a work permit? Besides, I'm just an employee, I don't have the authority to say anything. I have to ask the boss first."

Li Wei scratched his head: "What's a work permit? Are you an official company?"

"This work permit is issued by the transportation department. I don't know if they're legitimate, but if you don't have it, you get fined. Nowadays, most large trucks don't have official employers; they're all affiliated with companies."

"You're in charge of convincing the boss. I'll figure out how to get the work permit. Once you're out, I'll work in the same car as you. What's your name? Where are you going?"

Xiao Wang was dumbfounded, but dared not not answer: "Wang...Wang Fuyou, the one who runs the Qiantang River."

Li Wei immediately became happy: "Fuyou, what a good name. Qiantang, what a wonderful place! Beautiful scenery, with Yue Fei Temple and the White Snake Lady. There's a saying: 'Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou.' The name sounds auspicious."

He glared at Zhang Hao again: "It's more reassuring to spend money earned honestly. You lot should find something legitimate to do. As the old saying goes, 'Heaven is watching what people do; retribution may be delayed, but it will come eventually.' Learn from me."

Zhang Hao smiled obsequiously, "Yes, yes, Brother Wei is right, my dad said the same thing." He turned his head and pouted.

Li Wei felt that his teaching had yielded good results, and happily took out cigarettes to offer to the two of them. The two accepted the cigarettes and thanked him repeatedly.

Ignoring the bewildered looks exchanged by his roommates, Li Wei, who felt confident in his ability to earn money and support his family, eagerly awaited Lu Feng's arrival so he could arrange for him to obtain that damn work permit.

Life inside was fulfilling and busy. With the convenience, he saw Lu Feng again in just a few days. Li Wei casually told him not to ask about the specifics, just the result.

Not long after, Wang Fuyou left, leaving his contact information and promising that he would definitely work with Brother Wei.

When the day arrived, Li Wei packed his things early, called his best friend to arrange a dinner and drinks, and then eagerly awaited Lu Feng's arrival to pick him up.