After transplanting seedlings in the field for three days, Chen Yang felt like his waist was no longer his own, and he couldn't even straighten up when he woke up each morning.
Having finally finished planting all the seedlings, Chen Yang didn't dare to stay at home anymore. It was the busy farming season, and if he stayed home now, something might come up later to find him.
It had been several months, and Chen Yang figured it was time to go to the post office to settle the business revenue for the past few months.
One morning, with Zhang Dabiao in tow, Chen Yang prepared to go to the county town to catch a bus.
Chen Yang was driving the team's donkey cart. He had originally planned to leave the donkey cart at the food factory and then take the bus. Unexpectedly, he ran into the food factory's Jiefang brand truck that was going to the city to pick up goods. Chen Yang and Zhang Dabiao, with two stools, smoothly got into the back of the truck.
The bus would have to wait, but this Jiefang truck would take them directly to the city. How great.
Of course, this was also thanks to Wang Jianguo's intervention. Otherwise, the drivers at the transport team were all so arrogant, and they wouldn't pay any attention to you without some money.
Along the way, Chen Yang and Zhang Dabiao watched as one, two, three... dozens of villagers boarded the back of the truck, one after another.
It became quite lively. Many people were carrying vegetables, and some were carrying baskets of chickens and ducks. For a moment, Chen Yang couldn't help but marvel at the wisdom of the working people.
Seeing their skillful way of flagging down vehicles, it was clear that this was not their first time doing this. And the driver, who looked honest and simple, was also very decisive when collecting the small bills.
Not a cent less, and they absolutely wouldn't let you on the truck!
"Boss, being a driver is really f***ing profitable."
"Driving a public vehicle, picking up people on the road to go to the city, one dime per person, one dime and five cents for those carrying goods. There must have been twenty or thirty people along the way. This trip alone nets three or four yuan."
"Don't just look at me, Director Wang just gave this guy a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes, asking him to bring the goods back earlier. There must be good profits from transporting goods, too. Being a truck driver is like living a heavenly life."
Zhang Dabiao looked envious. He had seen the driver making money with his own eyes along the way.
He had learned to drive in the army. Although he wasn't a car soldier, in this era, the main roads were all dirt paths, and you didn't need very high driving skills.
As long as you could start the engine, shift gears, and drive on the road without falling into a ditch, you could be a driver.
As for traffic rules, they simply didn't exist. Things like traffic lights were not even around. Whether it was people, bicycles, or livestock on the road, they had to pull over when they saw a truck approaching.
On the road, trucks were the overlords, and everyone had to make way. And no one found it unreasonable. Nowadays, every truck was a treasure. You could say that a truck was more valuable than a human life.
"That's because the transportation demand is high now, but there are few transport teams and few vehicles. That's why it's so comfortable to be a truck driver. When our production capacity improves, being a truck driver won't be as popular as it is now."
"And don't just look at how easily they collect money now. Look at what the brother has on his waist, and what's placed next to his seat."
"Bandits these days love to rob these truck drivers the most. Think about it, what are these trucks carrying? It's all money. If they encounter ruthless people, they'll scatter a handful of nails on the road."
"White knife in, red knife out."
"How about it, still think this money is easy to earn?"
Chen Yang patted Zhang Dabiao's shoulder. He wasn't really trying to scare Zhang Dabiao. Truck drivers being robbed was not uncommon in those years.
That's why truck drivers nowadays wouldn't carry money around. The money was definitely kept at home. If they were to die, at least there would be some property left for the family.
This was also why many truck drivers chose to pick up passengers and goods halfway. If they went out on a trip and didn't make some money, they might not even have enough to buy a bowl of noodles to eat when they got off.
Another reason was that by carrying more people on the truck, they could create a more intimidating presence. Generally, bandits wouldn't dare to act if they saw a truck full of people.
"So this money isn't that easy to earn, and I guess there are many people who want to join the transport team and become truck drivers. It's not that easy to become a driver."
Zhang Dabiao wasn't stupid. After a little thought, he came to his senses.
In those days, to get into a state-owned factory, you needed connections at home. Either your father retired and you took his place, or you had relatives who were factory directors.
Even more so for the transport team. A place with a transport team was definitely not an ordinary state-owned factory. Without a large factory of several thousand people, you wouldn't have the qualification to set up your own transport team, and you wouldn't even have the qualification to be allocated a truck.
Like the Liuhe County Food Factory, although it was very powerful in Liuhe County, it still didn't have its own transport team.
Every time they had to send aquatic products to the city, they could only rely on the city's aquatic products company to arrange transportation. Otherwise, why would Wang Jianguo, the dignified deputy director, have to give a truck driver cigarettes?
The driver was very smart. When they were close to the city, he let everyone off. It was only one or two li from the city now, which was not a big deal for people at that time.
Even if they were let off five li from the city, they would still be willing to walk.
After all, they wouldn't be willing to spend money on a ride back after selling their goods, and they could only walk tens of li back on their own two legs.
After everyone left, only Chen Yang and Zhang Dabiao remained. The driver then swaggered into the city. This time, he was transporting goods from the city to the Liuhe County Food Factory.
He brought half the goods back, leaving half the truck bed empty. Naturally, he had to make some money along the way. It wouldn't look good to bring others into the city so openly.
However, Chen Yang and Zhang Dabiao were people that Wang Jianguo had personally asked to transport. He had already accepted the cigarettes, so he would definitely take them to their destination. For him, passing by the post office on the way to the food factory was just a matter of stepping on the gas.
Even if someone saw them, it would be fine. The transport team had to give Wang Jianguo some face. He was, after all, a deputy director. What was the big deal about letting two people ride along? No one would dare to say anything.
"Master Zhao, thanks. Next time I have a chance, I'll pay for your seat."
Chen Yang patted the dust off his pants and jumped down from the back of the truck.
Riding in the cabin and riding in the back were two different prices. It was just that Chen Yang and his companion happened to be lucky. The cabin seats had already been sold. The cabin of a large truck was priced the same as a bus ticket, costing fifty cents for a trip from Liuhe County to Qinghe City.
The villagers who hitched a ride on the truck to do business in the city were certainly reluctant to pay, but Chen Yang wasn't. It was just that there was no need to compete with others for the seats, as it was only for an hour or two.
"Alright, I'll save a seat for you next time."
The truck driver chuckled, dropped off Chen Yang and Zhang Dabiao, and sped away, leaving behind a group of envious gazes on the street.