Chapter 548 Zhao Zhiguo

Twenty years ago, it was an ordinary early summer morning.

Zhao Zhiguo, who was imprisoned for provoking disturbances a few years ago and was released last year, took his nephew Zhao Hui, who had just turned 18, and drove the newly purchased Jiefang brand light truck from his hometown in Ontario to Haishi, Fujian Province, loaded with goods.

This truck was bought by Zhao Zhiguo's parents in order to give their son a decent career. They not only took out the pension money they had saved after years of frugality, but also shamelessly asked relatives and friends to raise a lot of money. It can be said that this car truly embodies the last hope and hard work of the whole family.

Today's transportation was the first business that Zhao Zhiguo took with his own truck, so he was naturally happy.

"Zhiguo, how much money do you think we can make this time?" Zhao Hui, who was sitting on the passenger seat, looked at the scenery flashing rapidly behind the window and asked curiously.

Since he could walk, Zhao Hui stumbled and followed Zhao Zhiguo's buttocks. At that time, Zhao Hui's parents went to work in other places. In addition to the elderly grandparents, there was only a young uncle Zhao Zhiguo who was only seven years older than him.

At that time, in the small courtyard in the countryside, you could often see a little kid with snot hanging from his nose following a half-grown boy to go to the chicken coop to get eggs today, climb trees to pick fruits tomorrow, and carry a half-broom to tease the big goose the next day.

From childhood to adulthood, the two of them naturally have a deep relationship. If it weren't for the generation difference, outsiders would think they were just two brothers.

Zhao Zhiguo, who was holding the steering wheel with both hands, smiled heartily: "Don't be disrespectful, call me uncle! You kid, you've been thinking about this since you left home. Don't worry! This time I come back, I will definitely buy you a mobile phone, the one you mentioned last time, the mushroom?"

"MOTO!" Zhao Hui turned around and stared at his uncle with shining eyes.

"Yes, it's this mushroom. I'll take you to the county to buy it when we get home." Zhao Zhiguo freed his right hand and patted his nephew's thin shoulder.

Zhao Hui grinned and laughed, with a look of expectation on his face. He immediately responded and patted his thin chest loudly: "Uncle Zhao Zhi, you can rest assured. I will keep a close eye on our fuel tank on the way to ensure that not even a rat can steal our fuel!"

In the early years, there were more goods and fewer vehicles, so it was more profitable for individuals to buy a truck for logistics and transportation. At that time, apart from the cost of trucks, the most valuable cost was a barrel of oil. Calculated at 2 yuan per liter, a regular semi-trailer would cost at least one or two thousand yuan to fill up once, which was not a small amount at that time.

So some people set their sights on the fuel barrels of these trucks, either sneaking into the highway service area in the middle of the night to pry open the truck's fuel tank and pump it out with a pipe, or stopping the car halfway on the national highway and robbing it directly.

Truck drivers toiled day and night for several days, but it was not enough to make up for the oil thieves who stole oil in just a few minutes. The temptation of huge profits and the low cost of crime made the crime of stealing oil rampant in the millennium.

"I want it." Zhao Zhiguo was very proud of the new car he had just picked up and waved his hand, "I'll pick one for your aunt later. It was not easy for her to give birth to the baby this time."

Thinking of his wife's happy look when she received the gift, Zhao Zhiguo couldn't help but smile. He is an ordinary man. After he was released from prison last year, he married his childhood sweetheart who had been waiting for him for many years. At the beginning of this year, he gave birth to a chubby little girl.

Although the family expenses increased a lot, he borrowed a lot of money from relatives to buy a truck this time. But as he expected, this transportation business can pay off the debts in a year, and as long as he saves money, he can probably save some money.

Next year, next year, life will get better and better!

Life is really looking forward to it.

The trust of his parents, who risked their lives to save him, his wife's expectation for several years, and the new life that was born last week, all these made Zhao Zhiguo feel the heaviest pressure since he was born, but also made him full of enthusiasm and hope for life, and gave him unlimited motivation.

"I can't be confused anymore." Zhao Zhiguo swore secretly as he drove on Sunshine Avenue with both hands on the steering wheel.

As soon as he drove onto the provincial road, Zhao Zhiguo stopped the truck at a temporary "SARS" checkpoint and picked up a girl who was asked by a friend who drove a taxi in the same county to help him.

The girl's name was Wang Xia. She was pretty, about the same age as Zhang Hui, and she was wearing a floral dress. This time, because she was going to Dongzhou City to join her sister, she and Zhao Zhiguo got on the truck.

After saying goodbye to his friend, Zhao Zhiguo hummed a song and drove the truck to his destination happily. Zhao Hui was also very happy because there was a girl of the same age on the journey. This unexpected surprise made the two of them talk and laugh all the way.

At around 11pm, Zhao Zhiguo drove the truck into the service area, originally wanting to invite Wang Xia to have a midnight snack. Perhaps because the girl was shy, Wang Xia did not follow him down, and just sat in the car and ate some dried tofu to get by.

Time passed quickly, and they arrived at the Dongzhou West Expressway Hub at around 2am that night. Wang Xia borrowed Zhao Zhiguo's mobile phone to call her brother-in-law to pick her up, but it happened that her brother-in-law had to work overtime that night, so he asked her to take a taxi to the Dongjiang Third Bridge to meet her sister.

Zhao Zhiguo was worried about a little girl taking a taxi at the highway exit in the middle of the night where she was unfamiliar with the place and sparsely populated. Out of kindness, Zhao Zhiguo continued to take her to the Dongjiang Second Bridge, which was closer to the Third Bridge, and then dropped Wang Xia off because they arrived in the city where trucks were prohibited.

Then the uncle and nephew turned around and took the highway from the Dongjiang Second Bridge and continued to drive all the way to Fujian Province.

After Wang Xia said goodbye to Zhao Zhiguo and Zhao Hui, he stood on the roadside and stopped a taxi.

"Master, please take me to the Dongjiang Third Bridge." Wang Xia, who was sitting in the back seat, closed the door and said crisply.

"Okay. Little girl, what are you doing alone so late at night?" The driver turned his head and glanced at the passenger in the back seat, and said with concern.

The driver wore frameless glasses and looked weak. Although he had a smile on his lips and cared about his words, his eyes were cold. Although it was the early summer, the temperature was still hot, which still made Wang Xia shudder.

"Go find my sister"

"Oh, go find my sister. I saw you just got off the truck with an Ontario license plate. Did you come from Ontario?"

The driver turned around, stepped on the clutch, and the car shook and slowly drove onto the highway.

It was very late at night.

The highway was completely covered by the pure black sky.

The dim taillights of the taxi moved away and slowly merged into the darkness until there was no light left.