Offense - Chapter 3
Chapter 3
"Zhou Yanqian"
The next day, when Lian Wan was finishing work in the evening, she saw those three words appear in the message field that had been silent for a day and a night.
It was quite a coincidence, as if it had been timed perfectly. The Vehicle Team was having a dinner gathering that evening, and the others hadn't returned to the lot yet, so she had to wait for a bit. She had just parked the truck, wiped down the dashboard with a rag, and lowered the back of the driver's seat to rest when she pulled out her phone. The message popped up, as if afraid she would miss it.
Remembering the heat and stickiness of last night, Lian Wan lowered her eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she saw another message come through:
"Save my contact info"
Lian Wan was always at a loss when facing her, and it was no different now, even with a screen between them. After much thought, she dryly typed out a few words:
"Okay, Sister Zhou."
The other side quickly sent back a series of ellipses: "..."
Lian Wan thought for a moment and didn't reply. Instead, she obediently tapped on the profile picture to add the contact name, unconsciously biting her lip.
Zhou. Yan. Qian.
The three characters formed between her lips and teeth, like a soft exhale after speaking, causing the corners of her mouth to lift.
As Lian Wan typed, her mind drifted with the weariness of a long day's work. Her name is as beautiful as she is, she thought.
After saving the contact, she returned to the chat screen and read over their conversation again. Only then did she belatedly realize:
-She hadn't told her her own name yet.
The phone's default keyboard clicks sounded as Lian Wan carefully considered her words, deleting and retyping. After a long while, she cautiously sent the message:
"Hello, my name is Lian Wan. I drive a truck for the XX Vehicle Team. My rate for a 4.2-meter truck starts at twenty. If you have any goods to haul, Sister Zhou, you can call me. My number is 139xxxxxxxx"
The other side was silent for a long time, so long that Lian Wan started to feel anxious. Finally, a reply came: "Got it"
Seeing those words, Lian Wan suddenly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her fingers moved faster than her brain, immediately turning off the screen.
She tossed the phone aside and stared blankly into space.
Before long, someone was pounding on her truck window from outside.
The men from the Vehicle Team were back, clamoring for her to get out.
Lian Wan killed the engine and followed them out.
It was nearing dusk, but the sky hadn't darkened yet, and the sun was still strong. Fortunately, the tall trees in the alley provided an overwhelming greenery that blocked most of the sweltering heat. A few cats were sunbathing by the corner of a wall, their tails swaying lazily, only to be scared off the next second by the men's loud voices. The group of drivers had been working all day, and they all carried the faint smell of sweat. Lian Wan caught the scent but her expression remained placid, showing no sign of discomfort.
Walking among this crowd of large men, her back was straight and her expression cool. She moved with a calm composure that made her stand out at a glance, single-handedly softening the rugged scene.
Pingchuan Town was small, so it wasn't a long walk to a barbecue restaurant the drivers often frequented for their gatherings. The food wasn't particularly good, but the portions were large, it was cheap, and most importantly, beer was eighty cents.
The owner recognized the group of regulars, greeting them and bringing over plastic chairs. He pushed two tables together and handed them a menu.
As soon as they sat down, everyone was eager to order. The Vehicle Team's captain, Wang Zhiqiang, scribbled on the menu, handed it to the owner, and waved his hand. "As for drinks- bring us eight packs to start! We'll get more if it's not enough."
A driver next to him banged his glass on the table and yelled, "Yeah! Brother Wang is so generous!"
This gathering was mainly to celebrate the birth of Wang Zhiqiang's son. It was his treat.
Lian Wan had no objections to the food or the amount of alcohol, so she sat quietly to the side. She had never been one for many words, and everyone was used to it. In the middle of their conversations, someone would glance over and crack a joke at her expense: "Xiao Lian, come on, have a drink with your big brother?"
Lian Wan would just raise her glass, clink it against the rims of theirs one by one, and down it in one go.
"Nice!"
They all cheered.
Afterward, they would pile skewers of meat onto her plate. "Eat more, don't just drink. You're so young, don't ruin your stomach. Don't be like me…"
Lian Wan would look back at each of them earnestly and nod.
The drivers watched her eat with gratified smiles before raising their glasses again.
The scene seemed heartwarming, but their relationship hadn't always been so harmonious.
When Lian Wan first joined the Vehicle Team, she was young and a woman, so she often overheard gossip and dismissive remarks, and went through a difficult period. But she could hold her liquor, and the drivers loved to drink with her. Once they were drunk, it was easy for them to act like brothers, and their relationship improved by leaps and bounds.
Later, as they gradually got to know and trust each other, everyone came to see her as one of their own.
As they ate and drank, the restaurant filled with more customers, and it grew hotter even sitting outside. The owner brought out a large black fan that sprayed a cool mist into the air. In the gradually darkening sky, a sunset of pale purple and orange spread out.
They went through several rounds. The beer wasn't very strong, so everyone was just slightly tipsy, but they had loosened up and started chatting about all sorts of things. So-and-so's family had a new daughter-in-law, how another family disciplined their kids, a cat behind a house that had given birth to seven kittens. As they talked, their voices lowered, their faces flushed red from the alcohol, and the topics became more unrestrained.
It started with Li Ge, who was sitting next to Lian Wan. He raised his glass to Wang Zhiqiang and said, "Brother Wang- this one's for you. For all these years, you've led us brothers to make a living. Now you've got a wife and a son, your life is truly complete! Not like me… I don't know what I'll even leave behind when I die…"
By the end of his words, the man's rough voice was faintly tinged with a hoarse sob.
Still sober, Lian Wan gave him a surprised look. She glanced around and saw that everyone else's faces were also touched with emotion. She thought for a moment and then belatedly remembered that this man had been single for many years. He was nearly forty and still all alone.
Wang Zhiqiang looked at him and sighed. "Ai… It's been hard on all you brothers for so many years. We may not be family, but we're closer than family. Don't be sad- since you call me your brother, I'll definitely help you figure something out."
They started dipping their fingers in spilled alcohol, writing in the empty spaces on the messy table as they considered whose daughter might be suitable, and which new widow wouldn't be. After much calculation, someone finally mumbled, "What about that… that new one… I think she's a good fit."
The moment the words were out, everyone seemed to know who he was talking about and fell into a tacit silence.
Li Ge said quietly, a little insecure, "She's from the city, and she's young and pretty. Would she even look at one of us?"
Someone casually refuted him, "Why wouldn't she? As the old saying goes: men get better with age! And from the looks of her… she doesn't seem like a proper woman… why else would she come back from the city? If our honest Li Ge makes a move, how could she refuse?"
"For real? I heard from her parents that she was making good money in the city."
"What could she be earning? Look at the way she dresses!" Seeing that the others didn't believe him, the man raised his voice and turned to Lian Wan. "Xiao Lian, her store is downstairs from you. You tell us, doesn't she dress… slutty?"
Lian Wan, who had been zoning out, was suddenly asked this question. It took her a moment to realize who they were talking about. The anger came abruptly, and by the time it flared up in her head, the sharp words were already out of her mouth: "She wouldn't be interested in Li Ge."
The driver who had asked was probably surprised by her response. He let out a "Hey!" and said, "What's that supposed to mean? Watch what you say. The team treats you so well, gives you all the good jobs. Why are you always siding with outsiders!"
Lian Wan suppressed her anger and squeezed her glass, her face impassive. "The cigarettes she smokes are very expensive. A woman like that is a big spender; she wouldn't be content if you married her. Li Ge is an honest man. It's not a good match."
Lian Wan's voice naturally carried a calm certainty. Hearing her, some of their drunkenness seemed to dissipate. They all thought she had a point, told off the man who started the topic, and began discussing another candidate.
Lian Wan had shut down the topic, but the man was still fixated on Zhou Yanqian, refusing to let it go. "That may be true, but she packed up and came back home from the city. How restless could she be…"
"Pingchuan Town is only so big. What kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?"
It was endless. Gradually, others started to agree with him. "Girls from the city are just so striking… even if she doesn't like to talk to people, her lips are so red, and her eyes are so alluring…"
Their voices grew lower and lower until two of them, drunk, slung their arms around each other's shoulders, leaned together, and let out a string of suggestive laughter.
Lian Wan listened quietly, her grip tightening on her glass.
Those two were probably truly drunk. Seeing Lian Wan sitting there with a dark expression, one of them leaned over and asked teasingly, "Xiao Lian? What's wrong? Jealous? It must have been hard on you, being alone all these years, huh?"
The drunk man slurred, "Do- do you want… your big… brothers to get you a wife, too…"
Lian Wan was startled, a chill running down her spine.
As the man spoke, his head started to nod, and with a thud, he collapsed onto the table and didn't get up.
"Maybe we should call it a night."
Seeing that someone had passed out and that most of the skewers and beer were gone, Wang Zhiqiang got up to call the owner over to settle the bill. He didn't forget to reassure Li Ge, who was looking at him expectantly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely take care of this for you, brother."
Lian Wan stood nearby and helped support the two drunkards. She deliberately didn't use much strength, letting them sway and stumble towards the ground. They'd wake up tomorrow with a few bruises on their knees.
A moment later, Wang Zhiqiang came out after paying the bill. He told the brothers to disperse, adding that they could take the next morning off and only drive in the afternoon once the alcohol had worn off. If that wasn't enough, they should just take the day off.
The group staggered away and parted ways at the intersection.
Lian Wan lived nearby and wasn't drunk. The streetlights were bright as she walked home, stepping on the mottled shadows of the trees. The chirping of insects was rhythmic, and the night sky was serene. It was a scene she had witnessed for over twenty years.
Perhaps it was the alcohol finally hitting her, but the anger that had been simmering in her heart began to burn hotter. Beads of sweat formed on Lian Wan's forehead, and her steps became unsteady.
Fueled by the alcohol, by her anger, and perhaps by a bit of the unbearable longing and shame from last night- and the fear of her feelings being exposed- Lian Wan once again pushed open that glass door and stepped into the bright world behind it.
This time, she didn't buy mineral water. She walked straight to the counter and stared into the eyes that were widened in surprise at her arrival. She wanted to say something, but her courage suddenly failed her.
In the end, she only managed to mumble:
"You shouldn't wear so little in the future. It's not good."
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