Summer #18

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)

Chapter 18

Two days later, Mu Hanxia receives the phone call from Meng Gang in the late night.

He says, “Mu Hanxia, I listened to the report from your manager earlier tonight, and agree that you directly purchase lychees from Hainan.”

Mu Hanxia replies, “OK.”

“About the details, your manager will communicate with you.”

“OK.”

It is quiet for a moment on the phone, neither seems to have anything to say. Mu Hanxia sits in her bed, looking up at the very dark sky outside the window. The sky is like a vast deep lake with no boundaries. There will a few more hours before it becomes bright again.

“You’re always out of my expectation.” Meng Gang says.

Mu Hanxia suddenly smiles quietly and says, “Manager Meng, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait,” His voice turns slightly hoarse in the deep night, “After this task, come back to my side.”

Mu Hanxia feels a little shiver in her heart, as if pinched by someone. There is a hint of smile in her voice, “Manager Meng, I don’t quite understand what you mean. When did I ever go to your side?”

But Meng Gang is in no hurry. Through the phone line, Mu Hanxia can imagine his steady and shrewd composure on the other side. He replies, “Mu Hanxia, little girl, now that you would take such a step, I can tell you won’t regard the incident on that day as a dead knot. Since you’re not pursuing the past mistake, I don’t think why I can’t keep you. Your education and background is not good enough, and only gets to your current position after working three years in Le Ya. Do you want to give up like this? Do you think I really like the idea of sending you to a place without any reliance? When you come back, stay in sales department. The merit you win this time, I will reward with a promotion and salary raise. As to what happened between us, if you’re not willing, I won’t mention any more. Won’t this do for you?”

Mu Hanxia is silent for a long while, and answers with a smile, “Manager Meng, thank you for being so generous.” It’s hard to tell if it’s heartfelt or sarcastic from her tone. Meng Gang says nothing.

Then Mu Hanxia hangs up.

The call from Meng Gang made Mu Hanxia somewhat depressed and restless in sleep during the later half of the night. Nevertheless, she gets up early in the morning and goes to finalize the agreement with Zhang Yulei.

The sun is hanging brightly above the horizon. It’s another sunny day. Mu Hanxia has been busy for the whole morning and finally signed paper contracts with several farms. The procurement amount from Zhang Yulei’s farm is the largest among them, with a total of five truck loads. It’s agreed that they will all be shipped off to Jiang Cheng this same evening.

Everything is ready, only the last kick is needed to hit the goal.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yulei drives Mu Hanxia to the train station. Mu Hanxia is still carrying a backpack, light and gallant. Probably because the success is within reach, there is cheerfulness in her eye and on her face. But Zhang Yulei looks at her darker skin obviously tanned in the last few days, and urges caringly, “Captain, take care on the trip. We’ve been to hasty to buy any food. Don’t be afraid of spending money, buy the boxed lunch on the train.”

Mu Hanxia pats her backpack with a little uneasiness, “I’ve got bread here.”

Zhang Yulei frowns, “How can that be enough? It’s a trip of over 20 hours. Listen to me, don’t sacrifice your own health.” He then smiles, “Didn’t you say? Once this this done, you will stand back up. So you won’t be short of money any more.”

Mu Hanxia also smiles and clasps her hands, “Thank you for your blessings.”

People are bustling around. It is crowded and chaotic. The broadcast starts to announce the check-in of her train. Zhang Yulei looks at her warmly, “Go, my captain. Wish you a smooth trip!”

Mu Hanxia doesn’t move, instead holds his hand lightly but solemnly and says, “Yulei, you’ve always been a generous and good person, I remember it all in my heart. Thank you so much this time. The shipment, please keep a close eye on it for me. Please, it can’t go a little bit wrong. I really...rely on this last chance.”

Zhang Yulei is very touched at her words and nods, “Rest reassured. At six this afternoon, all the lychees will be loaded and shipped on time. I guarantee with my reputation, nothing will go wrong.”

The train leaves the platform. From the damp and hot Hainan, crossing the trait, it slowly enters the inner land. Mountains and cities flash by quickly. Mu Hanxia sits by the window and doesn’t even feel hungry when the day turns into night. She checks her cell phone constantly and finally at six thirty she receives the message from Zhang Yulei: “All done! Ten trucks have all got onto the highway.” A photo follows behind, a long line of trucks in the setting sun, all fully loaded with lychees.

Mu Hanxia feels her heart loosens up, as if finally coming back to a cool space after a whole day’s sun burn. The joy rises from the heart and quietly spreads all over her chest. She leans against the window and a smile shows up at the corner of her mouth. After a while, she falls fast asleep out of extreme fatigue.

On the other side, Zhang Yulei is also relaxed after finishing the job. He stands in the sunny but dark night, gazing at the vast farm, and decides to take a patrolling round of it. The last few days he has left quite some work behind to help Mu Hanxia.

At a little past nine, when he just comes out from the farm, someone runs to him with a message, “Yulei, a man with the last name of Lin just came to see your father, saying he wants to buy all our production.”

Zhang Yulei is confused, “For the next few days? But all our products have been shipped to Jiang Chen.”

The messenger’s expression is also a little strange, “He said he will buy it back with double price. Right now the old man is having tea with him. You know, with double price, we will have a huge profit, but he will definitely lose money.”

Zhang Yulei goes blank for a second and suddenly feels an explosion in his mind. Last name Lin, double price, right when Mu Hanxia just left... He starts to dash toward home, “We can’t sell it to him!”

While Zhang Yulei is running toward home like crazy, his father Zhang Ziqiang and Lin Mochen are sitting in the family living room, the atmosphere quiet and harmonic.

Zhang Ziqiang has been in business for his whole life. A few years ago he came to Hainan to plant lychees with a few buddies. The business isn’t very large, but still it counts to something. He is a simple but shrewd middle-aged man. Although the last one year or two he let his son manage the business, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know anything.

Like right now, this young man, with his fine outfit and imposing air, suddenly came to visit. Zhang Ziqiang knows he has too meet this person himself.

 With a light smile on his face, Lin Mochen sips the good tea from the Zhang’s and slowly explains the purpose of his visit, as if making casual chats. However, Zhang Ziqiang quietly thinks for a few moments at his words, and then nods, “OK. If Mr. Lin is really willing to pay double price, how can I refuse? This batch of lychees, I’m willing to sell you. The thing is, the products have been shipped this afternoon. We have to get them back first.”

Lin Mochen answers with a smile, “No need. My store is also in Jiang Chen. Just send them directly into my warehouse.”

Zhang Ziqiang gives him a look and nods, “OK.”

The two of them hold up their tea cups and clink them together lightly.

When Zhang Yulei breathlessly rushes into the living room, this is exactly what he sees. He feels all his blood has rushed into his brain and shouts, “Dad, you can’t send the products into his warehouse.”

Lin Mochen puts down his cup and gives hims a short glance, as if not caring about what he says at all. He stands up with a smile, “Chief Zhang, 50% of the amount will be transferred to your account quickly. Once the contract is signed and the goods arrive, I will pay the remaining 50%. Good bye.”

Zhang Ziqiang nods and looks at his son with his face dropped, “What did you say? What can’t send? You sell the products to that little girl with discounts, you think I don’t know it? Don’t meddle in this deal any more.”

Zhang Yulei is sad and angry at the same time. He casts a fierce stare at Lin Mochen. But Lin remains calm as usual, even with a hint of smile at the corner of his mouth, and walks out.

After the door is shut, the arguing sound in the room can be heard from several yards away. But this already has nothing to do with Lin Mochen. He is sure that Zhang Ziqiang will send those lychees into his warehouse.

The moonlight is so clear, the dirt road soft, and the warm humid air brushes on his face. In front of the house built by the Zhang family, there is also a grove of lychee trees. Lin Mochen walks through it, feeling the serenity and the freshness, his brain seeming to become extremely tranquil.

However, he suddenly thinks of Mu Hanxia. He remembers that night when they were trapped in the warehouse, darkness all around them, he saw her sitting in the corner holding her knees in her arms, so thin and so helpless.

Lin Mochen lowers his eyes. After tomorrow, she may cry. Because she will be beaten to the bottom of the valley, no longer able to fight back.

These thoughts won’t make him soft-hearted or remorseful. In his heart, he only feels a quiet emptiness.

Right at the moment, there come the hasty footsteps from behind. Lin Mochen stops and wants to step aside, but it’s already too late. Zhang Yulei has given him a might punch in the face with his fist.

Lin Mochen staggers a few steps before he can steady himself. Zhang Yulei has done a lot of physical labor these years and he is sure strong. Lin Mochen, however, has been in comfort for long and is thin. This one punch makes him bleeding badly; his face, shirt and all over are immediately stained with blood. Lin Mochen covers his face with his hand and says coldly, “Are you crazy?”

Zhang Yulei has a gentle personality after all. This one punch is already very difficult for him. But he doesn’t want to stop there yet. So he stands in the fugitive patterns of the trees shadows, furiously staring at Lin Mochen: “How can you treat her like this? How can you give her a stab in the back like this? How could you bear to?”

Lin Mochen takes out some tissues, wipes off the blood with an indifferent face, and presses on his nose, exposing only his deep and cold eyes: “Ah...Didn’t she come to Hainan to set me up in my back?”

Zhang Yulei is choked by his words for a moment, but immediately contradicts, “That’s different! She is almost pushed away by her manager. She does it to save herself.”

Lin Mochen gives a cold smile, “Save herself? Classmate Zhang, you single-mindedly take her part. But have you ever thought how ruthless and how slick this move of hers is? Ah, new-born calves are not afraid of tigers. Just based on a few data chart curves, she could find the price and time difference and is determined to sell the lychees at an impossible price. If she succeeds, the outcomes I’ve had for months and the several million invested will all result in a discount. No only many customers will go back to Le Ya, but also the reputation of Yong Zheng will be damaged. Won’t the customers think, since Le Ya sells at 5, why would Yong Zheng sell at 10? Isn’t this price-gouging? What reason do I have to let her get her way? Do I work for charity?”

Zhang Yulei’s face is white and blue; he can’t say a word. The wood becomes so quiet, only the moonlight sparsely covering the ground between them.

Zhang Yulei feels a helpless sadness all of a sudden. He squats down and says slowly, “Lin Mochen, she mentioned you to me -- She regards you as a friend.”

Lin Mochen is quiet for a moment and answers, “I know.”

Zhang Yulei jerks his head up to look at him, “What you’ve done here, she won’t forgive you.”

However, under the mysterious night sky, he only sees the deep and dark eyes of Lin Mochen. This guy definitely has a heart hard as rock, unmovable as the look in his eye. On his face, there even appears a little unfathomable smile.

“No, she will remember me.”

Mu Hanxia arrives in Jiang Chen the next night. The night wind in May is still a little chilly, but she doesn’t care. In her heart there seems to be a fire, jumping and anxious. Only when this fire truly burns out, can she have the real peace.

She is not sleepy either. She should go home to bed but she doesn’t want to. So she just takes the night bus and goes directly to the store warehouse. In four or five hours, it will be daytime, and the lychees will have arrived by then.

There’s someone on duty at the warehouse and she is allowed to stay in the door-keeper's room. Her cellphone ran out of battery on the way, now she finally can have it charged. Holding her knees in her arms, she sits in the cold and hard worn-out chair, casually covered with a jacket. She looks outside the window at the sky that’s still dark. A street lamp lonely stands there in the dark. The picture somehow makes her uneasy.

Later, she dozes off.

She has a dream. A man in suits sits nearby and smiles at her. She can’t see his face but just feels familiar and warm. Then she lowers her head and smiles too.

It’s a lightly sweet dream.

When she wakes up again, it’s already broad daylight. Rubbing her eyes, Mu Hanxia gazes at the quiet sunlight outside the window. Suddenly she remembers something, and cold sweat bursts out on her back.