One Third Remaining Chapter Thirty-Seven The Cornerstone of Trust

The third day of the twelfth lunar month, Minor Cold. Some felt a chill from the depths of their hearts—like Zhang Yunxi, who was skipping lightly toward the man in sunglasses. Others experienced a purely physical, bone-piercing cold—like Zhu Dachang, who, brimming with joy, charged toward Han Yuan as if he were an elephant on the run.

From a distance, Yellow Hair recognized Zhu Dachang’s face, feeling both thrilled and uneasy. He quickly hid behind Han Yuan, terrified of being recognized, lowered his head, and put on the obedient demeanor of a loyal little brother. His right hand slipped into his pocket, feeling for an outdated keypad phone, and his fingers flew across the buttons.

Zhu Dachang hurriedly stopped in front of the sleek black luxury coupe, rubbing his frozen hands together, puffing out a cloud of white breath, and flashed Han Yuan a goofy grin. “Boss, need any help?”

Han Yuan glanced at Yellow Hair, who clung to him like a stubborn leech, then looked over at the taxi parked beside the auto repair shed. His eyes flickered with calculation, the corners of his mouth curving up as he sized up Zhu Dachang and asked politely, “I saw you running over from there. Are you the owner of that repair shed?”

“No…” Zhu Dachang poked his own belly with two fingers, bashfully twisting in place, “I’m just a helper. The boss is out on business. But I’ve been the one changing tires these days—I’m pretty good at it now.”

Han Yuan put on a stern face. “How did you know I needed a tire change…?”

“Well… um…” Zhu Dachang hung his head, wishing he could slap himself silent, suddenly tongue-tied and unsure how to answer.

Han Yuan burst out laughing, slinging an arm around Zhu Dachang’s shoulders, and led him to the car’s front left tire, pointing at the blown-out rubber to give Zhu Dachang an out. “Sharp eyes, brother! I bet you scoped out my car from head to toe on your way here. So, do you have a tire that’ll fit?”

Zhu Dachang nodded enthusiastically, like a pecking chick. “Yes, yes, we have all sizes. And if we don’t, I’ll find a way to get one!”

Han Yuan cocked his head. “How much to change a tire?”

The greatest perk of business, after all, is this: you get to make the decisions—what tire to sell to whom, how much it’s worth, the size, brand, tread, and even how many miles it’ll last have all been decided in advance. Zhu Dachang swallowed, looking at Han Yuan like he was eyeing a roast lamb, sheepishly holding up a palm and splaying five fingers. “Five hundred per tire… It used to be three hundred, but recently pork prices have gone up, so tires have too…”

Han Yuan regarded Zhu Dachang with amusement. “What does pork have to do with tires? As far as I know, making car tires doesn’t require any pork.”

“Well, it’s just… tonight I want to eat pork…” Zhu Dachang chuckled foolishly. “Look, I’m not raising the price just for you. The pork vendor wanted to eat eggs, but when eggs went up, so did his pork. If you think it’s too expensive… how about this: I’ll throw in a case of windshield washer fluid and a car wash. The wash is thirty, washer fluid is three each, a case is twelve bottles—thirty-six. Add it up, that’s three sixty-six. The rest is my service fee, but if you think that’s too much, we can talk…”

Han Yuan waved him off with a carefree laugh. “Service fees are only fair—whatever you say, I’ll pay. Skip the car wash, though. It’s freezing out, no need to trouble yourself. It’s not easy making a living…” He pulled out the five hundred yuan he’d made selling produce and handed it over. “This is for one tire, consider it a deposit. Please help me change all four. Since the original set was bought together, it makes no sense only one blew—the others must be nearing their end too. For safety’s sake, let’s replace them all. Am I right?”

Zhu Dachang stared at Han Yuan in a daze, then gave him a big thumbs-up. “You make a lot of sense!”

“Naturally, and don’t forget my washer fluid,” Han Yuan said meaningfully, glancing sidelong at Yellow Hair. “With a clean windshield, you can tell whether what’s ahead is a person or a ghost…”

A flush quickly crept up Zhu Dachang’s face as he calculated how much he’d make changing all four tires and how much pork he could buy with the money. He lost track in the arithmetic, but he knew it would last him several days—and each day he could try something new: braised pork, stir-fried with green peppers, shredded pork in garlic sauce… Dishes upon dishes spun through his mind. Slapping his forehead, he exclaimed excitedly, “Wait right here—I’ll go bring the tires over!” and dashed toward the repair shed.

Han Yuan leisurely took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and, as he watched Zhu Dachang tirelessly ferry tires back and forth, puffed away in contentment. When the burning tip was an inch from the filter, he flicked the butt to the ground, crushed it with his toe, exhaled a long plume, stamped his feet, hunched his shoulders, and asked Zhu Dachang offhandedly, “Got a restroom? Nature calls…”

Zhu Dachang pointed shyly at the patch of wild grass next to the shed. “Our toilet’s all natural—quick and easy. Only trouble is, peeing’s fine, but if you need to do more, well, it’s a bit cold… Hope you don’t mind.”

Han Yuan waved dismissively and headed for the grass. “As long as I can go, I’m not picky…” He nodded toward Yellow Hair. “Been a bit constipated lately, so if I’m a while… That’s my brother—once you finish the tires, just collect the money from him. That way you won’t have to worry about me running off…”

Zhu Dachang was so focused on changing the tires he didn’t even bother looking up at Yellow Hair. “You’re funny, sir. Who drives a luxury car and skips out on a bill? You have to know your trade. Third Brother’s been making me study up on cars—yours is a Don’t-Touch-Me, worth at least a few hundred thousand. I could buy a lot of piglets with that…”

When Yellow Hair looked as if he wanted to follow, Han Yuan shot him a cold glare and said icily, “Stay put. Today’s first lesson is about trust. If people trust us, we have to hold up our end too. That way both sides leave satisfied, and business can last. Understand?”

Yellow Hair, thinking Han Yuan was testing him, forced a smile. “Got it, big bro. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure every bolt’s in place.”

Zhu Dachang spat on the ground in annoyance without looking up, muttering, “Little brothers… always suspicious. I’ve been changing tires for ages and never cut corners—relax.”

A little over ten minutes later, just as Zhu Dachang finished the second tire, an engine roared from the repair shed. The taxi that had been parked beside the shed shot out onto the road. Han Yuan’s left hand waved from the driver’s window. “Something urgent came up, gotta run! The luxury car and my brother are yours. Until we meet again—or rather, never again! Hahaha!”