Chapter 118: The Joy of Moving

On Friday night, Shen Yanming let Bi Qiao’an go to bed first while he and Ji Kangyong drove to the warehouse. Located in an extremely remote area to avoid attracting attention, the warehouse had initially only property rights and tenant information registered, with the supplies inside not documented.

So far, warehouse ownership in Qinghua has remained unchanged, though future nationalization remains uncertain. However, the Qinghe Alliance will ensure no losses are suffered, regardless of the outcome.

After driving for more than half an hour, Shen Yanming arrived at the warehouse. Fortunately, despite the remote location, order in the country was relatively stable, and the warehouse had escaped the notice of thieves.

As Ji Kangyong unlocked the security door, Shen Yanming was surprised to discover that the remaining supplies, which filled roughly forty square meters after he had helped clear out two to three hundred square meters, appeared untouched.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t been here at all?” Shen Yanming asked, frowning with concern.

Ji Kangyong smiled wryly. “Yeah, I haven’t been here since you gave me the key. I didn’t want my family to find out and make trouble.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have secretly sent you some food and supplies,” Shen Yanming said, his heart aching for his friend.

“I know you meant well, but my family is too nosy. If they discovered I had friends like you, I might never be able to break away from them. Besides, I eat at the unit, so I haven’t starved.” Ji Kangyong smiled and stepped forward to hug Shen Yanming.

Patting Ji Kangyong’s back, Shen Yanming said, “Alright, let’s not get sentimental. First, let’s move the goods. We can sit down and talk properly over the weekend.”

After donning coveralls, the two men began moving boxes, making dozens of trips to fill the small truck Ji Kangyong drove. Even so, a significant amount of supplies remained in the warehouse.

“I truly should have let you take more back then,” Ji Kangyong mused. “I believed I desperately needed these things, but after so long, I’ve realized I can live perfectly well without them. Our government has done a remarkable job teaching ordinary people survival skills.”

Shen Yanming chuckled. “If so, the Zhang family’s daughter deserves substantial credit.”

“Yes, her courage is admirable. We should consider her a great hero,” Ji Kangyong agreed.

After a final check, Ji Kangyong switched off the warehouse lights, locked the door, and drove back to Qingli Community, where Chen Shunwei and Wang Lai were waiting to assist with the move.

With three people working together, the task progressed swiftly. Once everything was inside 901, Ji Kangyong gifted Wang Lai two boxes of instant noodles as a gesture of gratitude and a subtle way to ensure discretion.

The outcome remained the same, with Wang Lai excitedly sharing one box with Chen Shunwei, who shot him a look of irritation. “Got it! Keep your eyes shut and your mouth closed!”

From that point forward, they behaved as if the incident never occurred, avoiding any mention of it until a month later when Ji Kangyong returned with a box of liquor, further solidifying their admiration for Shen Yanming and his resourceful friends.

The weekend arrived, and after freshening up, Shen Yanming and Bi Qiao’an headed over to 901, where they were greeted by the amusing sight of three bald heads standing in a row.

“Congratulations on your new home!” Shen Yanming handed his gift to Ji Kangyong, while Bi Qiao’an presented a bag of freshly picked vegetables, perfect for the evening’s meal.

As they entered the living room, a split hot pot sat on the dinner table, the broth already bubbling. Ji Kangyong explained, “Let’s just have hot pot. My cooking skills aren’t great for much else.”

“That’s perfect! Eating hot pot in this weather is so cozy. And I brought fresh vegetables for dipping,” Bi Qiao’an replied with a smile.

Ji Kangyong expressed his gratitude for the fresh ingredients before heading to the kitchen to wash the vegetables. As he left, he turned to Zhang Heping and Li Zhaozhao, saying, “We three are lucky. We don’t have to eat dried vegetables today!”

In Ji Kangyong’s absence, Zhang Heping asked Shen Yanming about the vegetable seedlings at his place, learning that they were still alive thanks to the indoor temperature and Bi Qiao’an’s daily watering with used water.

“No wonder I admire you two. You always manage to live a good life,” Zhang Heping said with a hint of envy.

Shen Yanming patted his shoulder encouragingly. “You can do it too. Don’t give up!” he said with determination, thinking to himself about introducing a girlfriend to Zhang Heping to prevent him from ruining the second half of his life because of Song Qingqing and the others.

When Ji Kangyong returned with the washed vegetables, everyone had already prepared their dipping sauces and was waiting. The five of them sat around the split hot pot, eating and chatting without reservation.

Li Zhaozhao was the first to ask, “Tell us, how did you get out?”

“How else? I was kicked out,” Ji Kangyong said, picking up a slice of mutton. “This mutton from Qingli Mountain is delicious!”

Li Zhaozhao was the first to ask, “Tell us, how did you get out?”

“How else? I was kicked out,” Ji Kangyong said, picking up a slice of mutton. “This mutton from Qingli Mountain is delicious!”

“Of course! We saw the slaughtering ourselves. It’s real mutton, unlike the stuff in the market where you don’t know what it is,” Shen Yanming remarked.

“But there’s not much left. Who knows if we’ll be able to buy it at Qingli Mountain next year,” Li Zhaozhao pondered.

“Who knows? If the water source at Qingli Mountain dries up, the remaining livestock might die of thirst,” Bi Qiao’an added.

“And who knows how much vegetation will be left on Qingli Mountain after this dry season. It’s a shame for that pristine land,” Shen Yanming said, shaking his head.

Seeing that everyone was talking about Qingli Mountain, Zhang Heping was envious and couldn’t help but interrupt, “Old Ji, don’t change the subject. Tell us how you were kicked out.”

“How else?” Ji Kangyong said, seeing he couldn’t avoid the question. “I was just kicked out. My dad thought I was unfilial, and my stepmother complained that I ate and drank too much and kept making sarcastic remarks to me. I pretended not to hear and continued as usual. 

“Then, they couldn’t take it anymore and discussed cutting ties with me. After all, they still had their own beloved son. They later found fault with me and kicked me out. To completely sever ties, my biological father and stepmother even went through a notarization process.”

Ji Kangyong laughed as he finished. “Now I’m finally free!”

The reason he had endured for nearly thirty years before gaining freedom had a lot to do with the laws of Qinghua.

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