Chapter 252 – You dare to collect toll? (1/2)
National Day holidays.
Red banners were hung everywhere in Beijing, and firecrackers can be heard now and then.
“Aunt Xuan, I will be going.”
“Ok. Your legs have just healed and must be careful while driving.”
“I know. Go back. I will return when I got the time.”
“Ok. Remember to give me a call when you reach Yan Tai County.”
“Ok.”
Somewhere near Yun De Auction Company, Dong Xuebing and Qu Yunxuan hugged and kissed for a while before separating. Before Dong Xuebing left, Qu Yunxuan helped him straighten his collar and tidy his hair. After that, Dong Xuebing boarded his Silver Mercedes Benz MPV, which was sent over by an officer from the Public Security Bureau when Dong Xuebing was hospitalized. Qu Yunxuan helped him closed the door and waved him goodbye. Dong Xuebing waved back and drove onto the road slowly.
Goodbye, Beijing.
Goodbye, Aunt Xuan.
After two months of rest, Dong Xuebing’s legs were almost healed. Although he cannot do any strenuous exercises, like running, jumping, he can still step on the accelerator and brakes. Dong Xuebing was bored to death after staying at home for so many days. That’s why after celebrating the National Day with Qu Yunxuan and her parents in the morning, he packed his stuff to return to Yan Tai County.
Five meters…
Ten meters…
Twenty meters…
Before the Mercedes moved more than thirty meters, Dong Xuebing saw a familiar face by the roadside.
It is that Wei Nan, and he is on his phone. He did not see Dong Xuebing and was walking towards the west. Wei Nan was Xie Huilan’s former fiancé and had several conflicts with Dong Xuebing in the past. They had met at the pearl necklace auction, during his dinner with Xie Huilan and Xie Hao, embarrassed him at Senior Xie’s mansion. There is no way they can settle their grudges peacefully.
Suddenly, Wei Nan noticed Dong Xuebing and gave him a cold smile.
Dong Xuebing returned a smile and continued his way.
After meeting Wei Nan, Dong Xuebing suddenly thought of Xie Huilan and Qu Yunxuan.
On his way to Yan Tai County, Dong Xuebing was thinking about his relationship problems. Aunt Xuan is virtuous and will be a good wife. On the other hand, Sister Xie is a career woman and can help him in his career if they get married. Although Dong Xuebing wants to make a decision, it is too hard for him to decide. He had slept with Aunt Xuan, and how can he dump her? It is the same for Sister Xie. They had kissed and hugged…
Slap! Dong Xuebing gave himself a slap to his forehead!
I am such a bastard. How can I fool around with so many women?!
If I had controlled myself and not go after Aunt Xuan, I would be dating Sister Xie now. If I had rejected Sister Xie in the first place, I might be getting married to Aunt Xuan now. Either way is the best ending. But now, two outstanding women are with me… and the outcome… might be a tragedy. Dong Xuebing shivered when he thought about it.
Not everyone can enjoy such luck with women!
Dong Xuebing was regretting. What should he do? How is he going to solve his relationship problems?
After driving for more than an hour, Dong Xuebing had entered the Hebei boundary. He had been thinking of a solution, but he is at his wit’s end. He got frustrated and irritated as he reached the outskirts of Yan Tai County!
An accident had occurred on the main road towards the County town, and there was traffic congestion.
Dong Xuebing turned into a side road and wanted to take an alternative route back.
After driving for a while, Dong Xuebing arrived at a farming area. There were farming fields on both sides, and donkeys are pulling carts of corns along the road. Dong Xuebing had been in Yan Tai County for more than a year and had drove passed this road before. After several turns and bends, he is around one kilometer away from the main road.
Suddenly, five to six villagers walked onto the road from the cornfields.
Dong Xuebing was afraid he would knock into one of them and quickly pressed the horn.
Those villagers turned around slowly to look at Dong Xuebing and continued standing in the middle of the road. After that, a few men pushed an old tractor from the fields onto the road, blocking Dong Xuebing’s path. Other than people, no cars can get past them.
Dong Xuebing was in a bad mood, and when he saw what the villager was doing, his face changed. He stopped about seven to eight meters away from the ‘obstacles’ and sounded the horn!
Honk! Honk! Honk!
A middle-aged man, standing in front, took out a cigarette pipe and started smoking with the rest of the villagers in the middle of the road. They were chatting softly and had no intention of letting Dong Xuebing pass. From far, a van with local number plate drove over from the opposite direction, and the villagers moved the barricades aside for it to pass.
Dong Xuebing had wanted to alight from his car, but when he saw an opening, he stepped on the accelerator and wanted to drive through.
But after the van passed the barricades, the middle-aged man and other villagers quickly blocked the road again.
Dong Xuebing got furious and shouted out from his window. “Move aside!”
The villagers ignored him and continued chatting there.
“Mother F**kers!” Dong Xuebing unfastened his seat belt and got off the car. His legs are not fully healed and had to walk slowly, as he approaches the villagers. “What’s the meaning of this? Why are you all blocking the road?”
The middle-aged man looked at Dong Xuebing and extended his hand. “Pay toll!”
Dong Xuebing sneered. Toll? You think this is a highway?”
The old man shrugged his shoulders and said. “If you don’t want to pay up, you can wait here. Anyway, we got nothing to do.”
Dong Xuebing understood what was going on. Such incidents are common in rural places near villages. This is how the villagers get extra income from blocking the roads. Don’t think of getting past them without paying. But normally, they will not block cars with local number plates and will target outsiders.
Under normal circumstances, people will try to avoid trouble and just pay up. The local villagers know what those visitors are thinking and take advantage of it. It is the National Day Holidays now, and many people will be traveling along this road. This is their opportunity to make a quick buck.
But Dong Xuebing is not someone who will give in.
Dong Xuebing sneered. “How much?”
The middle-aged man took a puff and said. “… 2,000!”
Dong Xuebing’s eyes twitched. “So, you all are trying to rob me?”
At this moment, a Volkswagen Passat, with a Beijing number place, approaches the roadblock from the opposite direction. The driver frowned and spoke to one of the villagers. After that, he gave that villager 200 RMB, and that villager waved his hand to the rest. The rest of the villagers start to clear the barricades to let the car pass.
Dong Xuebing looked at that middle-aged villager. “Why is that car allowed to pass with 200 RMB?”
The middle-aged man did not reply to Dong Xuebing. They had been doing this for years and can recognize the logo of Mercedes and BMW. These cars are driven by rich people, and the villagers must take advantage of them. Another middle-aged man got impatient and shouted at Dong Xuebing. “Hurry and pay up! We will let you pass after you pay us! Stop wasting time! You cannot even afford 2,000?!”
Another young man added. “Hurry up! The traffic is congested on the main road. Even if you turn back from here, you will also not reach the County in the afternoon.”