It had only been about three hours, and something like this could happen?
"Should we call the police?"
Zhou Jinbei, accustomed to civilization, thought this was Nancheng and instinctively wanted to call the police.
A Zhong shook his head, started the car, and grabbed a wad of tissue to plug the hole in the windshield.
"Forget it. There are no surveillance cameras in the village. It would be too much of a delay to wait for them to investigate. Let's just accept the loss and fix it ourselves when we get back."
"Then this matter has to be reported to my second brother, so he can reimburse you."
Zhou Jinbei was stating the facts.
She couldn't possibly work hard for them, risk herself, and then have to pay out of her own pocket.
A Zhong smiled but said nothing.
He shifted into reverse, preparing to back the car out.
However, when he stepped on the accelerator, the car veered to one side, and he heard a strange hissing sound from outside.
"Damn it!"
He punched the steering wheel in anger.
It seemed he had no choice but to call the police!
Someone had deliberately targeted them and let the air out of the tires!
A Zhong got out of the car, furious, and went to check the right rear wheel.
He hadn't noticed it before, but the tire had a large gash, and it was completely flat.
Soaked through, he got back into the car, gritting his teeth.
He took out his phone to call the police, and just then, the brick factory manager he had been dealing with earlier happened to drive past on his motorcycle.
Perhaps spotting the alarming damage from a distance, the manager rode his motorcycle directly to A Zhong.
A Zhong rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and asked.
"Are there any surveillance cameras nearby? If the police come, how likely are they to find the perpetrators in a situation like this?"
The manager shook his head.
"Do you know why none of us drive cars? Why we ride motorcycles to work? It's because of this."
"The brick factory has made the villagers here arrogant and lawless. The children are spoiled beyond belief."
"Slashing tires, smashing car windows, and scratching car bodies are common occurrences. Everyone covers for each other, and there's no evidence. Even if the police come, it's just a formality; it's useless."
"Do you have a spare tire? If you do, change it yourself. If not, call for a tow truck."
"I'm not trying to scare you. There's really no point in reporting it. The amount isn't large, and they won't take it seriously. It's a waste of time."
As he spoke, he saw a few children lurking by the corner of a house ahead, peeking over suspiciously.
He gestured for A Zhong to look.
"It might have been them. What can you do to them?"
A Zhong really didn't have time to fuss with a few children.
Fortunately, there was a spare tire in the car.
He prepared to get out and change the tire.
But there was no umbrella in the car, and changing the tire would take time. She couldn't possibly stand out in the pouring rain, could she?
Zhou Jinbei tugged his arm.
"Don't rush. I'll go find a villager for you. To borrow an umbrella."
"Forget it. With these villagers, they'll probably give you a bad attitude. Stay put and don't get your clothes wet."
It was already difficult enough for one person to jack up the car in a place like this.
How could she have the nerve to stay in the car and add weight?
As A Zhong spoke, he opened the car door and got out. Zhou Jinbei left her high heels in the car.
She also climbed out.
Stepping onto the wet, sticky mud and facing the torrential rain, he ran towards the children.
The children probably thought he was coming to scold them. After a few chirps, they scattered like startled birds.
A Zhong opened the trunk and took out the tools and the spare tire.
He felt a shadow flickering in front of him. Looking up, he saw Zhou Jinbei walking out.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to her.
But the rain was too heavy, and she couldn't hear him.
Never mind, she was already out there, so let it be.
A Zhong began to loosen the lug nuts.
It was her first time running barefoot in the mud, and it felt painful.
The ground was covered with small sharp stones and sand, as if they could pierce her flesh at any moment.
But thinking that A Zhong would be more comfortable changing the tire if he had an umbrella, she gritted her teeth and endured it.
By the time she reached someone's eaves, she was completely drenched.
She brushed the hair clinging to her face back, and with a thick skin, knocked on their door.
Soon, a middle-aged man with a gruff, unfriendly face peeked out.
A boy, about five or six years old, stood by his leg.
"What do you want?"
He asked in the local dialect.
Zhou Jinbei explained briefly, wanting to borrow their umbrella.
The man muttered something in the local dialect.
It was likely something like, "What's it to me? Just some outsider."
He slammed the door shut.
Was it really necessary?
It was just to borrow an umbrella, not to take their food!
She tried another house.
It was a woman with a child, not very old.
But her attitude was also very unpleasant.
She threw an umbrella into the yard. The frame was completely collapsed, with only a little fabric clinging to it.
She pointed the worn-out umbrella at Zhou Jinbei and then closed the door.
Zhou Jinbei was so disheartened she lost all confidence.
In Nancheng, borrowing a hundred yuan from a stranger would probably not have been as difficult as this.
Since she was already wet, she decided to just let it be.
With a dejected look, she walked back.
The raindrops streamed down in strings, flowing from A Zhong's hair, across his nose, down his jawline, one after another.
He had already removed the old tire, set up the jack, and was fitting the new tire.
Sensing Zhou Jinbei's return, he turned his head and saw her hands were empty.
"Where did you go?"
Zhou Jinbei, shivering from the cold, walked closer to him, squatted down, and hugged her arms.
"I went to borrow an umbrella, but I didn't get one. I didn't expect the people here to be so bad."
Given the situation, A Zhong seemed quite composed.
He smiled, "It's okay, we'll be leaving soon. Aren't you cold?"
"I told you not to come out, but you insisted. Now the car is tilted, and we can't get back in. You'll have to bear with it for now."
He knelt in the mud, his large hands powerfully turning the lug nuts.
His profile was stern, his muscles firm, exuding a very manly aura.
She had always seen him dealing with paperwork before; this was the first time she had seen him doing such physically demanding work.
Zhou Jinbei's heart, which she thought had calmed down, suddenly began to pound again.
She just watched him quietly like that.
Watching him use all his strength to tighten the lug nuts, lower the jack, push the flat tire into the grass to discard it, close the trunk, and wash his hands in a nearby puddle…
Everything was so manly and moving.
After finishing, A Zhong started the car, turned on the seat heater, and then spoke to Zhou Jinbei.
"It's uncomfortable to wear wet clothes. When the car heats up, I'll sit in the front, and you can take them off in the back."
"Cover yourself with a pillow; it shouldn't be too cold. I'll take you straight back to the hotel."
Huh?
She had to take off her wet clothes before getting in?
Zhou Jinbei subconsciously asked, "Then what about you?"
"I can't. I'd get caught by the traffic police."
Zhou Jinbei fell silent, feeling that A Zhong's suggestion wasn't a good one.
Besides, how would she get back to the hotel without clothes?
Seeing her silence, A Zhong glanced over his shoulder.
"I just don't want you to catch a cold from being soaked for too long. I'll get out midway and buy you new clothes…"
"If you feel it's inconvenient, you don't have to take them off. Let's go, get in the car."