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Wang Lijuan went to make a phone call. At this moment, Gao Ming was already arguing with the driver, and a crowd had gathered around them.
"Damn it, who rides without paying!" the driver muttered foully.
"Don't curse at me!" Gao Ming pointed at the driver. "You were the one who tricked me into paying a few cents more. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken your cab! Let everyone judge for themselves!" he called out to the onlookers.
The crowd consisted of all sorts of people.
Wang Lijuan returned after making the call. Seeing Gao Ming in a heated argument with the driver, she stepped forward and said to the driver, "You told us it would be just a few cents, so why is it over a hundred here? Isn’t this clearly a scam? You’re just taking advantage of us outsiders!"
With Wang Lijuan joining in, her presence naturally drew attention. Most of the crowd began to side with Gao Ming; it was clear that the driver was in the wrong. The driver's face turned red, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
Gao Ming's brother-in-law received the call and arrived with his cousin Shen Yu. Gao Ming's brother-in-law wasn’t very tall but was quite sturdy; he worked as a mechanic and had been living in Beijing for several years without moving from Qinghe.
Upon seeing the driver, he exclaimed, "What’s going on? Are you bullying kids or what?" He was ready to confront the driver.
Shen Yu quickly pulled him back. "Don’t be so impulsive; let’s find out what happened first."
"He cheated us and cursed at me!" Gao Ming explained to his brother-in-law.
"You heard that? Gao Ming and his friends came looking for us, and they’re being bullied right at their own doorstep!" he said sternly to Shen Yu.
"Brother, calm down! Listen, I didn’t cheat them; the fare is calculated by the meter. It’s exactly what it should be, right?" The driver forced a smile at Shen Yu's husband.
"Let’s put that aside for now! I just want to know why you cursed at him. Of course we’ll pay whatever you charge for your ride! But if you curse at him, you need to give me an explanation!" Gao Ming's brother-in-law said with an unfriendly smile.
"Brother! I didn’t curse at him; it was just casual talk! How could I curse at him?" The driver softened his tone and smiled apologetically.
“Did you hear him cursing Gao Ming?” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law turned to Lan Lan and the others. Lan Lan and Li had no response.
Wen Ling approached and whispered, “I heard him; he just cursed Gao Ming's mother!”
“Little sister, we must speak honestly. That was just a slip of the tongue!” The driver looked at Wen Ling.
Wen Ling turned away and ignored him.
“That was just a slip of the tongue! Cursing someone is just talk! I can give you money, but you must apologize to him!” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law said sternly to the driver.
“Brother! I was wrong earlier. It was just a saying, not meant to insult you. Please don’t take it to heart!” The driver smiled apologetically at Gao Ming.
“Exactly! Harmony brings wealth! If it had been like this from the start, there would have been no need for any awkwardness!” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law smiled. “Alright, it's not a big deal. How about you come over to our house for some tea? Thank you for bringing them here in this cold weather!” He completely changed his demeanor and became unusually amiable.
He then pulled out some cigarettes, offered one to the driver, and lit it for him, showing considerable courtesy. Seeing that there was no argument anymore, the crowd began to disperse.
“Could you please take them to my house? With all this luggage, it would be inconvenient for us to carry it, right? We can settle the fare together; I’ll pay you shortly,” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law said with a smile to the driver.
“Alright!” The driver saw that Gao Ming's Brother-in-law was quite nice and nodded happily.
Thus, Gao Ming's Brother-in-law rode his bicycle ahead while Shen Yu and Gao Ming sat in the taxi following behind. Before long, they arrived at the courtyard where Shen Yu and the others lived.
After stopping the car, Gao Ming and the others took their luggage inside. Gao Ming's Brother-in-law smiled at the driver, “How much is it from Qinghe to here? Let’s settle it properly so you don’t lose out.”
The driver, unsure of what he was up to, chuckled, “Let’s say 10 yuan; it would normally be 12 by meter!”
"One dollar is one dollar. I can't let you suffer a loss; it's not easy for you either! It's freezing out here; why not go inside and have some water?" Gao Ming's Brother-in-law was quite polite.
"I'm not going in, ha ha! Just give me what you owe."
Before the driver could finish, Gao Ming's Brother-in-law called out, "Gao Ming, come out here!"
Gao Ming had just entered the house when Shen Yu poured them some hot water. He hadn't even taken a sip when he heard his cousin-in-law calling him and quickly ran out.
"How much did you pay the driver to take you to Qinghe?" he asked Gao Ming with a smile.
"He charged us a few bucks but then demanded over a hundred when we arrived!" Gao Ming replied, a bit annoyed.
"I only need to hear the first part; there's no need for the rest!" Gao Ming's Brother-in-law chuckled at Gao Ming.
"The driver is like this; your few bucks are lost on them. Honestly, I can't make sense of your pricing list either. We're just country folks from the village; we haven't seen much of the world. I'll give you 45 yuan; that way, you won't lose out, and it's fair enough. It's tough for everyone!" Gao Ming's Brother-in-law said with a smile as he took out 45 yuan to hand to the driver.
"Brother, that's not enough! 45 yuan won't even cover the gas!" The driver refused to accept the money with a forced smile.
"If you don't take it, then it can only be considered your goodwill in bringing them here. There aren't many noble people like you around! I sincerely appreciate it! Let's bow to you together, and we won't give you any money!" He actually bent down to bow to the driver, then tucked the money back into his pocket, pulling Gao Ming along as he turned to leave.
The driver hurriedly came up and grabbed him: "Brother! You have to give me something for gas!"
"I suggest you don't pull me like that! Us Sichuan people can sometimes have a bit of a temper. If I lose my cool, it would be quite embarrassing for both of us," Gao Ming's Brother-in-law replied with a cold smile over his shoulder.
The driver's face turned red as he looked around; there wasn't a soul in sight. If things escalated into a fight, there would be no one to help. The driver had no choice but to hold back his anger: "Fine, 45 it is! Consider it helping out this brother!"
“Master really speaks well. Keep this and take a look at the money!” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law said, pulling out 45 yuan from his pocket and handing it to the driver with a smile.
The 45 yuan was all in coins, not worth counting. The driver took the money without even counting it and stuffed it into his pocket. He got into the car and turned around to head back.
“I can’t believe you! What were you arguing with him for? What if he hit you?” Gao Ming's Brother-in-law complained to Gao Ming.
Gao Ming lowered his head, not saying a word.
“Hurry up and go inside. Let your sister make some food for you; you must be hungry, right?” he said, pulling Gao Ming along with concern.
Once they entered the house, Shen Yu cooked some noodles for them. As they ate, Gao Ming couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of that driver.
By this time, it was already bright outside.
Gao Ming's Brother-in-law said, “Gao Ming, go sleep in my dorm at work for a bit. A few girls can stay at my place. Shen Yu, go borrow a few IDs, and then you all can get into the factory where you are. It’s tough for you folks from Henan to find work. Hehe! Your sister is still using our Sichuan connections!” He laughed again while looking at Gao Ming.
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