It was almost ten at night when the coal truck finally arrived at Lin Lan's door.
Lin Guodong and Yang Zhigang shoveled the coal into baskets. Lin Guozhu and Lin Guoliang carried them into the house on shoulder poles, while Lin Lan, Zhang Xiuqing, and the others carried the baskets to the woodshed.
Many hands make light work. It didn't take long for them to unload more than half the truck's coal.
Lin Lan glanced at the remaining coal in the truck bed, then went inside and got a pack of Da Chongjiu cigarettes. She handed them to Yang Zhigang. "Go talk to the driver," she said. "Ask him if he'd be willing to take the rest of this coal to the East Market for us. See what he says."
Yang Zhigang nodded, climbed up to the driver's window, and handed the Da Chongjiu over with a smile. "Hey man, mind doing us a favor? Could you take the rest of this coal over to the entrance of the East Market's vegetable market for us?"
