The light turned green, Su Wei gently pressed the accelerator, the pickup truck starting smoothly. "However, it's a bit lonely with just the two of us. I'd like to call Black and Aruk too."
" Black?" Emily's mouth dropped open in surprise. "That Old Devil? He... he'd come to a private party like this? I heard he never participates in any social activities except for swearing at the guild."
Black was notorious on the island, known for his aloofness and coldness.
"Give it a try." Su Wei took out his phone and handed it to Emily. "Dial Black's number for me; I'm driving."
Emily carefully took the phone, scrolled to the contact list for the "Old Guy" with the nickname "€€€€", pressed the call button, and nervously turned on speakerphone.
"Dudududu"
The phone was answered very quickly, after only two rings.
"Explain."
Black's cold, hard voice came through the receiver, with the low growls of a hunting dog in the background.
Emily shrank back in fright and held the phone to Su Wei's mouth.
"Teacher, it's me, Su Wei."
"I can tell. That beat-up Dodge isn't falling apart yet?" Black's voice remained cold.
"Still holding on. But I did buy a new one." Su Wei didn't want to dwell on the matter and went straight to the point, "Are you free tonight? Come to my cabin for dinner. I bought some Angus beef and a few bottles of good wine; I'd like to invite you to try them."
"Also, regarding the deer heart you mentioned before, I'm confident I can make it delicious. Of course, I don't have that ingredient, so I'll have to ask you to bring it."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
A few seconds passed.
Emily held her breath, thinking he would hang up immediately.
"What time is it?"
Those two simple words made Emily's eyes widen.
Around six o'clock.
"Hmm. Then I'll go check out this Cotton Candy' you mentioned, and see if it's a fine fox."
"No problem."
"Click." The call ended.
Emily held her phone, staring at Su Wei in disbelief. "He... agreed? There aren't many people in the whole town who could get him to do that, are there?"
"That's just his temperament. Actually, the old man has a real craving for alcohol." Su Wei smiled, gesturing for her to continue, "Call Aruk again."
This time, the style changed drastically.
The phone had barely rang once when that familiar loud voice blared from the speaker, making the car windows vibrate.
"Hey!! Su Wei!! My God, brother!! I was just looking for you!!"
Aruk's voice was trembling with excitement, "I'm telling you, my dad and I are planning to go into the mountains in a couple of days! We heard there's a brown bear still roaming there! We're thinking of giving it a try. If you're rested, would you like to come along?"
Su Wei had to turn his head slightly to avoid hurting his ears. "Calm down, Aruk. I haven't thought about it yet, but it's still a while before the time you mentioned, so I can consider it."
"Also, I'm planning a get-together. It might seem a bit abrupt, but it's today. Do you want to come?"
"A meal?! A get-together!!" Aruk's voice suddenly rose, sounding very excited. "Really? You're going to have a get-together? I'm so happy, Su Wei! You've finally figured out how to get along with people! Wait... Su Wei, do you have enough seats? Can I bring a few people?"
Who should I bring?
"My parents, my sister, my brother... even my cousin heard about it and is now staying at my house!" Aruk chuckled sheepishly. "You know, the Alutiiq people are always very hospitable when it comes to gatherings."
"And she just happened to make that traditional berry meat pie today, it's as big as a tire! If I don't take them and eat it all by myself, my mom will break my legs with a rolling pin when I get home!"
Su Wei thought of the lively, even somewhat noisy, scene at Aruk's house.
That traditional Alutiiq family was warm, boisterous, and full of life.
Moreover, in my memory, their family had a very good relationship with the Su Wei family.
However, since Su Wei's parents passed away, and Su Wei has been struggling to pay off his debts.
All of these things were overlooked.
Now, he has to pick it up.
"OK."
Su Wei readily agreed, a smile playing on his lips. "Come on in. The more the merrier. But tell them not to bring too much stuff; I have plenty of meat and wine."
"Alright!! Su Wei, you're the best! You're the most generous hunter in all of Alaska!"
"I'll go tell my mom right now to pack that biggest pie! Even if we have to tie it to the roof of the car, we have to take it! Six o'clock, right? We'll be there at five-thirty... no, five o'clock to help you start the fire!"
Aruk hung up the phone excitedly; you could feel his joy even through the screen.
The car was no longer deserted.
Emily looked at Su Wei and smiled, "Looks like your cabin's going to be packed tonight."
"It's quite lively." Su Wei gripped the steering wheel, looking at the silhouette of Pillar Mountain faintly visible beneath the clouds in the distance. "Wooden houses should be lively."
"But now it seems we might need to buy more wine. I don't have that much stock."
He stepped on the gas, the pickup truck roared to life, turned around, and headed towards the supermarket.
Tonight is destined to be lively.
Chapter 109 The old guy retires, just buy a new one!
The accident happened just as the Dodge rounded the bend marked with a " Safeway Supermarket " sign.
Without any warning, a metallic tearing sound suddenly came from the chassis beneath my feet.
"Crack!"
Immediately following was a violent loss of speed; the car shook violently, and a piercing scream erupted from the engine compartment, rattling the coins on the center console.
Su Wei reacted quickly, gripping the steering wheel firmly the instant the power was lost, and using the momentum to slide the car toward the curb.
With a final, dull "bang," the engine, which had been in service for over twenty years, went completely silent, and all the malfunction lights on the dashboard instantly illuminated.
The carriage fell silent, with only the howling wind and snow outside.
Emily gripped the handrail, staring in shock at the hood billowing white smoke, her chest heaving.
"What... what happened? Did it explode?"
Su Wei unbuckled his seatbelt, his expression calm.
"It doesn't sound like an explosion; the sound suggests a problem with the gearbox."
He pushed open the door and got out of the car.
The biting cold wind immediately rushed into my collar.
Su Wei walked to the front of the car, reached into the gap under the hood, skillfully flipped the latch, and lifted the hood.
A burnt smell wafted over.
The entry for "[ Mechanical Repair LV2 ]" flashed in his field of vision.
He glanced at the black oil seeping from the connection between the engine and the transmission, and at the slightly deformed casing, and knew that the internal gears were broken.
This Dodge has reached the end of its lifespan.
A broken connecting rod can be repaired temporarily, but if the entire gearbox gear set collapses, there's no saving it.
"How about it?"
Emily lowered the car window halfway down, stuck her head out, and her delicate nose turned red from the cold.
"Can you still move? Should we call Jamie over? If it's not serious..."
Su Wei closed the hood with a muffled "bang".
He patted the fender, which was covered in snowflakes and oil stains.
"No need to call Jamie anymore."
Su Wei returned to the car, opened the door, and let in a blast of cold air.
"The planetary gear set of the transmission is completely destroyed, and the torque converter has also been shredded. The repair cost will be approximately four thousand US dollars, and we will need to wait two weeks for parts to be delivered."
The salvage value of this car is probably less than a thousand US dollars.
"What should we do then?"
Emily was a little dazed and subconsciously glanced at her phone.
"It's almost three o'clock now. Mr. Black and Aruk will be at the cabin at six. We still need to buy groceries and go back to prepare them..."
In this freezing, desolate place, without a car, it's impossible to move an inch.
Su Wei took out his phone, quickly swiped his finger across the screen, found a number, and dialed it.
"If it can't be fixed, then replace it with one that doesn't need fixing."
The call connected.
"Hello, Kodiak Ford Dealership Center. This is Su Wei. My car broke down at the bend on Highway 2 leading into town. Could you please send a tow truck over now and pick me up? I want to buy a car, a new one."
Su Wei hung up the phone and turned to look at Emily.