bookcurios Chapter 225 Trading
Chapter 225 Trading
Jack was always careful with each transaction, making sure no one discovered his secret dealings with Red. He remained vigilant during each delivery to avoid arousing suspicion from guards or other prisoners.
Jack skillfully opened the back door of the truck, revealing bags of clothes in the cargo box.
Meanwhile, the side door of the laundry room was opened by the guards, and prisoners walked out one by one, unloading bags of clothes under the guards' watchful eyes.
Jack walked into the cargo box, picked up a bag of clothes at his feet, and threw it into the arms of a black prisoner. He moved quickly and efficiently, trying not to attract attention.
Jack winked at the black man, then turned to the prisoners unloading the cargo and said, "Hurry up! Hurry up! Don't waste our time!"
The bag he just tossed into the black man's arms contained the item Red needed this time—the rock hammer that Andy had bought from Red.
After unloading the cargo, Jack approached the guard with a smile, offered him a cigarette, and began to chat with him in a friendly and cordial manner.
After all, interpersonal relationships are of utmost importance at all times and in all places.
......
A dozen minutes later, he silently turned around, got back into his car, started the engine, and drove slowly away from the prison.
The entire transaction proceeded calmly and naturally, without arousing any suspicion or alarm from anyone.
......
Inside the laundry room, the black man, Red, cautiously observed his surroundings, taking clothes out of his bag and throwing them into the washing machine. Only after the patrolling guard left did he take a brown paper bag out of his bag and quickly hide it in his clothes.
He now knew that by waiting for the right opportunity to hand the brown paper bag to Reed, his task would be complete, and he would receive his due reward.
......
Red stuffed the brown paper bag into a set of sheets and duvet covers, then placed the sheets and duvet covers in a corner of the shelf behind him.
As he watched the prisoners pass by one after another, and the bed sheets and blankets on the shelves behind him dwindling, Reid grew increasingly anxious.
If Red doesn't arrive soon, the goods will likely fall into the hands of other prisoners. At that point, the reward Red promised will be out of the question.
Red anxiously scanned the group and finally spotted him at the very end.
As Reed finally reached him, Red called out softly, "Reed!"
He then bent down, took a set of bed sheets and duvet cover from the shelf, and placed them on the counter.
Reed nodded slightly in response, then continued walking forward as if nothing had happened. At the same time, he quickly pulled two packs of cigarettes from his pocket and, in the instant he picked up the sheets and duvet cover, handed the cigarettes to Reed.
The transaction is complete, and both money and goods are exchanged.
Reed carried the sheets and blankets out of the laundry room, his expression calm and unperturbed the whole way.
Not far from the laundry room, Li Qing watched Reed's departing figure.
In the original storyline, Andy bought the stone hammer from Red only to use it for carving. However, during the carving process, Andy suddenly discovered a problem with the quality of the cell wall, which led him to try to dig a passage in the cell to leave himself an escape route.
......
Red returned to his cell full of anticipation, eagerly reaching his hand under the sheets and blankets, thinking, "I want to see what kind of hammer Andy wants."
The next second, he pulled out a brown paper bag.
Filled with curiosity and doubt, Reed slowly opened the brown paper bag. When he saw what was inside, he was dumbfounded.
Reed examined the small hammer in his hand closely and couldn't help but laugh: "Digging a tunnel with a hammer like this? How long would that take? ...It would probably take six hundred years to succeed!"
He smiled and shook his head, indicating that he had been worrying unnecessarily.
There's no way a hammer like that could dig a tunnel and escape.
......
Night fell, and the prison was silent.
Old Brooks, who was in charge of the prison library, slowly pushed a cart full of old books toward the fifth section of the prison.
His steps seemed somewhat heavy, and the cart creaked as he pushed it.
The prisoners in the fifth section did not react to Old Brooks's approach; they were used to his arrival.
Old Brooks had spent decades in Shawshank Prison. Due to his excellent behavior and advanced age, the prison authorities no longer assigned him to manual labor, but instead put him in charge of managing the prison library.
Despite being dealing with a group of prisoners who had no interest in books, Old Bu, out of his conscientiousness and sense of responsibility, still tirelessly asked each of them if they needed to borrow books: "Do you need a book?"
However, no matter how patiently he inquired, the answer he received was always the same—"No need."
It was obvious that the prisoners had absolutely no interest in the tattered books that Old Brooks had provided.
The prisoners preferred to spend their time on other things rather than reading these forgotten books.
As Old Brooks passed by Red's cell, he asked Red the same question as usual.
But I received a different answer.
"Goods for Andy."
After saying that, Reed put the stone hammer wrapped in cloth into the cart, and while pretending to take a book, he secretly slipped Old Cloth a pack of cigarettes as payment.
Old Brooks continued pushing the cart forward, stopping in front of Andy's cell. "Andy, your book."
After saying that, Old Brooks handed the stone hammer and a book to Andy.
"Thank you, Old Bu."
......
Opening the package and looking at the stone hammer in his hand, Andy smiled happily.
After playing with the stone hammer for a while, Andy threw it aside, lay down on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
He began to recall his experiences after being imprisoned, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he might really spend the rest of his life in this cage.
Just when he was almost in despair, Andy subconsciously turned over and lay on his side on the bed.
Under the dim, yellow light, Andy stared intently at the walls of the cell, and to his surprise, he discovered that some names were carved on them.
Andy read out the names one by one: "Peter... Benny..."
Each name is like a testament to history, recording the existence of the prisoners who once lived in this cell. They may have had their own different stories and fates, but now they are left here forever in this way.
Why would these people carve their names on the walls of their prison cells?
Is it to prove that you have left a mark on this world?
Or is this an expression of their yearning for freedom and their unwillingness to accept the fate of life?