True Bricklaying

After settling the matter of going to school, Lin Fan began contacting the foreman he knew—Liu Dezhu.

Speaking of Liu Dezhu, he was a rather unfortunate man. Although his name sounded like "staying," he had actually failed to keep a single person by his side.

His parents had died young, his son had passed away, and his wife had run off with someone else...

Strangely enough, when he was all alone, his luck had improved. He had worked his way up to becoming a foreman and made quite a bit of money, but he had never dared look for another partner.

As he put it: "I'm a natural jinx. Anyone who gets involved with me ends up unlucky. Let's just leave it at that."

However, his painful experiences had taught Liu Dezhu to cherish what he had in front of him. He was also quite good to his friends and the workers under him, so everyone liked working for him.

Over the past few years, Lin Fan had worked under Liu Dezhu several times, hauling bricks on and off, so they were fairly familiar with each other.

Without hesitating, Lin Fan sent him a Feixin message.

"Brother Zhu, got any work?"

Liu Dezhu replied soon after.

"Whoa, didn't you get accepted for a master's degree? You still want to haul bricks?"

"If I've got no money, of course I have to work. I don't know how to do business, so I can only haul bricks to keep myself alive like this..."

"Fine, you're still as funny as ever. I'll send you the address. Come over first thing tomorrow morning. There just happens to be work that needs people."

"Alright, thanks, Brother Zhu."

After ending the conversation, Lin Fan felt even more at ease.

"Now I've got work too. With the Sole Supremacy Art entering the beginner stage, my strength and physical fitness are both improving. I should be able to haul bricks more efficiently and make money faster..."

"After working for a while, I shouldn't be so short of money anymore."

"But there's one troublesome issue. Is Qi Zixiao willing to haul bricks?"

Making the Saintess haul bricks...

He was probably the only person who could come up with something like that.

Yet he felt there was nothing wrong with it.

What was wrong with hauling bricks? The price was clearly marked, and the more you hauled, the more you earned. Wasn't that great? So he was definitely willing—but Qi Zixiao...

"That's really hard to say."

"Forget it. Tomorrow, while going there and coming back, I'll make her a guide. I'll let her know how to take the bus there and how to come back, and I'll also teach her how to haul bricks..."

"She was pretty obedient the last time she crossed over. She should haul them this time too, right?"

When he returned home, Lin Fan felt considerably more relaxed.

Problems existed to be solved.

For now, the matter of going to school could be considered more or less settled. As for lacking money? He had already found a job. As long as Qi Zixiao didn't cause any trouble, things would improve after a while.

And on top of that, as his 'cultivation' grew increasingly profound...

Hehehe.

Wasn't a wonderful future waving at him?

If someone asked what Lin Fan's goal was...

It was actually very simple. Just three words: 'climb higher.'

He had grown up in the countryside, and even attending university had required him to work part-time to earn enough tuition and living expenses...

That kind of life, that kind of feeling, was anything but pleasant.

In the past, Lin Fan had had no choice and could only proceed step by step. But now, an opportunity lay right before him, so of course he had to seize it with every ounce of his strength!

Not to mention anything else...

As long as he possessed martial arts skills, even opening a martial arts school would probably earn him quite a bit of money, right?

Money certainly couldn't represent everything, but it could represent a great many things.

At the same time, it could solve many troubles.

Lin Fan's ideal was that simple.

When he grew up, he wanted a decent house, a wife he loved, one son and one daughter, and a happy life.

But if it had been a few days ago, even such a simple life would have been enough to crush him.

But now...

Change was right before him. It began at this very moment!

After returning home and eating, Lin Fan once again sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

After cultivating for more than a day, the 'qi' within his body had grown nearly twentyfold. Moreover, it now traveled through his meridians on its own without stopping.

However, when Lin Fan actively cultivated, it moved even faster, and the efficiency was higher...

The next morning, at dawn.

Lin Fan took two phones and headed for the construction site whose address Liu Dezhu had sent him.

As he made his way there, he also filmed some relevant and necessary things...

For example, how to take the bus, which route to take, and at which stop to get off.

"On the way back, I'll take a taxi. That'll also let her learn more about modern life and modern things."

With that thought in mind, after getting off the bus, Lin Fan immediately found a taxi and began filming. "This thing is a taxi. You can raise your hand to flag one down and take it wherever you want to go. Oh, right, remember to pay..."

He really didn't want to end up in the police station again.

He had been lucky last time. If he went in again, things wouldn't be so easy.

"You're here?"

Upon seeing Lin Fan, Liu Dezhu smiled and casually pointed. "Over there. Go on. Be careful not to get hurt."

"Alright!"

Looking at Liu Dezhu, who was clearly only in his forties but had spent every day running around construction sites until he was tanned all over and looked closer to fifty, Lin Fan felt a pang of emotion.

The bricks at this construction site weren't the kind of thin paving bricks people usually imagined. They were larger 'cement bricks.'

Each one weighed several dozen pounds!

Based on Lin Fan's experience, a healthy adult man could generally haul around one hundred and fifty to two hundred bricks a day, while those in slightly poorer condition could manage only around one hundred to one hundred and fifty.

An average adult woman, meanwhile, could haul around sixty to one hundred.

The price for hauling one of these bricks was one yuan.

In other words, even a strong adult man would work himself half to death for a day and earn only around two hundred yuan...

The cement bricks before him had already been piled up like a 'small mountain,' and several workers were also bent over, toiling away.

Most of them were somewhat surprised when they saw Lin Fan arrive.

"Young fellow, you're so fair and clean. You came to haul bricks?"

"How strange..."

"You're a university student, aren't you?"

"Hey, university students have to eat too."

Lin Fan didn't mind chatting with them. He put on his gloves and started hauling!

Knowing how heavy this stuff was, Lin Fan practically used all his strength. However... the moment he lifted one, he suddenly staggered backward, stumbling several times in a row while holding the cement brick!

"Careful!"

"Are you alright?!"

Several people nearby hurried over and steadied Lin Fan.

"I'm fine. I used too much force..." Lin Fan grinned.

Those people had originally assumed that Lin Fan had staggered because he couldn't lift the brick. But after hearing his words, they took a closer look and discovered that Lin Fan was holding the cement brick steadily. How could he look even slightly short of strength?!

So... he really had used too much force?

The few men shook their heads and walked aside to continue their own work.

But that moment had still surprised them, and they couldn't help discussing it in low voices...

"This is really strange. That young fellow doesn't look like he has much meat on him, but how does he have so much strength?"

"Old Third, what do you think?"

The man called Old Third pondered for a moment. "He should be stronger than me..."

Thanks to "I'm Called Poverty," "Carefree Seeker of the Dao," and the other readers for your tips. Thanks as well for everyone's recommendations and comments. May you all be happy every day.