Unexpected Situation

The next day, when Zhou Yan got up, Mother Zhou had already cooked breakfast.

Besides thin porridge and pickled vegetables, there were also several palm-sized steamed buns, thick and solid-looking.

Those were Zhou Yan's lunch. He usually did not go home at noon and waste time; he would tuck the buns into his coat and take a few bites whenever business was slow, treating that as lunch.

Though these buns looked unremarkable, they were hefty—each one weighed roughly half a jin.

With Zhou Yan's appetite, eating five or six was nothing.

But he generally took only two or three, enough to ensure hunger would not affect his rickshaw pulling.

For one thing, the rest could be saved for the family to eat together that evening.

For another, Zhou Yan was worried about getting appendicitis. That would be no small matter.

In this era, appendicitis could practically be considered half a death sentence.

Zhou Yan gulped down the porridge in a few mouthfuls, stuffed three buns into his coat, and headed out.

"Mother, I'm off to work."

"Got it. Be careful."

When Zhou Yan left home, he took the three bamboo tubes from the door and hung them at his waist before striding away.

Once he reached the rickshaw depot, he picked a rickshaw, paid the deposit, and began looking for fares.

From his initial awkwardness to his present familiarity, not only had Zhou Yan become far more outgoing and confident, but there was now scarcely any place in all of Shen City that he did not know.

"Xiao Yan, over here."

On the street, a regular customer spotted Zhou Yan and immediately called out.

Zhou Yan hurried over. "Coming."

He stopped before the man and said respectfully, "Teacher Ye, are you going to the school?"

After three years of pulling rickshaws, he had come to know many people, and many people had come to know Zhou Yan.

Because his rickshaw was both fast and steady, his accomplished driving skills made it barely jolt even while racing along. He was better than some old hands who had been at it for ten or twenty years.

For that reason, those who rode rickshaws often gradually became familiar with him.

Teacher Ye stepped into the rickshaw and replied softly, "Yes. I got up late today, and I'm afraid I won't make it in time. Xiao Yan, go quickly."

"Don't worry, Teacher Ye. Sit tight."

With that, Zhou Yan broke into a swift run.

Sitting in the rickshaw, Teacher Ye felt the wind whistling past his ears as the scenery on both sides kept sliding backward.

"Xiao Yan, your skills really are impressive. Riding in your rickshaw feels almost like riding in an automobile."

Even while running, Zhou Yan still had enough breath to reply, "You flatter me, Teacher Ye. How could I possibly compare to an automobile...?"

As they chatted, they reached the school gates before long.

Teacher Ye climbed down, surprise flickering across his face. "Not bad, Xiao Yan. Your skills have improved again."

As he spoke, he handed Zhou Yan ten iron yuan.

Zhou Yan accepted them with a slight bow and smiled. "It's how I make my living. Naturally, I have to practice more."

Teacher Ye looked at Zhou Yan approvingly, said nothing further, and turned to enter the school.

Zhou Yan glanced at the school, then turned and left without hesitation.

For the rest of the day, Zhou Yan raced back and forth all over the city.

Because he was fast, he got more jobs. By the end of the morning, he had earned a full six or seven hundred iron yuan—six or seven copper coins.

That was already a pretty good haul.

Normally, after deducting the rental fee, a day's earnings came to around eight or nine copper coins, up to twelve or thirteen.

At lunchtime, seeing that there were no customers, Zhou Yan parked the rickshaw beneath the shade of a tree and bit into a bun soaked with sweat.

Beside him sat Xiao Qi, another rickshaw puller.

Xiao Qi was a year younger than Zhou Yan, only fifteen.

His family circumstances were much like Zhou Yan's. As the eldest son, he too had been forced to become the pillar supporting the household.

When Xiao Qi had first joined the depot, Zhou Yan saw that he was young and also a neighbor from Stone Pool Alley, so he had looked after him several times.

After that, Xiao Qi respected Zhou Yan beyond measure and became his loyal little brother.

"Brother Yan, these are pickled vegetables my mother made. Have a taste." Xiao Qi pulled an oil-paper packet from his coat, opened it, and offered it to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan did not stand on ceremony. He picked up a few strips of pickled vegetables and put them in his mouth, his brows immediately relaxing.

"Mmm, not bad. Aunt Ma's cooking really is something."

Seeing that Zhou Yan liked them, Xiao Qi beamed from ear to ear.

They both did hard physical labor and were at the age when they were still growing. Before long, they wolfed down their food, yet their faces still carried an unsatisfied look.

"Brother Yan, that woman is so beautiful!" Xiao Qi suddenly said.

Zhou Yan raised a brow and looked over.

He had thought Xiao Qi was talking about some young lady from a wealthy family and was about to warn him that disaster came from a careless tongue.

But Xiao Qi was actually staring at photographs of actresses outside a nearby cinema. Zhou Yan immediately nodded and chuckled. "She really is beautiful. Once you earn more money, you can take your family to the movies."

"I'm not going. Movie tickets are too expensive. They could buy dozens of jin of white flour—it's such a waste." Xiao Qi shook his head repeatedly.

At his age, his hormones were indeed running wild.

But since he had gone hungry from childhood, women held far less appeal for Xiao Qi than food did.

Besides, he was still just a green youngster. Though curious, his heart was simple and pure.

Zhou Yan, on the other hand, had lived two lives. His mind was very mature, and his body was beginning to mature as well. Looking at those alluring photographs, he could not help feeling heat rise within him.

But he swiftly suppressed those wandering thoughts, and his gaze gradually returned to normal.

It was not that he had no desires. His ambitions differed from those whose edges had been ground flat; he wanted more.

That was why he could endure more!

"Damn it, once I make it big, I'll have a dozen women like that!"

Zhou Yan rose and pulled his rickshaw away. After giving those photographs one last reluctant look, he strode forward with determination.

Having been reborn, he was unwilling to merely scrape by like this.

He wanted to live—and live like a proper human being.

The sun gradually sank, and the sky began to darken.

Zhou Yan pulled his rickshaw at a furious pace, his expression grim.

Earlier, he had gone quite far for a large fare. Coupled with a few unexpected complications, it was already getting dark by the time he headed back.

This was not the future. Once night fell, things became far more dangerous.

Who knew when some black-hearted bastard might leap out somewhere and stab him with a knife?

There had once been rickshaw pullers who fell prey to such foul play. Not only were they robbed, but even their rickshaws were dragged away, leaving them badly injured.

After that, within less than a month, there was never any news from that family again...