Chapter 9: Live Like a Cockroach

In this chaotic world, where can there be true tranquility

To put it another way, if there were no difference between the sprinting of professional athletes and that of ordinary people, then what would be the purpose of having coaches

During lunch, Chen Qiang learned from a newsstand that the newspaper office had started printing extra editions again

"Here is the newspaper for you." The man handed the newspaper to Chen Qiang and simultaneously asked, "You ran like the wind, what is your name?"

This white, fatty meat, if placed in the future, Chen Qiang would definitely not eat it; it is too greasy and has too high cholesterol, making it easy to develop "three highs". If he were to buy a bun and find so much fatty meat inside, Chen Qiang would surely curse the vendor for being so unscrupulous.

After several days without consuming meat, Chen Qiang once again tasted the flavor of oil, and although it was still the greasy taste of pork fat, it evoked a unique sense of emotion in him

After crying heavily, Chen Qiang became much more clear-headed.

Have I really fallen to such a state? I feel moved just by eating fatty pork!

Chen Qiang is not a history scholar; he does not have a clear understanding of this historical period and cannot even articulate the general course of events. However, he happens to be living in this era and has access to newspapers, so Chen Qiang can learn from the newspapers about what exactly is happening with the Middle East Railway.

On the contrary, the worker at the warehouse was taken aback; he had never seen a newsboy run so fast. While the others were still on their way, Chen Qiang had already arrived at the front.

Among the newsboys, fifteen-year-old Chen Qiang is considered relatively older. Moreover, Chen Qiang comes from a wealthy family, and coupled with the genes of a Shandong man, he is naturally taller than children from poorer families. When jostling in a crowd, his physique does not suffer.

Chen Qiang has also assumed the sprinting posture for the 100-meter dash

The newsboy behind wanted to catch up with Chen Qiang, but found that the distance to Chen Qiang was increasing.

Returning to the main topic, Chen Qiang ran at the fastest speed to the entrance of Chen Rujis, and just like yesterday, there were already nearly 30 newsboys waiting here, with more newsboys continuously arriving.

Everyone is not foolish; seizing an extra opportunity can yield at least an additional 0.1 yuan, and potentially as much as 0.2 or 0.3 yuan. With low investment and high returns, the money comes in quickly, so why not take advantage of it

Chen Qiang, unable to bear waste, licked the grease off his hands and then looked down at the minced meat.

I cannot catch up with him; how can he run so fast

Ah! Chen Qiang let out a long sigh, expressing both his helplessness at the nation's subjugation by foreign powers and his lamentation over the poor quality of newspapers in this era

This is a pig that does not consume feed, this is a pig that has never been given hormones, this is a pig that has not been fed with lean meat additives, and it is very likely that this is a free-range pig. Even if it has fat, it is still more delicious than the pigs that will come out of future pig farms

Chen Qiang walked out of the Chen Rujiji warehouse carrying a newspaper

The industrial level of old China was inadequate, as it could not even produce paper capable of printing double-sided newspapers

"Brother Chen Wu, my name is Chen Qiang, we are from the same family." Chen Qiang immediately struck up a close conversation with this fellow named Chen.

In 1861, before the founding of Shen Bao, the most influential and widely circulated newspaper in Shanghai was the Shanghai Xin Bao, which used double-sided imported paper. After the establishment of Shen Bao in 1872, the Shanghai Xin Bao ceased publication, as Shen Bao utilized single-sided paper, priced at only one-fourth of that of Shanghai Xin Bao.

At this moment, all negative emotions were finally released completely, transforming into a painful torment that entwined itself around Chen Qiang's heart

The white fatty pork unexpectedly radiated a crystalline glow under the oil lamp

Chen Qiang returned home after selling the extra editions, more than an hour later than usual

He was never that strong; arriving in a strange era, facing an unfamiliar environment, with no relatives in sight and uncertain of his future, his heart remained in a constant state of tension

Now, he has overcome the confusion he felt when he first crossed over, and the novelty of this era has gradually faded. His once tense heart has finally relaxed, and his emotions have finally been released

Green vegetables are indeed the cheapest type of vegetable

I want two stacks!" Chen Qiang directly took out the money

At last, the gate opened, and the newsboys rushed chaotically towards the entrance, their fervor more intense than that of shoppers on Black Friday vying for a heavily discounted television.

Since arriving in this era, he has yet to taste meat!

Chen Qiang took a bun, took a bite, and the oil and juice spilled out, covering his hand

It is not unusual to have extra editions every day; during unexpected events, there may be many extra editions in a single day

At that time, newspapers were printed on one side only. The reason for this single-sided printing was primarily due to the poor quality of the paper; if printed on both sides, the text would bleed through to the other side

In the next moment, tears could not be suppressed and began to well up in Chen Qiang's eyes

However, in this era, the general populace is often lacking in resources, and fatty meat buns are considered the best. The more fatty meat there is in the buns, the more it indicates that the owner is honest in business; conversely, if there is more lean meat, it will lead people to perceive the owner as unscrupulous

Desolate, helpless, lonely

For the Soviet Union, this is a unifying congress, a victorious congress, so there is no time to take military action against the Middle East Railway for the moment. Now that the congress has concluded, the Soviet Union will inevitably allocate resources to address this incident

Fatty meat ... ... truly fragrant

Sprinting is indeed a skill; there is a significant difference in speed between those who can run and those who cannot. Ordinary individuals who have not undergone professional training, when running 100 meters, regardless of their speed, are merely running without any technical proficiency.

... ...

He resolutely wiped away his tears, then picked up another meat bun and bit down hard, allowing the juices to flow from the corners of his mouth

Chen Qiang suddenly recalled a scene from "The Shawshank Redemption" where the protagonist Andy helps a prison guard evade taxes and in return receives some beer. Andy does not indulge in it; instead, he simply sits in the sunset, quietly watching his fellow inmates drink beer, savoring that illusory freedom

Today, I managed to get an extra edition, and Chen Qiang earned an additional 0.2 yuan. He treated himself to a meal and bought four meat buns

So it turns out we are from the same family! The expression of the fellow became much more amiable, as the original disdain in his eyes had significantly diminished.

When Mr. Sun Yat-sen was gravely ill, the entire nation was concerned. Newspapers would publish an extra edition every hour, and the content of these editions would report whether Mr. Sun had vomited in the past hour, his pulse rate per minute, and his breathing rate per minute, essentially providing a live broadcast of his condition

The focus of today's major newspapers remains on the incident involving the Middle East Railway. After General Zhang from Northeast China took control of the Middle East Railway by force, the situation has escalated further. The Soviet Union has yet to take any substantial action, primarily because the Communist International is currently holding a conference in Moscow

It is a meat bun, filled with a mixture of green vegetables and pork, the cheapest variety among all pork-filled buns

Chen Qiang comes here every day to pick up newspapers, and he is quite familiar with the faces around. However, the staff do not know his name

As the sky darkened, Chen Qiang lit the old oil lamp, and the faint light illuminated the entire grass shed. Chen Qiang leaned against the grass, enjoying this moment of tranquility

Chen Qiang sells newspapers while reading them. The advantage is that he knows how to read and understands the content of the newspapers, which always enables him to sell them successfully

Who is that? Running so fast

There are indeed papers that can be printed on both sides, but they are imported papers. Imported paper can be printed on both sides, but the price is approximately four times that of domestic paper. Using two sheets of domestic paper to print two single sides is cheaper than using imported paper to print on both sides.

Chen Qiang feels that he is likely in a similar mindset now, quietly enjoying this false tranquility in a strange era, in an unfamiliar place, and in an alien environment

Chen Qiang had previously trained in sprinting, and after undergoing 100 hours of training last night, he was now sprinting with ease. In just a few breaths, Chen Qiang was the first to rush into the sorting warehouse of Chen Rujis.

This time, Chen Qiang was also eager to seize the opportunity, determined to secure the extra edition. He even slightly bent his body to facilitate a quicker start when the race began

Chen Qiang let out a long sigh; there is no beer here, but there are four buns.

However, Chen Qiang knew that this fellow also had the surname Chen and was a relative of the owner of Chen Rujis.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Qiang squeezed out of the crowd and rushed towards the warehouse

Since I have come to this era, I must live well! I will be strong and live like a resilient cockroach!