Chapter 6, A Ren, we are together

Yang Deguang scratched his head and said, "I didn't even finish elementary school before I came out to seek a way to make a living..." Yet, his feet had never really stopped moving.

Leaving the urban buildings, there is a somewhat dilapidated concrete road leading to the riverbank, which continues directly to the rocky beach by the river. Following the stone steps to the midpoint of this road, a vast expanse of densely packed shabby shanties extends far into the dead corners beneath the city. In contrast to the bustling atmosphere of vehicles on the riverside road, the shanties are enveloped in a chaotic silence.

Yang Deguang laughed heartily, feeling a greater sense of familiarity with the origins of Shijianren's small place: "In summer, the water rises; in winter, it recedes. The water line for drinking changes constantly, so the distance from the dock to the shore keeps changing. All the docks rely on us to gradually carry the goods up the ramp! Without our efforts, these goods would not be able to reach the shore!"

Shijian Ren's smile deepened for a moment before it faded as he continued, "Hmm, I have energy. Please introduce me to this place. This is my first time in Jiangzhou City; I just arrived this morning after taking the overnight train." Anyone who has traveled by train for one or two days would have greasy hair, but he often takes care of himself in the mountains.

The gaze shifted from the buildings across the river to the wide river surface, and then to the riverbank in front. Shi Jianren nodded in admiration, saying, "How vast! In our county town, there is only one ferry that can carry twenty people at most."

Even if one cultivates a calm demeanor like still water, it is still impossible to control the spread of saliva at all times

A plate of steaming hot braised pork was immediately served, with the salted vegetables perfectly complementing the neatly arranged golden yellow slices of fatty meat, the aroma was simply more intense than any delicacies from mountains or seas

The young man chuckled lightly: "My name is Shi Jianren, just call me A-Ren."

In fact, the two individuals continued to descend, moving from the main road where buses could be found into the narrow stone steps beside it. They then entered a crowded alleyway where only trucks could pass, traversing through shops within the market and passing by a fire escape. Further down the passage, they arrived at the wholesale market warehouse area filled with numerous large extended trucks, bustling with manual laborers and forklifts. The customers and vendors they had seen on the road earlier gradually diminished as they progressed. Continuing downward, they crossed through the parking lot at the very bottom of the market building, suddenly emerging outside the structure that seemed to be at the edge of the city, where a wide river appeared before them.

But at this moment, his stomach audibly grumbled, having only eaten a plain steamed bun since yesterday. When has he ever endured such hardship in the mountains

Yang Deguang pointed as he passed by: "This is where we live..." Shi Jianren looked down and saw that it was mostly sand and gravel trucks as well as passenger boats with people coming and going. He thought that Yang Deguang was taking him to dig for sand and gravel or to load goods onto a barge, and took a few deep breaths to prepare for the new job

Shi Jianren could not help but swallow loudly

Shi Jianren shook his head: "No, I have read it in a book"

Yang Deguang certainly did not make a fuss, yet his hand, which he had been holding up, seemed to never come down: "Our dock is located at the confluence of two rivers. In ancient times, it was a dock where merchants found convenience in their trade. You see those clusters along the riverbank, that is the dock. It is not just one barge that constitutes a dock; a cluster, which consists of several barges, can accommodate more than ten lighter ships to be considered a dock. Altogether, there are twelve docks..." You see those clusters along the riverbank, that is the dock. It is not just one barge that constitutes a dock; a cluster, which consists of several barges, can accommodate more than ten lighter ships to be considered a dock. Altogether, there are twelve docks...

The young man smiled and reached out his hand, and Bangbang was momentarily taken aback before responding. He forcefully opened his five fingers and shook hands with the young man, as if his emotions suddenly became fervent: "Come! I will take you to see..."

It is evident that Yang Deguang has indeed been here for quite some time. As the two walked along, many people greeted him. In addition to the street vendors, there were also drivers by the roadside, staff at newsstands, security personnel, and even busy merchants in the shops. It is not that he has an exceptionally good rapport with everyone; rather, there are simply too many people. Recognizing a few allows for a casual wave or nod as they pass by, and there is also a polite smile directed towards Shi Jianren.

Indeed, the young man holding the wooden stick deliberately followed closely behind, quickly catching the attention of the one with the stick, who turned around, scratching his messy hair with his short, carrot-like fingers, and asked: "What... do you want?"

Observing the planks that almost connect the floating boats in the river to the shore, there are basically lines of workers resembling ants transporting goods. Shi Jianren sincerely exclaimed: "Such a vast market is built up little by little by shoulders; the Great Wall is also constructed brick by brick; it is truly impressive!"

Even without a social group, if one wishes to integrate into this environment, it is better to follow this person who has also just returned to the dock area than to aimlessly seek work on the streets. Moreover, the other person's honest gaze and the way they sit up straight in the car give the young man a sense of assurance, not to mention their appearance.

Having worked as a porter at this dock for several years, it seems that no one has ever taken the initiative to shake his hand. This warm sentiment prompted him, as he turned to lead the way, to suddenly speak more: "My name is Yang Deguang, and I have been working here for five years. What is your name, brother?" As he spoke, he instinctively spread his arms to clear the surrounding crowd, hoping to make it easier for the young man to walk.

Having grown accustomed to the Shijianren of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, he was once again struck by the vast and mighty river before him, flowing slowly yet irresistibly. However, it was not as overwhelming as the last time; after all, he had seen some large rivers on his journey. For someone who places great importance on self-cultivation and the teachings of his ancestors, this was merely a first-time visual impact, eliciting at most a mental "oh". So this is the feeling of the Yangtze River flowing eastward, as beautifully described by the ancients

Yang Deguang was impressed in return: "Ah? You have been to the Great Wall?"

Yang Deguang chewed for a moment and said, "Is it... a... wretch...?" Yet there was not a hint of mockery in his tone, only a slight disbelief that parents would give their child such a name. He quickly clumsily shifted the topic, "Oh... A Ren, have you been here before? I see you still have strength; as long as we have strength, we will have work to do"

The young man cupped his hands and said, "I have just arrived here and would like to work alongside you. Is that possible?"

Yang Deguang did not ask him why he came to this city to be a porter, but immediately waved his hand as if reciting from memory: "Over here is the small commodity wholesale market, here is the knitted goods wholesale market, there is the fabric wholesale market, and over there is the clothing wholesale market. In this entire area, there are several streets with eighteen large wholesale markets, of which eight are clothing wholesale markets, and there are many small wholesale markets in the corners, providing numerous job opportunities... Brother Zhang, this is A Ren, we are together... Master Liu, this is A Ren, we are together... Brother Zhang, this is A Ren, we are together... Master Liu, this is A Ren, we are together... Thank you, Boss Xie... Sister Wang...

The gaze of the young people was fixed on the delivery worker who had just gotten off the vehicle

The young man who successfully leveraged the opportunity to enter this dock did not display any pride on his face; he merely nodded politely, even though others largely disregarded his reaction

A single meal's kindness, a lifetime of repayment

Unexpectedly, Yang Deguang led him to a row of filthy, dilapidated brick houses by the roadside, all of which were restaurants with sewage flowing freely and temporary shops selling fruits and souvenirs. He then strode into a small restaurant filled with people and shouted, "Boss lady! Bring me a plate of boiled pork and two bowls of tofu rice!" Turning to Shi Jianren, he asked, "Do you drink? Let's have some liquor!"

This young man is not particularly tall, around twenty years old, but his upper body is extremely solid, and his arms are quite robust, clearly a result of years of physical labor. At this moment, however, his expression is genuinely simple-minded: "It's... good, you..." He strained to look at the young man's relatively sturdy physique but could not pinpoint any differences from his own. After scratching his head a few more times, he was at a loss for what to do.

Shi Jianren was somewhat surprised: "I... I haven't started working yet..." He actually wanted to say that we are not yet familiar with each other, and that he had already done the job twice, knowing that even a bowl of rice shared between strangers is filled with sweat!

Yang Deguang laughed heartily as he patted Shi Jianren's arm: "Brother! The moment I see you, I feel joy! I moved things all morning today and earned fifteen yuan, so I will treat you! The food here is plentiful!" He then introduced to the surrounding men, who were dressed similarly, "Aren! We are together!"