Chapter 10, who is the fool after all

I am most annoyed by you lecherous porters, who only know how to drool sneakily and cunningly!

Relaxing the tension in his shoulders, Shi Jianren was enthusiastically pulled by Manager Wang and that young Zhang into the corner of the fire escape. Although this area was still cluttered with goods and there were quite a few people around, at least not everyone was watching. The young man got straight to the point: "Boss, we are laborers and still have work to do, so please speak frankly."

Those female vendors resorted to all sorts of vulgarities typical of the marketplace: "Damn your mother, you filthy mover! Clumsy and trying to take advantage, and still daring to hit people..." One of them even spat, but fortunately, Shi Jianren quickly pulled Yang Deguang aside to avoid it

Whoever acts foolishly is indeed a fool

If it were someone else, they would most likely feel a sense of astonishment at this moment. Yang Deguang touched the back of his head, feeling somewhat incredulous yet also as if it were only natural. His face flushed red, and he dared not speak.

Then, General Manager Wang concealed the brilliance in his eyes for a moment, and slowly took out a pack of cigarettes: "Ah, it's nothing, nothing at all. Meeting is also a kind of fate. Let's have a smoke, good tobacco!"

At that moment, a voice suddenly came through: "What are you doing! Is this a big deal? Do you still want to make it a chaotic mess?"

Although it was a kind gesture to help, the security guard turned to the vendors and said something even more hurtful: "It's just two sticks; what’s the point of arguing with such people? If you want money, there’s none to compensate; if you want a life, there’s only one. What else can you do?"

The voice of that Manager Wang is much more agile than his physique: "Twenty yuan, did you buy this piece of wood?"

Yang Deguang and that little Zhang's eyes fell upon the black wooden stick in Shi Jianren's hand

The plot twist occurred so rapidly that those around were somewhat bewildered, like a monk unable to comprehend the situation. The woman, in particular, seemed to come to an abrupt halt, akin to a chicken caught by the neck, staring incredulously at the middle-aged man

President Wang laughed heartily as he stepped forward and grabbed Shi Jianren's bare shoulders: "It's fate that we bumped into each other, little brother. You look to be in great shape. Come, come, let's find a place to sit down and have a cup of tea"

If it were the first day doing this work, one would surely feel a rush of blood to the head, utterly embarrassed. However, Yang Deguang wore an expression as if he were unbothered by the presence of more lice, standing there with a blank look, even leaning to shield the taller Shijian Ren behind him. No matter how much those women scolded, he did not retort, as it was clear that these women could not possibly touch the two sweaty porters.

The scene was fierce and aggressive, yet no one dared to intervene. A large crowd had gathered along the bustling passageway to watch the commotion. Finally, the security personnel responsible for maintaining order in the market arrived. Upon seeing the familiar porters, they felt a sense of superiority and waved them away, saying: "It's early in the morning; instead of working properly, what are you making a fuss about? Move along, move along, and get back to your tasks!"

Gazing brightly at Shi Jianren

Shi Jianren had never bowed his head; with keen eyes and quick hands, he pulled Yang Deguang aside. As a result, the man who had missed his footing lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground. This infuriated the other men even more, and they jumped up, ready to strike. Shi Jianren could only helplessly raise his hand to block a bit.

Then Boss Wang finally adjusted his emotions and seemed to casually recall something: "Uh, right, this month my old man is celebrating his birthday. Xiao Zhang, what do you think about me buying a straight piece of wood to carve a cane for him? I think this black wood is quite straight."

Thus, he also forced a smile as he drew out the stick from his waist. It is said that since ancient times, heroes do not inquire about their origins; even Guan Yu, known as Guan Yunchang, was once a straw sandal seller. How is it that these people now regard the carriers' sticks with such disdain?

Shi Jianren saw the vendor stumbling and falling beside him, and he immediately reacted. He hurriedly put down his goods and reached out to support her. As a result, the scream that erupted from the female vendor, who had almost fallen onto the concrete ground thanks to Shi Jianren, was even more intense than when she had collided with him. She disdainfully recoiled from Shi Jianren's hand, as if it were covered in bacteria, vigorously patting her clothes where he had touched. Her companions, who had originally begun to scold the two boys in high-pitched voices, immediately redirected their anger towards Shi Jianren: "What are you touching, you bastard! Do you have any shame? You filthy mover, how dare you touch her? Was it you who bumped into her?"

Yang Deguang expressed his dissatisfaction: "Twenty? ! My bamboo pole costs thirty yuan in the daily goods market. My brother will sell it to you and add money to buy another bamboo pole. Do you think we are fools?"

It is slightly shorter than the bamboo poles typically held by ordinary stickmen, and of course, it is not as thick as a bamboo pole. To be precise, it resembles a stick just over 1 meter in length, with a straight shaft and uniform thickness at both ends. The ends of the stick have been ground into a hemispherical shape. The black color is somewhat rare, and the knotted wood grain is very clear, though it has been smoothed out. It appears rather plain and unremarkable. To be more illustrative, it is quite similar to the Golden Cudgel, just not as long.

It is very straightforward

Holding a golden shoulder pole in hand, yet coming to act as a porter?!

The security guard nodded and waved to disperse the crowd: "Alright, alright, it's fine now... You just know how to watch the excitement, how can you do business like this..."

General Wang, with shining eyes, the clumsily acting Xiao Zhang, and the flushed Yang Deguang were all stunned

What is there about oneself that is worth seeking by the other party

Shijian Ren felt as if his heart was as clear as a mirror. He glanced at the densely packed crowd around him, smiled, and first put an end to the conversation: "Is the boss really not going to pursue this any further?"

It is very contradictory

Covered in grease and dirt, how dare you touch everything! Call the police to catch the bad person

The man who had fallen was relentless in his cursing. He grabbed a broom from the side to strike at others, while several women noisily cheered him on. The originally dazed Yang Deguang quickly drew out the bamboo pole from his waist to defend himself; he could refrain from striking back, but he could not allow himself to be beaten without reason! Shi Jianren noticed that the nearby thugs also took out their sticks and subtly signaled to him, yet no one came forward to help.

Then, President Wang repeatedly took charge, saying, "It's all right, it's all right, Xiao Zhang, come over and shake hands with this young man! We are all out here trying to make a living, it's not easy." The man who had just been so arrogant and had jumped up to kick and hit him awkwardly approached to shake hands with Shi Jianren, but the young man directed his imposing demeanor towards the security guard, as at least at this moment, he was the only one in uniform.

The innocent porter watched as his good intentions gradually escalated to a level requiring police intervention, yet he remained calm, merely shaking his head in resignation and calling for Yang Deguang to turn around with the cargo. However, the female vendor would not allow him to leave, screaming like a child throwing a tantrum, cursing the porter’s livelihood as being worse than that of pigs and dogs, and more worthless than mud that cannot be propped up against a wall, creating a truly absurd scene.

With genuine intent, he merely blocked with his arm, without any counterattack. The opponent's body, honed daily in the mountains, was as strong as steel and iron. Instantly, the opponent felt pain as if his forearm were about to break, and amidst his cries, he repeatedly shouted: "The stick is hitting me! Damn thief, with a face full of muscle, I won't let you off easily, you damn..."

Then President Wang didn't even glance at that woman: "What a big deal! What's all the fuss about? Little brother, don't stoop to a woman's level! One should be magnanimous in life..." As he spoke, he reached out to put his arm around Shi Jianren's shoulder.

Two or three men accompanying Xiao Zhang hurried over to pull Yang Deguang, but despite his short stature, this fellow stubbornly stood there, unmoved by the tugging of several people, like a rock. He fixed his gaze intently on Shi Jianren, fearing that he might be deceived by others or miss out on a good opportunity.

A glance at the heavy makeup on the other person's face made Shi Jianren feel somewhat nauseated, yet his gaze was fixed on the face of that "General Manager Wang" whose chubby face and large ears had an unexpectedly bright look in his eyes at that moment

Shi Jianren took half a step back, avoiding the greasy hand: "We apologize for bumping into you while moving things. If there is nothing else, we will continue with our work."

Although he is unaware that the modern medical term for it is actually pupil dilation, and that under extreme excitement the pupils can even dilate up to four times, the most common expression passed down through ancient sayings to describe this phenomenon is "eyes shining with the sight of money"

Shi Jianren lowered his head to look at his stick, and just as his gaze left Mr. Wang, the middle-aged man made a gesture to his companion. Xiao Zhang, who had just been cursing loudly, immediately said: "Oh... uh... oh, right! Right! A cane! Buy the old man a wooden stick to carve a cane, great! You name a price, Mr. Wang will buy it for you, one or two..."

Shi Jianren appeared somewhat surprised; this person's appearance, from any angle, did not exude the kind of righteous spirit associated with noble integrity. However, he saw the woman he had just assisted immediately adopt a somewhat affected tone, feigning a coy demeanor: "Mr. Wang... you didn't see these two rascals just now taking advantage of me... they assaulted me... I want... I want to call the police!" As she spoke, she also stomped her feet in a petulant manner.

I initially thought that waiting a little longer would suffice, that once the other party vented their anger, everything would be fine. However, I did not expect to attract a few men who stormed over and kicked me, exclaiming: "How dare you disrespect the boss's woman?!"

Yang Deguang, who was worried about some new friends behind him, followed closely a few steps away and said in a low voice: "Smoking in the market will result in a fine of 500..."

Descending the mountain and entering the world is to seek a wise ruler; young people who aim to benefit the world will not think that the other party possesses the discerning eye to see the hidden gems in the vast sea, but will instead quietly gaze into the other person's eyes

Shi Jianren suddenly smiled, a very refined kind of smile, one that would not appear on a boorish face: "Fifty yuan? A thousand-year-old blackwood, worth its weight in gold, and in such excellent condition, you want me to sell it to you for fifty yuan? Do you really think we are fools?"

President Wang laughed heartily: "That makes sense, that makes sense! How about fifty?" Unable to resist, he reached out to grab the wooden stick in Shi Jianren's hand

With a mindset that is difficult to measure, Shi Jianren feels as if he is merely a pile of excrement in the eyes of these people. He finds it somewhat amusing yet frustrating

A middle-aged man, dressed in a gray suit, portly and exuding the demeanor of a successful individual, emerged from the crowd with a black bag tucked under his arm and loudly admonished the man holding a broom

Shijian Ren read these thoughts in Yang Deguang's eyes, and he smiled as he waved away the cigarette: "Really, let's speak frankly. I don't smoke; we still have work to do"