Fists can't cross Tianjin

Chapter 36 Settling In

After seeing Uncle Liu off, Chen Zhuo took a good look around his new place, sat there to calm himself down, and then turned and walked out.

To the west of the main house, there is a separate bungalow with white smoke coming out of its chimney; it must be the kitchen.

As soon as I reached the door, I smelled the aroma of freshly steamed buns mixed with the sweetness of cornmeal porridge, which wafted straight into my nose.

The room was steaming hot. A woman in her fifties, wearing a blue blouse and sleeves, was struggling to carry a basket bigger than a washbasin, which was piled high with plump white steamed buns.

"Aunt Li?" Chen Zhuo stood at the door and subconsciously stepped inside. "Let me lend a hand."

He had just reached out his hand when his movement suddenly froze.

Those hands had large, calloused knuckles, and black mud from moving stones in the air-raid shelter was still embedded in their fingernails. There were also several scabs on the back of their hands that hadn't healed yet.

Against the backdrop of those snow-white, fluffy steamed buns, those hands looked particularly jarring, so dirty it was unpleasant to look at.

Chen Zhuo awkwardly withdrew his hand and wiped it on his tattered cotton-padded jacket: "Um... my hands are dirty."

Aunt Li turned around, glanced at Chen Zhuo, and then at his withdrawn hands. There was no look of disgust on her face; instead, she laughed heartily.

"Hey, it's no big deal. You don't need to do it, I'm strong enough."

Aunt Li straightened her back and steadily moved the basket onto the cutting board, covering it with a white gauze cloth, her movements were very swift.

"You must be the new guard, Chen? Butler Liu told me about you." Aunt Li wiped her hands on her apron, looked Chen Zhuo up and down, and said, "You seem like a reliable young man. Come on, let's go to the storeroom and get your gear."

Aunt Li took off her apron and led Chen Zhuo out of the kitchen and into a room next door.

"Our courtyard looks big, but the rules are actually quite simple," Aunt Li muttered as she walked, exuding the warm and friendly energy typical of Tianjin aunties. "That's the main building up ahead, where Old Zeng lived. Don't go over there unless you have to, especially the second floor; that's off-limits."

She pointed to the moon gate in the middle of the courtyard: "Beyond that gate is the inner quarters. Old Master Zeng eats in a special kitchen, with a dedicated cook serving him, and the times are unpredictable. We servants eat in the side room in the back courtyard, which is the dining hall. Three meals a day, at fixed times: 6:30 in the morning, 12:00 at noon, and 6:00 in the evening. Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever; no one will care if you go hungry."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a house with a large lock on its door. Aunt Li took out her key and opened the door, and a musty smell of cotton wafted out.

The room was filled with clutter and some old furniture. On the shelves against the wall, stacks of clothes and bedding were neatly piled up.

"These clothes were made to fit the physique of you martial artists. They're made of gray twill cotton, what we often call work cloth. They're sturdy and durable." Aunt Li took two sets of clothes off the rack, along with a pair of cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, and stuffed them all into Chen Zhuo's arms.

After thinking for a moment, she turned around and pulled down a dark green military overcoat and a thick cotton quilt from the top.

"This coat is what Old Zhang and the others left behind. It's a bit old, but it's made of good quality materials and can withstand the wind during night patrols. This quilt is the same; it's made of freshly fluffed cotton and it's quite heavy." Aunt Li piled everything into Chen Zhuo's arms, making it almost impossible for him to hold on. "It's cold today, and the back building isn't like the main building; there's no heating. Make sure you're well covered up at night so you don't catch a cold."

"Try on the shoes, do they fit? These are from Neiliansheng, specially ordered by Old Master Zeng to be provided to you guards, because he said that if you don't have a firm footing, your skills won't be deep."

Chen Zhuo held the new clothes that smelled of camphor balls, his fingers stroking the rough but thick fabric, and felt a slight warmth in his heart.

"Aunt Li, um... do we have a place to take a bath here?" Chen Zhuo asked somewhat embarrassedly. "I want to wash myself clean before changing into new clothes, otherwise it will be a waste."

Aunt Li was taken aback for a moment, then laughed even more heartily: "There's a boiler room in the southeast corner of the backyard, connected to a bathhouse. The water should be hot now, go ahead. There's soap for everyone."

"Thank you, Aunt Li."

"You're too kind! If your clothes get torn in the future, just bring them over and I'll mend them for you." Aunt Li waved her hand with a smile. "Alright, go on ahead, it'll be time for dinner soon."

"Why."

Chen Zhuo carried the clothes back to his small house and closed the door behind him.

He placed the new clothes on the bed and looked once more at the little house where he would live.

The room was small and simply furnished: a wooden bed, an old writing desk, and a chair with peeling paint.

But compared to the old tenement courtyard, this place is simply paradise.

Chen Zhuo walked to the bedside and reached out to touch the bed board. It was a hard wooden board covered with a thin mattress.

He spread the newly received quilt on top, and then covered it with his military overcoat. Although he hadn't lain down yet, it looked warm.

This is the kind of life a human being should live.

After making the bed, Chen Zhuo turned around, pushed open the door, and walked straight to the boiler room in the southeast corner of the backyard.

……

Half an hour later, in the boiler room.

Hot water washed over his body, washing away the grime and fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days. Chen Zhuo scrubbed vigorously, watching the black, dirty water flow into the sewer, and felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

After taking a shower, Chen Zhuo changed into brand-new work clothes and put on Neiliansheng cloth shoes with multi-layered soles. He stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself.

Although his face was still a little pale, his eyes were bright and his back was straight. The dejected air of a homeless person had vanished, replaced by the spirit of a young man.

"This is the true Chen Zhuo."

He smiled at himself in the mirror, then pushed open the door and went out.

By this time, it was getting dark, and the main lights in the courtyard were turned on.

By the light of the lamp, Chen Zhuo saw that in the open space in the front yard, the guard leader named Lao Zhang was leading two other men to move coal. A coal cart was parked at the gate, and several workers were unloading coal into the yard, while Lao Zhang and his men were responsible for carrying the coal into the coal shed next to the boiler room.

One of the men was tall and thin with unusually long arms; the other was as stocky as a weight with a short, thick neck. Judging by their stances, they were both skilled martial artists.

Without saying a word, Chen Zhuo quickly walked over.

"Brother Zhang," Chen Zhuo called out, rolling up his sleeves as he did so, "I'll lend a hand."

Old Zhang stopped what he was doing and turned around. Seeing the completely transformed Chen Zhuo, a hint of surprise appeared on his weathered face, which quickly turned into admiration.

"Wow, after washing him clean, he's quite the handsome young man." Old Zhang teased with a smile, not standing on ceremony with Chen Zhuo. "Alright, the cart over there is yours. Be careful not to get your new clothes dirty."

"It's okay, we'll wash it again if it gets dirty."

Chen Zhuo responded and walked to the cart. The cart wasn't loaded with loose coal or honeycomb briquettes, but with large, shiny black smokeless coal. This type of coal burned for a long time and produced a strong fire, making it an essential heating resource for wealthy families like the Zeng family during winter.

He bent down and picked up a piece of coal that weighed at least thirty or forty pounds.

The coal was dark and angular, but in Chen Zhuo's hands it seemed weightless. He walked steadily, his feet firmly planted on the ground, each step as if measured.

While working, Old Zhang glanced at Chen Zhuo out of the corner of his eye. After watching for a while, he nodded secretly.

He's a skilled fighter, and he's also very knowledgeable.

Those working at someone else's house naturally wouldn't chat while working. The group remained relatively silent and quickly moved the entire cartload of coal into the coal shed.

Just then, a clear bell rang out from the backyard.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

"Alright, that's a wrap!" Old Zhang patted Chen Zhuo on the shoulder with a smile. "Let's go eat! It looks like the cafeteria has meat today."

On the way, Old Zhang pointed to the two men behind him and introduced them to Chen Zhuo: "I forgot to tell you, these two are also our brothers. The tall one is called Hou San, he practices Tongbei martial arts, he has long arms and legs, and he's very clever. The burly one is called Da Niu, he practices wrestling, he's strong, and he's also an honest man."

Hou Sanchong grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Brother, from now on we're family."

Da Niu nodded憨厚ly, which was his way of greeting him.

Chen Zhuo quickly clasped his hands in greeting: "Brother Hou, Brother Da Niu, I will have to ask for your continued support in the future."

"Of course, of course."

As they talked, they walked together toward the cafeteria.