137: Your folk remedy really deserves a beating

The welder was a bit depressed.

Why did that sentence sound so awkward?

The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.

The welder increasingly felt that his child didn't resemble him...

"Don't take it to heart, I'm just kidding," Shen Bei consoled him.

The welder coughed, "Do I not know it's a joke? Get to work!"

The welder picked up the welding torch and started welding the seams with a sizzling sound.

His hand was just a bit shaky.

Several times he welded crookedly, his Z-shaped welds turned into S-shapes, and he was scolded by the boss.

The welder smoked a cigarette to calm down, then continued working.

Soon, one workpiece was welded and placed aside.

Shen Bei and the other laborers continued to lift workpieces.

This was repeated.

After about two hours of work, the crane was finally dragged out by the 50-ton loader and re-entered the construction site.

At this point, Shen Bei and the others finished their work.

They received 200 yuan in wages.

It was just that Shen Bei was a bit depressed, even more so than the welder.

During this work, Shen Bei's position was not good; he was always next to the welder.

He constantly had to adjust the position of the workpiece and was frequently flashed by the welding arc.

His eyeballs were all blackened.

Even with his eyes closed, the strong light sensation still lingered.

It was an indescribable feeling, as if being under the scorching sun, his eyes mercilessly stripped of all protection.

This was not even the worst of it.

The immense heat generated by the welding also scorched his skin.

A large amount of radiation irritated Shen Bei's skin, causing it to turn dark red.

It felt like his skin was about to peel.

"This money is really hard-earned."

Shen Bei rubbed his eyes and followed the laborers back to the Labor Market.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon.

The laborers in the Labor Market clocked out on time.

This was a hundred times better than white-collar workers, who could start work whenever they wanted and leave whenever they felt like it.

The main thing was self-control.

Working one day and playing three days was not out of the question.

As long as one had no pursuit of life quality, Heaven would not starve the little sparrows.

...

Returning to school, Shen Bei happened to encounter the Zha Tian Gang Four-person Group, sweating profusely as they walked out of the martial arts gym.

"Shen Bei!"

Qi Chuanyu ran over excitedly, shouting with a look of surprise and exhilaration, "Did you hear? The students who dropped out this morning, wanting to become Social Martial Artists through the Martial Arts Management Bureau, were directly rejected! First-Rank Martial Artists are nothing now; they have no special privileges."

"Oh?" Shen Bei rubbed his eyes and asked, "What about the Second Grade Martial Artists? How are they arranged?"

Qi Chuanyu shrugged, "I don't know about that, but it's satisfying enough. These students who dropped out are simply asking for trouble. They were just begging Principal Zhang to let them back in, but Principal Zhang scolded them severely and then kicked them out."

"They shot themselves in the foot," Shen Bei said indifferently.

"Hey, hey?" Niu Yanben pointed at Shen Bei, "Why are you always rubbing your eyes, hey?"

Shen Bei told him truthfully, "Don't even mention it. I went out to do some odd jobs and ended up with a welding job. My eyes are so uncomfortable from the flashes."

Liao Zhongyang thought for a moment and said, "It seems that when your eyes are flashed by welding, they will tear up at night, and it will feel like sand is in your eyelids, making it hard to open your eyes."

"I have a folk remedy!" Du Ziteng said mysteriously, "I heard that dropping milk into your eyes can cure it."

Shen Bei eagerly asked, "Really? What animal's milk?"

"Human."

Shen Bei: ...

What's with the sudden change in the topic's color!

"Your folk remedy is a bit inappropriate," Shen Bei said, holding his forehead.

Du Ziteng shrugged, "Otherwise, why would it be called a folk remedy? If you don't believe me, ask the dog-head strategist if he has any way to relieve the pain."

"Me?" Qi Chuanyu pointed to himself, deep in thought, and offered two answers:

"Do you want it to be quick, or slow-acting?"

Shen Bei answered without hesitation, "Nonsense, of course, I want it to be quick. How can I sleep well at night if my eyes are tearing up?"

"If you gouge out your eyeballs, they won't tear up anymore."

Shen Bei: ...

What a brilliant idea.

His eyes certainly wouldn't tear up anymore; instead, they'd be bleeding!

"As for slow-acting..." Qi Chuanyu smacked his lips and said, "Apply a hot towel; there's no other way, you can only endure it."

"You're still somewhat useful, otherwise, I'd demote you from your position."

Shen Bei waved his hand, bidding farewell to the Four-person Group.

He returned to the villa dormitory.

While he was resting.

Jian Tong knocked on the door and entered, first sniffing around with her delicate nose.

Shen Bei watched her actions.

He was startled at first, then lowered his head to ponder for a long while before raising his Face and smiling wearily, "If a female fly enters this room, I'll execute it immediately."

Jian Tong's Face flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly suppressed her small movements, forcing a smile. Her eyes were full of affection, showing a straightforward innocence: "I... I wasn't investigating anything, you... don't misunderstand."

Shen Bei's voice was unhurried, soft, and gentle: "The reason I haven't fallen into a romantic trap all these years relies on two words: no money."

Jian Tong burst out laughing, her laughter like a clear spring: "Right, right, right..."

"What do you need me for?" Shen Bei asked seriously.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot the main thing."

Jian Tong pulled out a bottle of eye drops from her small bag: "I heard from Qi Chuanyu that your eyes were flashed by the welding arc. You should use these eye drops; they can provide some relief."

Shen Bei held Jian Tong's small hand, his Face full of emotion: "It really takes someone to care, unlike those unreliable guys who just talk but don't buy me anything."

Jian Tong's small Face was flushed red, her head bowed as low as it could go, and her voice was as faint as a whisper: "If I don't care about you, who else will? Actually, they're just envious of your rapid Cultivation progress and are eager to catch up; who else would care so much about you?"

Shen Bei couldn't help but sigh, "Don't let my seemingly smooth-sailing life fool you; actually, behind the scenes..."

Jian Tong asked with some concern, "You've suffered a lot, haven't you?"

"Behind the scenes, it's also been smooth sailing."

Jian Tong: ...

Jian Tong pouted, a troubled expression on her Face, and said, "You really are... naughty!"

The two chatted idly for a while longer.

As Jian Tong was about to take her leave, she suddenly remembered something she hadn't mentioned yet.

"Oh, right," Jian Tong patted her head, "There's one more thing I almost forgot."

"What is it?"

"You've heard the rumors about the national reforms in Martial Artist management, haven't you?"

Shen Bei nodded.

This matter had already caused a stir.

He didn't even need to think much; it must have trended on social media.

Jian Tong spoke again, "It's like this: my dad called. Our Changtu County has already started to respond to the national directive, and for current Social Martial Artists, a standing Martial Artist Combat Brigade is to be established."

"Standing Martial Artists... and a Combat Brigade?"

This news came as quite a surprise to Shen Bei.

One must know that Martial Artists were a force that could not be ignored.

Martial Artists scattered throughout society, to put it bluntly, were walking bombs.

Therefore, the state had given Martial Artists various policy preferences to prevent them from causing trouble.

In fact, domestic Martial Artists were relatively well-behaved; the unique cultural and folk customs had been deeply ingrained since ancient times.

Martial Artists generally didn't cause trouble; they focused solely on making money.

After all, the prevailing atmosphere in the country was like this: make money; even as a Martial Artist, one had to make money.

Especially during holidays, the first thing people said when they met was definitely, "May you be prosperous."

In this atmosphere, domestic Martial Artists were relatively stable.

But abroad, it was different; it was a chaotic mess.

If dozens of people didn't die in a day, it wouldn't be worthy of this "great world."

Therefore, the country was quite sensitive about Social Martial Artists gathering in groups.

Why, then, was a Martial Artist Combat Brigade suddenly established?

It should be a Martial Artist Friendship Association, right?

At this moment, Jian Tong confirmed again, "That's right, it's a Combat Brigade."

Shen Bei stroked his chin and asked, "And then?"

"This Combat Brigade requires all Martial Artists with Changtu County household registration to join. The specific details will be explained in a meeting held by the county."

Shen Bei asked an important question, "Is this nationwide, or just Changtu County?"

"It's definitely nationwide; if it were just Changtu County, wouldn't that be rebellion?" Jian Tong rolled her eyes.

Shen Bei hated meetings, especially leadership meetings, which dragged on endlessly.

The speakers couldn't grasp the main points, and eventually, the leaders would be spitting everywhere, while the attendees turned into a "kowtowing assembly."

"Can I not go to the meeting?"

"No," Jian Tong's tone was very firm, "For this Combat Brigade, County Chief Lou's intention is for you to be the instructor and my father to be the supervisor; you have to be there."

Shen Bei's eyes widened, "Me, an instructor? Has our Changtu County fallen to such a state?"

"What do you think?" Jian Tong spread her hands, "The last time Gu Changfeng came to our county to handle a case, he didn't even use the personnel from the County Patrol Bureau. It wasn't that he didn't want to use them, but there was no one available."

Shen Bei hummed.

When she put it that way, it did indeed fit Changtu County's situation.

Even if a county had Martial Artists of decent rank, they wouldn't stay in their hometown; they would have long since rushed to big cities to show off their skills.

Those who remained were all small fries.

Not to mention the Patrol Bureau; it wasn't a good job, involving tireless work day and night, and it was dangerous.

However, Shen Bei was really not interested in being an instructor.

Anyway, the meeting would be during the school holiday. His presence would be to give Face to Jian Shan.

He would just refuse on the spot then.

After seeing Jian Tong off.

At night.

The endless torment began...