10: This young man, has he taken medicine?

Chen Xiangbei arrived at a congee shop where he could eat his fill for 7 yuan, with forty to fifty side dishes available.

The flavors, ranging from sour, sweet, bitter, to spicy, covered both northern and southern tastes, which also showcased the inclusivity of this international metropolis.

Chen Xiangbei ordered a bowl of pumpkin congee and, using a small bowl, filled it to the brim with side dishes.

His favorite side dishes were salted radish and salted cucumber.

When he was young and his family was poor, his parents would always pickle some radishes and cucumbers into salted vegetables during their harvest season.

Even in years with poor harvests and low income, they could still ensure they had vegetables to eat.

Smelling the familiar aroma, Chen Xiangbei's appetite was greatly stimulated, and he ate three large bowls of congee before finally stopping.

Seeing him put down his bowl and chopsticks, the boss smiled and said, “Young man, are you full? If not, eat a few more bowls. Young people really have good appetites. I once had a young man here who ate five bowls.”

“Boss, your dishes are too delicious. I couldn’t stop eating, haha.”

“If it’s delicious, eat more. You don’t have to worry about me losing money.”

“No, no more. I’m full. I’ll come back next time.”

“I just paid. I’m leaving now. Goodbye, boss.”

“Okay, welcome back next time.”

Chen Xiangbei felt a bit full and dared not walk too fast, strolling leisurely while observing this urban village.

He had been here for so long but had never properly looked at it, only knowing the main road leading to his rented accommodation.

In Linhai City, this bustling metropolis, urban villages are special places.

These areas stand in stark contrast to the surrounding high-end office buildings and shopping malls, forming another world full of vitality and life.

Here, there are rows of low-rise houses and crisscrossing alleys, making one feel as if they are in a miniature city.

Although the environment here is not spacious or bright, it is full of life.

People run small shops and make various snacks here, contributing their strength to the city's operation.

Although urban villages have faced many challenges in the process of urban development and modernization.

They still carry the lives and memories of the local people and showcase the charm of Linhai City, a diverse city.

Chen Xiangbei walked for a while, silently noting the locations of some buildings currently under construction.

He planned to ask if they needed porters for carrying building materials when it was time to start work.

The self-built houses in the village are complex and numerous, with one or two buildings under construction every short distance.

This is also a major “highlight” of urban villages; many people’s beautiful dreams are awakened by the “da da da” sound.

This kind of problem is difficult to solve, and it is unlikely to be solved; where there are people, there are stories.

At exactly 9 o’clock, Chen Xiangbei arrived at a slightly larger construction site and found the site manager to ask if workers were needed.

The manager of this construction site, seeing that he was a strong young man, did not refuse and asked.

“Young man, all I have here is hard labor. What can you do? Carry bricks, plaster walls, or carry waste materials?”

“Master, I’ve done carrying waste materials before; I can’t do technical work.”

“Then you can carry waste materials. You look quite sturdy, but I still have to warn you, this work is very tiring and has certain risks. Are you sure you want to do it?”

“I’m sure. I’ve done it before, no problem. As long as the money is in place, I’ll carry like crazy,” Chen Xiangbei assured him.

“Alright, the people here are all construction workers; there are fewer people carrying waste materials, so a lot has accumulated.”

“Since you’re here, you can follow those Masters and carry. For temporary workers who carry building materials, we usually pay by piece, whatever you carry is counted. It’s 1.8 yuan per bag, but I’ll give you 2 yuan per bag.” (There are discrepancies with reality; please be gentle, dear readers!)

“Okay, then I have no problems.”

The foreman called over a Old Master and asked him to show Chen Xiangbei the way and guide him.

This was an 8-story old house, originally 6 stories, with two more added later, and now undergoing a complete renovation.

Waste materials were piled up in a room near the stairwell on each floor.

Except for the 1st floor, the waste rooms on floors 2-5 were all full, and floors 6-8 were only about half full, totaling several hundred bags.

Chen Xiangbei followed the principle of proximity, starting from the second floor, carrying two bags at a time, one on each shoulder.

When Chen Xiangbei appeared on the first floor with two bags of waste on his shoulders, the workers in the first-floor hall were stunned, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg.

“Holy cow! Whose subordinate is this, so fierce, carrying two sacks like two pillows?” exclaimed a construction Master who had not seen Chen Xiangbei before.

The surrounding Masters also stopped their work and looked towards Chen Xiangbei.

“This young man must have taken something! So fierce early in the morning.”

“You think it’s you? Looking at this young man’s robust physique, you know he must have a lot of strength. Being healthy is good!” a Old Master teased.

Facing the discussions of others, Chen Xiangbei returned their smiles.

The distance from the second floor to the first floor was very short, and when full of energy, he could run a round up and down the stairs in just over a minute on average.

Now, in his prime, Chen Xiangbei was immersed in carrying bags, tirelessly.

Initially, the Masters thought Chen Xiangbei was just starting, with his energy and stamina at their peak.

Who knew that after more than two hours, Chen Xiangbei didn’t even slow down, working like crazy.

He kept moving, trip after trip.

Gradually, Chen Xiangbei’s sweat soaked through his clothes. But he showed no sign of stopping, still working diligently.

His skin was flushed red from the stuffiness in the high temperature.

But he seemed indifferent, his gaze still focused on the task at hand, single-mindedly wanting to complete the task, as if everything around him did not exist.

His hard work is admirable; a determined worker is often a role model worth learning from.

Lunchtime arrived, and Chen Xiangbei had already moved one-third of the fourth floor.

To facilitate calculation, Chen Xiangbei specifically discussed with the original Masters that floors 2-5 would be his responsibility.

The Masters belonged to the construction team and were not paid by piece, so they readily agreed to him.

Anyway, carrying from anywhere was the same, and having someone help them share the task, they were more than grateful.

At lunchtime, the foreman Master specifically bought him two boxed meals, a bottle of iced mineral water, and also brought him a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid to cool down.

Chen Xiangbei ate with great relish.

Seeing Chen Xiangbei eat so heartily, the worker Masters all teased him.

“This handsome young man is really good; he’s healthy and eats everything with relish. He’ll be a hot commodity when he looks for a wife in the future.”

“Hahaha, handsome, strong, and hardworking, what girl wouldn’t be smitten!”

“Alright, alright, hurry up and eat. He’s still a child, and you’re all old enough, still teasing him. Go away,” the foreman Master said with a smile, helping Chen Xiangbei out.

Chen Xiangbei actually didn’t care too much.

He didn’t mind others’ opinions, whether good or bad; he had his own goals and didn’t need to take everything others said to heart.

He also knew that the worker Masters just wanted to joke around, so he always met them with a smile.