Starting as a dockworker

Chapter 33 Moving into the new house, I can finally stand tall!

"This house is quite nice..."

Soon, led by Huo Yingjun, Li Xiao arrived at a quiet residential area, which was very close to the martial arts school, only a five-minute walk away.

It is a two-entrance courtyard. The front yard is not large, but it is very well-organized.

The large house directly opposite faces south and must be the main house, with three side rooms on each of the east and west sides.

In the center of the courtyard stood a blue stone fish tank, with goldfish swimming inside.

An exquisite stone table and benches, with an old pomegranate tree planted in the corner.

Huo Yingjun laughed and said, "If Fourth Senior Brother likes it, he can stay here. It's a waste to leave it empty anyway."

Li Xiao touched the stone table and said strangely, "There's not even a speck of dust. It doesn't seem like an empty house."

Huo Yingjun was taken aback for a moment, then quickly explained, "I guess... my dad often sends people to clean up, right?"

Li Xiao smiled faintly, and he roughly understood.

Given how close this place is, it must have originally been Huo Yingjun's residence.

But because he arrived, Huo Jiu, the leader of the Dingyang Gang, kicked his son out and made him stay there instead.

Strange, why is Chief Huo Jiu being so enthusiastic...?

After walking around the house, Li Xiao became even more certain that someone had lived there.

Although all the personal belongings inside were taken away, the furniture and other items inside showed signs of use.

Li Xiao pointed to the side room next door and said, "Handsome, why don't you stay in that room?"

Huo Yingjun remembered that his father had given him the task of currying favor with his fourth senior brother, and that living together would definitely be better, so he whispered, "Is that alright?"

Li Xiao laughed and said, "Why not? This is your house. We brothers live together, so it's easy to take care of each other if anything happens."

Huo Yingjun said happily, "That's fine then. If you don't mind, Senior Brother, I'll stay here."

He was used to living here; he was just in a different room.

As for Li Xiao, he didn't stay in the main room either, saying it was reserved for his mother to stay in when she came over, and he also stayed in the side room.

Although it's called a side room, it's actually quite spacious, much better than where I used to live...

After a while, Huo Jiu personally brought over bedding, clothes hangers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other daily necessities, so Li Xiao didn't need to prepare anything himself.

Then they called over an older woman, saying she would cook and clean for Li Xiao.

When he learned that Huo Yingjun was living with Li Xiao, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Alright, you young people keep chatting, this old man will take his leave now..."

Huo Jiu was quite sensible; after making the arrangements, he hurriedly took his leave.

The aunt brought food with her when she arrived and started cooking in the kitchen.

Li Xiao immediately understood. This aunt was probably originally cooking for Huo Yingjun in this courtyard. The father and son were putting on a show to get him to move in.

Of course, Li Xiao didn't say this out loud...

As dusk fell, the sun set behind the western mountains.

The two sat at a stone table in the courtyard, which was laden with delicious dishes.

The cook's skills are truly excellent. The braised pork belly is glistening with oil, the meatballs smell incredibly fragrant, the clear chicken soup is simmering with golden oil and vibrant green scallions, and the aroma of the braised sauce is irresistible...

"Fourth Brother, try this braised pork, it's Zhang Ma's specialty."

Huo Yingjun solicitously placed a large piece of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat into Li Xiao's bowl.

Li Xiao took a bite; it was soft, glutinous, and fragrant, melting in his mouth...

While eating, Li Xiao asked, "Is there something your father wants me to do?"

Huo Yingjun, biting into a chicken leg, shook his head and said, "I don't know. My dad just tells me to practice martial arts at the gym, and he doesn't tell me anything about what happens at home... But..."

Li Xiao asked, "But what?"

Huo Yingjun frowned and said, "Recently, my dad has been going to the martial arts school a lot, and my eldest, second, and third senior brothers are all injured and recuperating at home... I guess he's hiding something from me... We unrelated fellow disciples discussed it privately, and we suspect they've encountered something unclean..."

Li Xiao: "Dirty stuff?"

Huo Yingjun nodded solemnly, then said mysteriously, "Yes, it's something dirty. You know, several strange things have happened in Wuling City recently: paper figures demanding lives, children going missing, and blood gushing from the well in the county magistrate's house—bright red blood..."

Oh, by the way, there's been a rat demon incident at the Huang's Rice Shop not far from us. My third senior brother went there and got injured when he came back. He's still recovering at home... I don't know where my eldest and second senior brothers got injured... Isn't that strange? These kinds of strange things never happened before..."

Li Xiao nodded, thinking to himself that it was pretty much what the fortune teller had said.

With the dragon vein severed, all the demons and monsters in the world have surfaced.

However, given my limited experience, it's best not to get involved for now.

Let's talk about it after we've mastered some martial arts and improved our strength...

These evil spirits that wreak havoc on the area must be eliminated.

Besides gaining merit and increasing one's cultivation level...

In addition, there are the "treasures" on these evil spirits.

Demons and monsters often forge an object from their bodies into something resembling a magical artifact. Anyone can use these artifacts, but they have negative effects, which they can ignore...

After dinner, Huo Yingjun said he wanted to take Li Xiao out for some fun, suggesting they first go to a bathhouse called "At the Water's Edge," and then to the Dream Paris Ballroom...

Li Xiao refused them all, telling him to go play by himself.

When a man has money, he gains confidence.

Li Xiao first went to a clothing store and spent fifty silver dollars to buy two suits.

I spent another fifty dollars to buy two pairs of leather shoes and several pairs of cloth shoes.

Cloth shoes paired with martial arts school training clothes are what people wear for martial arts practice.

Leather boots and a suit are for when going out on business.

Li Xiao's plan was not only to bury himself in martial arts training, but also to look up at the sky.

While practicing martial arts, I looked for opportunities to do some small business and get the business up and running.

Afterwards, I went to a fairly large barbershop for a haircut.

After a month in the mountains, my hair is as messy as weeds.

As requested by Li Xiao, the barber gave him a slicked-back hairstyle with a 7:3 ratio.

I spent two dollars to buy a bottle of Stamcon hair oil and made my hair shiny and oily.

I looked in the mirror and I was incredibly handsome!

There's a saying that goes, "Respect the clothes before the person, respect the appearance before the soul."

Before, Li Xiao had no strength and was just a laborer. Now, after doing some work, when he goes out, those nobodies won't look down on him or cause him trouble for no reason.

It got dark.

Back home, Li Xiao took a shower.

I lay down in bed and quickly fell asleep.

.......

.......

The following morning, in a civilian residential area.

Early in the morning, the couple inside the house were arguing.

"What kind of lousy brother are you? You've made it impossible for you to work. If you don't work, what will my daughter and I eat and drink? We'll starve! Following you is the worst luck imaginable..."

"Don't talk about my brother like that. The fortune teller said that Ah Si is a lucky man; his good fortune just hasn't arrived yet. In time, my old man will definitely be rich..."

Knock knock knock!!

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.

"It's all over, it's all over..."

Old Gang's expression changed drastically. He came looking for something so early in the morning; it couldn't be anything good.

I guess it's because of the assault yesterday; now someone's here to settle scores.

"Wife, hide and don't make a sound!"

"What a terrible brother, he's the one who killed someone..."

The couple hid in their room, refusing to come out no matter how much they were knocked on.

There was a constant knocking at the door, followed by a shout: "Brother Lao Gang, are you up yet? It's me, Zhang Fugui. Have you eaten? I brought you some steamed buns from the Li family..."

Hearing this, Lao Gang asked in confusion, "Huh, is that Zhang, the owner of the car dealership? He even brought me steamed buns?"

Old Gang's wife said, "Really? It can't be a lie, can it...?"

Lao Gang thought to himself, "That shouldn't be possible. What could Boss Zhang possibly be lying to me about?"

He slowly got up and peeked out the window. Seeing only Boss Zhang there, he mustered his courage and opened the door a crack, calling out, "Boss Zhang, what's up?"

You should know that he usually doesn't get to speak to this boss.

Why did you come to my door on your own initiative today?

The portly Zhang, the shopkeeper, greeted Lao Gang with a broad smile: "Brother Lao Gang, open the door quickly..."

Old Gang walked out of the house with a puzzled look, opened the courtyard gate, and said, "Boss Zhang, what's wrong with you...?"

Boss Zhang stuffed a steamed bun into Lao Gang's hand, saying, "Fresh out of the oven, still hot..."

The boss was stunned. Why was this boss being so good to him?

Boss Zhang said with a smile, "Old Gang, you're not a fair person."

Old Gang asked in confusion, "What's wrong with me...?"

Boss Zhang said irritably, "Li Xiao, Xiao Zhenshan's last disciple from Guiyuan Martial Arts School, why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said so earlier, the position of leader would definitely be yours. From today onwards, you are the leader of the South Gate area, and you call the shots..."

He was completely dumbfounded.

So I've become the leader?

Is Li Asi really a closed-door disciple?

But he witnessed it with his own eyes yesterday; he was turned away at the door...

What exactly happened...?

Without anyone noticing, Lao Gang, who had been hunched over, slowly straightened up, raised his head and chest, and gave a thumbs up. "Of course, Ah Si is a brother who's been through thick and thin with me... we've been through life and death together!"

"From now on, the car dealership will have to rely on you a lot..."

Upon hearing this, Boss Zhang couldn't stop smiling.

He then slipped me another ten silver dollars, saying it was my bonus for the month. After exchanging pleasantries, he said goodbye and left.

After they left, Lao Gang's wife ran out excitedly: "Has Ah Si, that laborer, really made something of himself?"

"I've already said my brother is blessed; it's not that he won't be, it's just that his time hasn't come yet..."

The old man, whose back had been bent for many years and who could no longer stand, stood straight in the sunlight.