The Last Mecha

Chapter 4 Potion Lane, Wenwan Street

Some people say that shantytowns are Jiang Song's cancer, but Wu Gou disagrees.

The morning sun was just right, and 15-year-old Duan Changgong was wearing a rotten gray linen shirt from head to toe. He half-body leaned into the garbage dump on the street of Yaoshui Lane, enduring the pungent fermented smell, and struggled with his round arms. To find something that can still be used or sold for money.

His luck is not good, this pile of rubbish has probably been searched, except for the rotten leaves and bones that dogs don't like to chew, the rest is some wood chips and charcoal ash, even some that can There are no pieces of metal that sell for money.

Duan Changgong sighed, more and more refugees were pouring into Jiangsong, and even such a job as scavenging became more and more difficult to do.

He sat down on the ground and squinted at the densely packed shacks not far away. They were crowded on both sides of the Huangping River extending from the border of the concession. They were small single rooms built of cheap bamboo with an area of ​​less than [-] square meters.Wall panels made of bamboo fence paste do not give poor people much security experience, what they need is a safe place to live.

In fact, those who live in shacks are already high-class people here, and even dragged an unusable broken boat out of the water, folded pieces of thin bamboo or straw mats into triangles, and formed a narrow bed the size of a double mattress. Space, born only for sleeping, is jokingly called "rolling dragon".

Most of the people living in this place are farmers from other places. Due to the local wars and natural disasters, they can’t support people by farming. After hearing about Jiang Song’s myth, they decided to try their luck and took a small boat with them. Down the river, drifting all the way to the city.

After they arrived, they found that it is difficult for the poor to survive anywhere. Decent positions such as factories and shop assistants have certain cultural requirements or skill tests, and they need strong social relationship introductions. Except for coolies, cart pullers and dock workers Other than that, there is absolutely no other way to live.

However, Duan Changgong is not an outsider. His ancestors were farmers in the suburbs of Jiangsong. He was diligent and diligent. However, when he reached his grandfather's generation, he was confiscated because the governor shouted "self-improvement". Went to run a factory.

The old man was so angry that he yelled and cursed. Since then, he has established the ancestor's precept that the descendants of the Duan family should not work in those evil factories.

It's a pity that he passed away only three days ago, and all the power of the tiger's roar in the past has dissipated. His son, Duan Baojian, Duan Changgong's father, is now sharpening his head and trying to squeeze into the factory so that the family can get rid of The harsh living environment of the shantytowns.

Duan Changgong took a deep breath, stood up quickly from the garbage dump, and was going to try his luck in other alleys. The Municipal Bureau was very concerned about the appearance of the city. As long as they scavenger children appeared on the streets during the day, they would be arrested. Immediately rush out, so now he can only make small troubles on the edge of the city, and the night is a good time to go to the city center to try his luck.

But before he had time to take a step, a warm towel was thrown from behind and draped on Duan Changgong's shoulder, instantly making him look like a deflated ball.

"How's the harvest?"

Standing behind him, Wu Gou asked, showing a friendly smile.

The relationship between scavengers is often difficult to be good, and fights and fights often happen, but Duan Changgong is one of the few friends he has made in the past year of scavengers.

Wu Gou knew that he had a good heart and a strong desire for money.

"It's the same as here..." Duan Changgong patted his belly through the rotten sackcloth, and shrugged helplessly, "It sucks, how are you doing recently, I haven't seen you for a long time, have you developed?"

"My father has been promoted and barely supports the family, so he won't let me do it anymore, otherwise it would be nice to have an extra income every day."

Wu Gou shook his head.

"When you're on a bad day, you don't necessarily have a dime a day, and it stinks to death. You don't need this kind of income. I have no choice. I can't read big characters, and I have nothing else to do. The government investigates child labor severely, and I have to pay fines." Use my salary to wait for my son to turn 16, and immediately go to the depot to pull a car."

Duan Changbow grumbled in his throat, and then spat hard.

"Then I found a good job for you. I'll help you every day today. I'll pay you one dollar. Do you want to do it?" Wu Gou asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Duan Changgong's eyes lit up, "Where did you get the money?"

"You don't have to worry about it. You just need to change your outfit. If you go to Wenwan Street with me, you can get the money. You can decide whether to go or not. Of course, I will pay for the outfit."

"You don't want to talk sweetly, you kid, where do you want to trick me into selling me?"

"Hey, did I fall in love with your drooping eyebrows or those mouse eyes?" Wu Gou took out a silver dollar from his pocket, rubbed it between his fingers, and made a charming sound, then turned around and wanted to leave. "Since you don't believe me, then I'm leaving."

"Hey, wait a minute, just kidding, we are brothers, do you know that earning brothers' money is such a treasonous act?" Duan Changgong changed his previous expression and looked at his relatives, "But since you If you have money, I will treat you as the boss, and if the boss still has this kind of work in the future, just call him a brother."

An hour later, on Wenwan Street, Duan Changgong, who looked like a little hooligan, was a different person compared to before.

"Hey, why do rich people like to wear clothes like this? It's like a cage. When I get rich, I'll wear that cool little vest with two big swans embroidered with gold thread on the front and back—no, If it is not bright enough, set it with two big diamonds."

Wu Gou paid for him to take a bath in Tiger Stove, rent a red gown embroidered with pictures of mountains and rivers, and rubbed his head with some oil, making him look imposing.In the end, it was not enough, so I asked the shopkeeper for a gold-plated ring inlaid with glass to wear on my finger.

"Then remember to remind me to buy a pair of sunglasses when you have money, I don't want to be blinded by you."

Wu Gou also washed it a little bit himself, and he was wearing a low-key green mandarin jacket without any fancy patterns, but an expert will know that the actual material is the high-quality cloth from Ganzhou.

When the two walked together, at first glance, it looked like the domineering young master with his little bookboy, which was the effect he wanted.

"Why do you ask me to play the role of a rich idiot who looks like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered? It sounds quite difficult." Duan Changgong frowned and thought hard.

"Actually, it's not difficult. You're silly with a straight face. I've dressed you up and made you rich again. Now all you have to do is straighten your chest. Believe me, the effect is excellent."

Wu Gou gave a firm thumbs up, and then his eyes swept over the crowded Wenwan Street.

It used to be a street specializing in antiques and cultural relics, and it was one of the rarest places for Westerners. Those long-haired ghosts were very happy with the antiquities with a strong Chinese flavor, and they didn't have a discerning vision, so it seemed like Things like "the chamber pot burned last week was bought as Qin Shihuang's tea bowl" happened from time to time.

But Wu Gou came here today not to pick up antiques, and he himself is not an expert.

During the decades of rapid changes in Jiang Song, Wenwan Street is also different from the past. In addition to domestic antiques, there are now many shops with imported goods and exquisite machinery on the street. That is Wu Gou's goal.

The wages for Duan Changgong, plus the money for renting clothes and bathing, have already cost nearly three yuan in total.

Wu Gou thought in his heart that he still had ten yuan left, which in Wenwan Street was just a small amount of money that could not be heard when dropped on the ground.

How much he can earn by relying on these depends on his ability.

(End of this chapter)