Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 27 Take him out!

Duomen ultimately didn't have the nerve to go to the brothel with Cao Weida. After all, he was older than Cao Weida, and Duomen couldn't bring himself to do it.

Cao Wei Da didn't mind. After they parted, he went to the Confidential Office to find Zheng Chaoyang and told him about a possible deal that might happen in a few days.

Upon learning this, Zheng Chaoyang immediately said it was no problem.

The last transaction went too smoothly, so smoothly that he wasn't used to it.

In the past, transporting supplies back to the Red Zone required extreme caution and vigilance, and even then, it was not uncommon for comrades to be exposed and sacrificed.

But last time they transported goods, everything went smoothly right outside of Beiping, it was so unobstructed that it felt like a dream.

Because of their previous collaboration and the foundation of mutual trust, when Cao Weida proposed another collaboration, he immediately agreed.

The Red Party doesn't have much money, but it's not completely broke either; they can scrape together some.

However, supplies are not always available. If possible, the Red Army would sell their cooking pots for money, hoping to have more supplies so that the troops could be more effective in combat and suffer fewer casualties.

After contacting Zheng Chaoyang, Cao Weida went to Xiao Erduo and asked him to quickly find a way to resolve the housing issue.

Little Ears readily agreed.

"It's not so comfortable to be the boss. You don't have to lift a finger. You just have to give an order."

Cao Wei sighed, suddenly gaining some understanding of the desire for power among certain privileged individuals. Those who have never held power will never know how alluring it is. Don't you see those emperors who only relinquished their power on their deathbeds?

"Xiangzi, come on, let's go out for a meal."

"Alright, master, sit tight." Xiangzi was quite satisfied with his current life. His master truly treated him like a human being, not making him do this or that, and he didn't drive the rickshaw much. He was completely free the rest of the time, and he earned quite a lot of silver dollars every month.

He silently calculated that with twenty silver dollars a month, he could buy a car in six months if he saved every penny.

However, if his employer doesn't fire him, he won't want to buy his own rickshaw anymore. Even if he does buy one, he might not earn as much as his employer would, and the job is much easier!

Xiangzi was happy, so his service became even more attentive, and the rickshaw was pulled steadily and quickly, arriving near the overpass in no time.

Tianqiao was a famous gathering place for the common people's culture in Beiping. Even during this period of war, it maintained a high level of popularity.

This place brings together folk art performances such as acrobatics, opera, and crosstalk, as well as many other professions.

In terms of food, Tianqiao Xianglai is known for its abundance of snacks. It is a gathering place for many vendors selling traditional snacks such as douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), jiaoquan (fried dough rings), guanchang (stuffed sausage), lvdagun (glutinous rice rolls), and luzhu (braised pork offal).

Not only is it delicious, but it's also affordable.

At the same time, this is also a favorite place for gangsters because they can collect a lot of protection money here!
"Let's leave it here. Let's drop off the car and come with me to get something to eat. Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"Look at what you're saying. People like us are of lowly status, so what are we to be picky about? I'm already incredibly grateful that you're giving me a meal." Xiangzi was a man of principle. Although Cao Weida was easy to talk to, he didn't take advantage of the situation and always kept his position very clear.

Passing by a stall selling douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), the owner, whose face was weathered by the elements, greeted me with a cheerful smile: "Uncle Cao, would you like a bowl of douzhi? It's freshly made, and very fresh."

Cao Wei Da was quite satisfied with his attitude. Before him, the surrounding vendors would dread seeing the patrol officers, because it meant that these black-skinned scoundrels would have to pay them tribute again.

Since he arrived, the tribute fees here have basically stopped, and he treats the vendors with a friendly attitude. Over time, everyone naturally became familiar with each other, and that's when they started to greet him.

However, he was very unhappy with his boss's "malicious intentions" and rolled his eyes in annoyance: "Come on, drink a bowl of soy milk and your farts will linger from one end to the other. You're trying to ruin me."

Douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) is a local specialty of old Beijing, but even many Beijing locals find it hard to accept, as its sour and rancid smell is enough to make one's scalp tingle.

However, many people still accept it because it is economical and filling. If you get used to drinking it for a long time, you will find it has a unique flavor and it may even be addictive.

However, Cao Wei Da declined to try it. When he first arrived, he tried to taste it, but after one sip, he vomited for five minutes!

From then on, he developed an allergic reaction to soy milk.

However, he couldn't say it outright, so he could only make excuses by saying that drinking made him fart more.

The shop owner was amused by Cao Weida's words. "Alright, it seems our soy milk isn't good enough for your stomach. We also have some pea flour cakes here, would you like some?"

"Put it on the side of the braised food table."

"Alright, I'll bring it to you right away!" The boss smiled and gestured before getting busy with his work.

He sat down at the braised pork stall with Xiangzi, ordered two servings of braised pork, and ate them with gusto, but his eyes kept darting around. He didn't see any clueless thugs causing trouble, but instead saw several groups of Japanese soldiers on patrol.

"Well, it seems I can't vent my anger today." Cao Weida was somewhat disappointed. With nothing else to do, he told Xiangzi to wait near the rickshaw while he wandered around with his hands behind his back, experiencing the atmosphere of the era.

To be honest, the experience was quite good. Although later generations are more developed, they certainly don't have the same human touch as this era. Just then, a cheer rang out, and Cao Wei Da, who loved watching a good show, immediately squeezed over out of curiosity.

Once inside, I found out that a dozen or so teenagers were practicing wrestling on the prepared sand.

Tianqiao was an important gathering place for wrestling in Beiping. All the wrestling masters in Beiping would gather here to compete against each other, which was also the most exciting spectacle for the old Beiping people.

A chorus of cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd, among which a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old cheered the loudest, jumping and shouting with great enthusiasm:
"Dog, get down! Lower your body!"

"Hey, you idiot, Zhu Zi, go get him!"

"Push harder, faster! Oh dear, what a pity!"

"You good-for-nothing, you can't even beat a pillar, you're so stupid you'll die!"

The defeated dog felt wronged. "Sister Zao'er, don't say anymore. Zhu Zi's father is a cook. He eats his fill every day, with plenty of oil and fat. What do I eat? Where do I get any energy?"

"I said you're stupid, that's all the excuses. You're only thirteen, and you're not even as handsome as a twelve-year-old? How dare you! You've wasted a year's worth of meals on me!"

Pillar?

Could it be He Yuzhu?
Upon hearing this name, Cao Weida couldn't help but look at the boy who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, standing with his hands on his hips, smugly displaying his victory.

So, he is a pillar?

Well, he does look quite mature. He's twelve years old, but he looks fifteen or sixteen. Cao Weida chuckled to himself.

However, it must be said that this kid is quite skilled at wrestling; there's a reason he's known as the "Courtyard War God."

“I’ll do it.” At this moment, a boy who looked to be about the same age as Zao’er, wearing a wrestling uniform, walked into the wrestling arena with a disdainful expression.

"Brother Tiedan," Gouzi barked, rubbing the spot where he had fallen.

"You can go down now." Tie Dan stared intently at Zhu Zi. He had been learning wrestling from his master for quite some time, and he had a good eye for it. He could tell that He Yu Zhu was quite skilled in wrestling, and he had met a formidable opponent.

But that's what makes it interesting, isn't it? If all the opponents were dogs, it wouldn't be fun at all.

"Tiedan, are you sure you can handle this?" Zao'er said sarcastically from the side, her face full of doubt.

"What are you saying? What kind of talk is that? What do you mean I can't do it? I'm absolutely amazing!" Hearing the questioning, Tie Dan immediately became displeased.

"Let me tell you, I, Tiedan, am all-powerful! My master said I'm a once-in-a-century talent for wrestling, and I've never been inferior to anyone in the world of wrestling!"

He Yuzhu had never lost a fight with his peers, and hearing this, his competitive spirit was also ignited.
"Your name is Tiedan, right? You say you have a towering figure, but I'm not some kind of superhuman. I can talk a lot of nonsense, but let's settle this with our skills!"

"Draw a line, is it sharp or fishy!"

This is wrestling jargon. "Sharp" means it's a real fight, where the winner and loser depend on their skills. "Bloody" means it's a fight that ends without a fight, where both sides save face.

"Who do you think you are, you little devil!" Young men all care about their reputation. With so many people watching in public, who doesn't have a competitive spirit?

“Come on!” He Yuzhu was naturally unafraid and immediately agreed.

The wrestling match between the two began quickly. It must be said that their wrestling skills were indeed quite good, and they were both people who were never short of money. The back-and-forth was so intense that it was hard to say who would win.

In the end, He Yuzhu came out on top, throwing Tie Dan to the sand with a shoulder throw.

He Yuzhu stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily, extremely pleased with himself. In contrast, Tie Dan on the sand was somewhat questioning his life.

He lost! He actually lost!
His master clearly said he was a once-in-a-century talent in the art of refining and twisting.
Zao'er immediately revealed a gloating smile, "Serves you right for always showing off. How about it, you lost now. Let's see if you'll still be so arrogant in the future, hehe."

Tie Dan got up without a word, turned around and left. Zao'er seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. She called after him several times but received no response. Getting angry, she simply stopped calling and muttered, "She's not good enough and she's already getting angry. Really."

After Tie Dan left the arena, no one else stepped in to fight Sha Zhu.

Some were still unconvinced and wanted to try again, but their stomachs were growling with hunger, and they had no strength to muster.

You should know that wrestling is a very physically demanding activity that requires a lot of nutrition.

They were just cheering and shouting from the sidelines, and their mouths were practically oozing with sarcasm.

Seeing that the excitement had died down, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only the little girl called Sister Zao'er with a few boys.

"Oh, I remember now, isn't that Tian Zao from the TV series 'Hutong'? No wonder she sounded so familiar." Cao Weida remembered. One was Sister Zao, the other was Tie Dan. He had seen so many TV series characters before, so it must be her.

(End of this chapter)