Under the fist

Chapter 2 Sun Duhe, Yellow Book

"Hey, young comrade, wake up!"

Feeling someone tapping his shoulder, Lian Youming subconsciously opened his eyes.

Looking closely, I saw that it was already bright outside the window, and the train had arrived in the capital. A female attendant wearing glasses was standing to the side.

As soon as Lian Youming regained consciousness, he quickly said "thank you," then picked up the bag he had stuffed under the seat, slung his military green satchel over his shoulder, and strode towards the back of the carriage.

He had forgotten exactly when he fell asleep last night, but the scene of the three fighting fiercely seemed to be right before his eyes.

It was as if he had discovered a new world. His mind was now filled with the extraordinary aura that person displayed when exhaling and exhaling, and he even dreamed about it last night.

After getting off the train, Lian Youming went straight to the ticket office without delay.

When he arrived at the destination, he was immediately overwhelmed. Under the high sun, a long line of people waiting to buy tickets stretched for more than a hundred meters from the ticket window.

Lian Youming could only stand there in the sun, waiting for more than half an hour before finally buying a ticket to Harbin amidst the ticket seller's impatient urging.

Seeing that he still had some time, he wandered around the station aimlessly for a couple of minutes, wanting to see what the city was like now.

Looking around, most of the people on the street were still workers riding bicycles, with lunch boxes and water bottles hanging on their bikes. They wore not-so-bright clothes, but their faces were full of smiles as they crisscrossed the bustling streets.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. He only had time for a quick glance and listened to the station announcements. Lian Youming then filled his military water bottle and went into the waiting room.

Noise, commotion, and a cacophony of voices.

After squeezing through all sorts of people, Lian Youming finally managed to find a seat.

But just as his mind calmed down, he inexplicably recalled the battle from the previous night.

Xingyi School?
Could it be Xingyi Quan?

Which side is the traitor?
Was it that sallow-faced man?
Or perhaps it was the two people who came later?

Although the identities of both parties were not immediately clear, Lian Youming was now able to sort out the battle more clearly.

Initially, the two of them had the advantage as they were two against one, but the moment the middle-aged man looked back at him, that advantage vanished.

According to the rules in martial arts novels, this would mean turning one's back to the enemy and losing the initiative to strike.

That's why the other party harbored resentment towards him, but unfortunately, it was too late by the time they realized it.

As the train happened to enter the tunnel, the sallow-faced man seized the opportunity to launch a sudden attack, defeating one of the men first. Then, through his cunning, he made the old man stop halfway through, thus winning against the two men.

Therefore, the traitor is very likely that sallow-faced man.

Because if this person is the one hunting down a traitor, they would never put themselves at a disadvantage beforehand.

Lian Youming was also somewhat surprised. These extraordinary individuals not only determined the winner amidst thunder and lightning, but also engaged in a battle of wits and a struggle for opportunity. If one was not careful, the chance to win would be lost in an instant.

Time passed slowly, and it was almost time to board the train.

"Hey buddy, you're from out of town, right?"

Just as Lian Youming was about to get up, he suddenly felt his vision darken. He looked up at the sound and saw a short, thin young man standing in front of him.

On a sweltering day, the other person was wearing a loose military overcoat, his hands tightly covering his collar, and a green military cap. He had shifty eyes and looked sleazy no matter how you looked at him.

Lian Youming became wary. "Something wrong?"

"Hehe, I've had my eye on you ever since you started wandering around outside the station." The young man smiled, his eyes narrowing, revealing two rows of large, white teeth covered in chive leaves. Then, meeting Lian Youming's questioning gaze, he suddenly yanked open the collar of his coat. "Take a look!"

"You he……"

Lian Youming thought he had encountered a pervert. He raised his thick eyebrows and was about to make a move, but he froze when he saw what the other person was covering in his arms.

The young man looked around, holding his coat open, and saw that it was filled with various items: hair clips, jewelry, glasses, tapes, newspapers, and several watches.

"What do you want to buy? I have all kinds of coupons here: meat coupons, grain coupons, cloth coupons, liquor coupons, cigarette coupons, guaranteed to be valid nationwide. If you want to get the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a radio, sewing machine, and watch), we can discuss it."

Lian Youming watched with awe, realizing that this line of work was currently fraught with risk.

"You've got quite a diverse collection of things. But you've got the wrong person. See this big red flower on my shoulder? I was sent to the countryside to work in the countryside. I'm only seventeen and have no money."

"Seventeen?"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes widened, and he looked Lian Youming up and down in disbelief. "Holy crap, what did you eat to grow up like this? How can you be this strong at seventeen?"

To Lian Youming's surprise, the man approached with a grin, saying, "You don't have money now, but you'll have it when you return to the city. Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be from the Beijing area, are you going to the Northeast to work in the countryside? Hehe, there's no place there where you can spend your money. The places you go to are either forest farms or farms, or you end up in villages in the old forests. It's incredibly poor there."

Lian Youming shifted his position, making room for the other person in his chair. "How do you know all this so clearly?"

The young man rolled his eyes. "I came back from that lousy place... Judging from your clothes, are you a military dependent? What a coincidence, I'm a military dependent too."

As he spoke, the man pulled out a medal from his pocket.

Lian Youming raised an eyebrow. "So what made you choose this profession?"

The young man curled his lip and chuckled, “There are too many educated youth returning to the city. Do you think everyone can earn a secure job? My family has nine members, seven brothers and sisters, and my father is lame. My eldest brother carries the load by himself, so I, as the younger brother, have to lend a hand... Although not many people respect me and think I am idle.”

As the young man spoke, he was already eyeing his next target. "Alright, I've been too talkative. Anyway, remember to save the money and come find me when you get back to the city. As a fellow military family member, I'll make sure you don't suffer any losses."

The young man didn't linger. He patted Lian Youming on the shoulder, turned around, and left.

But to everyone's surprise, the man went out and then ran back anxiously. His eyes darted around as he hurriedly sat down next to Lian Youming, saying, "Brother, I need your help in an emergency!"

"Holy crap, brothers, get out of here! The joint defense team and the Industry and Commerce Bureau are coming."

Suddenly, someone shouted, and several figures darted out from the nooks and crannies. They were all young people, all wrapped in coats, and plunged into the crowd without a word, causing a commotion.

Looking at the entrance again, several women in gray-blue uniforms stared wide-eyed, hands on their hips, accompanied by station security guards. They came aggressively, shouting and chasing after them.

As for the young man next to Lian Youming, in the blink of an eye, he produced a newspaper from somewhere, with a red armband on his arm and glasses perched on his nose. He looked more like a student than a student, and more like an educated youth than an educated youth.

But the women were probably used to these tricks. Some of them chased after him into the crowd, while another one came straight up to them, looked him over briefly, and then stared at Lian Youming suspiciously, asking, "Young comrade, are you trying to cut in line?"

"Go to the Northeast."

Lian Youming remained calm and, while responding, took out his identity documents.

The woman took it and glanced at it. Finding nothing wrong, she turned to the short young man beside her and asked, "And you? What do you do? Are you two together?"

The young man held the newspaper in both hands, his head slightly lowered, his eyes darting around anxiously, and sweat was starting to bead on his forehead.

Just as the man was at a loss, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. It was Lian Youming, carrying his luggage, who urged him slowly, "Brother, the train has arrived. Let's hurry up and get there."

The young man reacted quickly, his eyes lighting up as if he had seen a savior. He reached out and groped around, pulling out a crumpled train ticket from who-knows-where. Then, he forced a smile and said, "Comrade, we're together. This is my brother."

The woman frowned and said, "Your brother? Does he have any identification? Show it to me."

The young man's face stiffened, but he still reached into his pocket.

Just when it seemed they were about to be exposed, Lian Youming suddenly pointed to a crowded area in the station and said to the woman with a serious expression, "Comrade, look, isn't that person stealing something?"

"Where?"

Upon hearing this, the woman turned around and looked in the direction Lian Youming was pointing. Her face immediately filled with rage, and she rolled up her sleeves and strode towards the man. Good heavens, without saying a word, she grabbed him by the collar and began slapping him repeatedly across the face.

Lian Youming picked up his bag and strode towards the ticket gate.

Before he left, he added, "What are you standing there for? Why don't you run?"

"Ah, yes, yes."

The young man standing nearby immediately came to his senses, clutched his coat, turned and ran away without even saying thank you.

Lian Youming shook his head and chuckled. Seeing that the train he needed to catch had arrived, he squeezed into the crowd of people boarding.

This was both the final stop and the starting point, with even more passengers than the previous trip—a vast, bustling crowd, a sea of ​​people stretching as far as the eye could see. Lian Youming landed in the throng, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed by the diverse accents from all over the country.

As soon as the dark torrent surged into the platform, it immediately split into more than ten streams, rushing headlong towards the barely stopped green train.

Lian Youming had been trained by his father since he was a child, so he had amazing physical strength. Even now, carrying his luggage, he was able to take the lead and ride ahead.

Although there were many people, fortunately all the carriages were empty.

He bought a third-class ticket, which doesn't have assigned seating. Whether he could get a seat depended on luck and opportunity, as well as his own strength.

Seizing an opportunity, Lian Youming, adhering to the principle of taking the nearest seat, rushed ahead of the crowd and grabbed a seat near the aisle. Only when he felt the cold, hard wooden chair beneath his bottom did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“It’s really killing me.”

The crowd around me surged, and in just a few breaths, the empty carriage was filled with people.

Unlike before, this carriage alone contained many educated youths who had come from all over the country, just like Lian Youming. He also glanced around when he boarded and estimated that at least four or five hundred people were going to the countryside for this purpose.

With more people around and it getting hot, the air started to smell bad.

Some people were smoking, some were taking off their shoes and socks and letting their smelly feet air out, and some were carrying slaughtered poultry and animal offal, but they didn't cover them up properly. The strange smells wafted out and were mixed together by the hot air.

Lian Youming closed his eyes in agony, sighed inwardly, and prayed that he would reach his destination soon.

But not long after the train started moving, he heard a rather familiar voice beside him.

"You're really quick on your feet, kid. It took me a long time to catch up. I ran through five carriages."

Lian Youming opened his eyes and saw that the young man from before had also squeezed up, panting heavily, and holding two roast ducks wrapped in oil paper in his hand. He looked exhausted.

Before he could react, the young man winked at him and said with a grin, "We're the kind of people who repay kindness. You're so kind, we can't be stingy. Come on, let me take you to a spacious place... This chair alone could wear your butt flat in an hour, I can't take it."

Seeing that the other person was joking but had a very sincere expression, Lian Youming got up and gave his seat to a fellow villager with mobility issues, then picked up his luggage and followed.

Why did you come up here?

The young man chuckled dismissively, "I can't not get on. There are people keeping watch outside the station, probably trying to catch us all. Plus, you helped me out, so I have to repay that favor. Don't worry, I'll get off after two stops, it happens all the time."

The two walked one after the other through four or five carriages in one go, and came straight to the sleeper carriage.

The young man took out two tickets and handed them to the flight attendant, then winked at Lian Youming, as if showing off his abilities. You see, these days sleeper tickets weren't easy to buy; they basically required a letter of introduction and some special channels, and were reserved for cadres and officers.

The flight attendant glanced at the young man, then at Lian Youming, and gestured for the two to go inside without asking any questions.

The young man seemed to be used to it. He led Lian Youming into the carriage, put down the roast duck he was holding, took off his coat, and then lay down on the bed.

"You're going to the Northeast to work in the countryside, right? This ticket is perfect for you to sleep all the way to Harbin. It's starting to snow there now, so it'll be warmer here."

The young man rested his head on his arms, crossed his legs, and looked nonchalant.

Lian Youming sat down as well, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

The young man grinned upon hearing this, "I was afraid you'd be too polite with me. If it weren't for you, I would have suffered a huge setback today. Not only would all my belongings have been confiscated, but I might also have had to go to jail for a while. That would have been incredibly embarrassing."

Finally, the young man added, "My surname is Sun, and my given name is Sun Duhe. Those peddlers all call me Third Brother."

But after saying that, the man asked with considerable curiosity, "How did you know there were thieves over there?"

Lian Youming laughed and said, "It mainly depends on eyesight. Besides, in this kind of year, how can the train stations in Beijing and Tianjin be without thieves? Those people take advantage of the chaos to make their moves. If you pay a little attention, it's not difficult to find some clues."

Then he added, "My surname is Lian, Lian Youming."

Sun Duhe's eyes widened in surprise, and he clicked his tongue, "You're really only seventeen?"

Before Lian Youming could respond, the man shoved another roast duck into his hand.

"I traded five catties of sugar coupons for this, Quanjude..." But after just one sniff, the young man rolled his eyes and cursed angrily, "Well, I've been fooled again. That bastard said it was Quanjude roast duck, but I was in such a hurry to catch you that I didn't even have time to smell it."

After saying that, Sun Duhe chuckled and said, "Oh, don't be disgusted, just make do with it."

Lian Youming chuckled as well, "Why be so particular? It smells delicious. In the countryside, some people might never get to eat a bite of this in their entire lives."

Sun Duhe's eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs up. "That's really something. I was the one who was stingy."

As he spoke, the man tidied the items wrapped in his coat and said without turning his head, "Apart from those watches, take whatever else you like. If those bastards get arrested, I might be implicated too. Having too much stuff will only make it harder to get away."

Lian Youming had eaten quite a bit outside the station, and the strange smell on the train had completely ruined his appetite. He wasn't particularly interested in what Sun Duhe had displayed, but seeing the other man pull out an old book, a dozen silver dollars, and various trinkets from his coat, he asked curiously, "You deal in antiques too?"

Sun Duhe said, "These are nothing but antiques. They were all left by my elders. My grandfather was a traveling doctor in his younger days, and he traveled all over the country dealing in all sorts of strange and unusual things."

At this point, Sun Duhe added with deep emotion, "Speaking of which, my family was quite wealthy in our early years, but unfortunately, my grandfather didn't make it through the year, leaving behind only a few old, worn-out books. I sold all the ones that could be sold for money, except for this one, which is neither here nor there, just a useless piece of trash."

The two chatted idly, while Sun Duhe busied himself packing his things, and Lian Youming sat on the edge of the bed looking out the window.

The further north you go, the more desolate the scenery becomes.

Just as they were about to arrive at the station, Sun Duhe suddenly opened the window and leaned out, startling Lian Youming. "What are you doing?"

Sun Duhe glanced outside and chuckled habitually, "I'm afraid someone will block me at the station, so I won't get off at the platform."

The implication was that he wanted to jump off the train early.

Lian Youming quickly dissuaded him, saying, "No, this is no joke."

Sun Duhe, however, showed a nonchalant expression. "Don't worry. I'm an old hand at this, and there are straw mats laid out next to the tracks. Nothing will happen."

While they were talking, taking advantage of the train slowing down, the man actually climbed out of the window.

"When you return to the city, don't rush back. Just ask someone at the Capital Railway Station and they'll tell you where I, Sun Laosan, am. I'll show you the local customs and culture of the capital, and I guarantee you'll get to taste authentic Peking duck."

Sun Duhe leaned against the window, braving the cold wind, his mouth still busy.

Lian Youming's lips twitched. "Don't say anything, and watch your step."

Sun Duhe grinned and said, "You're just my type. Alright, we'll meet again in the martial world another day."

After saying that, he actually jumped down.

But at the last minute, this person casually tossed the old book in.

"You can have this tattered book!"

(End of this chapter)