An extraordinary life journey through old Beijing courtyard houses

The feeling of receiving this kind of money is different from that of earning it by working for Tom.

I was happy to get money from Tom because I had genuinely helped him.

Now, it seems that his performance only fuels the arrogance of foreigners.

But money is money, and few people don't love it.

So—okay, I've backed down and I'm not being pretentious anymore.

And you won—money!

Shortly after, at Elizabeth's insistence, Jiang Baobin went on stage again to dance, and the "money rain" continued...

After returning home, Jiang Baobin tallied up the tips he had received that day.

Then, he was truly shocked—before that, let me explain the value and materials of American coins:

1 point, 5 points, 10 points, 25 points.

其中1分（铜95%、锌5%）、5分（铜、银、锰合金，其中含35%银）；其他币种都是含90%的银。

Americans are very dogmatic; the value of the materials must exactly match the face value of the coin.

As a result, the 10-point size is actually the smallest (smaller than 1-point and 5-point, because of its high silver content).

The 50-cent note (issued in April 1948; I can't find any from that year, but the design is the same).

The 1-yuan coin is only a commemorative coin and does not circulate widely.

The US dollar was quite strong before the 1970s, and its exchange rate remained stable because it was pegged to gold.

So, getting back to the main point: In the two rounds of performances, Jiang Baobin received the most 1-cent coins, totaling 37.

The second highest score is 5 points, with 32 pieces.

Next is 10 points, there are 25 of them.

However, there are also large donations such as 25 points (8 coins) and 50 points (5 coins).

The total came to $8.97, which, according to Tom's wages, was equivalent to four and a half days' pay.

That would be an astonishing 67 silver dollars!

This money is enough to buy 1000 kilograms of flour.

They've definitely struck it rich!

It's no wonder that these days, apart from the four major families and corrupt officials, all the money from planting flowers goes to foreign devils.

Judging from Jiang Baobin's experience today, it's clear that he wouldn't be so generous if he hadn't made a fortune.

Following them can definitely make you money!

Jiang Baobin managed to recover some of his losses in this match.

He made up a significant portion of the money he had advanced for the man's medical expenses; otherwise, Jiang Baobin wouldn't have had any money to buy anything.

The next day, before seven o'clock in the morning, Jiang Baobin arrived at Nanyuan Airport.

Tom's flight was at 8 a.m., so Jiang Baobin wasn't qualified to ride with the Smith family to the airport in a car.

Therefore, he could only arrive at the terminal early and wait anxiously.

After all, Tom has been so kind, so what's a little longer?

These days, flying is extremely easy; all you need to do is show your ticket.

Smoking on the plane, bringing things that would never be allowed in later generations—it's all perfectly acceptable.

When Jiang Baobin hugged Tom goodbye, he could be clearly seen trembling.

"Oh, Tom, are you sick?"

"I have to admit, I'm afraid that's the case," Tom said weakly.

"I had too much fun yesterday, I must have caught a cold on the way home."

"But it's okay, Jiang, I've always been in good health, and I've already taken fever reducer."

The guy optimistically said, "I'll sleep on the plane for two days, and by the time I land, I'll be cured naturally."

Jiang Baobin said with concern, "Tom, being sick is no joke."

"I suggest you reschedule your flight and wait until you are fully recovered before you leave."

Tom shrugged: "Chiang, I don't have that much time. Many things can't be done by sending telegrams alone."

Then she blinked and said, "Jiang, what was that saying again? It's the one you told me before."

"You people describe this situation in a very interesting way."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Baobin said in Chinese, "Is one often caught in the web of power and unable to control one's own destiny?"

Then he awkwardly translated it again into English.

Tom snapped his fingers: "Bingo, that's fantastic! I'm going to put it somewhere I can see it every day."

"Jiang, could you please write this down for me in Chinese?"

"Of course, no problem."

As Jiang Baobin wrote this, he silently apologized to someone in his heart—

I didn't mean to plagiarize; I just let it slip.

The Douglas DC-4 took off, carrying the journalist who was "not in control of his own destiny."

Jiang Baobin did not say goodbye to the Smith family again, but instead boarded the small train back to the city alone.

It's obvious that they're only maintaining a polite facade because of Tom.

Especially Mr. Smith, who is a staunch white supremacist, the kind of person who would even take a nod as charity towards Jiang Baobin.

Jiang Baobin, of course, wouldn't want to make a fool of himself.

The "Nanyuan Line" was built in 1907 and put into operation in 1909, back when it was still the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, the track was a narrow gauge of 600 mm, and it was not until 1941 that it was converted to the standard gauge of 1435 mm.

The scenery along the way was quite nice, and it was the time when the crops were growing lushly.

However, things got much worse once we entered the suburbs; it could be described in three words: dirty, chaotic, and poor.

I got off at the terminal station "Yongdingmen" and then took a bus to Qianmen.

Then you have to transfer to bus route 2 to get back to Jiaodaokou.

However, just past the "American Consulate," Jiang Baobin, who liked to look around, spotted a car accident scene—

A Ford-Lincoln Zephyr was pushed upside down.

The vehicle involved in the accident was a Dodge SNL G-502 mid-sized jeep weighing 2.4 tons, which Americans call a "tactical truck".

"Stop the car!" Jiang Baobin jumped up from his seat.

"We haven't arrived at the station yet," the driver complained.

Jiang Baobin immediately panicked: "Didn't you fucking see there was a car accident?"

"That's my boss, a foreigner! If he doesn't receive timely treatment, you'll be held responsible!"

Being called a foreigner is really useful.

Without saying a word, the driver slammed on the brakes with a loud "screech!"

Good heavens, several standing passengers almost jumped out!

As soon as the car door opened, Jiang Baobin rushed out.

The accident had obviously just happened, and Rose and her two children stood not far from the Lincoln, at a loss.

The ground was covered in candy.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the mother and her two children went shopping, but their car, which was waiting at the intersection, was hit by one of their own.

However, none of these are the most important things right now.

Jiang Baobin pushed aside the onlookers and rushed to the car.

The car door was severely deformed and could not be opened at all.

Luckily, this guy was skinny and managed to crawl through the broken glass.

Both the Indian driver and Smith suffered severe head injuries.

The driver's heart had stopped beating (this guy didn't know how to find a pulse, so he just felt his heart).

Smith, on the other hand, was jumping around quite enthusiastically.

Push him aside to a place where he won't get in the way.

Jiang Baobin lay down, pressed his head and hands against the car door, curled his legs up, and then kicked the other car door hard.

After three or four kicks, he finally managed to kick open the slightly deformed car door...