Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Jinshi, Machang Road.

This place is a completely different world from the dilapidated alleyway where Renshou Lane is located.

The road is wide and flat, with lush plane trees planted on both sides.

Rows of small villas, each with its own unique style, stand quietly deep in the courtyard, with red brick walls, arched windows, and wrought iron railings.

Occasionally, a black car or a shiny rickshaw would drive by, creating a slight rustling sound in the wind.

The three-story villa facing the street is not the most ostentatious in appearance, but it is very well maintained.

The exterior walls are off-white, the window frames are dark green, and a small front yard is surrounded by a low wrought iron fence, where several carefully trimmed rose bushes are blooming brightly in the afternoon sun.

A loud female voice could be heard coming from a south-facing living room on the second floor of the villa.

"You fat bastard! A pig whose brain is full of grease and paste!"

The voice, filled with shrewish anger, pierced through the heavy glass windows and velvet curtains, causing the maid passing by downstairs to instinctively shrink her neck and quicken her pace.

The living room is brightly lit.

Two young women sat at a small round table covered with a lace tablecloth.

The one who got angry was none other than Liu Ruyan.

She cursed for over ten minutes, then stopped when she couldn't think of any new words. She picked up her cup, took a large gulp of her now-cold coffee, and said bitterly, "I'll break that bastard's legs sooner or later!"

Sitting opposite her was Li Siqing, who was wearing a simple moon-white cheongsam with a light apricot cashmere cardigan over it.

After Liu Ruyan's angry outburst subsided, she put down the silver spoon she had been gently stirring. "The registration process... didn't go smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly, except for that fat bastard who used connections to get in, and he made me so angry!"

With a "smack," Liu Ruyan slammed the exquisite gold-plated coffee cup back into the saucer. The clinking of the cup and saucer startled the white cat sunbathing on the windowsill. "If it weren't for the Li family's power, that fat guy probably wouldn't have lived to be eighteen."

"The fat guy surnamed Li? Li Jinrong?"

. . . . . .

By the time Chen Mo reached the paved road, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.

The sunlight was shining obliquely, but the temperature remained hot and dry.

The leaves of the plane trees along the roadside drooped listlessly, and in the distance, visible heat waves rose from the street, making the shop signs across the street appear somewhat distorted.

A few people were waiting sporadically under the bus stop sign, all looking exhausted from the heat.

He stood in the shade for a while, and finally heard a clanging sound coming from afar. An old tram was slowly approaching.

The tram was dark green all over, with mottled paint and windows covered with a mixture of dust and rain stains.

The pantograph on the roof rubbed against the overhead cable, occasionally sparking a few tiny blue-white sparks.

Chen Mo stepped onto the creaking pedals, asked about the price, took out five copper coins to buy a ticket, and habitually glanced around.

There were more people in the carriage than expected, probably all out running errands as the sun began to set.

He chose a seat on the inside of the back door, where he could observe most of the carriage while having his back against the side panel, reducing the unseen area behind him.

The tram swayed along, bringing a slight breeze, but it was quickly swallowed up by the sweltering heat.

The carriage was filled with a kind of afternoon drowsiness.

Two girls who looked like female students, dressed in simple blue cheongsams, were looking at a small book with their heads close together, occasionally letting out very soft laughter.

There was also an elderly gentleman wearing glasses, leaning back in his chair, already dozing off, the newspaper in his hand about to slip from his grasp.

Several young men, clearly a group, glanced at Chen Mo's police uniform with veiled suspicion, exchanged a look, and then quickly looked away.

Chen Mo did not react in any way, and his breathing rate did not change.

There are too many strange and unsavory characters in this city of Tianjin. As long as they don't directly provoke you, there's no need to cause unnecessary trouble.

After the tram had been traveling for a while, the buildings outside the window became increasingly low and old, and the number of pedestrians dwindled.

As dawn broke, the tram came to a stop with a clang.

The words "Renshoulikou" on the bus stop sign are blurry and illegible.

Chen Mo calmly stood up and followed several other passengers off the bus through the front door.

The evening breeze carried the faint smell of decay from the garbage heaps on the street corner.

Looking around, all you see are single-story or two-story buildings, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and mottled walls.

The courtyard that Chen Dachuan bought was located at the deepest part of the alley, making it relatively independent.

"Hmm, Courtyard No. 7, it should be here, but can you really get it for a little over a thousand?"

Chen Mo knocked on the door knocker.

Footsteps soon came from inside, and the door creaked open, revealing Chen Dachuan.

He was wearing a slightly worn short jacket with the cuffs rolled up, and there were still some sweat stains on his forehead, as if he had just finished working.

"You're back? You passed the test?"

Chen Dachuan stepped aside to let him in, his gaze quickly sweeping over him. The concern in his eyes eased slightly, then he lowered his voice again, "How's everything going in Linhe County?"

"Yes, everything went smoothly. I'll be going to the Zhenyi Division for training in half a month." Chen Mo nodded and stepped across the threshold.

The courtyard has been renovated.

The blue brick floor was swept clean, and the well platform of the old well in the corner had been rebuilt and covered with a new wooden cover.

The chrysanthemums under the eaves have had their soil changed and look more vibrant.

The main house has three rooms, with newly pasted paper windows that let in a dim, yellow light.

The east wing room has also been cleaned up, and two slightly thin figures can be seen reflected in the window, along with low voices.

"Your Aunt Liu and Yuanyuan are in the west room," Chen Dachuan said as he led him toward the main room. "The two in the east room are teenagers I hired a couple of days ago, about thirteen or fourteen years old. They fled from the south. They're clever and hardworking. I don't need to pay them; I just need food and a place to sleep."

"More people, more positive energy."

Chen Mo paused slightly, glanced at the east wing, and said nothing.

The main room was lit by a kerosene lamp, making it brighter than the courtyard.

Aunt Liu was carrying bowls and chopsticks out of the small kitchen at the back. When she saw Chen Mo, she smiled and said, "Little Mo is back. Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon."

"Yuanyuan, your brother Mo is back!"

The curtain to the inner room was lifted, and a girl with two braids peeked out. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she called out "Brother Mo" before happily coming over to help him with his luggage.

She still remembers the rock candy that Brother Mo gave her; it was so sweet.

Unfortunately, my mother stopped giving me saccharin later, saying it was too expensive.

"Please sit down, the food will be ready soon." Aunt Liu quickly set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Chen Mo patted the little pigtails, handed her the small bundle, nodded to Aunt Liu, and then looked at Chen Dachuan: "Dad, is there some reason why this courtyard is so cheap?"

Chen Dachuan knew what he was asking, so he gestured for him to go to a corner of the main room and lowered his voice even further, "The place is nice, quiet, and inexpensive, but..."

He pointed to the ground and his surroundings, "The first two days after we moved in were fine, but these past few nights there's been a lot of noise."