Dinghai City, Five Blessings Hall Rickshaw Agency.
Although the sky had just begun to lighten, a long line had already formed outside the agency's door. The rickshaw pullers waiting for the morning shift couldn't even spare time to eat properly, anxiously standing at the entrance with steamed cornbread and pickled vegetables in hand.
A table was set up in front of the agency where Third Master Yang Hu sat, eyes half-closed as he observed the pullers who approached respectfully to pay their daily rental fees.
In Dinghai City, you had to pay the fee before renting a rickshaw.
You might think it unreasonable, but people still fought for the opportunity.
The rickshaws at the agency were classified by quality. The best first-class vehicles were high-end imports from overseas with gleaming lacquer, commanding the highest fares. Despite the expensive rental fees, pullers clamored for these rickshaws.
The second-class ones weren't bad either. Although the frames were locally made, the critical axle bearings and bushings were imported, so the quality remained decent.
The lowest tier consisted of rickshaws produced by local workshops. These were of terrible quality—the tires could burst if you weren't careful, and they offered little comfort to passengers. Despite their cheaper prices, nobody wanted to use these vehicles.
This was precisely why the pullers lined up so early.
Everyone wanted to rent a first-class rickshaw to earn better fares.
"Wen San, first-class rickshaw, full shift!"
"Xiangzi, first-class rickshaw, half shift!"
"Full shift" and "half shift" were trade jargon—a full shift meant a full day and night, while a half shift referred to either daytime or nighttime.
Listening to the accountant's calls, Third Master Yang reclined comfortably in his chair and began to drift back to sleep.
Each call represented money flowing into his pocket, and Third Master thought there was no sweeter sound in the world.
As Third Master hovered between sleep and wakefulness, a young man emerged from the alley in front of the agency.
The youth was only sixteen or seventeen, with exceptionally handsome features, though he was far too thin. His worn but clean coarse clothes hung loosely on his frame, as if merely draped over him. The paleness on his face suggested someone recently recovered from a serious illness.
Yet anyone observing closely would have been surprised to discover how remarkable his eyes were. Though his phoenix eyes remained half-closed most of the time, as if he were sleeping, when he occasionally opened them fully, they contained a captivating brilliance that could move hearts.
When he reached the end of the line, familiar pullers immediately recognized him.
"Xiaowu, are you... recovered?" a middle-aged man called out with pleasant surprise.
The young man nodded with a smile.
"Brother Yuan, I'm better! Nearly lost a layer of skin, but thankfully I'm tough and pulled through!"
Hearing this, the pullers who knew the situation marveled at his recovery.
Though young, Xiaowu had already been a rickshaw puller for two years. But last month, he had somehow contracted a serious illness.
Several friendly pullers had visited him, especially Brother Yuan Er, who went several times. After his most recent visit, he had returned shaking his head and sighing, convinced the young man would surely die.
For rickshaw pullers who relied on physical labor to make a living, falling seriously ill was essentially a death sentence.
It was especially pitiful for his sister, who at just fifteen years old was about to lose her last remaining family member.
The kind-hearted Yuan Er would often sigh deeply whenever he thought about it.
Yet surprisingly, after just a month, Xiaowu had miraculously returned.
Though he looked even thinner, at least he had survived.
People began discussing this among themselves, while the middle-aged man who had first greeted him happily slapped Xiaowu on the shoulder.
"Good lad! It's wonderful that you pulled through. This afternoon at Jinghe Meat Pies, I'll treat you to a meal to celebrate."
"Thanks, Brother, but I need to rent a rickshaw first, otherwise I won't even have food for tonight," Wu Liangchen replied with a bitter smile.
Everyone sighed slightly upon hearing this.
It wasn't just this young man recovering from illness—weren't they all in the same situation?
Living meal to meal, with no food stored for the next day, forced to work like oxen and horses just to survive.
Compared to them, Wu Liangchen was actually better off. He had no wife or children to support, and though he had a sister, she worked at a laundry and could at least support herself, despite the meager pay.
Even so, the month-long serious illness had depleted what little savings the Liangchen siblings had. If he didn't earn money soon, they would have nothing to eat.
Yuan Er naturally understood Liangchen's difficulties. Looking at his thin frame, he swallowed whatever he had been about to say and simply patted his shoulder again in encouragement.
Wu Liangchen joined the long line, slowly moving forward with the queue.
At this moment, daylight was just breaking, and all of Dinghai City was awakening from its night of slumber.
In the distance, the harbor resembled an insatiable beast, constantly swallowing and disgorging cargo. The laborers moved like ants, gradually emptying those massive new steam ships. Despite the great distance, their work chants could still be faintly heard.
Bleary-eyed women emerged from their homes carrying chamber pots, greeting neighboring aunties and grandmothers while casually emptying the contents into the roadside gutters.
Early-rising vendors pushed steaming bun carts along the streets, calling out their wares. The breakfast stalls had already opened, and workers hurrying to their jobs had no time to sit down, so they clustered around the soy milk vats, anxiously drinking the scalding liquid.