Chapter 1

In July, the sun in Tanzhou was scorching. Yu Lifei, who had just stepped off the train, almost retreated. This damn weather, compared to the air-conditioned carriage, Tanzhou was like a furnace. But he touched the two hundred yuan in his pocket, slung the bag over his shoulder, and walked toward the exit without looking back.

Yu Lifei was twenty-two years old. He had graduated from a junior college two years ago and had been struggling in society for two years. However, he had not been successful. His faded jeans and worn-out shirt betrayed his financial situation.

"Sir, would you like to stay at a hotel?" As soon as he walked out of the train station, a middle-aged woman approached Yu Lifei, speaking enthusiastically. Yu Lifei was dressed very simply, and it was clear he didn't earn much. She was experienced and knew that the more such young men cared about their dignity, the less they knew how to refuse. Normally, she would charge thirty yuan per night, but for him, she would charge forty, and he wouldn't dare to haggle.

"No, thank you." Yu Lifei coldly replied. He wouldn't spend money around the train station; it seemed cheap, but it was full of traps.

"Cheaper, only forty yuan a night." The middle-aged woman was taken aback, not expecting Yu Lifei to refuse. But she didn't give up and tried to pull him by the arm, trying to drag him away. She knew that people like him, who had seen little of the world, were very thin-skinned.

"Forty?!" Yu Lifei exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, simultaneously sidestepping to avoid her grasp.

Yu Lifei touched the two hundred yuan left in his pocket and quickened his pace to avoid the middle-aged woman's纠缠. He wasn't concerned about others' gazes or opinions; it was his financial situation that forced him to act. Even staying in a forty-yuan-a-night small hotel was a luxury for him.

"Hey, young man, don't go. Our place is not only cheap but also has special services." The middle-aged woman didn't want to let Yu Lifei go and followed him with a suggestive smile.

This time, Yu Lifei didn't stop. He walked away without looking back. He knew his situation well.

"Can't even afford forty yuan, you poor bastard!" Seeing Yu Lifei leave, the middle-aged woman tore off her friendly mask and cursed. Many people, unable to bear her contemptuous gaze and ridicule, would come back and bite the hook, even though they had already run away.

Yu Lifei paused, turned around, and glanced at the middle-aged woman. His eyes were complex, filled with anger and mockery, but he didn't say much. Yu Lifei walked forward, saw a brick on the roadside, and picked it up. The middle-aged woman, seeing that Yu Lifei didn't dare to respond, felt even more smug and continued to mutter. Her vicious insults were endless and varied, like a machine gun, with no repetition. But just as she was enjoying her tirade, a brick flew out of nowhere, hitting her forehead with perfect accuracy. Blood gushed out, splattering everywhere.

"Ouch!" The middle-aged woman clutched her bleeding forehead, rolling on the ground in pain, screaming like a banshee. Despite the bustling crowd at the train station, no one helped her. They just stopped to watch, as if it were a circus act. Yu Lifei slowed his pace, a smile on his face, as if admiring his own work. After a moment, he quickened his steps and left the train station.

"Nice move, young man." Just as Zhu Daizhong was about to leave the station square, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Yu Lifei didn't expect anyone to notice him. He turned around and saw a thin old man with white hair but sharp, piercing eyes. The old man also carried a bag, indicating he had just gotten off the train.

"Sorry to trouble you." Yu Lifei smiled humbly. He had been in society for two years and had seen all kinds of things. But his attention was drawn to the old man's bag. Although he couldn't see what was inside, the bag seemed to have an invisible magnetic pull, deeply attracting him.

"Although she spoke rudely, it was wrong of her. But your actions were a bit extreme. Be more careful next time." The old man said, examining Yu Lifei closely, his eyes filled with surprise. He had expected Yu Lifei to be an impulsive young man, but he saw steadiness and determination in his eyes.

"Thank you for your advice, sir." Yu Lifei took a step back, bowed, and said sincerely.

The old man was surprised. Yu Lifei's behavior made him feel that he was not as young as he seemed, as if he had experienced much. What the old man didn't know was that Yu Lifei's character was such that he could endure anything but not be wronged. He would be even better to those who were good to him, but he would be even worse to those who were bad to him. He was kind but not submissive, smart but not cunning, proud but not arrogant. The old man's advice was seen by Yu Lifei as a kind of benevolent care.

"Are you from out of town? What brings you to Tanzhou?" The old man, who was about to leave, stopped and asked with interest.

"I'll find a job and settle down first." Yu Lifei said, his eyes glancing at the old man's bag. His interest was not out of greed but a sense of comfort.

After graduating from junior college, he went south and worked for two years. He found it meaningless and decided to return home to be with his old man. He had never seen his parents and was raised by his old man. Now that he was grown up, he felt guilty leaving him alone on the mountain. But after staying at home for a month, his old man kicked him out.

The incident started with an ancient jade he bought from a street vendor in the south. He had intended to give it to his old man, but his old man just held it and threw it back to him. He put it on his neck, and during a qi practice on the mountain, the jade suddenly disappeared.

Since then, he liked to sleep in the village temple or old houses. This scared his old man, who feared he might do something scandalous and disgrace the family.

"Young people should be brave in their struggles." The old man said with a smile.

Yu Lifei wanted to ask the old man what was in the bag, but just as he was about to, a car stopped in front of the old man. A young woman in a white blouse and jeans got out. Although her attire was similar to Yu Lifei's, she looked much more attractive, while Yu Lifei looked a bit old-fashioned. Although he couldn't see her face, from the side, she seemed to be a very beautiful girl.

She clearly had a special relationship with the old man. After getting out of the car, she took his arm, took his bag, helped him into the car, and then got in herself, closing the door and driving away.

Watching the car drive off, Yu Lifei felt a bit melancholic, not because of the old man but because of the bag in his hand. The reason he agreed to leave with his old man was not because of his old man's worries but to find an answer. He wondered why he suddenly became interested in certain things. At his age, he should be interested in girls, but he found himself drawn to old things.

This had once made him very anxious, and he didn't even dare to tell his old man about the ancient jade. It was better to seek the answer himself than to worry his old man.

PS: New book uploaded, please recommend and collect.

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