Song Yubai looked at the one-armed old man, his eyes fixed on the empty sleeve, feeling as if a loud explosion had just gone off in his mind.
So this was the truth!
This was the true face of Taoyuan County!
All that prosperity and those smiling faces from before were indeed nothing but a facade!
Hidden in this dark corner, the Xu family had finally bared its man-eating fangs!
An indescribable surge of grief and indignation rushed straight to Song Yubai's head. It was the righteous blood of a scholar witnessing injustice, the innate impulse of a noble young master eager to uphold justice.
Ah, no. That was just Song Yubai being different, a rare breed in this day and age.
"Stop!"
With a furious shout, Song Yubai darted forward like a bolt of lightning.
Disregarding the possibility that the cart might be filled with the filth he loathed the most, and ignoring the pungent smell of sweat radiating from the old man, he firmly grabbed the handle of the small cart.
"Old man! Don't be afraid!"
Song Yubai's eyes were bloodshot. He pressed down hard on the cart handle, his voice trembling yet resolute.
"Put this filthy thing down! You don't have to push this cart anymore!"
"Since I am here today, I will never sit idly by! Even if the Xu family has heaven-defying capabilities, I will seek justice for you!"
The old man was startled by this sudden turn of events, completely dumbfounded.
Seeing the old man in a daze, Song Yubai assumed he had been scared out of his wits, which only made his heart ache more.
"Old man, you have suffered..."
Song Yubai took a deep breath, preparing to help the old man push the "incredibly heavy" dung cart aside.
He settled into a horse stance, focused his energy in his core, and channeled all his strength into his arms, bracing himself for a weight of several hundred pounds.
Li Wencheng was right. These two full buckets had to weigh at least four or five hundred pounds. For this one-armed old man to push it, he was practically throwing his life away!
"Lift!"
Song Yubai let out a low grunt, exerting every ounce of his strength.
The next second.
His body suddenly lurched forward, and he nearly fell flat on his face.
Light.
Too light!
This seemingly cumbersome small cart was surprisingly light in Song Yubai's hands. The wheels were incredibly smooth, as if the cart could run on its own with just a slight push.
A faint rustling sound came from the wheel bearings, like the sound of ball bearings gliding smoothly in grease.
Song Yubai staggered a few steps, barely managing to steady himself, and stared at the small cart in his hands with utter astonishment.
This... was this really a cart filled with manure?
Even if it were filled with cotton, it wouldn't be this light, would it?
"What are you doing?!"
Before Song Yubai could even process what was happening, an angry roar exploded in his ear.
The one-armed old man, who had previously seemed so meek and downtrodden, now reacted like a tiger whose tail had been stepped on. He aggressively shoved Song Yubai away.
"Where did this pretty boy come from? Are you trying to rob me?"
The old man guarded the small cart fiercely with his single hand, as if protecting a rare treasure. His cloudy eyes were wide open, filled with vigilance and anger.
"I... I'm trying to save you!"
Song Yubai stumbled backward, his face a picture of disbelief.
"Old man, the Xu family is forcing you to do hard labor and making you wear a prison uniform. I am here to..."
"Save my ass!"
The old man spat, directly cutting off Song Yubai's words.
He pointed at Song Yubai's clean hands, his beard trembling with anger.
"You don't know shit! A prison uniform? This is a work uniform! A vest, do you understand? Miss Xu said that wearing this at night keeps you from getting hit by carriages! It's a life-saving treasure!"
As he spoke, the old man distressingly wiped the part of the cart handle that Song Yubai had touched.
"And what do you mean 'forcing me to do hard labor'? Let me tell you, don't think you can just spout nonsense because you have a pretty face!"
"I lost an arm on the battlefield and couldn't do a damn thing. It was Miss Xu, that living Bodhisattva, who gave me a job!"
"This is the 'early shift premium order' that I fought tooth and nail to grab! From the west side of the city to the processing station, the road is flat and easy to walk, and there's even a downhill slope. I can earn three work points for just one trip!"
"I waited in line for three whole days just to get this route! And you just come up and try to snatch it from me? Are you trying to steal my work points? Are you trying to cut off my livelihood?"
The old man grew angrier as he spoke. He clenched his remaining right hand into a fist and shook it in Song Yubai's face.
"If it weren't for your delicate skin that looks like it can't take a beating, I'd punch you out right now, you order-snatching thief! Scram! Don't make me late to clock in!"
Song Yubai was completely petrified.
Snatching orders?
Work points?
Clock in?
He understood each of these words individually, but why couldn't he make sense of them when they were put together?
And... how was this old man so strong? That shove just now had nearly shattered his bones.
Was this really the strength of a disabled, malnourished old man who had been subjected to long-term abuse?
Just then, a middle-aged man walked out of the processing station's gates.
He was dressed in a set of black short-sleeved workmen's clothes, with a whistle hanging around his neck. He looked like a supervisor.
Su Bingzhang's eyes lit up, and he quickly leaned in to whisper in Song Yubai's ear, "Young Master! Look! That's the foreman with the whip! Just look at his fierce and vicious expression. He must be coming out to punish this lazy old man!"
Hearing this, a fire ignited in Song Yubai's heart.
Even if this old man didn't know what was good for him, if this foreman dared to commit violence in public, he, Song Yubai, would not hesitate to spill blood today!
He was just about to step forward and reprimand the man, but then he saw the "fierce and vicious" foreman walk briskly over to Lao Zhang.
There was no whip.
There were no insults.
The foreman was holding a large porcelain bowl that was radiating white mist.
It was the frosty mist of ice.
"Lao Zhang, how many times do I have to tell you? Take it easy, push slower."
The foreman handed the porcelain bowl to Lao Zhang, his tone carrying a hint of complaint but also a great deal of concern.
"The Eldest Miss just sent word. She said that the temperature today has exceeded thirty degrees, which triggers that... oh right, the 'High-Temperature Warning Mechanism'."
"So, on top of the basic wages and work points today, everyone will be given an extra twenty coins as a 'Scorching Heat Allowance'."
The foreman pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket and tucked it into the pocket of Lao Zhang's bright yellow vest.
"Here's your voucher. Keep it safe and don't lose it. Now hurry up and drink this bowl of iced mung bean soup to cool down. Once you're done, head over to the 'Staff Lounge' to cool off by the ice basin. Don't go getting heatstroke."
The foreman sighed and patted Lao Zhang on the shoulder.
"If you get heatstroke and pass out, it'll be counted as a 'workplace injury.' That means my performance review as the stationmaster will take a hit, and I'll have to reimburse your doctor's fees. Have a little pity on me, will you? Stop working yourself to the bone!"
Lao Zhang took the mung bean soup, gulped down two large mouthfuls, and let out a satisfied burp.
"Hehe, don't worry, Stationmaster, my bones are still tough! I just want to take advantage of the fact that I can still move around to save up some more money for my grandson's schoolbooks."
"Alright, alright. Hurry up and go inside to rest."
Lao Zhang pushed his lightweight little cart and happily made his way inside. As he passed by Song Yubai, he shot him a vigilant glare, as if guarding against a thief.
