Fists can't cross Tianjin

Chapter 20 Search

Tianjin, located at the confluence of nine rivers, is a melting pot of all walks of life.

This place isn't particularly large, nor is it particularly small. To the south are the Western-style buildings of the foreign concessions, to the north are the greenhouses of Hebei, and in the middle flows the Haihe River, which divides the city into two sides, yin and yang.

Finding someone in this area can be difficult or easy, depending on how connections you have and how well you know the place.

The way a tabby cat goes is naturally wild.

He has been operating in the Hongqiao area for over a decade and is well-liked by everyone on the street.

But he didn't rely entirely on that group of mad dogs.

Mad Dogs are good at fighting, but when it comes to finding people or getting things done, especially the kind of job that you don't want to involve the authorities but still have to do well, you still need to find professionals.

……

In the afternoon, the sun was beginning to set.

The tabby cat, carrying two bottles of Moutai and a pack of Qianmen cigarettes, went to Nankai University alone.

This courtyard is quite old; the paint on the door is peeling, the door knocker is rusty, and moss grows all over the blue bricks in the corners. But in the eyes of the older generation of江湖人 (jianghu people, people of the martial arts world) in Tianjin, this place holds a special place.

This was the residence of Xie Wuye, a famous wrestler in Tianjin back in the day, known as "Iron Arm".

Back in the late Republican era, Master Xie was a renowned figure in Tianjin's wrestling scene. It's said that he learned his craft from a disciple of Huo Yuanjia when he was young. Although he didn't have the same fame as the legendary Huo Yuanjia, everyone in the area called him "Master."

Unfortunately, Master Xie passed away many years ago, and now his only son, Xie Cheng, lives here.

He was known in the martial arts world as "Xie Ganzi".

Because he made a good ash pole.

"Knock knock knock".

The tabby cat knocked on the door knocker.

After a while, the door creaked open.

The man who opened the door was in his thirties, lean and wiry.

He was wearing a faded dark blue work uniform, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his two forearms with bulging veins. Although thin, it was a lean, wiry kind of thinness, like dried, cured meat, all muscle.

He was holding a rag stained with engine oil, carefully wiping a three-meter-long white waxwood pole.

The pole was entirely waxy yellow and shiny, clearly an old object that had been handled and oiled for many years. The pole was straight, with only a slight natural bend at both ends.

"Mr. Xie, are you busy?"

The cat smiled and handed over the cigarettes and alcohol.

Xie Cheng raised his eyelids, glanced at the tabby cat, then at the thing in his hand, but didn't take it. He simply asked indifferently, "You wouldn't come here without a reason. What brings you here, Cat Master?"

"I would like to ask Master Xie to come out of the mountains."

The tabby cat didn't beat around the bush. He put the things on the stone stool by the door, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Xie Cheng, and lit one for himself.

"Find someone for me, and then 'invite' them back while you're at it."

"I quit this line of work a long time ago."

Xie Cheng didn't take the cigarette. He lowered his head and continued wiping the ash stick in his hand. "Now I'm a worker at the Red Star Gear Factory, earning a fixed salary and living off the government. Don't bother me with matters of the underworld."

"One hundred yuan."

The tabby cat extends one finger.

Xie Cheng paused for a moment while wiping the pole.

One hundred yuan is almost half a year's salary for him.

These days, workers' wages are stable, but barely enough to make ends meet. There are elderly parents to support, young children to raise, and money to save for weddings, house repairs—money is needed for everything. The Xie family may have been wealthy in the past, but that's all in the past. Now, life in Xiecheng is a struggle.

"Who is it?" Xie Cheng asked, his tone still indifferent, but he was clearly already interested.

"A tricycle driver."

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in the cat's eyes. "I don't know his name or where he lives. All I know is that he's from the Hongqiao area, and he has red ribbons wrapped around his handlebars. This guy... he's got some serious skills. My brother Gangzi might have gotten himself killed by him."

"Gangzi?"

Xie Cheng frowned slightly. He knew Gangzi's skills; his "Small Hand in a Sleeve" move was quite impressive. Anyone who could defeat Gangzi was no ordinary coachman.

"A martial arts expert?"

"It should be," the tabby cat nodded. "That's why I came to ask Master Xie for help. Mad Dog and his gang are ruthless, and I don't want this to escalate. I want Master Xie to bring the person to me safe and sound. I want him alive, and I also want to ask him some questions."

Xie Cheng remained silent for a moment, then put away the oilcloth in his hand and placed the white wax pole in the corner of the wall.

"Give me the money first."

The tabby cat laughed, pulled out a stack of ten-yuan notes from its pocket, and slapped them onto the stone block next to it.

"readily."

Xie Cheng pocketed the money without counting it, stuffing it directly into his pocket. "When are we leaving?"

"The sooner the better," said the tabby cat. "I've already sent Mad Dog with his men to all the car dealerships and checkpoints. Once we've located them, Mr. Xie, you can make your move."

"OK."

Xie Cheng nodded. "I'll wait for news."

……

Meanwhile, in the Hongqiao courtyard.

This is the busiest time in the courtyard. Workers leaving get off work and children coming home from school are running around in the alley. Coal stoves are lit, and a pungent smell of coal smoke mixed with the smell of cooking oil fills the air.

Suddenly, a rapid and arrogant bicycle bell broke the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Ring ring—ring ring—"

Lai Sanye's bicycle shop assistant was riding a 28-inch bicycle, also known as a "national defense bicycle," rattling its broken bell loudly as it recklessly drove into the tenement.

"Blind Chen! Blind Chen!"

The guy parked the car across the middle of the yard, put one foot on the ground, and shouted in his hoarse voice.

Aunt Zhang, who was washing cabbages at the tap, was startled and almost dropped the cabbages. She straightened up, shaking the water off her hands, and said irritably, "What's all the fuss about? There's no one blind here!"

"Go away, you old woman, don't interrupt!"

The waiter glared at Aunt Zhang, then shouted towards Chen Zhuo's dilapidated house, "I'm talking about that rickshaw puller, Chen Zhuo! That bastard owes our grandpa his share of the money, and he's been dragging his feet for three days! Where is he? Is he hiding in his house having his babies?"

There was no one inside.

At this moment, Chen Zhuo was still cultivating in the air-raid shelter, eating the forty-odd pounds of pork and practicing his Xingyi Quan.

The waiter called out for a long time but no one answered. Feeling embarrassed, he angrily kicked open the broken door to Chen Zhuo's room.

"Bang!"

The door panel was just a few pieces of rotten wood pieced together, and it was already on the verge of collapse. With this kick, there was a "crack" sound, and half of the door hinge broke off. The door panel hung there at an angle, wobbled a couple of times, and almost fell down.

The room was dimly lit, and a musty smell wafted through the air.

It was completely empty, except for a broken bed covered with straw and a few chipped and broken earthenware pots.

"Damn it, you poor bastard!"

The shopkeeper went inside and looked around, hoping to steal something valuable to pay off the debt, but all he found was dust and rat droppings. Enraged, he rolled up the tattered bedding on the bed—a black quilt with the cotton batting showing—and threw it hard on the ground. Then, seeing the broken earthenware jar filled with water, he kicked it away in anger.

"Splash!"

Tiles were scattered all over the ground.

The commotion startled Grandpa Wang and Lin Xiaoman, who lived in the main house.

"What are you doing! What are you doing!"

Old Wang, wearing a cotton-padded coat and leaning on a cane, came out, his beard trembling with anger. "In broad daylight, trespassing on private property! Is there no law anymore?!"

"The law?"

The shop assistant came out of the house, stood on the steps, looked down at Old Wang, and sneered, "Paying back debts is a matter of course! It's the logic of the new society! That Chen Zhuo owes our car dealership a share of the profits, and he's run away. If I don't go after this house, who else can I go after?"

"But you can't smash things!"

Lin Xiaoman, supporting Grandpa Wang, said angrily. She was wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket, and her two braids were jet black and shiny. Although she had a few freckles on her face, her eyes were clear and revealed a stubbornness.

"Hey, isn't this Xiaoman?"

When the waiter saw Lin Xiaoman, his thieving eyes lit up instantly. His arrogant expression turned into a grinning face as he leaned closer. "What's wrong? Feeling sorry for that kid? If you do, you can pay him back. It's not much, just five yuan."

"You..." Lin Xiaoman's face turned red with anger.

"Alright, stop wasting your breath on me."

Seeing that there was no profit to be made, the waiter didn't want to argue any further and turned to walk to the corner of the yard, where Chen Zhuo parked his tricycle.

"Since the person isn't here, I'll tow the car away first!"

Without saying a word, the waiter stepped forward to push the cart.

"That's their livelihood! You can't take it away!" Old Wang said anxiously, stepping forward to try and stop them.

"Get out of my way, you old geezer!"

The waiter shoved Grandpa Wang aside. Grandpa Wang, being old, staggered a few steps and almost fell, but luckily Lin Xiaoman caught him.

"You just wait!"

The man hung the dilapidated tricycle on the back of his bicycle, tied it hastily with a rope, and spat on the ground as he left. "Tell that blind Chen that if he wants his tricycle back, he'd better go to the tricycle shop and find our Master Lai! Interest and principal included, not a penny less!"

After saying that, he got on his bike, pulled the tricycle, rang the bell, and rode away.

All that was left was a mess and a yard full of neighbors watching the spectacle.

Lin Xiaoman's eyes reddened as she watched the tricycle being towed away. She knew what that vehicle meant to Chen Zhuo. It was his livelihood in this city, his very existence.

Without his car, he truly became unemployed, losing even the last vestige of his livelihood.