Be careful what you wish for, Chen Zikun was so happy that he almost rushed up to kiss Mr. Li, but his years of experience as a bandit had taught him to remain calm and composed in the face of unexpected events.

  "Alright, where is Miss Lin?" Chen Zikun asked calmly.

  "Right at the entrance, oh, you don't know Miss Lin, I'll have Old Zhang take you there." Li Dazhuang found a school worker and had him lead Chen Zikun to the entrance.

  Miss Lin and another chubby girl wearing glasses were standing under the porch at the entrance, wearing a woolen hat like a little girl and cotton gloves hanging from her neck, shivering with cold.

  "Miss Lin, your driver has arrived." The school worker led Chen Zikun forward and introduced him before leaving.

  "So you're the driver of our family's car." Miss Lin exclaimed softly, excitedly shaking the shoulder of the girl with glasses next to her and said: "Wang Yuqi, it was he who won Mr. Hu Shi's applause with his words and was even invited into the classroom to listen to the lesson."

  Miss Lin's southern accent was soft and sweet, Chen Zikong's bones were all crispy, and he couldn't help but straighten his waist, put one hand on his hip, and strike a pose that he thought was very heroic.

  Wang Yueqi adjusted her glasses and spoke fluent Beijing dialect: "Lin Wenjing, where did your dad find such a cultured driver? I'll have to find one for my family too."

  Lin Wenjing said proudly: "Of course my dad is great, but it's hard to find a driver with culture and upbringing like this. Maybe there's only one in all of Beijing."

  Wang Yueqi pouted and said: "Then I don't care, next time lend me the carriage driver for a while."

  Chen Zikun gazed at the freckles on Wang Yueqi's chubby face, silently cursing: Lend you sister! However, his old man had once told him about the rules of Saint Petersburg nobility picking up chicks. To conquer a woman, one must first conquer her BFF. It seems that for this freckled girl, he still needs to adopt a gentle policy.

  "Miss Lin, get in the car, I'll send you home. And Miss Wang, if it's on your way, you're welcome to come along." Chen Zikun said with a smile, he had always been confident in his own smile, and many of the old ladies in the theater troupe were infatuated with him because of it, but he had always kept himself chaste, waiting for an angel-like girl like Miss Lin.

  But the two ladies surprisingly ignored their own charming smiles, got on the car by themselves, and Wang Yueqi even laughed heartlessly: "Lin Wenjing, your driver is really interesting, he can even borrow flowers to worship Buddha, how did he know we are neighbors."

  Chen Zikun's prepared lines were not used again, in his conception, Miss Lin should ask him shyly: "What's your name?" Then he can say very cool and pretentiously: My name is Chen Zikun, courtesy name Kunwu, which was given by Professor Chen Duxiu.

  Unfortunately, all this turned out to be a mere fantasy. The two girls were not interested in knowing the name of a rickshaw puller at all and directly got on the rickshaw and instructed: "Uncle, go back to Shi San Ta Jie Hou Zhai Alley."

  Uncle, again uncle, Chen Zikun's heart is broken, thinking that I've shaved my beard, how can I still be called uncle? Heaven, I'm a young and vigorous youth!

  Alright, here is the translation:

  "Go on, I'll let you two little girls see what it means to have flying legs. Chen Zikun pulled the rickshaw and ran forward like a bird in flight. Wang Yuqi giggled: "Rickshaw driver, run faster, catch up with that car in front."

  Chen Zikong looked up and saw a purple-lacquered foreign car speeding ahead, with a copper plate on the back of the carriage bearing the words "Xu Fu's private use".

  "Hmph, you think a chubby glasses girl like you can order me around? Chen Zikun's anger flared up, and instead of speeding up, he slowed down his pace, changing from sprinting to jogging."

  "Lin Wenjing, didn't your husband eat his fill at home?" Wang Yueqi teased intentionally.

  Lin Wen said in a soft voice: "Uncle, trouble you to hurry up, the one in front is our classmate, we have something to look for him."

  Chen Zikun quickened his pace, and with a few rapid strides he caught up with the rickshaw in front of him. He walked alongside it, keeping pace with the vehicle. On the rickshaw sat a handsome young man dressed in a black school uniform with seven shiny brass buttons down the front. Under his student cap was a refined and courteous face.

  "Xu Tingge, Xu University's eldest, why are you walking so fast?" Wang Yueqi exclaimed.

  The handsome young man turned his head and looked at them with a frown: "What's wrong?"

  "I just wanted to ask you, is there a class by Mr. Gu Hongming on Monday? Are you going to attend?"

  "Oh, I will definitely go and listen to Mr. Gu's class."

  "Great, we'll go too."

  "Do you freshmen also like Mr. Gu's class?"

  "A man who is proficient in both Chinese and Western learning, speaks nine foreign languages, and holds thirteen doctoral degrees teaches classics and educates people. Who wouldn't like him?"

  Xu Tingge and Wang Yueqi were talking, but Lin Wenjing lowered her head and didn't say a word. Chen Zikun felt a sense of relief in his heart: Our family's Jing'er is indeed well-behaved and knows the rules. On the street, men and women openly talk to each other, what kind of decency is this? This Wang Yueqi really isn't a good kid.

  He didn't notice, however, that the rickshaw puller from Xudai University had already begun to compete with him. The rickshaw pullers who pulled carts for the wealthy were usually young and strong men, especially those who worked for large households, they were the elite of the rickshaw world, tall and long-legged, with excellent explosive power and endurance, and their cart-pulling skills were also extremely high.

  Xu's car driver wore a neat blue cotton-padded jacket, with leg straps, exuding spirit and energy. He glanced at Chen Zikun disdainfully, quickening his pace, overtaking by half a car length.

  Chen Zikun was furious, damn it, a tiger falling into a plain being bullied by a dog, even a rickshaw puller dared to challenge me, the fast-legged Xiao Baidong. Is the word "fast leg" in my nickname just a vain name? He spread his legs and quickened his pace, overtaking Xu's rickshaw, and the driver on that side was not willing to show weakness, also speeding up. The two of them chased each other, and soon arrived at the intersection. Xu's rickshaw turned towards Dong'anmen, and before leaving, the driver pointed his head at Chen Zikun with a rather pretentious air, as if they were heroes appreciating each other.

  "Goodbye, senior." Wang Yueqi waved her handkerchief reluctantly and whispered to Lin Wenjing: "How's that? Isn't he handsome? The senior is the Prince Charming in my heart."

  "Ah, so handsome." Lin Wenjing nodded.

  "What a fool, one look and you can tell he's a good-for-nothing." Chen Zikun cursed in his heart.

  Fortunately, Wang Yueqi's home was nearby, so she got off and walked back by herself. Chen Zikun finally had the opportunity to enjoy a two-person world with Lin Wenjing alone. He secretly turned his head, just wanting to strike up a conversation, but saw that Lin Wenjing's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, completely losing her previous liveliness.

  "My wife must have encountered something unpleasant." Chen Zikun's heart ached secretly, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The words of comfort he had prepared were swallowed back down his throat.

  After arriving at the Lin's residence on Shi'er Ma Da Jie Hou Zhai Hutong, the young lady got out of the car and entered the house. Chen Zi Kui also moved the car into the courtyard. The servant, Lin Ma, came over and said: "Ah Chen, the mistress is calling for you."

  Mr. Lin and Mrs. Lin were sitting in the living room of the inverted house, holding tea bowls in their hands, with a master's demeanor, Chen Zikun entered the door, bowed his head and stood upright, neither humble nor arrogant.

  The lady looked Chen Zikun up and down a few times, her nostrils flared twice, and said in Shanghainese dialect: "Little Chen, is it? You go out for a moment first."

  He hadn't even spoken yet, but was already asked to leave. Chen Zikong, the second son-in-law, was baffled and had no choice but to leave. As soon as he stepped out the door, he heard his wife say: "This rickshaw driver is no good, he's full of body odor, our family can't use someone who doesn't practice hygiene."

  Chen Zikun was furious, lowered his head and sniffed, although there was some smell but it wasn't excessive, besides men are not supposed to be odorless, a bit of stench is healthier.

  Mr. Lin said slowly and deliberately: "This won't do, he's a driver introduced by Director Zhou Shuren, we can't lose face in front of Director Zhou."

  The wife said: "In that case... let him focus on sending Wenjing to school, and the wages can be reduced a bit. Also, he cannot live in our house."

  Mr. Lin is still wandering around, but Chen Zikun is overjoyed and would be happy to pay a few more dollars every month, let alone being shortchanged on his wages.

  From now on, I'll be the daughter-in-law's personal driver, Chen Zikun thought with a smile, and began to imagine:

  A misty rain, I pulled a rickshaw through a long and winding alley, Lin Wenjing stood at the end of the alley with a paper umbrella, like a fragrant jasmine flower with a hint of melancholy...

  "Ah Chen, your wife is calling you in." Lin Ma interrupted Chen Zikun's daydream, he hastily wiped the drool from his mouth and re-entered the living room.

  "Ah Chen, Mr. and I don't use the car much, you just need to send the young lady to school, send the young master to kindergarten, that's all. The household chores are taken care of by Lin Ma and Zhang Bo, so you don't need to help with that. When there's nothing else to do, you can sweep the floor, water the flowers, wipe down the tables and whatnot. We just moved in not long ago, the house hasn't been fully cleaned yet, it's better if you go back home to live, more convenient too." The mistress said without even looking at him, her thin lips moving up and down rapidly.

  "Whatever you say, wife," said Chen Zikong with a very silly expression.

  "Alright, you go back and tidy up first, take a bath and change your clothes. Tomorrow is Sunday, don't come over. Come again on Tuesday at 7:30 am." It seems that the lady didn't mention anything about wages, taking advantage of Chen Zikong's kindness.

  "I'll take my leave first, madam, goodbye. Sir, goodbye." Chen Zikong bowed and turned to walk away.

  ……

  "Beautiful big girl, beautiful and playful big girl, big girl walks into the green silk tent..." Chen Zikun hummed all the way back to the big courtyard of Liu Shu Hutong outside Xuanwu Gate.

  The courtyard was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and a man was surrounded by his neighbors in the center, asking about his well-being. He wore a uniform cap on his head, a blue railway uniform on his body, and a leather suitcase beside him. His face was pale from exhaustion, but he looked clean and tidy all over, exuding an indescribable spirit. Xiao Shunzi, Baoqing, and Guoer were all circling around him excitedly, while the uncles and aunts were each holding a Great Front Gate cigarette, their faces filled with joy and smiles.

  "You're Chen Zikong, right? I've heard about you. Thanks to you last night." The man discovered Chen Zikong, pushed through the crowd and walked up to him with his right hand extended.

  Chen Zikun knew this was the new way of doing things, it's called a handshake, and it's just like bowing with your fists. He stretched out his right hand without hesitation and shook hands with Dahai, feeling that the other person's palm was wide and warm, full of strength.

  "My name is Zhao Dahai, I work on the railway. If you don't mind, just call me Big Brother Hai along with them."

  "Big Brother Hai." Chen Zikun shouted, he had seen from the first glance that this man had a kind of extremely infectious casualness and magnanimity, the same temperament he had only found in Dabozi.

  "The ocean, you little stinker, never come home all year round. Finally came back to celebrate the new year, didn't even enter the house, and the kids don't recognize you anymore." Yesterday, that loud-mouthed old man scolded with a smile, looking at their eyebrows, they look quite alike, should be a family."

  "Dad, I know." Zhao Dahan picked up his suitcase and patted Chen Zikun's shoulder: "Brother, if you have something to say, speak up." He smiled and went into the house. The neighbors in the courtyard chatted for a while before dispersing. From their conversation, Chen Zikun learned that Zhao Dahan was a technical worker on the Zhengzhou section of the Beijing-Hankou Railway, and had worked with Zhan Tianyou on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway in his early years. He was considered a respectable person with status in the courtyard.