Fists can't cross Tianjin

Chapter 37 Special Tutoring

The Zeng family's servants' canteen was in a back room in the backyard. The room was quite large, with two long tables painted with clear varnish. There were no stools, so everyone was used to squatting on the benches to eat, or simply standing at the door with their bowls in hand.

When Chen Zhuo followed Lao Zhang and the others inside, the room was already quite lively.

A rich aroma of stewed cabbage and tofu wafts through the air, mingled with the fragrance of cornmeal and steamed buns. In this day and age, this is the best flavor imaginable, enough to whet your appetite.

"Come on, make way, the new brother has arrived." Hou San was a very outgoing person, and he started shouting as soon as he entered the door.

The servants and kitchen helpers who were serving food all looked up and curiously examined Chen Zhuo.

Chen Zhuo wasn't intimidated and greeted everyone with a fist and palm salute: "Greetings, masters. I am Chen Zhuo, the new guard. Please take care of me in the future."

"Alright, stop with the formalities and hurry up and get your food, it'll get cold." Old Zhang took a set of enamel bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet in the corner and handed them to Chen Zhuo. "These are for public use, you can buy a new set later. We provide food here, but we don't provide meat coupons."

Chen Zhuo took the bowl and chopsticks and walked to the rice serving area.

The person in charge of cooking was Aunt Li, whom we had just met. She smiled and took Chen Zhuo's bowl, filling it to the brim with a large spoonful of cabbage and tofu, with a few pieces of oil the size of fingernails floating on top. Finally, she gave him three steamed buns.

"Young man, this is the time when you need to eat more, so eat more," Aunt Li said.

"Thank you, Aunt Li."

Chen Zhuo carried his food and sat down at the long table with Lao Zhang and the others.

Da Niu was starving; he grabbed a steamed bun and took a big bite, slurping it down with the vegetable soup. Hou San, on the other hand, was more refined, picking at the bits of oil in the vegetables with his chopsticks while chatting with the people next to him.

Chen Zhuo looked at the food in his bowl.

The cabbage was stewed until very tender, the tofu was flavorful, and the few pieces of pork crackling glistened with an enticing sheen. In those days of scarcity, this was definitely a "signature dish." Ordinary families could only afford to eat this once a month on days when meat was a must.

However, as Chen Zhuo smelled the aroma, it felt as if a starving wild beast was scratching at his stomach.

This little bit of profit isn't enough.

After enduring the cold and beatings that day, coupled with his previous energy deficit, his body was like a dried-up sponge, desperately needing a large amount of energy to fill the void. Carbohydrates and this little bit of plant protein alone simply couldn't fill that bottomless pit.

He picked up the steamed bun and swallowed it in a few bites. The fermented dough melted in his mouth before he could even chew it properly, sliding down his esophagus into his stomach without making a sound.

Chen Zhuo finished off the three steamed buns and the bowl of vegetables in less than five minutes.

With something in my stomach, the burning hunger was slightly relieved, but an even stronger feeling of emptiness followed.

That's the body's craving for fat and protein.

"What's wrong? Not full?" Old Zhang had been watching Chen Zhuo closely. Seeing him put down his chopsticks and his eyes still glancing at the empty bowl, he couldn't help but smile. "Go get two more steamed buns, and there's plenty of soup."

Chen Zhuo shook his head: "I'm full."

It wasn't that he couldn't eat anymore, it was that he dared not eat any more. Eating more would only fill his stomach, but it wouldn't replenish the energy and vitality his body needed. Besides, it wouldn't look good for someone new to the area to act like a glutton.

"Our food is among the best in Tianjin," Old Zhang said, lighting a cigarette and blowing a smoke ring contentedly. "Old Zeng was kind and never skimped on his servants' food. But..."

He lowered his voice and tapped the table with the finger holding the cigarette: "For us martial artists, this is a bit lacking. There's a saying, 'The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts.' If you don't have any muscle, you can't develop strength. Just eating cornmeal and cabbage is called 'poor training,' and you'll ruin your body if you train for too long."

Chen Zhuo's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Old Zhang: "What does Brother Zhang mean?"

"Although our guards' wages aren't low, twenty yuan a month, plus all sorts of ration coupons, meat coupons are a fixed amount. Even though the Zeng family has connections, they can't afford to feed the guards lavishly every day." Old Zhang flicked his cigarette ash. "Look at Da Niu, all those muscles he's built up by buying offal on the black market himself."

Da Niu, who was engrossed in drinking his soup, looked up with a憨厚 smile and said, "My mother said that if you don't eat meat, you won't have the strength to fall down."

Old Zhang looked at Chen Zhuo and said meaningfully, "I see that although you are sturdy, you are a bit weak. If you want to gain a foothold in this courtyard, you can't just rely on the canteen's meager income. You also need to find a way to 'treat yourself specially'."

Chen Zhuo understood. Old Zhang was giving him some pointers.

Practicing martial arts is like refining steel; if there isn't enough fuel, the furnace won't burn brightly.

"Brother Zhang is right." Chen Zhuo nodded, his gaze calm. "That's what I was thinking too. It's just that the rules in this courtyard are very strict, I don't know if it's possible..."

"This is easy to handle," Old Zhang interrupted him. "Old Zeng doesn't care about these trivial matters, and Old Liu turns a blind eye to them. As long as we don't go too far, it's common for us to set up a stove in our own room and stew some meat. Go and talk to Old Liu later, and tell him that I asked him to see if we can get an old stove from the storeroom to use for now."

Chen Zhuo felt a sense of relief. This was exactly what he needed.

He had several dozen kilograms of frozen meat hidden in the air-raid shelter, and was wondering how to get it in to eat. With this "legal" private kitchen, everything fell into place.

"An old stove will do, as long as it can boil water and cook meat." Chen Zhuo nodded quickly, "Thank you for the suggestion, Brother Zhang."

"You're welcome." Old Zhang threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. "We're all in this line of work, so let's help each other out. By the way, tomorrow morning, come with me to the photo studio to take a passport photo. Butler Liu needs to get you a work permit. With that, it'll be easier to run errands, and you can hold your head high if you get stopped by the joint defense team."

Chen Zhuo's eyes lit up slightly.

His work ID is a real talisman. With the Zeng family's backing, even a scoundrel like Hua Mao would have to think twice before messing with him.

"Understood... By the way, Brother Zhang, what kind of work do we guards usually do?"

As Chen Zhuo tidied up, he casually asked, "I've just arrived, so I'm not really sure what to expect."

"To put it bluntly, our job is basically guarding the house," Old Zhang said, exhaling a smoke ring and counting on his fingers. "Nothing much usually happens, just patrolling. We patrol the front and back yards, day and night in shifts. Occasionally there are some odd jobs, like moving coal, shoveling snow, or doing repairs, which we do since we're strong enough."

"Then...don't we need to go out with Elder Zeng?" Chen Zhuo asked tentatively.

Old Zhang glanced at him and laughed, "You wish! Old Zeng is a big shot; I have to accompany him when he goes out. You newcomers should familiarize yourselves with the rules of this courtyard first. Unless…"

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Unless there are special circumstances, or we have important guests and are short-staffed, we might transfer you to fill in. But if you stay in this courtyard long enough, you'll eventually get a chance to shine."

Chen Zhuo nodded, understanding the situation. It seemed that he would mainly be staying within this compound for the time being, which was good, as it would provide an opportunity for him to focus on cultivation and recover his health.

"Alright, go on ahead." Old Zhang waved his hand.

Watching Chen Zhuo's departing figure, Hou San leaned close to Lao Zhang and whispered, "Brother Zhang, this kid seems pretty composed, not like a novice. The way he ate just now, three big steamed buns were gone in the blink of an eye, without even frowning. He's a tough guy."

Old Zhang squinted, watching Chen Zhuo disappear through the door: "Whether he's tough or not, we'll have to wait and see. But this kid has a certain energy, like he's seen blood somewhere. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, he's a good weapon."

Da Niu, standing nearby, seemed oblivious to their conversation, continuing to shovel rice into his bowl. It was already his fourth bowl, yet Aunt Liu continued to smile and refill his bowl. In any other household, he would have been kicked out long ago.

……