Starting as a dockworker

Chapter 1 Dockworkers: Life is tough!

In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), in Jiangbei Province, Wuling County, Guanjiang Wharf.

The river water, carrying silt and the rust of cargo ships, steamed with a salty, fishy, ​​and sweltering aroma on a hot afternoon.

"Hurry! Hurry! Get your hands dirty!"

The foreman's shouts, like a dull knife cutting flesh, mingled with the cacophony of the dock.

Along the dock pier, a large group of laborers were busy moving goods.

The laborers carried heavy sacks, wooden crates nailed with iron sheets, and smelly barrels of goods... moving back and forth on the shaky planks, each step making the planks creak and groan.

The air was filled with a complex odor of sweat, cheap tobacco, rotten fish and shrimp, and engine oil.

Li Asi was among this group of people.

He wasn't very tall, had a buzz cut, and a handsome face. His patched coarse cloth jacket was soaked with sweat and clung tightly to his muscular body.

The sack, weighing a full four hundred pounds, landed on his shoulder, only making his steps slightly heavier.

"This kid's strength has increased again..."

Several familiar old laborers around them exchanged glances, a hint of envy in their eyes.

Li Asi had only been at the dock for a little over a month, and at first, he found it quite difficult to carry even a single bag.

Nowadays, while others carry one bag at a time, he often carries two bags stacked together.

The foreman initially thought he was showing off, waiting to see him collapse from exhaustion and embarrass himself. But Li Asi was like a tireless spinning top, always unloading significantly more cargo than the others...

"Uncle Zhang, could you please add another pack for me this time?"

After completing one delivery, Li Asi returned to the cargo distribution boat and asked for an extra package.

This burlap sack contains two hundred pounds of rice.

Li Asi has already carried two bags; one more bag and it will weigh 600 jin (300 kg).

"Another pack? Ah Si, can you handle it?"

Zhang Weiwei, the laborer in charge of sorting the goods, was startled and spoke up to remind him.

Although manual laborers do hard physical work, they shouldn't be overdone.

Every year, countless people die from exhaustion at the docks.

If you really damage your health, the money you earn won't even be enough to pay for the medical clinic.

"I can handle Uncle Zhang."

Li Asi smiled憨厚ly: "I'm short of money, my mother is sick..."

"Okay, take it easy, don't strain your back!"

Uncle Zhang smiled helplessly and, together with his coworkers, helped Li Asi carry another package of goods on his shoulder.

Then he inserted three bamboo tallies into Li Asi's waist.

Each bamboo tally represents a package of goods delivered and a share of the profits.

These days, everyone is short of money.

If he carries one more bag, others will carry one less.

But considering his mother was sick, Uncle Zhang didn't say anything more.

only....

Zhang, the laborer, clicked his tongue in amazement as he watched Li Asi's retreating figure.

This kid can actually carry three bags! His strength has increased way too fast...

Li Asi carried three sacks and swayed as he crossed the wooden bridge toward the dock warehouse.

Carrying three packages was not his limit; it wasn't strenuous for him.

But in order not to attract attention, he pretended to be struggling.

A semi-transparent light screen appeared before them.

Name: Li Xiao

Age: 16

[1 equipment slot unlocked]

[Equipment Slots: Old Handkerchief]

[Old-fashioned handkerchief: A handkerchief used by an old laborer for twenty years, with a rich aroma and deep color]

[Equipment Effect: Increases strength significantly when eating and carrying goods]

"In just one month, my strength has increased several times over. If I didn't want to stand out, carrying five heavy bags weighing over a thousand pounds would be my limit..."

Li Xiao carried it while muttering to himself.

That's right, he wasn't a native of this world, but a time traveler.

His equipment slots are his cheat code; they can recognize and equip "Heartstone Items" to gain their effects.

He got this handkerchief by exchanging it with an old laborer after buying a new one.

A month ago, he traveled to this world.

The original owner of this body was in the countryside. He offended his classmates while studying at a private school and was beaten up and left in bed.

Unexpectedly, due to his weak constitution, he died after lying in bed for a few days.

Li Xiao died on Earth while saving a drowning child.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a world similar to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.

This is a world where human life is as cheap as grass.

With the fall of the previous dynasty and the establishment of a new one, the land was in chaos for more than a decade. The newly established Nanyang government was unable to stabilize the situation, as various internal and external forces occupied the territory, leading to a chaotic situation.

The dockworkers who are carrying goods today may become nameless corpses in a mass grave tomorrow.

Everyone says that in this world, you just live one day at a time.

After transmigrating, Li Xiao discovered that he shared the same name and appearance as the original owner of the body.

Even her appearance is exactly the same as her mother's, without the slightest difference...

However, the mothers in this world only look the same; everything else is completely different.

In my previous life, my mother was a senior executive in a company and a strong woman.

The mothers in this world are ordinary women who know nothing.

The only thing that hasn't changed is their mother-son relationship.

Li Xiao quickly accepted the fact that he had transmigrated, this new identity, and the mother of this world.

However, my mother suffered from severe tuberculosis due to overwork.

After he recovered, he proposed to sell his family property in the countryside and move to Wuling County to seek medical treatment.

There is a hospital run by Westerners in Wuling County.

However, Li Xiao underestimated the chaos of this world.

They were robbed by bandits on the way and had no choice but to give up their money to save their lives.

After overcoming numerous hardships, they arrived in Wuling County penniless.

Forget about getting medical treatment, the mother and child almost starved to death...

.......

As the sun sets behind the western mountains, its afterglow bathes the river's surface.

The laborers lined up neatly to receive their wages from the foreman.

These manual laborers often don't know where their next meal will come from, and they work today without knowing tomorrow. They are paid daily.

Foreman Zhao Degui, dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, black silk trousers, and black cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, sat at the table, forming a stark contrast with the exposed-toe straw sandals of the laborers around him.

"Li Xiao, here's your pay for today. You're pretty good, kid..."

Zhao Degui counted the bamboo tallies in front of Li Xiao. The number was three times that of others, and the wages were also three times higher, which was truly enviable. He could earn six cents a day, which was close to a dollar.

"Thanks to God for giving me such good strength."

Li Xiao grinned as he explained, scratching his head with a goofy look.

Actually, he could have carried three sacks of burlap a long time ago, but he delayed until today to avoid drawing attention.

Sure enough, making too much money attracts attention...

"Wow, what a fine young man! Heaven has blessed him with talent, why doesn't it give us talent too..."

Zhao Degui held his pipe, crossed his legs, but never handed over the six cents in his hand.

"Foreman Zhao..."

Li Xiao cursed inwardly, but on the surface he smiled and went over, took the five-cent copper coin, and left the remaining cent behind, forcefully rolling it into Li Xiao's palm.

"I'm trying to be filial to you, but I still have an elderly mother who needs medical treatment, so please bear with me."

Foreman Zhao smiled and put the money into his pocket, saying, "You're a sensible kid. To be honest, would I, Zhao Dezhu, be greedy for such a small amount of money from you... It all depends on whether you have the intention to do so."

"Yes, yes, yes... my heart is with the foreman."

Li Xiao smiled and nodded on the surface, but inwardly he wanted to curse.

Zhao Dezhu is cunning as a devil. He is incredibly clever and will occasionally skim off a small portion of the wages. Don't underestimate a mere ten cents; there are hundreds of laborers begging for food at this dock.

He occasionally pumped water, and could make dozens of silver dollars a month.

This money was earned through the hard work of laborers; blood was shed for it.

But we can't refuse to give it.

Anyone who doesn't pay will be unable to stay at this dock.

Fortunately, Zhao Dezhu is sensible and won't exploit people to the point of exhaustion. He won't exploit one person indiscriminately, but rather assess the situation, exploiting a little here today and a little there tomorrow, without driving people to their deaths.

Li Xiao gave me a dime today, so I don't need to give him any more for a while.

The real debt collectors are yet to come...

Li Xiao walked heavily toward the outside of the dock.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the dock, there stood a group of 'gangsters' wearing white vests, black stand-up collar jackets, black loose trousers, and with their sleeves rolled up.

This group started collecting money from the laborers.

One of the young men waved to Li Xiao: "Brother Li, over here!"

"They're here."

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Li Xiao responded and walked over, smiling, "Brother Qiang."

The young man named Qiang Ge, with a wicked grin, hooked his arm around Li Xiao's and said irritably, "Brother, what's the meaning of this? Were you pretending not to know me just now?"

"How could I dare, Brother Qiang? I don't know anyone else, but I certainly know you."

"It's good that you know. As human beings, we should be grateful and repay kindness."

Qiang Ge rubbed Li Xiao's head with his hand: "Back then, you and your mother couldn't get into the city and almost starved to death outside. Who saved you? It was me, Qiang Ge! I got you and your mother registered and arranged this job at the dock for you. This is a great favor, you can never forget it!"

This is the truth.

Several nearby villages suffered from disasters, and many refugees fled there.

Li Xiao almost starved to death outside the city, and this big dog Qiang chose Li Xiao from among the refugees waiting to die outside the city.

Of course, it wasn't out of kindness, but rather to eat Li Xiao for the rest of his life.

"Yes, Brother Qiang."

Li Xiao took out a dime from his purse and handed it to Brother Qiang.

One cent a day, that's three silver dollars a month. There are more than a dozen laborers like Li Xiao under Brother Qiang's command. They eat so much hard labor that their mouths are greasy.

"I heard you've been making a lot of money lately, and your earnings should go up to 20 cents in the next six months."

After saying that, Big Dog Qiang took another copper coin from Li Xiao, patted him on the shoulder with a wicked grin, and walked away to stop the other laborers...

"This is really going to eat me alive for the rest of my life..."

Li Xiao was filled with a myriad of thoughts, his fists clenched, and he quickly left the place.

In this rotten world, those at the bottom without power are left only to be slaughtered.

There's only one way to escape your current situation... become stronger!