activa-t Chapter 11 Even the emperor's dragon throne isn't this comfortable!
Chapter 11 Even the emperor's dragon throne isn't this comfortable!
When we left Renhe Auto Dealership, it was the middle of the day and the sun was blazing.
Sunlight shone on the brand-new rickshaw, its brass headlights reflecting a golden light so bright that passersby could hardly open their eyes.
Brass headlights, maroon body, British imported rubber tires, and a genuine leather-wrapped cabin.
This isn't a car; it's a work of art.
Passersby, whether gentlemen in long gowns or laborers in short clothes, were all captivated and couldn't look away.
Lu Laogen circled the car three times, reaching out his hand and then pulling it back, wanting to touch it but not daring to, afraid that his hands, full of calluses and frostbite, would scratch the paint that was as shiny as a mirror.
"Great car, it's a fucking great car."
Lu Laogen swallowed hard, turned to look at Lu Cheng, and subconsciously bent his back, adopting the posture of someone who had pulled a cart all his life.
"Chengzi, get in the car."
The old man patted the genuine leather cushion, his face radiating a warm, almost heartfelt enthusiasm.
"Dad's in a good mood today, so Dad's pulling you along!"
"Let everyone in Beijing see that my son, Lu Laogen's son, has become a star, riding in the best rickshaw ever."
In this day and age, the one riding in the car is the master, and the one pulling the car is the grandson.
Although the old man didn't understand grand principles, he knew that his son was now "Boss Lu," a respectable person, and couldn't get involved in such low-class work.
Lu Cheng, however, did not move.
He stood in front of the carriage shaft, his eyes, which had become even more profound after practicing internal martial arts, quietly gazing at the two handlebars that were polished smooth as jade.
"Father, please sit down."
"What?"
Lu Laogen was stunned, thinking he had misheard.
"I said, please sit down. Today, your son will pull you up."
"Nonsense!"
Lu Laogen got anxious and, his face flushed and neck red, tried to push Lu Cheng.
"What is your status now? You're the star of the Qingyun Troupe, a protégé of Master Jin! What star pulls a rickshaw?"
"If someone sees this, where will you put your face? Where will the Qingyun Class's reputation be?"
"Besides, this is work of serving others. Your father has done it his whole life, he's used to it. You have delicate skin, how could you possibly do this?"
The old man gripped the handlebars tightly, stubborn as a mule.
In his opinion, the fact that his son was able to buy him this car was already a stroke of good luck.
If his son were to pull him, it would shorten his lifespan and bring him divine retribution.
Lu Cheng looked at his father's large, withered hands, dry as tree bark, with deformed knuckles.
These hands have been pulling carts for thirty years.
She raised him, instilled in him the skills he learned as a child, and provided money for her mother's medicine.
This back is hunched over because of this family.
Lu Cheng didn't waste any more words.
He suddenly reached out and grasped his father's wrist.
It wasn't done with force, just a light touch.
"father."
"When I was little, you would take me all over Beijing to see doctors and find teachers."
"Back then, I thought, when I grow up and have the strength, I'll help you out too."
"As for saving face?"
Lu Cheng shook his head and smiled.
"My reputation as Lu Cheng wasn't earned by riding in a car, it was earned by my fists and by my acting."
"In this house, you are the king of heaven."
"It's only natural for a son to help his father! I'd like to see who dares to laugh at that!"
After saying that, Lu Cheng flicked his wrist slightly.
A clever trick!
Lu Laogen felt a gentle, powerful force surge towards him, and involuntarily spun around, landing firmly on the soft leather cushion.
"Ouch!"
The cushion was so soft, with springs, that Lu Laogen bounced and sank into it.
Comfortable.
That feels fucking good.
It's like sitting in the eyes of the clouds.
Before the old man could react, Lu Cheng had already strode forward and steadily grabbed the handlebars with both hands.
That posture didn't look like someone pulling a cart; it looked more like a military general lifting a long spear.
"Hold on tight—"
Lu Cheng gave a soft shout.
He moved his foot.
There was none of the jerky, bumpy start-up that comes with a manual laborer pulling a cart.
The car seemed to be carried by a gust of wind, gliding lightly away.
This is Kung Fu!
Lu Cheng was using the "mud-walking step" of Xingyi Quan, lowering his center of gravity and twisting his thigh muscles like steel wires, transmitting power directly to his arms through the spine.
This isn't pulling a cart, this is practicing martial arts!
"call--"
The rubber tires rolled over the bluestone pavement almost silently, with only the sound of the wind whistling in their ears.
fast!
stable!
Lu Laogen sat in the car, gripping the handrails tightly with both hands, tears streaming down his face.
He looked at the broad, sturdy figure in front of him.
That kid who used to follow him around begging for candy, that hothead who wouldn't cry even when his master beat him until his skin was torn and bleeding in the training room.
Now, it has grown into a towering tree.
Those shoulders are really broad.
Those steps were so steady.
They sped along the way.
Pedestrians on the roadside all turned to look.
"Wow! Who's that? Running so fast?"
"Isn't that Boss Lu, the singer who became famous? Why is he pulling a cart now?"
"Look at who's sitting in the rickshaw! That's his father, a laborer who's pulled a rickshaw his whole life!"
"This...this Boss Lu is truly a filial son!"
Some people were amazed, some gave a thumbs up, and some couldn't understand it.
But Lu Cheng didn't care at all.
His blood and qi were surging within him, and the thunderous roar of tigers and leopards echoed in his chest.
With each step he took and each exertion of force, he gained a deeper level of control over his body.
Who says pulling a cart is a lowly profession?
As long as your heart is righteous, your energy will flow smoothly.
Pulling a cart is also a form of spiritual practice!
The winter sun shone on the old man and the young man.
The young actor is holding his elderly father's hand.
……
They sped along the way.
Lu Cheng grabbed his father and ran all the way back to that dilapidated tenement in the south of the city.
"Whoa—"
When he arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, Lu Cheng paused.
The rickshaw, with its immense inertia, came to a steady stop after his sudden halt, without even the slightest sway.
The journey back was at least five or six miles, and it was a full-speed dash.
If it were an ordinary strong laborer, he would have been exhausted long ago, his tongue lolling out like a lapdog.
But what about Lu Cheng?
His face wasn't flushed, he wasn't out of breath, and there wasn't even a bead of sweat on his forehead.
If you look closely, you can see a faint wisp of white steam rising from the top of his head; that is the heat emanating from the body as the body's blood and qi circulate to their maximum.
This is the "unlockable" nature of internal martial arts.
"Dad, we're home."
Lu Cheng released his hand and called out softly.
Lu Laogen then came to his senses.
He sat in the leather cabin, his buttocks sinking into the soft spring cushions, feeling as if he were still floating on a cloud.
This tastes so wonderful.
Even the dragon throne that he saw the emperor sitting on from afar outside Donghua Gate back then probably wasn't this comfortable, right?
"We've... arrived?"
Lu Laogen smacked his lips, seemingly still wanting more, and rubbed the armrest several times before reluctantly getting down.
By this time, the entrance to the courtyard was already crowded with people.
The golden light that flashed across the alley just now attracted Aunt Zhang, who was picking vegetables, Aunt Li, who was sewing shoe soles, and a few idle teenagers.
"Hey! Isn't this Lao Lu?"
Aunt Zhang dropped the rotten vegetable leaves from her hand to the ground, her eyes wide like copper bells, staring intently at the new car.
"Old Lu, this...whose mansion did you borrow this car from? It's so impressive!"
"borrow?"
Lu Laogen had just gotten off the car and was still a little unsteady on his feet, but upon hearing these words, he immediately straightened his back and snorted coldly through his nostrils.
He didn't say anything, but simply reached out and patted the gleaming cargo bed.
"Knock knock".
The sound of solid wood is solid and resonant.
"Auntie, these days, who would lend out their precious hundred-plus silver dollars?"
"I bought this!"
Lu Laogen's shout was full of energy, letting out all the pent-up frustration he had accumulated throughout his life.
"Full payment, cash only! Just picked up my new car from Renhe Auto Dealership at Xisi Archway!"
"That's just the money for one of Chengzi's plays."
"From now on, I won't be using this car for fares."
"This is for Chengzi to use when he goes out on errands; this is the Lu family's private car!"
boom!
The neighbors gasped in shock, and their gazes toward the Lu father and son changed completely.
A "private car" costing just over a hundred yuan!
The Lu family has risen to prominence overnight!
Looking at his father's ruddy face and spittle flying everywhere, Lu Cheng's lips curled up slightly.
He didn't think his father was vulgar.
My father has suffered his whole life and endured countless scornful looks. Today, he deserves to be treated like a vulgar child and show off to his heart's content.
"Dad, that's a new car, it's not broken in yet, so wipe it down often."
Lu Cheng casually gave a word of advice, ignoring the awe and fawning looks from those around him.
At his current level, he no longer cares about these trivial matters between neighbors.
"Alright, go back inside and rest. You must be exhausted from the journey. Dad will stew some meat for you tonight!"
Lu Laogen now treats his son like a living ancestor, wishing he could worship him.
Lu Cheng nodded lightly to everyone as a greeting, then turned around, lifted the curtain, and went back to his room.
In the courtyard, only Lu Laogen remained as the main character.
He was like a great general guarding a mountain of gold, shooing away all the children around him who wanted to reach out and touch the car.
"Go away, don't touch it with your dirty hands. This paint is softer than a young girl's face."
As he spoke, Lu Laogen parked the car and carefully propped up the handlebars.
Then, he pulled out a brand-new white towel from his pocket, which he had prepared beforehand and which still had the label on.
He breathed out a breath.
He carefully wiped the already spotless handlebars, which were so clean they reflected his image, over and over again.
This isn't just washing a car.
This is slapping the face of the Lu family!