Chapter 49 Old Shadows of the Republic of China (3)
Jiang Feng struggled to get up from the ground and took a closer look. This was...
Cabin?
Jiang Feng had never been on a ship before, and he couldn't stand firmly in the most shaking cabin. He stumbled all the way and finally hugged a pillar. He could still hug the pillar, otherwise Jiang Feng would have to lie on the ground unless the boat stopped.
The cabin was small, dark, and very crowded. There was only a small slanted window and there was almost no light in the cabin. Hundreds of people were squeezed into the small place, all kinds of people, men, women, old and young. The only common feature was that they had sallow complexions and skinny bones. Most of them were sitting on the ground with blank eyes, their faces covered with numbness.
In this case, Jiang Feng couldn't tell which one was Jiang Weiguo.
Jiang Feng hugged the pillar and dared not move. The entire cabin was filled with a suffocating smell, which was even more terrifying than the smell of the garbage mountain in the shed where Li Mingyi once lived.
The smell of sweat, rancidity, body odor, urine and feces mixed together and fermented in such a closed cabin. If Jiang Feng had not had the experience of close contact with the garbage mountain before, he would have escaped outside the cabin.
The people in the cabin looked like they hadn't bathed or changed clothes for a long time. Just by looking at the harsh conditions here and their shabby and dirty clothes, Jiang Feng could guess that they had no conditions to bathe, let alone clothes to change.
If it weren't for the yellow people in the cabin, Jiang Feng would have suspected that this was a black ship transporting black slaves.
After a long time, the hatch opened.
A lean, neatly dressed but equally old middle-aged man came down the stairs with a look of disgust on his face and stopped in the middle, obviously not wanting to come into contact with the people in the bilge too much.
"The cook who cooks for the adults in the first class is sick. Do you have a cook here?" The lean man shouted at the top of his voice, "Two steamed buns for each meal!"
As soon as the last words came out, there was a commotion in the originally dead bilge. They didn't care whether the sick cook was thrown into the river, they only cared about the two steamed buns.
Men, women, old and young, even children as young as seven or eight years old, all rushed to shout: "I am a cook!"
"I can cook!"
"I don't want two steamed buns, I just want one!"
If it weren't for the fear of lean men, people who longed for white-faced steamed buns would have been swarming and pulling at his clothes.
"Quiet!" the lean man shouted, his voice drowning out the noise of the people, "If you don't want women, if you dare to cause trouble, I will throw them all into the river for you!"
"What I want is a cook. A cook who can cook for adults, not a waste who only knows how to light a fire and make a paste!" The lean man glanced around and was a little disappointed when he saw that the originally enthusiastic people all showed timidity.
They are a merchant ship that originally moved goods back and forth in Southeast Asia. There are many merchant ships like them on the sea. When there is cargo, the cabins carry goods, and when there is no cargo, the cabins transport people. A little more ruthlessly, the poor people who can't survive are deceived into spending all their belongings to buy a ship ticket, and then they are divided into three, six or nine grades. Beautiful or slightly attractive women are sold by the pound to San Francisco, and strong laborers and women are sold Children are worthless to traffickers, so they sell them if they can be bought. If no one wants them, they just find a random place and throw them away or throw them directly into the river.
Their boss is considered kind. Although the boat fare is expensive, he will at least ensure that people are sent to where they want to go, and they will also give the people in the cabin three bowls of rice soup that is so clear that you can see the bottom every day.
It was none of their business whether they could survive on three bowls of rice soup a day after spending all their money on the ferry ticket. Under the auspices of his colleagues, their boss was already a great benefactor with a bodhisattva heart.
"Is there anyone?" the lean man shouted again, "If the adults in the first class are satisfied, I can give you three steamed buns in one meal!"
No one dared to agree.
They were afraid that if their cooking skills were not good, they would offend the adults in the first class and not only not be able to get the steamed buns, but also the whole family would be implicated.
This year, the north has experienced wars, severe droughts, and plagues. Both rich and poor households are fleeing south. The whole family’s bilge tickets alone can wipe out all the savings of ordinary families. Many families even give up their daughters and even My wife sold it to get enough money. The identities of people who could live in first class cabins were something that civilians like them couldn't even imagine.
"Can I? I'm the chef at Tai Feng House." Jiang Weiguo squeezed out from the crowd.
At this time, Jiang Weiguo was about eleven or twelve years old. Because he had worked as a cook for Jiang Chengde since he was a child, he was well-nourished, so he looked very strong compared to the people in the bilge who had been hungry and malnourished for a long time. Although his clothes were shabby and dirty, It can be seen at a glance that the family was originally from a good background.
It is impossible for children from poor families to grow so strong.
"Tai Feng House?" The lean man obviously knew Tai Feng House, and he didn't believe that the cook in Tai Feng House would be reduced to the bilge. "How old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?"
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"Eleven." Jiang Weiguo replied.
The lean man looked him up and down, not knowing what he was thinking. After a long time, he reluctantly agreed: "Come up."
Under the envious eyes of everyone, Jiang Weiguo followed the lean man out of the bilge.
Jiang Feng quickly stumbled after him.
After leaving the bilge, the air is much fresher and you can even feel the wind, which can be said to be very comfortable.
The lean man said: "My surname is Wang. You will call me Manager Wang from now on. You and I are not the adults in the first class that we can afford to neglect. If you go back now under your false name, I can forget about it."
"My name is Jiang Weiguo." Jiang Weiguo said, stretching out his hand.
Those are a pair of chef's hands.
Not rough, no unnecessary calluses, and old wounds from kitchen knife cuts that can be seen with the naked eye.
Manager Wang believed that he was a cook.
Manager Wang led him into a narrow room and threw him a set of clean old clothes: "If there is no hot water, wash yourself with cold water, especially your head. Don't bring fleas and lice into the kitchen, and then put on clean clothes." , I’ll wait for you outside.”
After saying that, he closed the wooden door.
Jiang Feng didn't like to peek at his grandfather bathing and changing clothes when he was young. He was waiting at the door like Manager Wang.
After a while, Jiang Weiguo came out.
I put on clean clothes, my hands and face were clean, and even my fingernails were cleaned. Manager Wang looked at Jiang Weiguo, nodded with satisfaction, and led him to the kitchen.
The kitchen on the ship is very small, but it is quite complete. There are several kinds of vegetables, but they are all limp. There are fresh fish, but no fresh meat. There are a few hangers of dried meat. Jiang Feng cannot recognize it with his naked eyes. What kind of meat is it.
"The first-class gentleman's surname is Huang. Mr. Huang doesn't like fish or ginger. He has to prepare the dishes before 11 o'clock today, at least three dishes and one soup. If you eat or take it secretly, I will throw you down! Master Huang will be rewarded if you do well. If you don't do well, you will have to think about it yourself!" Manager Wang prepared to leave after giving him both kindness and power.
"By the way, next door is the kitchen of the second and third class cabins. If you are hungry, you can go over and mix two bowls of rice cereal."
Jiang Feng guessed that this could be considered an employee benefit.
"May I ask where Master Wang, Mr. Huang, is from?" Jiang Weiguo asked.
Seeing Jiang Weiguo actually asking a question, Manager Wang couldn't help but look at him one more time: "Huguang people."
"Thank you, Manager Wang, for informing me," Jiang Weiguo said.
"If you want help, go find the one next door." I don't know whether it was because Jiang Weiguo liked him or for other reasons, but Manager Wang added another sentence. (End of chapter)