Chapter 161 Style

The next day, as soon as the sun climbed above the treetops, Willow Leaf Lane came alive.

Old Zhao, who sells tofu pudding at the alley entrance, has already set up his stall. The blue cloth awning is open, two benches are placed on it, and the tofu pudding in the copper pot is steaming hot.

The tender tofu pudding swirls and curls, its aroma of soybeans wafting from the alleyway entrance.

Inside the room, Chen Mo, shirtless, slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

The breath he exhaled condensed into a white streak in the cool morning air, like the mist exhaled in winter, shooting straight for more than three feet before slowly dissipating.

Immediately afterwards, wisps of white steam began to rise from his body.

It's not sweat.

It's steam.

The white mist emerged from his pores, fine and dense, like countless extremely fine threads, wrapping around his naked skin.

Shoulders, chest, back, arms... every inch of skin is steaming.

A thin mist quickly filled the room.

Sunlight streamed in slantingly through the window, and in the interplay of light and shadow, wisps of white vapor swirled upwards, gathering in a cluster on the rooftop that lingered for a long time.

Chen Mo opened his eyes and casually tossed the remnants of the Crimson Sun Blood Crystal into the trash can next to the bed.

During the practice of the "Yin Sha Bone Tempering Method," the power of Yin Sha and the energy of Chi Yang alternate, tempering the bones inch by inch.

After training, the bones that have been tempered will generate heat, steaming out any remaining impurities from the body through the pores.

The denser the steam, the deeper the quenching.

With his current progress, which is nearing perfection, he can clearly feel his bones becoming harder with each practice session.

Chen Mo stood up and walked to the full-length mirror in front of the wardrobe.

In the mirror, a shirtless young man was looking at him.

He wasn't particularly muscular, but he had well-defined muscles.

The outline of muscles can be faintly seen under the skin, not the kind of bulging, lumpy flesh, but a thin layer that grows along the bone.

He moved his shoulders, and his joints cracked a few times with a crisp sound.

The white steam had faded, and my body felt sticky, covered in impurities from the steaming process.

Chen Mo grabbed his clothes, left the room, went to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and poured cold water over his head.

The icy water washed over my body, forcing out the last wisp of heat from under my skin.

He rubbed his arms to wash away the sticky impurities.

When you run your fingers across your skin, you can clearly feel the bone underneath, heavy and hard, like an iron bar attached to your flesh.

After taking a shower, Chen Mo changed into his full set of the Inspection Bureau uniform and prepared to go to the alley entrance to eat a bowl of tofu pudding.

Just as I reached the gate of the courtyard, I saw a figure hurrying towards me.

Driver Mr. Liu.

"Master Chen! Master Chen!"

Chen Mo stopped and waited for him to come over.

Master Liu jogged up to him, took a breath, and handed him the keys: "Young Master asked me to bring you the keys."

"So fast? I thought it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow."

Chen Mo took the key and weighed it in his hand.

There was a small brass tag hanging on the key, engraved with the word Ford.

"The car is parked at the street corner outside," Mr. Liu pointed towards the alley, "but the alley is too narrow to drive in. Why don't you go check it out yourself later?"

He nodded: "Thank you for making the trip, Mr. Liu."

"It's no trouble at all," Master Liu waved his hand, then lowered his voice and leaned closer, "Mr. Chen, this car is really great, a new car is just so easy to use."

Chen Mo smiled and said, "Go back and tell your young master to invite him for drinks when you have time."

Master Liu chuckled twice, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then waved goodbye before leaving.

He stood at the gate of the courtyard and weighed the key in his hand.

Perfect timing, I don't have to squeeze onto the tram today.

Putting the keys in his pocket, Chen Mo walked towards the alley entrance. After smelling the aroma of tofu pudding all morning, he was starting to feel a little hungry.

Old Zhao's tofu pudding stall is right at the entrance of the alley, covered by a blue cloth shed, with several people already sitting on two benches.

Zhou Nian was squatting next to the stall, holding a rough porcelain bowl, eating with sweat pouring down his face.

Seeing Chen Mo approach, she stood up, her mouth full of tofu pudding: "Brother Chen! Shall I get you a bowl too?"

"I'll do it myself." Chen Mo walked over and nodded to Old Zhao. "Same as always, one bowl of salty."

Old Zhao responded and scooped some water from the pot with a long-handled wooden ladle. The tender tofu pudding falls into the bowl in a delicate, flower-like motion, then a spoonful of braised sauce is poured over it, and cilantro, dried shrimp, and pickled mustard greens are sprinkled on top. It's served steaming hot.

Chen Mo took the bowl, squatted down next to Zhou Nian, and took a bite.

The tofu pudding is smooth and tender, and the braised sauce is savory and fragrant. A hot bite warms you from your throat to your stomach.

Zhou Nian asked indistinctly, "Brother Chen, what did that person bring you? I saw him hand you a set of keys."

Chen Mo lowered his head, took a sip of his braised pork, and casually replied, "Car keys."

"Car keys?" Zhou Nian was taken aback. "What car keys?"

"I asked someone to buy me a car." Chen Mo stirred the tofu pudding in his bowl with a spoon, his tone flat. "It was just delivered, it's parked at the street corner."

"Buying a car?!"

Zhou Nian's shout almost made her spit out the tofu pudding in her mouth.

Her eyes widened, she held the bowl in her hand, and stood there frozen as if she had been struck by a magic acupuncture point, not moving for a long time.

An old man in a gray cotton robe was sitting on a bench nearby, slurping tofu pudding with his head down. He looked up when he heard the shout.

Aunt Zhou, who runs a grocery store, stopped as she passed by carrying a basket.

"Xiao Chen bought a car?" Aunt Zhou put her basket down and leaned closer. "Really? The four-wheeled kind?"

"Sister Liu, of course the car has four wheels," Old Zhao chimed in while serving tofu pudding, his wooden ladle moving non-stop. "Mr. Chen, have you struck it rich? Is the tax bureau's salary that high?"

"How could I make a fortune?" Chen Mo smiled. "It took me several years to save up, and with the help of friends, I finally got one."

"It's secondhand, not worth much."

He didn't say the car was new, nor did he say how much it cost.

It's best to keep a low profile in front of your neighbors.

"That's incredible!" Aunt Zhou clicked her tongue twice, looking Chen Mo up and down. "Mr. Chen, when you wear that uniform and drive that car, you really... what's it called again? Impressive presence!"

The old man in the gray robe on the bench put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Mr. Chen, what brand is the car? My son drives for foreigners in the concession, so I've seen quite a few—Fords, Chevrolets, Lincolns…"

"Ford," Chen Mo said, "the black one."

"Ford is great!" the old man exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "American cars are so durable! My son says foreigners love driving Fords; they're really reliable!"

A few more people gathered around.

Old Wang, the vegetable vendor, was walking back with his empty baskets when he heard the commotion and squeezed in: "Who bought a car? Mr. Chen? Oh my goodness, that's incredible! How about the first one in Willow Leaf Alley?"

Zhou Nian finally snapped out of her shock, put the bowl down, and jumped to her feet: "Brother Chen! Where's the car? Take me to see it!"

"What's the rush?" Chen Mo calmly finished the last bite of tofu pudding, handed the bowl to Old Zhao, and said, "Same as always, write it down."

"Alright." Old Zhao took the bowl, then lowered his voice and asked, "Mr. Chen, this car... must have cost a lot, right?"

"It's alright. I asked a friend to buy it for me; it's cheaper than in the market."

He did not give a specific number.

It's no use talking about it. An average family only spends a few dozen yuan a year on food. The amount he mentions would scare people.

"Brother Chen! Brother Chen!" Zhou Nian tugged at his sleeve, "Take me to see! I just want to look, I won't touch!"

"You haven't finished your tofu pudding yet."

"I'm not eating anymore! I'm not eating anymore!" Zhou Nian picked up the bowl, tilted her head back, and poured the rest of the soup and water into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out like a steamed bun as she mumbled, "Let's go, let's go!"

Chen Mo was pulled by her towards the alley entrance, and behind them came a chorus of congratulations from the neighbors.

"Mr. Chen, bring it out another day so we can see for ourselves!"

"Uncle Chen, using this car to pick up your bride when you get married, that's what you call a grand wedding!"

"Zhou Nian, slow down! Master Chen isn't going to run away!"

Chen Mo turned around and waved his hand, letting Zhou Nian pull him out of the alley.

When we reached the street corner, there was indeed a black Ford sedan parked there.

Its gleaming black paint shone in the sunlight, and its streamlined body was much taller than the rickshaws and mule carts next to it.

The blue oval logo on the front of the car represented rarity and wealth on the streets of Tianjin in 2012.

Zhou Nian stood three steps away from the car, staring blankly for a long time without moving.

"This...this is a car?"

She had never ridden in a car, or even touched one.

When I see a car driving by on the street, I always keep my distance, afraid of being hit.

Now this iron thing is parked right in front of her; she can see it and touch it. It's Brother Chen's car.

Follow the pen of Flying Vinegar and embark on an adventure in Cola Novels titled "Tianjin: Starting Immortality Through Unorthodox Methods".