Making a living in Dongguan, her fiery red lips offer me tenderness.

Ding Yang started doing manual labor, carrying a floor tile up to the 5th floor.

To be honest, Ding Yang is very strong. A 50-kilogram floor tile is no problem for him. The main problem is that it's not easy to lift and it can cut your hands.

I carried it all the way up to the 5th floor in one go. The door on the 5th floor was open, but there was no one inside. The floor was smashed to pieces, so it must have been renovated.

After running just two round trips, Ding Yang's legs were already incredibly sore.

Damn it, this was a miscalculation. I never do anything normally, and suddenly having to do this kind of physical labor is really taking its toll. But I've already taken on the job, so I can't just give up halfway. I have no choice but to grit my teeth and keep going.

After carrying five boxes, a middle-aged woman in her forties arrived on the fifth floor; she was probably the homeowner.

I was stunned to see Ding Yang carrying floor tiles.

"Handsome guy, you're so young and you're doing this kind of work?"

The woman was probably from Guangdong; her Mandarin wasn't very standard, but it was much better than the man's.

Ding Yang laughed and said, "It's precisely because I'm young that I can do this. I won't be able to do this kind of work when I'm old."

"It's a waste for someone as handsome as him to do this job."

Ding Yang ignored the woman and continued working.

It takes about four or five minutes to carry a box of floor tiles up to the 5th floor and back.

It took me more than two hours to carry 30 pieces of floor tiles, but I finally finished.

Ding Yang was so exhausted that his legs were shaking, and his body was soaked with sweat.

I checked my phone, it was 11:30.

Damn it, there are still 30 bags of cement left.

After walking a few dozen meters, I came to a small shop, bought a bottle of water and two loaves of bread, and spent 4 yuan.

Sitting on the curb, chewing bread and gulping down a bottle of mineral water.

To survive, I can endure any hardship.

I ate two loaves of bread, drank half a glass of water, and then put it aside.

Ding Yang bought the Baleno T-shirt for around 100 yuan and was reluctant to ruin it, so he simply took off the shirt and went shirtless.

It was better not to rest at all. After resting for a while, my legs felt like they were filled with lead, and they were incredibly sore.

But there was no other way; the cement wasn't completely dry yet, and they couldn't give up halfway.

Bare-chested, they started carrying cement.

Surprisingly, this cement is easier to carry than floor tiles. It's quite slippery and round, so it doesn't dig into my shoulder.

Ding Yang lifted a bag of cement and felt it was quite light, not very heavy. He thought to himself that carrying two bags should be no problem, and that would allow him to walk a little faster.

It was just difficult to lift the bag onto my shoulder, but after some trial and error, I figured out the method and was able to carry two bags at once.

The moment the two bags of cement were placed on my shoulders, the force slammed into my bones, causing my shoulder muscles to tighten and ache instantly. My whole body sank down, and I had to straighten my waist and arch my back immediately, otherwise I would bend over and lose my balance.

Gritting my teeth, I ran towards the stairwell.

As I climbed the stairs, each step pressed down on my shoulder, my weight entirely on the balls of my feet. The stairs were steep and narrow, so I held onto the wall with one hand and supported the concrete base with the other, moving slowly with each step. The higher I went, the more my shoulders burned, my back stiffened, sweat streamed down my forehead, blurring my vision. With each floor, it felt like my shoulders were being clamped by iron pincers, the weight piercing my heart.

"Hey handsome, are you carrying two bags at once?"

"I want to finish this as soon as possible!"

When I went downstairs empty-handed, my shoulders felt a sudden relief, but I was also left with a tingling, sore feeling. I was panting heavily, and my legs felt weak. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath before I dared to carry the next load.

After carrying it several times in a row, his body was covered in cement dust, making him look like a cement figure.

Around 12 o'clock, my phone rang. It was Huang Xiaoxiao calling.

"Xiaoyang, where are you? Why aren't you at the shop? Let's go eat."

"Sister, I'm carrying cement, about a few hundred meters from your shop, around the corner of the residential area."

"what……"

After hanging up the phone, I continued working.

Huang Xiaoxiao rode over on her motorcycle.

Dozens of meters away, Ding Yang was seen with his arms bare, carrying two bags of cement on his shoulders, his body completely filthy. But the eight muscles in his abdomen were even more clearly defined, and the muscular arms exuded a masculine beauty.

Huang Xiaoxiao parked her car and immediately ran over.

Suddenly, I felt a strange pang of sadness and an urge to cry.

"Why are you so silly? Who told you to do this work? It's too heavy. Even if you have to carry it, don't carry two bags at once!"

"It's okay, I can handle it."

"Being born is easy, living is easy, but making a living is not easy."

"Life is like being raped. If you really can't resist, then just enjoy it. I'm enjoying life right now."

"Xiao Yang, it's really rare to see a young man like you who is so willing to endure hardship."

"It's alright. I've said it before, as long as I can make money, I'm not afraid of hardship. Even Zhu Yuanzhang had to eat; what's a little hardship to him?"

They carry a mission on their shoulders, yet their souls wander aimlessly.

Huang Xiaoxiao followed him upstairs.

"Xiaoyang, have you eaten?"

"I ate two loaves of bread, and I'll eat more after I finish this."

Upon entering the room, Huang Xiaoxiao was even more stunned, as there were dozens of floor tiles piled up inside.

"Xiaoyang, did you carry these floor tiles up here too?"

"Yes!"

What am I supposed to say about you?!

"Sister, it's okay. Earning money through labor is not shameful. You don't need to feel sorry for me. Actually, I'm doing quite well in my job. I hate working in a factory. Although I'm physically tired, I'm happy at heart."

"Everyone says that you can't make money standing up, and you're not the right gender to make money lying down. It's good to be able to do some manual labor to earn money."

"You really know how to find joy in hardship."

"Oh, how did you find this job?"

"Not long after you left this morning, a man in his fifties drove a small six-wheeler. He didn't speak standard Mandarin. He loaded the truck with goods and parked in front of your door. He asked you to smile. He wanted you to find workers for him so he could earn you some referral fees. I said I would do it."

"Oh, I know who it is, it's Old Li, a local from this village."

After going downstairs and taking a sip of water, Ding Yang continued working.

"Xiaoyang, carry one bag at a time. Two bags are too heavy. One bag weighs 50 kilograms, so two bags would weigh 100 kilograms."

"It's okay, you'll get used to it."

"Sister, if you really care about me, can you introduce me to a rich woman? I don't mind being a kept woman."

"Get lost, you can't even speak properly."

"Sister, you go ahead and do your thing, don't worry about me. I'm done here, I'll go back to your shop and rest."

"Alright, I'll be going now. Remember to eat when you're done, don't go hungry."

"good!"

Around 2:30, Ding Yang finished his work. He was completely exhausted, his shoulders were burning, and his legs were so sore that they seemed to have no power.

Ding Yang sat on the curb smoking, his stomach growling with hunger. He went to the bakery ahead, bought two more loaves of bread, and started munching on them as he prepared to go back and get his money.

Just then, Old Li arrived again in his small six-wheeled vehicle.

After parking the car, Ding Yang walked over.

"Boss, I'm done!"

"Holy crap, that's awesome!"

"Oh, there are still 20 boxes of ceramic tiles and 18 pieces of composite flooring in the car. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Holy crap, is this guy trying to kill me?

Damn it, if only there were two of us, I just can't stand being alone. But Ding Yang has always had a competitive spirit.

"Okay, let's tackle this boring question!"

Ding Yang took out half a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and handed it to Lao Li.

Old Li took the cigarette pack, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and returned the pack to Ding Yang.