For Old Ma, Yang Jian moving in was simply adding another mouth to feed; he just needed to contribute some living expenses. As for rent, he paid it himself, and it had nothing to do with Yang Jian’s presence.
He was willing to take him in because, from their work that day, he could tell Yang Jian wasn't someone who took advantage of others. He was sensible and generous, able to endure hardship and not afraid of being taken advantage of.
Most importantly, he had a strong physique and was powerful, making his work partner’s job much easier.
It wasn't that Old Ma intended to take advantage of Yang Jian, but rather his own health was declining. He had no advantage in the labor market, and others were reluctant to team up with him.
Therefore, Yang Jian was undoubtedly a good partner, capable of taking on more work.
Finally having a stable place to stay, lying in this small, cramped, and even somewhat smelly hovel, Yang Jian felt an unprecedented sense of security and comfort.
For the past month, he had lived in constant tension. During the day, he dared not interact with anyone in parks or on the streets, fearing being identified from the wanted posters.
At night, he slept on sofas in the lobby of bathhouses, never feeling he had truly slept deeply. Anyone who approached would startle him awake, worried about being arrested.
Here, he didn't have to find housing himself, didn't have to worry about police patrols checking rooms in the middle of the night, and could sleep soundly until dawn.
As for the future, Yang Jian hadn't considered it. His only thought now was that he could never return to that place he had been to twice, a place without freedom, even if it meant eating coarse food and doing hard labor outside.
He wasn't too worried about his family. He had sent over two hundred thousand yuan to his parents over the past two years, which was enough for the three elders' retirement.
The template factory was registered under Jing Yongli's name, and his own name didn't appear in the business registration. With his current predicament, the template factory should not be implicated. With Jiang Bin managing it, the factory should not collapse due to his escape.
Chunfeng Tower was experiencing some financial strain. If Lu Hao changed his rental plans because of his escape, his brother-in-law would face difficulties. There were still over two million yuan in material costs and labor fees, which would force him to sell some properties.
However, this situation was unlikely to occur. Lu Hao was not someone who would burn bridges after crossing them; otherwise, he wouldn't have tipped him off. Moreover, he had promised to take care of family matters, and he was a trustworthy person.
What worried Yang Jian the most was Lu Yao. With his escape, Lu Yao would face immense family pressure and public scrutiny.
The Lu family was a scholarly one. Having a hooligan like Lu Feng had already brought them great shame. Now, his prospective son-in-law had become a wanted criminal. It was predictable that the entire Lu family would pressure Lu Yao to abandon him and marry someone else.
The social pressure would also be overwhelming for Lu Yao. Not to mention elsewhere, the gossip from thousands of teachers and students at her school could drown her.
At this moment, Yang Jian desperately wanted to call Lu Yao and personally persuade her to give up this relationship. He was a man with no future, possibly unable to return for his entire life, and not worth waiting for.
The purpose of doing so was to alleviate Lu Yao's psychological burden. He knew Lu Yao's personality; she would definitely get stuck on this issue, and even her parents couldn't dissuade her.
But he dared not make this call. The police's mobile phone tracking capabilities were too powerful. Lu Hao had warned him not to contact anyone for a while, especially close family and friends. Their phones were likely being monitored. If he called home, the police would surely be able to track him here.
He could actually call people like Wu Wangchun and Jiang Bin to understand the current situation at home. However, he had left his phone with Jing Yongli before leaving. Besides the phone numbers of his parents, sister, Jing Yongli, Biao Biao, and Lu Yao, which he remembered clearly, he couldn't possibly memorize everyone else's numbers.
Alas, he would refrain from contacting them for now. He didn't know if Biao Biao and the others had escaped. With him being wanted, the casino would undoubtedly be raided. If Li Jin hadn't escaped, he would also be a wanted person at this moment.
His thoughts, like a movie reel, filtered through Yang Jian's mind, and he unknowingly drifted into a deep sleep.
In the morning, he was awakened by the sound of Old Ma cooking. Yang Jian got up to use the restroom, and it was only a little past five o'clock.
"Uncle Ma, why are you up so early?"
Yang Jian hadn't slept so soundly in a long time, and coupled with the exhaustion from yesterday, he wanted to sleep a bit longer.
"Little Yang, mornings are when it's easiest to get jobs. Most people hiring temporary workers want them for the whole day, so there are a lot of people recruiting early in the morning. If you're late, you might not get any work all day."
Old Ma was cooking porridge and steaming buns. He was very familiar with the labor market's trends.
"Weren't there many people hiring yesterday morning too?"
"You don't understand. Those who recruit after eight o'clock won't offer high prices. Those employers know that people who haven't found work by this time are anxious, so they push the prices down hard.
For example, that boss yesterday offered only two hundred yuan to move four tons of cement to the third floor. In the morning, even four hundred yuan might not have been enough for someone to do it. But after eight o'clock, many people desperate for money have to lower their salary expectations and work for a lower price, like us two."
"Oh, so there's such a trick. It seems I have to get up early every day."
"Getting up early every day doesn't guarantee you'll get a job. There are too many temporary workers. You have to rely on luck every time you go out. You might not get any work for days and not even earn enough for food."
"Then I'll get up."
He had intended to lie in bed a bit longer, but after hearing Old Ma's words, Yang Jian immediately went to the bathroom to wash up.
White porridge, pickled vegetables, and steamed buns were their breakfast. Yang Jian ate with relish because Old Ma's pickled vegetables were excellent, much better than the complimentary ones served in most restaurants.
After breakfast, they walked for about ten minutes to the labor market. As expected, there were several times more people than yesterday morning, and many were riding motorcycles.
There were also many people recruiting, mostly driving small cars or vans, each vehicle surrounded by migrant workers haggling over prices.
"Little Yang, don't easily get into arguments or fight for jobs here, especially those with accents from Southern Henan and Western Sichuan. They have gangs behind them and a significant presence in this area. We can't compete with them."
As soon as they entered the market, Old Ma pulled Yang Jian aside and cautioned him, lest he get beaten for not knowing the rules.
Yang Jian was puzzled: "It's so complicated. Isn't this just manual labor? Are gangs involved? Will they extort protection fees from us?"
"No one collects protection fees, and the gangs don't get involved in the affairs here. But if these migrant workers from Southern Henan and Western Sichuan get into disputes, their gangs will step in. They are very united. Sometimes, dozens or even hundreds of people get into brawls. We two can't afford to provoke them."
"Uncle Ma, aren't you from Western Sichuan? If something happens, won't the Western Sichuan gang help you?"
"I am indeed from Western Sichuan, but I'm not from the same county as those people in the Western Sichuan gang. The Western Sichuan gang has several factions, with people from different counties and cities forming alliances for mutual support. I don't have many fellow villagers here, and even if we were united, we couldn't defeat them. So, I have to keep a low profile."