Chapter 54: Part-Time Job

After lunch, Chen Liyang took Wanning for an afternoon nap.

The dishwashing duty fell to the eldest brother, while the second and third brothers didn’t sit idle either, cleaning up the living room.

For them, life right now felt like living in heaven.

The fourth brother was the happiest of all. Watching his older brothers work, he sat on the sofa watching TV, a smile beaming uncontrollably across his face.

If possible, he truly wished the family could stay like this forever.

“I’m going out for a bit,” said Zhou Chengdong, standing at Chen Liyang’s bedroom door after finishing the dishes. Seeing him gently patting their little sister’s stomach to lull her to sleep, his voice involuntarily softened.

However, facing Chen Liyang, he still couldn’t bring himself to call him “Dad.”

Chen Liyang turned to glance at him. He didn’t ask where he was going, only telling him to be safe out there and come back early.

Zhou Chengdong nodded and then stepped out.

In the past, he would never have said a word to Chen Liyang before leaving, but now, without realizing it, he had come to regard him as family.

He didn’t want Chen Liyang to worry upon noticing he wasn’t home, so his body had acted faster than his mind, bringing him straight to his bedroom doorway.

Once outside, he headed straight for his part-time job.

He hadn’t taken any sparring work recently, mainly because Chen Liyang’s sudden change had left him uneasy. He had worried the man might have some hidden motive, fearing something might happen to his younger siblings while he was away.

Now, he could finally leave the house with peace of mind.

The moment he stepped into the martial arts gym, the instructor pulled him over to change.

“You came at just the right time. A rich playboy just arrived, loaded with cash. Word is he got dumped and is in a terrible mood, desperate to blow off steam.

In a bit, just protect your vital areas and let him hit you. Once he’s vented enough, he’s sure to tip you well.”

He knew about Zhou Chengdong’s family situation. On top of that, the kid was hardworking, eager to take on extra chores, and never lost his temper. He was a sensible young man, so the coach was always willing to lend him a hand.

Hearing there would be good money in it, Zhou Chengdong gave the coach a grateful look. “Thanks, Coach Xiaomi.”

There were plenty of sparring partners at the gym, all doing it to make a living. Otherwise, who would willingly stand there and let someone beat them up for nothing?

He was the youngest person here, so people were usually reluctant to let him take sparring work, mostly fearing he might get hurt and that they wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility.

Yet he desperately needed this job. Back then, he had nearly begged on his knees, which moved Coach Xiaomi to speak to the gym owner on his behalf.

With his intercession, the owner was willing to grant the favor, allowing Zhou Chengdong to stay.

However, many clients coming to blow off steam were hesitant to hit him because he was so thin, leaving him with few opportunities to spar.

Whenever an opportunity arose, Coach Xiaomi would help him out by proactively drumming up clients for him, a kindness Zhou Chengdong always remembered.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything to repay Coach Xiaomi just yet, let alone give back in a big way. But if he ever made something of himself in the future, he promised himself he would properly repay Coach Xiaomi for his immense kindness.

“No need for thanks. Just make sure you don’t get hurt.

Still, I haven’t seen you in a month, and somehow you look quite a bit sturdier. You’ve gotten taller too. Has life at home finally turned around?” Coach Xiaomi remarked, looking at Zhou Chengdong with surprise as the boy stripped off his clothes and put on the uniform.

He had seen Zhou Chengdong change before, but back then the boy had been painfully thin, skin and bones in the truest sense.

Because of that, Coach Xiaomi used to pair him up only with female clients so the beatings would be lighter, preventing him from ending up with broken bones or worse.

Now, however, he had clearly put on weight, and a light layer of muscle was visible on his frame, hinting at explosive strength.

If he kept building his physique like this, he might actually have a future in martial arts.

“Yeah, things have been pretty decent lately, so I can take a beating even better now. Where’s the client you mentioned, Coach Xiaomi?” Once Zhou Chengdong finished changing, his demeanor had completely changed, carrying a subtle air of strength.

Finished with their conversation, the two walked out of the locker room and headed to the area usually reserved for Sanda^[1] practice.

A young man was already standing in the ring, dressed in a Sanda suit and wearing boxing gloves. Perhaps because he had been drinking, he didn’t seem entirely clearheaded.

Fortunately, he wasn’t some huge fat guy or a muscle-bound giant; otherwise, Zhou Chengdong really might not have been able to take his hits.

After climbing into the ring, Zhou Chengdong gave a brief self-introduction. The man didn’t care what his name was and simply muttered, “I’m starting.”

A rain of dense punches immediately began falling on him. In their line of work, calling it a “sparring partner” was just a nice way of putting it; in reality, they were human punching bags for people’s amusement.

It sounded humiliating, but for the sake of money, what did dignity matter?

Perhaps this rich kid had been hurt too deeply; he didn’t waste a single word the entire time, unleashing punches all over Zhou Chengdong without holding back in the slightest.

Fortunately, Zhou Chengdong was no pushover. He had been running every day recently, and in his spare time, he liked doing push-ups and practicing Sanda in secret, so he could handle taking a beating.

Still, getting hit inevitably left marks, and before long, the corner of his mouth was bruised.

Thinking of his younger sister and of making life better for the family in the future, these minor surface injuries meant nothing to Zhou Chengdong.

Just like that, the beatdown went on for half an hour until the rich playboy finally wore himself out.

Toward the end, he had almost no energy left. He sank to the ground, gasping heavily for air, before cursing, “Fucking pointless!”

It was unclear whether he meant women were pointless, or if he was referring to his own behavior.

Having vented his rage, he had sobered up considerably. Standing back up, he looked at Zhou Chengdong and said, “You’re a quiet one. I beat you like that and you didn’t even make a sound.”

Not knowing how to respond, Zhou Chengdong chose to stay silent.

The young man hadn’t really intended to chat with Zhou Chengdong anyway. He stepped down from the ring and went to change.

A short while later, he emerged from the VIP locker room, dressed in designer brands that clearly signaled his high status.

And he truly was a generous customer, pulling a thick stack of cash straight from his wallet, which looked to be several thousand Yuan.

Coach Xiaomi took the money and thanked him repeatedly.

After the rich young man left, Zhou Chengdong walked over to Coach Xiaomi. “Coach Xiaomi, could you settle the pay for my part-time work from earlier? My family desperately needs the money.”

Coach Xiaomi was more than just an instructor; he was also one of the martial arts hall’s shareholders. Upon hearing Zhou Chengdong’s request, he agreed without a second thought. “Hold on a moment. I’ll go check your pay sheet and give you the money once I’ve tallied it up.”

Zhou Chengdong offered a heartfelt thank you and stood waiting to the side.

After Coach Xiaomi finished calculating, Zhou Chengdong’s part-time pay from the past period, plus today’s tip from the rich young man, came out to four thousand three hundred and sixty Yuan.

Tips were always split fifty-fifty, and the rest was a daily rate of sixty Yuan for every day he worked part-time. Even on days when no clients hired him as a sparring partner, he would still receive that money.