At this moment, a girl in a school uniform with her hair in a ponytail walked over, smiled at Aunt Wang, and said, "Mom, take a break, let me help you!"
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, picked up the bamboo basket, and skillfully started seasoning the soup and vegetables.
Aunt Wang, her face full of happiness, sat down to the side, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "Xiaowan, didn't I tell you, if you finish school early, go play with your classmates. I've gotten used to doing this alone, you don't need to help!"
The girl replied sweetly, "Mom, you don't have to say it. You know I don't like fooling around. Helping you work is the thing that makes me happiest!"
"Aiya, Mama knows!"
Aunt Wang was so happy she wiped away tears.
Qin Feng saw everything clearly; the thoughtful girl was Aunt Wang's daughter, Su Xiaowan. As expected, she was very beautiful.
Her features were delicate, her skin fair, her eyes like clear water; she was about the same height as Lin Xia, but slimmer in build. She walked gently, like a willow in the breeze, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Seeing Qin Feng staring endlessly at Su Xiaowan, Lin Xia pouted and pinched Qin Feng's arm, saying jealously, "Brother Qin, your eyeballs are about to fall out!"
Qin Feng turned his head with a little laugh, not teasing this crazy girl any further.
With things wrapping up, Su Xiaowan brought over two cans of drinks, sat beside them with a sweet smile, and said, "Hello, I was also on the back hill just now. These two drinks are my treat, I hope you won't mind!"
Lin Xia accepted the drink without hesitation, smiling, "Thank you so much, senior!"
"No need to be polite, I'm very happy to meet you all!"
Su Xiaowan gave them a sweet smile and stood up to greet more customers.
Qin Feng rolled his eyes and said, "Weren't you just jealous? Why are you taking her drink?"
Lin Xia giggled, "Being jealous is one thing, drinking is another. Two different things."
Qin Feng just shook his head with a smile, then buried himself in finishing the soup and vegetables in his bowl.
All grains and food contain Essence Qi, but compared to medicinal materials, the Qi is much less, and it doesn't help one's cultivation at all.
Qin Feng originally hadn't planned to eat human food, but then thought, since he wanted to live like an ordinary person, he might as well start with the basics—eating and drinking.
After Lin Xia paid the bill and greeted Su Xiaowan, they were about to leave.
Just then, a crowd of idle young men approached from not far away, all with shaved heads, cloth shoes, bare chests, and tattoos of all kinds.
The leader was fat with big ears, a thick gold chain around his neck, idly tapping a stick against the stalls.
The vendors, seeing them, all wore helpless faces, nodding and bowing, quickly taking out five or six bills to hand to them.
If some vendors didn't pay, they'd immediately start beating them, smashing stalls and hurting people.
Lin Xia whispered urgently into Qin Feng's ear, "Brother Qin, these are the legendary thugs and punks."
The leader's name is Li Qiang, he's been a hoodlum since he was a kid, going in and out of jail like going home.
He's pretty famous around here, everyone calls him 'Brother Qiang.'
This whole street is his turf, they run wild, racketeering for 'protection' money—vendors are all angry but don't dare speak out!"
Qin Feng frowned, "Doesn't anyone do anything about it?"
Lin Xia pursed her lips, "I asked my sister. She said the police don't exactly ignore it, they arrest these guys for a few days, but sooner or later they get out, and every time they come out, they're even worse."
Even if you take down this batch, another will pop up.
The way things are, as long as there's light, there'll be shadow. Unless it's full communism, you'll never get rid of all the punks!"
Hearing this, Qin Feng frowned deeper, a surge of disgust rising in his heart.
By now, Li Qiang and a dozen little thugs had come right up to Aunt Wang's stall.
Aunt Wang quickly took out five bills and handed them to him.
He took the cash, tapped the food cart with his stick, and let his eyes roam all over Su Xiaowan, grinning maliciously, "Aunt Wang, the market management fee's gone up this month. Five hundred is way too little, it's gotta be at least this much!"
As he spoke, he waggled his index finger in the air.
Aunt Wang immediately looked on the verge of tears, "Brother Qiang, we're just a small, struggling business—two or three thousand yuan a month, tops. Five hundred is already a lot, any more and we can't survive!"
Li Qiang rubbed his bald head and laughed, "Aunt Wang, you know how prices are shooting up these days. My brothers have wives and kids to feed, too. If you think it's too much, easy—marry your daughter to me. I promise, you can set up your stall wherever you like, no one will ever dare charge you again."
Aunt Wang, brow furrowed, said, "Fine, a thousand it is."
Saying that, she counted out another five bills and handed them to Li Qiang.
Li Qiang rubbed his bald head, laughing slyly, "That's more like it, all about mutual understanding! Still, I hope you'll think over what I just said. Don't worry, if Xiaowan follows me, I guarantee she'll live in luxury and never be without a fortune."
Aunt Wang quickly shook her head, "Brother Qiang, please don't give us a hard time. Xiaowan's still in school, marriage is a long way off!"
Li Qiang's brow tightened. One of the punks behind him slammed his stick down on the food cart, pointed at Aunt Wang and barked, "What's your problem, old hag? Our boss takes a fancy to your daughter and that's a favor—how dare you turn up your nose!"
Aunt Wang clutched her chest in fright and backed up two steps.
Su Xiaowan hurried to steady her, then pointed at Li Qiang and the others, tears in her eyes, "How can you bully people like this? If you keep it up, I'll call the police!"
Li Qiang immediately shouted at the punk behind him, "Watch your mouth, this is gonna be my mother-in-law. If you scare her sick, can you afford that?"
The punk at once started grinning sycophantically, "Sorry, Boss. Come on, everyone, pay your respects to the boss's mother-in-law!"
The whole group of thugs laughed and bent over, yelling weirdly, "Greetings to the boss's mother-in-law!"
Hearing this, Aunt Wang and her daughter were so angry and upset they burst into tears, but could do nothing about Li Qiang.
A male vendor nearby, finally unable to watch, stepped forward and pleaded, "Brother Qiang, life's hard for a widow and her daughter. Can't you just leave them alone?"
Li Qiang frowned, waved his hand and slapped the vendor, then kicked him to the ground, swearing coldly, "Who the hell do you think you are? I, Brother Qiang, need you to tell me how to run things?"
The man's face flushed with anger, fists clenched, about to explode, but his wife rushed over, pulled him back, and hastily apologized to Li Qiang, "Brother Qiang, don't take it to heart. He's just drunk, talking nonsense!"
Li Qiang sneered darkly, rapping his iron stick on the food cart, then pointed at Aunt Wang and her daughter and barked, "Aunt Wang, you'd better think about what I said. Whether you want to or not, you're going to be my mother-in-law—unless you leave this city!"
He laughed wildly, then led his crew off in swaggering triumph.