The young man looked about the same age as her, but taller than her by a head. He had delicate features, a fair complexion, and his casual sportswear made his legs look long, creating the illusion of "legs from the neck down." Quite... handsome!
Seeing Tian Xin not responding, he gently repeated: "One jin, please!"
"Oh, okay!"
She quickly responded, picked up the scale, and started weighing dates for the young man.
Seeing someone take the lead, the surrounding crowd immediately followed, shouting "I'll take one jin too!" and "I want two jin, you'd better throw in half a jin for free!"
"No problem, everyone please wait a moment, I'll do it one by one!" She happily got busy: Success!
The young man saw her flustered and bent down to help her hold the bag: "Don't worry! I'm in no hurry, you can serve others first, take your time!"
His voice was soft, his tone gentle. Tian Xin, usually impatient, suddenly calmed down upon hearing this, slowing her pace and carefully loading dates into the bag.
The distance between them was minimal, and she caught a faint whiff of mint, seemingly from the young man.
She glanced at her hand, cautiously moving it aside to avoid accidentally touching him.
"What are you doing? Who allowed you to set up a stall here?"
The two were busy weighing dates for the crowd when a "Blond Punk" suddenly barged in, demanding protection fees: "Without paying, you're setting up here, who gave you the right!" he said, reaching for Tian Xin's basket.
"What are you doing?" Tian Xin pushed away Blond Punk's grasping hand: "What money?"
"Never mind about what money, just hand it over! Pay up and I'll leave immediately, otherwise..." he sneered, "just wait and see!"
"Get lost!" Tian Xin tersely spat out a single cold word, continuing to weigh the dates.
What a lunatic!
Blond Punk, seeing her ignoring him, flared up: "Do you know who I am? Did you get my permission to set up here?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. I've already informed the market! Whoever you are, doesn't matter!" She handed over the dates to the young man with both hands, softly saying: "Here you go!"
"It's okay, serve someone else first!" the young man said, pushing the dates Tian Xin handed back to her: "I'm not in a hurry!"
"It's alright, same as before, you take it first, I'll weigh for the others!" insisted Tian Xin, wanting to serve her first customer first as a priority rule.
"Hey, you've got some nerve talking to me like that." Blond Punk saw the two speaking as if he was invisible, angrily grabbing the bag she handed to the young man and throwing it to the ground, spilling the dates everywhere.
Damn it!
Tian Xin couldn't hold back anymore!
"You get..."
"Don't mind him, I'll pay for this bag, you keep working, I'll help you!" The young man held her back, cooling her rising anger!
After all, finally opened for business, shouldn't let this punk ruin it!
She gritted her teeth, squatted back down with the young man to continue helping others weigh dates.
But just as she was holding it in, Blond Punk flared up again: "Hey, I'm talking to you! Answer me!"
She ignored him and continued weighing dates.
"Hey, I said I'm talking to you! Deaf? Get up here and answer me!" Blond Punk kicked the basket.
Ah!!!
How does the saying go?
Once bitten, twice shy, isn't it!
If I hold it in any longer, my lungs will explode!
Tian Xin gritted her teeth, put down the scale rod, smiled at the young man: "Just a moment! I'll be right back!"
Instantly her face changed, she grabbed Blond Punk by the collar and dragged him out: "Before I get angry, get lost—" she said, pushing him out of the market entrance.
"Sorry!" Tian Xin returned to the stall, grabbed another bag of dates, this time without weighing, handed it over directly: "I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting, this bag is on the house, no charge, just go on your way!"
The young man, however, didn't leave, taking the dates and handing them directly to another person who had been waiting and impatiently saying they needed to go: "I'm not in a hurry, serve others first!"
"This..." Tian Xin felt a little awkward: "Sigh..."
"It's okay, you just keep busy! I..."
"Dare to lay hands on me, are you tired of living..."
The young man hadn't finished speaking when Blond Punk returned, yelling as he approached Tian Xin, clearly intending not to leave without getting the money.
Tian Xin was furious, just about to snap, when Blond Punk suddenly cried out in pain: Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Let go, let go, it hurts, it hurts."
The young man must have had enough, swiftly twisting Blond Punk's arm and marching him out: "Get out of here, don't disturb their business!"