“Why does Hua Bao look like she’s been crying?” Jiang Qingqing asked as she returned to the room and noticed her daughter’s slightly red eyes. She stepped forward to check on her.
“Hua Bao just asked me what ‘disappeared’ means. I told her it means going to be a star in heaven. She said we’re not allowed to go up there, and if we go, we all have to go together.”
Zhang Liunian held his daughter in one arm. He watched Hua Bao playing with a paper airplane. When she heard them talking about her, she looked up and smiled before returning to her toy.
Jiang Qingqing sat down opposite the father and daughter with a complicated expression. “Su Jie really had a tough time. Zhang Liujie treated her very poorly, constantly hitting and scolding her. He’d even lock her in a small dark room just because she was a youth sent down from the city. It’s a wonder she didn’t go mad. If Zhang Liunian hadn’t gone too far this time and beaten her to the point of miscarriage, she wouldn’t have wanted a divorce. After all, she already had the child. But who could blame her when Zhang Liujie was such a pathetic man?”
Thinking about everything Su Jie had endured, Jiang Qingqing felt a surge of righteous indignation. Her exquisitely beautiful face flushed with anger.
Zhang Liunian had never seen her so adorably angry. He reached out and gently poked her cheek. “Are you that angry?”
Jiang Qingqing allowed him to poke her, her expression immediately returning to normal. She crossed her arms, “Of course. I despise men who hit women the most, and even more so those rotten men who hit pregnant women.” Thankfully, she was blessed with good fortune to meet a man who was both gentle and considerate, and who always thought of her. It turned out she had excellent judgment, having spotted the best man right away.
Zhang Liunian noticed his wife’s gaze growing brighter as she looked at him. He knew she was indulging in her fantasies again. However, he thought that sometimes such fantasies were beneficial for a couple’s relationship. For instance, after their daughter fell asleep, he could embrace his wife, touch her freely, and feel their hearts pound with passion together.
The next day, Zhang Liunian followed the tractor to the South City. Upon his arrival, Master Huang had already built the isolation room as he had instructed. Zhang Liunian inspected it and found it to be quite good. Now, he wouldn’t have to worry about the foul smell drifting into his shop. However, this also meant that it would be quite hot inside. But to avoid being overwhelmed by the smell, Zhang Liunian and the others could only endure the high temperatures while making and selling braised meat.
With the isolation room in place, customers were no longer afraid to buy meat amidst the offensive odor. Most people still preferred to purchase inside the shop, and business soon returned to the level it had been in the first three days of opening.
The neighboring boss, upon seeing this, had someone inform Brother Tang about the situation. Tang Ge, having met with Qian Fei the previous day, also felt that there was no need for him to remain in the shadows. With the influence of their Tang family, why should they fear a mere country bumpkin like Zhang Liunian? It was unthinkable.
Therefore, that afternoon, just as Zhang Liunian and his crew were preparing to head home, Tang Ge appeared before Zhang Liunian with his men in a show of force.
“This is unauthorized construction, occupying public resources. Today, I will eliminate this menace for the people. Everyone, charge! Tear down this… thing!” Tang Ge saw Zhang Liunian and the others emerge and, raising his arm, ordered his men to dismantle Zhang Liunian’s isolation room. The dozen or so thugs behind him, holding sticks, immediately obeyed and rushed forward to forcefully demolish it.
“Stop! Don’t push your luck!” Du Ziteng spat and rushed forward to intervene. Zhang Qian, Master Huang, and the others were also furious and joined the fray. A chaotic brawl ensued, but due to Zhang Liunian’s superior numbers, Tang Ge did not achieve his objective.
But who was Tang Ge? He was the overlord of South City, the kind of person who could summon people with a wave of his hand. Seeing that his dozen men were outnumbered, he turned and went to call for more reinforcements. In no time, over thirty more people arrived.
This time, Zhang Liunian’s twenty or so men were at a disadvantage. However, Master Huang and the others were not afraid, because Zhang Liunian alone could take on a truckload of people.
“Brother Nian, it’s up to you,” Master Huang said, seeing Zhang Liunian standing still, making eye contact with Tang Ge, before reminding him and rejoining the fight.
“Give it up, Zhang Liunian. You can’t beat me. If I hadn’t wanted to keep my hands clean in the past, I would have beaten you so badly you’d be crying for your mother. But not this time. You’ve truly disgusted me. I won’t allow you to appear in South City, on my territory.” Tang Ge looked at Zhang Liunian with extreme arrogance, completely disregarding him.
Zhang Liunian, however, still wanted to confirm. “So, the troubles I’ve encountered on my few visits to South City were all your doing? Blocking my business license, opening a stinky tofu shop next to mine, and preventing Master Huang and the others from helping me sell sauce – were all you?”
“The country bumpkin actually has some brains. You figured it out? You should know that I am someone you cannot afford to offend. Be sensible and get out of South City. Never appear before me again.”
“What if I don’t?”
“If you insist on being foolish, then don’t blame me for being ruthless and cruel. This is your own doing. Also, a reminder, no one in South City can defeat me.” Tang Ge patted his chest, asserting his dominance as the biggest figure in South City, treating Zhang Liunian as nothing.
Zhang Liunian chuckled. “Is that so? I wonder if your skin is tough enough.” With that, he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Tang Ge by the neck. Tang Ge, being brainless, knew Zhang Liunian was capable of fighting, yet he didn’t have anyone protect him, allowing Zhang Liunian to seize him easily.
“Let go, you bastard! Do you know who I am? I am the eldest grandson of the Tang family, someone no one in South City dares to provoke. If you treat me like this, the Tang family won’t let you off!” Tang Ge, suddenly choked by Zhang Liunian, flailed his limbs in panic, trying to scare Zhang Liunian with the threat of the Tang family.
Zhang Liunian sneered. “Tell them to stop. Go smash the shop next door, or I’ll choke you to death. Do you believe me?” Zhang Liunian’s expression was ferocious, showing no sign of jest. As his words fell, Tang Ge clearly felt his breathing becoming increasingly restricted.
“You dare? I am the eldest grandson of the Tang family, the most powerful member of the Tang family in South City. If you offend me, you are making an enemy of our entire Tang family!” Tang Ge tried to threaten Zhang Liunian again, but his response was an increase in pressure.
“Stop, stop!” Tang Ge panicked. He was still young and had many good days ahead of him; he couldn’t die. “Did you hear me? All of you, stop! Or I’ll break his neck!”
Zhang Liunian lifted Tang Ge as if twisting a chicken’s neck, forcing Tang Ge to give the order himself. “Speak!” Tang Ge, with his life in Zhang Liunian’s hands, could only issue commands as he wished. “Did you hear? Go and smash the shop next door.”
The short, dark-skinned man next door heard the command and could no longer hide. He rushed in front of Tang Ge and said, “Boss Tang, I’ve been acting on your orders. Why are you smashing my shop now?” This man was indeed selling stinky tofu, but his version was dozens of times more pungent than others. As a result, no one could stand his stinky tofu, yet he took pride in it, believing he was exceptionally talented and that others lacked foresight and failed to recognize his brilliance. He had finally found someone like Tang Ge who recognized him and wanted to expand his business. Now, his shop was to be smashed, how could he not be heartbroken?
“I paid for it, so I can smash it if I want!” Tang Ge, always arrogant, was angered by the impudence of his lackey questioning him for the first time.
“But…”
“You’re not needed anymore.” After realizing that the stench couldn’t defeat Zhang Liunian, Tang Ge decided he no longer needed the short, dark-skinned man, deeming him completely lacking in judgment.