Chapter 49: The Great Brawl at the Food Stalls

  A street of food stalls at the entrance of the residential area, everywhere is filled with the aroma of stir-fried dishes, the glow of stoves, bright red lobsters, refreshing beer, and groups of three to five people drinking and enjoying themselves... Business is booming, lively and extraordinary...

  Ye Yang Jian found a stall he used to frequent and sat down.

  "What does the big brother want to eat?" The boss lady saw that there were guests coming, and immediately enthusiastically poured a pot of barley tea, giving Yeyang Jian a cup of tea. Although Yeyang Jian had a scar on his face, doing this kind of business at a large stall, what's important is that all comers are guests, no matter whether they're from the three teachings or nine flows, or stars or ladies. Everyone is treated equally, and can receive the same warm hospitality here.

  "Haha, Aunt San, give me a few dishes: one water-boiled peanuts, one four-liang roasted whole lamb, two roasted chicken wings, and one tomato scrambled eggs. Two pieces of roasted mantou, I want one side to be crispy and the other side to be soft. And two bottles of beer, thank you...” Yeye Jian listed out a few dishes as if he was reciting something familiar...

  "Wow! This big brother is really good at eating, just like our little Jianzi used to be... he only needs one side of the roasted mantou... that little guy... wait a minute! Who are you? ...the master of the house! Come over here..." The landlady, San Auntie, stared at Ye Yangjian in surprise for a moment before turning around and calling out to her husband in surprise.

  "What the hell are you doing?! Can't you see I'm cooking here?! What's going on? Is someone eating without paying?! This is my territory, who dares to be arrogant!..." Boss San of the big stall was fiercely chomping on a half-smoked cigarette. He walked over with a stern expression. Seeing that at the edge of the table sat a man with a fake bald head, he thought it was that little rascal from around here coming to freeload again, so he immediately shouted a couple of sentences, trying to intimidate him...

  "Hah~ Third Uncle! What's wrong? Is it that many people haven't been paying for their meals lately? Tell me, I'll help you collect the bills~~" Ye Yang Jian said with a sly smile.

  "What?! You're kidding me! Night Yang Jian, you little scoundrel! Who else would dare to eat at my place without paying the bill? Haha..." Boss San Shu of the big stall immediately burst out laughing and shouted loudly as soon as he heard that familiar voice...

  "...What the...wife! Bring another case of beer over here! Damn it, this little brat can drink so much now! Tonight I'll definitely get him drunk..." The boss of the big stall, with a cigarette in his mouth, poured a full cup of beer for Ye Yangjian. He turned around and called out to his wife.

  "Alright, since you're having dinner here, do you want to add two more dishes?" The boss's wife, Third Aunt, smiled and replied, as she called her daughter who had come to help after school to bring in a box of chilled beer.

  "Look... look... just looking... do you still need to ask?!" Third Uncle's tongue was a bit big, but Ye Yangjian was still acting like nothing was wrong, which made him particularly depressed. In the past, when Ye Yangjian came over for dinner, three bottles of beer would definitely be drunk.

  "Third Uncle, if it's not going well, then let's just have a little less. I've retired and we'll still have opportunities in the future..." Ye Yangjian said with a smile as he took the beer handed to him by Third Uncle's daughter, Juanzi.

  "Wow! Juanzi has grown up so much! Haha, it's been a long time since I've seen you, uncle..." Actually, Yeyang Jian had also drunk quite a bit and was speaking without thinking...

  "Pffft! What are you talking about, Brother Jian? You're only 2 years older than me... and yet you're calling yourself uncle?!..." said Jiezi, the daughter of Third Uncle, covering her mouth as she giggled. Jiezi was a beautiful young woman in the prime of her youth, studying at the university on the edge of the neighborhood, and could even be considered Night Yangjian's junior.

  "Ah! Oh, sorry, I drank too much. I remember before you enlisted, you were just a little kid, always running around with a runny nose. And now look at you, so grown up... it's really great!" Night Yang Jian was talking nonsense, but indeed had a feeling of having gone through a lot in the past three years. The change is not small!

  "Go away, you're still sniffling with a runny nose..." Juanzi's face turned red as she scolded and ran off. Girls don't like it when people bring up things from their childhood to make fun of them.

  "Hey! You've really grown up and still know how to be modest, Third Uncle, you have a great daughter, just like Third Aunt. She's definitely going to be a beauty in the future..." Ye Yangjian handed "War God" cigarettes to Third Uncle, offering him one.

  "How's that! My daughter is pretty, right? Don't you have any ideas? I'll let her be your wife. I've been watching you grow up since you were a kid, and I'm quite satisfied with you as my son-in-law..." Third Uncle said with a half-true and half-false tone, winking at Yang Jian.

  "Hmm... drink, drink... Third Uncle wishes you a thriving business and an early opening of a big restaurant..." Ye Yangjian didn't fall for it, picking up his glass and downing it in one gulp. Beer may also get people drunk, but for Ye Yangjian, who was used to drinking military-grade Erguotou, it was somewhat unsatisfying.

  "...cough...cough......I say, Da Jian, what kind of cigarette is this? It's so strong. Hmm...the flavor is not bad, it's just too intense. But when drinking, it's really refreshing to smoke. Must be the ones brought back from the army." San Shu took a drag on Ye Yangjian's cigarette and said with a smile. He also knew that Ye Yangjian wouldn't look down on his daughter, but this kid really suited his taste, could make him a son-in-law...heh heh...

  Ye Yang Jian was drinking on this side when he suddenly heard a loud quarrel coming from beside him.

  "Damn it! What kind of dish is this, there are even flies in it! Boss! Boss!..." The table had five or six people sitting at it, all of them were young thugs. One of them, a scrawny guy wearing a black sleeveless shirt pretending to be muscular, slammed the dish on the table and started yelling. The others were also smoking and viciously chiming in from the side, instantly causing the restaurant to become chaotic.

  "Oh dear! A few bosses, sorry, sorry, let's just say this dish is on me, and I'll throw in two more dishes. Please don't be angry, sirs. It's a small business, a big stall, these things can't be avoided...". Auntie San hastily stepped forward with a smiling face to smooth things over. The stall's business would not be affected by a little something extra in the dish, it was normal, and it had happened before. Usually, they would just replace the dish in front of the customer and offer a small discount behind their back. Customers usually wouldn't make a fuss... after all, eating at a big stall is all about the lively atmosphere...

  "Just send two dishes and you want to get rid of us brothers! My brother is sick now, we need to go to the hospital for a check-up, and the cost... haha. Boss lady, just give..." The young punk in a vest said with a fake smile.

  "Hey! Boss, look at what you're saying. You haven't even taken a bite and you've already smashed the dish? Your friend is going to get sick from this, isn't he? I think we can just forget about it, I'll give you two more dishes on the house, and I'll give you a discount later. Just don't make a fuss about it, okay? Come back often and bring more business...". Having been in this line of work for years, Third Aunt was also a seasoned pro, and as soon as she saw that they were trying to scam her, her tone became slightly firmer, but still polite. After all, when doing business outside, losing face would lead to trouble.

  "Damn you! I told you to pay me back, can't you hear?! 5000 quickly! If it's one cent less, I'll smash your stall today and make sure you never do business again!" The young punk in a vest shouted at San Auntie, while the other punks nearby picked up beer bottles and yelled at the surrounding customers to leave. Many diners saw that a fight was about to break out and immediately grabbed their food and drinks, moving slightly further away. Other diners from nearby stalls also stood up to watch the commotion. What a joke! The most exciting thing about eating at a night market is watching real-life PK performances... such a great show can't be missed!

  "...Cut! You're new here, right? Is our stall that easy to bully? If you're not polite to my mom, watch me deal with you..." Juanzi was indeed raised in the night market since she was a child. She had encountered such things many times before, and seeing that little thug scolding her own mother made her furious. At this moment, she wasn't afraid at all. She went forward and helped San Auntie scold him...

  "Hey, hey, hey! Where did this little wild thing come from? You're quite a looker, huh? How about you spend the night with me and we'll call it quits? Otherwise, I'll smash your family's stall to pieces..." The young punk in the vest, with a sharp knife, suddenly lit up his eyes and reached out to touch Yunzi's face with a sly smile. The several accomplices around him also sneered, with lustful glints in their eyes...

  "Slap! ……" Although Juanzi was a girl, she had a fiery personality since childhood. Seeing that little rascal trying to flirt with her, without saying another word, she went up and gave him a slap in the face...

  "...Alright! Finally made a move..." "...It's started! It's started......" "Whoa~Good guy, this little girl really doesn't hold back..." The diners excitedly shouted out, finding the fight to be quite entertaining, and the one who made the first move was still a pretty little girl.

  "Ah, Juanzi! You're doing great, Aunt Hong will help you with anything. Help me beat up this little punk, his mother's son dares to cause trouble at my stall, watch me ruin him..." The surrounding diners started shouting, and some bosses who did business together also came out to help.

  The young punk wearing a vest got slapped by Juanzi, and he was already furious. In the underworld, it's all about saving face, especially with so many people watching. Now his face had been lost to the point of being humiliated in front of his ancestors, and he was so angry that he didn't care about any underworld rules anymore.

  "Damn it! You dare to hit me? Brothers, get the tools! Smash this broken stall for me! Catch that little girl for me, I'll make her pay dearly tonight!" He grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it on the ground. The people around him immediately shouted, kicked over several empty tables, pulled out steel pipes, knives, and bicycle chains from their bodies. They were about to cause trouble... after all, they were women. Juanzi and San Aunt saw that the other side had taken out knives, and they were so scared that they immediately hid behind. The owner of the food stall, San Uncle, was drunk, and when he saw someone threatening his wife and daughter, he immediately got up to get a kitchen knife from the back kitchen, but as soon as he tried to stand up, he was pressed down by a strong hand.

  "Damn it! Who dares to be reckless in my territory!" Night Yang Jian slanted his eyes, lit a War God cigarette, and slowly got up from the chair. With an expression of contempt for everything, he looked at those little rascals.

  "Hah! And there's a tough guy coming out! " The little ruffian wearing a vest saw someone standing up at the table across from them, just one person. Nothing to be afraid of. He immediately turned back to his companions and said with a sneer.

  "You look terrible in that vest! You're as thin as a Javanese monkey, and you have the nerve to wear it out in public?" Night Yang Jian spat out a thick mouthful of smoke, his voice full of disdain. In fact, he was a bit drunk.

  "I'm telling you, you're asking for it, brothers, let's loosen his leg bones!" The young punk wearing a vest heard the other guy mocking him for being skinny and suddenly turned deathly pale. Men, especially those who hang out outside, are most afraid of others saying they're not capable. This is a fatal blow. The young punk in the vest immediately got furious, grabbed a beer bottle and was about to smash it on Yang Jian's head...

  Author's words:

  Coca and my little editor have been paying close attention to the situation in Ya'an, Lushan, Sichuan. Seeing those reports, Weibo posts, etc., I feel very downhearted and worried. Moreover, I don't understand the mentality of those scoundrels who are slandering Sichuan and the disaster zone online. Don't you feel anything? A elderly mother lost her son in the Wenchuan earthquake, and this time, she also lost her beloved daughter. How can you bear to slander?! Bastards!!! Today, Coca asked my little editor to update two more chapters to vent our depressed mood. Then we will continue to pay attention to the situation in the disaster zone.

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