Chapter 19: Improvement · Xiao Lu's Fried Chicken

  On the second day, in the hall, heroes gathered together. Wang Zhenzhi, the fifth master, sat on a high platform and said to the noisy crowd: "I believe that many brothers have been wondering these past few days why we keep saying we want to go and assassinate, but haven't made a move yet. Yesterday was just a division of labor, but I didn't tell everyone the detailed plan."

  Many people looked at each other in dismay, and it seemed that there were not a few who had such thoughts. Wang Zhenzhi, the fifth master, continued: "Why did we ask everyone to come to Nanjing? It's not just for gathering here to discuss important matters, but also because the foolish emperor Zhu Houzhao is about to arrive in Nanjing. You all should know that Zhu Houzhao was recently in Yangzhou, where he forcibly seized women and plundered wildly, without regard for the lives of the common people. The people of Yangzhou were so frightened that they rushed to marry off their sons and daughters at night, fearing that they would be ruined by this foolish emperor. In the end, Zhu Houzhao even shifted the blame onto the eunuch Wu Jing, pretending to be a good person. How disgusting! From Beijing to Nanjing, the foolish emperor has been harming the common people for four months, and it's said that he will arrive in Nanjing within two or three days. So, I discussed with Yang Dengyun and Wang Mingxiao, and we decided to let everyone disperse first and wait for an opportunity to act."

  Everyone was in an uproar, and Wang Zhenzi stretched out his hand to calm them down. With a wave of his long sleeves, he continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. Originally, today we were going to clearly divide the work and make specific arrangements. However, since our lord is unpredictable and prone to sudden moves, it's easy for plans to become obsolete or restrictive. Moreover, such sensitive matters are best announced as late as possible; otherwise, if everyone knows their roles, what if the imperial guards find out? Wouldn't that be like pulling a single thread and unraveling the entire plan? Just capturing the key figures in the assassination would be enough to completely destroy our plans. As for why I'm letting you all disperse, it's not because we're canceling this operation; rather, it's so that you can all hide out in Nanjing City. After all, we're all living in large households with many people, and those with keen eyes will notice that we're from the jianghu world. It's inevitable that we'll attract attention from the imperial guards, which would be detrimental to our future actions. So, I've prepared thirty taels of silver for each of you; take the money and hide out in Nanjing City. You can disguise yourselves or stay hidden in wine houses – all of you are skilled hands, so I won't say more. This way, we'll have smaller targets and be less likely to be noticed. Let me reiterate two things: these next few days, absolutely do not stir up trouble or ruin the big plan. We'll notify each of you on the eve of the action; until then, no matter how long it takes, do not take any unauthorized actions."

  As Wang Zhenzi spoke, several strong men came forward with trays of silver, distributing them to the people in the hall. Some pretended to decline, either because they really had integrity or didn't lack money. However, after some hesitation, others still accepted and hid the silver in their bosoms. The three Lu Bing brothers openly received theirs, merely bowing their hands and clasping their fists without much fanfare.

  Suddenly someone asked: "After we all hide well, how will Wu Ye find us? Do we need to inform him where we are?"

  "No need, it seems that all of you have forgotten what the Yang family used to do. Without us, you wouldn't be able to find those people." Yang Dengyun said with a hint of arrogance.

  Meng Lin hummed softly and stuck to Lu Bing's ear, saying with a sneer: "You, this future father-in-law, don't seem to be so easy to get along with, heh heh, you've got a hard time ahead of you."

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  That afternoon, on the eastern outskirts of Nanjing, a flag was erected with the words "Little Lu's Fried Chicken" written on it. A young man made fried chicken and sold it on the spot, filling the air with a savory aroma that not only moved people's fingers but also their appetite. All the chicken meat had been marinated and hung to dry, which could be considered as doing a good job of keeping secrets, so many master chefs in the city couldn't figure out how it was made even after eating it.

  Of course, everyone at a glance knew it was Lu Bing, but others didn't recognize him and just thought it was a clean and diligent young man running the stall. Xia Dade came to ask when Lu Bing was closing the stall, saying: "Third brother, your fried chicken is causing a sensation in the whole city today, isn't this obviously attracting attention? Why do we need to be low-key?"

  Lu Biao smiled and said: "Have you found your brother?"

  Xia Dade shook his head, and Lu Bing pointed to an old fortune teller across the street who was packing up his stall: "Do you see that hunched old man? Today he also set up a new stall, and his business is no worse than mine, with customers coming in droves."

  The old man packed up his stall and tottered towards Lu Bing, at this moment there weren't many people on the street. The fortune-telling old man picked up a small bamboo stick and lightly tapped Lu Bing with it. Lu Bing smiled wickedly, but Xia Da De was about to get angry and scolded: "Damn it, why did you hit my brother? I... big brother?"

  That fortune-telling old man raised his head, and Xia Dade finally saw his eyes. Wasn't this his sworn brother Meng Lin? If he hadn't known him for so many years, he really wouldn't have recognized him. Xia Dade was anxious and stomped his feet, saying: "You two aren't afraid of being seen by others."

  "Shut up, or we're done for," Meng Lin said: "You little brat is the one who's been talking nonstop, I'm just citing classics and reasoning to give them a calculation."

  "What's going on with you two?" Xia Dade said in a low voice.

  "Second brother, it's dark under the lamp." Lu Bing finished packing up and hastily left. Xia Dade's head was too big, if a vendor of snacks and a fortune-telling strongman stood together, people would inevitably become suspicious, so they quickly withdrew.

  Meng Lin also left with a bamboo pole and a bell, saying as he walked: "The greatest recluse hides in the city, the lesser recluse hides in the countryside, that's all."

  Xia Dade stood on the street, scratching his head and thinking for half a day without understanding. He had been hiding in the inn all day, almost suffocating to death, but his elder brother and third younger brother dared to wander around outside. What kind of logic was this? After thinking for half a day, Xia Dade finally understood that this was what people meant by "the most dangerous place is often the safest".

  Xia Dade suddenly felt relieved and ran straight to the kiln, wanting to relax and have a good time.

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  On the second day, after Lu Bing set up his stall, he found that another new stall selling duck blood vermicelli had appeared next to him. Lu Bing smiled and thought that in Nanjing city, there were at least a hundred or so shops selling duck blood vermicelli, and opening such a stall was really unoriginal. Some old shops that had been around for years could still attract repeat customers, but new shops would probably not last for long.

  Don't look at Lu Bing's fried chicken stall, which has only been open for an afternoon. Before crossing over, he also used his spare time to practice setting up stalls and deeply understood the benefits of being unique and preventing others from stealing his ideas to ensure that he was the only one. Even so, setting up a stall is still very hard work. When it's windy, business is halved, and when it rains, it's completely finished. The weather has a huge impact on customer traffic.

  The person who was eating the fried chicken with blood sauce looked like a man in his thirties, he didn't seem to be in a hurry, watching Lu Bing busy at work. Lu Bing also didn't observe him carefully, anyway this fried chicken stall wouldn't last for many days. Because of yesterday's big sales, the reputation of Lu Bing's fried chicken became even more famous, and Lu Bing promptly launched various dipping sauces, and also gave away potato pancakes with tomato sauce. Actually these potato pancakes were the failed products from Lu Bing's attempt to fry potato sticks yesterday, but they tasted great after being reused.

  People buying fried chicken were packed like sardines, almost blocking the streets. Some people got tired of standing and took turns queuing to find a place to rest, which also boosted the business of surrounding stalls, especially those with tables, chairs, and benches selling snacks. At this time, the duck blood noodle sellers also came out, and after the first bowl was served, many people started to move over. Lu Bing was slightly surprised, and when he smelled it, he felt a strong aroma. But looking at the duck blood noodles, the duck blood shone like bright red gemstones, with duck intestines and meat inside, and a handful of crystal-clear noodles floating inside. The sight made Lu Bing swallow his saliva. However, the question was, could this business make a profit? Lu Bing had some doubts, but since it wasn't his concern, he didn't think about it anymore.

  Lu Biao quickly packed up his stall, and the duck blood noodle vendor also closed up shop. Looking at Lu Biao, he smiled and said: "Friend, your business is pretty good."

  "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Lu Bing said with courtesy: "Your duck blood noodles are also great, my fried chicken is just a bit unconventional, but yours is truly exceptional, to have so many duck blood noodles stand out is really impressive."

  Lu Bing looked at the man, seeing that he was about 1.8 meters tall, with a standard build, his face slightly gaunt, with sunken cheeks, but high temples, indicating that he had practiced external martial arts. His figure was straight and slender, belonging to the lean type, but with a slight hunchback, likely due to age.

  The man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Huang Di. May I ask your honorable surname and great name, young brother?"

  "My surname is Lu, single name Bing, and I've met Brother Huang before." Lu Bing also said with a fist in his hand.

  "Alright, alright. By the way, do you have any plans for tonight, brother?" Huang Di said. Lu Bing thought for a moment and replied: "I'm just setting up a stall to have some fun, no other thoughts, and it's not possible to do this for long, I'll stop tomorrow and take a few days off to play around. Brother Huang asked this question, what plans do you have?"

  "Ah, yes! I'm inviting you out for a drink, what does Brother Lu think?" Huang Di asked.

  Lu Biao hesitated for a moment, feeling unfamiliar with this person, but thinking of his own martial arts skills, he relaxed and smiled: "I'm not good at drinking..." Huang Di thought Lu Biao was going to refuse, and his face showed a hint of disappointment. However, he heard Lu Biao's tone change as he said: "But if Brother Huang invites me to drink together, I'll accompany you till death."

  The two of them gathered their things, packed up the stall and headed back, each changing into a new set of clothes. They agreed to meet at Tianyi House near Fuzi Temple, and Lu Bing arrived wearing his new outfit as promised.

  Huang Di wore a fur-lined leather jacket, while Lu Bing was dressed in plain white clothes. The two burst out laughing as soon as they saw each other. Huang Di said: "A man relies on his attire and a horse relies on its saddle. I'm deeply delighted that you, an old friend, can keep your promise and come to see me. You looked dignified during the day, but now you look even more extraordinary, just like a young master from a noble family."

  Lu Bing was also taken aback, feeling that the Huang Di in front of him was vastly different from the one he had seen during the day. The latter was just a tall and handsome man, but now, wearing this outfit, he exuded an air of dominance. This aura was not like the overbearing and ostentatious one of Wang Zhenzhi, the Fifth Master, but rather a natural and effortless one that made Lu Bing feel indescribably admiring. So, Lu Bing also offered some polite words of praise, which were genuinely heartfelt. Lu Bing looked up at Tianyi Residence and asked, "Shall we eat here?"

  Huang Di shook his head and said: "No way, it's okay at noon here, but not at night. Let's go, I'll take you to a place as your brother."

  "Where are you going?" Lu Bing asked.

  Huang Di sneered: "Just follow me, I can still sell you off." The two of them walked forward, chatting and laughing. In the darkness in the distance, several pairs of eyes were fixed on Lu Bing and Huang Di. One of them asked: "Lord Jiang, do you want us to continue following them and check out that little guy's background?"

  A low, cold voice replied from the darkness: "No need, let him have a good time first. The little guy next to him doesn't seem like a bad person either, there shouldn't be any trouble. Just follow them slowly and make sure nothing dangerous happens. Wait until they're full and then we'll take action."

  "Yes!" Seven or eight brief but clear responses came from around.