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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 157: I Am Too Kind
Zhang Qiu was startled and instinctively leaped into the air as the Drunk Man behind him lunged forward with a broken Beer Bottle aimed at him. Zhang Qiu delivered a swift kick to the Drunk Man's face, but this time the Drunk Man did not fall.
Looking at the Drunk Man who had nearly stabbed him, Zhang Qiu shouted angrily, "What do you want? Can't you see I have no intention of hurting you? Don't force me to scare you; I don't want to hurt anyone!"
"Who dies is still uncertain; I'll kill you!" the Drunk Man roared as he charged at Zhang Qiu.
At that moment, about ten thugs rushed into the market, shouting and heading straight for the Black Stocking Woman. She cried out like she had found a savior, pointing at the Drunk Man and yelling, "It's him, that's the one!"
The thugs ignored Zhang Qiu and rushed toward the Drunk Man, launching a brutal assault. The Drunk Man curled up on the ground, covering his head and begging for mercy, but the thugs showed no signs of stopping.
Zhang Qiu sighed; this was what being tough looked like. He realized he was too kind.
After tiring themselves out from beating him, one of the thugs, known as Rooster Head, squatted down and grabbed the Drunk Man by his collar. Spitting a thick wad of phlegm onto the Drunk Man's bearded face, he cursed fiercely, "Daring to cause trouble in Sister Hua's territory? You must be tired of living. Remember this: if you have money, spend it wisely; if you don't, get lost! The women on this street are not someone you can mess with. Get out!"
Rooster Head threw the Drunk Man down, who then scrambled to his feet and fled in a panic, completely unlike someone who had just been beaten by a crowd.
Rooster Head approached the Black Stocking Woman but his gaze crossed with Zhang Qiu's. Observing Rooster Head and the thugs behind him while hearing him mention Sister Hua, Zhang Qiu had already guessed who they were. In South District, anyone bold enough to call themselves Sister Hua could only be Tong Hua, the local boss.
Rooster Head said to the Black Stocking Woman, "If this happens again, call us immediately; our people are nearby. If someone refuses to pay up, call us right away."
"Okay, okay, thank you!" the Black Stocking Woman nodded eagerly in gratitude.
The thugs arrived quickly and left just as fast. As Rooster Head led his group away, he briefly glanced at the beautiful woman's long legs. For a moment, Zhang Qiu thought he saw Rooster Head display an even more lecherous smile than the Drunk Man's.
"Brother, thank you," the Black Stocking Woman said to Zhang Qiu, who was covered in dust.
"You're welcome; any man would step up in such a situation. Just be careful in the future."
As Qiu Wan was about to leave, he was called back by the Black Stocking Woman: "Brother, come have a meal at my place."
"No thanks; I came out to buy roast duck. My dad and my girlfriend are waiting for me at home," Zhang Qiu replied with a light smile as he walked toward the Roast Duck Shop.
The Black Stocking Woman watched Zhang Qiu's departing figure and sighed, "What a good person."
"Yes, sister, that's what a man should be," the beautiful woman also gazed at Zhang Qiu, her eyes revealing a hint of affection.
Seeing her sister's expression, the Black Stocking Woman laughed, "Are you infatuated? That handsome guy just went out to buy roast duck for his girlfriend."
"Oh dear, sister!" The beautiful woman's face turned crimson as she pouted, "Stop joking around. Let's hurry back."
The Black Stocking Woman took out her phone to check the time and said regretfully, "It's already noon. I wanted to make you something delicious. Let's wait until tonight. How about we buy a duck for lunch?"
"Sounds good!" The beautiful woman immediately agreed at the mention of buying a duck.
Zhang Qiu arrived at the Roast Duck Shop, where the Boss handed him the prepared duck and praised, "You handled that situation beautifully today."
Zhang Qiu smiled, "With so many people around, why didn't anyone help those two women?" He found it strange that when he squeezed into the crowd, there was no one stepping in to break up the confrontation between the Drunk Man and the Black Stocking Woman. Usually, unless it was complete chaos, someone would intervene at the slightest pause.
The Shop Owner assessed Zhang Qiu and asked, "You don't come here often, do you?"
"No, I just moved here."
"That's it. Once you've been around for a while, you'll understand what's going on."
Zhang Qiu was puzzled and pressed on, "Why is that?"
The Shop Owner hesitated for a moment, then covered his mouth with one hand and leaned closer to Zhang Qiu to whisper, "That older woman is a prostitute. There are many low-rent houses here in this area; it's a well-known red-light district in Beilan County."
Zhang Qiu nodded slightly, not surprised by this information. Yang Yu had mentioned this area when introducing him to the Old County Hospital and South Street. Coupled with the Black Stocking Woman's attire and the Drunk Man's insults, Zhang Qiu had already guessed part of her identity; now he was merely confirming it through the Boss of the Roast Duck Shop.
But what about that beautiful woman? She was young and pretty without any signs of being in such a profession. Zhang Qiu asked again, "What about the one who's about my age? Is she also...?"
"She's not," the Shop Owner shook his head. "That's her sister. I'm not very clear on the details; I only heard that the older sister works to support her younger sister's education."
Zhang Qiu nodded thoughtfully, appearing to be yet another pair of unfortunate souls.
"Boss, how much is this Duck?" Zhang Qiu prepared to leave, having been out for a while, and guessed that his family was probably waiting anxiously.
"Twenty for one, as a reward for your bravery."
"Thank you then." Zhang Qiu took out the money, and the Boss extended his greasy hand to accept it, pulling out a few bills from a colorless bag at his waist to give change to Zhang Qiu.
As Zhang Qiu was about to head out with the Duck, he saw the Black Stocking Woman approaching with a beautiful woman. The Black Stocking Woman greeted him first: "Brother, I see you again."
"What a coincidence! Are you here to buy Duck too?"
"Yes." The Black Stocking Woman pushed the beautiful woman in front of her, "I was planning to cook for my sister; she’s back from college for a rare visit." She sighed, "I didn’t expect to encounter such a situation."
Zhang Qiu smiled slightly: "Be careful in the future and avoid dealing with drunks."
"Right, safety is important." The Black Stocking Woman smiled, but inside she felt a wave of loneliness; avoiding them meant where would the money come from? Most people who came here were single men renting in nearby villages, who would eat enough for one so their families wouldn’t starve. They would drink after getting paid and then come back for other services.
Zhang Qiu was unaware of what the Black Stocking Woman was thinking and cheerfully bid farewell: "I’m off now, bye!"
The Black Stocking Woman watched Zhang Qiu walk away and called out: "Come visit me when you have time."
"Sure." Zhang Qiu instinctively replied but suddenly realized what she meant by visiting. Shaking his head, he hurried home with the roasted duck.
…
Jiang Xue sat on a bench, feeling the sunlight streaming in through the window. This was her first meal since regaining her freedom—golden crispy eggplant drenched in sauce, finely cut Cauliflower sprinkled with sesame seeds, chunks of Duck roasted until oily, and Spinach Soup topped with fragrant oil and scallions. Although simple, the dishes were exquisite, and Zhang Zhi Hua's warm hospitality made Jiang Xue feel very welcomed.
Zhang Qiu picked up a piece of duck meat and praised: "This Duck is quite delicious; I’ve discovered something new."
Jiang Xue smiled at Zhang Qiu and took a tissue to gently wipe the oil from the corner of his mouth. Watching the two children being affectionate, Zhang Zhi Hua felt extremely happy; she never expected to see her daughter-in-law so soon, especially one as wonderful as this.
"Are you two going to school this afternoon?" Zhang Zhi Hua asked.
"Are we going?" Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue, indifferent about whether she went or not, just curious about Jiang Xue's thoughts.
Jiang Xue nodded without hesitation, "Yes, we are going this afternoon."
"Look at Jiang Xue, so dedicated to her studies. Now look at you, learn from her," Zhang Zhi Hua seized the opportunity to educate Zhang Qiu.
Zhang Qiu pouted and remained silent. However, Jiang Xue said, "Being able to go back to class is something I never even dared to imagine. If things had gone as initially thought, I would still be locked away, and learning and the college entrance exam would have nothing to do with me. Having it back again, I cherish it deeply."
Zhang Zhi Hua felt a heaviness in his heart and nodded repeatedly.
Seeing the atmosphere turn heavy and fearing Jiang Xue might dwell on sad memories, Zhang Qiu quickly picked up a piece of eggplant and placed it in her bowl, saying, "Try this, my dad made it himself. It's really delicious; the taste is definitely extraordinary."
Jiang Xue took a bite and praised, "It's good."
"I was just thinking about giving you both a day off. Since Xue'er wants to go, then let's go. But you two must come back home tonight; I'll take you out for a nice meal to celebrate Xue'er regaining her freedom," Zhang Zhi Hua said with a hearty laugh, his eyebrows nearly reaching his ears.
"Okay, Uncle, we'll definitely come back," Jiang Xue replied without being coy.
Zhang Zhi Hua smiled broadly and said, "That's more like it. Come on, eat up!"
"Today, I watched the snow drift by in the cold night, with a heart that has cooled..."
Zhang Qiu suddenly pressed down on her pocket and looked up at Zhang Zhi Hua. He seemed unfazed and casually said, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"I'll step outside to take a call," Qiu Wan said as she walked into the yard. She pulled out her phone and saw it was Brother Leopard calling. She quickly pressed answer: "Brother Leopard."
A cheerful laugh came from the phone: "Hahaha, girl, are you especially happy?"
"Yes! Hey, Brother Leopard, how did you know I'm happy?"
"Your wife is out, if you're not happy, that would really be strange, haha."
"Brother Leopard, is that you..." Zhang Qiu exclaimed almost shouting.
Brother Leopard replied, "It's not me."
"Then who is it?" Zhang Qiu was confused again.
"It's our boss, Brother Meng Tuanjie."
"How would the boss know about this?" Zhang Qiu thought for a moment and guessed that Brother Leopard must have told the boss, saying, "Thank you, Brother Leopard."
Brother Leopard chuckled, "Thank yourself. The path was paved by your own efforts; you not only moved me but also impressed our boss."
"Brother Leopard, what exactly is going on? I'm a bit lost," Zhang Qiu felt he was getting closer to the truth but suddenly a fog enveloped him, making it hard to find the direction to explore.
(Happy Children's Day to everyone, haha.)
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