The cicadas outside the window were chirping incessantly, disturbing Wanwan's peace of mind. In one of her chubby little hands, she clutched a piece of white paper, and in the other, she held a calligraphy brush, struggling to write the character "驷" on the paper.
After writing for a while, she looked up again, hoping that an adult would come and take her to the county to play.
Copying books is so tiring!
She has been writing so many words without getting tired, why can't she rest yet!
Just as she was feeling wronged and lost in thought, she saw Zhang Xiu, who was all dressed up, come out of the inner room, apparently on her way to the county.
Seeing this, Wanwan threw down her paper and pen, ran over and hugged her aunt's leg, "Auntie, are you going to the county? Can you take Wanwan with you? Wanwan is so bored at home!"
Zhang Xiu was slightly startled when a small ball of flesh suddenly stuck to her leg. When she looked down, she met Wanwan's pleading and earnest gaze, and her heart softened instantly.
She went to the county to see how the restaurant there was doing after the renovation. Since it was Wanwan's idea, it wouldn't be inappropriate to take her there. So she reached out and hugged Wanwan to her chest, tapping her little nose with her fingertip.
"Alright, alright, let's take Wanwan along. Wanwan, you'd better give us some suggestions for our restaurant!"
Wanwan answered crisply, tickled by Zhang Xiu's teasing, and hid in her arms, then hugged her aunt's neck. The two, one big and one small, laughed happily.
Even with a child in her arms, Zhang Xiu still walked very fast. Just before noon, the two arrived at a restaurant in the county.
It was lunchtime, which was a good time for the two of them to observe how the business was going.
Just as Wanwan had predicted, the restaurant was booming, with diners enjoying their food and drinks to their hearts' content!
The waiters were so busy they were drenched in sweat, and they didn't even have time to use the towels draped around their necks.
Zhang Xiu and Wanwan stood at the shop entrance for a while before the shop assistant noticed them.
The other party quickly led the two inside, and the accountant hurriedly brewed them a pot of tea.
"This idea to renovate the shop is absolutely brilliant! Look how good business has been these past few days!"
After saying that, he went to get the account book and eagerly flipped through it page by page for Zhang Xiu to see.
"It's really good. Wanwan, you're such a little devil! The restaurant's success is partly thanks to you!"
Zhang Xiu couldn't help but praise her repeatedly, then bent down and touched foreheads with Wanwan, who was amused and laughed so hard she almost fell over.
After playing with the child, Zhang Xiu's eyes lit up again, and she carefully examined the account book with her fingers moistened with saliva.
Just as everyone was overjoyed, a group of burly men carrying large sticks suddenly barged into the restaurant.
After they entered, they all stood still, scanning the entire room with menacing expressions, as if observing the situation.
The diners all froze, staring blankly at the group of people who had barged in.
A waiter with extremely poor taste greeted them with a forced smile, "Sir, what would you like to eat? Please come in."
He was still a little scared, and his hands and feet were trembling involuntarily, but what could he do when their boss said, "All guests are welcome"?
The burly man at the head of the group had a face full of scars, a stubble beard, and a hideous scar on his face. He was wearing only a t-shirt, and his chest was covered with a thick patch of dark chest hair.
"What do you want to eat?!" Hearing the waiter ask him, he repeated the waiter's words, his eyes suddenly widening as he stared straight at him.
The waiter lost his footing and stumbled backward.
Do I look like I'm here to eat?
With a loud shout, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction with the waiter's gentle attitude, the scarred man raised his hand and slammed it down on the table beside him, sending splinters flying.
The diners were horrified, and many of the more timid ones screamed, filling the restaurant with cries and wailing.
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Xiu and Wanwan quickly put down their account books and ran out.
"Get out of here! Do you want to die?!"
The burly man swung his big stick to drive away the diners, and others joined him, raising their sticks and punching wildly.
In a short while, all the diners were driven away, and almost every table was destroyed, with ceramic bowls and plates scattered all over the floor and soup and liquid spilled everywhere.
"stop!"
Zhang Xiu shouted loudly.
Upon hearing this, the burly men actually quieted down, each glaring fiercely at Zhang Xiu.
Zhang Xiu met the scrutiny of the thugs with unwavering posture, his eyes fixed straight ahead, while his men quietly pulled Wanwan behind him.
"Oh, so you're Zhang Xiu! You're the one I've been looking for today!"
Scarface arrogantly brandished his big stick, "I'm here today to tell you, shut this restaurant down right now! In the capital, who has an easy time making a living? If you steal our customers, what business will our restaurant have left? If you know what's good for you, close down right now, or else..."
He suddenly raised his big stick again and smashed a chair next to him to pieces. "Your Wan family's fate will be the same as these tables and chairs! As long as you're open, I'll bring my men to smash them all!"
Zhang Xiu watched coldly as he smashed the stool without blinking, only gesturing behind her to the accountant to quickly find the constables.
"Such arrogance!" Zhang Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Bringing people to smash up a shop in broad daylight, aren't you afraid of being arrested and going to jail?"
"Go to jail?" Scarface's lips twitched, and he suddenly burst into laughter. "I'm afraid of going to jail? Stop talking nonsense to me! Close the shop right now!"
"Don't even think about it!"
Zhang Xiu remained unmoved.
"damn it!"
Scarface was furious and charged at him with a big stick. Zhang Xiu hurriedly moved Wanwan aside, stepped forward to dodge his attack, kicked him in the ribs, and while he bent over in pain, she grabbed a ceramic plate and smashed it into his face.
Scarface screamed in agony, begging for mercy.
"You'll have to ask my opinion before you can smash up the shop!"
Zhang Xiu subdued the scarred man, snatched his big stick, and loudly warned the others.
The other burly men hesitated for a moment when they saw that a woman was so fierce. They looked at each other, and none of them dared to step forward rashly.
However, behind Zhang Xiu's back, which she couldn't reach, a burly man crept up behind her and raised a large stick to strike her head.
Seeing this, Wanwan didn't care about anything else. She grabbed at the air, and the spilled soup on the ground immediately gathered as if it had come to life. Then, like vines, it coiled and climbed up, quickly wrapping around the strong man's weapon and lifting him up.
The burly man screamed as his feet suddenly gave way.
The others, seeing their companion suddenly lifted into the air, also screamed, "Ah—a ghost!"
With a slight release, the burly man fell heavily to the ground, the impact causing the ground to tremble.
Upon witnessing this bizarre scene, the others scurried out of the shop, shouting, "A ghost!!"
But they hadn't run far when they were surrounded again by the constables brought by the accountant.
In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the burly men were obediently led away, still claiming in terror that evil spirits lurked in the Wan family's eatery.
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