Upon hearing that Duan Yu wanted to buy boxed lunches, the nine Beggar Clan disciples stopped their attack.
Li Huan asked, "Young master, how many boxed meals would you like to buy?"
Duan Yu asked, "Are your meals sold in boxes?"
Li Huan said, "That's right, the food is served in a box, so it's called a boxed lunch."
Duan Yu then asked, "How much food can one box hold?"
Li Huan smiled; Duan Yu was quite thoughtful.
With a whoosh, Li Huan jumped off the roof of the car, grabbed a lunchbox, and quickly filled it with four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes.
"Look, there's so much food in one box: egg fried rice and winter melon and dried shrimp soup. It's all-you-can-eat and free!"
"All you can eat?" Duan Yu was immediately surprised. "What if you encounter a man with a huge appetite? Wouldn't you be at a loss?"
Li Huan said, "It's not like we'll lose money. We'll just make a little less profit and then sell more!"
Duan Yu nodded: "This box of food has four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, which is a generous portion. How much silver do you want for it?"
Li Huan announced loudly, "Each boxed meal will cost one hundred taels of silver!"
"One hundred taels?" Duan Yu's eyes widened.
Instantly, the scene erupted in chaos.
"A single meal costs a hundred taels of silver? That's insane!"
"Damn it, the price is higher than the most expensive delicacies! This is outrageous!"
"This kid isn't here to set up a stall and do business; he's deliberately causing trouble!"
...
The Beggars' Sect disciples shouted and accused Li Huan.
Duan Yu said, "Each boxed meal costs one hundred taels of silver, and you call that 'small profits but quick turnover'? That's absurd!"
"No, no!" Bao Butong said, shaking his head. "It's not absurd, it's ruthless!"
Li Huan said, "The 'Spicy Bullfrog' I cook comes from a foreign country, 20,000 miles away from the Central Plains. Doesn't it have any value?"
"The potatoes in 'stewed beef with potatoes' and 'hot and sour shredded potatoes', the peanuts in 'fried peanuts', and the green peppers in 'stir-fried green peppers and tofu' all come from distant overseas countries!"
"These are precious ingredients that you've never eaten, never seen, and have never even heard of, right?"
Bao Butong curled his lip and scoffed, "What's so special about ingredients from foreign lands!"
Li Huan scoffed, "It's understandable that the Beggars' Sect is poor and can't afford boxed lunches! The Murong family of Gusu is also dirt poor and all they do is talk big!"
Bao Butong closed his folding fan, his face hardening: "Kid, you're asking for a beating!"
Li Huan said disdainfully, "Can't afford a boxed lunch? You want to resort to violence?"
Wang Yuyan quickly reminded Bao Butong: "Don't lower yourself to the level of a peddler; he's deliberately trying to provoke you."
"No, no!" Li Huan mimicked Bao Butong again, "My boxed lunches are extremely delicious. I don't need to use reverse psychology. Those with money will naturally buy them!"
Bao Butong tried hard to control his emotions and glared at Li Huan.
Duan Yu took out an embroidered purse, squeezed it, and found that the purse was flat.
He was captured by Kumārajīva from the Dali Kingdom in Yunnan. He had no gold or silver jewelry with him, and he had spent all the money in his purse.
Li Huan asked knowingly, "Do you have any money or not? Don't play me for a fool!"
Duan Yu's eyes darted around, and he quickly picked up the embroidered purse.
"Look, this purse is wrapped with gold and silver threads and inlaid with two gemstones. It's quite valuable and should be worth a thousand taels of silver!"
Li Huan said, "You mean, you'd exchange an embroidered purse for ten boxed meals?"
Duan Yu laughed and said, "Exactly! You only gain, you don't lose!"
Li Huan said, "These kinds of purses are things that young women carry around. What use do I have for them? You can keep them for yourself!"
"A girl's thing?" Duan Yu's expression was displeased. "You don't know its value!"
Li Huan said, "I only recognize gold and silver jewelry!"
"Young Master Duan, please step aside!"
Bai Shijing shouted and waved his hand, ordering his nine law enforcement disciples to continue driving Li Huan away.
Suddenly, a messenger from the Beggars' Sect rode up at breakneck speed, arrived before the Beggars' Sect elders, dismounted, and presented them with a package.
"Urgent military situation..."
Before he could finish speaking, the messenger gasped for breath and collapsed from exhaustion.
The Beggars' Sect elder handed the package to Qiao Feng and took out a wax pill from it.
Crush the wax pellet to reveal a crumpled paper ball.
Just as Qiao Feng was about to unfold the paper ball, another person rode into the woods on horseback, shouting loudly.
"Qiao Feng! You can't be looking at military intelligence!"
The old man was over eighty years old, with a full white beard; he was none other than Elder Xu, who had been retired for a long time.
He held a very high seniority in the Beggars' Sect and was highly respected by many.
Qiao Feng was surprised and clasped his hands in greeting, asking, "Elder Xu, why won't you let me see the military intelligence of Western Xia? And why have you graced us with your presence?"
Elder Xu took the crumpled paper from Qiao Feng and said with a serious expression, "Madam Ma, the widow of Ma Dayuan, will be arriving in the forest soon. Please wait a moment."
Qiao Feng was even more puzzled: "Why has Madam Ma come here?"
Elder Xu said, "This matter is of great importance, let's wait patiently."
Qiao Feng was puzzled.
Quan Guanqing revealed a smug smile.
Li Huan thought to himself, "The Beggars' Sect doesn't have money to buy boxed lunches, and neither does Duan Yu. The next character to appear will become their big customer."
Elder Xu looked around, his gaze landing on the red electric tricycle, then glancing at Li Huan.
Who is he?
Qiao Feng said, "A street vendor selling food."
As he spoke, Qiao Feng, wielding a gleaming magic knife, swiftly cut the ropes binding the four elders, Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu. He continued recounting their merits, preparing to forgive their crimes through the self-mutilation of "the gang leader bleeding them out."
"Buy boxed lunches! Buy boxed lunches! Delicious boxed lunches, top-quality boxed lunches!"
"Don't miss out, everyone! Come and buy now!"
Li Huan shouted loudly again, clearing the entire grove of trees.
Elder Xu exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! This vendor has a really loud voice! What kind of food does he sell?"
Qiao Feng put down his magic knife and explained, "The food he sells is served in boxes, hence the name—boxed lunch!"
Elder Xu said, "The Beggars' Sect is handling important matters of the sect; how can we allow idlers to stand by and watch? Quickly drive him away!"
Coo coo coo...
Elder Xu's stomach growled a few times, clearly indicating that he was hungry from the aroma of the food.
Nine law enforcement disciples of the Beggars' Sect attacked Li Huan again.
In an instant, Li Huan jumped into the back of the truck, climbed onto the top of the driver's cab, and sat cross-legged.
"The Beggars' Sect is the largest sect in the world. What kind of heroes are they, relying on their numbers to bully street vendors?"
Li Huan shouted as he pointed at Duan Yu.
"He's not a member of the Beggars' Sect, why not send him away?"
Qiao Feng said, "Young Master Duan is my sworn brother!"
Li Huan then pointed to Wang Yuyan: "What about them? Are they also sworn brothers and sisters of Chief Qiao?"
Qiao Feng shook his head.
Duan Yu introduced them: "Wang Yuyan is Murong Fu's cousin! A'Zhu and A'Bi are Murong Fu's maids! Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e are Murong Fu's retainers!"
"The Beggars' Sect suspects that Murong Fu murdered Vice Chief Ma. Miss Wang has come to explain. This matter is of great importance, and they are not idle people!"
Li Huan suddenly raised his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and made a gesture as if he were calculating a divination.
Bai Shijing sneered: "Playing tricks now, what kind of mystical act are you up to?"
Li Huan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Bai Shijing.
"The real culprit who murdered Deputy Gang Leader Ma Dayuan is right here at the scene!"
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