The elderly people and fans who were watching the commotion also stood up indignantly and denounced Zheng Qiang.
The eyes of the masses are discerning, especially in situations where right and wrong are clearly distinguished; people naturally side with the weak and the righteous.
An elderly man with white hair, wearing a tank top and fiddling with walnuts, glared at Zheng Qiang and pointed at him, cursing:
"Hey! You shameless bastard! Get out of here! If you dare to throw a tantrum here again and delay my queue to buy Boss Zhou's fried pebbles, do you believe I'll just 'plop' and lie down in front of you?"
"You're not leaving today without at least 80,000 to 100,000 yuan in medical expenses and compensation for emotional distress!"
As the old man spoke, he actually rolled up his sleeves, leaned to the side, and looked ready to stage an accident at any moment.
Zheng Qiang was completely terrified by this display of force.
He was always a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, relying on his family ties and brute force to do whatever he wanted.
Now he's not only been beaten, but also filmed, and has become the target of public criticism. Even an old man is preparing to play the "lying down and extorting" game with him.
If the police are really brought in and they see the video, they might actually be able to send him to jail for attempted forced molestation.
A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.
Zheng Qiang covered his still-bleeding nose and glared at Zhou Yang with venomous eyes.
He then stared intently at Xu Yao, who was hiding behind Zhou Yang, still shaken.
He knew he wouldn't get away with it today, and staying any longer would only make him look even more humiliated.
"Xu Yao...you...you just wait! You can't escape! You'll be mine sooner or later! We'll see!"
Having uttered these harsh words, Zheng Qiang dared not linger any longer. Covering his nose, he staggered away amidst the scornful and contemptuous gazes of the crowd.
Zhou Yang frowned slightly as he looked in the direction Zheng Qiang had disappeared.
Xu Yao, standing behind him, was still trembling slightly, clearly terrified by the threat she had just received.
Cold sweat soaked her back, and her body trembled slightly uncontrollably.
This is not just fear, but a kind of despair with no way out—Zheng Qiang is like a stubborn plaster that can't be shaken off, a persistent ghost!
She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled.
Are you angry? Of course I'm angry!
But after the anger comes an even deeper sense of powerlessness.
What could she do? Zheng Qiang was her "relative" and the village's de facto "future husband".
Even if he is so despicable, her reasons for seeking long-term asylum seem weak until he causes substantial, legally recognized serious harm.
"Mr. Zhou... Mr. Zhou..."
Xu Yao's face was as pale as paper, and she looked at Zhou Yang with panicked eyes, "I...I'll go back first..."
All she wants now is to escape this place and hide, even if only temporarily.
Zhou Yang frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across the direction Zheng Qiang had disappeared in, and said in a deep voice:
"Leave now? How do you know if that scumbag is lurking somewhere nearby waiting for you? I'm worried about you going back alone."
He knew perfectly well that a petty person like Zheng Qiang, who was so vindictive, would never let this go after losing face and suffering a loss today.
Xu Yao froze on the spot. Zhou Yang's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing her last bit of hope.
Yes, how could Zheng Qiang just let it go like that?
She looked around blankly; the world was vast, yet at that moment she felt there was nowhere to belong.
Call the police? What can be done before Zheng Qiang takes any further clear action?
Does she need the police to protect her 24 hours a day?
A surge of overwhelming grievance and fear welled up inside Xu Yao, her eyes instantly reddening, and tears streamed down her face silently like a broken string of pearls. "Then...what should I do?"
Seeing the girl on the verge of tears, Zhou Yang felt a pang of pity and helplessness.
He sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd still watching, finally settling on Xu Yao's tear-streaked face.
After a moment of contemplation, he seemed to have made up his mind.
“How about this,” Zhou Yang’s voice was deep and firm, “If you don’t mind, you can come back and stay with me for now…”
He paused, then, seeing Xu Yao's eyes widen in surprise, quickly added a sentence.
"However, let me make this clear beforehand: my place isn't very big, so you... will have to sleep on the sofa!"
Zhou Yang was making plans in his mind.
It's really too risky to let a girl live alone; that bastard Zheng Qiang might do something out of nowhere.
Looking for a female roommate?
What if that beast Zheng Qiang shifts his target or retaliates and implicates others? Wouldn't that be even worse?
But he himself is different!
He's a big, strong man, and quite skilled.
If Zheng Qiang really dares to come knocking on my door, I don't mind stretching my muscles a bit more and letting that guy know why the flowers are so red!
Knocking out a few of his teeth would be too lenient!
Xu Yao was stunned at first, and a few seconds later, her eyes, which were brimming with tears, suddenly became misty.
A blush quickly crept up her cheeks, making her fair neck blush slightly.
"Is...is it really possible, Mr. Zhou?"
Her voice was barely audible, tinged with disbelief.
"certainly."
Zhou Yang said confidently, "With me here, if that guy dares to harass you again, you'll see how I deal with him!"
Hearing this reassuring promise, Xu Yao felt completely at ease.
Her cheeks flushed even more, and her voice was filled with a shy yet sincere gratitude: "Thank you! Boss Zhou! Thank you so much!"
"I'm already so happy that you're willing to take me in! I'd be happy to sleep on the floor, let alone the sofa!"
"I really don't dare to be alone, I'm afraid Zheng Qiang..."
Just thinking about Zheng Qiang's face made her shudder again.
After calming down a bit, Xu Yao turned to the crowd that had not yet dispersed and bowed deeply.
Thank you so much everyone for today!
"Hey, it's nothing, you're welcome!"
Everyone smiled broadly; they had done something meaningful today!
Xu Yao paused for a moment, then took out her phone: "Um... how about we add each other's contact information and create a group chat?"
"So that I can let everyone know in the group where Boss Zhou will set up his stall and what snacks he will sell in the future?"
"Okay, okay!"
This suggestion was exactly what the fans wanted.
These people all joined the group chat.
Zhou Yang cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Alright, alright, thank you everyone for your support!"
"But business is the priority. I only have two pots of fried pebbles left! Once they're sold out, I'll close up shop!"
"Huh? The last two batches?"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Line up, line up!"
"Boss! Give me one! No, two!"
The crowd that was just adding each other as friends suddenly felt a sense of crisis and immediately lined up again, afraid of missing the chance to "slurp" a bite.
While Zhou Yang deftly stir-fried and packed the food, he maintained order, saying, "Don't rush, don't rush, we have everything..."
"Hey sir, didn't you just buy some? There's a limited quantity today, so let those who didn't get any try some too. One serving for each of you!"
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