next day
Jiang Yuwei and her group got up early and loaded their things onto the carriage. Jiang Yuwei then went to the backyard to instruct Tiezhu to teach the fool how to do things before getting into the carriage to leave. Just then, Liu Shi rushed over.
"Yuwei, I'm so sorry. I've been busy with my mother-in-law's funeral these past few days, and I was also tied up with things at home. I came over as soon as I settled things at home. From now on, I can come to the courtyard to work every day."
Jiang Yuwei nodded, then, remembering that they didn't have enough manpower for the market today, she spoke up:
"Alright, get in the car first. You'll come with us to the market today. From now on, you'll go to the market with us on market days. On other days, you'll stay and work at the paper mill. Tiezhu will teach you how to work at the paper mill gradually."
Liu nodded and hurriedly got into the oxcart. Ning Huaizhi then drove the oxcart to the village head's house to pick up Ning Qiu, and they headed to the market together.
As everyone arrived and was busy unloading the goods, a gruff male voice rang out:
"Who gave you permission to set up stalls here?"
Jiang Yuwei frowned and looked at the newcomer. A tall, burly man with a thick beard was staring intently at her. Behind him were four men who looked like henchmen, one of whom had a dog tail dangling from his mouth and was grumbling:
"Hey, we're talking about you guys, Brother Gang. Don't you have any sense? Don't you know you have to pay protection money if you want to set up a stall here?"
Ning Huaizhi frowned, and just as he took out his slingshot and held it in his hand, Jiang Yuwei pressed his shoulder. He looked at Jiang Yuwei in confusion, only to see her step forward excitedly with a nervous expression:
"You're Gang Ge? I've finally found you!"
Gang was startled by Jiang Yuwei's change in attitude, and he abruptly took a few steps back, frowning as he pondered:
"You...you know me?"
Jiang Yuwei stepped forward again, looking excitedly at Gang Ge, and said:
"I don't know him."
The henchman behind him stepped forward, blocking Gang Ge's path, and said impatiently:
"Don't pretend you know me if you don't. Stop talking nonsense and hand over your protection money!"
Jiang Yuwei nodded vigorously:
"Alright, alright, protection money is due. You protect our safety, how can you not pay? Brother Gang, I really need the protection of brave and righteous people like you, to be honest..."
As Jiang Yuwei spoke, she nervously looked around, then mysteriously beckoned Gang Ge to come closer. Gang Ge, seeing her like this, was quite curious and leaned his ear closer.
“Brother Gang, to tell you the truth, my whole family has been hunted down. The other side is some kind of cult. Just because we accidentally killed their leader, these people have been chasing us everywhere. They even threatened to tear our whole family to pieces. We were chased all the way from Beijing to Ping'an Town…”
Gang Ge immediately became nervous upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words. Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei continued in a low voice:
“By now, they should be catching up to Ping’an Town by now. Our family is in dire need of a warrior like you, Brother Gang, to protect us. We have money, so you protect us. No, you come with us and live with us every day. Only then can I feel at ease. I'll give you money, all my money. Money is nothing compared to saving our lives. Their methods are too cruel…”
As Jiang Yuwei spoke, she seemed startled and involuntarily shivered:
“Brother Gang, you must protect us. Only if you stay with us will they think you are also our family, and they will not dare to act rashly. With you here, not to mention their special tortures such as beheading, waist-cutting, skinning, branding, castration and so on, you alone can probably kill them all as soon as they show their faces!”
After saying that, Jiang Yuwei looked at Gang Ge with a very firm gaze.
Gang subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his brow and whispered:
"You said they came from the capital? They probably don't have many people, right?"
Jiang Yuwei calmly nodded:
"Not many, only about a hundred people. They killed quite a few of us while chasing us, many of them were killed by the assassins we hired."
Gang swallowed hard and said nervously:
"About a hundred people... What about the assassins you hired? Why aren't they protecting you anymore?"
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand dismissively:
"They were all worthless bastards, captured alive and tortured to death by them. Bah! We wasted so much money hiring them!"
Upon hearing this, Gang Ge jumped up, looked around nervously, and shouted:
"I don't know them, we have no relation! We have absolutely no relation!"
After saying that, he turned and ran, shouting to his henchmen as he ran:
"Let's go, let's go quickly! Don't mess with these lunatics!"
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Brother Gang, don't go! Protect me! I'll pay! I really will pay! Don't abandon me!"
Seeing Jiang Yuwei's expression, Ning Huaizhi couldn't help but laugh helplessly.
"You'll get caught sooner or later if you keep lying to them."
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand:
"You don't understand. When you're out and about, you give yourself your identity. Besides, once things have calmed down, we'll bring the idiot with us next time we go to the market. Even if they find out we have an idiot, we won't be afraid!"
Ning Huai frowned:
"Fools are more useful than me."
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly stepped forward, patted Ning Huaizhi's shoulder, and whispered in his ear:
"Don't be silly. This idiot is fed by us, so naturally he should be given the dirty and tiring work. You just need to give him instructions."
Ning Huaizhi burst out laughing upon hearing his wife's words:
"Haha, you're so full of clever ideas, I'll listen to whatever you say, okay?"
Jiang Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Ning Huaizhi say that. She didn't know why he was jealous of a fool. Ning Daya and Ning Qiu had already set up their stalls. Ning Qiu was in charge of selling crayfish, Ning Daya was in charge of making pounded pepper and preserved egg, Ning Huaizhi and Ning Wan were still in charge of selling gray tofu, and Liu Shi assisted Jiang Yuwei in selling spicy hot pot.
Jiang Yuwei set up her mala tang (spicy hot pot) stall and started calling out her wares:
"Delicious mala tang, come and eat, come and buy! Thirty coins a bowl, fill it up as much as you want, cook as much as you want, it has vegetables and meat, and is very nutritious!"
Everyone was very interested when they heard that it could be packed casually, and Jiang Yuwei quickly handed the small bamboo basket to Liu Shi:
"Go to the front of the stall, fill a basket as much as you can, and show the customers!"
Liu nodded and took the basket, then began to fill it with vegetables. Everyone found it very interesting and took their own baskets to imitate Liu and fill them with vegetables as well.
Soon a long queue formed in front of the mala tang stall. Liu was in charge of collecting money, while Jiang Yuwei was in charge of cooking. The two worked together and were very fast.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out:
"Oh, isn't this my sister who married a disabled husband? Mr. Ge, look at her! Haha, she's a street vendor, but she's still working with great enthusiasm!"
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