Ling Dapeng and Ling Dahu rushed out, carrying only a bench they could find at random.
"Who, who bullied my mother!" The two men were tall and had clearly gained some weight; their glaring eyes made them appear imposing and fierce.
"You're just bullying me because I don't have anyone backing me up, aren't you? Let me tell you, my two sons are really good fighters, even better than me! Come on, come at me! I'll beat your heads open this time!" Tao Wanniang shouted. These little punks actually dared to threaten her!
Yang Song and his companions were genuinely taken aback; this woman really did have two such grown sons!
"If anything happens to my restaurant, blame it all on you. I know the officials well, and I'm not afraid to tell you, they treat me with utmost respect. Do you think I have no connections in the capital?" Tao Wanniang said sternly.
Yang Song was taken aback. The officials had indeed been very polite to the woman. The person keeping watch said that yesterday, a luxurious carriage had brought the woman over.
But if they don't get the protection money today, how will they survive on this street in the future!
"Alright, if you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences! Brothers, let's go!" Yang Song shouted, waving his hand to signal the men behind him to charge.
"Hey, you lot, stop right there!" Wang Fugui shouted, realizing he'd been ignored!
“Boy, I, Wang Fugui, am not very capable, but I have some dealings with the government. If I report this to the authorities, none of you will escape.” Wang Fugui said sternly, “You have really hurt the Tao family today, so just wait for the Prince Rui’s mansion’s revenge!”
When Tao Wanniang saw that the thugs had actually stopped, she was surprised. It couldn't be that Wang Fugui had kept the situation in check; it must be the name of the Prince Rui's mansion.
"Hmph, yes, I have someone backing me. Yesterday, I only had a ride given to me by the guards of Prince Rui's mansion. But don't worry, I, Tao Wanniang, am not so foolish as to run to Prince Rui's mansion to complain every time something happens to me!"
Tao Wanniang's words did nothing to ease the tension between Yang Song and his companions. Wasn't this a clear indication that they were backed by the Prince Rui's mansion?
Yang Song looked at Tao Wanniang in disbelief. What made this old woman so special?
"Boss, the carriage yesterday really did seem to be from Prince Rui's mansion," the underling whispered to Yang Song.
Yang Song gritted his teeth and finally said angrily, "You old woman are fierce, I don't hit women!" After saying that, he walked away without looking back, and his henchmen behind him also muttered that a good man doesn't fight with a woman, and left one after another.
"Mother, have these people been here before? Why didn't you tell us?" Ling Dahu asked worriedly.
“What are you saying? Didn’t you see that kid’s head has a bruise? I hit him!” Tao Wan’s mother said with a hint of pride.
After saying this, Wang Fugui glanced at Tao Wanniang again, then cleared his throat.
"Hmm, Ms. Tao, we're all neighbors. If you run into trouble, remember to ask your neighbors for help. After all, you're from out of town and don't know anyone here!"
“I know that Master Wang is always very kind,” Tao Wanniang said meaningfully. “Since Master Wang is already here, why don’t you go in and take a look?”
Ignoring Tao Wanniang's sarcastic remarks, Wang Fugui walked straight inside.
After the thugs left, the foreman led the laborers to say goodbye to Tao Wan's mother, promising to come back for dinner in three days.
Tao Wanniang watched the workers leave. Standing at the restaurant entrance, she looked at the merchants who had come out to watch the commotion and clasped her hands in greeting, saying, "What should I call you, shopkeeper? From now on, we're neighbors."
“Your surname is Jiang. I’ve heard people call you Tao?” Next door was a general store. The shopkeeper, Jiang Youfu, looked Tao Wanniang up and down. “These lads have collected protection money from every store. They only ran into a wall here. I’m afraid they won’t give up in the future.”
"What benefits have they brought to everyone? What protection have they provided? If not, why are they charging protection money? They're the ones collecting the money, and they're the ones threatening everyone to do business. There's no logic to this!" Tao Wanniang said firmly. "I didn't come here to do business before, so I didn't know. But now that I'm here, you wait and see, I'll never let them extort you again!"
Jiang Youfu stared blankly at Tao Wanniang. How could a woman utter such bold words?
"Okay, then it's up to you!" Jiang Youfu said dryly at the end.
Tao Wanniang glanced at the other shops. The thugs' lingering influence still kept the merchants on the street in awe. It seemed she would have to do more in the future!
The Ling family liked the small restaurant more and more as they looked at it; after all, it was their own place!
Wang Fugui looked around with a critical eye.
"Is this little restaurant really worth all this excitement?" Wang Fugui said disdainfully. "Have you never been to any other restaurants like this before?"
“Uncle Wang, we really haven’t been there!” Ling Dapeng said truthfully. “We’ve only stayed in inns, we’ve never been to a restaurant.”
Wang Fugui was speechless. What was there to say to a family of bumpkins like him?
Tao Wanniang walked in, heading straight for the kitchen; from now on, the kitchen would be her battlefield!
"Come here, all of you!" Tao Wanniang shouted, looking at the empty kitchen.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Ling Dahu was the first to walk in.
"Here, put a big water vat for me, and fill it with water every day; set up a shelf here to put the bowls and chopsticks, and also get a water bucket, and a big basin for washing dishes..." Tao Wan's mother pointed out the kitchen to her son and daughter-in-law, but when she turned around and saw her dumbfounded son and daughter-in-law, she immediately deflated.
"Did you not remember anything I said?" Tao Wanniang asked unhappily.
"Mother, all I remember is the water vat and the shelf," Ling Dahu said guiltily.
“I remember there should be a bucket here for vegetable scraps and leftovers,” Ling Dapeng said.
"What about the others?" Tao Wanniang asked with a sullen face.
The Ling family members shook their heads, "We can't remember!"
How disheartening! Tao Wanniang took a deep breath, feeling very annoyed. Why did she place all her hopes on her son and daughter-in-law?
"Alright, alright, I'll prepare everything. But you'll need to rehearse a few times about how to serve the dishes," Tao Wan's mother waved her hand and walked out of the kitchen. Why are her son and daughter-in-law so useless?
The Ling brothers looked at each other, realizing that their mother had spoken so quickly that it was difficult to remember what she had said.
"Mother, I'll cook with you!" Xiao Qiao'er said, tugging at Tao Wan's sleeve, afraid that Tao Wan's mother was in a bad mood.
"It's nothing, Mother just feels so tired being alone!"
Tao Wanniang sighed, "There are still so many things prepared in the kitchen!"
Wang Fugui didn't go in, but he heard Tao Wanniang's almost roaring voice. He already had a lot of opinions about Tao Wanniang. When he saw Tao Wanniang and Xiao Qiao'er come out, he said in a calm and collected manner, "Women, no matter how strong they are, they can't support a family. But if you're so fierce, no man will want you!"
Tao Wan's eyes widened. "Old Wang next door, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"
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