Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Crocodile Gang
"What would you two like to eat?"
Chen Ping’an asked with a smile as he sat down at the stall.
When they said anything was fine, he looked up at the busy stall owner and called out, "Old mister, three bowls of soft tofu pudding, please!"
"You got it! Just a moment, sir."
The stall owner was an old man, his face full of wrinkles and his skin sagging, but he seemed to be in high spirits.
Four or five small tables were set up in front of the stall. Besides Chen Ping’an’s group, two other tables were occupied by customers eating and drinking.
The old man was very efficient, and he soon brought over three bowls of the soft tofu pudding.
"Folks, if you want more flavor, there’s sauce over there. Help yourselves, it’s free."
The old man said with a smile.
"Business seems pretty good, old mister."
Chen Ping’an’s spirits lifted as he looked at the steaming tofu pudding.
"It’s alright."
The old man wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced around, and said, "It’s just that most of the silver coins I earn don’t end up in my own hands. The money just passes right through!"
"Oh?"
Chen Ping’an was intrigued.
"What do you mean by that, old mister?"
At first, the old man was reluctant to say more. But after Chen Ping’an bought a few more items, and with fewer customers around, the old man gradually opened up.
The old man’s surname was Hao, a native of White Stone City. He had suffered a lot in his youth, working as an apprentice, a shop hand, and a laborer. Back when he was young, he said, the situation in White Stone City was stable, and there weren’t as many factions as there are now. As long as you paid some silver coins on a regular basis, you could live a peaceful life.
But in recent years, this area had become more and more chaotic, and life was no longer so comfortable.
Now, there were all sorts of miscellaneous fees, one after another. He had to pay this group and that group, and when he tallied it all up, he realized he spent most of the day working for others.
Chen Ping’an listened quietly, took a bite of his tofu pudding, and asked, "Doesn’t the Garrison Commandant’s Office handle things like this?"
"Handle it? Every faction in this city is more ruthless than the Garrison Commandant’s Office. They might want to handle it, but can they even manage?"
As he spoke, Old Man Hao ground his teeth in frustration.
Chen Ping’an was about to ask something else when new customers arrived.
"Old Man Hao, get us six baskets of soup dumplings, six large fried dough sticks, three bowls of wontons, and three bowls of scallion noodles! And be quick about it!"
Hearing this, Chen Ping’an could feel Old Man Hao’s face twitch, but he quickly forced a smile and scurried over.
"Master Jiang, and you other masters, you’re here! Sit, please sit! Your food will be ready in a jiffy!"
Old Man Hao ushered the men to a table, then immediately rushed back to his stall and started busying himself.
Chen Ping’an ate his tofu pudding and looked up at the newcomers.
At a nearby table sat several men who looked like local ruffians, with a lazy, arrogant air about them.
"Sigh, I’m so bored I could die! Boss, when is this ever going to end?"
"Yeah, Boss Jiang, we can’t do this, we can’t do that. It’s really damn boring."
The ruffians sat at the table and started to chat idly.
In response to his men, the biggest and most robust man among them propped one foot on the long bench and spoke boorishly.
"You think you’re bored to death? What about me! The higher-ups told us to keep a low profile these days and not stir up any trouble."
"Boss, why is that? They’ve never been so controlling before. Why are things so strict all of a sudden?"
"It’s all because of that new Deputy Commander of the Garrison taking office!"
Just mentioning this made Scoundrel Jiang visibly unhappy.
"It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but the last Deputy Commander died a while back, didn’t he? The Garrison Commandant’s Office is investigating like crazy. The higher-ups don’t want any trouble, so they’re reining us in tight!"
"When will these days ever end!"
one of the ruffians wailed.
"Oh, right, Boss, what’s the deal with this new Deputy Commander? I heard the higher-ups are even preparing a special gift for him!"
Scoundrel Jiang glanced at the ruffian who had spoken and spat on the ground.
"You’re asking me? How the hell would I know! But I hear he’s young, just a kid!"
"A kid? HAHAHAHA... Probably some young master from a rich family, sent here to be a mascot. He’ll get transferred out after a year!"
"A year! Why not just a few months? If he’s not careful, he might end up dead in his own home, just like the last one!"
"SHH! You idiot! The higher-ups told you to keep quiet, and you’re still running your mouth like this?"
"Oh, right, right, right!"
"..."
The ruffians at the stall chatted idly. Chen Ping’an listened for a while and got a general idea of who these men were.
They were from the Crocodile Gang, one of the four major gangs in White Stone City!
From their conversation, it seemed that this Scoundrel Jiang was a minor leader in the Crocodile Gang.
Chen Ping’an glanced over and saw that this Scoundrel Jiang had already stepped onto the path of Martial Dao Cultivation, making him a person of some standing among ordinary people.
With the gang members’ arrival, the patrons at the other two tables quickly finished their food, paid their bills, and left. It was clear they wanted no involvement with the Crocodile Gang.
Ordinary people didn’t dare provoke members of the Crocodile Gang. If you saw them, you had to steer clear!
Old Man Hao was quick on his feet, and he soon served the men their food one dish after another.
"Old Man Hao, business has been good lately, eh?"
Scoundrel Jiang looked at Old Man Hao with a smirk.
Old Man Hao wiped the sweat from his palms and forced a smile. "Thanks to you, Master Jiang, and the other masters, business is just barely scraping by!"
"Barely scraping by? I don’t think so!"
Scoundrel Jiang sneered.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Old Man Hao’s back. As he stood there trembling, not knowing what to say, Scoundrel Jiang waved a dismissive hand, gesturing for him to leave.
"You old man, you can’t take a joke!"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Old Man Hao nodded and bowed, a great weight lifting from his heart.
"Brother, he’s so pitiful," Chen Erya whispered to Chen Ping’an.
Old Man Hao’s demeanor was indeed heartbreaking. The contrast between his cheerful, relaxed manner when chatting with Chen Ping’an and his current caution and anxiety made it all the more apparent.
Chen Ping’an glanced over and nodded.
’Everyone has their own struggles in this life.’
The men from the Crocodile Gang ate with incredible speed, wolfing down their food like a storm. While eating, they glanced over at Chen Ping’an’s table, seemingly finding it strange that they hadn’t left yet.
Seeing that Chen Ping’an and his companions were dressed differently from ordinary commoners, the Crocodile Gang ruffians didn’t say anything.
"Old Man Hao, your skills have improved! This tastes pretty good!"
"This humble old man thanks Master Jiang!"
Old Man Hao said with a fawning smile.
"Mm, it really is good. I’ll come back for more tomorrow!"
Old Man Hao’s hand twitched slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. "As long as Master Jiang enjoys it. You’re welcome anytime."
"Alright, we’re leaving!"
Scoundrel Jiang stood up from the bench, patted his rear, and left. The other two men glanced at Old Man Hao, chuckled, and departed one by one. "Why aren’t they paying?!"
Watching the men leave after simply patting their rears and not even settling the bill, Chen Erya was a little unhappy.
Hearing this, the color drained from Old Man Hao’s face. He wanted to rush over and tell the little girl to quiet down, but it was too late.
The men from the Crocodile Gang, who had only taken a few steps, heard the little girl’s words and turned around one by one.
"Are you talking about... paying?"
A cold smirk appeared on Scoundrel Jiang’s lips, his gaze landing on Chen Erya.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Even Old Man Hao didn’t say anything, but you, little girl, decide to butt in! How interesting!"
"Where did this brat come from? Don’t you have any adults to control you?"
The other two ruffians also turned to stare at Chen Erya.
"Master Jiang, she’s just a little girl, please don’t take her words to heart! You coming here to eat does this humble old man a great honor; how could I possibly ask you for money!"
Old Man Hao quickly scrambled in front of Scoundrel Jiang, his body blocking the man’s line of sight to Chen Erya.
"Get out of the way!"
Scoundrel Jiang shouted harshly.
"Master Jiang! You’re a magnanimous man..."
Before Old Man Hao could finish, one of the ruffians lunged forward from the side.
"Boss Jiang told you to get out of the way, didn’t you hear him?!"
The ruffian shoved Old Man Hao’s shoulder. The sudden force made the old man’s legs give out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Without Old Man Hao to block the view, Chen Erya’s small figure was once again exposed to the men’s eyes.
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