It sounded preposterous.
But things like this happened here nearly every day.
They weren't cultured, and order was not well-maintained here. Many people dropped out of school and would rather make a living on the street, making a few 'lifelong' friends and forming small gangs and sects. Although they didn't gain any traction, they still had a little power.
They couldn't do menial labor for a lifetime.
And yet they arrogantly fell in with gangs and thought themselves better for it.
Xu Yanmei had been at a standstill with them for such a long time because she didn't want to really fight them. Perhaps she was getting on in years and growing more merciful, wanting to show mercy where she could. She had intended to scare them down, but this lot of trash was the sort who wouldn't cry until they saw their graves.
While Xie Yu wasn't looking, Xu Yanmei threw away the cigarette butt she had finished smoking but couldn't bear to toss. "Damn it. Can't hold back any more."
"Trying to get one over on me," Xu Yanmei said. "And what psychological damage. Medical bills, on the other hand, I'll consider."
Xie Yu said, "Fight'em."
Zhou Dalei said, "Give them a proper beating and they'll be good."
Passersby were now all watching the excitement. But people from around here watched on with stone-cold faces; after all, scenes like this happened every day. No one called the police. This was standard practice. People from the streets solve their problems on the streets.
Xu Yanmei said, "You two can fight over my dead body! Get back, quick!"
There were about a dozen people on that side and a dozen people on this side.
The two groups of people hemmed and hawed for nearly half an hour. Xie Yu twisted his wrists, about to start and be done with it, but then he heard the voices around him grow several pitches higher.
Xie Yu turned to look and saw a line of people walking over from the other side of the street, all carrying weapons. The one in front, leading the group, looked in high spirits.
Although they didn't know what was going on, the sea of onlookers parted to give them a way through.
"......"
Xu Yanmei glanced over, too. "Who is this? What are they doing?"
Zhou Dalei kept looking, and saw something familiar. "This guy... looks a little familiar?"
Xie Yu said nothing but cursed internally.
"Eat some more. How does it taste? If it's good, get another bowl of rice!" By the time Xie Yu had come back to his senses, he was sitting at Aunt Mei's dinner table. He poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, then watched as Comrade Xu Yanmei picked up a piece of barbecued pork, passed him by, and placed it in the bowl of the person next to him.
He Zhao said thank you many times. "It tastes very good. This barbecued meat is fat but not greasy, and seasoned perfectly."
Aunt Mei put another piece of barbecued meat into He Zhao's bowl. She was delighted at the praise and said proudly, "No need to thank me! Don't stand on ceremony."
"......"
Xie Yu put down his chopsticks. He didn't want to talk.
Zhou Dalei, on the other hand, had no such reservations. He was overjoyed. "Ah, just now... that was brilliant. Bro, where did you find so many people?"
