The two chatted and waited for a while. The crispy biscuits were out of the oven, and their delicious aroma immediately attracted a long queue of buyers!
Plain ones cost five wen each, and meat ones cost eight wen. Those in line were buying two or three at a time. Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi felt that the lives of the common people in this place had also improved significantly!
Being hungry was one thing, but seeing the happy smiles on the faces of the villagers made hunger not seem so unbearable!
Fan Zehao took out a small piece of silver and stood behind everyone, waiting to buy. When it was his turn, the old craftsman saw this and directly handed him two meat crispy biscuits, saying, "Take these to eat with your younger brother. After you've eaten, find some work. You're young and strong, with arms and legs. To be begging is truly disgraceful!"
Fan Zehao clenched the hand holding the silver, tightening it again and again. His dark face flushed slightly.
This was the first time in his life he had been mistaken for a beggar, and moreover, been lectured. He truly felt his dignity was compromised!
"Old man, how do I look like a beggar?" he asked the craftsman, unwilling to accept it.
Although his clothes were a bit old and short, they had no holes or patches. Compared to his wife's clothes, his were still considered good. He couldn't understand from what angle he looked like a beggar.
As he was pondering, the old man chuckled, pointed to a beggar crouching in the corner, and said, "See? That beggar's clothes at least fit him. He's not wearing pants that expose his ankles in late autumn. From a glance, I can tell your clothes are from a few years ago and don't fit you at all. If you weren't a beggar, why would you be so poorly off!"
After speaking, the old man waved at him, "Hurry up and eat. After you're full, there's still half the day left. Quickly find some work. Young man, don't always be idle. That's never a proper way to live. Your life is still long, go on."
Fan Zehao was left speechless, neither laughing nor crying. He didn't argue and directly sat on the small stool, shared a crispy biscuit with his wife, and began to eat with gusto!
Zhao Jiaqi watched the entire event unfold, but inwardly, she was amused. She immediately compared the beggar with her husband and thought that, being told so, he did have a slight resemblance.
However, if beggars could dress like this, then after a few years of Yun Country's vigorous development, it would be hard to see beggars on the streets.
"Husband, this old man has a sharp tongue but a kind heart. He's a good person!"
Zhao Jiaqi, fearing he might genuinely be angry with the old man, explained with a smile. Her husband nodded cheerfully, "I can still distinguish good from bad people. It's just that nowadays, it's truly rare to meet someone who offers you food freely!"
Saying that, he pointed to the old man's legs and said to Zhao Jiaqi, "Look, his pants already have several holes from being burned, yet he's reluctant to replace them. Either he's very frugal, or his business can barely support the family!"
She looked over and indeed saw several small holes on his pants, near the knees. If one didn't look closely, they would be hard to spot.
"Then guess, which type the old man belongs to!"
Fan Zehao thought for a long time and observed the old man for a while. He said, "He should be just barely making ends meet!"
Although Zhao Jiaqi wasn't sure why he chose this answer, it piqued her curiosity!
"Then, after the old man is done, shall we investigate!"
Fan Zehao shrugged, "No opinion!"
As soon as they finished speaking, they saw a few ruffians approach and surround the crispy biscuit stall, talking to the old man. The old man seemed unafraid and habitually took out a string of copper coins from his pocket. Before he could hand them over, they were snatched away.
That wasn't all; even the crispy biscuits that had just been placed in the oven couldn't escape these people's hands!
The couple was a little stunned by this.
She tugged her husband's sleeve, "Could this be the legendary protection racket?"
"Perhaps, but from now on, they'll have to pay protection fees to protect themselves!" Fan Zehao said through flared nostrils, then settled his wife, "Stay here and don't move. Wait for me."
With that, he strode towards the stall. With a Lugou fist here and a Shadowless Kick there, his fists and feet flew. Moreover, he didn't hold back his strength. In a short while, six or seven people were lying on the ground!
Some were looking for their teeth, others were holding their heads and crying out in pain, and some even vomited blood and felt their vision blacken, thinking they were dying, crying out for the Black and White Impermanence not to take them.
Seeing this, Fan Zehao was even more bewildered. It was broad daylight, and these people seemed normal. Why did they act so foolish after being beaten!
He felt relieved, but the old man selling crispy biscuits was heartbroken. However, facing a son who was beyond redemption, he, as a father, was truly helpless!
Seeing his son lying on the ground, groaning in pain and calling out for his parents, the old man tremblingly walked over, helped up a thinner man among the seven, and anxiously asked, "Are you injured anywhere?"
Wang Da rubbed his chest and glared at the old man unhappily, shouting, "I'm spitting blood, do you think I'm not injured anywhere?"
The old man didn't get angry and weakly said, "Or... or perhaps you should go to the doctor's?"
As soon as he said this, Wang Da seemed to grasp something from his words. He grabbed the old man's collar and fiercely demanded, "You still have silver, right? Hand it over, and I'll be fine. Otherwise, I'll go home and tell mother how she'll deal with you!"
At this moment, Zhao Jiaqi walked over and looked at her husband's reddened hands, feeling a pang of heartache!
But when she heard Wang Da demanding silver from the old man selling crispy biscuits and threatening him, even if she were foolish, she understood the relationship between the two.
"Extorting and threatening a vendor, I suppose such a crime could keep this group of people in jail for a while!"
Fan Zehao coldly watched Wang Da threaten the old man selling crispy biscuits and said in a chilling voice, "I know the prefect. I can guarantee that this group will be directly exiled to the cold frontier to do hard labor, never to return for life."
"Then report them directly to the authorities!"
The couple sang in unison, which frightened the old man, but it didn't scare the ruffians!
Wang Da struggled to get up, scanned the couple, and sneered, "You two beggars claim to know the prefect? Everyone in this place knows Sun Mo is ruthless. You want to exile us? You're bragging to the heavens, who would believe you!"
Liu Wu also felt that this person was bragging. He chuckled coldly and chimed in, "You attacked us without reason just now, causing us serious injuries. If you don't give us a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver for a private settlement, this matter won't be over!"
Zhao Jiaqi's eyes were opened again today. She smiled and said, "When humans were evolving, you guys must have been absent!"
When the group heard the word "evolve," they didn't understand what it meant. Wang Da retorted, "What do you mean?"
Fan Zehao sneered, "It means you're not fit to be human. Crows at least know filial piety, yet you are worse than beasts. Can you even be called human?"
These words enraged the group. They wanted to rush forward and fight, but no one dared!
All seven were afraid of his fists. The blows were truly painful, and one of them still had a lisp.
Liu Wu, thinking quickly, said to his men, "Surround these two. I'll go report them!"
With that, he hurried away!