Chapter 111: Revenge
Zhou Wangshu took the pastry plate from her hand and led her inside.
Su Yaoguang followed behind him and asked, “How are Feng Chaoyang’s kids doing at Chen Buyu’s dance hall?”
“Not bad.” Zhou Wangshu pinched a piece of pastry and handed it to Su Yaoguang. “Do you want to see them?”
“I want them to help with a little favor.” Su Yaoguang said, “At this time, the dance hall should have quite a few people. I don’t know if they have time or can free up their hands.”
“What do you want them for? Tell me and see if there’s another way to solve it.”
“I want them to…” Su Yaoguang leaned close to Zhou Wangshu and whispered a few words in his ear.
Zhou Wangshu’s ears were very sensitive, and her breath tickled him. He endured without scratching. After she finished, he rubbed his ear and looked at her with a strange expression.
“Why this thing?”
“It’s useful anyway. Kids shouldn’t ask so many questions.”
Zhou Wangshu: “…”
“If it’s not possible, forget it. I’ll find other little beggars.” Su Yaoguang said, “Those little beggars should know how to do it.”
“I’ll go find them. You wait at home for my news.” Zhou Wangshu ate another piece of pastry and strode out the door.
Su Yaoguang was a bit uneasy and grabbed Zhou Wangshu. “How about I go with you! Places like the dance hall aren’t very safe.”
Although he wouldn’t be sold to shady places now, among the customers coming and going at the dance hall, there were many who indulged in wine and women. Who knows if some shameless thing might target that handsome face.
Zhou Wangshu smiled faintly. “The dance hall is Chen Buyu’s. The manager and shop assistants there all know me. They won’t let me get bullied.”
Did she really treat him like a child to raise?
Seeing his insistence, Su Yaoguang could only let him go.
After Zhou Wangshu left, Zhang Zhaodi sneakily came over. “I searched for a long time just now and found two.”
With that, she held up two rats by their tails in front of Su Yaoguang.
Su Yaoguang stepped back and said, “Mom, put them in a cage. Don’t hold them like that. It’s so dirty!”
“Come on, throw them across the street.”
“This is too few. I’ve already sent people to get more.” Su Yaoguang said, “If we’re going to play, let’s play big.”
In the early morning, terrified screams echoed from above Fenghua Pavilion.
It was still early, and the sky hadn’t lightened yet. With the first scream, soon came the second, third, fourth… Before long, screams rose and fell throughout Fenghua Pavilion.
“So early in the morning, what the hell are you screaming about?” The shop owner’s voice cursing came from the blacksmith shop next door.
The other households also started complaining one after another.
After all, the screams from Fenghua Pavilion didn’t stop; they grew sharper and sharper.
Nearby households grumbled as they got up, dressed, and went to bang on Fenghua Pavilion’s door.
The door opened, and Zhong Lanhua ran out from inside in a panic.
Immediately after, Jiang Yihuan wrapped her clothes tightly and ran out from inside as well.
Countless rats had appeared in the shop, scurrying everywhere and knocking the goods all over the place. Not only that, more rats were running out from the backyard.
“Oh my god… rats everywhere. Did they turn this place into a rat nest?” The tofu shop’s shop owner covered her face and retched, backing away a few steps.
“So many rats, probably not less than a hundred… Urgh, how dirty is your place to become a rat nest?”
“I just saw the clothes, socks, and shoes in their shop crawled over by rats, and those face-wiping things—the rats even nested and peed on them…”
Fenghua Pavilion’s shop assistants also ran out.
Xiao Yanci still had injuries and had been recuperating at home these past few days. His face was still swollen, his clothes disheveled. Most importantly, when he opened his eyes, he saw rats crawling all over him. He fell directly from the bed, smashing onto a few rats. Now his undergarments were stained with rat blood. He felt utterly uncomfortable, as if countless insects were crawling over his body.
When Yang Quan came out, the nearby households looked at him strangely.
“Is this another shop assistant from their store? He’s so ugly.”
“Speaking of that birthmark, the little girl at Peach Blossom Workshop has one too. These two shops are interesting—the shop owners fight every day, and even their shop assistants look so similar.”
Yang Quan shrank his neck and hid behind Jiang Yihuan. He glanced toward Peach Blossom Workshop across the street.
“You lot… get rid of those disgusting things right now, hurry!” Zhong Lanhua yelled at the shop assistants.
“Shop owner, that’s not one or two, but over a hundred. How could we manage that?” One shop assistant said, steeling himself.
“Then buy some rat poison.” Xiao Yanci clutched the skin on his chest. “I can’t take it. I’m heading back to the academy to bathe first.”
He couldn’t stand it anymore.
Just thinking about lying with rats all night, and even crushing them under him earlier, made him feel sick. He wanted to scrub off this layer of skin.
Across the street at Peach Blossom Workshop. Zhang Zhaodi watched the commotion from the window and laughed heartily. Zhang Pandi and her daughters, Zhang Yingdi and her husband, as well as Su Yaoguang, Jiang Jing, and Zhou Wangshu, also stood by the window watching the scene.
Such a good show—they certainly wouldn’t miss it. Not to mention, for this show, Zhou Wangshu had been busy for several hours and even sneaked in with Su Yaoguang in the middle of the night to deliver this big gift.
Su Yaoguang looked at Zhou Wangshu. “That kid Chaoyang didn’t disappoint me. He did great this time. Later, I’ll make some pastries and bring them over to thank him and his brothers.”
“I’ve already paid them.” Zhou Wangshu said, “Two copper coins per rat.”
“Well deserved. After all, it’s skilled work that ordinary people can’t do.” Su Yaoguang said, “You must be exhausted. How about taking the day off and skipping the academy?”
Zhou Wangshu yawned. “I’m indeed a bit sleepy. Then I’ll go sleep first. Morning is zither lesson—I really don’t like that thing, so I won’t go. I’ll go in the afternoon.”
“What a pity. I heard Zi Zhan Young Master play quite nicely. But if Wangshu doesn’t like it, that’s fine. Everyone has different tastes—what you like matters most.” Su Yaoguang comforted.
Zhou Wangshu looked at Su Yaoguang with a strange expression. “You think Zi Zhan’s zither sound is nice?”
“Nice!” Su Yaoguang said. “Though I don’t understand the zither, every time I hear him play, my heart feels so calm. At that moment, my mind empties, and I think of nothing.”
Zhang Zhaodi leaned over and said to Su Yaoguang, “What a pity—so much rat meat. Dried rat is delicious too.”
Su Yaoguang: “…Mom, we’re not short on money now. If you want meat, I’ll buy it for you. Don’t eat that stuff.”
“Don’t say it, this is more satisfying than rushing over to beat Zhong Lanhua. Look at their shop—must’ve lost quite a bit of silver. Zhong Lanhua’s heart must be bleeding now. Haha…”
