Chapter 26: Where’d This Little Punk Come From—not Even Recognizing Master Lin
The next day, early morning, blue sky and white clouds.
The common people in the city began the new day with hope. On the street, some common people were vigorously calling out, others were enthusiastically greeting friends, and the flavor of life was so thick.
Market, this was the place where the bottom common people made a living. There were those selling cooked flatbread, pears, vegetables, and so on.
There was a large flow of people.
But where there was a large flow of people, there was oppression and unspoken rules.
Jin Biao was the concrete embodiment of oppression and unspoken rules. As usual, he brought two subordinates, swaying his head and shoulders, swinging his arms, and walked into the market.
The surrounding vendors saw him and all lowered their heads, not daring to make eye contact, even forcing themselves to show fawning smiles.
“Brother Biao, what are we eating today?” a subordinate with a plaster on his head asked. It seemed like an awe-filled inquiry, but it actually revealed a wretchedness at every moment.
Jin Biao smiled, casually took a pear from a nearby stall, and bit into it heartily. As for the stall owner, how could he dare ask for money? He hurriedly picked up two more pears and handed them to Jin Biao’s subordinates.
Although Jin Biao didn’t speak, he nodded very satisfactorily.
Hm.
Fine, you have some eyesight.
Any vendor here who dared not give him face would have their stall flipped at best, or be beaten severely at worst, beaten until they couldn’t get out of bed.
Another subordinate said: “Nonsense, our Brother Biao definitely has to eat the good stuff. Remember that woman who paid us protection fee yesterday? She said she wanted to set up a stall in the market. I think our Brother Biao is definitely going to meet that woman, get her in hand, and squeeze her hard.”
The plaster subordinate suddenly realized. Thinking of that woman, she had flavor. A married woman seemed to naturally develop a certain flavor, that big butt, that… ah, just thinking about it made his mouth dry.
“Let’s go take a look.” Jin Biao couldn’t wait and quickened his pace.
As local ruffians, they domineered the market every day, collecting protection fees, living a life that was indescribably pleasurable.
Before even seeing the person, they already heard that woman’s calling out.
“Cooked flatbread for sale, two copper coins each.”
Hearing such a pleasant voice, Jin Biao trembled all over with excitement, feeling utterly invigorated, even his battle-hardened brother seemed to react.
Madam Li was diligently and vigorously calling out. Her husband was ill, the pillar of the family had collapsed. To support the family and treat her husband’s illness, she could only resume her old trade and set up a stall selling cooked flatbread.
“Little lady, how much are they?”
“Two copper coins each, three for five copper coins.”
Madam Li heard someone wanted to buy cooked flatbread and hurriedly looked up to serve, but when she saw who it was, fear appeared in her eyes. How could she not know who these people were?
They were the notorious local ruffians, very bad.
“Brother Biao, I’ll give you a few.” Madam Li hurriedly packed some cooked flatbread and handed them over.
Jin Biao grinned, reached out to touch—not taking the flatbread, but Madam Li’s hand. Startled, Madam Li retreated repeatedly, withdrew her hand, with both shame and anger, “Brother Biao, please behave yourself.”
Jin Biao laughed heartily, wretchedly sniffed his hand, showing a satisfied expression, “Fragrant, this hand is really fragrant, it really has flavor.”
Madam Li, treated so lightly, felt utter despair.
The surrounding vendors saw this scene and were equally furious, some clenching their fists tightly, but they didn’t dare resist. They were just bottom common people trying to make a living; how could they stand up to these local ruffians?
Don’t they want their homes anymore?
Can’t they live anymore?
Moreover, what couldn’t these local ruffians do?
Setting fires in the middle of the night to burn houses—that happened often, with countless burned alive, and even the official investigation just called it an accidental fire.
Who believes that?
These local ruffians all had connections to the Public Security Bureau behind them.
An old man at the stall next door to Madam Li humbly flattered: “Brother Biao, she’s new to setting up a stall and doesn’t know anything. You’re a great sir with lots of tolerance; don’t stoop to her level.”
Jin Biao frowned. Before he could speak, the plaster subordinate next to him stepped forward, slapped the old man to the ground, and angrily cursed: “Old thing, what’s it got to do with you? Get lost, or I’ll beat you this old beast to death.”
The old man lay on the ground wailing.
Madam Li hurriedly went forward to check, asking about the old man’s situation, and glared angrily: “How can you hit people?”
“Oh my, the little lady looks so pretty when angry. It makes Brother Biao’s heart soften. Come, come, touch Brother Biao’s heart and see how hard it’s beating.”
Jin Biao’s brazen demeanor made the surrounding common people itch with anger.
But they were helpless and powerless.
“What are you doing, Jin Biao?” At this time, two constables approached leisurely, one hand holding soy milk, the other holding flatbread. They looked like they were patrolling, but actually they were here to settle breakfast.
Coming here meant eating and drinking for free.
Madam Li seemed to see hope.
But the common people were already accustomed; constables coming was useless.
Jin Biao saw the arrivals and immediately smiled broadly: “Brother Huang, Brother Zhang, how come you’re here?”
Constable Huang said: “Just checking things out. No trouble, right?”
“No, no, I’m Jin Biao, a law-abiding good commoner. How could I do that kind of thing?” Jin Biao’s skill at telling bald-faced lies was top-notch.
“Hm, good as long as there’s no trouble.” Constable Huang exchanged a glance with his colleague, nodded tacitly, gave a few reminders, and prepared to leave the market.
Just as they were about to leave, Madam Li aggrievedly said: “Sirs, he molested me and hit someone.”
The two constables stopped.
“Is that so?”
Then they looked at Jin Biao, “Did you do these things?”
Jin Biao hurriedly waved his hands, “No, absolutely not. Don’t believe me, ask the people around. Whoever testifies against me, I’ll have words with them.”
He emphasized the words “have words” heavily.
The two constables looked at the surrounding vendors, wanting to see if anyone was willing to testify.
Madam Li hoped someone would testify.
But reality was cruel. The surrounding vendors kept their heads down; no one dared be the one to stick their neck out. They knew testifying was useless; this group was in cahoots.
Jin Biao was very close to the constables and often gave them tribute.
These constables wouldn’t uphold justice for common people like them.
The two constables looked at Madam Li, “No evidence, can’t just frame and slander. But seeing you’re a woman, we’ll let it go this time.”
They turned and left.
Madam Li weakly slumped to the ground, full of despair. No justice, really no justice. They all knew Jin Biao was a local ruffian, but no one cared.
Now that the two constables had left, Jin Biao smirked, gave a warning glance to the surrounding vendors, then looked at Madam Li.
“Oh my, why is the little lady sitting on the ground? The ground is cold. Come, come, let Brother Biao take a good look at you.”
With that, he reached out to touch, wanting to pull the woman into his arms.
Smack!
At that moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a voice in his ear.
“Let me take a good look at you.”
Jin Biao frowned, quite displeased. Who was so bold as to speak to him, Jin Biao, like this? He turned his head—didn’t recognize him, but he recognized the clothes on the other.
“Brother, who are you?”
“I’m very familiar with Brother Huang and Brother Zhang; they just left.”
Before Lin Fan could speak, Wu Yong beside him flew into a rage and slapped Jin Biao hard across the face.
“Blind dog eyes, you don’t even recognize Master Lin? Where did this puny nobody come from, daring to oppress the common people here? Are you not putting Master Lin in your eyes?”
