W Chapter 85
by VolareChapter 85 Yearning for Return
The sweet soup shop opened on September 6th.
At this time, the weather began to turn cooler, but it didn’t diminish the enthusiasm of the diners.
In addition, the shop also had new items; the sweet soups were both cold and hot, enough for the diners to choose from.
Many deep-fried and pan-fried snacks were also added, the most popular being mushrooms coated in batter and deep-fried.
It wasn’t meat, but tasted even better than meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, not greasy at all, and very fragrant.
The name of the sweet soup shop’s signboard was simple, called Ling Xie Sweet Soup, taking the surnames of Ling Xing and Xie Qingya.
Originally, the profit split was eight-two, because Ling Xing provided the recipes and invested more money.
However, Ling Xing didn’t have time to manage the sweet soup shop and needed Xie Qingya to take care of it, so he gave him an extra 10%.
The final split was set at seven-three.
Xie Qingya knew in his heart that Ling Xing was just making an excuse to let him take more.
He kept this kindness in his heart and was very attentive to the shop’s business.
He got up earlier than Wang Juan every day and came back late, making it so that Wang Juan could only see him in the evening when he was about to sleep.
Seeing his ge’er so enthusiastic about doing business and visibly happy, Wang Juan suppressed the words he wanted to say, telling Xie Qingya to take a break.
His ge’er hadn’t been so carefree and happy for a long time.
Afraid that it wasn’t safe outside and Xie Qingya would be in danger, Wang Juan went to the labor agency and hired two bodyguards to protect Xie Qingya’s safety.
It was fine at first, but after only two days, Xie Qingya frowned and didn’t want them to follow him.
Wang Juan asked him the reason, but Xie Qingya didn’t say anything, just got angrier.
Helpless, Wang Juan had to write a letter and ask Ling Yue to take it to Ling Xing when he went home.
The content of the letter was simple, just asking Ling Xing to help ask what exactly had happened that made Xie Qingya so resistant.
Looking at the letter, Ling Xing sighed.
He really knew the reason for this matter.
The bodyguards in the county town weren’t just anyone who wanted to be a bodyguard could be; they all had real skills.
There were many wealthy households in the county who would hire bodyguards.
Those who were capable of being selected as bodyguards were all top-notch and signed long-term contracts, so they wouldn’t enter the market at all.
Families that weren’t very wealthy would naturally find much inferior bodyguards.
At first, these two were quite normal, but the next day they became strange.
These two weren’t biological brothers, but they were closer than brothers and had great chemistry.
One after the other, they “unintentionally” took off their shirts in front of Xie Qingya, showing off their figures.
They also started saying strange things to Xie Qingya, implying that it was hard for a ge’er to do business, and that his husband was a weakling who wouldn’t live long.
It was better to find someone to rely on as soon as possible.
How could Xie Qingya listen to these things? He directly beat them up and called the labor agency to take them away.
Ling Xing went to the sweet soup shop every two days. When he went, Xie Qingya had just driven the men away, and the expression on his face only looked a little better when he saw Ling Xing.
After telling Ling Xing the whole story, Xie Qingya couldn’t help but say, “Fortunately, you came today, otherwise they might have shown off in front of you too.”
As he spoke, he raised his arm and slapped it, disdainfully saying, “They only have a few pounds of meat on their bodies, and they dare to show off in front of me. If I take off my clothes, I’m much more muscular than them!”
Xie Qingya grabbed Ling Xing’s hand and let him feel the muscles in his arm.
Ling Xing comforted Xie Qingya, affirming his strength.
But his thoughts drifted away; even if those two really showed off in front of him like Xie Qingya said, he wouldn’t be attracted to their figures.
In Yunshui County, he hadn’t seen a figure that was better-looking and more powerful than Shen Hui.
Thinking of Shen Hui, Ling Xing’s ears turned a little red, and he counted the days in his heart, he should be coming back soon.
Xie Qingya didn’t want to tell Wang Juan about the bodyguards.
Not because he was afraid of Wang Juan misunderstanding something, but because he was afraid that Wang Juan would feel bad.
His body was injured by his family back then, and later he was busy escaping and had no fixed place to live, so he couldn’t stay anywhere for long, and missed the best time for treatment.
It was only in the past few years in Xiao Liucun that he had properly seen a doctor and received treatment, so his body didn’t get worse.
His physical condition was better in spring and summer than in autumn and winter, but it was indeed getting worse year by year.
The family’s conditions were limited, and Wang Juan intentionally left money for Xie Qingya, so the medicine he used wasn’t very good.
This time, Xie Qingya took out all the money in the family to do business, wanting to break the mold and make a gamble.
If he had money later, he could use good medicine to nourish Wang Juan and let him live another year.
Xie Qingya felt uncomfortable listening to what the bodyguards said, and Wang Juan had also been worried that he wouldn’t be able to hold on.
If he told the truth, it would only make Wang Juan feel bad.
Xie Qingya didn’t want to lie to Wang Juan either, so he simply didn’t say anything.
He also specifically told Ling Xing not to tell Wang Juan.
Ling Xing put away Wang Juan’s letter and then wrote a reply.
He only said that the two men didn’t work seriously and angered Xie Qingya. He would ask Tu Hai to help find reliable people and told Wang Juan not to worry.
Ling Xing was a man of action and did what he said.
It just so happened that Tu Hai had also returned and was resting for two days before setting sail again.
For convenience, Tu Hai bought a two-courtyard house in the county town. It looked big, but it was full of people and seemed very crowded.
They were all his brothers.
When he learned of Ling Xing’s intention, Tu Hai, with hands that were two shades darker, shook his folding fan, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth, “This is easy to handle.”
After Tu Hai came to the county town to work with Magistrate Lin, many of the local gangsters in the county town came to show their goodwill.
Fighting alone was never Tu Hai’s principle; he always adhered to the principle of having more friends and more paths.
However, Tu Hai didn’t refuse everyone; he chose a few who had considerable strength and also valued loyalty and had a bottom line to associate with.
Qin Tengfei was the most influential and powerful among them.
His men all had some skills.
The dockyard area was Qin Tengfei’s territory. Having dealt with him many times, Tu Hai was most familiar with him and could trust him.
So he introduced Qin Tengfei to Ling Xing. With Tu Hai as the introducer, Qin Tengfei didn’t act important and immediately invited him in.
Ling Xing’s requirements were simple: have some skills, talk less, and follow the rules.
He specifically mentioned not to get too close to Shopkeeper Xie and to just do their job.
Qin Tengfei had been around for many years and immediately guessed why Ling Xing emphasized these things.
It must be that someone had seen that the employer was a ge’er and had some improper thoughts in their heart.
Qin Tengfei was a generous person. Unlike Tu Hai, whose personality didn’t match his appearance, he had a full beard and a loud voice and agreed readily.
“I’ll personally choose the men, train them well, and send them to Brother Ling’s shop immediately, so rest assured!”
Before leaving, Ling Xing thought for a moment and said to Qin Tengfei, “I don’t want to publicize the fact that the sweet soup shop is being taken care of by Boss Qin’s people for the time being.”
Magistrate Lin always said that he couldn’t find a handle, and that County Deputy Zhou didn’t seem like a very tolerant person. He must have a backup plan after being outmaneuvered this time.
The methods came and went but were just a few types; he could guess them.
It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared in advance without publicizing it, and maybe he could catch a fish.
If he couldn’t catch one, then he wouldn’t suffer a loss either; at least the shop’s business would be peaceful.
Qin Tengfei nodded in agreement, cooperating with Ling Xing and not publicizing a single word to the outside world. He even told the people who were going to be careful and cautious, and not to show their faces too much while ensuring the shop’s safety.
Ling Xing wanted a total of six people. The shop was big, so he needed more people.
He treated it as hiring security guards, giving the shop and the people an extra layer of security.
The newly arrived bodyguards, as Qin Tengfei said, were well-trained.
Each of them stood upright, was keenly observant, but wouldn’t look at what they shouldn’t see.
Nor did they say what they shouldn’t say.
Xie Qingya was very satisfied, and he had a smile on his face again.
The sweet soup shop’s business was getting better and better, with customers sitting at the tables in the morning, noon, and evening.
Especially before and after meals, many people were willing to spend some money to come in and eat a bowl of sweet soup, pair it with a snack, chat with friends, and pass the time.
Today was a day off, and there were more people than usual.
Xie Qingya was busy until very late before closing the shop and going home, with two bodyguards escorting him.
Every day, the sweet soup shop had a shop assistant on duty overnight. To be on the safe side, Ling Xing also arranged for the six bodyguards to take turns on duty overnight, paying them generously.
The two bodyguards who escorted Xie Qingya home were the ones on duty that night with the shop assistant.
After the two sent Xie Qingya back, they immediately rushed to the sweet soup shop.
The sweet soup shop, which had been calm all along, stirred up a wave tonight.
As Zhang Jiu and Zhang Shi approached the shop, they sensed something was wrong. They were both from the streets and knew all those tricks.
There was a faint smell of sleeping draught in the air, which ordinary people couldn’t smell, but couldn’t hide from their noses.
The two quickly took out handkerchiefs, tied them to their faces, and covered their mouths and noses.
They also stuffed a small pill into their mouths; it tasted bitter and had a pungent smell. But it could keep them awake and prevent them from passing out from inhaling too much sleeping draught.
The people inside also noticed Zhang Jiu and Zhang Shi’s approach and hid.
The two sides were locked in a secret tug-of-war.
In the end, Zhang Jiu and Zhang Shi were more familiar with the layout of the house and caught the person who was preparing to escape against the wall by the moonlight.
The other person was dressed in black and also wore a mask. Zhang Jiu held the person down so they couldn’t move.
Zhang Shi took off the black cloth from the other person’s face and frowned.
“Xu Sigou? What are you doing here?”
At this time, Zhang Jiu and Zhang Shi also had handkerchiefs on their faces, and Xu Sigou was being held down, so he couldn’t see who they were at all.
He immediately recognized them after Zhang Shi spoke.
Xu Sigou subconsciously turned his head, forgetting that his arm was being held behind him, and cried out in pain.
Zhang Jiu knew he was an acquaintance and let go a little, but didn’t completely release him.
Recovering, Xu Sigou tilted his head in surprise, “Brother Zhang Shi, why are you here too?”
Xu Sigou was engaged in petty theft, which Zhang Shi knew. He was now employed by the shop, and if he caught someone, he definitely couldn’t let them go because they were acquainted.
He took out a hemp rope, tied the person up, and after confirming that he was tied securely and couldn’t escape, he talked face-to-face.
“My boss sent me to watch the place. The Ling Xie Sweet Soup Shop is being taken care of by our boss and Eighth Master Tu. Why did you steal from here?”
Xu Sigou’s body stiffened, and his face was full of panic, “Ah? Isn’t this like the flood washing away the Dragon King Temple! I didn’t know about this!”
Not to mention that Tu Hai was a rising force in the county, had a group of brothers who had gone through life and death together, and was working with Magistrate Lin, so his momentum was fierce.
Just speaking of Qin Tengfei, who had been entrenched in the county town for many years, it was good to treat him politely, but if you still angered him, there were plenty of places in the dockyard river.
Xu Sigou was really scared; he hadn’t lived enough and didn’t want to be drowned in the river.
Zhang Jiu remembered something and nudged Zhang Shi, whispering, “I remember the boss telling us not to show our faces too much. I guess the boss didn’t tell anyone either, he was working with Shopkeeper Ling to catch fish.”
Zhang Shi also remembered, he hissed and looked at Xu Sigou, “He really caught a fish.”
The man was sent to Qin Tengfei by Zhang Jiu overnight. Ling Xing was invited over early the next morning.
Xu Sigou was just a petty thief who did things for money, and he also had some friendship with Qin Tengfei’s men. They were all from the streets, so they naturally knew how to do things to save their lives.
On the way he was being sent over, he told Zhang Jiu, who was escorting him, everything he knew.
There was no need for anyone to ask at all.
This matter wasn’t something that Zhang Jiu or Qin Tengfei could decide; they had to call Ling Xing, who could make the final decision.
Xu Sigou endured a night of torment, finally waiting for someone to come.
He had been in the county for many years, and he knew what shops were on each street, who the shopkeepers were, how many shop assistants there were, and what the general layout was like.
He also knew Ling Xing.
There were many people in Yunshui County who could do good business, but there was only one ge’er who could do very good business.
Thanks to Ling Xing, there were many stalls in the county, which benefited him as well, and his appetite was satisfied.
But he also needed money to eat, and the money people gave him was too much, so he couldn’t refuse.
Without waiting for Ling Xing to ask, Xu Sigou poured out a lot of things like beans.
“Shopkeeper Ling, I really didn’t mean to steal from your shop. That person gave me a hundred taels of silver, and gave me thirty taels as a deposit. He also said that I could keep whatever I stole, and if I didn’t agree, he would directly tie me up and send me to the authorities. I really had no choice!”
Ling Xing wasn’t interested in Xu Sigou’s mental journey, “Do you know who instigated you to do it?”
Xu Sigou shook his head, “I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about it all night and can’t think of who it is.”
He really didn’t know, the person was covered tightly, and he was looking for him late at night, so he couldn’t tell who it was at all.
“But I remember that person’s voice. In our line of work, hearing and memory are trained. It’s not me bragging, but my hearing and memory are the best among them. If Shopkeeper Ling has someone he suspects, let me listen to the other person speak, and I’ll definitely be able to tell.”
Xu Sigou tried his best to persuade him in order to escape. Ling Xing had a suspect, but the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he still didn’t say them.
This Xu Sigou wasn’t trustworthy, and the person behind him would definitely know that he hadn’t succeeded.
In this way, they would be on guard everywhere. If Xu Sigou got close and they guessed his intention, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn’t be used and turned against him.
Since he was a disaster, it was better not to do it.
Although he didn’t catch a big fish this time, he did catch a small one. Xu Sigou had the ability to identify people by their voices, and he would definitely be able to use him in the future.
“Does anyone else know about your ability?” Ling Xing asked.
Seeing that Ling Xing’s expression was serious when he spoke, Xu Sigou couldn’t help but think deeply before cautiously replying, “This is my family’s skill, and I didn’t dare to tell anyone. If it wasn’t for being able to survive and leave, I wouldn’t dare to use it as a bargaining chip to say it.”
It was best if no one else knew, reducing the probability of killing him to silence him.
However, just in case, Ling Xing still had Qin Tengfei watch the man and not let Xu Sigou leave.
Although he didn’t have freedom and had to do hard labor from morning to night to get something to eat, Xu Sigou didn’t dare to say anything more.
Saving his life was the most important thing.
He wasn’t stupid either, knowing that he had inadvertently been involved in a deadly struggle, and it was also a good thing to stay within Qin Tengfei’s sphere of influence.
The Zhou residence.
Zhou Tuo sat in a chair and asked Liu Yuansheng, who was standing in front of him, with a calm expression.
“Are you saying that in the entire Yunshui County, you can’t find anyone to make trouble at the sweet soup shop?”
Liu Yuansheng was so frightened by the light and heavy voice that he shivered. The angrier his brother-in-law was, the more he would pretend to be calm.
It was really deadly; if he had known, he wouldn’t have suggested it.
“Qin Tengfei has a lot of power, and Tu Hai has also made friends with many people from all walks of life in the county by using the government’s merchant ships. The two of them have said that they will protect the sweet soup shop and have also arranged for people to watch over it. Those people I’m looking for don’t dare to offend them.”
The smaller Liu Yuansheng spoke, the more he feared that if the volume was a little louder, he would directly offend his brother-in-law.
Zhou Tuo snorted coldly, “That ge’er knows how to make friends.”
Liu Yuansheng didn’t dare to respond to this, and didn’t dare to breathe loudly, cautiously and respectfully standing.
Seeing Liu Yuansheng’s appearance, he was so afraid that he was covered in sweat, those who knew would say that the two were related by marriage, and those who didn’t know would think they were master and servant.
Zhou Tuo didn’t really think that he could use this little trick to do anything to anyone, he just couldn’t swallow his anger.
He looked at Liu Yuansheng coldly, and seeing that the other person was useless, only shaking and not even able to do a little thing well, he felt a burst of annoyance in his heart.
He was surrounded by such idiots, no wonder they were of no help to him and only held him back!
Things had come to this point, and he had already lost the initiative. The more he did later, the more mistakes he would make, and he was afraid that he would be caught.
No matter how angry Zhou Tuo was in his heart, he knew that now wasn’t the time to do anything.
He had to continue to lie low, and when Lin Qingyu’s sausage business was bigger and the amount of money was uncontrollable, he would then join forces with Master Fan to check the accounts.
At that time, Lin Qingyu wouldn’t be able to wash away the reputation of embezzlement and bribery.
The more money there was, the faster Lin Qingyu and the Lin family would die.
For the time being, he could only wait.
Recalling that he was caught by Lin Qingyu last time and reprimanded, it was because the manager of Yunxia Restaurant was acting clever.
Having learned a lesson, Zhou Tuo warned Liu Yuansheng, suppressing his anger, “Don’t be clever and do anything to Ling Xing again. If you ruin things again, I’ll kill you.”
Liu Yuansheng nodded hurriedly.
“Get out.”
Receiving the words, Liu Yuansheng left immediately, daring to breathe freely only when he got outside.
Breathing in the fresh air, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, he had lived another day under his brother-in-law.
The provincial examination was in late August, and lasted for three days. The results would be released fifteen days later. If he didn’t pass, Shen Hui would be able to come home in mid-September. If he passed, counting the time to attend the banquet and the time on the road, Shen Hui would be home by the end of September.
If he passed and continued north to take the imperial examination without coming home, there should be a letter.
But in the blink of an eye, it was October 1st, and the weather was obviously getting colder. It was also the slack season, and more and more rural people were coming to the county town to find work. Shen Hui was still nowhere to be found.
When Shen Chengshan came to the county to deliver velvet flowers, he also asked Ling Xing if Shen Hui had sent a letter back. Ling Xing shook his head and said no.
The mountains were high and the road was far, and the lack of news was really worrying.
Ling Xing suppressed the panic in his heart and comforted Shen Chengshan, “Maybe there was some delay on the road, he’ll be back in a few days.”
Shen Chengshan couldn’t think of any other reason, so he could only nod. He told Ling Xing to take good care of himself, and unable to wait for Shen Lai to come back from the medical clinic to meet him, he had to hurry back to the village while it was still light.
Ling Xing watched Shen Chengshan leave, looking at the long, winding road, silently reciting Shen Hui’s name.
Yearning for return, yearning for safety.