Before his hand could touch Li Jiao, a bony yet powerful hand suddenly shot out from the side, firmly clamping onto Scarface’s wrist.
The force was astonishingly strong—in that instant, Scarface felt as though his bones were about to shatter!
Only then did he notice that the other man was a cripple.
He couldn’t help but curse: “Ah! You damn cripple dare to touch me? Do you know who I am? I’ll kill you, believe it or not!”
Scarface grimaced in pain, instinctively bending over to reach for the knife hidden in his coat.
But just as he lowered his head, Qin Lie, who had been keeping his head down, slightly lifted the brim of his hat.
Under the light of the kerosene lamp on the stall, Scarface met Qin Lie’s eyes.
Qin Lie didn’t utter a single word, only curling the corners of his lips into a faint smile as he calmly raised his gaze to stare at Scarface.
The words on Scarface’s lips were swallowed back abruptly. Wait, how is it this demon?
“I… I was wrong… Lie…”
“You wanted to collect stall fees, and you even tried to harass my wife?”
Qin Lie asked with a smile. Though he couldn’t stand up, his imposing aura was truly terrifying.
Interrupted mid-address, Scarface instantly trembled like a bell, shaking uncontrollably.
Who would have thought that this pretty young girl was the wife of that demon Qin Lie?
Sweat poured down Scarface’s forehead: “S-sorry, no fees, this stall is free.”
“Get lost.” Qin Lie’s lips still held a smile as he suddenly flung his hand, sending Scarface tumbling to the ground.
Once released, Scarface didn’t dare to look up. Covering his face, he scrambled away in a panic, stumbling and crawling.
“This…” Li Jiao was utterly shocked. She glanced back at Qin Lie. “Just like that, you scared him off so quickly?”
Qin Lie immediately withdrew his terrifying aura, lowering his eyelids again and shrinking back into his overcoat.
“Maybe… he recognized me.” Qin Lie pursed his pale lips, his tone tinged with just the right amount of self-mockery. “My identity as a bad element is quite useful. Everyone avoids me like the plague. He must have recognized me as that unlucky troublemaker and ran off to avoid catching bad luck.”
Li Jiao was taken aback, her eyelids twitching. Why did Qin Lie’s explanation sound so reasonable, yet still feel a bit off?
Was the identity of a bad element really that useful?
Meanwhile, a middle-aged man in the corner had witnessed everything.
The man wore a heavy cotton overcoat, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness.
His name was Lin Fang, an old hustler who had been navigating the Ghost Market for years.
He had seen it clearly—that overbearing Scarface had been scared off by just a look from this cripple.
He had also taken the opportunity to recognize him: this was Qin Lie, the bad element who dared to work in the black mines and came out alive, capable of handling and doing anything.
At that moment, Lin Fang’s thoughts mirrored Scarface’s exactly: Why is this killing god out here running a stall?!
Lin Fang took a deep breath, then reconsidered. He had just noticed that the Purple Cloud Ointment was indeed a good product. Plus, with a tough character like Qin Lie holding the fort, this was a rare opportunity to make a connection.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Fang forced a smile onto his face and slowly walked over. “Sister, brother, your ointment smells wonderful. It seems even more effective than that clam oil. I’ll take all the rest. Could we step aside and talk?”
Li Jiao had just grabbed Qin Lie’s hand to warm herself when she spotted Lin Fang appearing before her.
She was taken aback for a moment. “You’re buying everything?”
Lin Fang nodded. “That’s right. I see you’ve got over thirty boxes left. On such a cold day, this brother here has a bad leg—better go back and keep warm, don’t get frostbite. Wouldn’t want it to leave lasting problems.”
“I won’t let you take a loss, brother. How about forty-five cents for the rest? That way, you won’t have to freeze out here, and I can earn a little delivery fee.”
Li Jiao did a quick mental calculation. Forty-five cents was five cents less than retail, but on such a bitterly cold day, being able to sell everything at once was the best possible outcome.
“Alright, big brother, you’re a straightforward person. I’ll give them all to you.” Li Jiao swiftly packed the remaining small boxes into Lin Fang’s cloth bag.
Lin Fang counted out the money and handed it over, a smile on his face. “I’m often around this area, brother, sister. If you have good stuff in the future, keep some for me.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Lie once more, his eyes carrying a hint of flattery and wariness.
Li Jiao was completely absorbed in the joy of having earned money so quickly and didn’t notice Qin Lie giving Lin Fang a slight nod.
“Qin Lie, Qin Lie, we just made over fifty yuan in no time! We’re rich, we’re rich!”
This was the Purple Cloud Ointment she had personally brewed. Although it didn’t earn as much as the chicken soup with Broad-tendon Vine, the money she earned through her own hard work made Li Jiao even happier.
The people she interacted with now couldn’t be as wealthy and carefree as that Old Bureau Chief, and she couldn’t always expect to encounter such big clients in business. In the end, she still had to keep her feet on the ground.
So Li Jiao was overjoyed. With a wave of her small hand, she said, “Let’s go, Qin Lie. We’re heading home, and I’m treating you to big meat buns!”
Clutching the warm money, Li Jiao rented a flatbed cart and pulled Qin Lie to the entrance of the state-run restaurant.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the state-run restaurant had just opened. Steam rose enticingly from the bamboo steamers.
Li Jiao bought six fist-sized pork and scallion buns in one go, along with some medicinal herbs like lithospermum and Chinese angelica.
She also took the opportunity to buy some agricultural film. No matter what, she’d use it for now; if it wasn’t enough, she could always come back to buy more.
After purchasing quite a few things, the fifty yuan had nearly halved. The two then hitched a ride on a passing ox cart and braved the cold wind back to the thatched hut.
Li Wenbo was still hiding in the haystack, having almost lost all sensation.
His eyebrows were covered in white frost. He had huddled in the cold wind all night and was now so hungry that his stomach cramped, twitching in waves.
Suddenly hearing movement up ahead, he forced his stiff body to move and stealthily crept to the base of the back window.
Through a gap in the window paper that hadn’t been fully sealed, the steaming scene inside the room stung his eyes.
Inside the thatched hut, the kang bed was burning hot.
“Qin Lie, open your mouth!” Li Jiao sat cross-legged on the kang, holding a pork and scallion bun larger than her fist. Carefully, she tore open the soft, fluffy white dough.
Inside, the meat filling clung together in a ball, and oily broth seeped out from the tear, filling the air with the aroma of meat.
Qin Lie leaned against the pile of quilts, his injured leg still elevated. Watching the dough soaked in meat broth and a large piece of meat filling being offered to his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Jiaojiao, you eat it. I’ll just have the dough…”
“Enough talk, just eat when I tell you to. We’re rich now, truly rich, so eat your fill!” Li Jiao chided with a playful glare, shoving the bun into his mouth.
Her fingertip accidentally brushed against his warm lips, sending a sudden flutter through her heart.
Qin Lie obediently took a bite, savoring the rich flavor.
As he chewed, he subtly lifted his gaze, sweeping it over the rear window.
Li Wenbo stared at the glistening meat bun, his Adam’s apple bobbing violently as saliva instantly flooded his mouth. His stomach betrayed him with a loud, rumbling growl.
He gripped the window frame tightly, seething with resentment.
“That bitch, how dare she use my money to feed that good-for-nothing!”
Li Wenbo had long considered Qin Lie’s hush money as his own, since Li Jiao had always saved the best for him before. But now, they were squandering it.
Besides, Qin Lie was nothing but a useless cripple now—what right did he have to eat meat? Was he even worthy?!
The more Li Wenbo thought about it, the angrier he became. His eyes remained fixed on the scene inside, only to suddenly meet Qin Lie’s gaze, who had noticed the commotion outside.