This man looked about twenty years old, tall and sturdy, with a burly build much more robust than the average adult male.
Gu Yanxi only glanced at him briefly before starting to make Tieban Tudou, her movements extremely skilled.
Soon, a serving of Tieban Tudou was handed to the man in black.
Imitating others, the man in black skewered two or three potato pieces on a bamboo stick and ate them all at once.
He finished the entire serving in just a few bites.
“Another serving.”
…“One more serving.”
“Keep going—”
In less than fifteen minutes, the man in black had devoured ten servings of Tieban Tudou.
“What else is there? Throw it all in the pan, and hurry up!”
“Nothing left. You’ve finished the last ten servings. If you’re still hungry, you’ll have to come back tomorrow.” Gu Yanxi kept her head down as she tidied up.
Still unsatisfied, the man in black had no choice but to pick up the lotus leaves he had used earlier and lick off every bit of oil from them.
Wiping his mouth, he suddenly placed a knife across the stall cart. “Are you Gu Yanxi?”
“That’s me. What’s the matter?” Gu Yanxi looked up at the man in black.
She had noticed him earlier. Ever since she opened her stall, he had been observing her from the alley over there.
She knew this man was no ordinary person.
“Someone paid…” The man in black picked his teeth with a bamboo stick. “To have you crippled!”
“Cripple me? Who?” Gu Yanxi raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry about who. Just know that someone wants you crippled!”
With that, the man in black raised his large knife and swung it at Gu Yanxi.
Gu Yanxi dodged to the side and spread her hands. “You’re going to attack without even paying for your food? One hundred wen, hand it over!”
The man’s face suddenly flushed red, and he stammered, “I… I don’t have any money… I’ll pay you after I finish this job.”
“Oh!” Gu Yanxi looked him up and down. “You look decent enough, yet you’re trying to freeload like others?”
The man immediately straightened his back and spoke earnestly, “I, Niu Qi, am an upright person. It’s just that the food you made was so delicious, I couldn’t help myself… Consider it a favor I owe you!”
“However, this is my first job, and I must take one of your hands so I can report back.”
After saying this.
Niu Qi tightened his grip on the knife and charged straight at Gu Yanxi.
“Stop!”
Suddenly, a figure stepped in front of Niu Qi.
Niu Qi halted his momentum and frowned in displeasure. “Who are you? This is none of your business. Move aside!”
“Under the emperor’s very feet, you dare wield a knife and commit violence in the streets? Do you have no respect for the law!”
Gou Dezhu had eaten the potatoes in the morning and was utterly impressed by the stall owner’s skills.
When he came out after school at noon and saw the owner still hadn’t packed up, he intended to get another serving. Coincidentally, he witnessed this scene and naturally stepped forward to “uphold justice”!
With him taking the lead, others also stepped forward, pointing and criticizing Niu Qi.
“This owner relies on her skills to make a living, and you want to cut off her hand? You’re leaving her no way to survive.”
“As the saying goes, ‘Forgive where forgiveness is due.’ This girl is just running her business honestly. Why must you trouble a young lady like her?”
…
A crowd gathered around Niu Qi, pointing and gesturing, their mouths agape as if ready to devour him, their noise giving him a headache.
“Shut up!”
Niu Qi’s expression hardened, and he charged straight at Gu Yanxi.
“Oh, you’re really going for it? Take this!”
Seeing Niu Qi take action, Gou Dezhu rolled up his sleeves and prepared to fight.
But before he could get close, Niu Qi kicked him square in the stomach. Gou Dezhu crumpled to the ground like a kite with its string cut, grimacing in pain.
The others who witnessed this scene didn’t dare to be the first to step forward and scattered in fear, keeping a distance of ten meters away.
With no one in the way, Niu Qi raised his broadsword and pointed it at Gu Yanxi. “Your hand, now!”
“Wait!”
Niu Qi turned his head to the side, his tone icy. “What? You want to join her?”
Gu Yu quickly waved his hands in denial. “No, no, of course not.”
“Who sent you? I’ll pay you double to go take that person out instead!”
Niu Qi frowned deeply. “Rules of the trade. I’ll take your job after I finish this one.”
Gu Yu: “…” This guy is way too stubborn.
Niu Qi ignored him after that.
With a twist of his wrist, the broadsword came slashing straight toward Gu Yanxi.
Unhurried, Gu Yanxi sidestepped to avoid it. Glancing at her torn sleeve, she thought to herself, This assassin really sticks to his word—said he’d take a hand, and he won’t even slash anywhere else.
Niu Qi hadn’t expected his strike to miss. Feeling his professional pride wounded, he flew into a humiliated rage.
Before he could make another move, a sudden sharp pain shot through his wrist. His hand was empty—the blade was gone.
Niu Qi: “?”
He glanced over.
Gu Yanxi tested the edge of the treasured blade, then… began chopping scallions?
“Hey! That’s my family heirloom blade! How dare you use it for cooking!”
Niu Qi was so furious he gritted his teeth, but afraid of angering the woman and having his blade destroyed, he could only hop around anxiously.
“You owe me for your meal. Consider this blade collateral. You’ll get it back when you pay up.”
Gu Yanxi sprinkled the chopped scallions over the Liangmian and praised, “Not a bad blade.”
With that, she picked up a large bowl of Liangmian and walked over to Gou Dezhu. “Thanks for speaking up for me. I don’t have much to repay you with, so please accept this bowl of Liangmian.”
It was already past noon, and she had saved two portions for herself and her little brother as their midday meal.
Now, she was offering one up.
Gou Dezhu held the bowl of Liangmian. The rich aroma of noodles, garlic, and chili wafted into his nose, making him swallow hard and his eyes widen.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Thank you!”
He picked up a crispy fried peanut with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. With a light bite, the peanut crumbled instantly. The natural oil of the peanut and the toasted fragrance from frying filled his taste buds—crispy and crunchy, with a medley of sweet, sour, spicy, and numbing flavors intertwining on his tongue, leaving a lasting impression.
“Delicious!”
If even the peanuts, just a side ingredient, were this tasty, Gou Dezhu couldn’t wait to try the noodles.
He took a big mouthful. The noodles were coated in a blend of seasonings—fresh, fragrant, cool, and smooth, with a rich, chewy texture. The lingering heat inside him instantly dissipated, and Gou Dezhu felt completely refreshed.
“Incredible! This is the best noodles I’ve ever had!”
Even with his mouth full, Gou Dezhu managed to spare a moment to praise.
Pleased by the customer’s approval, Gu Yanxi felt in high spirits. “If you like it, come by often. I’ll give you a discount on all your meals from now on.”
Noticing that Gou Dezhu was still limping, Gu Yanxi knew he was badly injured.
She added, “And I’ll cover your medical expenses too.”
“No need, no need! As the Master said, when you see injustice on the road, you should draw your sword to help.” Gou Dezhu finished his last bite of noodles and patted his chest. “I’m Gou Dezhu, a scholar of Yunchang Academy. Your Tieban Tudou and Liangmian are truly marvelous! This little stall of yours—I, Gou Dezhu, will take it under my protection!”
No matter how you looked at it, he appeared like a typical chuunibyou youth.
Gu Yanxi glanced at his injured leg and couldn’t help but voice her doubt, “Are you protecting me, or am I protecting you?”