Chapter 6: Conflict at the Noodle Stall

The county town was not far from where they were, yet not exactly close either. After finishing their instant noodles, the trio traveled for about two hours by horse-drawn cart before arriving.

Xue Keang arranged for them to set up at a small roadside stall; the location was quite decent, situated right at a busy intersection.

"This stall belongs to my uncle. Let's squeeze in and share the space for a while," Xue Keang said with a smile, arranging the instant noodles by flavor—braised beef, old hen soup, and others.

Li Yaoyao thoughtfully took out a sign she had written the night before, stating that they only accepted transactions in ancient copper coins.

"Little Li, what does this say?"

"Oh, this is what Ye Fan said: we only accept ancient copper coins."

"But what kind of person carries copper coins when they go out to buy things?" Yang Haiying asked, cutting straight to the heart of the problem.

It was true. Who would carry copper coins when everyone else only used paper currency?

"But if I accept paper money, Ye Fan won't take it!" Li Yaoyao said, spreading her hands in frustration, unsure of what to do.

"Then why don't we charge normally? I know of an antique stall; we can just go exchange the money for copper coins later!" Xue Keang suggested as he finished setting up.

At these words, Li Yaoyao’s eyes lit up. This solved a major problem!

"Little girl, what are you selling?" an old man asked, approaching them.

"Sir, we are selling noodles!"

"Heh, are you trying to fool an old man whose eyes are failing?" the old man sneered. "This cold, hard stuff is noodles?" He picked up a cup of instant noodles to inspect it; it looked unique, but seemed useless.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll go borrow some hot water and prepare one for you to see!" Li Yaoyao realized that just sitting there wasn't convincing enough. They needed to brew a few cups; once people smelled the aroma, they would naturally be drawn in.

Xue Keang hurried off, as his uncle’s place was nearby, making it easy to get a bottle of hot water. Soon, he returned holding a large thermos.

"Sir, let me prepare this for you!" Xue Keang happily opened a cup of noodles and, mimicking Li Yaoyao’s technique, brewed it.

Suddenly, a rich, savory aroma wafted through the air. The intense scent of the old hen soup was carried far by the morning breeze, reaching people several streets away.

"Whose house is stewing chicken soup so early in the morning?"

"It smells so good! How many years has it been since I last had chicken soup? Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!"

"Stop guessing. There are some extraordinary people on the street ahead; if you bring them hot water, they’ll turn it into a bowl of fragrant chicken soup noodles!"

"But those people are a bit strange—they say they only take copper coins. Does anyone at home still have those?"

At the mention of copper coins, many people slapped their thighs. They might not have money, but they still had some copper coins left by their ancestors. In these famine years, copper coins were useless, but the fact that someone actually wanted them was a surprise!

A crowd of people excitedly grabbed their copper coins and rushed to buy the noodles.

"Wait, my home is too far away, I can't get copper coins in time!"

"If you can't, just bring money; it’s all the same!"

As the old man’s bowl of noodles was prepared, a strange tale spread throughout the small town: someone was selling miraculous noodles. By morning, Li Yaoyao and the others were too busy to stop.

"Give me one, I want the chicken soup flavor!"

"What? There’s beef too? I want to try the beef one!"

"This is wonderful! To have such a delicacy in this day and age—it’s amazing!"

With the first customer leading the way, countless others were drawn by the rich scent. The taste was similar to the plain noodles sold on the street, but being able to eat a bowl of soup with actual oil and flavor was an irresistible temptation for ordinary people who had been hungry for so long.

Soon, the small stall was surrounded by layers of customers, and Li Yaoyao and her companions were overwhelmed.

Just then, a jarring voice broke the atmosphere.

"Newcomers?"

As the voice sounded, the customers scattered, clearly recognizing this group.

"Who are you?" Li Yaoyao asked, sensing ill intent and becoming wary.

"Us? You don't know that this street belongs to us?"

"Five hundred in management fees, or you give us all these 'noodle' things. Take your pick!" A pockmarked man spoke first, then leaned in subserviently toward a man in black.

The group realized the man in black was the leader, so Xue Keang stepped forward. "Brother, we’re just doing a small business, so we don't really need any management services. If you think we’re blocking your business, we’ll move right away!"

"Move? Move where?" The man in black sneered. "According to our rules, once you're here, you work for us, and we all get rich together! Though, I must say, the two women behind you look even more delicious than the noodles. Why don't you let me play with them?"

The man in black tilted his chin toward Li Yaoyao. The pockmarked man and a thug immediately bypassed the stall, ready to grab Li Yaoyao and Yang Haiying.

Xue Keang panicked. He grabbed a wooden stick from the donkey cart and roared, "Let's see who dares!"

Xue Keang was a laborer, tall and sturdy. With his eyes wide with rage, he possessed a truly imposing aura. The pockmarked man and the thug stopped in their tracks, afraid to advance.

"Oh ho? You dare to resist?"

The man in black stepped forward. His face was covered in thick flesh, and a scar like a centipede ran across his right eyelid. He glared viciously at the three of them, looking truly terrifying.

"Five hundred in protection fees, not a cent less! And these two women will keep us company for the day!"

He took a step forward with every word, pressing them back. Xue Keang was forced to retreat, though he gripped his stick tightly, gritting his teeth. "No!"

Li Yaoyao held onto Yang Haiying’s arm. She could feel Yang Haiying trembling, yet Yang held onto her hand tightly, offering silent encouragement. Li felt both fear and guilt; she blamed herself for being too impulsive, rushing to sell noodles and bringing disaster upon them.

"No? Then you're done for!"

The man in black flipped the stall over. His thugs immediately rushed forward, punching and kicking Xue Keang!

"Stop it!" Seeing her husband being beaten, Yang Haiying burst into tears and lunged forward, desperate to save him. But a frail woman was no match for the thugs; they subdued her in an instant.

Within seconds, Yang Haiying’s hair was disheveled, her clothes torn, and she was covered in dust.

"Heh heh! Feisty!" The man in black grinned, revealing gold teeth, and reached out toward Yang Haiying’s exposed undergarment.