Chapter Seven: Rascal Six

“You dare!”

Crash!

A metal thermos flew past the crowd and struck the big man in black right on the head!

Hot water hissed out through the metal mesh, splashing onto his face and burning him, making him scream in pain.

“Hot! Hot! Hot!”

With eyes shut tight, the burly man flailed his short, thick hands wildly and collapsed onto the ground in a pitiful heap.

“Hahaha!”

“That little girl’s got guts!”

The onlookers burst into laughter as they saw the man struggling on the ground.

Earlier, everyone had been intimidated by the man’s imposing presence and dared not step forward. Now, seeing him in such a sorry state, their fear vanished instantly.

Some even shouted boldly from within the crowd, “Beat that bastard to death!”

A few thugs, seeing their leader down, hesitated to fight further. Just then, shouts rang out: “The police are coming! The police are coming!”

They immediately lost heart, helped their battered leader to escape through the crowd, limping away in disgrace.

“What happened here? And why is the thermos broken?”

At that moment, Xue Ke’ang’s uncle finally arrived, half-late.

His hair was streaked with white, his back hunched, and with a worried frown, he picked up the mangled thermos casing from the ground. “Ke’ang, you said you’d set up a stall and borrowed my thermos... how did it end up like this...”

“Sigh!”

He sighed deeply, then looked at Li Yaoyao. “Little girl, fighting’s one thing, but why smash a thermos? That thing’s expensive!”

Li Yaoyao ignored him and turned to help Yang Haiying, who was still lying on the ground.

“Sis Haiying, boo hoo...”

That thermos had been thrown by her. She didn’t know where she found such courage at that moment, but she felt no regret at all.

If it meant saving Sis Haiying and Brother Ke’ang, she would throw ten, even a hundred thermoses without hesitation!

“Alright, Xiao Li, it’s okay now.”

Yang Haiying brushed the dust from her hair, secretly wiping away tears, and gently patted Li Yaoyao’s back. “Thanks to you just now. You intellectuals really have ideas—using hot water to scald the enemy. What’s that called again? Old cunning! Yes... old cunning!”

Her words made Li Yaoyao laugh through her sobs. “Sis Haiying, I didn’t even know what I was thinking. I just saw the thermos on the ground and threw it.”

“You might feel better throwing it, but that thermos—ah, I saved up grain coupons for a whole year to get that!”

Xue Ke’ang’s uncle’s angry voice interrupted their conversation.

Both Yang Haiying and Li Yaoyao scowled, turning to look at him just as Xue Ke’ang himself struggled to his feet, leaning on a stick and stepping in front of them protectively.

“Uncle, how much was the thermos? I’ll buy you a new one! My wife was pinned down just now, and what’s wrong with using your thermos to fight back?”

Though bruised and limping, his spirit was stronger than when facing the man in black earlier, no doubt fueled by his frustration at seeing his wife bullied helplessly.

“That’s right! Old stingy Xue, what’s more important, a life or your thermosI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.