Chapter 639: They're Going into the Mountains with Us

Before the leader of the fifth team could finish his words, a figure suddenly approached and bumped into him. He took two steps back in shock, supported by the person behind him to prevent himself from falling.

He gritted his teeth and raised his head. "What are you doing?"

Ma Lu remained expressionless. "Oops, didn't notice. Did I hurt you? Do you want me to slap you a couple of times?"

The onlookers remained silent.

Shu Yu burst into laughter and gave Ma Lu a thumbs-up. Well done, he had returned their words exactly as they had said them. Moreover, Ma Lu's collision was much stronger than theirs. The leader of the fifth team's face turned pale as he continued rubbing his shoulder. Served him right.

Ma Lu asked him, "No need for a couple of slaps, do you want me to compensate you?"

The leader, who was bold enough to bully Shu Yu but became cowardly when facing Ma Lu and his powerful comrades, let out a cold snort and walked away without looking back.

After they had gone some distance, Ma Lu asked Fang Xiyue, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and said, "Thank you." She hadn't expected him to directly confront the members of the fifth team.

Ma Lu waved his hand. "Now, everyone thinks that you're under our protection. If someone bullies you and we ignore it, it will bring shame to our team. No need to thank me, just work hard when we enter the mountains later."

"Okay," Fang Xiyue nodded heavily, feeling relieved. She felt much lighter now.

The group continued on their way and reached the foot of the mountain. To their surprise, two people were waiting for them there. When they saw Shu Yu, Meng Yunzheng and Zhao Xi, who were originally sitting on a rock, stood up and looked in their direction.

Shu Yu introduced, "This is my older brother and his friend."

Ma Lu was puzzled. "They..."

Shu Yu explained, "They're going into the mountains with us." Ma Lu's expression turned sour. His team members frowned and said, "Isn't that a bad idea?"

Although the two men were physically strong, they seemed like scholarly types who might be a burden. Moreover, they weren't criminals, so if something happened in the mountains, it might be their fault, causing more trouble.

Ma Lu shook his head. "Sorry, I don't agree to let them come with us."

Having cooperated with Shu Yu before, they had developed some understanding and rapport. Adding two unfamiliar men with completely unknown temperaments in the middle might lead to unexpected accidents.

Seeing the third team's reluctance, Shu Yu explained with a smile, "You misunderstood. They're not going to fight the giant beast with us. My older brother and his friend are going into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. They'll just accompany us for a part of the journey."

Gathering medicinal herbs?

Ma Lu looked at Zhao Xi in surprise. "Are you a doctor?"

On the side, Fang Xiyue immediately nodded and said, "Doctor Lu's medical skills are remarkable. He treated my father's severe injury before, and now my father is able to walk and has recovered a lot."

Upon hearing the words "Doctor Lu," Zhao Xi felt a headache coming on. He glanced at Meng Yunzheng, who seemed to have heard nothing, quietly blending into the background.

But after Ma Lu listened to Fang Xiyue, his gaze toward Zhao Xi changed.

He had inquired about the Fang family's situation. Fang Xiyue's abilities that were revealed after entering the mountains had surprised him, so he had taken the time to investigate. He found out that her father was a hunter who had suffered a severe injury, which was quite regrettable.

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 Chapter 44: The Overall Atmosphere is Very Slack

 Chapter 110: The Guy Who Never Understands Boundaries

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 Chapter 43: The Small Company Dad Gave Has Twenty Floors

 Chapter 109: Don't Speak, Don't Move

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 Chapter 102: It's None of Your Business

Li Bingkun's throat tightened, a pain spreading throughout his body. Dislocated bones reminded him that he had to choose between money and life.

"Chestnuts were given to me by Li Shuixian."

"Li Shuixian gave me two hundred yuan, asking me to use bad chestnuts to frame and sabotage Aunt Wu's fruit stall, tarnishing the authentic reputation of Aunt Wu's candied chestnuts. Li Shuixian also told me that Aunt Wu's candied chestnuts were made by Bai Lu, and she wanted me to ruin Bai Lu's reputation too, so that Bai Lu couldn't do business, and her chestnuts would sell better."

After the onlookers understood the truth, the sympathy in their eyes for Li Bingkun turned into disgust and condemnation.

"This is a bunch of scum!"

"Churning out chestnuts that are not tasty or authentic, and when no one buys them, trying to ruin the reputation of Aunt Wu's authentic chestnuts. I didn't expect Li Shuixian to be such a person. I really misjudged her. I even bought something from her grocery store last time. Who knows what kind of problems are in the products there!"

"I'll never buy anything from Li Shuixian's store again, helping her earn ill-gotten money while putting myself at risk!"

"This guy is no good either, taking dirty money to ruin people's reputations, sabotaging Aunt Wu's candied chestnuts and tarnishing Bai Lu's reputation, making sure Bai Lu has no business. He deserves to be beaten to death!"

"This kind of trash deserves a severe lesson, or he'll keep causing trouble in the street, harming people, forcing us to buy unhygienic, disease-inducing dirty stuff!"

Li Bingkun was verbally attacked by the crowd, spat on, and even had rotten eggs thrown at him.

Like a rat crossing the street, everyone called for his punishment, but he couldn't move. Wanting to crawl away, the roads around him were blocked.

People who were deceived of their sympathy, people who almost had to eat dirty things, cursed him relentlessly.

Blocking his way, they wanted everyone passing by to see what he looked like so that no one would sympathize with him in the future.

In the end, it was Bai Lu who showed mercy. She made him compensate two hundred yuan, bought Aunt Wu's fruit stall, and bought the overturned candied chestnuts and big jujubes.

She even kindly accepted a hundred yuan from him as a taxi fare, called a motorcycle for him, and had him taken back to Li's Village.

Li Bingkun did want to go to the hospital, but all the money in his pocket was taken by Bai Lu.

He could only roll back to Li's Village under the barrage of insults.

After the matter was resolved, Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng went to the market to buy vegetables, and the crowd dispersed.

In an inconspicuous corner, a slightly chubby boy shrank his neck and said to the middle-aged woman beside him, "Should we ask Bai Lu for the recipe for candied chestnuts?"

The middle-aged woman looked at Xiao Cheng's retreating figure, shivering all over, firmly shook her head, "No, let's wait until Xiao Cheng is away."

"But Aunt Wu's chestnuts sell so well. Bai Lu must have earned a lot of money during this time."

"Didn't you see how ferociously Xiao Cheng beat someone just now? Did you forget the lesson from last time?"

"Of course not! My hand still hurts now. Let's wait until Xiaocheng is away and then go ask Bailu for money."

In front of the pork stall, the pork boss, holding a pig-killing knife, couldn't control his trembling. A devil had come to buy pork from him.

It was even pork trotters, and they had to be chopped into small pieces. His hands were so nervous that he felt they might be broken in the next second.

Fortunately, there was a little girl holding the devil's hand, and the devil's face wasn't as terrifying as before.

Otherwise, he would have immediately run away with his knife.

Bai Lu saw the pork boss shaking while chopping the pork trotters, his eyes sticking to the trotters, and the butcher knife constantly approaching his fingers. She couldn't help but remind, "Boss, your hand."

"What's wrong with my hand?" The pork boss's hand holding the killing knife stiffened, and he immediately stared at his hand.

There was a bit of minced meat on his hand.

Thinking that he might be despised by the little girl and the devil, he quickly turned around, put his hand in a bucket of water, and washed it as quickly as possible. Then he turned back, continuing to shake his hands while chopping the pork trotters.

After finally chopping the pork trotters, putting them in a valuable plastic bag, he handed them to the gentle girl.

Payment and change.

"Boss."

The pork boss's hand delivering money stiffened, "What's wrong?"

Bailu looked at the money handed to her, smiling and reminded, "Did you give me the wrong change?"

"Pork trotters cost twelve yuan, and I gave you twenty yuan. Did you give me a hundred yuan?"

The pork boss lowered his head to look at the hundred yuan in his hand, raised his head to see the man's impatient and gloomy expression.

Immediately, he poured all the scattered change from the basket, quickly found eight yuan, and handed it to the little girl, smiling stiffly as he sent the customers away.

After strolling around the market, the basket was full, and Bai Lu also discovered a major issue.

When buying vegetables with Xiaocheng, not only did the situation of receiving less change not occur, but they always received more change.

For every additional type of vegetable they bought, she had to remind the seller again. Her mouth was almost bubbling.

On the way back home, Bai Lu decided that she must talk to Xiao Cheng and let him know that this situation was not good.

"Can you pay attention in the future? Beating someone so violently in public will have a bad impact on you."

"I don't care."

Xiao Cheng, carrying the vegetable basket, walked leisurely and looked at her with a sideways glance. "I didn't hit."

His voice and tone were unusually serious.

Bai Lu rolled her eyes in her heart, coldly smiling, "Yes, you didn't use your hands. Of course, it's not hitting."

"You just kicked, just beating people. There's a world of difference between beating and hitting."

Seeing the puffed cheeks, the cold smile in her eyes, and the somewhat gritted words, Xiao Cheng's inner irritability inexplicably dissipated a lot, without retorting.

Continuing their leisurely pace, walking side by side.

Bai Lu decided to pick all the chili peppers in the vegetable garden. Red peppers, green peppers, let's make chili peppers stir-fried with chili peppers.

Suppressing the inexplicable irritability in the big man, lest he not show mercy and his mouth remains as hard as a stone.

Chili peppers need to be stir-fried, and admonition should not be lacking. Bai Lu turned her head to look at the man beside her, speaking in a soft tone,

 "Can you control yourself a bit more in the future? Don't be so impulsive."

"You mind?"

Xiaocheng turned his head, his deep gaze fixed on her.

Bailu couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, I shouldn't have said so much. You like it, do it your way. It's none of my business."

Not hearing the answer he wanted, Xiao Cheng withdrew his gaze dejectedly, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.

Bai Lu also turned her head, not speaking.

When Xiao Wei came back from school today, she was surprised to find the two walking in front.

Although the two were different in height, they both wore big brother's clothes, and he remembered it clearly.

"Whoosh," he ran over.

When the distance was only ten meters, he instantly switched back to small steps, steadily and quickly moved forward, sneaked a peek.

Sure enough, it was Big Brother and Bai Lu.

"Your clothes today look nice."

For the first time in history, the little guy complimented, and Bai Lu was stunned for a full second before looking down at her clothes.

Only then did she realize that the black coat she was wearing was a bit long, a bit wide, a bit big, and a bit thick.

It was a bit, not like her clothes!

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 Chapter 101: White Dew Stabilizes the Big Shot

A bulky figure behind the crowd, as soon as the man's face became clear, he immediately turned and left.

Swiftly, afraid of being noticed.

The onlookers stopped their steps when they saw a more brutal and familiar face appearing, curious if the situation would take a turn.

"Speak, who should pay and apologize?" The man's devilish, life-threatening voice thundered down like the night.

Li Bingkun was suddenly awakened, subconsciously opening his mouth, "Bai..."

A foot on the throat suddenly exerted force.

Li Bingkun couldn't make a sound.

"Speak."

The devil's voice sounded again.

Li Bingkun was not stupid; seeing the expressions of the people around him, he could guess that he had definitely offended someone he shouldn't have.

Wanting to beg for mercy, the man's face full of murderous intent was disdainful, clearly indicating death for those who resisted.

Li Bingkun had to speak again, answering the devil's question, "Bai..."

The foot on the throat exerted force again.

"Speak!"

Li Bingkun: "..."

Can't you loosen your foot and let me speak!

Wu Xiuyun gradually realized that Xiao Cheng seemed a bit off today. In the past, no matter how brutal and ruthless he was, it was just a beating, not this kind of torture.

Whether it was the rumors or the time when Liu Tiezhu bullied Bai Lu, Xiao Cheng directly dealt with the person, saying nothing more, his face devoid of any expression except for a killing intent.

Now, it seemed like he was venting some long-suppressed emotions; his face looked more irritable.

His actions were somewhat uncontrollable, tormenting the stubbled man to the brink of death and still not letting go.

After a cold laugh, he walked over slowly, appearing to continue the torture.

If this continued, someone might end up dead.

Wen Xiuyun asked Old Li to watch the stall and quickly ran back to find Bai Lu.

She had seen Xiao Cheng's fierce appearance before, but also witnessed his gentle demeanor in front of Bai Lu.

Bai Lu should be able to persuade Xiao Cheng, right?

Turning a corner, the two almost collided. After seeing the person clearly, Wen Xiuyun immediately pulled the person back.

"Quick, go to the market, Xiao Cheng is about to kill someone!"

Bai Lu's face changed. "What happened to him?"

"Here's what happened..."

At the entrance of the market, more and more people gathered, forming layers inside and outside.

Under the electric pole, a man with a violent and murderous aura was about to exert force on the purple-blue neck.

"Ah Cheng."

A gentle and clear call, amidst the discussions of the surrounding crowd, stood out prominently.

The man's gloomy eyes were slightly stunned; he turned his head, and his gaze pierced through the crowd, accurately locking onto "her."

Unable to push through the crowded Bai Lu, after the big shot's gaze swept across, scattering the crowd, she ran all the way to his side.

She pulled his hand and stepped back, retreating.

After retreating three steps, she spoke softly, "Didn't you come to buy groceries? Why did it take so long?"

Xiao Cheng looked at Bai Lu's clothes, his cold eyes softened, then turned cold again, looking at the half-dead person on the ground.

The meaning was self-evident.

On the way there, Bai Lu had learned the facts from Wen Xiuyun.

She knew that at this moment, she must make the stubbled man reveal the truth behind Xiao Cheng's loss of control and the renewed infamy.

"You said there was a problem with our candied chestnuts, causing your wife's stomach to be upset. Who is your wife? What time did you come to buy chestnuts this morning? How much did you buy? Were there other people present when you bought the chestnuts?"

Bai Lu asked while signaling Wu Xiuyun with her eyes.

Wu Xiuyun immediately understood, quickly ran to the nearby small shop, bought a bottle of mineral water, and came back to wake up Old Li.

Old Li was also a keen observer. He fed the water to the dizzy man, and accidentally, the old and weathered hand shook, spilling water on the stubbled man's face.

Li Bingkun woke up with the water splashing on him. He had no idea what Bai Lu had just said.

Opening his eyes and seeing the devil's face again, he immediately begged for mercy, "Please let me go..."

"I won't dare anymore. I promise to disappear immediately. I'll go as far away as possible and won't appear in front of you again. Please spare my life..."

He had been tortured miserably, witnessed by everyone around. His entire body's bones were probably displaced. Now, hearing the plea, the onlookers couldn't help but be afraid when they saw Xiao Cheng's gaze, mixed with fear.

Fear mixed with a lot of repulsion.

Bai Lu held Xiao Cheng's hand, and asked the stubbled man coldly, "Who is your wife? Are you sure it was Aunt Wu's candied chestnuts that made her sick?"

"No." Li Bingkun, who had been taught a lesson, dared not lie again.

Seeing the man's still dark and fierce expression, he hurriedly clarified, "I don't have a wife, and I have never bought candied chestnuts from Aunt Wu's fruit stall. Everything was made up by me. I wanted to extort money from Aunt Wu's fruit stall."

The gazes of the surrounding people, originally rejecting Xiao Cheng, instantly shifted to Li Bingkun.

Doubt, disbelief, and incredulity.

Bai Lu pulled Xiao Cheng's hand again, asking Li Bingkun with a faint tone, "Since you have never bought candied chestnuts from Aunt Wu's fruit stall, where did the chestnuts you brought come from?"

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 Chapter 110: Seizing the Present Moment

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Chapter 109: Everything Has Its Own Fate "A few days ago, he even brought up something called 'Zhuge Suo' from the book to ask your father. Your father was surprised for quite a while. Unexpectedly, at such a young age, he can already remember the hundred-word text." The 'Zhuge Suo' explained in the ancient text comprised about a hundred characters. Chu Jin memorized it entirely just to impress his father and Chu Zhiwen. Regardless of the motive, it would undoubtedly please the two elders. This was the reason why Ye Muyu had insisted he memorize it. It was a good start. Chu Jin, praised by his elders, evidently became more dedicated to his studies. Ye Muyu also learned from Chu Jin that he was now incredibly attentive in class. Regardless of the topic, he would delve into it thoroughly, often asking for related stories from Chu Zhiwen. Chu Zhiwen found himself in a difficult situation but couldn't respond inadequately, which would be embarrassing. Moreover, throughout history, most teachers enjoyed students who asked questions. Although the teacher at the village school wasn't part of the Chu family, having settled in Xingshui Village some two or three decades ago, he had a very amiable personality. Naturally, he liked Chu Jin, who was always inquisitive. Chu Jin's intelligence prompted the teacher to question why he had memorized the 'Zhuge Suo.' After learning about Ye Muyu and her approach, the teacher developed a method to instruct Chu Jin. If he wanted to hear a story, he could. Once he memorized the previous story, he could listen to the next one. This way, not only Chu Jin but also other students in the village school benefitted greatly. Usually, the articles explained after memorization were easier to remember. Moreover, many older students who valued their studies found reading enjoyable. With such an atmosphere, the entire village school improved significantly. "Now that he's willing to learn, I can rest assured. Mother, don't praise him too much." Ye Muyu smiled lightly. "It's you, Eldest Sister-in-law. Will Ah Sheng and Ah Ming go to the county school soon?"  She shifted the topic to Zhang. Talking about the kids was just a side note. "This age is suitable. I hope they can achieve something in the future after so many years of studying." Zhang said, happy about the matter but more interested in the medicinal herbs. She steered the conversation back and praised her children in the process. "Third sister-in-law, I haven't seen this wild fan fruit much but what about these two below?" "This one should be Codonopsis and this one is Pueraria root." There wasn't much Codonopsis, only about one or two catties. It hadn't been sun-dried yet and Ye Muyu wasn't sure how much it would fetch. However, there was quite a bit of Pueraria root. "Pueraria root? Why do I feel so familiar with this?" After all, Zhang was used to working in the fields. In no time, she recognized the Pueraria root. "Isn't this the root under that wild vine? I didn't expect it to grow so big." "All the ones dug up from the side look the same." Ye Muyu understood. To dig up thick Pueraria roots, it wasn't a difficult task for hardworking families in the village. However, the timing was essential. Although Pueraria roots took a few years to grow thick, diligent families in the village wouldn't tolerate wild grasses in their fields. Apart from special cases like Ye Muyu, either they would already be dug up within a month or they would be growing on small hillsides. Thus, the Pueraria roots in the field were rarely noticed. Ye Muyu thought that it was also because the original owner had forgotten about this piece of land, providing an opportunity for these medicinal herbs to grow. Otherwise, she might not have been able to take advantage of it, even if she had come across this opportunity.  No wonder they said, "Everything has its own fate."

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