Chapter 38 The world is in trouble
Chapter 38 The world is in trouble
Zhou You couldn’t sleep at home because of the habit of getting up early that he developed at the martial arts gym.
I woke up at dawn, afraid of waking up my parents, and quietly went out for morning exercise.
Zhou You jogged along the street, stretching his arms and legs, thinking to himself that he would definitely have to move to a new house in the future.
When a family lives in a rented house, the neighbors are lively, but there are also many trivial matters.
There is even no suitable place to move my arms and legs.
Zhou You planned to buy a small yard in the future with some open space where his mother could raise chickens in cages and his father could lie under a tree for an afternoon nap, so he could exercise freely.
“I still need money!”
Zhou You thought of extorting 500 taels of silver from the Wild Fox Gang. He didn't expect the other party to agree immediately, but he would at least get 200 or 300 taels of silver.
This money is used to buy secret medicine to improve strength and speed up the progress of breaking through the Qi and blood barrier.
Once you become a Qi and blood warrior and are qualified to enter the inner courtyard as a disciple, buying a courtyard is no longer a dream.
The sky gradually brightened, and more pedestrians and stalls appeared in the streets.
Zhou You was jogging along when he suddenly saw Gao Qiang and a few of his men blackmailing a vendor on the street.
"Travel around, travel around."
When Gao Qiang saw Zhou You, he left the trembling vendor and came forward to greet him warmly.
"Why didn't you tell me the good news that you have gained such great strength? Do you think of me as your friend?"
Gao Qiang's left foot was a little lame. It was the sequelae of him being stabbed in the thigh with a sharp knife after he lost the Bone Strengthening Powder and was punished by the Punishment Hall.
He is well-informed and found out what happened yesterday so quickly.
Zhou You glanced at him, thinking that he never considered you a friend, and said vaguely, "It was too late."
"I'm lucky to meet you. I'll treat you to a meal at Zhaijinlou."
Zhaijinlou, the most upscale restaurant in Gongliang City, is a place of luxury and extravagance that ordinary people would hardly enter in their lifetime.
A table of banquet costs 10 taels of silver, which is the minimum consumption in Zhaijinlou, and does not include drinks.
It is worth mentioning that Mou Xiaoli, the next-door neighbor, works as a waiter in Zhaijinlou.
The first thing Gao Qiang said was that he would treat them at Zhaijinlou, which made him seem very wealthy. You have to know that a simple meal in the building would cost no less than 30 or 40 taels of silver.
"No need, I have to go back to the martial arts hall at noon, so I really can't spare the time."
Gao Qiang invited Zhou You again and again, but Zhou You refused.
In his opinion, the Wild Fox Gang and the Crazy Horse Gang are all birds of a feather and none of them are good.
Just now Gao Qiang was blackmailing a street vendor, looking ferocious and as if he wanted to eat people.
Zhou You really didn't want to have anything to do with such people.
"That's it!"
Gao Qiang showed a regretful expression and said, "The Second Elder has been saying that he wants to see you. Can you spare some time to go with me?"
"Sorry, I can't do that. The martial arts school has strict rules that prohibit us from interacting with gang members. Gao Qiang, don't come to me in the future."
Zhou You still remembered that Zhang Shu spread rumors that he was colluding with the Wild Horse Gang, and the root cause was Gao Qiang.
"Brother, this kid doesn't know what's best for him. Should we use some tricks on him?"
A small follower looked at Zhou You's back, noticed that Gao Qiang didn't look well, and enthusiastically gave advice.
Gao Qiang's face darkened. "You smart idiot, who do you think he is? Even the hall master dare not touch a warrior who has trained his strength."
"Who the hell do you think you can plot against him?"
"Tu Lao San has a brother who is the deputy leader of the gang. Now he is not going to give in? More than a dozen of his brothers died, but he dared not say a word."
Gao Qiang was a small leader after all, and he was well-informed. He knew how important Zhou You was. The two leaders of the Wild Fox Gang, one of whom was seriously injured and the other was defeated, took the initiative to seek peace. These were all Zhou You's achievements.
If I had this ability, I would have soared to the top long ago and would not have to hang around the streets doing menial jobs like collecting protection fees.
When Gao Qiang thought of Zhou You's brilliant future, he felt tormented and almost vomited blood.
We grew up together, so how come he has surpassed me and become a big shot?
When Zhou You returned to his neighborhood, he found the atmosphere rather strange. The neighbors on the street all nodded politely when they saw him.
You must know that at this time yesterday, the neighbors were still hiding in their homes, fearing that they would be harmed.
Although these neighbors didn't say it, they must have resented Zhou You's family in their hearts for bringing revenge upon Tu Lao San.
Why are you so polite today?
When he arrived at his home, Zhou You was surprised. Is this still his home? It looked like a vegetable market.
There were so many people that it was impossible to see the door.
The floor, corners and windowsills were filled with all kinds of things such as eggs, cakes, cloth, etc.
The guests who came to the door were all neighbors. They carried bamboo baskets and paper bags and said flattering and auspicious words. It was obvious that they came to give gifts.
Zhou You didn't understand why these people gave gifts to his family?
"Little Master Zhou is back!"
Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes saw Zhou You standing at the door. There was a scream, and the people who were giving him gifts dispersed.
After the crowd made way, Zhou You saw his parents who were exhausted from the torture.
"You'er, you're finally back."
Zhou You coughed twice and said, "Please go back first. My house is a mess and not suitable for entertaining guests. I will come back to visit you another day."
This was just a polite remark, urging them to leave as soon as possible.
"Little Master Zhou, do you remember me? When you were three years old, I held you on my knees and fed you half a piece of candy."
"Get out of here. You have the nerve to bring out the rotten grain that has been there for more than ten years. I...
"All of you, get out of the way. I'm a matchmaker. I'm here to introduce a good match to Master Zhou."
Zhou You's eyelids twitched, and he pointed at the door, "If you don't get out of here, I'll hit you."
After a while, everyone was gone, leaving only the slightly messy home.
There were still a lot of food and daily necessities on the floor and windowsills that the guests had not taken with them.
"You'er, I received news this morning that the Wild Fox Gang has said that they will avoid our home from now on, saying that they are giving face to Master Zhou."
Zhou You thought that Tu Lao San didn't have the courage to do that, and it must have been Wu Gang or the higher-up Tu Lao Er who gave the order.
The neighbors asked around and learned that Zhou You had become an official apprentice at Jianxiong Martial Arts School and had a bright future.
It's only been a few months and even the Yehu Gang, which they couldn't afford to offend, has bowed their heads.
As a result, neighbors flocked to give gifts and sell favors, making it so blocked that Zhou Laocan could not get out of the door. He had to take a day off from work.
In addition to giving gifts, the neighbors also wanted Zhou You to help them with some tasks and solve some problems.
Even some "old friends" who were not related at all were so foolish that they wanted to borrow the martial arts school's wooden sign and hang it on their doorstep for two days.
At the same time, some families, jealous of the bright future of the Zhou family, sent their daughters' birth dates and horoscopes in hopes of forming a marriage alliance.
"You'er, we can't accept these things. I'll deliver them door to door later."
Father Zhou looked proud and said, "We can't agree to what these neighbors ask for. We can't cause you any trouble."
"But you can consider those messages brought by the matchmaker. You are not a child anymore."
Zhou You felt helpless and decided to go back to the martial arts gym as soon as possible as he could no longer stay at home.
(End of this chapter)