Chapter 22: Thugs and Scoundrels

"Many thanks to your mother."

"Brother Lin, my brother said the peanuts have arrived. I have already finished breakfast; shall I roast the spiced peanuts for you?"

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Lin Feng asked.

"I have."

"That’s good. No need to roast too many, twenty catties will do—enough to sell for today."

"Understood."

After Tian Xi'er finished speaking, she began to work skillfully. She had only done this once before, yet she was already quite proficient; she truly was a clever girl.

After Lin Feng and his two companions finished their breakfast, Tian Xi'er had already roasted the spiced peanuts.

Next came the candied hawthorns. To ensure a successful start, Lin Feng had to handle it himself. He boiled two catties of sugar and glazed eighty skewers.

Then, he had Liu Xi find a wooden pole, wrap the head with straw, cover it with a cloth bag, and insert the candied hawthorn skewers one by one. At a glance, the bright red, densely packed skewers were truly enticing.

Upon arriving at the town, they discovered that the group running the lucky draw had not shown up. They had likely either run out of prizes or moved to a new location. Constantly operating in one spot meant people gradually lost their sense of novelty, and those who failed to win often harbored resentment, going around to label them as scammers.

If a few hot-headed, unruly locals were involved, it was entirely possible the stall would have been smashed.

While wandering the town yesterday, Lin Feng had seen several idlers who were clearly local thugs, roaming about and shouting. From ancient times to the present, from villages to cities, such people were always present.

Lin Feng, of course, did not fear such people.

If thugs were categorized by rank, they were the lowest level, relying on brawls and posturing to intimidate common folk; they could only bully the weak.

The highest level were the wealthy heirs—the playboys. They either had money or influence; a fight could be settled with cash or by invoking a powerful father. Thus, they dared to bully anyone.

Lin Feng always described himself as a "profligate" rather than a "playboy." He believed there was a fundamental difference. A playboy belonged to the category of thugs, relying on family power to oppress the good and commit acts that provoked public outrage.

A profligate, however, could not be considered a thug. They were simply unrestrained and decadent, spending their days eating, drinking, chasing women, and wandering about without ambition. They, too, had powerful fathers and endless money, so they didn't fear trouble—anyone who provoked them would definitely face the consequences.

Lin Feng was a prime example. Not only did he have the Lin family behind him, but he was also highly skilled in martial arts. This was what he saw as his main difference from a typical playboy; very few playboys knew martial arts, preferring to hire gangs of thugs and lackeys to fight their battles for them.

But I digress. Lin Feng and his group stayed at the same stall. Since their second day of setting up, he had given the owner of the wine shop behind them ten copper coins each time.

The owner, having received the benefit, naturally wouldn't let anyone else set up shop in front of his door unless Lin Feng was absent.

"I'm going to deliver the peanuts to Lixiang Court." Just as they finished setting up, Xiaodie volunteered for the task.

The drunken ramblings of Lin Feng and Liu Xi last night had clearly stirred her.

"Let Liu Xi go with you."

"No need." Xiaodie shot Liu Xi a cold glance.

It seemed she was most uneasy about Liu Xi.

"Then come back as soon as you've delivered them."

"I know, Big Brother."

With that, Xiaodie took the five bags of spiced peanuts and headed toward Lixiang Court.

Lin Feng began to call out, "Come and take a look! Delicious candied hawthorns! A temptation of sweet and sour, an unforgettable taste to light up your taste buds!"

Some people had already noticed the candied hawthorns, and hearing Lin Feng’s call, they gathered around.

A young girl finally couldn't resist the temptation of the sugar-coated treat. "Mom, I want a candied hawthorn!"

"How much for one?" her mother asked.

"Forty copper coins per skewer."

Upon hearing the price, the mother began to hesitate.

"Mom! I want one!" the girl urged again.

"I'll buy one." Unable to resist her child's pleading, the mother finally took out her purse from her sleeve.

"You are our first customer, so this skewer is a gift for your daughter," Lin Feng said with a smile.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman happily took the treat and gave it to her daughter. "Eat up, this kind uncle gave it to you."

The girl was too excited to say thank you, immediately taking a bite. Her large eyes lit up instantly. "Delicious..." She took another bite. "It's so good! Mom, have a taste." Even while enjoying the treat, she didn't forget her mother.

Her mother took a gentle bite. "Mm, it is indeed delicious."

The mother and daughter smiled happily. The scene of their affection was truly heartwarming. They were certainly not pretending; the onlookers saw it, especially the children, who began to beg their parents for the treats. Of course, there were also young women looking expectantly at their sweethearts.

"I'll buy one!"

"I'll buy two!"

"..."

For the sake of their children or the women they loved, they bought them! Besides, forty copper coins wasn't an exorbitant price.

Naturally, there were also those coming to buy spiced peanuts—people who had tasted the free samples yesterday. Recalling the fragrance, they decided today to bite the bullet and buy two ounces.

Lin Feng, of course, wouldn't just sell by the catty.

Tian Xi'er was responsible for weighing, and Liu Xi handled the money. For a while, they were busy and thoroughly enjoying it.

Across the street, in a small restaurant, a man and a woman were sitting at a window seat on the second floor, eating and drinking.

Though their clothes were plain, they were clean and crisp, not looking like locals at all. The man was tall and upright, his eyes sharp and spirited. The woman was beautiful, with an air of heroic spirit between her brows.

The woman watched the scene below with curiosity, a glint in her eyes. "Candied hawthorns? I didn't expect to find such a delicacy in this place."

"Have you eaten these before?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I've never seen them, but they look delicious."

"Sister, I'll go down and buy you one."

"No need. We should finish our meal and get back on the road. Even if this town is remote, we cannot be careless." As she spoke, she looked out the window at the street again.

The candied hawthorns were selling very well; in less than half an hour, over sixty of the eighty skewers were gone.

The people who could afford them had bought them, and those who had watched for a long time without buying eventually left—these were naturally the ones unwilling to spend the money.

Just then, Xiaodie returned. Her expression was very poor, and there were tear tracks at the corners of her eyes.

Lin Feng asked, "What's wrong? Did Lixiang Court refuse to pay you?"

"No..."

"Then what happened?"

Xiaodie said indignantly, "There were some bad people blocking my path over there, and they even said such unbearable things..."

"Damn it! Where!?" Lin Feng was instantly furious.

"They... they are coming this way!" Xiaodie pointed toward the end of the street.