Chapter 539: with translation of chapter title

"Even a clever woman can't cook without rice." OK.

Literal: "Even a clever woman cannot cook without rice." Common idiom: "Even a skilled housewife cannot cook without rice." We'll translate: "Even a clever woman cannot cook without rice."

"Who with money would eat a free meal!" OK.

same.

"This is all because of being broke." OK.

"This is all because lack of money forces one to." So: "This is all due to being forced by lack of money."

"He was slapped and knocked down; this is the real hardship that befell Bangeng." OK.

"He got slapped and then thrown down; this is the real suffering that befell Bangeng." We'll translate: "He got slapped and then thrown down—this is the real suffering that befell Bangeng."

"Even if he could flee after being beaten, the key was that Bangeng was surrounded by a crowd whose expressions made it clear they saw him as a thief." OK.

"Being beaten, he could run away, but the key is that Bangeng was surrounded by a group of people, looking at their expressions, as if they regarded Bangeng as a thief." We'll translate: "Being beaten, he could run away, but the key is that Bangeng was surrounded by a group of people; looking at their expressions, it was as if they regarded Bangeng as a thief."

"Bangeng secretly lamented, unable to figure out what had gone wrong; the tactics that usually worked for him had suddenly stopped working." OK.

"Bangeng secretly lamented in his heart; he truly couldn't figure out where things went wrong. Although his usually effective methods had always worked, this time they failed." We'll translate: "Bangeng secretly lamented in his heart; he truly couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong. Although his usually effective methods had always worked, this time they failed."

"He is bound to suffer a beating." OK.

"He inevitably would suffer physical pain." We'll translate: "He inevitably would suffer physical pain."

"He panicked." OK.

"He became anxious." Or "He got anxious." We'll translate: "He became anxious."

"They say necessity breeds ingenuity." OK.

"People say that anxiety breeds ingenuity." We'll translate: "People say that anxiety breeds ingenuity."

"That's absolutely true." OK.

"That's absolutely true." We'll translate: "That's absolutely true."

"Being Jia Zhangshi's grandson and the child she raised, Bangeng inherited some of her fine traits." OK.

"As a grandson of Jia Zhangshi, and a child raised by her, Bangeng inherited some of her fine conduct, more or less." We'll translate: "As a grandson of Jia Zhangshi, and a child raised by her, Bangeng inherited some of her fine conduct, more or less."

"For example, behaving rudely." OK.

"For example, acting shamelessly." We'll translate: "For example, acting shamelessly."

"Bangeng glanced at the hostile crowd glaring like tigers; penniless, he recalled how Jia Zhangshi would act shamelessly and dominate the Siheyuan unchecked—even tough managers like Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Fugui could do nothing about her brazenness, and even the film projectionist Xu Daming and cafeteria chief He Yuzhu were helpless against her shamelessness, making them want to avoid the Jia family altogether." Need to ensure no Chinese characters: we have Siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Fugui, Xu Daming, He Yuzhu, Jia family. All are kept as names, no Chinese characters. Good.

"Bangeng looked around at the people glaring like tigers around him, penniless as he was, he recalled how Jia Zhangshi relied on shameless behavior to dominate the siheyuan without fear; even the likes of Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Fugui, the head stewards, had no way to deal with her shamelessness; the movie projectionist Xu Daming and the Yagangchang cafeteria chief He Yuzhu were also helpless against Jia Zhangshi's shamelessness, leading them to consider cutting ties with the Jia family."

"We need to keep the quotation marks as in the source; the source uses Chinese quotes, which we will convert to English double quotes. We'll output: 'Who says I don't pay the bill? You're slandering me, putting a label on me. I may be nothing much, but I'm still a six-foot-tall man; being called so despicable by you, saying I don't pay and want to eat for free—am I that kind of person? I'm not someone who eats without paying!'" Check: we have English double quotes? We used single quotes for the output. The phrase "English double quotes" is fine. No Chinese

Let's produce: "Bangeng looked around at the people glaring like tigers around him, penniless as he was, he recalled how Jia Zhangshi relied on shameless behavior to dominate the siheyuan without fear; even the likes of Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Fugui, the head stewards, had no way to deal with her shamelessness; the movie projectionist Xu Daming and the Yagangchang cafeteria chief He Yuzhu were also helpless against Jia Zhangshi's shamelessness, leading them to consider cutting ties with the Jia family."

Jia Zhangshi's formidable image filled Bangeng with unrealistic fantasies.

"Jia Zhangshi's invincible image gave Bangeng some unrealistic fantasies." We'll translate: "Jia Zhangshi's invincible image gave Bangeng some unrealistic fantasies."

Thinking of how Jia Zhangshi could act shamelessly in the Siheyuan, Bangeng wondered why, as her close grandson, he couldn't do the same in the restaurant—if he could cause a scene that left them helpless and let him leave, it would be as good as establishing himself in the capital.

The surrounding diners are exactly the kind of people the other side fears to offend.

The surrounding diners are exactly the kind of people the other side fears to offend.

In the rural village where they were posted, there was a man said to be descended from a storyteller who happened to work alongside Bangeng; during a break he recounted some tales of the martial world—what makes a hero and how a hero establishes himself.

"In the place where they initially went down to the countryside, there was a person said to be descended from a storyteller; he happened to work alongside Bangeng, and during a break he recounted some tales of wandering the martial world—what makes a hero, how a hero establishes prestige." We'll translate: "In the place where they initially went down to the countryside, there was a person said to be descended from a storyteller; he happened to work alongside Bangeng, and during a break he recounted some tales of wandering the martial world—what makes a hero, how a hero establishes prestige."

Bangeng just thought of that.

"Bangeng just now thought of that." We'll translate: "Bangeng just now thought of that."

He had no desire to wander the martial world; he simply wanted to make a name for himself, hoping to someday strike back and return to the Siheyuan as its tyrant, just like Jia Zhangshi who dominated the Siheyuan.

"He didn't have the idea of wandering the martial world; he just wanted to make a name for himself, hoping to someday retaliate and return to the siheyuan, become its overlord, just like Jia Zhangshi who dominated the siheyuan." We'll translate: "He didn't have the idea of wandering the martial world; he just wanted to make a name for himself, hoping to someday retaliate and return to the siheyuan, become its overlord, just like Jia Zhangshi who dominated the siheyuan."

During these days of wandering about.

"During these days of wandering outside." We'll translate: "During these days of wandering outside."

Although Bangeng had food and clothing thanks to free meals, finding a place to sleep at night was difficult; fortunately the weather isn't cold yet, so he can barely get by in the park, otherwise the harsh weather would surely freeze him to death.

"Although Bangeng relied on free meals to have food and clothing, sleeping at night was a problem; fortunately the weather isn't cold now, so he can barely get by in the park, otherwise the harsh weather would surely freeze him to death." We'll translate: "Although Bangeng relied on free meals to have food and clothing, sleeping at night was a problem; fortunately the weather isn't cold now, so he can barely get by in the park, otherwise the harsh weather would surely freeze him to death."

He came to understand the importance of money.

"He experienced the importance of money." We'll translate: "He experienced the importance of money."

With money you can do anything; I've heard that in some places you no longer need tickets—you can just buy your way in.

"With money, one can do anything; I've heard that in some places tickets are no longer needed, and with money you can just buy." We'll translate: "With money, one can do anything; I've heard that in some places tickets are no longer needed, and with money you can just buy."

For money.

"For money." We'll translate: "For money."

He opened his mouth.

"He opened his mouth." We'll translate: "He opened his mouth."

Shameless words came out of Bangeng's mouth.

"Shameless words flew from Bangeng's mouth." We'll translate: "Shameless words flew from Bangeng's mouth."

"Who says I don't pay the bill? You're slandering me, putting a label on me. I may be nothing much, but I'm still a six-foot-tall man; being called so despicable by you, saying I don't pay and want to eat for free—am I that kind of person? I'm not someone who eats without paying!"

We need to keep the quotation marks as in the source; the source uses Chinese quotes, which we will convert to English double quotes. We'll output: 'Who says I don't pay the bill? You're slandering me, putting a label on me. I may be nothing much, but I'm still a six-foot-tall man; being called so despicable by you, saying I don't pay and want to eat for free—am I that kind of person? I'm not someone who eats without paying!'

Bangeng's hand.

"Bangeng's hand." We'll translate: "Bangeng's hand."

He pointed to the cheek that the thin waiter had just slapped swollen.

"Pointed at the cheek that had been slapped swollen by the thin waiter earlier." We'll translate: "Pointed at the cheek that had been slapped swollen by the thin waiter earlier."

In just a moment.

"In such a short while." We'll translate: "In such a short while."

The left cheek that Bangeng had been slapped felt strange: it started numb, then turned into a sour‑spicy sting, the skin tightened, and a tingling numbness spread over him.

"The left cheek where Bangeng was slapped felt strange; it went from numbness at first to a sour, stinging pain, the skin tight, and that tingling numbness also came over him." We'll translate: "The left cheek where Bangeng was slapped felt strange; it went from numbness at first to a sour, stinging pain, the skin tight, and that tingling numbness also came over him."

No need to look.

"No need to look." We'll translate: "No need to look."

Just by guessing.

"Just by guessing." We'll translate: "Just by guessing."

Bangeng knew his face had been swollen by the thin waiter's slap.

"Bangeng just knew his face—it had been slapped swollen by the thin waiter earlier." We'll translate: "Bangeng just knew his face—it had been slapped swollen by the thin waiter earlier."

He muttered, puzzled.

"He muttered in puzzlement." We'll translate: "He muttered in puzzlement."

Looking at the frail little girl who could be knocked over with a slap from Bangeng, yet she had such strength.

"Looking at the frail little girl who could be knocked over with a slap by Bangeng, yet she had such strength." We'll translate: "Looking at the frail little girl who could be knocked over with a slap by Bangeng, yet she had such strength."

Since getting beaten was already a fact, he had to find some benefit for himself, otherwise he'd have been beaten for nothing.

"Given that being beaten was already a settled fact, he had to find some benefit for himself, otherwise he'd truly have been beaten for nothing." We'll translate: "Given that being beaten was already a settled fact, he had to find some benefit for himself, otherwise he'd truly have been beaten for nothing."

"You hit people—what right do you have to hit me? I was just waiting for a friend at the door because I had nowhere else to go, and you hit me, slapped me, and knocked me down while I was here to eat. Is there any law or justice left? My whole body aches terribly—what do you plan to do about this? Settle privately or go to the authorities?"

Bangeng's voice as he spoke.

"Bangeng's voice when he spoke." We'll translate: "Bangeng's voice when he spoke."

Much clearer than a few days ago.

"It sounded much better than a few days ago." We'll translate: "It sounded much better than a few days ago."

The toothache that had troubled Bangeng for days miraculously healed after he was slapped by the little girl, and it no longer hurt.

"The toothache that had troubled Bangeng for several days miraculously healed after he was slapped by the little girl; it no longer hurt." We'll translate: "The toothache that had troubled Bangeng for several days miraculously healed after he was slapped by the little girl; it no longer hurt."

Achievement is over.

Wait, the original lines 42 and 43 are "Merit is merit." and "Fault is fault."

【42】 Merit is merit.

"Merit is merit." We'll translate: "Merit is merit."

Fault is fault.

"Fault is fault." We'll translate: "Fault is fault."

We can't simply overlook Bangeng's beating just because the little girl's slap cured his toothache.

"But we can't just let the little girl's slap curing Bangeng's toothache gloss over the fact that he was beaten." We'll translate: "But we can't just let the little girl's slap curing Bangeng's toothache gloss over the fact that he was beaten."

Bangeng gave two choices.

"Bangeng offered two options." We'll translate: "Bangeng offered two options."

Private settlement and reporting to the authorities.

"Private settlement and reporting to the authorities." We'll translate: "Private settlement and reporting to the authorities."

"If we settle privately, you must apologize to me and compensate me for the slap and the fall—this isn't making trouble, it's because your restaurant is bullying customers; look at Bai Xu, they're all restaurants, and they've even abolished the rule against randomly scolding or hitting customers."

"Bai Xu is fine—go eat there if you like! Why come to our Red Star Restaurant to cause trouble?"

Bai Xu is fine—go eat there if you like! Why come to our Red Star Restaurant to cause trouble!

"What kind of attitude is this?"

We'll translate: "\"What's your attitude? \""

"This is my attitude—what of it? Not happy? Who asked you to come? Did I beg you to come?"

We'll translate: "\"This is my attitude—what of it? Not satisfied? Who asked you to come? I didn't beg you to come! \""

"With your attitude like this, as a customer you've beaten, I have no choice but to go to the authorities. I believe there must be a place for reason; when the police come, those who deserve jail will go to jail, those who owe compensation will pay—don't say I didn't warn you."

We'll translate: "\"With your attitude like this, as a customer you've beaten, I can only choose the second solution—report to the authorities. I don't believe there's no place for reason; when the police come, those who should be jailed will be jailed, those who should compensate will compensate—don't say I didn't warn you. \""

"Hey, big shot, do you think you can show off in our Red Star Restaurant? You don't even see what we do here—do you really think we can't tell you're a useless fool?"

We'll translate: "\"Hey, old man, you think you're showing off by coming to our Red Star Restaurant? You don't even see what our Red Star Restaurant does—do you really think we can't see through your pretentious little act? \""

The leader.

"The leader." We'll translate: "The leader."

He shouted a few insults at Bangeng.

"He scolded Bangeng a few times." We'll translate: "He scolded Bangeng a few times."

He raised his hand and gave Bangeng a hard slap.

"He raised his hand and gave Bangeng a big slap." We'll translate: "He raised his hand and gave Bangeng a big slap."

Before, his left cheek was slapped; this time they hit his right cheek.

"Earlier the slap was on his left cheek; this time they hit his right cheek." We'll translate: "Earlier the slap was on his left cheek; this time they hit his right cheek."

He is also a compulsive disorder sufferer.

"He is also someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder." We'll translate: "He is also someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder."

This looks better.

"This looks better." We'll translate: "This looks better."

But Bangeng felt awful, staring straight at the person before him, even after threatening to call the police, they still dared to hit him.

"However, Bangeng didn't feel good; he stared straight at the person in front of him, even after he'd threatened to call the police, they still dared to hit him." We'll translate: "However, Bangeng didn't feel good; he stared straight at the person in front of him, even after he'd threatened to call the police, they still dared to hit him."

Jia Zhangshi instantly possessed.

He covered his cheeks, rolling back and forth on the ground, shouting out some vulgar words that only elderly women would utter when causing a scene.

"Someone's been killed! The Red Star Restaurant staff are beating customers, they're about to beat the customer to death, help! Help! Someone's beating someone! Ow ow ow, today this matter won't be settled without twenty dollars; if you don't compensate me twenty dollars, I won't leave. I'm not just joking; what I say is true. If this isn't resolved, I won't leave, and you won't be able to do business."

In response to Bangeng.

It was a kick from the restaurant staff's foot.

This result.

This was beyond Bangeng's expectations; judging by the glorious past of Jia Zhangshi causing a scene in the Siheyuan that Bangeng recalled, these people should have fled far away, yet they all rushed at him with fists and feet.

The script is wrong.

Or perhaps things didn't unfold as Bangeng had anticipated.

Think about it.

How could a frog at the bottom of a well have any insight?

Bangeng had never eaten at a state-run restaurant before, unaware of how the people there behaved; a few days earlier he had smoothly enjoyed several free meals, mistakenly thinking the warning on the wall prohibiting random assaults on customers was just some Western product, and combined with his unwavering faith in Jia Zhangshi's scene‑making skills, this led to his current predicament.

He was beaten.

"Stop hitting, stop hitting, I was wrong, I don't want anything, this matter is my fault." Under the blows, Bangeng curled his body as much as possible, hands protecting his head, presenting his buttocks to those people—a spot that can take a beating—and he also let out a wail: "Oh dear, please don't hit me anymore; if you keep hitting, someone will get killed."

"Do you know that the Horse King has three eyes?"

"I know."

"Is it right to hit you? Should you be hit?"

"You're not wrong; I deserve to be hit."

"Hand over the money."

"Wait a moment, I'll go to the entrance to pick up a friend, then we'll eat together, we…."

The nonsense wasn't finished yet.

Bangeng's head received another slap.

The tremendous force drove the words that had been at the back of Bangeng's throat straight back into his stomach.

"Damn it, you still dare to fool us with nonsense—do you really think we don't know who you are? And you're still waiting for a friend? If we let you go, will you just stand at our shop entrance for a moment and then run away without a trace?"

Bangeng said nothing.

He looked at the people before him.

He panicked.

Eating free meals is just eating free meals.

But he's not stupid.

Otherwise he couldn't have kept eating free meals for so many days.

Bangeng knows the outcome of being caught. Putting it lightly, it's eating without paying, being shameless. Putting it seriously, this constitutes misappropriation of collective assets, which could land him in jail.

The minor matter is no big deal—at worst he'd have to pay a little money. Bangeng has no money, but Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu certainly do, and he's confident they'll help him come up with the sum.

No money.

Otherwise he would let the Jia family line die out.

He now worries about the latter—that they'll use the charge of misappropriating collective assets to deal with him.

He felt a bit of lingering fear.

Within seven or eight days he had eaten free meals worth twenty or thirty dollars; if it fell into their hands, they would pursue responsibility up the chain.

He bore the infamy of Chen Shimei, had driven away his own sister Huaihua, and was unfilial toward Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi; adding another theft‑and‑imprisonment record might really make true that old saying: if he wants a wife he can only dream, for in his dreams he has everything.

A true hero doesn't suffer present losses.

Having been called out in one breath for his tricks, Bangeng no longer had the will to resist to the end; he tried to squeeze a pleasing smile onto his face, but after two slaps his face was swollen like a pig's head, rendering the appeasing expression ineffective, yet his eyes showed a faint pleading.

"Slap!"

On Bangeng's head.

He received another slap.

The one who struck.

Still the manager of the restaurant.

"Not running away?"

"Not running."

"Do you admit or not that you're eating free meals?"

"Admit." Bangeng, having agreed, hurriedly began to defend himself: "It's not that I don't want to pay; it's that my wallet was stolen, I was starving, I thought I'd come in for a bite to eat, and when I have money later I'll repay the meal cost in full."

Seeing their faces unmoved,

Bangeng knew his lies weren't trusted at all.

To avoid jail,

he also went all out.

He shifted his prone body on the ground, turning from lying to kneeling.

A man's knees hold gold.

He couldn't worry about much else.

Not going to jail is his principle.

"Big brother, big sister, I'm not human, I'm a bastard; I've done something that lets down the country, the collective, and the people. I was wrong. Please give me a chance to reform. I beg you, please don't send me to jail—I'll pay, I'll pay whatever I owe."

Three kowtows.

He knocked his head in front of everyone.

If this had been the first time such a thing happened, these people might have forgiven Bangeng, but because he had eaten free meals twice a day for seven or eight straight days, causing many to be criticized over the matter,

The state-run restaurants in the Capital City had basically all heard about it; they learned of a roughly thirty-year-old man with a dark, grimy face and several scratches on his face, who repeatedly cheated meals and drinks.

The scheme was to first order a dish, then a bowl of rice or noodles, drink a bottle of soda, after eating and drinking his fill, order another dish, using the excuse that he was waiting for a friend or that his friend outside dared not come in, needing to go outside to call him, thus implementing an escape plan; more than a dozen state-run restaurants of various sizes all fell victim to his tricks.

Bangeng entered the door.

The restaurant staff already knew from Bangeng's appearance that he was the scoundrel who had been cheating meals and drinks.

Unfortunately, Bangeng was unaware of these circumstances; after filling his own belly, he tried to repeat his old trick, but ultimately got beaten up by them.

If Bangeng's complexion looked better, he wouldn't have been beaten; because he worked in the countryside, his complexion made him look several years older than his actual age, giving people the impression of a vagrant, and thus he wasn't trusted much.

"What do you have to pay with? You just said your wallet was stolen, and now you say you want to pay—is that really true? Xiao Li, Xiao Wang, call the police station and say we've caught a hooligan who's been eating free meals for seven or eight days straight, and have them come take him away."

Bangeng felt like dying.

He is stupid.

He also understood what these people meant; this damn thing was using Bangeng as a tool to seek merit and reward.

He couldn't end up in jail.

His head kept knocking, making a thumping sound, and soon his forehead showed blood.

"Please, give me a chance to correct my mistake; I was wrong, this is my first time doing such a thing, I'll pay, I'll pay double."

"You claim it's your first time doing this? Bah! Last night at the Niujie state-run restaurant, you ordered a boiled fish and a bowl of noodles, then ran off without paying. At the Jiefang Road state-run restaurant, you ordered braised pork and two steamed buns, then ran off without paying. At the Xiaojie state-run restaurant, you drank two bottles of soda, ordered a roasted chicken, ate and then ran off, all under the pretense of waiting for a friend outside the restaurant—is this really your first time doing such a thing? Are you trying to fool us, or do you think we don't know anything?"

"I'm truly bewildered, I've done wrong, sorry, please give me a way out; I still have a grandmother to support, I still have to provide for my mother, yes yes yes, I still need to find my sister; I did this because I was looking for my sister and ran out of money."

"Always talking about mother, sister, grandmother—why don't you mention you also have a wife and children? Do you think we believe your nonsense?"

"I'm not a bad person; everything I say is true. My name is Bangeng, my formal name is Jia Geng, I'm a resident of the Red Star Courtyard; my mother's name is Qin Huairu, she's a worker at the Yagangchang; my grandmother's name is Jia Zhangshi. For the meal expenses these past few days, go to my grandmother, go to my mother, have them pay you double, don't involve the police."