Chapter 26: He Yuzhu Has a Chance Encounter with a Father and Daughter

He Yuzhu, having been struck on the forehead, charged into the main hall in a huff.

He glared, his gaze quickly locking onto that waiter who looked down on others.

At this moment, several waiters dressed in blue cloth short-jackets were driving away a father and daughter wearing tattered clothes.

The man being shoved was about forty-something, with a square face and a broad frame; a washed-out, faded blue cloth padded jacket was wrapped tightly around his sturdy build, and his stance was extremely stable—even as those waiters shoved him, his feet seemed rooted to the ground, clearly the mark of someone with a solid foundation in martial arts.

He was pulling a girl of about fifteen or sixteen behind him.

The girl had a round face and a sturdy, full figure; her fists were tightly clenched, and she wanted to rush up to argue, but was held firmly by the man.

The tall, thin waiter who had struck He Yuzhu saw He Yuzhu enter in a rage and immediately assumed he was with that father and daughter.

Far from showing any apology, he smirked and leaned in: "Heh! Thought there were two stinking beggars, turns out there are three! Our 'Kaorouji' is a place for rich gentlemen to eat roast meat, we have no steamed buns for you, get lost!"

He Yuzhu hated nothing more in his life than this kind of person who bullied others by relying on their status, and the wicked fire in his heart surged straight to his crown!

Without a word, he kicked out, landing a solid blow on the waiter's chest.

"Ouch!"

The waiter let out a miserable shriek and flew backward like a broken sack, crashing into an Eight Immortals table with a loud "Bang!"

He curled up on the ground, clutching his chest, his face pale from the pain.

The father and daughter, who were about to be driven out, were stunned; they looked at each other, thinking He Yuzhu was standing up for them.

The two stopped in their tracks, standing to the side to watch everything that had suddenly unfolded.

"You little brat! Daring to run wild in 'Kaorouji'! You've got some nerve!"

A burly waiter with a face full of flesh saw his companion suffer and his eyes turned red.

He grabbed an arm-thick bench leg from the wall, swung it around, and smashed it toward He Yuzhu's head!

If this blow landed, it would surely crack his skull open.

But the He Yuzhu of today had long since been reborn.

Seeing the club falling toward his head, he didn't retreat; instead, at the very moment the club reached its lowest point and its force was nearly spent, he reached out his right hand and grabbed the end of the club!

The burly waiter felt the club become immovable; startled, he used all his might to try and pull it back.

"Thud!"

He Yuzhu's left fist, like a cannonball leaving the chamber, slammed solidly into the big man's lower abdomen.

He flew several meters away in an instant, falling to the ground and rolling.

"This is rebellion! Beat him! Cripple this little brat!" Seeing the situation, the other waiters let out wild howls, grabbed nearby stools and broom handles, and swarmed over in a pack.

An older man who looked like the shift leader shouted: "Damn it all, stop fighting! The tables and chairs are all being ruined by you! What are we supposed to do?"

But those young waiters ignored him entirely, continuing to do as they pleased.

Seeing these people charging at him all at once, He Yuzhu wasn't scared; instead, he took the initiative to charge into the crowd!

His fists moved like the wind, his kicks like whips, and he targeted only the most vulnerable joints.

"Bang!"

"Smack!"

"Ouch—!"

"My waist!"

For a time, figures flew, and angry curses mingled with screams.

"Damn it! I'll show you for bullying customers because your shop is big! Today I'll make sure you learn a lesson!" He Yuzhu cursed.

"All of you, stop!"

A low shout, full of inner strength, instantly stunned the scene.

He Yuzhu looked up.

He saw a middle-aged man in a dark blue fine-cloth cotton robe quickly lift the curtain and emerge from the back kitchen.

This man was about forty-something, with a steady expression, eyes as sharp as knives, and a firm, powerful gait; he was none other than the shopkeeper, Li Xinhua.

Shopkeeper Li quickly scanned the mess on the floor, his brows locked tight. Finally, his gaze landed on He Yuzhu.

He hurried forward a few steps, cupped his hands, and lowered his posture significantly: "I am Li Xinhua, the shopkeeper of this small establishment. My subordinates were blind, didn't know the rules, and offended you; I am truly sorry! I, Li, offer you my apologies here! I wonder... how did they offend you? Please, young master, enlighten me, and I will certainly punish them severely!"

He Yuzhu pointed at the waiter who still had blood on the corner of his mouth and said: "Ask him! The moment I walked in, this dog thing didn't say a word, picked up his dirty table-wiping rag, and whipped it across my face! And he kept spouting 'get lost, you stinking beggar'! Is this how you treat guests at 'Kaorouji'?"

Li Xinhua's gaze turned icy in an instant, and he asked sternly: "Doggy! Is what the guest said the truth?"

Doggy clutched his face, meeting the shopkeeper's murderous glare, and felt a bit nervous: "Sh... Shopkeeper! You... you look at his outfit! If he's not a beggar, what is he? I... I was just doing it for the peace of our shop..."

"Smack—!"

A slap landed hard on the other side of Goushengzi's face.

Goushengzi spun half a circle on the spot, stars dancing before his eyes.

Li Xinhua withdrew his hand and pointed toward the back hall, roaring: "You bastard! How have I taught you all this time?! 'Everyone who enters is a guest, harmony brings wealth'! You dog-eyed thing! Get to the back woodshed and kneel! You won't get a single cent of this month's wages!"

After roaring at Goushengzi, he turned to look at He Yuzhu, his face instantly piling on twelve parts of apologetic smiles: "Young master, please calm your anger! All the faults are mine for failing to discipline them; I, Li Xinhua, apologize to you!" His posture was humble to the extreme.

Seeing his sincere attitude, He Yuzhu's anger dissipated a little, and he waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. I'm here to eat today, not specifically to wreck the place."

His old-fashioned, affected tone made Li Xinhua secretly marvel: This half-grown boy has remarkable skills, and his way of speaking and acting carries a maturity that belies his age—he's no simple character!

He Yuzhu turned his gaze toward the father and daughter who were still standing to the side, looking somewhat uneasy, and a bright smile appeared on his face: "Uncle, sister, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Look at this mess. If you don't mind, why not join me for a meal?"

The middle-aged man hurriedly cupped his hands, speaking with a heavy accent: "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! My name is Chen Qingshan, and this is my daughter, Daya. Young master, we were just trying to beg for a few steamed buns; it wouldn't be appropriate to eat at the same table as you!"

He Yuzhu grinned, showing a devil-may-care attitude: "Hey! We're all people adrift in the world..." He intentionally stalled, scratched his head, and pretended he couldn't remember, "What's the next line again?"

"Why must we have met before to be like old friends!" Chen Daya, standing nearby, had her eyes light up and chimed in crisply.

"Heh! Well said! Sister Daya is quite cultured!" He Yuzhu was amused and gave Daya a thumbs-up.

Chen Daya was giggled by him, thinking that although this kid was fierce in a fight, he was quite interesting to talk to; she immediately tugged on her father's sleeve: "Dad, I think this young master is a straightforward person with a good heart. Why don't we just accept his kindness?"

Chen Qingshan looked at his daughter, then at the sincere-looking He Yuzhu, and cupped his hands: "Then we won't stand on ceremony!"

The father and daughter then followed He Yuzhu and sat down beside an Eight Immortals table.

He Yuzhu carelessly picked up the coarse porcelain teapot on the table and poured a bowl of murky-colored tea for each of them.

The two were a bit overwhelmed by the favor; Chen Qingshan hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands, "That won't do, that won't do, Young Master, we can do it ourselves."

He Yuzhu waved his hand, "Don't be polite! When out and about, who doesn't have their share of hardships."

He picked up his own tea bowl and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over Chen Qingshan's broad shoulders, and he asked casually, "Master Chen, looking at your physique, you practice martial arts, right? I wonder which school of Kung Fu you practice?"

Chen Qingshan set down his tea bowl and said, "I am from Chen Family Village in Henan. My hometown suffered a disaster and we couldn't survive, so I brought my daughter to the Tianjin docks to carry loads and make a living. A few days ago, I heard that Beijing was going to hold some sort of 'Martial Arts Assembly,' and thinking that with my strength and the ancestral tricks I know, I might be able to scrape together a living, so I came all the way here. I didn't expect that while sleeping on the road, my travel money would be swiped. Sigh! That is how I ended up in this state of begging; I have let you see me at my worst, Young Master."