Chapter 36: Tit-for-Tat

"Zhao Gangzi, what is the meaning of this! Me coming to eat at your house is giving you face; even your father wouldn't dare say such things. You really don't know what's good for you!"

Liu Haizhong was furious, slamming his hand on the table and standing up, saying very angrily.

"Don't talk so much flowery nonsense. Just one word: if you want to eat, you have to work for me. Otherwise, go over there and gnaw on bones!"

Zhao Gangzi let out a cold snort and then pointed toward Bang Geng and Jia Dongxu, who were fighting over bones in the distance.

As for the two over there, because they hadn't received any thrown bones for a while, they looked at Liu Haizhong and cursed angrily: "Old thing, I advise you to get lost quickly. Saving food is a job only I can do!"

"Second Uncle is a bad person, he can't snatch food from children..."

Seeing this scene, the anger in Liu Haizhong's heart erupted to the extreme. With so much food, didn't he know how to respect the old and cherish the young? What was wrong with inviting him to eat some meat?

Besides, Zhao Gangzi's family was so rich, eating one meal wouldn't make him poor!

"See that, Second Uncle? Hurry up and go stay over by Jia Dongxu!"

Zhao Gangzi pointed over there.

It was fortunate that First Uncle Yi Zhonghai wasn't home these past two days, having taken First Aunt out of town for medical treatment; otherwise, this scene would definitely have been enough to make fun of Second Uncle for a year.

"Since I can't eat, then nobody eats!"

Liu Haizhong was already furious.

He then sneered, flipped his palm, and prepared to overturn the entire table. This time, he intended to tear off the mask of civility.

But no matter how hard Second Uncle pushed, the table didn't budge in the slightest.

Moreover, he kept feeling a chill behind his back, as if a dozen pairs of eyes were staring at him.

"Hey, why is this old thing acting like a rascal! Brother Gangzi, how about we help you teach him a lesson?"

"Exactly, I can't even watch this anymore. He really has no dignity for an elder!"

"We're the best at dealing with people like this!"

The ten workers were all displeased. One of them, who was very strong, directly lifted Liu Haizhong up as if he were grabbing a chick.

The others also unbuckled their belts from their waists.

"What are you doing?"

"You are breaking the law, do you know that? Hitting an old man is against morality!"

Liu Haizhong had also learned that act from First Uncle, and now he was spouting benevolence and morality at every turn.

But these ten men only knew how to exert strength and didn't care what he was saying. All they saw was this old scoundrel acting tough and unreasonable here—he deserved a beating!

After all, they had taken the man's money and eaten his food; they still had to help with this little favor.

"Let go of my father! We two brothers will fight you to the death!"

This scene was seen by Liu Guangfu and his brother. Seeing their old father being handled by others, they were immediately displeased, grabbed brooms from the doorway, and charged over.

But how could these two underage kids be a match for these burly men who had been carrying heavy loads for years?

Before they could even get close, they were kicked over, one by one.

"Damn it, don't hit my sons!"

Liu Haizhong struggled incessantly, but he was already terrified in his heart. With these big men, if each one gave him a kick, his old bones would fall apart.

"Hey, hey, everything should be based on harmony. Hurry up and put Second Uncle down!"

Zhao Gangzi couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth and directly advised the leading porter.

"That's right, you bunch of hoodlums, do you know who I am? I am a worker with an official position!"

"Otherwise, when the neighborhood committee people come in a while, none of you will be able to leave!"

Second Uncle said, emboldening himself.

Seeing this posture, the men didn't even listen to Zhao Gangzi's words anymore and all wanted to teach Liu Haizhong a lesson.

They threw a few punches, nearly knocking Second Uncle's teeth out; his glaucoma was almost beaten into a cataract.

Seeing how fierce the men were, Liu Guangfu and his brother were too scared to get up from the ground and could only let their unlucky father fend for himself.

This scene left Jia Dongxu with lingering fear.

It was a good thing he hadn't looked for trouble with Zhao Gangzi today; otherwise, just with these few people, he would have been beaten until he vomited bile.

However, the men had a sense of proportion and didn't dare to make too big a scene, only causing Liu Haizhong some minor skin injuries.

But even so, it was enough to make old Liu beg for mercy repeatedly.

He was just short of kneeling down to them.

"Gangzi, I was wrong, please say a few good words for me!"

Only after being beaten did Liu Haizhong settle down.

Seeing that the lesson was enough, Zhao Gangzi hurriedly called the group to a halt, then said to old Liu: "Second Uncle, I told you, don't come here to sponge off my food and drink. Look, you didn't get anything and got a beating for nothing!"

"But after all, our relationship is good, isn't it?"

"Come, take this plate of peanuts with you."

Zhao Gangzi happily took a plate of peanuts off the table and, regardless of whether Second Uncle wanted them or not, gave them directly to his two young sons.

The commotion was quite large, and many people poked their heads out to watch the show. This was the first time they had seen Second Uncle get humbled.

It had to be said that Zhao Gangzi really had the ability. Last time he dealt with First Uncle and Shazhu, and even sent Jia Zhangshi to prison; now even Second Uncle was scared stiff.

Even though Liu Haizhong harbored a thousand hatreds in his heart, he didn't dare to show it now.

After all, a gentleman's revenge is not too late in ten years, and furthermore, Liu Haizhong had the potential of a petty person; he would surely take revenge a thousand or a hundred times over in the future.

Third Uncle had originally wanted to be like Second Uncle and come to the Back Courtyard to sponge a meal, but as soon as he arrived and saw this scene, he was scared limp.

What was there to eat? His own life was more important.

Facing such a powerful Zhao Gangzi, who knows how many people labeled him as someone not to be trifled with in their hearts, but there would always be a few blind ones.

And for these people, Zhao Gangzi upheld the spirit of "if people don't offend me, I don't offend them"; otherwise, don't blame him for not showing mercy.

"Brother Gangzi, we were wrong. It was my father whose brain short-circuited; don't hold it against him," Liu Guangfu said with a trembling voice.

Zhao Gangzi also nodded, not intending to pursue the matter further.

After all, today was a joyous occasion, and it would be inappropriate to have Lao Liu bleeding on the spot, so he let those two brothers carry Lao Liu away.

Once they had sent that unlucky fellow off, the group sat down again to drink and chat happily; if not for the fact that they felt their own status was too low, they would have wanted to swear brotherhood with Zhao Gangzi right then and there.

"Hey, you two hurry up and move your things, otherwise we'll just throw everything from your house out."

After finishing the meal, Zhao Gangzi moved a chair for himself and sat down in the courtyard, urging Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu to hurry up and move their belongings.

Having the example of Second Uncle before them, the couple naturally dared not delay, fearing that the dozen or so burly men might take action against them; Qin Huairu was fine, as these men did not hit women.

But Jia Dongxu was different.

At this moment, as if a medical miracle had occurred, he carried a cabinet on his back and climbed toward the Back Courtyard, and his speed was so fast that even Zhao Gangzi was left clicking his tongue in amazement.

"The Jia Family truly has some bloodline inheritance; they really have all sorts of incredible people!"

It was not until the sun set behind the western hills that the couple, Jia Dongxu and his wife, finished moving; the two were so exhausted they collapsed, not even bothering to tidy up, and simply lay on the dusty floor snoring away.