Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 9
Uncle Gao fell to the ground and lay motionless.
Song Shi’an’s heart suddenly tightened. How could an ordinary person overpower Uncle Gao like that?
He didn’t even use his hands, instead straightening up and bumping into the ground. Was he trying to provoke a reaction?
However, Uncle Gao’s push had him sprained his foot, and the injury wasn’t serious. His ankle under the trousers appeared swollen, but he couldn’t put weight on his right foot.
He couldn’t stand on his own, let alone check on Uncle Gao.
Aunt Liu was shocked. It was only then that Song Shi’an noticed the bruise on her left cheekbone and eye, her bun disheveled, and several strands of hair torn out. He seethed with anger, itching to take action. If it weren’t for worrying about implicating Xu Zhongyue, he might have wished Uncle Gao to meet his end now.
The commotion outside attracted the curiosity of a neighbor who opened the door. She didn’t see Uncle Gao still on the ground, but she noticed Aunt Liu looking distraught.
She waved and said, “Has your husband beaten you again? Instead of fighting with him, why not hide until he calms down? He’s so temperamental; why put yourself through this?”
The neighbor had known Aunt Liu for years, and she had witnessed the difficulties she faced.
At the beginning, the old lady of the Gao family had been particularly tough on Aunt Liu. Even minor mistakes, like not kneeling properly while serving tea or serving water that was too hot, would lead to punishment. The neighbors often heard the sounds of arguments and physical altercations coming from the Gao household.
After Aunt Liu gave birth to a son, the beatings ceased, and the neighbors hoped she could finally enjoy a peaceful life. But now, it was happening again.
Aunt Liu finally regained her composure, exchanged a sad glance with the neighbor, and then knelt down to help Uncle Gao up.
In recent years, Uncle Gao had developed gambling and drinking habits, and his once-robust figure had withered. He no longer looked as handsome as he did when he was newly married.
It took several attempts for the slight Aunt Liu to help him up. Uncle Gao slowly opened his eyes, glanced around, and remembered the recent kick he received.
With a face full of flesh, he stared fiercely at Xu Zhongyue, causing the neighbor to flinch.
“You scoundrel, how dare you strike me? You didn’t ask whose house is the Gao family’s…”
The neighbor, thinking that Song Shi’an and Xu Zhongyue were passersby, seeing Uncle Gao from provoking the tall and handsome young man, she stretched out her long neck to see.
Xu Zhongyue remained still, standing there in silence.
Uncle Gao approached him with a pounding heart. Good guy, how did this kid grow up? His body was really good, broad and strong.
“Why do you hit me?” Uncle Gao grabbed Xu Zhongyue’s lapel and tried to drag him away, but he couldn’t.
“You dare to disturb this master, good boy. Come with me to see the official and let the official judge. You won’t shed tears until you are sent to a cell!”
Song Shi’an became anxious upon hearing this. Xu Zhongyue had helped him just moments ago, but he couldn’t afford to be imprisoned. However, working in a restaurant all year had left him with little knowledge of the outside world. He lacked resources and was desperate for a solution.
His eyes welled up with panic, and his nose and the corners of his eyes turned red. His tender skin made the redness particularly noticeable.
Xu Zhongyue stood motionless, as if a mountain weighed him down. Uncle Gao tugged at him persistently, like a clown.
Aunt Liu, in a state of panic, stammered, “This guy… please, don’t…”
Song Shi’an gritted his teeth and added, “If someone’s going to jail, it’ll be me.”
He didn’t know how to defend Xu Zhongyue, but he understood that, during those times, people feared dealing with the goverment. The thought of facing officials made his face turn green, and his lips went pale. He believed that if he stood up for Xu Zhongyue and offended Uncle Gao, the matter would escalate, so he offered to take the blame himself.
Xu Zhongyue lowered his gaze to the hand holding the edge of his sleeve. His young, slender fingers were pink at the joints. A subtle smile played on his lips, softening his handsome face.
His smooth features were deceptive, and his smile appeared even more gentle. Uncle Gao grew angrier, interpreting the smile as mockery. He clenched his fists, ready to strike, but Xu Zhongyue effortlessly blocked him.
Xu Zhongyue said, “Hit you? Go to jail? Did I do that just now? Did anyone witness it?”
Uncle Gao didn’t anticipate this level of naivety from the man. Accusing Xu Zhongyue of breaking a debt and shouting, “Everyone around here saw it!”
He expected Aunt Liu to support him, but to his surprise, she kept crying silently. She looked at her husband, then at Xu Zhongyue, and finally at Song Shi’an, firmly shaking her head and saying, “I was running ahead, I didn’t see how you fell.”
Song Shi’an raised his hands and echoed, “I didn’t see it either.”
Uncle Gao glanced at the neighbor’s aunt, who quickly retreated and closed her door. She hid, mumbling “Amitabha, the Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering,” to comfort herself. She wouldn’t testify; it wasn’t her concern.
Uncle Gao’s anger showed on his face, but Xu Zhongyue’s calm statement silenced him: “No one was watching, right? I can demonstrate again.”
Uncle Gao’s anger turned to disbelief as Xu Zhongyue punched him in the face, causing his lips to split. When he attempted to retaliate with a kick, Xu Zhongyue countered with a hard blow to the knee.
There was a distinctive “click,” which caught the attention of the neighbors, not just Song Shi’an and Aunt Liu. The neighbor’s aunt, frightened, recited “Amitabha” while closing her door. She wanted nothing to do with this situation; it was not her problem.
For the first time in his life, Uncle Gao had suffered a significant defeat. He was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. It took him a while before he cried out, “My leg… it’s broken.”
The neighbor’s aunt couldn’t help but think, “You treated Aunt Liu like an animal for so long, and this time your leg was broken. Truly, the Bodhisattva has intervened, and Guanyin has opened her eyes!”
In excruciating pain, Uncle Gao struggled to sit up and observed his legs in horror. The calf from the kneecap down had a grotesque angle protruding from the trousers, with broken bones poking through the fabric.
At such a dire moment, Aunt Liu, who had suffered for years, surprisingly covered her face with her hands and refused to look over. The handsome young man who stood next to her, looking vaguely familiar, pretended to be oblivious, keeping his eyes closed.
Only the relentless Xu Zhongyue, who had crippled him and refused to leave, took a step forward, crouching beside Uncle Gao. His lips were cold and ruthless as he spoke in a stern tone, “Do you have any evidence this time? If you want to report me, I won’t change my name or surname. Remember the butcher Xu from Shui Mofang Alley?”
Song Shi’an, a law-abiding citizen in his previous life who wouldn’t even watch horror movies, dared not open his eyes. He suspected that the current scene was rather gruesome, and he was concerned that Xu Zhongyue might act impulsively and create further trouble.
However, he never anticipated that Uncle Gao, who had initially sought to harm Xu Zhongyue immediately after the fall, would change his story after breaking a leg.
.
“What’s happening out there? Sir, what’s your name?” the old lady of the Gao family loudly inquired.
The old lady of the Gao family had never concerned herself with her son’s treatment of her daughter-in-law. When she married into the Gao family, she was born a Gao family member and would die as one.
The old lady of the Gao family had this attitude. Her spoiled grandson sat in her room, gnawing on fried chicken bones. His own father had thrown his mother out of the house, and he couldn’t be bothered to lift his head. He believed that his mother was ignorant and couldn’t hold her own in an argument. He assumed everything would be fine if she stayed with his father.
The two granddaughters were viewed as financial burdens in the eyes of the old lady of the Gao family. One was twelve, and the other was eight. They didn’t dare to intervene, even as they worried about their mother.
To support their younger brother’s education, the Gao family took on the task of washing the neighbors’ clothes. The two girls had tears in their eyes but were too afraid to look up or cease the sound of clothes beating with sticks.
Whenever they paused, they faced reprimands.
There was no sign of Gao Mingda outside. The old lady of the Gao family began to panic. She scolded her daughter-in-law and asked her grandson to find a cane. The uncooperative grandson, with chicken bone remnants still in his mouth, replied, “I don’t know where it is.”
She could scold her daughter-in-law, but she didn’t wish to berate her grandson. She loudly inquired about her son’s condition, asking if thet woman Liu had dared to fight back.
Uncle Gao had blood at the corner of his mouth and tears streaming down his face due to the pain, yet he astonishingly replied, “It’s alright… don’t worry, I just fell. I’ll move slowly…”
Afterward, Uncle Gao flashed a flattering smile at Xu Zhongyue and said, “I’m fine, go on, good sir!”
He was entirely convinced. This young man was a butcher, familiar with bloodshed. He had a certain aura of someone unafraid of taking a life.
If Xu Zhongyue had been merely reckless, Uncle Gao wouldn’t relent until he emptied his pockets, paying dozens of taels.
But Xu Zhongyue had beaten him severely, and the pain had rendered Uncle Gao helpless. Fearful of saying something wrong, he believed Xu Zhongyue would silence him before they reached the officials.
Once Uncle Gao surrendered, the pain from his broken leg became excruciating. He yelled, “Why aren’t you helping me inside, you wretch? Are you going to fetch Dr. Zhou?”
Aunt Liu responded casually, “Dr. Zhou charges fifty cents for a medical visit, and I don’t have the money.”
Underneath Song Shi’an’s basket was a substantial amount of money he had intended to repay Aunt Liu. At this moment, he refrained from mentioning it. This money clearly meant a lot to Aunt Liu, who had likely saved it through years of hard work and sacrifice, and he didn’t want to expose it.
Uncle Gao cursed a few times, but since the Gao family’s money wasn’t in Aunt Liu’s hands, he had to suggest, “Why don’t you help me inside first? I’ll give you the money!”
Aunt Liu nodded and began to assist Uncle Gao.
However, Xu Zhongyue intervened, taking on this heavy responsibility. When Uncle Gao realized that Xu Zhongyue was helping him, holding onto his armpits, he was brought into the yard, appearing almost like a child being guided.
Old lady Gao climbed down from the bed, opened the window, and peered outside, asking, “Who is this young man?”
Xu Zhongyue remained silent, and Song Shi’an quickly responded, “He’s just a kind passerby!”
“Kind?” Uncle Gao fumed, feeling a gnawing irritation. He shifted his gaze to Song Shi’an and asked in bewilderment, “And who are you?”
This young thing had been lurking in the alley, observing the situation closely, and refused to testify on Uncle Gao’s behalf when the “kind-hearted passerby” helped him.
Uncle Gao didn’t hold Song Shi’an in high regard.
Song Shi’an had no intention of concealing his identity. Knowing Aunt Liu was in a tight spot, he needed to find a way to support her. “I am Aunt Liu’s nephew, Song Shi’an,” he disclosed.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he revealed his familial connection, Uncle Gao blurted out, “Are you the Song Shi’an who ran away with a wild man?”
His anger had been simmering for a while due to the situation with his wife, and today, it had reached its peak. The cause of his anger was none other than his wife’s own nephew!