Chapter Fifty-Seven: Discord Rekindled

Chen Huajiang returned to the shop, expecting that Fangfang and the other women had already left, but to his surprise, they were still there.

“I thought he’d been scared off,”

“He actually came back. We were just saying, maybe he fell into the latrine.”

As Chen Huajiang walked in, the three women all looked at him, especially Cuihong and Chen Yan, who teased him openly.

The food had been cleared from their table, replaced with several cups of water. The shop hadn’t opened yet, and there was no tea, just plain boiled water.

Chen Huajiang smiled without saying anything, but his brother-in-law Lin Guoshan’s face was gloomy, which caught his attention.

“Huajiang, let’s close up for now and reopen after a while. That Wolfdog is not easy to deal with.”

He stood up, a little nervous as he spoke.

After Chen Huajiang left earlier, they had chatted, bringing up the topic of Lazi again. Cuihong had exaggerated the story about Lazi’s cousin, Wolfdog, especially recounting how Wolfdog had crippled someone last year by severing their tendons, which shocked Lin Guoshan and filled him with fear.

He had originally been able to play the hero in front of Fangfang, but as Cuihong went on, his fear deepened until he couldn’t keep up the act, which the women noticed.

Once his bravado was exposed, his spirits flagged, and he began to entertain the idea of laying low for a while.

But as soon as he voiced this, Chen Huajiang frowned in displeasure and said, “No, the announcement about our opening has already gone out.”

There were some things he couldn’t say directly, and he wanted to give his brother-in-law some face. If Fangfang and the others hadn’t been present, he would have given Lin Guoshan a thorough scolding.

This would ruin their reputation. In business, to grow and prosper, a good reputation is essential. This was the startup period of his enterprise, the critical time to lay a solid foundation and build a name, so how could he afford to do anything damaging?

More importantly, if they closed up now, word would spread on the street that they were afraid of Lazi and Wolfdog. Thugs respect strength and despise weakness.

How would Chen Huajiang do business then? Those who saw him as a coward would band together and swallow him whole.

“Well, Lin Guoshan, your little brother-in-law certainly has guts, but too much talk and too little experience,”

Cuihong sipped her water and sneered sarcastically.

“Huajiang, we’re just talking about postponing the opening for a few days, let the heat die down—”

Lin Guoshan clearly hadn’t thought it through, his only concern was avoiding trouble.

Crucially, he knew the shop wasn’t really his; he was just a partner and didn’t want to risk his life for it.

“That’s enough!”

Chen Huajiang suddenly stood up, cutting off Lin Guoshan’s words.

This time, he was truly angry. He had always thought Lin Guoshan was dependable and steady, though a bit ambitious.

But now, how could he be so timid, unable to shoulder even the slightest risk?

“In business, it’s all about reputation. If you lose it, do you know how much it costs to get it back? Ten, a hundred times the effort.”

“I won’t say more. If you’re worried about trouble, take a break for a few days. I’ll handle the shop. I’m not afraid of Lazi or Wolfdog.”

Chen Huajiang spoke firmly, leaving no room for debate.

“Well, all right then.”

Seeing his brother-in-law so determined, Lin Guoshan had nothing more to say and could only nod.

His expression was sour, his face tense, blaming Chen Huajiang for making him lose face in front of Fangfang.

But he didn’t realize that as Fangfang and the other women glanced at him, their eyes were full of disdain.

Clearly, Lin Guoshan’s vacillation had made them look down on him. No one likes someone without backbone, whether man or woman.

“Let’s go, Guoshan. Take care of yourself. If there’s nothing you can do, remember to keep safe.”

Fangfang stood and took her leave, gently reminding Lin Guoshan as she departed.

“Don’t worry, Fangfang, I know what I’m doing.”

Lin Guoshan smiled sheepishly, scratching his head.

The three women walked out, but as soon as they reached the door, their expressions changed, for a group of thugs came charging toward them.

“Not good, that’s Lazi!”

The leader was indeed Lazi, wearing an open gray shirt, and he immediately spotted Fangfang.

“Fangfang, so you’re here! Good, good, I’m going to see today—if you won’t be with me, you won’t be with any other man.”

“Bring him out here! Daring to steal my woman—I want to see how many guts he has!”

Lazi was visibly agitated, swaggering at the door with his crew.

Fangfang’s face darkened; she hadn’t expected Lazi to be so persistent, still unwilling to let her go.

Yet fear had already crept into her heart. This time, Lazi had brought more than a dozen men, and she doubted Lin Guoshan could stand up to them.

Yes, Lin Guoshan’s earlier cowardice had already settled in her mind.

He might be a good, steady man for a household, but he couldn’t handle trouble.

Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Guoshan rushed out first, and when he saw Lazi with his gang, all wielding sticks and weapons, his bravado evaporated.

“Huajiang, Huajiang, come out quick!”

He called anxiously toward the shop, subconsciously knowing he couldn’t handle this and needing Chen Huajiang.

But really, his shout was unnecessary, for Chen Huajiang was already heading toward the doorway.

As Lin Guoshan made a fuss, everyone turned to look at Chen Huajiang.

Without hesitation, Chen Huajiang walked straight toward Lazi and his men.

“Brother Lazi, is it? Matters between men and women ought to end well. Love cannot be forced. Rather than insisting, why not let go?”

Chen Huajiang stood before Lazi and spoke.

His words carried a hint of admonition, making Lazi’s men burst out laughing.

“Hilarious, who is this guy? Daring to play wise in front of our boss?”

‘Love can’t be forced? Once the boss cooks the rice, the fruit will ripen—forced enough, isn’t it?’

“Ha-ha, this idiot, talking nonsense in front of Brother Lazi.”

The gang laughed, their eyes full of contempt.

They had the numbers, while Chen Huajiang only had one other man by his side, so they paid him no mind.

“Spouting nonsense here, do you know who I am? Get lost!”

Lazi wasn’t here for talk—he was here for revenge. Without warning, he swung a slap at Chen Huajiang.

At that moment, Chen Huajiang’s expression changed. Gone was his gentle demeanor; a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

Smack—

He caught Lazi’s wrist in one swift motion, then slapped him hard across the face, making Lazi reel.

Before anyone could react, Chen Huajiang seized Lazi’s hair with his left hand and slammed his head down, while his right knee rose in a vicious strike.

The blow nearly finished Lazi, who screamed in agony.

“Come on, try me—I’ll kill him right here!”

Before Lazi’s men could react, Chen Huajiang gripped Lazi’s hair with one hand, his other clamped around his neck, his gaze icy as he stared down the charging thugs.