Ling Chengyan could clearly see that among the three, Da Xiong was the strongest. If she took down that man, the other two would basically be rendered useless.
As it turned out, even after changing bodies, her skills didn't change.
With a straight punch and a vertical strike, Da Xiong couldn't even fight back. His huge body fell to the ground and couldn't get up.
The man who brought Ling Chengyan here was quick-witted and attempted to escape when he saw that the situation wasn't in his favor. However, Ling Chengyan threw a stone that hit his leg, causing him to fall down to the ground.
After taking down two of them, Ling Chengyan turned to look at Gou'er, who had a dumbfounded look plastered onto his face.
He was still holding the short dagger in his hand, but the smug look on his face had disappeared. He was trembling in fear. "Don't, don't come over. I didn't plan to do anything, I only wanted some spare change..."
Ling Chengyan stretched out her hand, and before Gou'er could even see what she did, the dagger had already moved to Ling Chengyan's hand.
"This is a decent dagger," she said, testing the blade with her fingertips. She put the dagger into her bag without even looking at Gou'er.
Gou'er's heart ached, but he didn't dare to say a word. He stammered, "My grandfather made that using Railway Steel. It's a good kind of steel. If you don't mind, you can take it..."
Ling Chengyan ignored his words and asked, "Can you bring out the milk powder?"
"What? What milk powder?" He was perplexed.
The three of them were unemployed young men who were lazing around at home. They can't even afford their own food, so how could they have milk powder?
Ling Chengyan turned to look at the man behind her. "He said he has milk powder..."
"Third brother, stop talking nonsense. The three of us came out to steal money because we couldn't eat our fill. We wouldn't have something as good as milk powder... Hey, third brother, you're not talking about Hai Sheng and the others, are you?"
The third brother, who tricked Ling Chengyan into coming here, was lying on the ground without a sound. It was unknown whether he had fainted or was pretending to be dead. On the other hand, Gou'er was a talkative person. Without Ling Chengyan needing to ask, he told her about a guy named Hai Sheng opening a black market and reselling the goods in scarce supplies.
"Those people are usually in the small alley behind the shipyard. However, it's best if young women don't go there..." Gou'er's voice became softer and softer until he finally stopped talking.
The woman in front of him was indeed a young woman. She looked thin, weak, and pitiful, but anyone who treated her as a little lamb would be asking for death.
She wasn't a little sheep, but a wolf in sheep's skin... No, no, no, she wasn't just a wolf. She was a tigress, the kind that ate people without spitting out the bones.
Under Ling Chengyan's mocking gaze, Gou'er stammered, "Well, it's not that you can't go, but you have to be careful. They have many people, and they engage in criminal activities. If you provoke them, they might really kill you..."
He shivered as he said that, as if recalling a bloody and horrifying scene.
Ling Chengyan squinted her eyes and said, "Hai Sheng?"
As she mumbled to herself, she had already walked around Gou'er and went back the same way she came to the place.
After walking a dozen steps, Ling Chengyan suddenly heard a shout behind her, "Great Aunt, don't you need someone to lead you? It's not easy to find them..."
"Is there anything else?" She turned around and raised her eyebrows.
Gou'er knelt down beside Da Xiong and said with a sobbing tone, "Please do me a favor and save San'er and Da Xiong. I'm willing to listen to your orders and be your slave..."
He had just slapped San'er and Da Xiong a few times, but there was no reaction... If he hadn't checked their breaths, he would have thought that they were dead.
"You?" Ling Chengyan laughed. "Are you as capable as a cow or a horse?"
Gou'er lowered his head, then suddenly lifted it up and crawled in front of Ling Chengyan. "I'm familiar with the county. Whatever you want to exchange or ask, you can count on me."
Ling Chengyan looked down at him for a moment, making him break out in a cold sweat. Just as he was about to collapse, she suddenly said, "I hope you'll remember what you said today."
After she finished speaking, he walked over and kicked San'er and Da Xiong awake.
This time, Ling Chengyan didn't stop to turn around as she walked away. As she left, she said, "I'm going back to the department store. If you can't catch up, don't ever appear in front of me again."
Gou'er agreed. After Ling Chengyan left, he immediately pounced on his two brothers, asking them what was wrong and whether they needed to go to the hospital.
San'er's brain worked quickly. He rubbed his head and remembered what had happened before. Da Xiong, however, was terrified. He rubbed his temples and asked, "Why do you want to go to the hospital? I just took a nap..."
Gou'er's eyes widened. He confirmed once again that there was nothing wrong with San'er and Da Xiong. His face turned pale.
He pulled San'er and Da Xiong up in a panic and dragged the two of them to the department store.
They ran all the way and finally met her at the entrance of the department store.
"Hehe, Great Aunt, we're here!" Gou'er was panting heavily, but he still greeted her with a smile.
"Do you have a place with some shelter? Two of you can take the children and wait there. One of you is enough to lead the way."
"Great Aunt, Da Xiong only has a little sister in his family, so let's go to his house. Just leave the errands to us. I can watch over your children."
Ling Chengyan looked at Xiao Xing, then at Xiao Tian in her arms. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let's go take a look at the house first."
The two children had been running around for half a day without drinking or eating anything. They really needed to fill their tummies and get some rest.
Xiao Xi was Da Xiong's younger sister. At the age of 12, she could already sew, wash, and even cook. She also lit matchboxes as a job in the street factory to earn money for the family.
Soon, they arrived at Da Xiong's house. The house was divided into two sections. Da Xiong had set up a bed in the outer room, while Xiao Xi slept in the inner room.
Ling Chengyan looked around the simple but clean room. She took out ten yuan and handed it to Gou'er, telling him to buy milk powder. She then took out a few yuans of change and food stamps and gave them to San'er, ordering him to go to the restaurant and buy some food.
Xiao Xi looked at the several yuans and the ten catties worth of food tickets, blinking. "Big Sister… the food in a restaurant run in this place is expensive. It's not worth it. I still have some noodles and two eggs at home. I know how to make pancakes, so let's just eat there. I can make an egg pancake for you."
Ling Chengyan looked at the skinny little girl and the paper boxes on the chopping board. Her gaze softened as she said, "You don't have much rice flour and noodles at home. If we eat them, you and your brother will starve. I'll tell them to buy some steamed buns, and you can make some egg soup."
As she spoke, she took out five yuan and handed it to Xiao Xi.
"I don't want any money. How could I take your money?" Xiao Xi waved her hand.
Ling Chengyan didn't waste her breath on her. She turned around and fed Xiao Tian.
After feeding him milk and changing his diaper, the little guy quickly fell asleep.
San'er's legs were fast, and he quickly returned with five big buns. "There were only five buns left, and I bought them all."
Ling Chengyan glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Just then, Xiao Xi served up a large bowl of egg soup. It was made with tender green onion leaves and good-quality eggs. Xiao Xi had even mixed up a special paste and added a few drops of cooking oil. It smelled quite fragrant.
Ling Chengyan took a big meat bun and handed it to Xiao Xing. She also took one for herself and began eating.
Just as they had finished eating two buns, Gou'er arrived home with the milk powder.