Among those people, the one in charge was Zhang Qiang. Luo Yang muttered to himself, "It looks like they're planning to gang up on us. Heh, do you really understand my strength? Coming here to die, I'll grant you your wish."
While kicking his scooter along with his foot, Luo Yang calculated in his heart, "There are five of them, on two motorcycles. Four have gotten off, with only Huang Maoqiang still sitting on the motorcycle."
Having thought this, he already had a plan in mind.
"Hey, if you want to fight, come on. Are you scared?" Luo Yang taunted.
"Beat him up!" commanded Zhang Qiang.
The four youths charged over as expected, iron pipes in hand, their momentum fierce.
As they approached, Luo Yang gave a slight smile, hoisted his bicycle with both arms, and hurled it at them, carving out a path straight for Zhang Qiang.
His strategy was to capture the king first.
Zhang Qiang was greatly startled, jumped off the motorcycle, and picked up an iron rod to sweep at Luo Yang.
Luo Yang ducked low, throwing punches directly at the chest, his fist striking Zhang Qiang's chest with a loud thud.
Before you knew it, Luo Yang rushed forward, grabbed Zhang Qiang, and threw him into the creek by the roadside.
"Who else?!"
Revved up, Luo Yang fought with increasing vigor.
The four youths glanced at each other, hesitantly. Though intimidated, they still had the advantage in numbers and with a loud shout, they charged again.
Without True Qi inside, fighting three could at the least end in a draw. Now with True Qi, taking on four wouldn't be a problem.
In the blink of an eye, he had kicked all four youths into the creek.
Luo Yang bounced back and forth between the field ridge and the roadside, preventing Zhang Qiang and the others from climbing out.
As soon as Zhang Qiang and his group stood up, Luo Yang would deliver a flying kick.
Splash after splash echoed non-stop, water splashed everywhere, and Zhang Qiang and his crew couldn't leave the creek that was just over three feet wide. They were furious to the point of steaming with rage but helpless.
In the end, Zhang Qiang and his group simply squatted in the creek, throwing pebbles and wet mud at Luo Yang.
Luo Yang picked up his bicycle, mounted it, pointed at Zhang Qiang and the others, and said, "Wait till I go to buy a pack of cigarettes, and then I'll come back to deal with you properly!"
Having said that, he sped away.
Zhang Qiang and his group climbed out of the creek, drenched from head to toe, looking like drowned rats.
Seeing Luo Yang disappear into the distance, Zhang Qiang couldn't help but feel shaken, secretly thinking, "Wei Jialong, that good-for-nothing, got me beaten up!"
Full of raging anger yet timid at heart, he didn't dare chase after Luo Yang.
Luo Yang figured that Zhang Qiang wouldn't dare to follow him for a while, so he wasn't in a rush. He leisurely pedaled his bicycle home, whistling the tune of "Little Apple".
Once home, he still had to go out to the village to cut grass to feed the fish. He took a sickle and a snake skin bag and headed westward out of the village.
When he passed by his family's fishpond, he saw his dad wearing rubber waders and dragging a net in the water. Luo Yang asked, "Dad, need a hand?"
Luo Zhihai replied, "No, just go cut the grass."
The fishpond was next to Ju Garden, also contracted from the village. Besides the fishpond and Ju Garden, Luo Yang wanted to talk to his dad about renting more land, but with his dad being busy, he went to cut the grass first.
The rain hadn't come, and the sky had cleared up again, the setting sun staining the earth red.
Over the canal, he reached a small mound, threw down his sickle and snake skin bag, leaned against the grassy knoll, gazing up at the sky where the sunset clouds resembled the red scales of carp, inhaling the fresh scent of grass, enjoying the gentle breeze, feeling quite refreshed.
Luo Yang had a cigarette dangling from his lips, ready to light it, when he suddenly heard footsteps behind the mound, but they did not advance, indicating they had stopped. He thought it was a familiar face trying to pull a prank.
After some guessing and still no movement, Luo Yang gently climbed the mound, craned his neck to look over the other side.
He caught sight of a young woman with her back to Luo Yang, squatting there.
Speaking of the woman before him, Luo Yang was also curious.
The young widow had only been married to Hongyun Brigade for less than half a year, but she was already well-known. Naturally, she was beautiful, but she was also a widow, with the surname Qin and a single name, Piao.
Qin Piao was no ordinary widow; she was only twenty-three years old yet had already been married to three husbands. The first passed away within a year, the second in just half a year, and the third, Zhang Huadong from Hongyun Brigade, died within three months.
Since then, the name Qin Piao had become synonymous with Husband Cursing. Although she was beautiful, no one dared to marry her anymore. The villagers secretly speculated whether her next husband would die within a month.