As Moron's exclamation echoed, Jiang Xiaobai and Shen Bingqian's attention was drawn to the small fish tank on the tricycle. The Arhat fish, which had initially turned belly up, was now back with its dorsal side up, lazily swaying its tail in the water.
Seeing the Arhat fish come back to life, Shen Bingqian's crying abruptly stopped. She stiffly moved forward, her beautiful eyes fixated on the Arhat fish in the tank, her face full of disbelief.
"Am I hallucinating?"
Without warning, Shen Bingqian slapped herself forcefully, leaving a distinct handprint on her fair cheek.
"Xiaobai, is she dumb? Why is she hitting herself?" Moron, standing by, laughed.
Shen Bingqian was obviously not dumb; she just couldn't believe the scene before her eyes. The slap was painful, indicating that this wasn't a hallucination.
The Arhat fish in the small tank had fully regained its vitality, bursting with energy. This type of fish was very aggressive; when Moron pointed his finger at the tank, it immediately rushed forward, head butting the glass without feeling any pain.
"Hey, that's really fun."
Moron quickly found amusement in this, continuously teasing the Arhat fish, which tirelessly crashed around the tank.
Shen Bingqian watched with tears of joy as the Arhat fish in the small tank became fiercer and more energetic than before. She couldn't describe the joy of regaining something that had been lost; she just knew she was very happy at that moment.
"Stop playing."
Jiang Xiaobai pulled Moron aside, took the small fish tank off the tricycle, placed it on the ground, and then pushed the tricycle away.
Moron was reluctant, looking back every few steps; when he suddenly realized that Jiang Xiaobai was already far away on the tricycle, he chased after him.
"Xiaobai, wait for me..."
A long time passed before Shen Bingqian came back to her senses, looking around but finding no trace of Jiang Xiaobai.
"He really is a... weirdo."
Shen Bingqian mumbled to herself, unable to shake off the image of Jiang Xiaobai's roguish demeanor in her mind.
...
The return journey to the village was much lighter, all the crayfish had been sold. Moron pedaled the tricycle, and Jiang Xiaobai sat in it, contemplating how to expand this business.
Now he had eight thousand yuan, which meant he could purchase more crayfish. Buying low and selling high, this business was a sure win. Once he had more money on hand, he could buy some materials needed for practicing the ancient cultivation technique.
Jiang Xiaobai had already witnessed the wonders of the dragon-shaped copper ornament and was eager to explore its other hidden virtues.
Nearing the village entrance, Jiang Xiaobai asked Moron to stop.
"Er Geng, this money is what you earned today. Now, ride the tricycle home yourself; I'll walk from here."
Jiang Xiaobai handed Moron five hundred yuan as his payment. He felt that Moron, his foolish brother, deserved it for not only helping with the work but also for taking a beating for him.
Moron pedaled the tricycle home, while Jiang Xiaobai walked towards his house. Nearing home, he encountered Lai Changqing, the village party secretary, on the path.
"Secretary, taking a stroll?"
Lai Changqing stopped Jiang Xiaobai, "Brat, don't go; I was looking for you."
Jiang Xiaobai wondered why Liu Changhe hadn't come but Lai Changqing had.
Lai Changqing and Liu Changhe were always at odds, competing fiercely for power in the village, though Lai Changqing was always overshadowed by Liu Changhe.
Lai Changqing was short and stout, losing his momentum whenever he stood in front of the tall and burly Liu Changhe. Despite Lai Changqing's unimpressive appearance, his daughter was prettier than any other girl in the village, while Liu Changhe, despite his tall and robust build, had a son who was flat-nosed, bucktoothed, and pimply, as ugly as a pig.
"Secretary, what do you need me for?"
Seeing Lai Changqing pull out a cigarette, Jiang Xiaobai quickly took out a lighter and lit it for him. Lai Changqing took a puff and said in a slow voice, "Xiaobai, you've crippled Pang Hu, you've got some nerve!"
Jiang Xiaobai said, "Secretary, you must help me on this; it was them who came at me first. I was just defending myself."
Lai Changqing replied, "Telling me won't help; the key is that Liu Changhe won't care about that."
"Secretary, you must have some advice if you came to see me?" Jiang Xiaobai knew Lai Changqing wouldn't have come for no reason.
Lai Changqing laughed, "Brat, I really don't have any advice. I came to tell you, you did a great job! Damn it, let's hope the Liu family ends up with no descendants."
"It's strange that Liu Changhe hasn't come for me yet." Jiang Xiaobai muttered.
Lai Changqing said, "Don't worry, he'll be here soon. He went to a county meeting today and is probably on his way back now. I heard Pang Hu almost had his thing pinched off by a crayfish; I don't know if it can be reattached. Brat, take care of yourself, I'm leaving."
Lai Changqing laughed a few times and walked away, Jiang Xiaobai watched his back and snorted coldly. Lai Changqing and Liu Changhe were both despicable, neither was any good.
Getting home, Jiang Xiaobai had thought it through; he didn't want to leave Nanwan Village, so if Liu Changhe came, he'd just fight him. Jiang Xiaobai also knew Liu Changhe wouldn't let him off easily, considering how badly he had messed up Pang Hu this time.
Jiang Xiaobai scattered kitchen knives, sickles, and the like in key places around the house. If it came to a fight, he could grab a weapon at any time; even if the opponent was strong, he'd show them how fearsome he could be!
The courtyard gate creaked open, Jiang Xiaobai thought Liu Changhe had arrived and was tense, ready to grab a weapon. Looking up, he saw it was Lai Xiaoxia.
"What are you here for?" Jiang Xiaobai asked harshly.
Lai Xiaoxia skipped to Jiang Xiaobai's side. At sixteen, her womanly traits were already quite obvious.
Lai Xiaoxia had delicate features, black, waterfall-like hair, and eyes as bright as luminous pearls. In the city, dressed in pretty clothes, she would look even more beautiful. Many young men in the village fancied Lai Xiaoxia, and Jiang Xiaobai was no exception; given the chance, he would flirt with her.
Jiang Xiaobai felt annoyed, so he was rather cold today.
Lai Xiaoxia, hands behind her back, stood in front of Jiang Xiaobai and brought them forward. She held a paper bag with several freshly made meat pies.
"Here! These are meat pies my mom just made. I sneaked them out for you, eat while they're hot." Lai Xiaoxia often sneaked food to Jiang Xiaobai, a favor Pang Hu and his gang never received.
"I don't want them." Jiang Xiaobai responded coldly, thinking of Lai Changqing's gloating face filled him with anger.
"What's wrong?" Lai Xiaoxia crouched in front of Jiang Xiaobai, asking, "Are you worried about Pang Hu's father coming after you? I'll go home and talk to my dad, have him talk to Pang Hu's dad. Xiaobai, you're the only one brave enough to stand up to Pang Hu in the village. I really admire you!"