Chapter 4, Yanzhou A Xin

Hahaha, beneath a man's knees lies gold; how can one bow to others

"Even though we are both women... why is there such a significant difference in how we live our lives..."

At that moment, while Cao Anmin was lost in thought about life on the street, a sudden cry from a woman came from not far ahead.

Cao Gong wished to care for the elderly and the frail

Ah, what I meant was... why is Brother Zhou's complexion so dark?" Casually laughing it off, Cao Anmin immediately shifted the topic.

At that moment, just as the crowd was eager to see how the brute would kneel before the young woman, a young man in white suddenly sprang out from the crowd. His figure darted forward like lightning, reaching the brute in an instant. With a single hand, he skillfully caught the brute's knees just as they were about to touch the ground, and the force of his action left the onlookers utterly astonished.

From the tone, it seems that the brash man is somewhat cautious; he did not inquire about the other person's identity but directly asked how they would be satisfied. Clearly, this brash man also noticed the luxurious carriage behind the young lady. After all, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that in the city of Xuchang, it was impossible for someone from an ordinary family to possess such an extravagant carriage. It must belong to the daughter of a certain noble clan or high-ranking official, which diminished his imposing presence somewhat.

Indeed, the eight-foot-tall man immediately showed a look of difficulty, but he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Very well, I apologize to the young lady, I am willing to bow three times..."

The boor was momentarily taken aback, gazing at the somewhat refined young man in white before him. His face showed a hint of surprise, yet he was secretly alarmed by the other's strength, which was not inferior to his own. He felt a mix of admiration and gratitude in his heart and said, "Thank you, brother, for your righteousness. I am Zhou Fang. May I ask what you just said? 'A man’s knees are worth gold'? Such words I have never heard before. May I inquire your esteemed name?"

The young man helped the burly man up, completely ignoring the young girl. He clasped his hands together and said to the former, "How can a strong man kneel before others for a mere hundred coins? Wouldn't that be a source of ridicule?"

Suddenly, a single sentence left Cao Anmin momentarily stunned; it was only then that he regained his senses and thought of Zhou Fang

"Hmph, who are you to obstruct me?" At that moment, the young girl, initially pleased to see the other party about to bow to her, suddenly noticed a young man in white emerging, seemingly possessing remarkable skills, and immediately exclaimed.

Oh? What has happened

Indeed, they are a perfect match, akin to Wu Xia and A Meng

What surprised Cao Anmin even more was that the little girl, facing the brutish man, showed no fear at all. With her hands on her hips, she exuded an air of defiance, resembling a shrew, and did not lose any of her momentum.

It is important to note that this burly man stands nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a robust physique and a weight of over 300 jin. In this instance, by kneeling and utilizing his momentum, his weight instantly reached at least 500 jin. The fact that he could block his opponent's momentum-driven kneel with just one hand demonstrates the astonishing strength of that young man

However, it is unclear who is spreading rumors outside; during these days, everyone in the city of Xuchang has been discussing it

However, just as Cao Anmin was about to lose his temper, a clear and gentle female voice suddenly came from inside the car, "Tingmei, please do not make things difficult for others. Accompany the two of them properly; it is quite inappropriate to behave so conspicuously in the street."

At this moment, the person inside the car began to murmur softly: "A man... has gold beneath his knees"

Ah? What did Brother Cao say? Seeing that the horse-drawn carriage was gradually moving further away, Zhou Fang listened to Cao Anmin's words and was instantly perplexed.

Cao Anmin felt extremely displeased upon seeing this. Although the young girl was cute in appearance, petite and delicate, he did not expect her to be so rude and unreasonable at heart. Observing the awkward predicament of the boorish man, Cao Anmin became somewhat indignant.

As soon as these words were spoken, the young girl was about to scold a couple more times, but upon hearing this voice, she hesitated and stopped. She merely shot a fierce glare at the two people in front of her before retreating into the car, letting out a cold snort

As he stepped forward, Cao Anmin, already curious, was taken aback to see a rather luxurious carriage parked on the street. A petite girl, around sixteen or seventeen years old, stood with her hands on her hips, exuding an imposing presence. Behind her, several strong men stood upright beside the carriage, and it seemed that there were others inside the vehicle.

Yanzhou A Xin weeps in despair

Hmph, you lowly fellow! You have obstructed the path of my sister and me. Although it is your fault, I shall not make things difficult for you... Just bow three times for me, young lady.

Just as Cao Anmin was secretly puzzled, he heard a somewhat rough voice say, "You little girl are quite rude; this is not your family's street. It's one thing to charge around recklessly, but how can you blame me for blocking your way?"

"Hmph, what value can a mere piece of broken jade have?" Without even a glance, the young girl let out a delicate huff.

Yanzhou hetushu .com .com Xuchang City, within the provincial capital.

Among the common people of Xuchang, there is a popular folk song that is widely circulated

Just as I wanted to make a name for myself, I ended up... and even earned the title of "Yanzhou A Xin, the Crying Master of Skills".

Zhou Fang ... ... Zhou Fang ... ... Huh ? ?

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of everyone around fell squarely upon the boor, while the latter's face turned crimson, displaying an expression of great embarrassment. The eight-foot-tall man stood there in a daze, unable to move forward or backward.

Pah! You brute, blocking the way and spouting nonsense. Do you know who I am?

This person's voice was quite loud, and Cao Anmin had already spotted him from a distance. It was not due to the individual's unusual appearance, but rather because he had a notably robust physique, standing at an estimated height of over 1.9 meters. His dark skin and bulging muscles made him look like a large black bear from afar, suggesting that he was likely a martial artist

Cao Anmin did not expect that the person originally sitting in the car was a woman, and from the sound, it seemed to be that young girl's sister. However, judging by her appearance, she was indeed much more dignified than her younger sister.

Xuchang welcomes the Grand Duke with both civil and military honors

Is Brother Zhou from Jiangdong

Three days have passed since the last banquet. During this time, due to the remarks made at the banquet, Cao Anmin has faced considerable reprimand from his father, Cao Dexun. For these days, he has not been allowed to step out of the General's residence, and today he has finally been permitted to come out for a breath of fresh air

If I do not bow, then what should I do

Oh... Zhou Fang was originally from Jiangdong. In his youth, due to his family's decline, he moved to Yanzhou. After failing to rely on relatives for support, he had to do some manual labor to make a living. As for his skin color, that is simply natural.

Brother Cao, this ... ...

Hmph, so you are the one known as the Hero of Yanzhou. I thought a true hero was being so righteous, but it turns out you are just a mediocre person, haha

Indeed, ah... I have yet to express my gratitude to the benefactor. Thank you, Brother Cao, for your generous assistance and lavish support. If you do not mind, Zhou Fang is willing to offer his humble services.

The meaning of this song is self-evident, and the "A Xin of Yanzhou" refers precisely to Cao Xin, also known as Cao Anmin.

Upon hearing this, the boor was even more exasperated by the young lady's unreasonable behavior. He immediately began to scratch his ears and cheeks, his face turning bright red, and he asked in a rough voice, "What do you intend to do?"

Hey! Who is the blind fool that dares to block my way

As he walked down the street, Cao Anmin observed everything but was not surprised at all

The children at the banquet mourn the deceased

It seems like I have heard it somewhere

As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of astonishment swept through the surroundings. It is important to note that one hundred guan of silver is equivalent to several years' salary of a local county official, and for ordinary commoners, it is an astronomical figure. At this moment, the young girl demanding one hundred guan from the boorish man was clearly aiming to put him in an awkward position

It is amusing that Cao Anmin, before he even had the chance to serve in Cao Cao's army, managed to spread the name of Yanzhou's A Xin throughout the streets and alleys in just three days

It is unclear who has been gossiping about Cao Anmin, but after all, matters in this world are almost inescapable; good news seldom leaves the door, while bad news travels a thousand miles. Just look at this: in the past few days, anyone who has encountered Cao Anmin has either mocked him a bit or called him "Yanzhou A Xin," leaving Cao Anmin in a state of both laughter and tears throughout the day.

Sister Ting, do not speak nonsense

No, it is dignified a thousand times over.

What to discuss

Cao An and Tu Shumin, dressed in white silk robes, strolled out of the mansion. As soon as the common people on both sides of the street saw a young man resembling a scholar emerge from the general's residence, they all turned to look. They were not afraid; on the contrary, they covered their faces and laughed, as if mocking something.

Having said that, without any hesitation, he immediately bent both knees and knelt in the direction of the young girl. However, due to the nature of his posture, this single act of kneeling surprisingly stirred up a gust of wind around him

I will let you go today; do not let me encounter you again, hum

At the same time, in the blink of an eye, an astonishing scene appeared before everyone: a young man, dressed in the attire of a cultured scholar, was actually holding up the knees of an eight-foot-tall strongman with one hand, remarkably calm and composed, his speed and agility leaving the onlookers in silent admiration

Whose little girl is this? Why is she so unruly

With a dismissive smile, disregarding the girl's incessant nonsense, Cao Anmin casually took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to her, coldly saying: "This is a family heirloom, worth about three hundred guan. Miss, please take it quickly and do not make things difficult for Brother Zhou here."

It turns out that the brave man is named Zhou Fang. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Cao Xin, courtesy name Anmin. Just now, I saw Brother Zhou being bullied by this young lady, and I was quite indignant, hence I intervened hastily. I hope Brother Zhou will not take offense at my rash words

The young girl, upon hearing the rough man's words, could not help but sneer even more. Pointing at a corner of her family's carriage, she coldly remarked, "Hmph, look at this. Just now, you blocked the road and damaged a corner of my carriage. If you do not kneel, that is fine; just give me one hundred guan, and I will not hold this matter against you."