Chapter Nine, The Minor Disturbance at the Tavern

These few men exuded an air of intimidation, and it was impossible to discern their nobility; however, they seemed to possess considerable knowledge and experience. At that moment, the anger of the burly man was soothed by a series of crisp and respectful words from him. Upon hearing him speak, the man picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork with his chopsticks and, after a hearty chew, nodded repeatedly, exclaiming in a rough voice, "Not bad! You, young man, are quite filial!"

In the midst of the lively atmosphere, with a loud "bang," someone heavily slapped the table. Following that, a thunderous shout reverberated through the ears of the crowd: "That singing girl, come over here and entertain your uncle!"

Just then, Xiao Guang's anxious shout reached my ears: "Xiao Yi, hurry up, hurry up, the people at table three are about to smash the place, why are you still dawdling?"

He is busy here to the point of being overjoyed, while over there, a singer is continuously humming "yi ya ya" under the guidance of a frail old man. This grandfather and grandson duo are the stars of the street performance and are likely regulars at this tavern

The person who spoke such arrogant and foul words is none other than the burly man at the third table, who almost caused a scene just moments ago! This strong man glared with his bulging eyes, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, leering lewdly at the young girl performing a song.

Closing her eyes, Luo Xiaoyi thought to herself: Damn it, this kid just used the words 'filial piety' towards us, he should be taught a lesson. Such a person only dares to act against the weak, truly a great disgrace to us small-minded individuals

Today, for some unknown reason, business is booming. Xiao Yi, hurry up, hurry up! Chef Zhang shouted while sweating profusely and working busily.

While lost in thought, he cast a furtive glance around with his shifty eyes, and suddenly with a quick motion of his hand, a piece of twice-cooked pork vanished into his mouth

With his quick eyes and nimble hands, he soon received considerable praise from many guests

Luo Xiaoyi quietly approached the table of three. At that moment, the burly man stood beside the table, directly confronting the grandfather and grandson with his final ultimatum: "Aren't you coming over? Do you need your uncle to come and carry you himself?"

As soon as the old man opened his mouth, the young girl's singing came to a halt. After much effort, she managed to find her pitch again, but upon seeing his expression, she faltered once more. Her face turned pale, and she shrank back, hiding behind the old man.

The restaurant is still the best, as it offers everything one desires. Even if I get a little less sleep, we are young, and our bodies can withstand it

Luo Xiaoyi responded happily, quickly placing the boiled clear fish, twice-cooked pork, and stir-fried eggs into the food box, and then hurriedly ran towards the restaurant. He smiled with his eyes curved, and the grievances and anger from when he got up had long since vanished into thin air.

Next, as soon as these individuals pursed their lips, a pot of tea was immediately poured into each of their cups

Alright

His shout was like a thunderclap that suddenly erupted in the air, causing a buzzing sensation in Luo Xiaoyi's eardrums. Facing those yellowed, fierce eyes, Luo Xiaoyi forced a smile on his face. Before the burly man could speak again, a stream of words burst forth from his mouth: "You gentlemen clearly are distinguished individuals, having seen the world and accustomed to delicacies from both mountains and seas. I pondered that I certainly cannot use ordinary dishes to deceive such esteemed guests, can I? Therefore, I specifically spoke with the chef of our restaurant, ensuring that your dishes must be exquisite and delicious, so that after you, such distinguished guests, have tasted them, you would raise your thumbs in praise!"

Luo Xiaoyi looked at the old man, noticing that he was slightly hunched over, with a sallow complexion and emaciated features. His eyes were devoid of spirit, and his thin arms and legs, when combined, probably weighed no more than sixty or seventy pounds. In stark contrast to the burly man, he appeared like a sickly old dog beside a water buffalo

The hall was bustling with voices, lively and extraordinary. Before Luo Xiaoyi even approached, she heard the sound of someone banging on the table, and amidst the noise, a thunderous voice rang out: "Where is the dish I ordered? Why hasn't it been served at this hour? Damn it, where has that little waiter gone? If he doesn't show up, I'll chop off your head and use it for cooking!"

As he spoke, he deftly arranged the dishes from the food box onto the table. While he was setting up on one side, Xiao Guang also brought over a food box from the other side. After the two young boys had arranged the seven dishes, Luo Xiaoyi smiled and said to the several burly men: "Gentlemen, would you like to try?"

Then the big Han copper bell eyes widened, and the thunder sounded again: "What tune is this? I have taken a liking to your daughter. Why don't you come over and entertain me?"

As soon as the sound of the drink reached Luo Xiaoyi's ears, he immediately shivered in fear. Unable to help himself, he reached out to touch his own neck, and Luo Xiaoyi thought painfully, although this head is not much good, it is still not worth losing for cooking! Why don't we find a place to hide for a while?

As soon as Xiao Guang's shout rang out, Luo Xiaoyi noticed that dozens of eyes were suddenly fixed on her from all around.

Whereupon, with a swift turn of his eyes, he saw nothing at all. At that moment, the burly man was evidently growing impatient, standing up abruptly, pulling out his chair, and preparing to walk towards the grandfather and grandson.

With a smile plastered on his face, he jogged into the hall. As soon as he appeared, the burly men standing by three tables furrowed their brows, and one of them slammed his large palm, the size of a fan, heavily onto the table, glaring at Luo Xiaoyi with a fierce expression and shouted: "Well, you little waiter, how dare you only serve the dishes now? Are you trying to make a fool of me?"

After much contemplation, he finally found a reason to extend a helping hand

At this moment, the several burly men at the three tables were solely focused on their hearty eating, allowing Luo Xiaoyi to step aside. While he tidied up the leftover scraps and food, his eyes darted around, keenly observing his surroundings. The places he paid particular attention to were occupied by individuals dressed in luxurious and seemingly generous attire. If he wanted to reap some benefits, he could only put in more effort in front of these people.

Luo Xiaoyi wore a smile on her face, having waited all day, yet she did not see anyone who praised her filial piety take out even a single coin to reward her. She couldn't help but snort inwardly, thinking to herself, "Damn it, this is really not worth it, I've wasted a lot of breath and gained nothing. Filial piety, huh? Who do you think you are, you little brat?"

Looking back at the singer, the little girl was about twelve or thirteen years old, slender and thin, with a somewhat sallow complexion. Her features were quite delicate, and she could barely be considered to possess a certain degree of beauty.

When the sun once again graced this world, Luo Xiaoyi had already been busy for several hours under the toil of Chef Zhang at the meat door board

The old man was clearly very frightened, trembling all over, and stammered, "Sir, what song would you like to hear? My daughter will sing it, just say the word."

Seeing the grandfather and grandson huddled together, looking as if they were on the verge of tears, Luo Xiaoyi couldn't help but glance around. From his estimation, such incidents should occur frequently in the tavern, and there ought to be some method of handling them