Chapter 6, Loyalty is often found among those who are ruthless.

Upon hearing this, Ding Weidong was extremely excited and nodded repeatedly. He had finally established a connection with Third Brother, who was indeed as generous and magnanimous as rumored, yet not as aloof as the legends suggested

"Sister Xiao Juan, you, you are going too far. Just now he said the remaining money would be used to buy you candy, and I don't know whose face turned red." The girl named Xiao Fan retorted with a flushed face

"Beibei, be good, come down quickly, go home with grandma, and let uncle buy groceries." The old lady tugged at the little girl's hand.

... ...

"He is my older brother, not my uncle," Beibei shook her little hand, making a gesture of denial

The young woman settled the bill for quite a while, taking out thirty-four yuan from her tiger-striped wallet, and then handed it back to Xue Xiang. Just as she was about to get change, Xue Xiang waved his hand, asking her to have some candy, causing the young woman to blush deeply. The salesperson responsible for supplying the goods was a long-faced man in his twenties, who had previously been a troublemaker in the Dongcheng District. He had been watching from the window during the fight and was already stunned by Xue Xiang's astonishing combat prowess. When he saw the other party suddenly yield with seven or eight people, he guessed that the person before him was the legendary San Ge. Now that this esteemed guest had arrived, a smile immediately spread across his face, completely erasing the cold and impatient demeanor he had shown to customers earlier.

Brother is deceiving you; you don't even know where he lives

The little girl had red circles around her eyes from being scolded, knowing that Dongzi was defending her. Xue Xiang felt somewhat guilty and shook his head, saying: "Do you know me? It's fine, she is just following the rules; it was my oversight. Forget it, I won't take the pig's trotters."

Xue Xiang took some time to bid farewell to Bei Bei, and none of the three salespeople or the crowd behind them dared to urge him to hurry up.

Xue Xiang extended his little finger and hooked it with Beibei, then bent down to set Beibei down. With a soft kiss, Beibei pecked his cheek, and the little girl smiled radiantly, filling Xue Xiang's heart with warmth. Xue Xiang took off the fox fur scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Beibei's neck, tying a small knot.

"Third Brother, it's all packed and here. The rice and flour are at the bottom, and I've wrapped the pork and fish separately in oil paper, so they won't mix. The burlap sack is too heavy; it wouldn't be convenient for you to carry it alone. If you want, I can find someone to deliver it to your home later." Ding Weidong said as he patted the burlap sack, "Those kids would be fighting to deliver something to Third Brother."

"Dead girl, I told you to speak up..."

Little does he know that the current Xue Xiang is a complex personality filled with contradictions

Although plastic bags have appeared and been put into use in recent years, they have not been widely adopted in major markets, and people often carry vegetable baskets when shopping for groceries, using oiled paper for wrapping vegetables. Xue Xiangqing stretched out his long arms, grasped the tied opening firmly, and lifted the burlap bag down, holding it in one hand while carrying the vegetable basket in his right hand. He said to Ding Weidong, "Thank you, I can manage, see you later." After saying this, he strode away.

"No, I want my brother to hold me. It's so warm in my brother's arms. I don't want to walk. When I'm with my brother, no bad people dare to bully Beibei." The little girl wrinkled her small nose and pouted her lips, speaking quickly in a tender, childlike voice that was sweet and pleasant to hear

In a moment, the two individuals became embroiled in a commotion, disregarding the anxious customers who were waiting.

"Jun Song Jiang? If it looks good, then it looks good. Why does it have to be followed by the name Song Jiang? I know Song Jiang, he is short and dark. The person just now was tall and fair-skinned," the ticket-checking girl said, puzzled.

I live at No. 15, Beitiao Street, Dongcheng District, and my brother must remember to come and see Beibei

"Call him Uncle," the old lady corrected.

"He is so strong, and he is also quite handsome. Dongzi, why do you call him Third Brother? It seems like he doesn't even know you," the coin collector asked as she shook Ding Weidong's arm.

Xue Xiang also greatly liked this little girl. He gently patted her small head and smiled, saying: "Brother is just a brother. Hurry and go home with Grandma. Next time, will you let brother come to your house to play?"

Xue Xiang was momentarily speechless, scratching his head, truly at a loss for how to explain. His reputation probably could not intimidate the Xiao Ming mentioned by Bei Bei. Liu Ying'er found it amusing from the side, thinking to herself that he was still so pleased, now left with nothing but empty talk. It turned out that he was Xue Xiang, a notorious troublemaker in the East City. Hmph, he truly is a thug leader, and Liu Ying'er felt a sense of pride in her foresight.

The ticket inspector girl whispered, "Your meat ticket is insufficient." After saying this, she cautiously glanced at Xue Xiang, fearing that the tall young man before her might retaliate. She had witnessed earlier how he slapped someone and severed a finger, and for a moment, she regretted her indiscretion.

The small vegetable basket was already stuffed to the brim, impervious to wind and rain. Upon seeing this, Ding Weidong took out a large gray-yellow hemp bag weighing two hundred jin from the counter and carefully packed the rice, flour, meat, and vegetables that Xue Xiang had purchased. There were many items, and the bag's opening was barely tied shut. Only the cloth-wrapped eggs remained in the vegetable basket, which could not be placed inside as they were easily broken. The three of them each lifted a corner of the hemp bag, using all their strength to place the large bag onto the counter.

My name is Ding Weidong, you can just call me Dongzi. The long-faced man was overjoyed when Xue Xiang called him buddy, thinking that with San Ge backing him up, he would be able to walk proudly in Dongcheng from now on

Then you can tell your brother now

Select fresh vegetables and take large bottles of wine, as everything is carefully chosen. When it comes to cutting meat, a long pig-killing knife is used to slice off large pieces from the fattiest section of the pork belly without weighing it, simply placing it into a small basket. Xue Xiang glanced at the meat chunks, finding them too fatty, and frowned without saying a word. He knew that in the market, one cannot be picky; when buying meat, it is often a mix of good and "bad" cuts. In these times, most people lack fat and oil, and the good meat is the kind with thin skin and thick fat, such as the pork belly, while few are pleased with lean meat. Therefore, having a relative who is a supplier is far more gratifying than having a relative in a government position.

Seeing that the long-faced man was adamant about not taking back the pig leg, Xue Xiang also did not put on airs. He took a large bill from his wallet and stuffed it into the long-faced man's hand: "Thank you, buddy, I still don't know your name."

That is, who is Brother San? This figure in the troublemaker circle, the name Jun Songjiang is not self-proclaimed. It didn't matter that he didn't recognize me before; now he knows me, right? This time Brother San called me brother. Next time I run into Li Ergou and the others, I must assert my status in front of them and see if they dare to provoke me again. " Ding Weidong said, giving a thumbs up, shaking his head and boasting, as if he was proud of Xue Xiang, as if he shared in the glory.

Alright, I have noted it down. Next time someone bullies you, just report your brother's name. Your brother's name is Xue Xiang, remember it well

Ding Weidong initially did not wish to accept the money from Xue Xiang, fully aware that if one were to engage in human relations, it should be done thoroughly. However, Xue Xiang had already pressed the money into his hand, and refusing it might anger San Ge, who had just moments ago been seen smiling and chatting before suddenly breaking someone's finger. The amount Xue Xiang had given far exceeded the value of the pig's trotters, and even if exchanged for meat tickets on the black market, there would still be a considerable surplus. Ding Weidong handed the money to the woman collecting coins, signaling her with his eyes to provide change. Upon seeing this, Xue Xiang said, "The excess is for you to buy a cigarette; from now on, we are friends, and you can call on me if you need anything." The amount Xue Xiang had given far exceeded the value of the pig's trotters, and even if exchanged for meat tickets on the black market, there would still be a considerable surplus. Ding Weidong handed the money to the woman collecting coins, signaling her with his eyes to provide change. Upon seeing this, Xue Xiang said, "The excess is for you to buy a cigarette; from now on, we are friends, and you can call on me if you need anything."

Xue Xiangzheng was about to say that there were not enough meat tickets and that they should be discarded, when the tall man became angry: "What are you blabbering about? Third Brother comes here to buy vegetables for my Dongzi's sake. Do I need you to meddle in whether the tickets are enough? I will make it up later." After scolding the young girl who was checking tickets, he turned back and adjusted his tone: "Third Brother, please don't hold it against her; she is new and doesn't understand the rules."

The long-faced man frowned upon seeing Xue Xiang, thinking that he was dissatisfied with the small portion. He immediately took the knife and cut off a large piece of fatty, oily pork belly. Upon seeing this, Xue Xiang understood that the other party had misunderstood him, and said to the long-faced man: "Do you have any pig's trotters? Please bring me one"

Seeing the three leave, Xue Xiang walked to the window, placed the vegetable basket on the counter, and pulled out all the supply tickets from his pocket, tossing them to the ticket inspector. Then, he took out a shopping list, which contained non-scarce vegetables that did not require tickets for supply, and handed over a tiger-striped wallet, allowing the lady in charge of collecting coins to pick out the amount herself. The ticket inspector, using the receipts and the list, began to tally with the abacus, reporting: "One hundred pounds of rice, eighteen yuan and four jiao, five pounds and four ounces of pork, four yuan, two jiao, and three fen, three pounds of liquor, one yuan and two jiao, two pounds of fresh fish, nine jiao and three fen ... ... "

Remember, the next time my deskmate Xiaoming pulls my braid, I will report my brother's name, which will definitely scare him. Haha, brother, you must come to see me, let's make a pinky promise.

Liu Ying'er's eyes were momentarily filled with confusion. What kind of person is this? At times, they are youthful and shy, gentle and refined; at other times, they are fierce and cruel, bloody and violent. Yet, in those moments, they also evoke a sense of warmth. How complex! But it doesn't matter; after all, we will not meet again. Liu Ying'er dispelled a trace of emotion in her heart.

The trio of salespeople, upon seeing the large bag of marijuana that they had struggled to place on the counter, looked on in astonishment as Xue Xiang casually lifted it in his hand as if it were a bundle of straw

You don't know this? Jun is referring to the appearance of the Third Brother, while Song Jiang is talking about his sense of loyalty, having many brothers and friends. Did you see? I am indeed a brother of the Third Brother. Haven't you heard the saying 'The timely rain of the East City, the righteous protector of the North Sea'? Ding Haidong said disdainfully, displaying an expression that suggested you two are already out of touch.

"Please, please, Third Brother, you must give me some face; otherwise, if this matter gets out, I truly won't be able to survive." The long-faced man, in a moment of panic, did not bother to explain how he knew Xue Xiang. Fearing that he might refuse, he hurriedly took out a large pig's trotter from under the counter and stuffed it into Xue Xiang's vegetable basket. The pig's trotter weighed about seven or eight jin, with a large chunk of lean meat hanging from the hind leg, the meat a dark red color and moist in texture, clearly fresh. The vegetable basket was somewhat small; after taking out the cloth-wrapped eggs, the pig's trotter still protruded halfway out. The long-faced man was genuinely worried that Xue Xiang would not accept it. If the rascals from the East City found out that he dared not give Third Brother face, he would probably have to move out of the Four Nine City to seek refuge.

Ah, I remember now, it seems I heard my younger brother mention these two sentences before, so it turns out it was him. It appears our little Fan has developed a spring heart, and even before anything has happened, she has already started to defend him in conversation! The coin-collecting girl picked up the conversation and directed the focus of the discussion towards the ticket-checking young lady.

Liu Ying'er and the old lady had finished buying groceries, and Xue Xiang was about to put down the little girl, but the little girl clung tightly to Xue Xiang's neck and would not let go