Chapter 3: A mother's kindness, a child's filial piety

After that incident, Yuwen Muzhou no longer dared to seek out Yuwen Huaji, but instead went to find his grandfather, Yuwen Shu. As a result, he was blocked at the door by his younger brother, Yuwen Chengdu, and after a good beating, Yuwen Muzhou lay in bed for a month. From that point on, no subordinate dared to mention the matter of "recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's roots" in his presence, for fear of provoking his displeasure. Although Yuwen Muzhou could not defeat Yuwen Chengdu, dealing with those small ruffians was still no problem for him.

Gently pulling Han's hands over, covering them with his own, he whispered: "You have worked hard these days"

Han let out a sound, placed the basket on the ground, and immediately brought her frozen, purple hands to her mouth to warm them with her breath, then rubbed them vigorously. Li Le thought she was cold and hurriedly said, "I will go light a brazier for you to warm up!"

Li Le waved his hand and said, "Rest assured, this money was indeed borrowed from a few friends, so there is no need to worry"

Li Le is the "hero" of the East Market, while the Copper-Skinned Rhino is the "hero" of the West Market. However, the Copper-Skinned Rhino carries more weight than Li Le, as he is an official hero, whereas Li Le is merely a grassroots hero

Li Le chuckled and said, "I have just recovered from my illness, so my appetite is not as good as before. I can't eat as much as two of these. If I can't finish this meal, the next one won't taste good, and it would be a waste. You should eat it instead!" He forcefully stuffed the egg into Han's bowl. Only then did Han relent, eating the egg little by little.

The Western Market, however, is different; the goods traded there primarily consist of daily necessities such as clothing, candles, cakes, and medicine. As a result, the commercial activity in the Western Market is much more prosperous than that in the Eastern Market, making it the economic activity center of Daxing City, and it is thus referred to as the "Golden Market"

Li Le smiled and said, "It's not hot; that's because you just came back from outside. The cold weather has frozen you, which is why everything feels hot to the touch!"

After the young girl got married and had a daughter, every time she cooked fish, she would only eat the fish head, leaving the delicious fish meat for her daughter. When her daughter asked her about it, her response was the same as her own mother's: "Mom loves to eat fish heads"

Li Le got up and washed up, thinking: "Today I will go out for a stroll to see what good business opportunities and books there are, so that Han can... so that my mother can live a good life!" He finally accepted the fact that Han was his mother in this world

The other three kept a close watch on Li Le, all harboring their own intentions. Previously, Yu Wenmu Zhou had sought out Yu Wenhua Ji, hoping to "acknowledge his ancestors and return to his roots." Unfortunately, he did not meet Yu Wenhua Ji, but instead encountered Madam Yu Wen. At her command, the servants beat him mercilessly, and he lay in bed for a full month before his injuries healed

Han said with a smile, "I really dislike eating noodles; instead, these steamed buns suit my taste perfectly." She broke the hard, dense steamed bun and soaked it in the soup bowl. The coarse vegetable bun was quite rough, making it difficult to swallow without soaking it in the soup

The Copper-skinned Rhinoceros comes from a humble background. Of course, in this era, individuals from noble families are unlikely to become thugs, with Li Le being an exception. The Copper-skinned Rhinoceros is known for being diligent and down-to-earth, starting from the grassroots level and dedicating himself to the security work of the Sui Dynasty. He became an official at the city gate of the Western Market. Although he has remained at the grassroots level for over ten years and is unlikely to rise to higher positions in the future, he can still be considered a man of the official class, overseeing twenty soldiers under his command

Although Li Le is known as the Tai Sui of the East Market, not a single wealthy merchant has come to pay him respects. The ones he extorts are merely small fry, yielding little profit, and life in the East Market Tai Sui gang has become somewhat strained

After a while, a creaking sound was heard from the courtyard as the wooden door opened, and Han returned! Li Le, upon hearing the noise, stood up from his chair, hesitating and unsure whether he should go out to greet her. Even now, he still could not accept the fact that Han was his mother. After all, it was nearly impossible for Han to replace his mother from his previous life.

Do not underestimate the city gate official as a minor bureaucrat; if it were any smaller, it would not even be considered an official position. However, this individual receives a salary from the court, which in Daxing City is regarded as having connections. Among the delinquents, this person can undoubtedly be considered a figure of considerable influence, akin to a godfather within the capital's underworld.

Xie Changliu noticed Li Le appearing deep in thought and asked with a hint of excitement, "Brother Hetushu, do you have any good methods yet?"

He stepped out of the door and called out, "Mother, I am going out!" Once he had come to terms with it, he no longer felt awkward calling Han as his mother. Han was busy in the kitchen; upon hearing his words, she suddenly paused. Since her son had woken up, this was the first time he had called her mother. Her eyes turned red, and she completely forgot to ask her son why he was going out so early.

Han hurriedly pushed the eggs out, saying: "You eat, you eat, Mother doesn't like this. You just recovered from your illness and need to eat something good to replenish your strength!"

Li Le let out a long sigh, wondering how he had become so poor. Was that Yu Wen Mu Zhou from before even human? Claiming to be the leader, yet he was nothing but a useless person! Indeed, if he weren't useless, how could he allow someone to hit him on the head with a brick?

Han shook his head, placed his hand on his forehead, felt it, and then placed his hand on his own forehead again for comparison. He said, "Fortunately, it's not very hot!" With a tone of relief, Li Le was momentarily at a loss for words. Han's concern for him was genuine and evident; he was not a fool and could certainly sense it.

Being struck by such a powerful figure is not necessarily a shameful matter; it is only natural for a big thug to bully a smaller one. In this line of work, one must always be prepared to hit others with a brick, as well as to be hit oneself. As long as one can regain face and retaliate after being struck, then being hit becomes inconsequential. However, this time, Li Le's being struck is not merely a matter of 'heroes' rivalry,' but rather concerns territory and income.

Li Le suddenly recalled a story titled "Mother Loves to Eat Fish Heads." A young girl, before her marriage, noticed that every time her family had fish, her mother would only eat the fish heads, leaving the fish meat for her daughter. The girl asked her mother about this, and her mother replied that she loved fish heads, so the girl believed it to be true. The girl did not like fish heads and even thought her mother's taste was quite peculiar.

Xie Changliu quietly probed, "Brother, why don't you try asking Lord Yuwen again? You have a father-son relationship with him, and he can't just sit by and watch us... watch you being bullied"

Daxing City is divided into two halves, east and west, with Zhuque Avenue as the axis. Each half has its own large market, with easily memorable names: the eastern market is called Dongshi, and the western market is called Xishi. However, although both Dongshi and Xishi are large markets, the types of transactions conducted there differ, and the clientele they attract is not the same.

Only by raising children can one truly understand the love of parents; what a mother claims not to enjoy eating is often a reflection of her reluctance to indulge.

Just hesitating, Han entered first. After stepping inside, before he had a chance to put down the basket in his hand, he hurriedly asked: "Muzhou, during the time your mother has been away, have you had any more episodes?" Saying this, he quickly walked over to Li Le, reached out to press his hand against his forehead. After feeling it, he placed his hand on his own forehead and suddenly said: "Muzhou, your head feels a bit warm!" Saying this, he pressed his hand back onto Li Le's head.

The goods sold in the East Market are primarily high-end luxury items, making it a boutique area that caters to the needs of royalty, nobility, and high-ranking officials. The clientele is of noble status, and naturally, the merchants maintain a high standard. Many prominent businessmen have substantial backing, and it is not the kind of place where just any petty thug can engage in extortion

Li Le shook his head and said, "Let the matter of revenge be set aside for now; there is no rush. The urgent task at hand is how to acquire some money. Once everyone is financially comfortable, we can prepare more clubs and go teach that pig-headed fellow a lesson, educating him on the principles of being a decent person"

The rooster crows three times, and the east gradually brightens

Yuwen Muzhou, envious of the profits in the Western Market, led his subordinates to seize territory. However, not only did they fail to capture the territory, but they were also killed by the subordinates of the Copper-Skinned Rhinoceros, and their corpses were borrowed by Li Le for resurrection.

The merchants in the West Market engage in common people's business, mostly lacking any background, and many are itinerant traders from other regions, making them easy targets for exploitation. As the saying goes, without external wealth, one cannot become rich; without night grass, cattle cannot grow fat. The copper-skinned rhinoceros serves as both a city gate officer ensuring security and as a thug preying on the fat sheep, naturally accumulating a considerable amount of external wealth through embezzlement. The Rhinoceros Gang lives a much more prosperous life than the Tai Sui Gang.

Han turned around and saw a string of copper coins on the table. She was taken aback and hurriedly asked Li Le, "Mu Zhou, where did all this money come from? Did you go and cause trouble for someone again?"

Han's Way: "I originally intended to fry you a plate of eggs, but we have run out of oil at home. Uncle Wang Cai has helped us a lot in the past, and he never asks for anything in return when he lends us things. I really feel embarrassed to ask him for oil again"

After dinner, after it got dark, Li Le went to bed early. That night, he was troubled and could not fall asleep. He knew that Han Shi was also restless, as she got up a total of seven times that night, each time coming to his door to check on him. Perhaps she was worried that he might have an episode during the night

Li Le chuckled twice and thought to himself, "The neighbor is quite nice; I will surely repay this kindness in the future." He pushed the bowl of noodles towards Han and said, "Please have this!"

Li Le stroked his chin, finding that seeking Yu Wenhua was too risky, but looking for Yu Wenshu was not as dangerous. The key issue was whether he could meet Yu Wenshu; once they met, everything would be manageable. However, the difficulty lay in the fact that Yu Wenhua's wife was obstructing the meeting, preventing him from seeing Yu Wenshu.

Upon hearing his words, the four subordinates' expressions fell simultaneously. If there were any way to acquire more money, they would have used it long ago, and there would be no need to fight the copper-skinned rhinoceros for territory.

For the time being, unable to think of a good solution, he said: "My injury has nearly healed, tomorrow you all accompany me to stroll around, and we can slowly think of a way out!"

Hearing Chen Xin say he wanted to regain his face, Li Le remained silent. In this day and age, being a thug truly has no future. He had not seen how well the copper-skinned rhinoceros was doing, but judging by the attire of his few subordinates, it was evident that they were not faring well at all. As for their extortion methods against merchants, they were even more simplistic, relying solely on their numbers to teach the bosses a lesson, extorting a small amount of money, or dining and dashing without paying, all of which lacked any technical sophistication and were highly inefficient, merely allowing them to scrape by.

Li Le saw her go out, then lowered his head to think. Suddenly, he heard Han calling from the kitchen: "Mu Zhou, we have run out of salt at home. I will go next door to borrow some from Uncle Wangcai!"

Li Le then remembered the hundred or so copper coins from www.hetushu.com and laughed, saying: "I haven't even stepped out today, so how could I go looking for trouble with others? This is a gift from friends, meant for us to use. Please take it!"

Han picked up the string of copper coins and said, "Who can casually give away so much money for others to spend? Isn't that usury?" She looked at Li Le and said, "My child, usury is a debt that one can never repay, like a donkey rolling in the mud. Although our family is poor, we are not to the extent of..."

Li Le picked up an egg from the bowl and placed it into Han's bowl, saying: "Please eat!"

Han was skeptical but, seeing his son's certainty, he no longer pressed the matter. He put away the string of copper coins and said softly, "Having received kindness from others, one must not forget to repay it. Today, your mother also borrowed more than twenty copper coins from Steward Yuwen. Once we are financially stable, we must repay it as soon as possible." With that, he went out to prepare the meal

Li Le furrowed his brow as he looked at this string of copper coins, which numbered only about one hundred. He was not very familiar with the prices during the Sui Dynasty, but he estimated that this amount of money would not suffice for anything significant. With a snort, he waved his hand to dismiss his subordinates.

The subordinates nodded in agreement. After chatting for a while, estimating that Han would be back soon, the ruffians did not dare to stay longer and got up to take their leave. Before leaving, Xie Changliu took out a string of copper coins from his pocket and said: "Brother, this is what the brothers have gathered for you. Take it and use it first; if it is not enough, we will find another way!"

After a while, Han brought in dinner. Li Le was served a bowl of noodles with two poached eggs, while she herself had a bowl of vegetable dumplings and a bowl of mixed vegetable soup

Li Le was taken aback for a moment before realizing. The "copper-skinned pig head" that Chen mentioned referred to another thug who had once cracked open his skull, but that person's actual nickname was "copper-skinned rhinoceros," not pig head.

When Yuwen Muzhou was alive, he was extremely unfilial, never caring for his mother and never showing any such considerate actions towards Han. Today, seeing Li Le like this, Han felt delighted in her heart and said: "Mother is not cold. You must be hungry, let me go prepare a meal for you." As she spoke, she withdrew her hand, gently tidied Li Le's messy hair, bent down to pick up the basket, and was about to head to the kitchen