Chapter 28: Is It You?
Chapter 28: Is It You?
As night passed, Jiang Cheng had a restless sleep.
Perhaps his thoughts during the day influenced his dreams, for he dreamed not once, but several times, of clashing with those thugs with connections, offending the Wild Wolf Gang, and eventually dying a tragic death on the streets.
In some dreams, even his grandmother was driven out of their home.
This was just one version; there were even more tragic ones.
When he woke up early in the morning, Jiang Cheng still felt a bit tired.
"Didn't sleep well last night, kid?" The old man, who had just finished cooking porridge, noticed Jiang Cheng's appearance and asked with concern.
"I'm okay," Jiang Cheng replied, looking up at the wall clock.
It was already past seven o'clock.
After a quick wash and breakfast, it would be around eight o'clock, and he would have about an hour or two to practice his short stick skills before heading out to set up his stall.
"If you're tired, sleep a bit more. Grandma will wake you up when it's time," the old man said, his eyes filled with concern.
Roasted sweet potatoes were indeed a hard-earned living.
"It's fine, I'll just wash my face," Jiang Cheng shook his head.
He was willing to skip a meal to make time for practicing his short stick skills.
However, it would take at least a week to master the short stick from proficiency to mastery.
Even if it didn't take that long, could he really take on the entire Wild Wolf Gang with his short stick skills? Lu Zicheng had mentioned that the Iron Fist Gang also had several experts, each capable of taking on multiple opponents. Even if the Wild Wolf Gang was at a disadvantage, they should still have a few individuals who could hold their own against two or three opponents.
Not to mention, if they brought out weapons like crossbows, or if any of them had secretly cultivated secret martial arts.
"It's best to come up with a plan in advance," Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
In the blink of an eye, three hours passed. After bidding farewell to the old man and Chen Sao from next door, Jiang Cheng pushed his tricycle and made his way to the street.
The alleyway looked much the same as always, with no significant changes.
Upon reaching his stall, Jiang Cheng skillfully started roasting sweet potatoes.
Halfway through the roasting, a crowd began to gather around him.
"Boss, how much longer do we have to wait?" someone asked impatiently.
"About twenty more minutes," Jiang Cheng smiled at the man, "If you have something to do, you can come back later."
"Will I still be able to buy some if I come back later?" The man shook his head.
Hearing this, the crowd around them burst into laughter.
"The boss's roasted sweet potatoes are indeed delicious; it's worth the wait," someone said.
"Yeah, I've never tasted such amazing roasted sweet potatoes before," another person added.
As time passed, the crowd grew, and they kept mentioning their place in line.
"It smells so good!"
Suddenly, a female voice rang out.
As the voice sounded, the crowd fell silent.
Jiang Cheng instinctively looked up and saw a slender woman in a white martial arts uniform with a soaring eagle emblem on the left side.
"Is it you?" Jiang Cheng was surprised.
It was the same woman from the Falcon Fist Gym, but this time she was alone, without the man who had accompanied her before.
The crowd feared the martial arts gym, and even though it was a woman, they kept a safe distance of two meters.
Some with slightly more courage sneaked glances at her face and figure.
"Boss, you have a good memory, remembering me," the woman, Bai Wei, smiled.
She looked down at the sweet potatoes on the barrel, "How much longer?
"It'll just be a few minutes."
Jiang Cheng replied.
He hadn't expected that the customer would return for a second time.
But on second thought, it seemed reasonable. After all, his roasted sweet potatoes were indeed worth a second visit.
Logically speaking, street vendors wouldn't welcome members of martial arts gyms because they ate without paying.
But this person in front of him, although also from a martial arts gym, seemed decent enough to know that one should pay for food. However, he liked to cut in line.
"A few minutes is still fast."
Bai Wei nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "Your roasted sweet potatoes do taste great. I'll take two later, twelve yuan, right?"
"Yes."
Jiang Cheng glanced apologetically at the people around him.
Fortunately, no one seemed to mind, perhaps they were all too captivated by the sight to notice Jiang Cheng.
A minute or two passed.
Suddenly, a thought popped into Jiang Cheng's mind.
He took a deep breath and asked the woman before him, "Miss, are you from the Falcon Fist Gym?"
"Yes, what's up?" Bai Wei blinked.
"I'd like to ask, how much does it cost to learn self-defense techniques at your gym?"
Upon hearing this, the people around them stared at Jiang Cheng in surprise.
This guy wants to learn martial arts at the gym?
The thing is, learning martial arts at a gym isn't cheap.
The key is, this skill requires consistent practice over time to see results, making the expenses even greater.
"Oh? You're interested in our gym's fist techniques?"
Bai Wei's face showed surprise as she looked at Jiang Cheng and then at his shabby tricycle.
Learning martial arts at a gym was a luxury compared to the financial situation of most people in the slum.
It was like the shop owners on both sides of the street; there were many of them, and of course, they weren't just there to learn martial arts.
There would also be elite gang members and wealthy individuals.
But this person before him was just a street vendor, and learning martial arts was a long-term commitment with significant expenses, which he might not be able to afford.
"Alas!"
Jiang Cheng sighed, "The situation in the slum is well-known. Every night when I return, passing by the corner, I'm always on edge, fearing an encounter with those thugs. But I've run into them numerous times, and my money has been robbed clean."
Hearing this, many nearby people's faces turned somber, and some whispered in agreement, but none dared to speak up.
Because who knew if there were members of the Wild Wolf Gang around, and if they heard their complaints, how would they settle the score? They could only seethe in silence.
Bai Wei also sighed softly.
She was well aware of the slum's situation, and she had once been passionate about bringing justice to the people, but later realized that the problem ran too deep for a couple of martial arts gyms to change.
"You want to learn a few self-defense techniques, so that when you encounter those thugs again, you can repel them, not only avoiding financial loss but also taking revenge?"
She asked.
"Yes," Jiang Cheng nodded repeatedly.
In his heart, however, he thought it wasn't that simple. Those thugs were small fry to him; the real challenge was those with connections.
But he'd ask the questions one by one.
Just as he was about to ask the most crucial question, Bai Wei surprisingly took the initiative to speak up.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
