After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 58

He squinted, weighing the string of copper coins that Yang Laowu had just handed him—which was noticeably thinner than usual—and his expression gradually darkened.

“Yang Laowu,” Wu Laizi threw the copper coins onto the table with a crisp but weak sound, his voice filled with dissatisfaction, “your tribute money… is getting more and more outrageous! What? Business is so good that you have too much money and nowhere to put it, so you’re thinking of easing my burden?”

Yang Laowu stood at the lower end, his back almost bent to the ground, a fawning yet bitter smile plastered on his face. Upon hearing this, he immediately cried out in protest: “Master Wu! You’ve really wronged me! How could I dare! It’s just… it’s just that I haven’t earned much money these past few months!”

“Oh?” Wu Laizi glanced at him sideways. “Do you think you, a shopkeeper, would starve to death in a place like the docks?”

“Sigh!” Old Yang sighed heavily, as if he had found an outlet for his grievances, and began to pour out his bitterness.

“Uncle Wu, you have no idea! It’s all because of that new Lin family stall at the dock! That whole family set up a shabby stall selling mutton offal soup, and then they even started selling mutton spine hot pot! They’ve stolen all my customers! My noodle shop hardly gets any customers all day long. If this continues, forget about supporting you, Uncle Wu, I’m afraid I won’t even be able to pay the rent. I’ll have to close down before the New Year!”

Wu Laizi frowned: “A roadside stall can drive you to this state? Don’t you have any ideas?”

“I thought about it! Of course I thought about it!” Old Yang said with a long face. “I went to find fault with them, but that Lin family woman and her maid were very quick-witted, and I couldn’t argue with them at all! Later, I even went to the yamen to report them for operating without a license, but who knew… who knew they actually had proof! The officers didn’t arrest them, but instead gave me a scolding!”

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, a mixture of resentment and fear appearing on his face:

“In the end, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I went to their stall myself, intending to… intending to teach them a lesson, but… but their future son-in-law suddenly came back! Mr. Wu, you have no idea, that guy was actually Zhou Han! That Zhou scoundrel who fights like he’s out of his mind!”

With him backing up the Lin family, no one at the docks dares to mess with them anymore! I… I almost had my wrist broken by him last time! He subconsciously rubbed his wrist, which still seemed to be throbbing slightly.

“Zhou Han?!” Upon hearing this name, Wu Laizi sat up abruptly, his eyes instantly turning sinister and ruthless, and the leprosy scars on his face seemed to turn even redder.

Several of his men had been taught a lesson by Zhou Han when they used to collect “protection money” at the docks or do petty theft. Some of them are still in bed recovering from their injuries.

Zhou Han is ruthless, strong, and fearless; he’s the toughest nut to crack in their line of work.

“It’s him again!” Wu Laizi gritted his teeth, a surge of old and new grudges welling up in his heart. “Good! Very good! I’ve been looking for a chance to settle scores with him!”

Seeing an opportunity, Yang Laowu quickly pressed his advantage, bowing and saying, “Master Wu, if you can find a way to deal with Zhou Han, or drive the Lin family out of the docks, I’ll double the tribute money from my noodle shop! No! I’ll double it! I just beg you, Master Wu, to give me some vindication and a way to survive!”

Wu Laizi gave a sinister smile, tapping his fingers on the table, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light: “Zhou Han… is indeed a problem, but even a tiger fears a pack of wolves! No matter how good he is, he’s only one person. I’ll take this job! I can settle all the old scores at once!”

He looked at Yang Laowu, his tone ruthless and unyielding: “Just wait and see the show! As for the tribute money… remember what you said!”

Yang Laowu, as if grasping at a lifeline, bowed repeatedly, a twisted smile of excitement on his face: “Thank you, Master Wu! Thank you, Master Wu! I will never forget! I will certainly repay you handsomely!”

In the dimly lit room, the two reached a dirty agreement, and a bigger storm targeting Zhou Han and the Lin family’s business was quietly brewing in the shadows.

———

On the Zhou family’s side, Zhou Han arrived at Zhenyuan Escort Agency early the next morning.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was surnamed Zhao. He was a burly man with a dark complexion and a booming voice. When he saw Zhou Han, he immediately greeted him with a smile and patted him on the shoulder forcefully: “Brother Zhou! You’re back! You must have had a long journey! You did a good job on this trip, and the master is very satisfied!”

He led Zhou Han into the inner room, took out a heavy money bag, and pushed it in front of Zhou Han: “Here, this is your wages. The weather was bad and the road was dangerous, so the reward is higher. It’s fifteen taels of silver in total. In addition,” he took out a slightly smaller money bag, “this two taels is an extra bonus from the escort agency. You’re a good guy, reliable, and you helped a lot on the road. You deserve it!”

Fifteen taels plus two taels, a total of seventeen taels of silver!

Zhou Han did not refuse and took the money bag. Its heavy weight made him feel much more at ease. He clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, Chief Escort Zhao.”

Zhao, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), waved his hand, looking at Zhou Han’s composed demeanor with even greater appreciation in his eyes: “Why are you being so polite with me, brother! So, if there are any more jobs like this in the future, would you like to work with me again?”

Zhou Han raised his head, his gaze firm: “I think it’s good to be able to travel and see more of the world outside. If there are any suitable jobs, please let me know.”

“Good! I love your straightforwardness and courage!” Chief镖师 Zhao laughed heartily. “Alright! I’ve got it! Next time there’s a tough job going north or west, I’ll definitely call you!”

After leaving the escort agency, Zhou Han went straight to the Lin family’s stall at the dock.

Upon his arrival, without any instructions, he naturally took on the most strenuous tasks—moving large pots filled with lamb spines or filling water vats.

When the familiar workers and porters at the dock saw him, they all laughed and joked:

“Hey! Zhou Han, you’re here so early in the morning to help out at your father-in-law’s house?”

“Look at that son-in-law, how hardworking he is! Boss Lin, you’re truly blessed!”

“Sang girl, you have good taste! You found such a capable man!”

“Brother Zhou, when are you going to invite us to your wedding? We’re all waiting!”

These blunt jokes made Lin Sang, who was serving soup, blush instantly. She lowered her head, pretending to focus on her work, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up slightly.

Zhou Han felt a little embarrassed by what everyone was saying, but he was always calm and just kept his head down and worked. Occasionally, he would look up at Lin Sang’s blushing profile with a gentle gaze.

As noon approached, Wang looked at Zhou Han, who was sweating profusely from his work, and felt both satisfied and distressed. She said to Lin Laoda, “Dad, close up shop early today! Go to town and buy two pounds of good meat, a fresh fish, and some tofu and vegetables. We’ll have a good meal tonight to welcome Han’er back and treat everyone!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han quickly said, “Auntie, there’s no need to go to so much trouble. A simple home-cooked meal will suffice.”

Wang waved her hand dismissively, saying, “You child, why are you being so formal with me? Just listen to me! You just wait to eat!”