Not Chewing Loudly in Front of Hungry People is Also a Kind of Kindness

"Master Fang."

From a distance, the overly sweet voice of the restaurant owner carried over.

Fang Xuan slightly furrowed his brow and looked coldly at the restaurant owner.

In an instant, the restaurant owner's steps faltered. He first looked at Lu Ying, then fearfully at Fang Xuan, silently withdrew his foot, and retreated back.

"Hmm?"

Lu Ying looked strangely at the restaurant owner, then at Fang Xuan, whose expression was normal, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with this restaurant owner? Why does he look so afraid of you?"

"Is that so? Sister Lu Ying must have seen it wrong," Fang Xuan said with a smile.

Meeting an old friend again, Fang Xuan only wanted to interact with her in the simplest and purest way, not wanting too many impurities in their relationship.

If he told Lu Ying that he was now the Hall Master of the entire East City, setting aside how Lu Ying would view him, she would probably eat cautiously, as if walking on thin ice.

This kind of showing off was very low-level.

"Really?"

Lu Ying raised her eyebrows, then shook her head and didn't think about it anymore, leading Fang Xuan to a private room on the second floor.

"Brother, you're here?"

Fang Lan was using chopsticks to pick up broad beans. Seeing Fang Xuan arrive, her eyes immediately lit up.

"Brother Xuan!"

Water Monkey was also in the private room. He stood up and nodded, greeting Fang Xuan.

Water Monkey, who was usually surrounded by people and wore fine clothes, had specially changed into the azure short jacket of a fisherman today.

Fang Xuan nodded slightly towards Water Monkey, then looked towards the innermost part of the private room.

A lean man, whose skin was somewhat dark and rough from years of fishing, stood up awkwardly to greet him: "You... you are Xiao Xuan, right? Xiao Ying mentioned you to me, you... hello."

The lean man wanted to exchange a few pleasantries, but his face turned red, and after stammering for a long time, he could only manage to say, 'Eat well and drink well.'

"Useless!"

Lu Ying glared at the lean man, then looked at Fang Xuan and said, "Xiao Xuan, your brother-in-law is an honest man. He only knows how to fish and doesn't know how to socialize. He can't say anything nice. Please don't mind him."

"It's alright. I actually don't like people who are boastful and have a glib tongue," Fang Xuan said with a smile to Lu Ying.

"Then Xiao Xuan, please sit. I don't know what's going on, but I invited the friends we grew up with in the Bamboo Raft Houses to eat, and after they heard you were coming today, they were all scared like mice seeing a cat. They had agreed nicely, but they all declined."

Lu Ying muttered, arranging for everyone to sit down.

After three rounds of drinks, by the time dinner ended, it was already the Xu Hour.

During the meal, Lu Ying talked about the ups and downs of her life over the years.

When she mentioned that she could now earn 500 Wen every month, her face showed genuine pride.

"Xiao Xuan, your conditions were the worst among us in the Bamboo Raft Houses back then, and you still haven't started a family... Don't try to be strong. I know you must be having a hard time now. It's okay. If you can't hold on one day, just come and tell your sister. Although your sister isn't rich, I will definitely help you with what I can. At least your brother-in-law and I can provide you with a meal..."

"Sigh, Xiao Xuan, the adults used to tell us that only by enduring hardship can one become a superior person... But why is it that we have endured so much hardship, yet there is still endless hardship to endure?"

"Xiao Xuan, when do you think we'll be able to live a little easier?"

Lu Ying got drunk not long after, her eyes hazy, speaking some nonsensical words.

"Everything will be fine." Fang Xuan nodded gently.

Fang Lan and Water Monkey just listened silently from the side.

Fang Xuan had taught them a principle very early on.

Sometimes, in front of a hungry person, not chewing loudly is also a form of kindness.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Fang Xuan and the others got up to say goodbye and leave.

"Wife, why do I feel like this little brother of yours, our neighbor, isn't an ordinary person?"

Inside the private room, the honest and skinny man whispered.

He didn't know why.

He always felt that this Fang Xuan was not as poor and down-and-out as Lu Ying said.

A poor and down-and-out person couldn't be as calm and composed as this Fang Xuan, especially the waiters who served the dishes in the middle, the fear in their eyes when they looked at Fang Xuan couldn't be hidden at all.

When Fang Xuan walked out of the Happiness and Fortune Restaurant.

"Master Fang, the gang leader requests your presence."

He saw that Uncle Rong from the gang had been standing at the entrance of the restaurant at some point, waiting quietly.

Behind him, there were dozens of ruffians, standing silently in the night.

On the bustling Ten Li Long Street, everyone else had already scattered like birds and beasts.

"Xiao Lan, you go back first. Then, Monkey, you find some time tomorrow to go to Anhong City and see if Sister Lu Ying needs any help. Just help her secretly."

After Fang Xuan finished speaking with a calm expression, he looked at Uncle Rong and smiled, saying:

"It's so late, and I've troubled Uncle Rong to bring so many people to find me? The gang leader is really impatient."

Uncle Rong didn't speak, just looked deeply at Fang Xuan:

"Thank you, Master Fang."

"Please!"

In the night, Fang Xuan and a group of ruffians walked away.

By the time Fang Xuan arrived at the Black Whale Courtyard, it was already the Zi Hour.

As soon as Fang Xuan stepped into the Black Whale Courtyard, he saw Long Huaxing's face as dark as water. The prayer beads he usually held in his hand had already been crushed from being squeezed too hard and were casually thrown aside.

"Wow, the gang leader is in such a bad mood today?"

Fang Xuan glanced at the prayer beads that had shattered from excessive force, and said with a chuckle to Long Huaxing.

"Fang Xuan!!!"

Long Huaxing suddenly slammed the teacup on the armrest onto the ground, staring intently at Fang Xuan, and roared:

"Fang Xuan, you have some nerve!"

"Why is the Gang Leader so angry?" Fang Xuan took a few steps back and patted the water stains splashed on his clothes.

"Why am I so angry? Are you saying that Xiang Chengjiang wasn't killed by you last night?" Long Huaxing said coldly.

"So the Gang Leader is angry about this?" Fang Xuan raised his eyebrows, then smiled indifferently, "Gang Leader, didn't you say you allowed me to deal with Xiang Chengjiang? Why are you so angry now that I've dealt with him?"

"Yes! I did say I allowed you to deal with Xiang Chengjiang, but is this how you deal with him? Directly going to his house and wiping out his family?" Long Huaxing let out a low growl from his throat, his cloudy eyes filled with uncontrollable rage.

"Do you know that the few Elders you killed yesterday were all founding Elders of our Black Whale Gang? You killed Xiang Chengjiang, fine, but why did you kill them too?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan pulled out a chair and sat down. He glanced at Long Huaxing, then continued with an unchanging smile:

"Gang Leader, they were in cahoots with Xiang Chengjiang, clearly siding with Zheng Juexiong. If I didn't kill them, would I wait for Zheng Juexiong to return and have them all gang up on me?"

"You're wrong! They were just fence-sitters who would sway with the wind. As long as Zheng Juexiong is dealt with, they would naturally return to our side! Now look, you killed them all to your heart's content. If you keep killing like this, our Black Whale Gang will collapse on its own without anyone else needing to act, and it will exist in name only!"

Long Huaxing slammed the table heavily and said sternly, "Your killing intent is so strong, will you eventually kill even me?"

Fang Xuan didn't speak, but after a moment of silence, he slowly put away the smile on his face.

He raised his head and glanced at Long Huaxing indifferently, then suddenly said calmly:

"Gang Leader Long, no wonder Zheng Juexiong doesn't take you seriously now. You're truly senile."