The Xu Family's Fangs

Xu Mao's eyes slanted upward as he swept Bai Jing from head to toe.

Seeing her skin as plump and smooth as freshly peeled lychee flesh, her slender waist swaying like drooping willows brushed by the wind, he immediately felt wicked fire surge through his dantian. Flippant marketplace words already rolled upon the tip of his tongue.

But the middle-aged steward had sharp eyes and saw through his calculations at a glance. He immediately clasped his fist. "Please forgive us, Madam Xu. My Young Master merely speaks his mind. He was only curious about that white cat."

Xu Mao shot his steward a glance. Seeing him repeatedly signal with his eyes, he clicked his tongue and let it go.

"You came from a great family, yet you have no eye at all." A trace of mockery curled Xu Mingxian's lips.

"What did you say, brat?!"

Seeing even a child daring to mock him, Xu Mao immediately shouted in fury and sprang to his feet.

"You're an adult, yet you want to argue with a six-year-old child?"

By the time Xu Mingxian and Xu Mingshu were born, the Xu Family was no longer as impoverished as it had been in the beginning.

Xu Chuan and his wife, as well as their elder brothers, had spoiled the children greatly. Their temperaments had thus become somewhat mischievous, and they had always spoken their minds.

The middle-aged steward smiled and asked, "Young Master, you said earlier that we had no eye. Why do you say that?"

"What my sister is holding is a fierce tiger cub. You called it a white cat. Are you not blind as bats?"

The middle-aged steward froze.

Xu Mao, meanwhile, burst into loud laughter. "A fierce tiger cub? Do you take me for someone who has never seen a fierce tiger? What tiger has white fur?"

"Mistaking a white cat for a fierce tiger—just as expected of children raised by Xu Chuan."

Xu Mingshu was furious as well. She pointed at Xu Mao. "Little White, bite him."

Little White seemed to understand Xu Mingshu's words. Its Red Gold eyes fixed on Xu Mao, glinting with ferocity.

It opened its mouth, baring tiger fangs that had not yet fully grown in.

"Xue Ji, who are you going to bite?!"

"Haven't I told you not to let Little White bite people whenever it pleases?"

A genial voice came from outside the door.

Then Xu Chuan, Xu Mingwei, Sun Fugui, and Qian Youcai walked into the courtyard.

Outside the gate, seven or eight plainly dressed burly men stood before several flat carts.

The carts carried basket after basket of Green Jade Pears.

"Father, you're back."

Xu Mingxian and Xu Mingshu cried out and ran toward Xu Chuan.

Bai Jing inwardly let out a breath of relief and smiled as well. "Husband, you're back. Young Master Xu and the others have been waiting for quite a while."

Xu Chuan nodded and looked at Xu Mao with a smile. "brother Xu, it has been a long time."

"Father, that man insulted you just now."

Xu Mingshu bared her little tiger teeth as she tattled to Xu Chuan.

"You little brat." Xu Mao glared at Xu Mingshu, his face full of rage.

"Patriarch Xu, my Young Master was only making a joke. Please do not take offense."

The middle-aged steward smiled apologetically and hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

"For Third Master's sake, I naturally will not hold it against him. But the Xu Family has many matters to attend to today, so we will not be entertaining guests."

The middle-aged steward's brow furrowed slightly.

As if he had not understood, Xu Mao continued to sneer arrogantly. "I knew you wouldn't dare!"

"Those outside are this year's Green Jade Pears, aren't they? Hand the pears over, and I will overlook your daughter offending me. My Xu Family is not petty; we will not short the Xu Family on silver."

"brother Xu, are you speaking nonsense?" Xu Chuan chuckled, stroking Xu Mingshu's head. "Why should we give our pears to you?"

"My Xu Family has opened a Fruit Shop in the county town. These Green Jade Pears are all being sent there for tomorrow's grand opening."

The middle-aged steward understood.

He knew they could only return empty-handed today.

The Xu Family had handed over its Green Jade Pears to the Xu Family year after year only because the Xu Family was powerful; they had endured in silence and kept their heads down.

"Xu Chuan, you dare refuse to hand them over to me? Are you trying to offend my Xu Family?!"

"What a thing to say. If I refuse to sell you my family's goods, that counts as offending you? Then would the twenty mu of medicinal herbs cultivated by your Xu Family be sold to me at thirty percent below market price?"

"If so, this deal might not be impossible."

"What a joke!" Xu Mao laughed in extreme anger.

Not wanting the relationship between the two families to grow ever more strained, the middle-aged steward hurriedly cupped his hands toward Xu Chuan. "Since Patriarch Xu has already made plans for those Green Jade Pears, we shall not disturb you further."

As he spoke, he forcibly dragged Xu Mao away.

Xu Mao still wore an unwilling expression.

"Steward Wang, why are you dragging me away? Xu Chuan doesn't know what's good for him. I was just about to teach him a lesson."

"With the men we brought?" the middle-aged steward asked in return. "Even if we could teach him a lesson, if he refuses to sell, are we supposed to snatch them by force? Are you not afraid he will submit a written accusation to the County Office, claiming we forcibly seized his Green Jade Pears?"

"When that happens, not only will our Xu Family suffer a great loss, we will also lose our good name throughout the Ten-Mile Eight Villages."

"We should return and report this to Third Master, Second Master, and the Patriarch, and let them make the decision."

"Hmph!"

After the middle-aged steward put it that way, Xu Mao could only return home unwillingly.

The Xu Family estate.

"Xu Chuan truly said that?"

Third Master Xu sat at the head of the hall. After hearing the middle-aged steward's report, he stroked his beard. "Forget it. Since matters have come to this, there is no need to hope for it any longer."

"I truly underestimated Xu Chuan. I thought he was merely an honest, timid farmer who kept to his place."

"But so long as my Xu Family manages its other businesses well, we can still flourish day by day."

After a pause, he added, "By the way, Steward Wang, you said the Xu Family's Fruit Shop in the county town opens tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Go inquire about it. Tomorrow, send them a congratulatory gift for their opening."

"We are both from Dongxi Village. We must still keep up appearances."

"Yes, Third Master." The middle-aged steward answered, then withdrew.

"As for you, stay home properly these days. Do not go out and cause trouble for me. Ah, our branch of the family will still have to rely on Gan'er."

"Yes, Father."

Xu Mao was still burning with rage.

In the past, Xu Chuan had lowered his head before him like grass flattened by the wind, bent his waist like defeated cotton. Yet after only a few years, he dared treat him this way?!

This foul breath lodged in his throat was more scorching than swallowing burning coals!

"Hmph, I may not be able to deal with you, but I gave birth to a good son."

"Gan'er studies martial arts with his Second Uncle at the Black Wind Martial Arts Hall. He is the Xu Family member with the greatest hope of becoming the next First-class Martial Artist."

"Xu Chuan, isn't your Fruit Shop opening tomorrow? I would like to see how you can keep it open if something goes wrong."

Xu Mao did not listen to his father at all. He turned around, mounted a horse, and rode to Qingjiang County Town.

After the middle-aged steward learned that Xu Mao had left the Xu Family estate, he immediately reported it to Third Master Xu.

Third Master Xu waved a hand. "Let him go to the county town and clear his head. So long as he does not provoke the Xu Family."

"I only pray that the two families remain like river water and well water, each minding its own business."

The Xu Family.

"Shitou, you, Sun Fugui, and Qian Youcai take the Green Jade Pears to A Yuan. Go now."

"Alright, Father." Xu Mingwei nodded.

Xu Mingxian looked at Xu Chuan and asked curiously, "Father, why didn't you teach that Xu fellow a lesson just now?"

"Yes, Xue Ji dislikes him too, and so does Little White."

"Awroo~" The Little White Tiger had its head patted and joined in agreement.

"Someone like him is a worm in the Xu Family. Leaving him there to gnaw the Xu Family hollow and bring it down would make him far more useful, wouldn't it?"

Xu Chuan's lips held a smile three parts full of confidence. "Besides, Father has his own use for keeping him around. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the county town to watch a good show. If possible, we can also vent this foul breath along the way."

Xu Chuan rubbed both their heads and added, "It isn't noon yet. Go practice your fists a while longer."

"Father, didn't we already practice this morning?" Xu Mingshu pouted unhappily.

Xu Chuan pulled a stern face and said nothing.

The two children took one look and could only obediently begin practicing their punches in the courtyard.

The Little White Tiger escaped Xu Mingshu's devilish clutches.

It lay on the corridor, yawned, and basked lazily in the sun.

After half a month, it had already grown accustomed to its current life and was very obedient to Xu Mingshu.