Chapter 37

Zhang Xianyang's response was to raise his hand directly and say, "Teacher, I don't want to sit at the same desk as him. Move him away from me!"

The homeroom teacher said awkwardly, "But—"

"If you don't move him away, be careful or I'll have my dad come talk to you." Zhang Xianyang narrowed his eyes as he threatened the teacher. The teacher was left speechless for a long while. In the end, worried that his personal safety could not be guaranteed, he compromised and moved Li Jiangnan to a corner by the classroom door. Sitting by the window, Zhang Xianyang watched Li Jiangnan move his desk and chair with a look of disgust. "Can't you send him to another class? Or another school would work too. Seeing him really annoys me."

This time, the homeroom teacher truly had no solution. "That isn't up to me. Just put up with it. You hardly come to school anyway."

The implication was that if he did not want to see him, he could simply stay away. Out of sight, out of mind.

Honestly, anyone would find it troublesome to have a student like some lord in their class. This was not merely testing a teacher's authority and professional ethics—it was threatening the teacher's life at every moment!

Zhang Xianyang gave an unhappy snort and said, "Isn't he seventeen this year? He should be in the second year of high school, shouldn't he?"

The homeroom teacher looked at Zhang Xianyang and Li Jiangnan in surprise. "You two know each other?"

Zhang Xianyang haughtily turned his head away, picked up his schoolbag, and left.

After leaving the school gates, Zhang Xianyang had nowhere to go and did not want to be dragged back by his perverted second uncle for more "discipline," so he drove straight to the Zhang Family Gang headquarters. Zhang Linmo was teaching Zhang Muyang how to handle gang affairs step by step. Seeing Zhang Xianyang storm in with an angry face, Zhang Linmo raised a brow and smiled. "Why did you come here today? Didn't you say you wanted to go to school?"

"Li Jiangnan transferred to our school, and he's even in my class." Zhang Xianyang puffed out his cheeks as he said to Zhang Linmo, "Can't you think of a way to drive them out of the Old District? I don't want to see them."

Zhang Linmo blinked and immediately saw through the Li Family's intentions. "They're trying to get the moon before the water tower. They really went to great lengths."

Zhang Xianyang snorted, deeply dissatisfied with his father's gloating.

Seeing this, Zhang Linmo laughed heartily, reached out to pull his furious little third son—bristling like a tiny tiger—into his arms, and rubbed his head with a large hand. Smiling, he said, "Is something this small worth getting angry over? It only takes one phone call. Just make him leave that school."

Then he asked, "Are you hungry? Have your brother take you out for something to eat. You'll stop being angry after you eat."

Zhang Xianyang smacked his lips. He was indeed a little hungry. He immediately stood up and said, "Then I want to go downstairs and have a bowl of claypot congee across the street. Dad, do you want seafood or pork rib congee?"

"I'm not going. Have your eldest brother go with you." Zhang Linmo waved casually, signaling Zhang Muyang to accompany Zhang Xianyang downstairs for a meal. "You should take a break too. You've been at it all morning."

Zhang Muyang nodded in acknowledgment, then stood and said, "Dad, why don't you come with us?"

"Mayor Gu will be coming over later to discuss building a tourist resort, so I won't go."

Seeing that, Zhang Muyang said nothing further and immediately led Zhang Xianyang downstairs.

Author's note: Thanks—

0418 threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Jie Hu threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Demeter threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Shinwellen threw a rocket launcher ╭(╯3╰)╮

Falling Leaves threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Zhuzhu threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Nanke Yimeng threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

,

Then, Yangyang's other business is about to come out too. Can everyone guess what it is? o(n_n)o~

37

Chapter 37

Feng's Congee Shop across from the Old District Zhang Family Gang was an old establishment that had been in business for many years. When he was young, its owner Feng Sanxian had spent several years in the gang. However, he was timid by nature, not very skilled in a fight, and Old Master Feng had strongly opposed it, so he eventually left the gang and began running the family business.

Feng's Congee Shop was rather small. It was not mealtime at the moment, so the place was empty. Several servers had pushed together two spotlessly clean tables and were playing cards on top of them. Wearing reading glasses, Feng Sanxian sat behind the counter with a pen in one hand and a calculator in the other, apparently doing the accounts.

Zhang Xianyang curled his lips slightly and pushed open the glass door bearing a "Business for Transfer" sign. The door struck the shell wind chime hanging from the frame, producing a pleasant tinkling sound. Feng Xiaobao, who had been mopping the floor, saw customers enter and instinctively bent at the waist with a smile. "Welcome—Young Master and Third Young Master, why have you come?"

"I missed Uncle Feng's congee." Zhang Xianyang smiled at Feng Xiaobao. "Why didn't Brother Feng go to school today?"

Because his grades were poor, Feng Xiaobao had failed to get into high school after graduating middle school and had enrolled in a culinary school instead. Yet he rarely attended class, preferring to help out at the family shop. He was currently learning the art of cooking congee from Feng Sanxian, but for some reason, even when he followed Feng Sanxian's instructions exactly, the congee he made never had that rich, mellow flavor. According to Feng Sanxian, Feng Xiaobao lacked the Feng Family's spirit, so naturally his congee was no good either.

The workers playing cards at the table and Feng Sanxian, who had been doing accounts behind the counter, also came over. Nodding and bowing, they smiled. "It is truly our honor for the Young Master and Third Young Master to come to such a humble place to eat congee."

"Why would Uncle Feng say that? Ever since I was little, Uncle Feng's congee has been my favorite. Uncle Feng's congee is the best in the world."

Feng Sanxian shook his head with some disappointment and sighed. "Only Third Young Master thinks so. People nowadays would rather go to KFC for that kind of quickly made congee than eat ours, which takes so many ingredients and hours of simmering."

Zhang Xianyang's heart stirred. "What is it, Uncle Feng? Has business been bad lately?"

Feng Sanxian silently shook his head. People nowadays cared about appearances in everything they did. His little shop was neither in a high-traffic area nor spaciously and exquisitely decorated, so naturally it could not attract customers. As for the boys nearby... people in the underworld admired the boldness of drinking heavily and eating big chunks of meat. They would rather eat at the filthy street stalls across the road than have congee here. Only the older elders of the Zhang Family Gang came by for a bowl from time to time. But which of those big shots did not have an experienced family cook? The food they made was far better than his, so they only occasionally ordered a bowl of congee when gang meetings made them miss mealtime. In short, the business could no longer be sustained. Otherwise, Feng Sanxian would not have put up the transfer notice.

Zhang Xianyang nodded thoughtfully and pulled Zhang Muyang over to sit by the window facing the street. Feng Xiaobao immediately came over with a notepad to take their order. Zhang Xianyang said with a smile, "One bowl of vegetable congee and one bowl of seafood congee. Just pick some side dishes for us. I won't order them myself."

Feng Xiaobao nodded and turned to enter the kitchen.

Only then did Zhang Muyang ask Zhang Xianyang, "What scheme are you plotting now?"

Zhang Xianyang shook his head with a smile. "Why call it a scheme? It's something mutually beneficial for everyone. Besides, Uncle Feng might not even be willing. We'll see when the time comes."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Xiaobao came over carrying two plates of braised chicken necks, chicken feet, pan-fried hairtail, fried shrimp, braised eggs, and other small dishes that Feng Sanxian had prepared the night before. Smiling, he said, "My dad takes a long time to cook congee. Please have something first while you wait, Young Master and Third Young Master."

Zhang Xianyang looked up to thank him, while Zhang Muyang put on the plastic gloves Feng Xiaobao had given him and began picking apart the pan-fried hairtail for Zhang Xianyang. The fragrant fish, crisp outside and tender within, was placed onto the small bone plate beside them. Watching Zhang Muyang's movements, Zhang Xianyang frowned slightly. "Stop picking it apart for me. I'd rather gnaw on it myself."

Without even looking up, Zhang Muyang said, "Eat your own food first. This is for putting into your congee later."

Zhang Xianyang had a terrible habit when eating congee. Despite ordering seafood congee, he liked soaking fried fish and shrimp in it before eating them. But he was careless by nature and often threw fish bones and shrimp shells into his bowl as well. Zhang Muyang worried for his safety, so he later took over the task of removing the meat.

Sitting across from Zhang Muyang, Zhang Xianyang rested his chin on one hand in boredom and stared blankly at him across the table. Golden sunlight streamed through the glass window, and dancing specks of light scattered in a rainbow of colors. The eighteen-year-old man had handsome features and an energetic spirit, though his contours still carried a trace of youthful immaturity. Perhaps due to the influence of his family environment, a hint of viciousness and deep coldness occasionally flashed through Zhang Muyang's gentle eyes, like a young lion in the midst of hunting.

He wore the usual black school uniform trousers and white school shirt, with a gray V-neck knitted pullover vest over them. His strong, beautifully lined body was faintly visible beneath the thin clothing. His exposed arms had been tanned bronze by long periods of outdoor activity, gleaming with a metallic sheen beneath the sunlight. It was the feeling of vividly existing life. There was none of the pallor and frailty from Zhang Xianyang's memories, no hole between his brows, no blood flowing out. His clear, gentle eyes had not lost their light either; they could still look at him brightly. Even the act of carefully peeling shrimp seemed so full of life.

Noticing Zhang Xianyang's gaze, Zhang Muyang raised a brow as he peeled shrimp and asked, "Why are you staring at me?"

That terrifying rainy night and the darkness so deep that even every strand of hair seemed steeped in despair flashed through Zhang Xianyang's mind. His pupils shrank slightly in fear, and he changed the subject. "I was wondering what kind of girl Brother would like. Big Brother, you're so outstanding. There must be lots of girls at school secretly in love with you, right?"

Thinking of how his eldest brother had remained unmarried until his death in the future, guilt surged through Zhang Xianyang like a tide. How many awful things had he done in his previous life? He had been like a bringer of misfortune who had never brought his family any luck, dragging the only uncle's family that had truly treated him well down into the dust.

Zhang Xianyang's eyes reddened slightly. Bearing sin and hatred alone did not feel good. Nor had Zhang Xianyang ever been a strong, resolute person. Otherwise, after learning everything in his previous life, he would not have done nothing but shamefully kill himself. But this life was already different from the last. His uncle and brothers were still here, and the Old District was still here. For all of this, even if it cost him his life, he would drive the Li Family out of the Old District.

Zhang Muyang looked up at Zhang Xianyang, who was lost in his thoughts. The youth's features were delicate and gentle, and his entire body gave off an aura of softness and tenacity. Every gesture carried an elegance and fragility with an edge exposed, like a diamond ornament that would immediately draw attention wherever it was placed—crystal-clear and hard in texture, yet making people worry that it might be damaged if they were not careful.

Though diamonds that looked so transparent and fragile were actually harder than most things.

This unusual temperament was not the rough strength commonly found in the Old District. Instead, it resembled the refined, gentle, upright noble young men portrayed on television. Yet Zhang Xianyang did not possess jade's restrained elegance. Rather, he had a sharp, extravagant brilliance. Moreover, over the past half year, that sharpness had gradually settled into the clarity and resolve of someone who had experienced the ways of the world. Yet even so, he still possessed a quality that made people deeply worry he would snap from being too unyielding.

Especially after those Li Family bastards appeared, Zhang Xianyang had become like a tightly drawn bowstring—sensitive and sharp, unwilling to relax for even a moment.