Chapter 17

Xu Yun suddenly slapped his hand on the table, and the long-haired young man, despite using all his strength, failed to overturn it, blushing with embarrassment on the spot!

At this moment, the long-haired young man realized he was no match and turned to run, but Xu Yun stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and punched him in the face!

The punch hit the tip of his nose, causing the long-haired young man's brow bone to crack and blood to gush out. His nasal passages were filled with acid, and two of his front teeth were knocked out, leaving his mouth a mix of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors!

Xu Yun had only one word for dealing with such a small thug: fight!

The long-haired young man, unable to withstand the beating, quickly begged for mercy, his speech slurred due to the missing front teeth: "I was wrong! I was wrong! Don't hit me anymore!"

Xu Yun threw the long-haired young man to the ground like a piece of trash: "What's the deal with the flies? Who taught you this trick?"

"Brother, please, a grown man doesn't hold a grudge against a small man, let me go!" The long-haired young man dared not speak out of turn.

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?" Xu Yun chuckled, "Guo Guo, bring the knife!"

Ruan Qingshuang knew Xu Yun was just scaring them, so she let Guo Guo run to the kitchen and fetch a kitchen knife.

The long-haired young man, seeing the gleaming knife, felt his scalp tingle: "Brother, what are you doing? We can talk this out. The flies were me, I even fried them at home. Just treat me like a fart and let me go!"

"You're really a despicable person," Xu Yun raised the knife, the blade gleaming, "Which hand did you use?"

"Brother, I deserve a beating for my hand. Give me a chance, I'll definitely change!" The long-haired young man's Adam's apple bobbed, his legs trembling so much he almost wet himself.

Xu Yun sneered, "I gave you a chance, but you didn't want to talk. I'll count to three..."

"Four Wolves Gang! It was the Four Wolves Gang who told me to do this!" The long-haired young man shouted before Xu Yun could start counting, and he frantically pulled out a small bottle from his pocket containing four or five fried flies: "They gave me these too!"

Everyone present confirmed the truth and cursed the small thugs and the Four Wolves Gang. The concerns about the health issues at the medicinal cuisine shop were immediately dispelled.

After this incident, the medicinal cuisine shop's reputation not only remained intact but also attracted more customers. Xu Yun cooked until his legs were sore, and Guo Guo counted money until her hands cramped!

Finally, the last group of customers left, and Xu Yun breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly made three bowls of grass stone caterpillar quail soup and a dish of steamed old duck with yam, calling Ruan Qingshuang and Guo Guo to eat together.

At this moment, Qin Wan'er suddenly pushed the door open.

"Wan'er Sister!" Guo Guo jumped up and ran out to greet her.

"Guo Guo must have missed me!" Qin Wan'er held Guo Guo's little hand and laughed.

Ruan Qingshuang, in a great mood, welcomed her: "Wan'er, have you eaten? Come and eat with us."

"Hehe, you know me well, Qingshuang Sister. I haven't eaten yet!" Qin Wan'er playfully stuck out her tongue.

Guo Guo looked at the two with confusion: "I call Wan'er Sister, and Wan'er Sister calls Mom Sister. Should I call Mom Sister too?"

"You still have to call me Mom!" Ruan Qingshuang said, both amused and exasperated.

Qin Wan'er was amused by Guo Guo's cuteness: "What do you want to do, Guo Guo? How about calling Wan'er Sister 'Wan'er Mom'?"

"That's not possible!" Guo Guo pointed at Xu Yun seriously: "That would be too cheap for Dad. He would have two wives then!"

Ruan Qingshuang and Qin Wan'er were instantly speechless by Guo Guo's words!

"Cough!" Xu Yun cleared his throat, changing the subject: "Qin Wan'er, you weren't around when we were working, but you show up for dinner. Is that how you do your job?"

Qin Wan'er huffed. The bureau had a morning commendation meeting, all praising her for her great work yesterday! She had shut down the Four Wolves Gang's casino, a significant achievement! Not only did Qin Wan'er get a promotion, but the entire Wenhui District police station was also highly commended. Chief Liu was in a good mood and gave Qin Wan'er a half-day off to go home and report the good news.

Qin Wan'er didn't go home directly but somehow ended up at the medicinal cuisine shop. She knew very well that all the credit belonged to Xu Yun, not her at all!

Qin Wan'er originally wanted to thank him, but seeing Xu Yun made her angry: "Can't I come to talk to Qingshuang Sister and Guo Guo? What's it got to do with you, a man?"

"Dad, go make two more dishes," Guo Guo instructed: "It's not convenient for you to interrupt when women are talking."

Xu Yun smiled, thinking it would be a good thing if these two beautiful women became sisters. At least Ruan Qingshuang wouldn't be alone anymore, and he wouldn't have to worry about her being bullied.

After all, Xu Yun didn't know if he would stay in Hedong City permanently. Life is unpredictable, and he had already left a place he once hoped to stay in for life. What place could he stay in for a lifetime?

Three women make a show, and although Guo Guo was young, her mental age was not. She and Qin Wan'er chatted animatedly, and the three of them even planned to go shopping for pretty clothes the next weekend!

Before they knew it, it was four in the afternoon, and the vegetable and meat suppliers arrived to deliver their goods. Although Qin Wan'er was a pampered only child at home, she put aside her pride and helped Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun unload the goods.

Xu Yun was very satisfied with Qin Wan'er's performance. He proudly pulled Guo Guo to his side: "How about the free labor I found for you, Godfather?"

"Dad, I feel like you're trying to find a second mom for Guo Guo," Guo Guo looked at Xu Yun suspiciously.

Qin Wan'er blushed at Guo Guo's words.

Ruan Qingshuang glared at Guo Guo: "Is your bottom itchy again?"

"I'm just saying what Dad is thinking!" Guo Guo said matter-of-factly.

Fortunately, Qin Wan'er received a call, which relieved the awkward atmosphere. She said a few words and hung up: "I need to go back to the station. They said the Four Wolves Gang's boss is trying to bail someone out!"

"Wan'er Sister, three thousand yuan!" Guo Guo quickly held up three chubby fingers.

"Okay!" Qin Wan'er didn't waste time, said goodbye to Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun, and quickly rode her bike back to the station.

After Qin Wan'er left, the medicinal cuisine shop's business continued to boom. Everyone who ate there praised it, and the word spread quickly. The medicinal cuisine shop soon became the most popular small restaurant in Hedong City's Wenhui District.

The evening was busy until eight or nine o'clock, and the shop finally cleared out.

Guo Guo, for the first time, stuffed the money into the wallet without counting it, too tired to count!

"Sister Qingshuang, I'll go home if there's nothing else. You and Guo Guo should close early and get some rest," Xu Yun took off his apron and changed into shorts and a tank top: "You don't need to get up early to buy vegetables anymore. Get some extra sleep in the morning."

"Then... be careful on your way home," Ruan Qingshuang still couldn't bring herself to ask him to stay.

Guo Guo sighed, looking at her mother's hesitant expression, and shook her head like a little adult: "Too reserved, sigh..."

Before Xu Yun could leave, a beam of glaring xenon headlights pierced through the glass door, blinding Ruan Qingshuang and Guo Guo. A tall, thin young man jumped out of the dark, shiny Audi A6, quickly opened the back door, and a middle-aged man with thinning hair and triangular eyes, giving off a sinister and unpleasant vibe, stepped out.

More cars screeched to a stop behind the Audi, and several large, tattooed men got out of each car, almost surrounding the medicinal cuisine shop.

Xu Yun's sharp senses told him this was not a friendly visit. Ruan Qingshuang's eyebrows furrowed, and she felt nervous. Guo Guo's eyes showed a hint of anxiety as she quickly hid behind Xu Yun.

The middle-aged man, though smiling, gave off no sense of kindness. He walked straight to the medicinal cuisine shop, and the tall, thin young man, who had closed the car door, quickly pushed open the shop door.

Xu Yun looked at the middle-aged man with a fierce expression and asked, "Dining?"

"Already eaten," the middle-aged man's voice was hoarse. He found a seat and said to himself, "Medicinal cuisine is a good thing, a product of the combination of traditional Chinese medical knowledge and cooking experience. It uses both medicine and food, with the medicine enhancing the food and the food enhancing the medicine, complementing each other and achieving mutual benefits."

He looked up at Xu Yun, his eyes gleaming with malice, and said in a hoarse voice, "Am I right?"

Xu Yun immediately recognized the man's hoarse voice and sneered, "I was supposed to find you, but I didn't expect you to come to me."

The middle-aged man touched his thinning hair, "Xu Yun, you have the ability to take down three of my brothers, and I admire your skills. As the saying goes, a wise man knows the times! Join me, and I guarantee you'll live a hundred or a thousand times better than you do now."

"I'm not a wise man, and I have a message for you," Xu Yun smiled slightly.

The middle-aged man's eyebrows furrowed. Usually, when he extended an olive branch, few people refused: "What is it?"

Xu Yun looked unimpressed, "A bat with chicken feathers, what are you? At your age, I feel ashamed to hit you. I'll give you a chance, get lost!"

"Old man, stop wasting your breath! My dad won't be a thug!" Guo Guo huffed, now confident because they had a connection at the police station.