The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Having a Backer

After spitting out the threat, the man with the mole pushed through the crowd and bolted.

Widow Xie and Hu Liang were deeply worried. They feared they had run into serious trouble, as the man clearly wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

A few inquiries confirmed it: he was the local bully of South Street.

The old man selling wontons advised them, "You should just move. His sworn brother is supposedly from some big shot’s family in the county seat—very powerful. He’s claimed this spot for years. Even if he doesn’t show up often, he won’t let anyone else use it. A newcomer before didn’t know the rules and stood up to him, so he had him beaten up."

No wonder everyone had given them such strange looks when they first set up their stall.

’The man with the mole must have come by before and heard his spot was taken. That must be why the old man tried to warn us yesterday, only to be stopped by someone else.’

Their business had been booming lately. As they prospered, the other stalls inevitably suffered.

Ji Huan had initially thought the atmosphere in this area was quite good. No one had made any snide remarks, nor had anyone tried to squeeze them out due to jealousy.

’So they were all just waiting for this drama to unfold.’

Her gaze swept over the surrounding stalls. The same people who had been craning their necks to watch the spectacle moments ago were now all feigning busyness.

"What are we going to do? Maybe we should just move?"

It wasn’t that Widow Xie was a coward; they simply couldn’t afford to fight back. When had the poor ever been able to win against the rich?

Ji Huan patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t worry, Aunt Xie. We have backing, too."

It wasn’t that Ji Huan wanted to cause trouble. But with matters like this, if you gave an inch, they would take a mile.

They had already made a name for themselves as the "Golden Partners," so moving to a new spot wouldn’t have a huge impact.

But with so many onlookers waiting to see what would happen, if they simply handed over their spot and scurried away with their tails between their legs, the story would be all over town before noon.

Then, no matter where they set up their stall, they would be mocked and become a target for other bullies.

And there was no guarantee that those who were jealous of their success wouldn’t seize this opportunity to drive them out of Juyong Town for good.

To establish yourself somewhere, you had to rely on either your wits or your ruthlessness.

In short, you couldn’t let people think you were a pushover, someone anyone could take advantage of.

Ji Huan was betting the man with the mole’s backer wasn’t anyone truly important. Even if he was, she still had the private token from Zhen Jili. It should be enough to bluff her way through. Who couldn’t play the part of the fox borrowing the tiger’s might?

Just as she was thinking this, she heard the voice of the man with the mole again.

She turned her head and saw him leading another person over, strutting triumphantly. He was gesturing angrily as he walked, and she could see spit flying from his mouth even from several paces away.

Ji Huan narrowed her eyes. When she got a clear look at the newcomer, she broke into a smile.

"Brother Wang, it’s these country bumpkins! They took my spot and refuse to move, and they even threatened me with a knife! This isn’t just disrespecting me; they’re slapping you in the face, Brother Wang! Especially this wretched girl, she’s the worst of them all! You have to teach her a lesson for me! Let her find out the hard way that people from the Bai Family are not to be trifled with!"

Wang Shun had been having a hellishly unlucky streak lately and was pent up with anger he couldn’t vent. So when one of his underlings came asking for help, he’d agreed without a second thought.

But when he saw who Bao Puzi was pointing at, he wanted to slap himself.

’I must not have checked the almanac before leaving home today! Why did I have to run into this jinx?!’

Bao Puzi finished his tirade and waited expectantly for his Brother Wang to display his might, but nothing happened.

"Brother Wang?"

He turned his head in confusion, only to see Brother Wang’s face was strained, as if he were constipated.

"Mi-Miss Ji..."

’Who? Who’s Miss Ji?’

Bao Puzi was utterly bewildered. He then saw that infuriating girl walk over with a very strange smile.

"Long time no see, Wang... attendant. What’s wrong? Why are you on a crutch?"

Wang Shun, who was usually as arrogant as they come, was actually here on a crutch. He had bruises of varying severity on the corner of his mouth and his right eye. He looked badly hurt.

Wang Shun forced a smile, not a trace of his usual disdain on his face. He wasn’t calling her a "country girl" anymore, either. Now it was "Miss Ji" this and "Miss Ji" that.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Ji. It’s nothing much. I was just walking at night and... and I carelessly took a tumble..."

’That must have been quite a tumble.’

But Ji Huan wasn’t actually concerned about him, so she didn’t press the matter. She just asked, "So, what brings you here?"

Bao Puzi let out a loud cough, puffed out his chest, and put his hands on his hips. "My brother is here to get justice for me, of course!"

"Oh..." Ji Huan looked at Wang Shun with an expression of dawning realization. "So you’re the ’sworn brother’ he was talking about, Attendant Wang? What’s this? Are you here to stand up for your sworn little brother?"

If Wang Shun’s leg wasn’t injured, he would have kicked Bao Puzi to death right then and there.

He smacked Bao Puzi hard on the back of the head with his free hand and roared, "Justice, my ass! Apologize to Miss Ji, now! You dare try to steal Miss Ji’s spot? You got a death wish or something?!"

Bao Puzi clutched his head, completely stunned.

"Brother Wang... You... I..." ’What the hell is going on?!’

"An apology isn’t necessary. I think it’s better to clarify things. Does this spot belong to him, to you, or to the Bai Family?"

Wang Shun wiped away his sweat. "N-None of them."

Ji Huan nodded. "That’s for the best. It’s not easy for anyone to run a business. First come, first served is fine, but you can’t just claim a piece of land as your own kingdom. Wouldn’t you agree?"

"You’re right. Everything you said is right."

Bao Puzi wasn’t a complete idiot. Seeing his Brother Wang, who usually swaggered around town like he owned it, acting as meek as a lamb in front of this country girl, his own heart began to pound with anxiety.

Naturally, he didn’t dare bring up the matter of taking their spot again. After Wang Shun forced his head down to make him apologize, he scurried away after him.

Despite being on a crutch, Wang Shun moved so fast that Bao Puzi could barely keep up.

Once they had rounded the corner, Wang Shun finally stopped, leaning against a wall and panting heavily.

Bao Puzi was bursting with questions. "Brother Wang, who the hell is that girl? Look how scared you were..."

SLAP! He got another smack on the head.

"You think I was scared of her? I was just..."

"Just what?" Bao Puzi craned his neck. "Don’t tell me her backer is even more powerful than the Bai Family?"

’I don’t know if her backer is bigger than the Bai Family, but they’re definitely dangerous. Otherwise, where did all these injuries come from?’

That time, his uncle had forced him to go to Dafeng Village to apologize. He had gone unwillingly and hadn’t taken Ji Huan seriously at all. Who would have thought she had a brother who was a military physician—a physician who was also a trusted favorite of the Great General.

And that General Kou was someone even Mr. Bai himself couldn’t get an audience with, no matter how hard he tried.

If that were all, it would have been one thing. He would have, at most, simply avoided provoking Ji Huan again; he wouldn’t necessarily be afraid of her.

But then, one night as he was walking home, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves on the otherwise empty street.

Just as he was about to turn and look, a heavy fist met his face.

He was sent flying. The moment he hit the ground, his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. Several of his molars had been knocked out. Before he could even process what was happening, he was hauled up and beaten senseless.

Finally, he was tossed in front of Jishi Hall like a dead dog, and the horses galloped off into the night.

From start to finish, his assailants hadn’t said a single word. Wang Shun felt he had been beaten for no reason at all!

But when Wang De heard about it, he just told him he deserved it.

"Few families in all of Juyong Town even own a horse, let alone several."

"Add to that their skill and efficiency... who else could they be but soldiers?"

Wang De was at his wit’s end with his good-for-nothing nephew.

"I told you not to provoke that Ji Huan, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve brought disaster on yourself! Let’s see if you’ve learned your lesson this time!"

Wang Shun was miserable. He hadn’t even seen Ji Huan since returning from Dafeng Village, so how could he possibly have provoked her?!

"That must be from when you provoked her before. She holds a grudge. See? She sent people specifically to teach you a lesson!"

His uncle’s words filled him with belated terror.

’If Ji Huan decided to remember this every now and then, wasn’t he going to be beaten to death?!’

His fear grew, especially when he heard a few days later that Gu Yutian had also met his downfall.

First, a long-time rival exposed him for passing off fakes as genuine articles and shoddy products as high-quality goods. His business partners immediately began returning their merchandise in droves. Then, Gu Yutian was summoned back to the county seat, and he was never heard from again.

Wang Shun was bedridden for a month before he could walk again. During that month, he reflected on his painful experience and made a resolution: Cherish your life, and stay far, far away from Ji Huan.

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