Chapter 30.

Chapter 30.

"Are you even worthy of having the same intentions as me?" Wang Daji asked.

"You're just a country bumpkin!" Wang's mother spoke in a condescending tone.

Wang's father, with a stern face, warned, "Xiao, we advise you to leave Shuiqing Lane immediately!" Knowing they couldn't compete with Xiao Yu, whether in buns, spicy soup, or porridge, they believed their only chance for Daji's Breakfast Shop to survive was to drive Xiao Yu out of Shuiqing Lane.

"Leave?" Zhang Wu, who had already positioned himself in front of Xiao Yu as Wang Daji and his family barged in, stood protectively over Xiao Yu and the children, "On what grounds?"

Previously, Wang Daji had tried underhanded tactics, but failing to outsmart Xiao Yu, he now resorted to bullying, "Because I have connections."

"Bad guy, behind you is your dad!" Minghe pointed at Wang's father.

"And your mom!" Danzi pointed towards Wang's mother.

"You little brats! Shut up!" Wang Daji glared at Minghe and Danzi.

Xiao Yu disdainfully said, "Wang Daji, you only dare to lose your temper at children."

Wang Daji pointed at Xiao Yu again, "Are you leaving or not?"

"What if I don't leave?" Xiao Yu asked.

Wang Daji, with a smirk, said proudly, "Just so you know, I grew up in Qingshi Town and know many influential people there. Just one word from me and they can smash your shop to pieces, and you won’t be able to stay in Qingshi Town anymore."

Xiao Yu, mocking the boast, said, "If you know so many important people, why are you still selling porridge? Why not join them and make more money?"

Wang Daji was speechless.

Wang's father immediately said, "So you're not planning to leave gracefully, is that it?"

Wang's mother added, "Then don’t blame us for being impolite!"

Wang Daji grabbed a bowl from the table, pointing at Xiao Yu, "I’m giving you one last chance, leave or not?"

Xiao Yu silently stared at Wang Daji.

Zhang Wu was gathering his strength.

"Fine, fine, fine, you’re asking for it! Smash it!" Wang Daji raised the bowl, about to smash it to the ground, when a deep voice intervened, "I’d like to see who dares!"

Turning his head, he saw Song Sanwu, Xiao Ding, Xiao Ma, and Xiao Guan.

"Wang Daji, you're getting bolder, daring to make trouble on my turf!" Song Sanwu strode in.

Xiao Ding, Xiao Ma, and Xiao Guan followed.

The four men were all tall and sturdy, presenting a formidable and oppressive appearance when they appeared together.

Wang Daji, his father, and mother immediately seemed less imposing.

"Uncle Sanwu, he wants to smash our shop!" Minghe tattled.

Wang Daji quickly tried to justify himself, "It's him who's stealing my business and cutting off my livelihood!"

Before Xiao Yu and Zhang Wu could speak, Song Sanwu interjected, "Wang Daji! Do you think everyone in Shuiqing Lane is blind? Years ago, you switched from selling buns and spicy soup to porridge because you were losing money. Now, seeing Brother Xiao making money, you start selling buns and spicy soup again. If you’re allowed to sell buns and spicy soup, why can’t others sell porridge?"

He, like Yuemother, was always grateful to Xiao Yu for saving his life. After hearing about these issues from Yuemother, he was very angry and had been wanting to seek justice for Xiao Yu.

However, since Xiao Yu didn't want to cause trouble, he had been watching silently, not expecting Wang Daji to have the audacity to cause such a scene. Now, he wasn't going to hold back.

Wang Daji seized on a key point, "Brother Xiao? You call him Brother Xiao?"

"Yes, brother. What about it?" Song Sanwu challenged.

Wang Daji, blatantly lying, retorted, "Are you just siding with your kin instead of what’s right?"

Song Sanwu angrily retorted, "You don’t have a leg to stand on!"

Wang Daji turned to Xiao Ma, "Xiao Ma, I am your cousin-in-law, you should be supporting me. Recently, I—"

"Enough of that, my cousin doesn’t support you!" Xiao Ma had always opposed his cousin marrying Wang Daji, but some family members were swayed by Wang Daji's sweet talk.

As a younger brother, he couldn’t intervene and had to accept the situation, but he had always disliked Wang Daji and knew his cousin often found him unreasonable.

"If she doesn't support us, whose side is she on?" Wang's mother demanded.

Xiao Ma ignored them.

"Fine, you all bully with your power!" Wang Daji, trying to turn the tables, exclaimed, "I'll report this to the authorities!"

"Go ahead, I happen to know the officials!" Yuan Lao Ye suddenly appeared.

"Minghe! Danzi!" Jin Dabao and Tian Liu ran happily towards Minghe and Danzi.

"Da Bao, you haven't visited for several days!" Minghe said.

"Yeah, we came to see you today!" Jin Da Bao replied.

The four children were very close to each other.

Wang Daji, his father, and mother thought Xiao Yu was just a young man from the countryside, whose parents and sister had all passed away, leaving him alone to care for two little kids and scrape by in Shuiqing Lane without any power, influence, or relatives.

That's why they dared to mock and ridicule Xiao Yu and his group, dared to sneakily watch him cook, and dared to come here and strut around.

They hadn't expected that in just a month, Xiao Yu would get to know influential people like Song Sanwu, Xiao Ding, Xiao Ma, Xiao Guan, and now Yuan Lao Ye.

Now they didn't dare to act rashly.

"Go ahead and report it," Xiao Yu said.

Wang Daji was just trying to intimidate them; how could he actually dare to report to the authorities?

"You report it, then!" Zhang Wu challenged.

"If you don't report, you're a cowardly turtle!" Danzi exclaimed.

Wang Daji's face turned ugly.

With Song Sanwu and Yuan Lao Ye present, Wang's father and mother also didn't dare to say anything more.

"Let's go!" Wang Daji, defiant yet powerless against Xiao Yu's support, turned to leave.

"Who said you could leave?" Song Sanwu and Yuan Lao Ye spoke up together.

Wang Daji and his companions stopped in their tracks.

Song Sanwu said, "Elder, you speak first."

"This is your territory, you go ahead," Yuan Lao Ye replied.

"Let me make this clear," Song Sanwu walked up to Xiao Yu, put an arm around his shoulder, and declared, "Xiao Yu is my half-brother. If anyone wants to harm him, they’ll have to go through me, Song Sanwu first!" He slammed his hand down on the table.

Wang Daji and his group trembled in fear.

After Song Sanwu finished, he looked at Yuan Lao Ye and said, "Elder, your turn."

Yuan Lao Ye smiled at Wang Daji and his group, "I used to be a minor official, and now I am good friends with Xiao Yu. If anyone deliberately slanders or harms him, I will ensure justice is served for him."

Wang Daji and his group were shocked. They had assumed Xiao Yu’s connection with Song Sanwu and others was superficial. They had planned to avoid Song Sanwu's group and find another opportunity to trouble Xiao Yu, not expecting them to value Xiao Yu so highly and openly back him.

"What do we do now?"

"Are we powerless against Xiao Yu from now on?"

Reluctantly, they glared at Xiao Yu, realizing they truly had no leverage over him. Gritting their teeth, they unwillingly left Xiaohezi Breakfast Shop.

Overcome with anger, Wang Daji stumbled on the steps, falling and landing on the ground.

Wang's father and mother followed to help him up, but they too lost their balance and fell.

Jin Da Bao suddenly burst out laughing, "Hahaha! So clumsy! They all fell down!"

Tian Liu, Minghe, and Danzi also joined in the laughter.

Wang Daji and his parents clumsily got up, wanting to curse but daring not to, their faces red with embarrassment as they left.

Xiao Yu expressed his gratitude to Song Sanwu and Yuan Lao Ye.

"No need to thank me. I meant every word. You are my brother, and no one can bully you!" Song Sanwu said earnestly.

Yuan Lao Ye handed Xiao Yu a plaque, saying, "If you ever need help, take this plaque and go to Jin Fu. If I'm not in Qingshi Town, someone from Jin Fu will assist you."

After his grandparents passed away in his previous life, Xiao Yu faced life's challenges alone.

Confronted with Wang Daji's aggression today, he initially thought to face it alone and never expected to receive such genuine support. He felt an extraordinary warmth and gratitude in his heart.

Unsure how to express his thanks, he simply said, "Why don't you all have lunch here?"

"Sure!" Knowing Xiao Yu's cooking skills, Song Sanwu and Yuan Lao Ye immediately agreed.

"Zhang Wu, you should have lunch here today too," Xiao Yu suggested.

This time, Zhang Wu didn't refuse.

After tidying up the shop, Zhang Wu went to buy groceries.

Xiao Yu prepared dishes like mushroom stewed chicken, sweet and sour ribs, Qingshi stir-fry, and especially for Yuemother, who had been so kind to him, he made yam and black fungus braised ribs and a liver-nourishing soup.

The group ate very satisfyingly.

It wasn't until evening that Yuan Lao Ye and the others left.

In the evening, Xiao Yu made soup with the remaining half of the chicken. He, Minghe, and Danzi finished the soup and the meat, leaving quite a few chicken bones.

Minghe suggested, "Uncle Xiao, let's give the chicken bones to Niu Da Niang's dog, Xiao Huang!"

Xiao Yu nodded, "I’ll go with Danzi to deliver them, you stay at home."

"I want to go too! I'm not scared of dogs anymore!" Minghe declared, puffing out his little chest bravely.

"Alright, then let's all go together."

The uncle and nephews, carrying the chicken bones, went to Niu Da Niang's house and put the bones in Xiao Huang’s bowl.

Xiao Huang eagerly started eating.

Minghe spoke in a negotiating tone, "Xiao Huang, from now on, don’t bark at me, okay?"

Niu Da Niang chuckled, "Eating from someone’s hand softens the mouth, he surely won’t bite you anymore."

Minghe declared, "He is my good friend now."

"Absolutely, next time you come over, let him play with you," Niu Da Niang said.

"Okay!"

On the way back, Minghe kept talking about how cute Xiao Huang was, mentioning the many candies Niu Da Niang gave him and Danzi, and happily swung the lantern in his hand.

"Brother, be careful not to break the lantern!" Danzi cautioned.

"No, I won't, I'm swinging it gently," Minghe said.

Danzi, eyeing the lantern, added, "You might put it out, then we won’t see the road, and we won’t be able to find our way home."

"Little brother, you just want to carry the lantern, don’t you?" Minghe saw through Danzi's intention.

"I, I..." Danzi admitted, "I do want to carry the lantern."

Minghe, guarding the lantern, declared, "I won't let you carry it!"

"Hmph!" Danzi stopped talking to Minghe.

"You carried it on the way here! Now it's my turn!" Minghe insisted.

Danzi was about to say something when suddenly he heard a noise and stopped in his tracks.

Xiao Yu also stopped and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Danzi?"

Danzi, with his ears perked up, said, "Uncle Xiao, someone is crying."

"Who's crying?" Minghe asked.

Xiao Yu listened carefully and heard a woman's scream.

Minghe and Danzi pointed towards Daji's Breakfast Shop, "Over there!"

Xiao Yu, curious, approached and clearly heard a woman crying and screaming for help. He immediately thought of Wang Daji's wife, Mrs. Ma.

Was Wang Daji hitting Mrs. Ma?

Hating men who abuse women, Xiao Yu knocked on the door, which was unlocked and swung open, revealing Wang Daji dragging a disheveled Mrs. Ma to the ground.

Wang's father stood by, watching as if supervising.

Instead of intervening, Wang's mother viciously incited, "Hit her! Hit her hard! Let her learn her lesson for not supporting her own family and helping outsiders! A good beating will teach her to be sensible!"

Damn it!

What a malicious family!

Xiao Yu felt his blood boiling with anger. Without hesitation, he charged forward and kicked Wang Daji away just before his slap could land on Mrs. Ma's face.

Wang Daji fell face-first, cursing, "Who the hell kicked me!"

Xiao Yu didn't bother with him and quickly helped Mrs. Ma to her feet.

"Boss Xiao!" Mrs. Ma, terrified, hid behind Xiao Yu.

"Xiao Yu!" Wang Daji exclaimed in surprise, "It's you!"

"Ah, so you two are really involved! No wonder you ran to find Xiao Ma, and had Song Sanwu save Xiao Yu. You really had ulterior motives!" Wang's mother pointed accusingly at Mrs. Ma.

"I didn't!" Mrs. Ma cried in defense.

It was only then that Xiao Yu realized it was Mrs. Ma who had secretly informed Song Sanwu and the others to come this morning. This made him even more determined to protect her from being bullied.

He retorted to Wang's mother, "Stop falsely accusing her. A family thrives on harmony. You received a daughter-in-law into your home, yet instead of caring for her, you incite your son to violence. That’s despicable!"

"This is our family matter, none of your business!" Wang Daji showed no remorse for his actions.

Xiao Yu turned and looked disdainfully at Wang Daji, "Seeing a brute bully someone, any decent person would intervene!"

"You’re calling me a brute?" Wang Daji asked furiously.

"You're worse than a brute!" Xiao Yu was equally angry, sparing no mercy in his words.

"Fine! Since you've come into my house causing trouble, forget about Song Sanwu or any lord. I’ll show you the consequences of meddling!" Wang Daji lunged at Xiao Yu, ready to fight.

Xiao Yu shielded Mrs. Ma behind him and picked up a bamboo stick, striking Wang Daji on the head.

Wang Daji, holding his head in pain, retreated, cursing, "Damn you!"

Xiao Yu was not there to fight; he intended to take Mrs. Ma away, either to the authorities or back to her parent's home, and then decide what to do next.

Seeing their son being hit, Wang's father and mother, in agony, immediately rushed to attack Xiao Yu, shouting, "How dare you hit my son! I'll fight you!"

Before Xiao Yu could react, Minghe and Danzi had already dropped their lantern and bowl, picked up bamboo sticks, and started hitting Wang's parents, yelling, "Don’t touch my Uncle Xiao! Don’t touch my Uncle Xiao!!"

Wang's father and mother screamed out in pain.

Witnessing this scene, Wang Daji cursed, "You little brats, asking for it!" and then grabbed an iron shovel from the yard to swing at Minghe and Danzi.

"Minghe! Danzi!" Xiao Yu let go of Mrs. Ma and quickly dove to protect them, one hand reaching for Minghe, the other for Danzi.

He successfully grabbed Minghe, but Danzi had just moved aside, and Xiao Yu missed him.

Xiao Yu watched in horror as Wang Daji's shovel swung towards Danzi, feeling as if his blood had frozen.

"Little brother!" Minghe shouted.

Mrs. Ma's eyes widened in shock, speechless.

Danzi remained oblivious to the danger.

In a split second, the shovel mysteriously changed direction, striking Wang's mother directly in the face with a loud "bang."