“Guest! Please come in!”
“Guest! Take care!”
“Honored guest! Are you here for a meal or a room?”
Hứa Nhị, his head covered in sweat, stood bowing and scraping at the inn’s entrance, busily greeting every guest coming and going. It was lunchtime, and though Bảo Tiên Town only had three inns, the competition was fierce. This was the prime time for these establishments to entice customers from all directions. Because Hứa Nhị was quick-witted and experienced in attracting business for the inn, his manager-cum-owner always had him at the door to drum up trade at this time of day.
Hứa Nhị didn’t disappoint Trương Đại Phú’s trust. He managed to attract a good deal of business, making the inn increasingly lively. Trương Đại Phú wasn’t stingy either; he paid Hứa Nhị thirty percent more than the other waiters, which made Hứa Nhị even more dedicated.
Hứa Nhị wiped the profuse sweat from his brow, his throat so dry it felt like it would crack. Anyone, no matter who they were, would have a parched throat after shouting for more than an hour in the midday sun, unless they were a ghost! Looking inside, the inn was already quite crowded. He was just about to seize the opportunity while Trương Đại Phú wasn’t looking to sneak to the back courtyard for a gulp of cold water to quench his thirst, when Trương Đại Phú’s loud shout rang out: “Hứa Nhị!”
Hứa Nhị quickly turned his head and said, “Manager, did you call me?” In his mind, he muttered: *Something bad is about to happen!*
“Most of the guests are settled now, so you don’t need to keep soliciting customers!” Trương Đại Phú instructed unhurriedly. “Stand by the entrance and don’t let those beggars come in and disturb our business!”
Hứa Nhị, who had just been feeling pleased, inwardly groaned at this command. He reluctantly replied, “Yes, sir!”
“Especially that Lý Hiểu Nhai! You absolutely must not let him in. If he comes here, I’ll deduct three days’ wages from you!” Trương Đại Phú suddenly added.
Upon hearing this, Hứa Nhị’s spirit immediately jolted. He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, “That little Lý brat!” countless times. If asked who he hated most in Bảo Tiên Town, Hứa Nhị would undoubtedly, without a second thought, declare it was that Lý kid – the very Lý Hiểu Nhai Trương Đại Phú had just mentioned. This Lý Hiểu Nhai was actually a pitiful young beggar, an orphan. But if he were just an ordinary young beggar, Hứa Nhị wouldn’t detest him to this extent. If there was leftover food from guests, he would even readily give it to him, considering it an act of kindness.
However, this brat was truly detestable. He absolutely refused to eat any leftover food from guests. Instead, every time, he would use cunning tricks and schemes to deceive customers into giving him free meals, and then, after eating, he would simply dust off his backside and leave.
Of course, the guests he tricked were unhappy, and every time they would complain loudly to Trương Đại Phú. Over time, Trương Đại Phú naturally came to particularly detest this Lý Hiểu Nhai. Recently, with the newly opened Vạn Hương Lou stealing a good deal of his business, Trương Đại Phú was already in a foul mood, and seeing Lý Hiểu Nhai only made him angrier. What was even more infuriating was that this brat Lý Hiểu Nhai didn’t try his free-meal tricks at the other two establishments; he *always* targeted Trương Đại Phú’s inn. How could Trương Đại Phú not be exasperated?
Most merchants swindled by him would simply admit their bad luck and pay in full to be done with it. However, two days ago, because Li Xiaojie swindled a Jianghu tough guy, Zhang Dafu was fiercely kicked by the man, and his thigh is still swollen to this day. A table and two chairs were also chopped up. In the end, the Jianghu tough guy simply wiped his hands clean and swaggered off without paying a single cent, leaving Zhang Dafu grinding his teeth in fury. But since he couldn't find that sly Li Xiaojie, all his anger was directed at Xu Er, who had three days' wages deducted. Although Xu Er hadn't paid much attention to Li Xiaojie's comings and goings before, Zhang Dafu had only ever scolded him a few times at most. This was the first time his wages had been deducted. Xu Er secretly cursed Li Xiaojie, swearing that if he ever caught him, he'd break his dog legs. These past few days, he had been inquiring about the scoundrel everywhere, preparing to give him a good beating. But as Xu Er stood at the entrance, looking at the stream of people passing by in the distance, he didn't spot the scoundrel anywhere nearby.
"Xu Er, come here quickly!" Zhang Dafu suddenly waved his hand, calling Xu Er over.
"What is it, Boss?"
Zhang Dafu looked left and right, and seeing no one paying attention, he lowered his voice and said, "Tell me, that scoundrel Li Xiaojie hasn't shown up these past few days. Could he have moved locations, run off to that newly opened Wanxiang Restaurant to swindle free meals?" Zhang Dafu said with a smug look on his face.
Xu Er shook his head, stating with certainty, "I don't know where he went, but he definitely wouldn't dare show his face at Wanxiang Restaurant!" He paused, glanced around, and whispered, "I heard a few days ago why that scoundrel doesn't go to Yuelai Inn or Wanxiang Restaurant to scrounge for food, but keeps coming to our place instead. The moment he stepped foot in Yuelai Inn, Old Li Shou spotted him and immediately called people to beat him out. That Old Li is truly ruthless; the moment Li Xiaojie appeared near him, he immediately called his waiters to 'greet' the scoundrel with fists and kicks, even saying something like 'beat him every time you see him.' From then on, that scoundrel dared not set foot in Yuelai to swindle food and drink again. As for Wanxiang Restaurant, it's even worse. Li Xiaojie just stood at the entrance looking inside when a waiter carrying a wooden club chased him away. If that scoundrel hadn't run fast, he might have been beaten crippled..." At this point, Xu Er smiled smugly, chuckling twice. As if remembering something, he immediately stopped laughing, furtively glancing around a few times, his eyes darting about nervously. He leaned closer to Zhang Dafu and lowered his voice, saying, "Boss! Maybe we should also...." The implication was clear without needing to be said.
"This might not be a good idea..." Zhang Dafu said hesitantly. In fact, he had long harbored the same thought, but he was afraid of inviting trouble. And partly because that scoundrel Li, though hateful, was also pitiful. Moreover, if his own restaurant beat up a beggar, he feared it would earn him a bad reputation and damage his standing.
"Boss!" Xu Er slowly persuaded, "We wouldn't actually beat him to death or cripple him. We just need to scare him enough so he doesn't dare come to the inn to swindle, just make him suffer a little."
"Will this method be effective? Nothing will go wrong, will it?" Zhang Dafu was a little tempted, but feigned refusal.
Xu Er saw that the shopkeeper was a little swayed, so he continued, "No, it won't. Look at those two inns; they've crippled who knows how many beggars, and nothing has happened to them." Besides, he had been thinking about this problem for a few days now. If that damned Little Li continued to come here to swindle food and drink, sooner or later, something bad would happen. Just two days ago, when Li Xiaojie angered that martial artist, the man, in a fit of rage, chopped a table in half. Xu Er had no choice but to step forward and reason with him, but before he could even say a few words, a gleaming steel blade was pressed against his neck. Even now, his neck still felt a chill when he remembered it. This time, he only got scared and had his wages docked. Who knows, he might even lose his job one day. That wasn't a big deal yet, but if it escalated, it could cost him his life, and that would be too unjust. Thinking of this, Xu Er became even more determined to convince Zhang Dafu.
"Quick, quick! That Little Li is here again, stop him!" Zhang Dafu suddenly pushed Xu Er, speaking urgently.
A young boy was seen swaggering from a distance towards the tavern. He looked about eleven or twelve years old. His clothes, though patched, were very clean. He was quite handsome, his dark eyes constantly darting around, his expression cunning. It was indeed Li Xiaojie, the very boy who had been giving the master and servant a headache just now.
"Act according to the circumstances!" Zhang Dafu lightly pushed Xu Er, whispering.
Xu Er turned to glance at Zhang Dafu, blinked, signaling he understood, then scurried over, standing at the entrance with his arms crossed.
In just a moment, the young boy approached, chatting with Xu Er as he walked, "Brother Xu, how are you? Is business still good these days?" He seemed very familiar with Xu Er.
Seeing Li Xiaojie's playful smirk, Xu Er flared up, coldly retorting, "If you don't come, I'll be much better off!"
Li Xiaojie didn't get angry. He quickly stepped forward, intending to pass Xu Er and enter the inn. Xu Er shifted his foot sideways, blocking Li Xiaojie's path, and said expressionlessly, "Little Li, if you know what's good for you, go somewhere else. You're not welcome here!"
Li Xiaojie said nothing, but moved to the right, trying to enter from that side.
Xu Er immediately shifted to the right as well, still blocking him. "You..." Xu Er had just opened his mouth to speak when Li Xiaojie suddenly moved to the left. Xu Er hurriedly followed, still blocking him. Li Xiaojie continuously changed direction with his feet, left then right, right then left, like a hawk playing with a chick. But in the end, he couldn't get past Xu Er, who blocked him tightly. Xu Er had dealt with Li Xiaojie many times; he had already figured out this little trick long ago.
Xu Er grinned smugly and said, "Little Li! That trick won't work anymore. Wait obediently outside, and after the customers finish eating, I'll gather a bag of scraps for you!"
Li Xiaojie rolled his eyes, clasped his hands lightly, and said with an innocent expression, "Brother Xu, I'm not here to beg! I'm here to eat. I'm a customer, how can you chase a customer away like this? If you do, who will dare to come back and eat here in the future?"
Xu Er snorted coldly. He had heard these words from Li Xiaojie's mouth countless times. He straightened his face and uttered two words: "See him out!"
Lý Hiểu Nhai suddenly took another step to the left. Xu Er didn't hesitate, quickly following suit. Lý Hiểu Nhai took yet another step to the left, and Xu Er followed closely, not letting him get away. Lý Hiểu Nhai took five or six continuous steps to the left, and Xu Er blocked him every single time. Xu Er yelled, "Li brat, be sensible, I'll... Ouch!" Before Xu Er could finish his sentence, he let out a cry of pain.
Xu Er was seen squatting to one side, clutching his head. Lý Hiểu Nhai, meanwhile, continued walking to the left, heading towards the doorway. Xu Er had been so focused on staring at Lý Hiểu Nhai that he hadn't paid attention and had been deliberately led by Lý Hiểu Nhai to bump into a pillar.
"Oh dear! Brother Xu, are you alright?" Lý Hiểu Nhai asked, feigning concern, but his body was already moving towards the main hall.
"Hey, hey, hey! Lý Hiểu Nhai, are you here to swindle me again?" The moment Lý Hiểu Nhai stepped through the door, Shopkeeper Zhang Dafu immediately came out to block him.
Zhang Dafu had noticed Lý Hiểu Nhai early on. The moment he saw him enter, he quickly rushed out, despite his aching leg. In his heart, he cursed Xu Er for being useless.
Seeing Zhang Dafu blocking his path, Lý Hiểu Nhai said with a bewildered expression, "Swindle? Me? How could I! Is Lý Hiểu Nhai really that kind of person?"
"Hmph! You're not swindling? You have the nerve to say that to me! Then who was it two days ago who swindled that jianghu hero, causing me to get kicked? It still hurts now! Get out! You're not welcome here!" Zhang Dafu said furiously, pulling at Lý Hiểu Nhai as he spoke.
"Aiya! Shopkeeper Zhang! That has nothing to do with me! That day, that big brother was generous and treated me to a meal! You getting beaten might be because you didn't treat him well! Otherwise, it's very possible that jianghu big brother was in a tight financial spot and deliberately caused trouble to avoid paying, right!?" Lý Hiểu Nhai absolutely refused to leave, speaking in a strange, mocking tone.
"You! In any case, you're not allowed to come here again! This establishment cannot serve a 'master' like you!" Zhang Dafu said, huffing and puffing. He pulled Lý Hiểu Nhai with even more force, simply wanting to drag him out.