Chapter 27: The Elegant Gentleman Slays Eight Catties

Just as Zhou Heng was about to step onto his carriage, he heard a shout and turned his head, frowning.

He saw Bajin leading seven or eight men, followed by a pot-bellied middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a constable, all heading toward the carriage while brandishing long blades. The middle-aged man was none other than the chief constable of Qingniu Town.

Before they could get near, the guards beside the carriage drew their own blades. "Anyone who dares to obstruct the Young Master shall be executed without mercy," they declared.

"Oh, 'executed without mercy'? Who do you think you are, the Emperor?" the middle-aged man sneered, his face full of fat as he spoke with a harsh tone.

He thought it was a joke. In a godforsaken place like Qingniu Town, what kind of important figure could possibly show up? Usually, it was just traveling merchants, and if they didn't pay their respects to him first, they wouldn't dare to act so arrogant.

"Heh, then take a step forward and see what happens," Zhou Shicai said from behind with a smile.

Bajin, likely accustomed to throwing his weight around, could not stomach the grievance of being slapped. He had gone straight to the chief constable, and now, with the official backing him, his confidence had returned. He rushed forward, blade in hand, shouting, "So what if I take a step forward?"

"Obstructing the Young Master—kill," the head guard commanded, and six guards moved in an instant.

Before Bajin could even comprehend what was happening, his head was severed by a blade. Within a few breaths, everyone, including the chief constable, lay dead on the ground.

Only then did Zhou Heng walk over to Niu Er, who stood there dumbfounded.

"I saw you standing by, watching coldly. You are not with them, are you?"

Niu Er was terrified; he couldn't fathom what kind of people these were, openly slaughtering constables like this. He stood rigid, not daring to utter a word. Seeing his silence, Zhou Heng did not make things difficult for him. He leaned over and whispered a few words to a guard, who then departed to carry out the order.

"Let's go, Brother Chu. To your home." With that, Zhou Heng stepped back into the carriage.

Chu Chen watched this scene with a murmur of unease. Sitting in the carriage with Zhou Shicai, he thought to himself that this Zhou Heng must have an unimaginably high status. Otherwise, why would he kill Bajin and his men at the slightest disagreement, and in broad daylight, no less?

Zhou Shicai, appearing unfazed, chatted casually with Chu Chen.

***

The group soon arrived at Chu Chen's home. Seeing that Chu Chen was unharmed, Li Qinglian could not help but let her tears fall.

"This is Boss Zhou, and this is Young Master Zhou Heng," Chu Chen introduced them to Li Qinglian. As for how he had returned so quickly, Chu Chen did not volunteer the information, and she did not ask.

"Brother Chu, I never would have guessed. Though your house is dilapidated, the person living inside is enough to make this brother envious," Zhou Shicai remarked to Li Qinglian without reserve.

Zhou Heng, standing to the side, looked at Chu Chen with a smile, though he could not help but frown when he caught sight of the house.

"Forgive the lack of hospitality; the conditions are simple, so please make do," Chu Chen said, then asked Li Qinglian to bring out some stools. Li Qinglian looked at him in distress—there were no extra stools in the house.

Chu Chen rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Boss Zhou, Young Master Zhou, please wait a moment while I fetch some seats." He headed into the house. Li Qinglian greeted the guests awkwardly and then hurried toward her uncle's house, hoping to borrow some stools.

"Uncle, are you certain this man can produce such fine salt? Don't be deceived," Zhou Shicai had asked earlier. The question made him feel awkward now. Chu Chen had indeed produced such high-quality salt that day, but looking at this ruined house, it was impossible to connect him with the wealthy magnates who bought property in Qingyun City.

Before long, Chu Chen emerged from the house carrying a stack of plastic chairs, nested one inside the other—the kind found at late-night snack stalls.

"Eh, Brother Chu, these chairs of yours are quite novel. What material are they made of?" Zhou Shicai sat his large frame down on a plastic chair, and it didn't even wobble.

Chu Chen provided a chair for everyone, including the guards. Following a gesture from Zhou Heng, the guards sat as well, all of them looking at the chairs with curiosity.

"Er, Boss Zhou, these are just ordinary chairs. As for the material, I call it plastic."

"Plastic? May I ask, Brother Chu, what is the cost of production?" Zhou Heng asked with interest.

"The cost? These were a gift from a friend in the West, so I am not quite sure." Chu Chen didn't elaborate, instead heading into the kitchen. Since they had traveled so far to visit, they probably hadn't eaten, and he needed to prepare something good to treat them.

As a former food delivery driver, Chu Chen might not have the culinary skills of a restaurant chef, but making a "stew-everything" dish was simple enough. Li Qinglian returned from her uncle's house with a few chairs, but seeing everyone already seated on the strange furniture, she went quietly to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Chu Chen took out an iron pot and a variety of ingredients: mutton, beef, various meatballs, and assorted vegetables, along with two bottles of forty-degree white liquor. Fearing they would run out of utensils, he also took out disposable bowls and chopsticks. Since Zhou Shicai had already witnessed his methods and regarded him as some kind of celestial being, he wasn't worried about their astonishment.

He set up a fire in the yard, heated the pot with oil, and dumped in a packet of hotpot seasoning. Soon, the aroma drifted far and wide, making everyone look over, nearly drooling. In an era where food was mostly steamed or boiled, the scent of hotpot seasoning was immensely alluring.

"Conditions are limited, and my new house isn't built yet, so please forgive the simple meal," Chu Chen said, welcoming Zhou Shicai, Zhou Heng, and the guards.

Zhou Heng looked at the strange ingredients and utensils with a curious expression. Zhou Shicai whispered a few words in his ear, and Zhou Heng’s face immediately turned to one of understanding. The guards sat solemnly in the corners, showing no intention of joining the table.

"Eh, why aren't you coming over to sit? Everyone must be hungry. Come, let's have a drink," Chu Chen urged. The guards smiled but remained unmoved. Chu Chen turned to Zhou Heng.

*Fine,* he thought, *this wretched feudal society.*

He turned back to the kitchen, took out the same ingredients, and set up a second table nearby. Li Qinglian tactfully excused herself to her aunt's house.

Chu Chen and Zhou Shicai’s party sat around the fire. It was early winter, and the warmth of the stove made everyone feel much more comfortable. Chu Chen dumped all the ingredients into the pot, and the guards followed suit at their own table.

Chu Chen produced a bottle of liquor, but before he could open it, Zhou Shicai snatched it away. "This bottle... it's actually made of glass!"

*Right,* Chu Chen thought, *forgot about that.* "This liquor isn't something just anyone can drink. It was only because of your arrival, Boss Zhou, that I felt it worth opening."

He gave a bottle to the guards and taught them how to open it. A rich, fragrant scent of alcohol immediately filled the air.