r18novel Chapter 39 Three Opponents
Chapter 39 Three Opponents
Fangua Village. Along the roadside and on the field ridges, the wild grass was withered and yellow, shivering in the cold wind.
Two figures, one tall and one short, walked out of Ding Qiang's courtyard.
Wen Yingxue wore a tattered melon-shaped hat, looked worried, and had a snakeskin bag slung over her shoulder. Her complexion had regained some color.
The boy beside her, with a yellow cloth satchel slung across his shoulder, comforted her, "Sister, if Brother Qiang doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine. Maybe that Ayou will come to our house again in the future."
Wen Yingxue frowned: "But I really haven't seen this Ayou before."
Wen Yiwen exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't that Ayou say you were friends? You even helped him a lot."
Wen Yingxue blinked: "He's definitely talking nonsense. I've never even met him, how can I help him? That's why I have to see who he really is."
Before she could finish speaking, her younger brother interrupted her with a delighted shout: "Sir!"
Wen Yingxue looked up and saw a handsome young man walking towards her with a gentle smile. "Oh? Newsboy, it's you."
"Sir, you have a good memory. It's me. I haven't thanked you yet," Wen Yiwen introduced. "Sister, he's the one who bought the fire newspaper and gave me a dollar."
Wen Yingxue and Song Beiyou locked eyes, and Wen Yingxue felt a tremor in her heart, realizing that his gaze seemed familiar.
Song Beiyou smiled, revealing his bright white teeth: "Miss Wen."
Wen Yingxue asked in surprise, "You know me?"
"Does the young lady still remember Ayou?"
Wen Yingxue almost jumped up, her eyes wide: "You...you're Ayou?"
Song Beiyou smiled and nodded: "My name is Song Beiyou."
Wen Yingxue looked at Song Beiyou carefully for a while, and her face became a little hot. She said in a low voice, "I don't know you at all. Why did you say I was helping you? You even sent so many things to our family."
Song Beiyou smiled and said, "Ding Qiang is my brother, so helping him is helping me."
Wen Yingxue was stunned for a moment. It was that simple? Something seemed off. She quickly sorted things out and then remembered that Ding Qiang had saved her first, which was why she thought of following him and coincidentally helped him.
"No, no, you were the one who got Ding Qiang to save me first. So, you knew me back then?"
Song Beiyou laughed and said, "That's not important. Anyway, we've met."
Wen Yiwen scratched his head, completely bewildered. "Sir, where are we going?"
"Call me Brother You, no need to call me 'sir'." Song Beiyou reached out and patted his shoulder. Wen Yiwen winced in pain and gasped.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Did someone hit you?"
Wen Yiwen shook his head and said, "No, I fell by myself."
Wen Yingxue asked疑惑地问道, "Why have you been falling down so often lately? Is someone bullying you?"
"No, I don't fight with others, so why would I be bullied?" Wen Yiwen quickly shook his head.
Song Beiyou frowned slightly: "I'm going to find Ding Qiang. I'll talk to you guys when I have time."
"Goodbye, Brother Ayou." Wen Yiwen breathed a sigh of relief. The eyes of the Brother Ayou in front of him were like those of a hawk.
Song Beiyou strode towards the courtyard along the dirt path, a crisp voice calling out behind him, "Song Beiyou, thank you!"
"No need." He left Wen Yingxue with only his tall and slender back.
……
On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, three days later, at dusk.
"Jade-Faced Snake, 26 years old. Skilled in Wing Chun sticky hands and snake-style boxing, specializing in arm wrapping, pressure point striking, and tricky hook punches. His signature move is 'snake spitting its tongue.' Win rate: 17 wins out of 25 matches."
"Chen Tiezha, 28 years old. Specializes in Northern-style Tan Tui (a type of leg kick), his signature move is the 'Zha Men San Die' (Three-Fold Gate), which targets the ankle, shin, and knee. 20 wins out of 29 matches."
"Buddha Yama, forty-two years old, is skilled in the ancient Hung Kuen style. His foundation is extremely profound, his punches are powerful and heavy, and his bones and muscles are like iron. A simple tiger claw can shatter an opponent's ribs. His ultimate move is Arhat Striking the Bell."
Song Beiyou reviewed the information of the three boxers, who were his opponents tonight.
Still no news from Ding Qiang. He'll check on things after he finishes his boxing match. Su Xiaowan is in the same boat; she needs money to get the gun.
Ding-ling-ling—the pleasant sound of bicycle wheels rolling over the plane tree leaves on the bluestone street signaled to pedestrians ahead to make way.
In those days, an ordinary bicycle cost forty silver dollars, which was four or five months' wages for an average worker. Registering a bicycle cost two silver dollars. Only the wealthy could afford to ride one, and pedestrians turned to look.
Two young men rode bicycles, pedaling rapidly, the bronze license plates on the back of the bikes gleaming. One wore a well-fitting black suit, tall and slender; the other wore a brand-new cotton-padded jacket, his face beaming with delight.
The setting sun cast its rays upon the haphazardly arranged thatched roofs, broken tiles, and rusted lead roofs, making it appear as if a desolate, crimson sea of fire had been raged.
Their clothes fluttered, as if they were coated with a layer of gold.
"Aunt Wang, going to buy groceries?"
Aunt Wang, who lives downstairs, was walking with her head down, carrying a shopping basket. Hearing this, she looked up and saw a handsome, smiling face brush past her. She nodded instinctively, "Yes."
That voice… She froze—Ayou? Daguan! Those two bought iron horses! Looking back, the two figures, swift as the wind, had already disappeared into the distance.
Shen Daguan's mouth stretched to his ears, and he looked around with an air of smugness, like a wealthy merchant returning home in glory.
A slightly worn rickshaw came towards them, and the rickshaw driver's eyes were immediately drawn to the two men's bicycles, filled with envy—what man could resist the allure of a Pegasus bicycle?
A bright and beautiful girl suddenly emerged from the rickshaw, her eyes clear and captivating. She called out sweetly, "Brother You! Where are you going? Did you buy a rickshaw?"
"Ah Fei's out of school? Let's go find Ah Kuan." Song Beiyou turned around and smiled without stopping the car.
"Brother You, when will you come and teach me European again?" the girl asked immediately.
"I'll teach you when I have time." His voice was carried away by the wind and had already turned into the alley next door. Xia Caifei pouted and hid her face in the carport again.
The rickshaw stopped. "Was that Ah-You just now?" The voice was incredulous.
"Yes, Brother You, and Brother Guan." Xia Caifei said matter-of-factly, fiddling with the brass buttons on her school uniform collar.
"Where did they get the money? Didn't they say Ayou owed usurious loans?" the rickshaw puller said indignantly.
After passing through several narrow alleys, Song Beiyou smelled a familiar aroma of scallion pancakes. A tin cart sat by the low doorway of a house, along with a pile of honeycomb briquette briquettes.
He gripped the brakes tightly and planted his feet on the ground. He glanced at the white dial under his sleeve: 5:12.
Shen Daguan was already shouting at the top of his lungs, "A-Kuan! Are you back yet?"
Chen Kuan lifted the curtain and hurried out, his eyes immediately lighting up: "Liangxipi! You two actually bought some!"
Song Beiyou asked with a smile, "How's it going? Ready?"
Chen Kuan said in a low voice, "I only gave twenty silver dollars to my parents, but I kept the fifty dollars."
Shen Daguan gave him a thumbs up: "Well done. When you make money, buy a Pegasus car. It'll be very impressive when you get married."
Chen Kuan's expression changed slightly, and he sighed.
Song Beiyou's heart skipped a beat. He had used Su Xiaowan's identity to warn Bai Xiuzhu. He asked, "What happened?"
"We'll talk on the way." Chen Kuan's expression returned to normal, and he stroked the handlebars with obvious delight. "Master Guan, let me have some fun. I'll ride it on the road."
Shen Daguan smiled smugly: "My master is always magnanimous, but I'm afraid your small body can't handle it."
"Looking down on me, Master Kuan? Get lost." Chen Kuan raised an eyebrow above his glasses.