Chapter 87: Restrictions

“Cut the nonsense. Are you buying or not? If not, I’ll find someone else,” one of the ticket scalpers said impatiently.

Xu Fei hesitated for a moment. If he didn’t get the ticket from this man, he might not be able to leave for another three or four days. And these scalpers, their methods were downright vicious. If you returned after three or four days, they might have already bought up all the tickets for later dates as well. It was a vicious cycle.

“Alright, brother, if you really don’t want it, don’t blame me if you miss your chance—this is the only place to get it,” another scalper chimed in.

The two of them were clearly playing a double act. If someone lacked resolve, they’d easily fall for their ruse.

Xu Fei glanced at the one who had spoken harshly. “Of course I’ll buy it, but…”

“But what?”

“Make it cheaper. Look at the time—it’s almost time for the train to leave. If you don’t sell it, the ticket’s wasted anyway, isn’t it?”

Xu Fei actually tried to bargain, which stunned the two scalpers.

“You’re a rare breed,” said the one playing the ‘bad cop’ role with a laugh. “Fine, you’re the first I’ve seen like this. I’ll give you a discount—but don’t tell anyone else.”

Xu Fei knew how things worked. If someone sitting in the same carriage found out they’d paid more for their ticket from the same scalpers, they might really come looking for trouble. After all, these scalpers relied on this place to make a living.

Xu Fei nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”

A train ticket that should have cost three yuan ended up costing Xu Fei five, but he still bought it.

After paying and collecting the ticket, Xu Fei headed straight home. The train left at five in the afternoon—less than six hours left, and he still needed to get ready and find Zhang Mingyang.

The journey home was uneventful.

When Xu Fei reached his door, he heard a woman’s angry voice inside.

“You little tramp! Tell me, how did you seduce my husband?”

He didn’t even need to look—he recognized the voice at once. It was Guo Suhua, who’d come by that morning. Why was she back again?

He pushed open the gate to the yard and saw Guo Suhua and two men standing outside the house. The door to the house was shut tight; Du Man sat on the bed inside, seething with anger.

What a mess.

When Guo Suhua saw someone come in, she turned and glared. “So it’s you, you useless wretch!”

She rolled her eyes at Xu Fei.

“Who’s he, sis?” one of the men asked.

“He’s the husband of that tramp inside.”

“Oh, it’s him.”

The two men with Guo Suhua shot Xu Fei a look of disdain.

Xu Fei sized them up. One of them resembled Guo Suhua and had called her ‘sis’—probably her younger brother. The other had a sly, shifty look—not someone to be trusted.

“Suhua, enough talk. Let’s break down the door and go in,” said the shifty-looking man, pointing at the door.

“Don’t you dare!” Xu Fei was genuinely angry now. He could cover for Chen Da, but that didn’t mean he’d let his own family suffer.

“What did you say?” Guo Suhua sneered.

“Jianguo, smash it!” she ordered.

The woman was truly insane. At her command, the man—likely her brother—picked up a brick from the ground and smashed it against the glass on the door.

Crash!

The glass shattered instantly.

“Ah! Xu Fei!” Du Man screamed from inside, her voice filled with both anger and grievance. Xu Fei’s heart ached—what senseless trouble was this?

“What do you think you’re doing?” Xu Fei demanded, grabbing Guo Jianguo by the collar and swinging a punch.

Smack!

Guo Jianguo yelped in pain, stumbled, and landed right on top of the family’s night bucket. Xu Fei hadn’t had time to empty it the night before—half full of urine. Guo Jianguo fell face-first into it, soaking himself and ending up covered in the mess, grabbing handfuls of it as he tried to get up.

“What the hell is that smell?” he demanded, sniffing his hand.

“Damn it, it’s urine!”

At his shout, Guo Suhua grimaced.

“Deng Yu, what are you waiting for? Get him!” she yelled at the shifty man.

Deng Yu nodded, raised his fist, and swung for Xu Fei’s face.

Xu Fei barely spared him a glance. The man was short—next to Xu Fei’s six-foot frame, he looked like a monkey.

Xu Fei stepped forward and kicked Deng Yu in the stomach. The man staggered back several steps and crashed into the wall.

“Ow!” Deng Yu clutched his stomach, unable to straighten up.

“Guo Suhua, what’s the meaning of this? Didn’t we settle this? If you have a problem, go find your own husband—why bring trouble to my house?” Xu Fei demanded.

“Xu Fei, your wife seduced my husband. Why shouldn’t I come here?” Guo Suhua wasn’t in the least afraid, shouting back at him.

“Sis, why waste words on him?” Guo Jianguo crawled out of the urine, pulled a switchblade from his back pocket, and flicked it open with a snap. He waved the gleaming blade in Xu Fei’s face.

Xu Fei stepped back.

Just then—

“Xu Fei, watch out!” Du Man shrieked from inside.

Xu Fei sensed movement behind him. Without thinking, he swung his fist backward—but he was too slow.

Before he could strike, Deng Yu grabbed him around the waist. As Xu Fei tried to swing, he could only spin Deng Yu half a turn.

“Jianguo!” Deng Yu shouted as he clung to Xu Fei.

Guo Jianguo, face twisted in malice, lunged forward with the knife. “I’ll kill you!” he yelled, stabbing for Xu Fei’s stomach.

There was no time to dodge—Deng Yu’s grip left Xu Fei unable to move. So Xu Fei stomped hard on Deng Yu’s foot.

Deng Yu howled in pain.

Seizing the moment, Xu Fei wrenched himself forward, dragging Deng Yu in front of him.

Thud!

Deng Yu’s body jerked violently, then he let out a pig-like scream, clutching his backside before collapsing to the ground, wailing in agony.

Xu Fei glanced back—Guo Jianguo’s knife had stabbed straight into Deng Yu.

He sneered. “Serves you right!”

Guo Jianguo was dumbfounded.

“Brother Deng, are you alright?” Guo Suhua cried, rushing over as if her own husband had been stabbed, kneeling beside Deng Yu and gently wiping the sweat from his brow with a tenderness that left Xu Fei stunned.

What was going on here? There was definitely something fishy about this.