It was breakfast time again, but unusually, Mu Dai was nowhere to be seen at the dining table. Huo Zihong was the proprietress, and Zhang Shu had reached an age where his legs needed calcium supplements. Running up and down to relay messages was something Yi Wansan should do—and he was quite eager: “I’ll go call Young Boss.”
He ran upstairs with quick steps. Mu Dai’s door was half-closed, and Yi Wansan didn’t dare to enter directly. He coughed repeatedly at the doorway: “Young Boss, it’s time to eat.”
Mu Dai said, “Come in.”
As the door opened, Yi Wansan’s mind blanked: My goodness!
Mu Dai was practicing martial arts.
Mu Dai’s room was different from the others. The walls always had several protruding and recessed areas for practicing. For example, there was a concave indentation two meters high that Yi Wansan had thought was accidentally damaged by construction workers—until he once saw Mu Dai with one foot in the indentation and one hand against the ceiling, forming a right triangle with the intersecting walls—while changing a light bulb.
Therefore, one generally wouldn’t see Mu Dai getting up early to practice in the courtyard with loud exhalations in winter’s coldest days or summer’s hottest. She often twisted herself like an octopus or read books and watched videos while standing on her head. In her words, that was “integrating kungfu into daily life.”
So Yi Wansan could be certain that Mu Dai was now practicing martial arts.
But her practice looked somewhat creepy. She was suspended in midair with her limbs spread out, four climbing ropes wrapped around her ankles and arms, connected to the four corners of the room’s ceiling.
When Yi Wansan entered, she simultaneously rotated her hands and feet outward, effectively shortening the ropes’ length by one circle, increasing the tension on her entire body.
Yi Wansan asked cautiously: “Young Boss, what are you…?”
“Stretching my tendons.”
Oh, Yi Wansan seemed to recall Mu Dai mentioning before that appropriate stretching before fighting would reduce the risk of tendon and bone injuries. So this was how she stretched. If there were another rope around her neck, it would look no different from being drawn and quartered.
Yi Wansan said, “Oh, then I’ll tell the Boss to save you some food.”
Fearing that Mu Dai might get some strange idea like using him for practice, he left quickly, taking two steps at once.
“Wait! Come over and check if my complexion looks good.”
Based on multiple experiences facing opponents, at times like this, honesty was essential. Flattery would lead to a miserable death. Yi Wansan went over to look and shook his head honestly: “Not good.”
Mu Dai gestured toward the side with her mouth: “Help me put on a face mask.”
Yi Wansan was extremely attentive, doing a thorough job. Before applying the mask, he first used a hot towel to steam her face. As he held up the mask sheet and aligned it with her nose and eyes before applying, Yi Wansan asked: “Young Boss, are you meeting… someone today?”
Mu Dai gave no definite answer.
Though Yi Wansan lacked moral character, his mind was truly sharp. He had witnessed Mu Dai’s martial skills—ordinary fights wouldn’t require such tendon and bone stretching. That she was preparing in advance this time was remarkably similar to the prearranged duels in martial arts novels. Life in the bar followed a routine and was utterly boring, yet Yi Wansan felt an undercurrent of excitement: “Then, Young Boss, why are you doing a face mask?”
Mu Dai said: “Total domination in skill, in appearance, domination!”
The word “domination” was pronounced with particular emphasis.
Understood! Yi Wansan was extremely excited: he loved seeing such pot-smashing, bowl-breaking, troublemaking events. The bigger the commotion, the better. Best if Mu Dai got arrested and spent three to five years in jail!
Throughout the entire day, Yi Wansan was super expectant, imagining countless scenarios of someone barging into the bar. Therefore, when, in the early evening, a visitor leisurely stepped into the bar and asked specifically for Mu Dai, Yi Wansan was greatly disappointed.
For this kind of character, was it worth doing a face mask to dominate?
He couldn’t even be bothered to move, lazily calling upstairs to Mu Dai: “Young Boss, your domination has arrived.”
Domination? Cao Yanhua was confused and emphasized to Yi Wansan: “My name is Cao, Cao Yanhua.”
Yi Wansan’s eyes nearly rolled back: “Got it.”
Upon first seeing Cao Yanhua, Mu Dai was also stunned for a long time: “Are you… Here for a visit? Why didn’t you say anything in advance?”
Cao Yanhua was suddenly overcome with grief: “Sister Mu Dai, my nest was raided, people scattered, the team is hard to lead now!”
No wonder he had disappeared for a while. It was nothing special—he had been caught stealing and locked up, detained for ten days.
The great fortune amid misfortune was that he was caught for ordinary theft, and the police didn’t know he was a small leader. After a few days of education, they released him.
The great misfortune amid fortune was that his capture wasn’t accidental. To purify the city environment and enhance its image, the Liberation Monument area had intensified anti-pickpocketing efforts. Team members were successively caught, and investigations were about to reach him…
This meant things were getting dangerous, so Cao Yanhua grabbed his bank card, packed a couple of clothes, and fled.
At the train station, with the ticket network spreading in all directions, Cao Yanhua pondered painfully: where to go?
At that moment, his phone dinged with a greeting from a friend.
It was Mu Dai asking: “How are you lately? All good?”
Cao Yanhua held Mu Dai’s hand with infinite emotion: “They say true friendship is seen in adversity, Sister Mu Dai. My social circle was all colleagues, but since I got into trouble, they don’t even like my posts anymore! Only you, Sister Mu Dai, sent me a message. My heart feels so… cool and clear!”
No wonder he was standing here today. In this world, every effect has a cause, all brought about by her itchy fingers.
“But Sister Mu Dai, don’t worry, I’m not here to freeload. First, I came to see you; second, Yunnan has abundant resources, and I want to see if there are other opportunities to change professions…”
Speaking of this, he began looking around at the bar’s interior decoration: “Running a bar seems not bad either!”
After nine o’clock, bar patrons gradually increased. At other times of the day, Yi Wansan and Zhang Shu were sufficient to handle things, but during the busy period from nine to ten at night, Mu Dai and Huo Zihong occasionally had to help take orders and serve drinks.
Especially tonight, Mu Dai was truly being used as manual labor. The reason was that Cao Yanhua was leaning on the bar counter, talking enthusiastically with Yi Wansan, and Huo Zihong gently said, “Mr. Cao has come from afar, so we can be a bit busier. We can manage anyway.”
But it was also good. With the bar so lively and Aunt Hong under her watchful eye, she wasn’t worried that Luo Ren could create any trouble.
On another trip to clear glasses from the bar counter, Mu Dai placed them in the sink while coldly listening to Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua’s conversation.
Yi Wansan: “Is running a bar profitable? Of course it is! Initial investment, I think at least 300,000 to 500,000 yuan. Decoration is very important.”
Cao Yanhua: “Yes, I think so too. Money isn’t an issue. The key is to be creative, attractive, and create buzz.”
Yi Wansan: “I’ve thought about it for you, Brother Cao. If you open a bar, you should inlay a golden ‘dou’ character on the floor at the entrance. Do you know what that represents? ‘A dou of gold entering daily!”
Cao Yanhua: “Damn! That’s so fucking creative, brother. With your intelligence, you should at least be a creative director at an advertising company…”
…
Mu Dai listened with her facial muscles twitching. These two characters before her—one selling himself as a slave for scams and trickery, the other a fugitive thief—probably couldn’t scrape together 2,000 yuan between them, yet they talked of “a dou of gold daily” and “300,000 to 500,000 yuan”!
Just as she could bear it no longer, Huo Zihong pushed her from behind: “Mu Dai, customers at the window table have been sitting for a while. Quickly go take their order.”
Mu Dai felt resentful but thought: I’ll settle with you two later.
She grabbed a drink menu from the bar counter and jogged over: “Hello, would you like to order…”
She suddenly stopped speaking.
Luo Ren took the menu from her hand, lowered his head to flip a page, then another: “Any recommendations?”
After asking twice with no response, Luo Ren looked up at her.
Her face alternated between pale and flushed. In her hand, she held a click-type ballpoint pen for taking orders. Her slightly curled, long hair was tucked behind one ear on one side, revealing a delicate neck that was slightly reddened from emotional agitation.
“Shouldn’t you tie your hair back? If it falls into the drinks, that’s not very hygienic.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Isn’t this a bar? I’m here to drink.”
As he spoke, he casually looked around, finally resting his gaze on Huo Zihong, who was talking with customers.
Mu Dai noticed this too. She abruptly shifted her position, blocking Luo Ren’s line of sight.
“With me here, don’t even think about getting near my Aunt Hong.”
Luo Ren smiled: “Really?”
Just as Mu Dai was about to speak, Luo Ren suddenly grabbed her arm and pushed her aside: “Madam Boss?”
Huo Zihong turned around at the sound: “You are…?”
She continued speaking as she approached: “Is there a problem?”
Luo Ren stood up: “I’d like to meet a fellow townsperson. What a coincidence, I’m also from Luoma Lake.”
Huo Zihong paused for a moment: “What a coincidence. I left Luoma Lake a long time ago. If we’re from the same hometown, have a drink on me.”
Luo Ren looked at her, his smile deepening: “No matter how long you’ve been away, you should still remember. Back then, our families were neighbors. If I recall correctly, you lived at 12 Chen Qian Lane.”
This was complete nonsense! How had Luo Ren suddenly become someone from Luoma Lake? Was everywhere his home in this vast world?
Before Mu Dai could speak, Luo Ren made a gesture of invitation to Huo Zihong: “Shall we talk somewhere else?”
Change locations? Mu Dai became anxious: “Aunt Hong!”
This exclamation seemed to finally remind Luo Ren of her existence. He turned to look at Mu Dai: “Also, it’s not convenient for outsiders to be present.”
Huo Zihong smiled and patted Mu Dai’s arm: “Mu Dai, just stay here.”
Stay here—was she trying to worry her to death? Mu Dai made a bold decision. Regardless of Luo Ren watching, she leaned close to Huo Zihong’s ear: “Aunt Hong, he’s the person I told you about!”
Fearing Huo Zihong might not understand, she attempted to write the character “Luo” on Huo Zihong’s back with her finger.
Huo Zihong smiled apologetically at Luo Ren, then said to Mu Dai, “We’ll just go behind the bar counter. You can see us from here, and besides, Yi Wansan and Mr. Cao are also there.”
With so many people around, surely Luo Ren wouldn’t act recklessly?
Mu Dai frequently looked toward the area behind the bar. Luo Ren had his back partially turned to her, while Huo Zihong was facing her, occasionally smiling gently to reassure her. A few meters away, Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua seemed to have found kindred spirits and were eager to become sworn brothers.
Despite her concerns, many questions also filled her mind. Was this Luo Ren really from Luoma Lake? Was he truly Aunt Hong’s former neighbor? Why did everything seem to revolve around this Luoma Lake?
It was at this moment that chaos erupted.
Hearing Huo Zihong’s scream, Mu Dai’s entire body trembled. Without thinking, she flung two steel dessert forks at the back of Luo Ren’s head. Simultaneously, she leaped onto the table, flipped in mid-air, and upon reaching the bar counter, pressed one hand on Cao Yanhua’s head for leverage, spinning toward Luo Ren with full force. Luo Ren shoved Huo Zihong away, dodged the forks, but couldn’t avoid Mu Dai. He staggered from the impact, but maintained his stance, using the momentum to rush toward the back door. As the door opened, he suddenly turned back and smiled provocatively at the enraged Mu Dai.
Huo Zihong, having been pushed to the ground, was still in shock but uninjured. Mu Dai bit her lip and called out, “Yi Wansan, take care of my Aunt Hong!”
Before Yi Wansan could respond, Mu Dai had already disappeared.
The bar fell momentarily silent. Everything happened so quickly that by the time someone finally reacted and took out their phone to capture the “first eyewitness account,” it was all over.
Huo Zihong covered her neck, coughing softly. Yi Wansan crawled out from behind the cabinet door and hurriedly helped her up: “Boss, Boss, are you alright?”
More and more people crowded around, but only Cao Yanhua remained standing still in shock.
After a while, he reached up to touch his head that had just been forcefully pressed, with only one thought in mind.
—Damn, I need to become her disciple.