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Mwah.
The two old gangsters were very clear about the situation.
They knew that Li Yue didn't intend to let anyone dominate the gang.
It was just that Li Yue had already started to play with checks and balances at such a young age.
Even if it wasn't what she wanted,
Instead, it was because there was an expert guiding them behind the scenes. The old hooligans more or less felt a little numb in their scalps. When they were doing things, they didn't want to play tricks with Li Yue. They even secretly competed with each other.
Before she took office as the gang leader,
The small leaders of the Long Dragon's various districts had collected this month's protection fee in West City. Li Yue didn't plan to collect money from this month.
Instead, she let Wang Sanqian lead his underlings to patrol the territory.
At the same time, she also promoted it to the merchants and hawkers.
She encouraged everyone to pay the safety fee next month and no longer forced them to collect protection fees.
In the past, when the Long Dragon only collected protection fees,
They only guaranteed that the people in their own gang wouldn't stir up trouble, and the people from outside the gang wouldn't come to occupy the territory and cause trouble.
Now that Li Yue had clearly told the gang members that they had to protect the safety of the payers after collecting the safety fee, the gang members had quite a lot of opinions at first.
After all, other than them, local ruffians and hooligans, were the only ones in the underworld.
They also included swindling and stealing.
Wang Sanqian was one of the gang members who had opinions. As a wily old fox, he naturally wouldn't rush to raise his opinions to Li Yue.
Instead, he urged others to be the first to stand out.
The new gang leader listened to the opinions of the first to stand out with a faint smile. She didn't hesitate to mock them. In the end, she laughed that there weren't many men present.
He couldn't even protect the territory under his hands and keep a close eye on it.
Could they still do it?
If they couldn't, they should go home early to sleep and nourish their kidneys.
Most men couldn't stand others' provocation, especially when they couldn't listen to others say they weren't good enough or admit that they weren't good enough. Before Li Yue could say anything, several young gang members had already rolled up their sleeves and stood out.
Li Yue definitely couldn't leave the job in the hands of a hothead. She tapped her fan and looked at Wang Sanqian, who was pretending to be a quail in the crowd. She then smiled at him.
Wang Sanqian glanced at Tie Chuanjia, whose arms were thicker than his thighs, and silently stepped forward to take on the responsibility of "publicity."
On the surface, Li Yue was promoting the safety premium, but secretly, she was preparing to catch all the swindlers and thieves in her territory. This required a full understanding of both the enemy and her forces.
In any case, Shuo Zhou City was the largest city outside the Great Wall. Outside the city, there were several towns and villages of various sizes. Naturally, there were many residents, not to mention the traveling merchants and herdsmen who often came to the city to buy and sell goods.
With more people, the underground forces became even more complicated. The government had limited energy. As long as there weren't any murders, very few people would pay attention to the changes in the west side of the city. This more or less made it easier for Li Yue to do things.
When it came to swindling and stealing, there weren't many swindlers and charlatans in the west side of the city. Last time, the slavers had been cleaned up by the government. Now, there were basically no shadows of them. On the contrary, there were many small thieves.
However, because the residents were generally poor, they couldn't steal anything valuable. Most people set their eyes on the peddlers.
Although the peddlers didn't suffer unspeakably, they didn't have an easy time either.
The small thieves had a unified leader. Every month, he would collect "filial piety" from them. The leader would then filial piety to the people above him.
Everyone in the underworld knew the identity of this person. Not to mention the leader of the thieves, even some gangs had to pay tribute to him.
The target of the Long Dragon's tribute wasn't this person. However, because of the deaths of the previous gang leaders, they had lost contact with the previous people. The ordinary gang members weren't very clear about the situation in the gang.
Li Yue didn't want to contact this person for the time being. She was busy washing the gang's reputation and didn't want to get involved in the past.
Since she wanted to change the gang's image and go out to do publicity, the people in the gang couldn't be as indecent as before.
Li Yue made dark brown robes for the gang members. She asked Tie Chuanjia to supervise them one by one as they went to the bathhouse. She also gave them a smile training, trying to make the gang members not look so wretched and ferocious.
The specific effects of the transformation weren't particularly obvious for a while. Li Yue, who had satisfied her own bad taste, was very happy anyway. She was in a good mood as she watched the courtyard door being pushed open again.
He Lao Er was crestfallen when he went out. When Wang Sanqian came in to report his work, he was also very nervous.
They were amiable according to Li Yue's request, but when they were nice, other people thought they were scared. The other gangs who heard them were a little restless and wanted to fight for the territory.
When they mentioned the security fee, which was slightly more expensive than the protection fee, many peddlers directly rolled their eyes. Wang Sanqian had a belly full of anger, but he still had to keep a smile on his face. It was simply adding to his anger.
The new gang leader wasn't angry. In other words, the reaction of the residents of West City was within her expectations. She asked the accountant to give Wang Sanqian and the others some compensation for their hard work. She comforted them with a few words and let them continue to inquire for information. She summarized all the information she knew and drew a detailed map.
After the matter of Changlong was settled, Li Yue turned around and went to the alley to find Zhu Er.
The day after tomorrow was the Lantern Festival. Every family would light up their lanterns. She had discussed with Zhu Er long ago that they were going to make a big news. This time, she was going to check on the results of her little friend's trouble.
Zhu Er's house wasn't far from Changlong Gang Headquarters. When Li Yue arrived at his little friend's house, the door was ajar. She knocked a few times and opened the door. She was surprised to see Lu San Egg, whom she hadn't seen for more than ten days.
He was talking to Zhu Er about something. When he saw Li Yue come in, he smiled and greeted Li Yue.
"Oh, speak of the devil.
Isn't this Young Master Li? What a coincidence. Since you're here, I don't have to specially look for you. "
"Why didn't you come to school recently?
Teacher is still counting on you to study at Shuozhou Academy. "
"I'm not the top scorer in the exam. What's the point of going to Shuozhou Academy? To listen to those old pedants recite scriptures? To be a scholar who shakes his head?
Young Master Li, you didn't go either. Besides, I've already found what I really want to do.
Didn't they say that reading ten thousand books is better than traveling ten thousand miles? I want to explore Jianghu!
After the Lantern Festival, I'll go to the Central Plains with Master! "
Li Yue walked around Lu San Egg and gestured that there was less than a palm's height difference between them. Her face was full of undisguised disdain. "Usually, we only praise you for your talent when we play with you. Don't tell me you took it seriously?
With your thin arms and legs, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. Dan Egg, I'm really afraid that one day I'll hear the news of your failure. "
"It's the same thing. Why do I feel strange when it comes from your mouth?"
Lu San Egg felt a dull pain in a certain part of his body. He discreetly closed his legs and quickly changed the topic. "What Dan Egg? Young Master Li, let me tell you. Zhu Er and I are famous now.
Zhu Er is now known as Zhu Ting, and my name is Lu Xiaofeng. "
"Hahahaha, Xiao Feng?
In the end, you still can't get around an egg. Hahaha ~ "
Li Yue pointed at the gloomy Lu San Egg and couldn't stop laughing. When Zhu Er finished fixing a joint with a click, it was as if two threads in her head suddenly connected. The smile on her face froze.
"No, wait. You said your name is Lu Xiaofeng?"
Lu San Egg nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
"Then he's Zhu Ting?"
Zhu Er didn't say anything. After sensing the strange atmosphere, he nodded slightly in response.
Li Yue was stunned for a moment, then squatted down with her head in her hands.
Lu Xiaofeng, Zhu Ting? Li Yue originally thought that the world she lived in, Li Fei Dao, was dangerous enough. This time, reality slapped her twice, telling her that she thought too simply.
At this point, Li Yue still didn't give up. She asked again.
"Then the future Hero Lu, have you heard of the Bandit Commander?"
Probably because the words "Hero Lu" pleased Lu San Egg very much, he wiped his nose and coughed lightly, trying to pretend to be serious. His eyes were full of unconcealable joy, his voice was clear and full of vitality.
"'The young master lost his beauty with the flower, the Bandit Commander left a fragrance on the moon'. This sentence is known by everyone in Jianghu, including me.
But my master said that with my talent, as long as I roam Jianghu for a few years, I will definitely have a reputation that won't lose to the Bandit Commander.
And there's a place that I can go openly. The Bandit Commander definitely won't go there so brazenly. "
"What place?"
"The capital.
The Bandit Commander is a 'bandit', and the capital is the territory of the Divine Marquis Residence.
My master said, Zhuge Shenhou is one thing, but if the constables in the Divine Marquis Residence weren't restricted by the yamen, their reputation would definitely be more prominent than today … … "
Li Yue looked at Lu San Egg, oh no, Lu Xiaofeng, talking about Jianghu matters clearly and logically. She couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
The danger level of this world was increasing exponentially in her mind. Li Yue was a little worried that she might not be able to earn enough money to spend with her little tricks. After making a simple plan for the future, she looked back at Zhu Ting, who was as calm as ever, and Lu Xiaofeng, who was still gossiping endlessly. She patted the latter's shoulder meaningfully.
"Hero Lu, let's make a deal, and in the future if you … … Forget it, before you leave Shuo Province, remember to apologize to the old man. He's already so old, and he's worried so much for you. Even if you don't take the imperial exam, you still have to bid farewell to the old man.
The Jianghu is very dangerous, don't take the risk of dying just because you're lucky.
Speaking of which, it's quite troublesome for you to leave Shuo Province … … "
"Young Master Li, so you don't want me to leave!"
Li Yue expressionlessly looked at Lu Xiaofeng, who was winking at her. Zhu Er coldly spat out the truth.
"Wake up, Dan Dan. Li Yue is just worried that if she does something in the future, there won't be a suitable person to take the blame."
"No, wake up. Zhu Ting, Dan Dan is going to the Central Plains. It'll be more convenient for him to take the blame for us."
Lu Xiaofeng: "… …"
Li Yue jumped out of the carriage. Tie Chuanjia helped the old doctor.
She didn't follow the old doctor and the young man into the house. Instead, she stood outside and waited.
The cold wind blew at the bottom of the cliff. Tie Chuanjia stood over and blocked most of the cold wind for the little girl.
Li Yue smiled at Tie Chuanjia and tightened her cloak around her body. Her eyes turned and moved to the main body of the house.
The whole house was made of wooden planks and the roof was covered with thatch. It wasn't covered with frost and snow. Obviously, someone had cleaned it.
The windows were old sliding doors. Because there was a patient in the house, they weren't open. The paper on the windows was old and yellow, but it was neat and tidy. There was no sign of damage.
It had clearly snowed a few times during the Spring Festival, but now there were signs of snow falling again.
Li Yue exhaled into her hands as she watched the young man busying himself in and out. When he came out with a large basin of water, she saw the tears in the young man's eyes that he was holding back.
Li Yue didn't see the old doctor come out. Presumably, he was still in the house giving acupuncture to the patient. She nodded slightly at Tie Chuanjia and followed behind the young man.
The young man went to the well not far away to fetch water. Because he was still small, he could only carry small buckets of water. When the basin was full, he put down the wooden bucket and put his hands on the well to hold his head down.
Although his voice was very soft, Li Yue still heard the young man's sobbing. That sound made her heart inexplicably clench. She hesitated for a moment, but still moved to the young man's side and gently patted his back.
"That … the old doctor hasn't come out yet. The situation might not be so … Then, you … forget it."
The sick person in the house must be the young man's close relative, and the situation must be very critical.
Li Yue had only worried about the drunk Li Xunhuan so far. She had never faced the situation of a close relative who was seriously ill. She knew that at this moment, there was no use in saying anything. She just silently stood by the young man and watched the movements in the wooden house for him.
Although the Spring Festival had passed, there were still no signs of spring. The sky was already covered by the darkness of night. Thick clouds covered the stars and the moon in the night sky. In the vast wilderness, there was only a faint flickering light in the wooden house. It was like a candle that had burned to the end and could be extinguished at any time.
Li Yue and the young man fetched water and boiled water outside the house and did some work that was within their abilities.
When the old doctor didn't give any orders, they sat together on the shaft of the carriage and waited.
The snow was getting heavier. Tie Chuanjia was worried about the two children standing in the cold wind and advised them to go inside the carriage to avoid the cold. Li Yue was about to persuade the young man when the old doctor pushed open the wooden door and came out.
The old doctor's expression was very calm. There was no joy in saving the patient in time, nor was there any pity for the patient being helpless. He didn't say anything and only motioned for the young man to enter the house.
The door closed again. The old doctor carried the medicine box into the carriage and massaged his old arms and legs. Suddenly, he asked Li Yue.
"Aren't you curious?"
Li Yue nodded and then shook her head.
"Old man, you are a good doctor."
The old doctor laughed, but it wasn't clear whether he was laughing at himself or at Li Yue. After a while, he touched Li Yue's head and sighed.
"Little girl, don't be too stubborn. Don't think too much and don't be too stubborn. The days are still long. It's enough. There's no hurdle that can't be crossed. If you really can't cross it, then it's time."
Li Yue wanted to refute the old doctor's idea, but in the end, she didn't say anything and just nodded silently. She knew that the old doctor was talking to her, but more importantly, he was referring to the patient in the house.
The patient in the house didn't have any other illness. It was the most difficult heart disease in the world.
Since it was a heart disease, no matter how skilled the doctor was, he couldn't intervene.
At this time, there shouldn't be enough time to return to Shuo Zhou City. The weather was getting worse and worse. The wooden house was so small that it definitely couldn't fit five people, even if two of them were children.
Tie Chuanjia had always been very experienced in life. Just as he was planning to drive the old and young to a place where they could take shelter from the wind for the night, the door of the wooden house creaked open. The youth walked out of the house to the side of the carriage and reached out to lift the curtain.
"Li Yue, my mother … she wants to see you."
The little girl was stunned for a few seconds before she quickly jumped down from the carriage. The youth walked with her to the side of the wooden house, but he didn't go in with her. Instead, he stood guard outside the door and carefully closed it.
Inside the house, there was a woman dressed in plain white. She was quietly examining Li Yue.
Li Yue and her real peers in her world had all heard of Bai Feifei's name. However, most of them had heard of her from TV dramas and a few from novels.
Li Yue was the former. At this moment, the woman in front of her didn't look like the actress in the TV dramas. However, she clearly knew that the woman in front of her was Bai Feifei.
Even if she was a mother, a patient with a pale face and pale lips, Bai Feifei still looked like a graceful and charming young girl. She was like a water lotus flower, delicate and moving, but also weak.
The corners of her eyes, eyebrows, and facial features were all delicate and soft. However, the light in her eyes was cold. Her heart was also hard and cold.
Li Yue wanted to find something to say to break this uneasy silence. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Instead, Bai Feifei spoke first.
"Hoodlum told me that you were the one who invited the doctor."
Bai Feifei's tone was extremely calm. She wasn't asking Li Yue, but simply stating the facts.
Li Yue knew that Bai Feifei and her son didn't like to owe others favors. She was worried that Hoodlum would be punished by Bai Feifei because of this. She also didn't want Bai Feifei to be overly worried even though she was sick. She could only think of a way to explain.
"Yes, but … uh, Hoodlum also … helped me a lot before. This time … I'm just returning the favor. Even if he owes me, it's just money. Anyway, he's still young, and so am I. The money … will be paid off eventually."
As she spoke, Li Yue didn't know what she wanted to say. Bai Feifei had been in the jianghu for many years. She had eaten more salt than rice. Lying in front of Bai Feifei was obviously not a wise choice.
Li Yue's voice was getting lower and lower. Bai Feifei didn't interrupt her. When she finally stopped, Bai Feifei suddenly asked a question that had nothing to do with the current situation.
"Where are your parents?"
"They're not in this world anymore. But later on, I met Uncle Li, that is, Li Fei Dao. Later on, when I went to Shuo Province, I happened to meet Hoodlum, so I really … um … helped him."
Helped him?
Did she just want to help him?
A long time ago, someone had said something similar to Bai Feifei. But whether it was that person or who it was, their figure gradually faded in Bai Feifei's memory. She took something out of her sleeve. Her eyes flashed with imperceptible nostalgia.
Bai Feifei didn't pause. She directly handed it to Li Yue. When Li Yue received it, she realized that it was a jade pendant.
The jade pendant was of the best quality. It was warm and delicate to the touch. Apart from the excellent material, it couldn't be separated from the touch of a person.
The front of the jade pendant was engraved with the character "Shen". On the back was a strange pattern that Li Yue had never seen before.
Li Yue looked at the character and couldn't speak. Her heart was filled with a series of exclamations and questions.
Bai Feifei looked at the little girl's hand, which was whiter than the jade. She closed her eyes slightly and opened them again.
"I don't like to owe people anything, and I don't want my son to owe anyone anything.
So, this jade pendant is for you. You can pawn it. The jade pendant is enough to pay for your doctor's expenses. In addition, I'll tell you something. You have to remember to tell Li Xunhuan, never, never go to the desert. Stay away from a woman named Shi Guanyin. "
Bai Feifei always spoke in a flat and straightforward manner. But these words set off stormy waves in Li Yue's heart. Especially the last three words, which made her directly suck in a breath of cold air.
Bai Feifei noticed the little girl's emotional change. Her expression was indifferent, and her voice was cold.
"You seem to have heard of Shi Guanyin and know what fear is. That's good.
If you know fear, you won't cause big trouble.
Most of the people who cause trouble don't know what fear is. "
As she spoke, Bai Feifei's gaze shifted slightly. She looked at the little girl's clear eyes and seemed to think of someone. Her expression was slightly complicated, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she ordered Li Yue to leave.
Li Yue still had many questions in her heart, but she knew that Bai Feifei didn't want her to be too entangled with the Hoodlum. Strictly speaking, Bai Feifei didn't want anyone to be entangled with her and her son.
Li Yue didn't want to owe Bai Feifei and her son a favor, nor did she want Bai Feifei and her son to owe her a favor. She could only suppress the doubts in her heart and wait to go back and ask Li Xunhuan.
When the little girl came out of the room, the youth and the Bearded Man were still standing in their original positions. There was a lot of snow on their bodies, and they didn't look like living people. Instead, they looked like statues.
Li Yue nodded at the Hoodlum and stepped onto the shaft of the carriage without hesitation. When she was about to enter the carriage, the Hoodlum stopped her.
"I will definitely do what I said."
"Yes, I know."
Li Yue smiled and sat in the carriage and waved at the Hoodlum.
"The doctor left the pharmacy to you. Take good care of your mother."
The Hoodlum didn't reply. It only pursed its lips and stood in place.
Tie Chuanjia cracked the whip and the carriage galloped into the distance. A moment later, Li Yue lifted the curtain and looked behind the carriage. All she saw was a flash of light and a small black dot in the vast expanse of white.