How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

That night, we stayed in Wushan Town. It was originally just a small village, but after the coal mine was discovered, more and more people came and went, and in about ten years it became a market town in the surrounding area.

The Fan couple were not easy to talk to, but fortunately they hadn't planned to stay at the Fan family's place, so they just made do at the largest inn in town.

The town was poorly equipped; the inn only had four or five tables on the first floor, and the menu at the counter only listed a few simple home-style dishes, which were not even available often.

After finding a seat by the window, Sergeant Zhang brought a kettle of hot water to scald the bowls and chopsticks.

"With these conditions here, it's good enough that we can at least get some food."

Qingru wiped the table with her hands, leaving them greasy, and shook her head, forcing herself to stay nauseous. "It's okay, I'm not that kind of person."

Guo Zixing remained noncommittal. It was clear that the place mainly catered to workers from the surrounding mines, hence the poor hygiene conditions. From the moment he entered until now, he had only seen an accountant and a waiter. Although there were only four or five tables, every single one was occupied. The ground near the entrance was covered in a layer of black soot, likely left by coal miners.

"Oh, Seventh Master, please come in. The usual three dishes today?"

The waiter greeted him attentively, and a burly man entered, only slightly shorter than Boss Fan. He wore a black cotton-padded jacket that bound him up tightly, and his messy hair looked like it hadn't been washed in ages, with a few strands sticking out of his forehead. A thick beard covered the lower half of his face, making it impossible to see his expression.

"Hmm." His voice was muffled, which matched his appearance quite well.

"Hey, please come in."

The waiter led him inside and chose a seat next to Qingru and the others. There was someone else sitting there, but as soon as they saw this big man coming, they quickly picked up their bowl of noodles and moved to share a table with someone else.

The burly man, as if it were commonplace, picked up the wine the waiter had poured for him and drank it all in one gulp. He drank three bowls in a row before stopping slightly. "That was refreshing!"

Seeing that Qingru was still staring blankly at the other person, Chief Zhang quickly kicked her secretly to signal her not to cause trouble. Qingru belatedly realized what was happening and quickly lowered her head to avoid looking in that direction.

After waiting a while, the waiter came over with the plate.

"Seventh Master, these peanuts are freshly fried today. Would you like to try them? Are they delicious?" The waiter put down a tray with a plate of fried peanuts, a plate of braised pig ears, and three jugs of hot wine.

Guo Zixing frowned, already somewhat displeased. "Hey waiter, we've been sitting here for ages, and the dishes we ordered still haven't arrived. How come he gets to eat as soon as he comes in?"

The waiter froze for a moment, clearly not expecting anyone to question him, but when he saw that the person who spoke up was a generous customer who had just arrived, he changed his tone, "Oh, sir, look, Master Qi ordered all the snacks to go with the drinks. These were prepared a while ago. You see, the peanuts and braised pig's ears are not freshly made, so they were a little faster than your dishes. Please sit for a moment, and I'll go to the kitchen to urge them to you again."

What the other person said made sense, so even though he knew it was just a perfunctory response, Guo Zixing still suppressed his anger and gave a lukewarm reply.

After the Seventh Master had drunk several rounds of wine, the dishes that Qingru and the others had ordered were finally served.

"Scrambled eggs, stir-fried vegetables, and three bowls of braised pork noodles, please enjoy your meal." The waiter put down the dishes and went to serve the other guests.

Qingru smelled the freshly served dishes. Although they didn't look very appealing, she was still very hungry after a day of starvation, and the hot food made her mouth water.

Ignoring the question of cleanliness, Qingru picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. Surprisingly, it was delicious, perhaps because she was hungry. "You guys eat too, so you can rest early after you finish eating."

As the group ate, more and more people came in, seemingly coal miners from the nearby area. They came in groups of three or five, or alone, and mostly stood or sat at the counter by the door. They ordered a bowl of wine, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, and after finishing, they would shout "It's so good!" before wiping their mouths and leaving.

There aren't many places to go for entertainment around here, so eating and drinking are the only enjoyable pursuits.

Not many people can come in and sit down to eat, but that's only compared to the people drinking at the entrance. For those who want to sit inside and eat in peace, there aren't enough seats, so most people have to share a table.

Qingru was enjoying her meal when suddenly a bowl of roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) was placed in front of her. Qingru couldn't help but look up and saw a dark-skinned man chuckle and say, "Let's share a table."

"..."

Qingru didn't say anything, but silently moved closer to Guo Zixing.

Sergeant Zhang said warmly, "Please sit wherever you like, don't be shy."

The man slapped his thigh enthusiastically, "Alright, the person I admire most in my life is a generous person like you, brother. Come on, let's have a drink."

Qingru and the others hadn't ordered any wine, but since the bowl had been handed to them, they couldn't refuse. So, Chief Zhang also ordered a bowl of sake, clinked it with the man's, and then drank it all in one gulp.

"Haha, so happy!"

It seems that what these people love to say most is "it's great." The Seventh Master at the next table said it was great, the people drinking over there also said it was great, and even this guy in front of me, who calls himself Huang, said it was great after drinking.

Chief Zhang had dealt with all sorts of people before, so he readily agreed and said, "That's great!"

After drinking together, they seemed to become extra familiar with each other, and the people at the table immediately exchanged names.

"My name is Zhang Gong, this is my younger brother Zhang Xun, and my younger sister Xiao Cui." The real names were deliberately omitted during the introduction.

"I am Huang Laosi, the owner of this small coal mine."

"So it's Mr. Huang, my apologies for not recognizing you."

"Hehe," Huang Laosi didn't refuse, "What are you guys doing here? It's freezing cold and there's nothing to see, plus you brought a woman with you."

Although Teacher Huang tried her best to suppress it, she couldn't suppress that frivolous, appraising gaze.

Qingru turned her head uncomfortably, trying her best to remain calm. She really regretted not dressing up properly before coming; this face was sure to bring trouble.

With her slender, fair skin, dark hair, and rosy cheeks, Qingru, already strikingly beautiful, stood out starkly among the drab men, like a tender lamb lost in a pack of wolves. Had it not been for the two men beside her, her innocence might have been in jeopardy.

She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she looked more closely, she realized that every man present was stealing glances at her. It was just that this Huang Laosi was clearly bolder, finding excuses to get closer.

"Hey Zhang, what are you doing bringing your sister to a place like ours? Don't you have any good men where you live? Are you trying to find a brother-in-law here?"

"Hahaha, look at me, how about it?" The men around him became increasingly unrestrained.

"Hehe, look at that skin, tsk tsk, it's as white and tender as a freshly peeled egg!"

Guo Zixing's face darkened, a glint of anger flashing in his eyes. "Please watch your words!"

Whether Huang Laosi understood or not, he continued to chuckle and didn't respond to the interruption. He simply asked Chief Zhang, "What do you think of me? Am I qualified to be your brother-in-law?"

With a "crash," the teacup that Guo Zixing had been holding fell to the ground and shattered, spilling tea and tea leaves all over the floor.

Old Huang's expression changed, and he smashed his wine glass on the ground. "What, you're not giving me any face? Is your sister made of gold and jade? Can't I even joke about her?"

Immediately, people from the other tables stood up in response, "That's right, what kind of person are you, coming to our Wushan Town to cause trouble? Don't you even know who your grandfather is?"

"Ignorant of good and evil."

"Exactly, they don't even consider their own limitations."

"Take a piss and look at yourself."

......

A commotion erupted as everyone turned to look at Guo Zixing and his group.

"Shut up!" Seventh Master slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Is there no manners left?"

As soon as Seventh Master spoke, the room fell silent.

"Hmph," Huang Laosi snorted coldly, turning his gaze to glare at Qingru and the other two, his sharp look intimidating.

Chief Zhang and his men were also terrified. Even if they had guns, they might not be able to intimidate so many strong men. Moreover, the entire town was a coal mining town with a complex web of connections, and they might offend some powerful force.

The tense atmosphere was broken by Seventh Master's shout, and as if nothing had happened, everyone sat back down and resumed drinking and having fun.

Huang Laosi gave Qingru a lewd look, then picked up his bowl and left.

Chief Zhang poured a glass of wine and handed it to Seventh Master. "Thank you!"

Seventh Master didn't even look at it, took it and drank it all in one gulp.

He had finished his own food and drink, and stood up to call over the waiter, "Get me a room."

"Okay, here's the same room you stayed in. It's the second room on the left upstairs. Come with me. It's cleaned every day, so it's spotless."

As Seventh Master walked by, the people at each table immediately fell silent.

Guo Zixing and Sergeant Zhang exchanged a glance. They knew they had to make friends with this person; it would be beneficial for their trip.