A Long River Myth

That day, Li Hong practiced the stance training a few times in the morning and left the west courtyard early.

Today is my grandfather Li Fulin's 60th birthday.

Becoming a regular disciple of the Martial Arts Hall significantly reduces the sense of urgency in terms of time.

It offers more freedom.

Before long, Li Hong returned to Jinshui Street and surveyed both sides of the street.

The bustling roadside stalls that had been lively for more than ten days have all disappeared.

Yesterday, I heard that Huang Lin's gang was about to send people to take over, so the vendors naturally ran away faster than anyone else.

Li Hong touched his waist; Qin Si's three taels of silver had long been spent on martial arts training over the past few days.

He had wanted to buy his grandfather a birthday gift, but he was somewhat helpless.

Fortunately, Li Fulin had already given instructions, and the old man even gave him several dozen coins this morning.

Back at the grocery store.

Li Fulin was welcoming and seeing off customers, and neighbors would occasionally come to his shop:

"Congratulations, Uncle Li! May you have boundless happiness and good fortune!"

"Grandpa, you've suffered enough in this life. It's time to enjoy your retirement!"

The Yao family bought a lot of sesame candy and longevity cakes, and distributed some to the visitors.

These neighbors didn't come empty-handed either; the news that the eldest grandson of the Li family, who ran the grocery store, had become a strongman had already spread throughout Jinshui Street.

Some neighbors who weren't usually familiar with each other also took the opportunity to visit each other, bringing gifts with them.

Li Fulin was clearly very happy; he straightened his back considerably.

When Li Hong returned, he crossed his arms and thanked the older neighbors.

The neighbors didn't disperse until almost lunchtime.

There was no birthday banquet at home. We were all poor families. Who could afford to host a large feast?

Usually, exchanging small snacks is enough as a token of appreciation.

At noon, the family had a rare meal of white noodles, as Yao cooked a bowl of longevity noodles for Li Fulin.

Before they could even pick up their chopsticks, someone else suddenly appeared at the shop entrance.

The newcomer was a young man dressed in shorts, carrying two boxes which he placed in the shop.

He then walked into the courtyard, and with a neutral expression, bowed and said:

"Mr. Li, congratulations on your birthday! My wife sent me to deliver some birthday gifts to you."

After saying this, he gave a slight bow, and without giving Li Fulin, who had just stood up, a chance to speak, he hurriedly turned and left.

"Hey...wait a minute, bro."

Li Fulin couldn't catch up and returned dejectedly.

He was carrying two boxes of fine pastries with the words "Fu Rong Xiang" on them.

Just as Li Hong was wondering what was going on, Yao Shi sighed and asked, "Father... he's the servant from my eldest sister's household, isn't he?"

"Um...."

Li Fulin, who was in a good mood, suddenly frowned.

Hearing their conversation, some memories began to surface for Li Hong.

I immediately understood what was going on.

That young man in short clothes must be a servant from his aunt's household, whom he had only met a few times.

The old man had two sons and one daughter. In his early years, Li Hong's deceased grandmother was somewhat biased towards her.

The preference for sons over daughters is very serious.

At that time, the old man Li Fulin was not in charge of the household, so his grandmother and his eldest aunt had many conflicts.

After her eldest aunt, Li Hongyu, got married, her contact with the family became increasingly distant.

After the grandmother passed away, the husband's family of the eldest aunt, Li Hongyu, who was also Li Hong's uncle whom he had never met, began to prosper.

I heard that he is now a fisherman in the river bureau, and he has dozens of people under his command.

Their social status has risen accordingly, and they are no longer at the bottom of society.

However, afterwards, Li Hongyu, the eldest aunt, would only send some servants over during the New Year to symbolically pay tribute to Li Fulin.

She herself has only visited a handful of times.

So much so that few of the neighbors knew about it.

Li Fulin has tried many times to repair his relationship with his eldest daughter.

But now that they're doing well, trying to climb the social ladder would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Therefore, even in the most difficult times, the stubborn Li Fulin never thought of asking Li Hongyu for help.

Firstly, I felt guilty, and secondly, I was afraid of causing her further trouble.

"Father, don't worry... Our Hong'er is now grown up and strong. He can visit my eldest sister when the time is right."

"So, you were just worried that our family wouldn't prosper, and that forcing a marriage would only make my elder sister lose face in front of her husband's family?"

Yao comforted her from the side.

Hearing this explanation, Li Fulin, who was originally in a low mood, finally nodded.

He straightened his chest and smiled slightly.

Now, thanks to my grandson's success, it's really time to mend our relationship.

More importantly, it can also help Li Hong expand his future network of contacts.

He's already sixty, what if he faints one day...? His eldest grandson, Li, hasn't even recognized all his own relatives.

Even if he were to die, he would not be able to rest in peace.

That's just how people are... they want more after getting what they want. It turns out that his biggest worry was Li Hong.

But while the grandson proved capable, the eldest daughter, Li Hongyu, stepped up to fill the gap...

We had lunch.

Li Hong went out without resting for even a moment.

Walking on the somewhat deserted street, before even leaving Jinshui Street, I bumped into a group of people.

The leader was a scarred-faced man, followed by several equally unfriendly-looking followers, exuding an imposing aura.

They exchanged glances, the other person gave Li Hong a look, and the group continued on their way without stopping.

Upon seeing this group, Li Hong immediately became alert, paused slightly, and turned to look back.

These people are unfamiliar faces, and judging from their clothes and appearance, they seem to be gangsters. They are probably the people from Huang Lin Gang who came to take over.

The group of people were walking down the road and talking at that moment.

One of the followers suddenly said, "Hey, wait a minute! Brother Bin, that kid just now looked like Li Hong from the general store!"

"Hmm? Is it him?"

Wang Bin, the scarred man, narrowed his eyes; he had indeed sensed something different just now.

I thought he was just some martial arts expert passing by.

Looking back, he found himself face to face with Li Hong.

The seven-foot-tall Wang Bin revealed a rare smile, approached Li Hong, and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Are you Brother Li Hong?"

Li Hong, his face as calm as still water, retorted, "Indeed, are you a hero of the Huang Lin Gang?"

"I wouldn't dare. I am Wang Bin, just someone who works for President Yu... Please forgive my poor eyesight."

Wang Bin laughed, and the henchmen beside him glanced at him slightly. Boss Bin had only ever shown this side of himself when meeting the gang leader.

Li Hong nodded slightly: "Brother Bin is too modest. With you taking over Jinshui Street, we will need your help in the future."

The two exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a few more minutes.

Wang Bin clasped his hands in farewell and walked deeper into Jinshui Street.

Looking at the backs of the group, Li Hong felt a chill in his heart.

It's said that Huang Lin Gang is in internal strife. In the past ten days or so, why has another leader close to the outsiders been sent to take over?

Fortunately, it was observed that Wang Bin and his group deliberately bypassed his family's grocery store.

Li Hong then left with peace of mind. Now that he was a martial artist from the outer stronghold, he figured these people would no longer accept his family's peace money.

The "General Yu" that Wang Bin mentioned is the leader of the Huanglin Gang. Yu Cangshan is said to be only at the mid-stage of the Outer Strength realm.

They relied solely on their superior numbers and their willingness to fight, bullying the poor people in the outer city without any scruples.

But if you're not careful, you might run into the hands of officials or wealthy families with powerful connections.

It will only take a day or two for them to be uprooted.