It wasn't long before Ning Shixuan arrived, and she immediately reallocated our tasks: Zhang Fengzhen went to help deep-fry stinky tofu, Secretary Liu was assigned to make wontons, and I was delegated to the griddle-grilled squid. This new arrangement immediately boosted efficiency.

This grilled squid was likely unlike what most people imagined. It involved a flat iron griddle heated from below by charcoal briquettes. Whole, cleaned fish—which I later realized were actually cuttlefish—were placed on the hot surface with some oil, then pressed flat and cooked with a spatula. Once done, they were ready to eat. The reason Ning Shixuan assigned me this job was, she claimed, my strength—I could press the squid flatter and cook it faster.

These squid were perhaps the smallest I had ever seen. Once cooked, they sold for three yuan apiece. Since Liangshan County was landlocked deep within the interior, fresh seafood was nonexistent. These frozen squid, transported in, were considered a delicacy by Huizi, and many people ordered one or two along with a large mug of draft beer, enjoying themselves immensely. As Zhang Fengzhen had said, small places have their own small pleasures; even when people are poor, they must eat, drink, and be merry.

Although my hands were busy, my eyes were not idle. I noticed two young men opposite staring at me and whispering, soon joined by a third with a long scar across his face. The trio huddled together, muttering for a while. I didn't strain to hear, but their demeanor suggested they were trouble. Seeing the scarred man start walking toward me, I tightened my guard.

"Someone said your skin is itching, so I came to teach you a lesson," the scarred man approached the squid stall with an expression as placid as if he were asking the price of a griddle-fried cuttlefish.

Without looking up, I replied, "Fine. I was just worried about not having time to look for you guys. Come on, then."

My dismissal seemed to infuriate the scarred man. His hand kept near his waist, and despite the sweltering heat, he wore a long magua jacket. As his hand moved, I clearly saw that hidden beneath the jacket was a foot-long cleaver! He raised his hand, about to draw the blade from his side—it looked like another bloody conflict was about to erupt.

Before the scarred man’s cleaver was fully drawn, the spatula in my hand flew out. With a sharp thwack, it struck precisely the handle of his knife. The cleaver, already halfway out, was sent shooting backward and plunged back into its sheath with a subtle sound of tearing flesh. The scarred man’s face registered disbelief, and a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. For a moment, he couldn't speak. His long jacket rapidly soaked through with fresh blood, but the dim streetlights prevented others from noticing.

The force I had channeled into my spatula, impacting the hilt of the scarred man’s cleaver, was equivalent to using a hand to violently shove the blade into his abdomen. The event was so sudden that the scarred man didn't immediately feel the pain, but the blood staining his hand was undeniably real, leaving him stunned.

I didn't want to alarm the diners or Ning Shixuan and Zhang Fengzhen. I stepped forward two paces, supporting the scarred man, and whispered, "If you want to live, get to a hospital now. Tell them my name is Zhao Qian. If you have the guts, come find me after you heal. I’ll play with you all the way to the end!"

The scarred man stumbled across the road. The other two youths on the opposite side hadn't grasped what had happened, but when they saw the cleaver embedded in the scarred man’s clothing with only the handle remaining, they shrieked in terror, drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd. However, when people recognized who the three were, they quickly lowered their heads back to their food. It seemed these three were known bullies, and no one wanted to invite trouble out of curiosity.

I watched the two youths lift the scarred man and run across the street. They retrieved the spatula I had thrown earlier. They wanted to play with us? We’ll see who plays whom to death! Back then, we had already dealt with the Lü brothers from the Brotherhood Alliance; what could these street thugs possibly throw at us?

Zhang Fengzhen and Secretary Liu were too busy to notice the incident that had just transpired by my stall. Everything returned to its routine calm. Before eight o'clock, the stall quieted down. It seemed few people frequented the night market to spend money, and their consumption times were highly concentrated.

However, Ning Shixuan mentioned that another wave would arrive after ten-thirty—the earlier group had merely been eating dinner; the later crowd would be for late-night snacks around eleven.

After they ate, it was naturally our turn. Squid and stinky tofu were the sides, and wontons were the main course. Taking a large gulp of draft beer, I said to Ning Shixuan’s uncle by marriage, Sun Caiwu, "Uncle Sun, business seems okay. You must be making two or three hundred a night."

Sun Caiwu was wiping a red ointment on his face, but it didn't hinder his movements. He sighed, "If that were the case, wouldn't I already be rich?"

Ning Shixuan’s aunt by marriage, Ning Yumei, chimed in, "Little Zhao, you don't understand the costs. Take your griddle-grilled squid, for example. We have to buy them frozen from the warehouse for nearly two yuan apiece. After cleaning them and accounting for the charcoal and oil, we profit only fifty cents per squid. Calculate how many you grilled just now."

I quickly estimated less than thirty. Not bad; at least I earned back the cost of the few squid we ate on our own table.

Ning Yumei continued, "Then there’s the stinky tofu. We sell three skewers for one yuan, and each skewer is quite substantial. We make only ten cents profit per yuan. The wontons are better—one and a half yuan a bowl, netting about fifty cents profit per bowl. Today is Saturday, so there are more people, but normally it’s much less. Furthermore, the night market is seasonal; once it gets cold, this business shuts down. Earning three or four thousand yuan over the entire summer is still far short of what we need to buy a flat for Little Ning."

"Buy a flat for Little Ning?" Zhang Fengzhen, Secretary Liu, and I asked in surprise.

Ning Yumei explained, "Yes, of course. Should Little Ning still live in the government dorm after getting married? And ours is just an old factory dormitory, less than thirty square meters—hardly enough space for people."

Ning Shixuan flushed with embarrassment. "Auntie, please stop worrying about my affairs. We young people have hands and feet; do you think we’ll end up sleeping outdoors?"

Secretary Liu agreed, "That’s right. Buying a flat shouldn't fall entirely on the woman's side. Traditionally, buying a home for marriage is the man's responsibility. I plan to buy an apartment in the newly developed Xiangyang Community. Little Ning can help me look at options when she has time."

Zhang Fengzhen took a big swig of beer and exclaimed, "Damn, Little Liu, you're something else! You’re buying property at such a young age. I’m almost thirty and I don't even have a girlfriend yet."

Secretary Liu glanced at Ning Shixuan and retorted, "Do you think I have one?"

Ning Yumei scrutinized Secretary Liu closely. "Little Liu, what’s your zodiac sign? Where do your parents work?..."

Ning Shixuan scooped up some wontons and stuffed them into her aunt's mouth. "Auntie, why are you asking so many detailed questions? Are you planning to set me up? I’ve already told you I have a boyfriend, and he will come marry me. Don't fuss over my romantic life."

Ning Yumei swallowed the wontons. "You child, you always use that line to brush me off. Why don't you bring him around so I can see him? Besides, if you plan to settle down in Liangshan, but he’s from a big city, will he really stay here for you? Why won't you ever let your aunt stop worrying?"

Suddenly, Ning Shixuan pointed at me and asked, "If you were my boyfriend, would you stay in Liangshan for me?"

I honestly shook my head. Even if she were my girlfriend, I couldn't stay in Liangshan; otherwise, wouldn't all those women back home be living as if they were widows?

Ning Shixuan angrily kicked me. "Fine, I shouldn't have trusted you. Go away!" She then turned to ask Zhang Fengzhen, who nodded eagerly with shining eyes. Next, she asked Secretary Liu, who almost shouted out his excitement. Every unmarried man in the government complex—and even those who were married but dared not show it—had designs on the 'flower of the government office.'

Ning Shixuan was satisfied with their answers. She sat back down and said to her aunt, "Auntie, you see? Since they are willing to stay for me, I trust my boyfriend can do the same. Don't worry. He’s just busy with work right now; he will come to see me sooner or later, and he will stay in Liangshan for me. I believe in him. Although... never mind that, why bring up those things? Let’s all drink!"

After we finished eating, the street soon filled up with people strolling and looking for late-night snacks, and the stall became busy again. By the time we packed up, I estimated the income had reached at least 170 or 180 yuan. However, considering the labor costs and food expenses for the six of us, tonight was a significant loss.

What relieved Ning Shixuan was that no one came to cause trouble tonight. Of course, she didn't know that the trouble had come and I had already sent them packing. The night was deep, and everything was loaded onto the small motorized tricycle. Sun Caiwu and Ning Yumei said, "We can’t thank you all enough tonight. We were ready to pack up because of those gangsters, but since it’s the weekend, not setting up felt like losing money. You’ve all worked hard. Little Ning, bring everyone to our place for a meal sometime; don't be polite then!"