C6 The Scoundrel Wang Tao

Zhao Lei carefully stowed the business card and smiled at Lee Qingfeng, "Ah, Chef Lee, my apologies for not recognizing you sooner!"

Lee Qingfeng dismissed the title with a wave of his hand, "Chief Chef is a bit much. I'm just a cook who enjoys cooking."

"You're far too humble. Becoming the head chef at the Garden Restaurant is no small feat; you're certainly not just any chef," Zhao Lei said with a complimenting smile. He efficiently weighed the remaining jujubes and announced, "That's forty-eight kilograms in total. Since you're taking them all, I'll give you a discount—ten yuan per kilogram, so four hundred and eighty yuan altogether."

Lee Qingfeng, more concerned with the quality of the ingredients than the price, promptly paid the money. He then looked at the large pile of jujubes with concern. "I came by bicycle. There's no way I can carry all these jujubes."

Zhao Lei responded decisively, "No problem. I'll deliver the jujubes for you."

Feeling a bit sheepish, Lee Qingfeng mentioned, "The journey is somewhat long; it's nearly to the county town."

Nowadays, Zhao Lei was strong and eager to foster a good relationship with Lee Qingfeng. He assured him with a grin, "No worries. Even if you were heading straight back to the Garden Restaurant, I'd deliver them right to your doorstep!"

Lee Qingfeng expressed his joy, "That would be wonderful. Thank you!"

And so, the two set off on their bikes towards the county town at a leisurely pace.

Along the way, Lee Qingfeng shared with Zhao Lei how he enjoyed exploring the nearby counties on his days off, searching for fresh seasonal ingredients. Finding such excellent jujubes today made the trip worthwhile.

Lee Qingfeng pedaled at a much slower pace than Zhao Lei, and it took them over an hour to reach the county town where Lee Qingfeng's car was parked.

Zhao Lei helped Lee Qingfeng load the jujubes onto the car with enthusiasm. Lee Qingfeng expressed his gratitude, "I can't thank you enough. I really had no idea how I would have managed to get all these jujubes back."

"Chef Lee, you're too kind. It's the least I can do," Zhao Lei replied humbly, then added earnestly, "Just so you know, I'm a student at the Polytechnic University, but I'm considering dropping out to return to rural farming. I'm planning to start with some vegetables and, once they're harvested, perhaps I could supply them to your restaurant for a trial?"

Lee Qingfeng expressed his surprise, "The Polytechnic University is a prestigious institution. Are you certain you want to drop out and return to farming?"

Zhao Lei gave a slight nod, his demeanor calm yet exuding confidence.

"Okay then," Lee Qingfeng mused, "if you come across any high-quality produce in the future, feel free to send it my way. But let me be upfront—the Garden Restaurant has stringent standards for its ingredients, and I can't promise I'll use yours."

Zhao Lei chuckled, "You have nothing to worry about. If the quality isn't up to par, I wouldn't dream of bringing it to you."

After offering Zhao Lei some words of encouragement, Lee Qingfeng drove back to the city.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lei found a tranquil spot to assess his day's earnings. In just half a day, he had sold over 300 kilograms of jujubes, bringing in more than 3,600 yuan—an amount he would typically earn in a month while at university. This bolstered his confidence in his future prospects.

This money served as the perfect seed capital for Zhao Lei. He visited the county's Agricultural Technology Station, intent on purchasing a selection of vegetable seeds to sow.

Zhao Lei had already given considerable thought to which vegetables he would cultivate on his two acres of land. He had even sought Lee Qingfeng's advice on the matter during the jujube delivery and now felt fully prepared.

Leaving the Agricultural Technology Station, Zhao Lei's tricycle was laden with several bags of vegetable seeds, including tomatoes, cucumbers, purple cabbage, bok choy, asparagus, and snap peas.

The selection encompassed both fruiting and leafy vegetables, all currently in high demand. Despite the station owner's warning that it was too late in the season to plant tomatoes and cucumbers without a greenhouse, Zhao Lei was undeterred. With the Immortal Dew from the Purple Gold Gourd at his disposal, he knew that it was never too late to start planting.

Armed with his vegetable seeds, Zhao Lei was brimming with energy and eager to get started on his new venture.

Having spent extra time delivering produce to Lee Qingfeng, it was completely dark by the time Zhao Lei made it back to his village.

Zhao Lei had intended to return the tricycle to Hu Qiang and his wife, but considering the late hour, he didn't want to impose on them. He resolved to ride it home and bring it back first thing in the morning.

His home was on the outskirts of the village, with a hill rising not too far behind it, marking the most secluded part of the area. His only close neighbor was Chen Lan, with whom he had a friendly rapport. All other villagers lived at a greater distance.

As Zhao Lei rode past Chen Lan's house, a sharp cry grabbed his attention. He promptly halted the tricycle and strained his ears in the enveloping darkness.

Thanks to the Immortal Dew, Zhao Lei had become stronger, and his senses had sharpened. He quickly picked up on faint sounds that seemed to indicate a struggle. It appeared a woman was being muffled, managing only to whimper softly. Additionally, he heard a man's voice issuing low threats, seemingly cautioning her against resistance.

Realizing the sounds were emanating from Chen Lan's home, Zhao Lei grew concerned. He pounded on her gate and called out, "Ms. Lan, are you okay?"

Despite his repeated calls, there was no response from Chen Lan. It became clear to him that she was in trouble. He sprang onto the tricycle and effortlessly vaulted into her yard.

Chen Lan's front door was firmly closed, but that was no obstacle for Zhao Lei. He kicked the door open and was met with an outrageous sight.

Chen Lan was in a scuffle with the village rogue, Wang Tao. Despite her valiant efforts, she was no match for the physically stronger man and was in quite a disheveled state.

Even as Chen Lan fought fiercely, she was no match for the robust Wang Tao, who had her mouth clamped shut. It was no surprise that she hadn't responded to Zhao Lei's earlier inquiries.

Infuriated at the sight of Chen Lan being mistreated, Zhao Lei's anger flared. He bellowed, "Wang Tao, stop right now!"

Wang Tao had long been eyeing the beautiful widow but had lamented the lack of opportunity to approach her. Recently, having spotted Chen Lan with Zhao Lei by the river, his interest had been rekindled.

Taking advantage of the quiet of the night, Wang Tao scaled the wall and slipped into Chen Lan's home. Inside, he saw Chen Lan busily attending to her chores and immediately lunged at her, making unwanted advances.

Chen Lan, a defenseless woman, stood no chance against Wang Tao, whose mind was clouded by his desires. As he was about to overpower her, Chen Lan, who had been on the brink of despair, suddenly glimpsed a ray of hope, and a wave of relief washed over her.

Just as Wang Tao thought he was about to have his way, he was infuriated to be interrupted by Zhao Lei. He viciously warned, "Damn it, mind your own business, or I'll break you!"

Witnessing Wang Tao's brazenness, Zhao Lei felt a surge of adrenaline and strode determinedly towards him.

Realizing the situation wouldn't end amicably, Wang Tao grudgingly released Chen Lan and grabbed a sickle from the corner, charging at Zhao Lei while hurling insults. "You think you can ruin my plans? I'll chop you into pieces!"

Having just escaped Wang Tao's grasp, Chen Lan saw him brandishing the sickle at Zhao Lei and panicked, her heart leaping to her throat. She cried out, "Zhao Lei, run!"

Touched by Chen Lan's concern for him even in such peril, Zhao Lei was moved. Yet, he didn't flee. Instead, he advanced and nimbly sidestepped, narrowly evading the sickle's deadly arc. He then landed a solid punch to Wang Tao's ribs.

Zhao Lei was fighting for his life, so he pulled no punches—literally. His forceful blow broke two of Wang Tao's ribs instantly.

Wang Tao doubled over in agony, and Zhao Lei seized his wrist. "Thought you could slash me with that sickle?" Zhao Lei scoffed, twisting Wang Tao's fingers until, with a series of sickening snaps, they broke.

Wang Tao's howls filled the air once more, only to be silenced by a swift slap from Zhao Lei.

Not yet finished with Wang Tao but not wanting to draw attention, Zhao Lei kicked the sickle aside, knocked Wang Tao to the ground, and planted his foot on the man's head, his voice icy as he said, "Breaking and entering, attempted assault on a woman, and an attempt on my life—do you realize the gravity of your crimes?"

"I... I didn't do it!" Wang Tao, a notorious scoundrel, stubbornly denied the accusations even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Zhao Lei scoffed, "Whether you did it or not isn't for you to decide. With Chen Lan's testimony and your fingerprints on the sickle, we have all the proof we need! And if I were to kill you now, it would be nothing more than legal self-defense. The police wouldn't be able to touch me!"

As Zhao Lei uttered these final words, a chilling murderous intent laced his voice, causing Wang Tao to tremble. He realized Zhao Lei wasn't just trying to intimidate him; he was fully prepared to follow through.

Now truly terrified, Wang Tao quickly caved in, pleading, "I was wrong. Please, have mercy and spare me!"

Zhao Lei, in truth, had no real intention of committing murder; his aim was merely to frighten Wang Tao. However, Chen Lan, who was standing nearby, believed the threat and timidly implored, "Zhao Lei, please, let him go!"

Chen Lan's plea took Zhao Lei by surprise, but he knew it wasn't his place to interfere further. He shot Wang Tao a fierce glare and said, "You're lucky Chen Lan has such a big heart!"

Relieved to have his life spared, Wang Tao exhaled in relief and quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Lei, thank you, Chen Lan. I swear I'll never do it again!"

Chen Lan wanted nothing more to do with Wang Tao and promptly turned away, ignoring the scoundrel.

Zhao Lei then activated the video recording feature on his phone, forcing Wang Tao to confess his wrongdoings on camera. Initially reluctant, Wang Tao eventually complied after receiving a couple of persuasive punches.

With the confession recorded, Zhao Lei issued a stern warning, "Get out of here. And don't ever bother Chen Lan again, or I'll take this video straight to the Public Security Bureau!"

"I won't, I promise I won't!" Wang Tao nodded frantically, clutching his bruised ribs as he scurried away.