Read Novel Full Chapter 1558: Still That Vegetable Market
Chapter 1558: Still That Vegetable Market
Shadow Island.
After a period of reconstruction, the island had regained its past prosperity and tranquility.
Row after row of high-rise buildings had sprung up, their enormous glass windows reflecting the azure sky and the bustling traffic below.
Roaring streams of vehicles converged like rivers, weaving through a network of elevated bridges.
The evergreens lining the roads stood in neat, orderly ranks, pumping fresh oxygen into this thriving metropolis and adding vitality to it.
A murmuring river wound through the lively city, mirroring the colorful lanterns hanging from the towering buildings.
The scene before one’s eyes resembled a fantastical crystal forest.
A gentle breeze brushed over the lush urban parklands.
The grass by the lake swayed like graceful dancers, sending ripples across the water’s surface.
It seemed to stir countless symphonies, becoming a moving scenic highlight of the city.
Occasional pleasant bird songs added endless energy to this newborn city.
All kinds of people busied themselves, creating and laboring.
They were like diligent bees, giving and contributing to this new city in their own ways.
Through their efforts, the city changed day by day, continuously radiating vibrant vitality.
From roadside eateries, wisps of steam rose into the air, carrying fragrant aromas that added a touch of everyday warmth to this new city.
Compared to the dark ruins of the past,
the residents of Shadow Island now lived in peace and contentment.
Inside neatly renovated, clean, post-modern market,
Pork Rong wore a butcher’s black apron and a pair of rubber boots, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth as he hawked his meat.
An electronic price tag hanging above his stall clearly displayed the day’s meat prices.
But he still insisted on shouting loudly, violating the market’s ban.
It was a lifelong habit from his trade, and also a hobby—he’d itch all over if he went a day without yelling.
Whether because the market had many regulars, or for some unknown reason, Manager Aunt Li didn’t strictly enforce the market’s regulations.
This humane management instead filled the clean, tidy yet slightly cold market with a sense of human touch.
The environment had changed, but it was still the same old market—
the familiar street from Pingjiang City.
Pork Rong chewed on betel nut, exchanging flirtatious glances with the old woman selling tofu at the opposite stall.
In her youth, this old woman had been a top-notch hot mama.
Even now, in her eyes lingered traces of that proud spirit.
“Xiao Li, how about I chop some minced meat for you, and you make me mapo tofu?”
The owner of the braised meat stall laughed from the side: “Pork Rong, Xiao Li’s tofu isn’t something you can just eat whenever you want.”
“Bah, I wasn’t asking you, so quit butting in,” Pork Rong shot back.
The old woman smiled calmly. “Alright, Pork Rong. This old lady hasn’t cooked in a while. How about you cut me a piece of tenderloin, and I’ll make you some sweet and sour pork to go with your drink.”
Pork Rong was overjoyed and immediately grabbed his knife to slice the meat.
In a corridor at a corner,
Lu Dasheng, wearing blue rubber rain boots, leaned leisurely against the wall, munching on sunflower seeds and watching three men play Dou Di Zhu.
“Pair of twos, beating you, two cards left.”
“Seriously, are your last two cards the pair of kings?!”
“Haha, yeah!”
“Slap!”
“King bomb, double!”
One of the men slapped the pair of kings onto the wooden table, looking smug.
“Are you cheating? How do you always get a king bomb?”
“It’s luck. Who’d cheat at a game of Dou Di Zhu? How low would that be? Pay up, pay up—don’t whine just because you lost.”
“What a pain in the ass!”
The man grumbled as he counted out some bills, then glanced at Lu Dasheng, who was watching.
He stood up and said, “Can’t win anymore. Hey, Shit-Cleaner, you’ve been watching for ages. Take my place!”
“Fine, fine—your skills are terrible!” Lu Dasheng sneered.
He was about to sit down, ready to show everyone what it meant to roll in the dung, when a voice called out.
“You guys are no good. Let me!”
Yi Feng walked over with a warm smile.
He was dressed as always—a simple white robe, plain and unadorned.
When the others saw him, their eyes lit up.
They quickly stood up, exclaiming in surprise, “It’s the Master! Greetings, Master!”
“The Master has returned.”
“We humbly greet the Master.”
“Sit down, sit down—no need for such formality.” Yi Feng waved his hand with a chuckle. “Come on, let’s play a few rounds. Gambling lightly is just for fun, but we still need a little stake.”
“How about we all go for a big drink tonight? Whoever loses pays the bill. What do you all think?”
“Great idea! I’ve no objections,” Lu Dasheng agreed happily.
“We’ll follow the Master’s suggestion.”
“I’m fine with it too.”
“I’ll sit this round out and bet on the side.”
For a moment, all the market vendors stopped doing business.
Everyone crowded around.
Seeing this, Yi Feng shook his head with a smile. “You still need to tend to your stalls. Take turns playing. Those free should look after the stands. Don’t disrupt the customers.”
“Alright, Master.”
“As you command, Master.”
After a fierce round of play, Lu Dasheng’s face turned black from losing.
He had thought he’d roll in the dung, but instead, he was losing his pile of dung money fast.
“Hey, Shit-Cleaner, you’re definitely paying tonight!”
“You’re so unlucky! After all these rounds, you haven’t won once.”
Lu Dasheng’s face grew darker. He retorted, “You people have no good judgment. I’m losing on purpose. The Master’s back, I’m happy, and I just want to treat the Master to a big drink. What’s wrong with paying the bill?”
Yi Feng laughed heartily at the banter. He stood up and said, “You all keep going. I’ll go check if those two fishing old-timers have caught anything big. We need a couple of big dry-braised fish for dinner.”
The others rose to see Yi Feng off.
On the outskirts of Shadow Island, beside Taihu Lake,
the shimmering lake surface stirred as two or three small boats rocked in the water.
Lush grass thrived by the shore, flowers bloomed, and green trees grew dense with leaves.
A fresh breeze brushed against one’s face, making it easy to immerse oneself in the beauty of nature.
Three old men sat fishing from a platform on the shallows.
They were Qing Huan Xiang, Lu Qingshan, and Wu Yonghong.
When they saw Yi Feng approaching, the three quickly rose and respectfully bowed, saying in unison, “The Master has returned!”
Yi Feng smiled faintly and walked up to them.
“How’s the catch today? Is this the spot you told me about?”
Yi Feng checked their fish bags one by one and looked disdainful.
“You guys aren’t good at this. You caught this little? Give me a rod, and let’s see who catches more.”
The three felt awkward after being looked down upon by the Master.
But upon hearing that the Master would fish with them, their spirits soared.
They hurried to fetch their best rods, bait, and gear for Yi Feng to choose from.
Yi Feng picked the most ordinary bamboo rod, set up a fishing platform near them, and began fishing alongside them.
As they fished, fish kept coming to Yi Feng’s side without pause.
He hadn’t even chummed the water, but his spot seemed to have gathered all the big fish in the lake.
He easily pulled up silver carp and paddlefish weighing thirty or forty jin, and several black carp over a hundred jin.
As for Qing Huan Xiang and the other two, they caught nothing at all, their faces turning green with envy.
In just over an hour, Yi Feng’s catch alone had filled all four fish bags to bursting.
The three old men looked at each other in speechless awe.
They all felt the gentleman must have been cheating.
"I didn't use the power of the laws to cheat, you know. These fish swam over on their own—a willing victim takes the bait."
"Mm, if you say so."
"No need to explain, sir, we understand."
"Your fishing skills are unmatched in this world; we concede defeat."
Yi Feng smiled awkwardly, looking a bit resigned but genuinely pleased.
At the same time.
Above Shadow Island.
A myriad of shimmering streaks hurtled toward this planet.
A deep, roaring hum trembled through the air as the incoming objects dragged long blazing tails, like shooting stars.
Yet when these "meteors" landed, they left no damage upon Shadow Island.
The first to arrive were five Black brothers, shoulders hoisting gilded coffins.
Their teeth were dazzling white, hair styled in dreadlocks, clad in white shirts, black suits, and matching gold-rimmed sunglasses. Around their necks hung golden chains thick as dog collars.
Their look could only be described as uniquely bold and over-the-top.
If you called them elegant, those dog-chain-like gold chokers begged to differ.
If you called them tacky, well, those same chains suggested otherwise.
A blend of high and low, a mismatched mix that clashed hopelessly.
Yet these five brothers brimmed with supreme confidence.
The leader suddenly pulled out an old-fashioned cassette player and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
Without a word, he pressed play.
Music blared, and the five brothers began swaying wildly to the beat.
Just then, a mechanical drone buzzed from the sky.
The five Black brothers looked up in unison.