Chapter 131: I’ll Go With You

“Wu Ya, take a break for a moment. You must be tired, right?”

After an hour, Chai Yanfan finally found some free time. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she looked at Wu Ya with a mixture of concern and admiration.

This kid is really capable.

Over a thousand pieces of clothing—within just one hour, he had helped organize them, assisted with fetching goods, and even pitched in with sales. Yet, at this moment, he didn’t seem out of breath at all.

“Heh, Sister Chai, I’m fine. You and Liu Qian take a rest first. I’ll tidy up these clothes, and then we can go eat,” Wu Ya said without pausing his work.

The sooner they finished, the sooner they could go home.

Liu Qian had been here for two days already. Though it was out of spite, this was still her home, and eventually, she had to return. Since they finally had some time today, Wu Ya wanted to talk things over with her as soon as possible.

“All right! Today’s treat is on me, so you two can order whatever you want!” Chai Yanfan’s usual generosity was amplified by her good mood today.

That morning alone, she had sold three hundred pieces—all retail. That was five times the usual amount! The profit soared over three thousand nine hundred yuan—more than three thousand. In all these years of business, she had never seen such numbers. To make that much money in half a day was extraordinary.

Naturally, treating Wu Ya and Liu Qian to a meal was a given. After all, she couldn’t have sold such a volume all by herself. It was overwhelming.

“Sister Chai, then we’d better sharpen our knives and give you a good roasting!” Wu Ya joked.

“Yeah, Sister Chai, I want to try the most expensive roast leg of lamb at Huiwei Zhai!”

At the mention of roast lamb, both Wu Ya and Liu Qian immediately stood up and ordered it. One leg cost three hundred yuan—a sum equal to a month’s income for an ordinary family.

Yet, without hesitation, Sister Chai cheerfully replied, “No problem! Eat whatever you want!”

Roast lamb? For her, it had once been an unattainable luxury. But now… it was a mere drizzle.

Suddenly, a harsh voice cut through the jovial atmosphere from outside the stall.

“Hmph, roast lamb? What extravagant standards! If you’re eating meat, you ought to at least let others have some broth, right?”

The three turned to see a formidable crowd—almost every stall owner from the clothing section of the market had gathered, standing in unison with angry faces.

At the front stood two middle-aged men in uniforms, whom Chai Yanfan recognized immediately.

“Team Leader Fan, Team Leader Liu, what’s going on?” she asked.

They were the heads of the market’s clothing area management—responsible for overseeing this sector.

The stall owners had come en masse, shouting demands for justice, urging them to balance the sales. Otherwise, they threatened to leave the market collectively—find another place to set up stalls. Even if it meant losing old customers, it was better than waiting to die here.

The two team leaders were bewildered. Since the market’s establishment, or rather since their tenure began, they had never heard of such a collective grievance arising because one person’s business was too successful.

What did this mean? It meant she alone had taken all the business, sparking this unified dissent.

If it were just a matter of one’s success and another’s failure, people wouldn’t be so united.

“Chai Yanfan, come to our office. Everyone else, please disperse. Don’t worry, we’ll give you a satisfactory answer,” Team Leader Fan said evasively, then began dismissing the crowd.

“Team Leader Fan, you must be fair to us!”

“We can’t all starve while one person eats her fill!”

“Let’s go for now. We trust Team Leader Fan will find a solution.”

The stall owners obeyed, leaving reluctantly. It was difficult to get the market management involved, and they feared the market might collapse under the pressure. After all, the management had no obligation to use official power to protect individual businesses. If a merchant’s business faltered, that was not their concern.

“Wu Ya, this…” Sister Chai, unaccustomed to such a situation, was completely overwhelmed. Now, being asked to go to the office, she looked to Wu Ya with confusion in her eyes.

“Heh, it’s nothing. Come on, I’ll go with you,” Wu Ya said.

“I’ll go with you.” Those words calmed Sister Chai’s nerves.

But then Team Leader Fan glared fiercely at Wu Ya and said, “Who are you? We have important matters to discuss with Chai Yanfan. It’s not appropriate for outsiders to be present.”

They intended to pressure Chai Yanfan into conceding—either to leave the market or operate only half days. It was a bit of bullying, but to quell the anger of the masses, they had no choice.

And having an outsider present was unacceptable. Sister Chai was a woman who could be manipulated; a kid tagging along could only complicate matters.

“Sister Chai, maybe…” Sister Chai tried to stop Wu Ya.

But Wu Ya interrupted immediately.

“This is my sister’s stall, so I have the final say. If I disagree, nothing you say will work. But if I agree, my sister will follow my decision,” he said firmly, looking each team leader in the eye.

At first, Wu Ya was indeed stunned by their sudden appearance. But quickly, from their words, he understood their real motive: jealous anger sparked by poor sales, forcing management to intervene and find a balance.

However, letting Chai Yanfan go alone was out of the question.

She was kind-hearted and naïve; they might intimidate her, lure her with benefits, and then persuade her emotionally. She would likely agree to anything.

That could not be allowed. Wu Ya would never let Sister Chai suffer such a loss.

So he stood his ground, confidently.

“Is this true, Chai Yanfan? Are you sure he has authority over your stall?” Team Leader Fan looked helplessly at Sister Chai.

“Yes! He can do whatever he wants with my stall—even give it away!” she replied without hesitation.

Her answer rendered Team Leader Fan speechless.

“Then let’s go together,” he said, though a knot twisted in his gut.

Despite his youthful appearance, that boy’s steady and profound gaze had given him the impression of someone weathered by life—a man who had seen the rise and fall of many tides, deep and resolute, yet inscrutable.

“Team Leader Fan, Team Leader Liu, please get straight to the point,” Sister Chai asked as she entered the office, her usual composure restored.

So many stall owners, accompanied by two market managers—this was no minor matter.

She already guessed: her booming sales were blocking others from making money, stirring resentment, and forcing management to intervene.

Even the market department could not bear such pressure.

“Well, here’s the thing. Chai Yanfan, your recent sales have been spectacular. First, congratulations. After all, business should thrive and always thrive!” Team Leader Fan started carefully.

But then his tone shifted abruptly.

“There’s an old saying: only by everyone gathering wood can the fire burn higher. If one person eats her fill while others starve, it’s against human nature and will only make your own path harder. Don’t you agree?”

His eyes fixed on Chai Yanfan, the meaning unmistakable: your success is harming others’ interests. At this rate, even we can’t protect you. So you decide what to do.

Before Chai Yanfan could respond, Wu Ya suddenly laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Team Leader Liu frowned, clearly displeased. This kid was rude indeed—first claiming authority over the stall, now laughing before Chai Yanfan could even speak. Probably didn’t know where he was.

But Wu Ya ignored the reprimand, not even glancing their way.

“Business is each person’s own affair. If others can’t make their trade succeed, how can they blame someone else for blocking their path? What kind of logic is that? And your market management department seems only responsible for maintaining order, right? Since when did you start playing father and stepping in whenever your ‘child’ has trouble?”

His words were a blunt rebuke, directly exposing their unfair and overreaching conduct.

Whether a merchant’s business thrives or not is none of their concern.

Their duty is to maintain order, prohibit unfair competition, fight counterfeits and substandard goods. Nothing more.

Yet they insisted on intervening.

Where were they when Sister Chai was bullied by those with shifty eyes? Not to be seen.

Now that her business is good, they step forward to “deliver justice.” It was clear they saw her as a lone woman, vulnerable and easy to bully.

Ridiculous.

“You! Our code of conduct represents the official will. Who are you to judge? Get out of here immediately!” Team Leader Fan exploded, furious at being scolded by a mere child.

Everywhere he went in the market, he was welcomed with smiles and flattery. Now, this kid dared to reprimand him face to face—utter disgrace!

“Chai Yanfan, is this your brother? Impressive! This isn’t coming to help you—it’s causing trouble! We were planning to let you run half days in consideration of your minor faults, but now we’re mistaken. In the name of market management, I order you to leave today!” Team Leader Liu was even more blunt, pointing and issuing an eviction order.

A dizzy spell hit Chai Yanfan; she nearly collapsed.

They had barely spoken, and now she was being forced out?

“Wu Ya, control your temper,” she urged, though she knew these two were taking advantage.

But they represented the authorities. How could ordinary people like them stand up to the market powers? They were powerless.

“Team Leader Fan, Team Leader Liu, please forgive my brother’s youthful ignorance and temper,” she said.

Her lifetime at the bottom of society had ingrained a belief that no one could be offended lightly—a deeply rooted mindset.

Wu Ya, on the other hand, had long witnessed the worst of humanity—bullies attacking the weak and fearing the strong. It was all too common.

The more fearless you were, the more cautious the opponent became.

Endless tolerance only invited more encroachment.

Sure enough, the two men softened upon seeing Chai Yanfan’s expression—they sensed she feared trouble and dreaded offending them.

Their tone changed to one of counsel.

“That’s better! Chai Yanfan, you’ve been here a long time. We can discuss things reasonably. Besides, as a veteran, you bear some responsibility for the market’s prosperity. Do you want to watch everyone else fall while you alone hold up this place? I doubt you can do it,” Team Leader Fan spoke earnestly.

Having worn down her resolve, they aimed next to win her heart, ensuring she’d comply willingly and leave no room for future complaints—especially to higher authorities, which would be bad for them.

“Yes, Chai Yanfan, we don’t oppose you eating meat, but you must leave some broth for others. When everyone profits, we all grow wealthy together,” Team Leader Liu added, his tone kindly yet firm.

Wu Ya watched with a cold sneer.

Such a performance.

Keep acting.

Until they pushed Sister Chai to her limit, she’d still try to stop him.

For now, he remained silent—no hurry.

“Team Leader Fan, Team Leader Liu, just say what you want. What do you want me to do?” Chai Yanfan finally demanded.

She was uneducated and disliked beating around the bush. Since their intentions were clear, she wanted them out in the open—what exactly were they asking of her?