21: Chapter 21 Isn't this bullying an honest person?

"It's... it's all gone?"

Minister Wang Fugui froze. "Ma'am, are you joking? I just saw there was more than half a bucket left inside!"

"I said it's gone, so it's gone!" Li Erniang put her hands on her hips, glaring coldly. "Can't you understand human language?"

The aunties in charge of serving food followed suit, covering the rice buckets.

Ha!

This Spiritual Qi rice was specially bestowed by Zhou Yun because he felt pity for everyone not being full!

You, Minister Wang Fugui, have plenty to eat and wear, a figure known as Wang Half-City, why come and snatch food from us?

Have you no shame?

"You!" Minister Wang Fugui pointed at Li Erniang, wanting to lash out, but the words softened as they reached his lips. "Fine! No rice, is that it?"

He pointed at the meat pot and said, "Then just giving some meat is fine too!"

Clang!

The meat pot was also covered.

"The meat is gone too!" Another auntie looked up at the sky, not even giving Minister Wang Fugui a proper look.

What kind of person!

Still saying "just giving some meat is fine too"!

Have you no shame?

Are you not embarrassed?

Minister Wang Fugui was so angry the flesh on his face trembled.

You can't treat people differently like this, right?

Not letting us get rice, and not giving meat either?

He clearly saw a whole pot of freshly cooked meat just moments ago!

"Fine!" He forcibly suppressed his anger. "Then give me a few fruits! Surely there are still fruits, right?"

Although he hadn't seen the fruit, a merchant's eye told him that the fruit was the most valuable item!

As long as he could eat a fruit, it wouldn't be a loss!

And this time he learned his lesson; while speaking, he reached his hand toward the basket containing the purple jade glazed fruit.

Slap!

Li Erniang was quick-eyed and nimble-handed. She took the large ladle covered in rice grains and fiercely struck the back of Minister Wang Fugui's hand.

"Ouch!" Minister Wang Fugui cried out in pain as a red welt instantly swelled up on the back of his hand.

"What are you doing? Trying to rob us?" Li Erniang shielded the basket of fruits behind her, staring at him as if he were a thief:

"The fruits are gone too! Those are after-dinner desserts for the people who are working!"

"How much work have you done? And you still have the nerve to eat fruit?"

"Go, go, go! Don't be an eyesore here!"

"How can you people be like this?!" Minister Wang Fugui clutched his swollen hand, feeling both angry and aggrieved.

And he couldn't beat them even if he tried!

He shouted in grief and indignation: "There is clearly rice, clearly meat, and clearly there are fruits too!"

"Why won't you let us eat?"

"We also did work!"

"We also put in effort!!"

The guards and thugs behind him were also filled with grief and indignation, echoing him one after another:

"Yeah! Our hands are worn raw!"

"I'm so tired I'm about to collapse, why won't you let me eat!"

"We worked all morning too, why the double standard?"

...

They shouted extremely loudly, seemingly wanting others to judge for them.

However, as soon as these words were spoken...

"Pfft!"

In the crowd who were eating heartily, someone couldn't hold it in and suddenly burst into laughter.

Immediately after, roars of laughter spread through the dining shed like waves.

"Hahahaha! You're killing me!" An old man with a greasy mouth pointed at Minister Wang Fugui and the others, saying mercilessly:

"The little bit of work you did, you have the nerve to bring it up?"

"I saw it clearly from over there; the bricks you moved all morning aren't even as many as my 11-year-old nephew moved!"

"Exactly!" An auntie next to him put down her bowl and mocked, "I don't know who it was, holding a pickaxe to dig soil, couldn't dig a hole after half a day, and was still panting there? I'm not bragging, but for you bunch of weaklings, I alone could handle a hundred of you!"

"Minister Wang! Please have some self-awareness! That is food for people who work, not for idlers!"

"If I were you, I would have found a piece of tofu to dash my brains out against long ago; how would I have the face to beg for food here?"

...

One mocking remark after another pierced the hearts of the merchant group like sharp arrows.

Minister Wang Fugui and the others' faces turned blue and red, ashamed and furious enough to die, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Standing not far away, Tie Shan, Lei Lie, Wan'er who was tallying data, and the minor officials maintaining order, all just watched this scene coldly.

No one helped them speak.

In everyone's eyes, these guys who usually threw their weight around deserved this suffering today!

Why did they build a city here?

Wasn't it because these merchant lords in the city pushed them to a dead end?

Just as the situation was deadlocked and Minister Wang Fugui and the others were about to collapse...

"Why is everyone standing?"

A gentle voice broke the stalemate.

Zhou Yun walked over from the city tower and looked at Minister Wang Fugui strangely,

"President Wang, why aren't you eating? You've been busy all morning; if you don't eat, you won't have the strength to work!"

Such heartwarming words formed a stark contrast to the sharp, mean mockery of the others.

At this moment, when Minister Wang Fugui saw Zhou Yun, it was like a bullied child seeing their parent; the grievance in his belly could no longer be contained.

"I want to eat too!" Minister Wang Fugui said in a muffled voice, his tone even carrying a hint of sobbing, "But they won't serve me rice!"

With Minister Wang Fugui taking the lead, the people behind him couldn't hold back either, complaining in a jumble of voices:

"Yeah, City Lord! You judge this!"

"We've also been tired for half a day, we're almost dead from exhaustion, and they won't even let us eat a bite of food!"

"There's clearly rice in the bucket, but that auntie insisted on putting the lid on and said there was no rice!"

"There's clearly so much meat in the pot, but they won't let us eat it! Even a spoonful of meat broth would be good!"

"When others ask for something, they get it, everyone gets a big full bowl, but when it's our turn, they won't give us anything!"

"Isn't this bullying an honest person?!"

...

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Their gazes also became strange.

Honest people?

Really?

When could the words "honest people" ever be associated with you?

Ha!

How shameless!

This is just because you saw that the food we eat is extraordinary, so you rushed over to sponge off us!

If it were the usual chaff and porridge, you'd probably be too lazy to even look at it, and might even spit in it?!

After listening to what everyone said, Zhou Yun nodded.

He certainly knew about the conflict between the two sides.

He turned around and looked at Li Erniang, who was still blocking the rice bucket like a door god, and persuaded her gently:

"Ma'am, let's treat each matter separately. Since President Wang and the others have done some work, we should treat everyone equally!"

"Just let them eat this one meal, okay?"

Li Erniang originally had the posture of "I won't let you eat even if the King of Heaven comes," glaring fiercely at Minister Wang Fugui.

But as soon as she heard Zhou Yun speak, all her thorns instantly retracted.

She had ten thousand reasons to be unhappy with Minister Wang Fugui and his lot.

But toward Zhou Yun, she had absolutely no temper!

"Yes..." Li Erniang said with lowered eyebrows and a submissive look, "City Lord is right, it is our fault."

After speaking, she turned her head and gave Minister Wang Fugui and the others a fierce glare, as if to say: Consider yourselves lucky!

Subsequently, she flipped open the lid of the rice bucket, picked up the large ladle, and knocked heavily on the rim of the bucket:

"What are you looking at? Do you need me to feed you too?"

"Bring your bowls here!!"

Finally!

Finally, they got rice!

When that large, full bowl of Spiritual Qi rice emitting a soft white light, topped with golden, tempting, rich-broth Demonic Beast meat, was in their hands, Minister Wang Fugui and his subordinates' hands were shaking.

Without any hesitation, and without any restraint.

The group, as if they hadn't seen food for several lifetimes, fiercely shoveled several large mouthfuls into their mouths.

Boom!

The aroma and heat instantly filled their entire mouths and nasal cavities!

In that instant, tears were about to fall.

Delicious!

Too delicious!

The rice grains were soft, sticky, and chewy, carrying a hint of sweet Spiritual Qi.

The meat chunks were fatty but not greasy, melting in the mouth!

The rich meat aroma exploded in their mouths along with the piping hot broth, warming them all the way down to their stomachs along their throats.

Even more intense Spiritual Qi started from the Dantian and spread throughout their entire bodies.

Their whole bodies felt comfortable, as if floating in the air!

"Wuu wuu wuu... this... what kind of heavenly taste is this!"

"Fragrant! So fragrant!"

"Was everything I ate before pig swill?!"

"Spiritual Qi! Such dense Spiritual Qi!"

...

After a bout of wolfing down the food, before they could even savor it, the changes in their bodies followed.

Hot!

The scorching current was like a wild horse off its leash, rampaging through their bodies!

Their limbs, which had been so sore they had almost lost all sensation, were already filled with strength!

However, this was not the end.

Hum! Hum! Hum!

Among them, there were actually people whose bodies lit up with the light representing Awakening!

"I... I have Awakened?!" A burly man who was originally just an ordinary thug looked at his own hands, his face full of disbelief, "I'm a Professional now?!"

A tenant farmer giggled foolishly, "I made it! I made it too! Hahahaha!"

After this one meal, among the people brought by Minister Wang Fugui, more than a hundred people Awakened on the spot!

The rest, although they didn't Awaken, also felt their Qi and blood surging within their bodies, and their strength greatly increased!

So that's how it is!

So that's how it is!!

At this moment, everyone's previous guesses were completely confirmed!

Where did the innate talent come from?

Where did the miracle come from?

The reason this bunch of mud-legged peasants could Awaken was entirely because they were hard-fed by this meal from Zhou Yun!

Feeling the surging power in his body, Minister Wang Fugui not only licked his bowl clean, but even licked the grease stains off the corners of his mouth.

In his heart, he couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Zhou Yun, oh Zhou Yun, you are still too naive!"

"Not only did you let me know the secret of your Awakening, but you also let us sponge a big meal for nothing, and our strength has greatly increased!"

"You are raising a tiger that will cause trouble!"

"You are aiding the enemy!"

"I just sold a bit of misery, and you softened your heart?"

"If a person isn't ruthless, they can't stand firm!"

"You don't even understand this simple principle, and you still want to be a City Lord?"

Thinking of this, he threw his bowl away, stood up with high spirits, and waved his hand at his subordinates,

"Alright! We've eaten the meal, and we've helped with the work!"

"Don't just stand there, let's go! Time to head back!"

Since the secret is already known, there's no need to stay here and suffer.

Besides, eating a single meal was so difficult.

Thinking of eating it again later, it's almost impossible.

Since that's the case, it's better to go back early, so as not to work for nothing again for half a day, and be mocked for nothing.

However.

One second passed.

Two seconds passed.

The scene was quiet, with only the sound of wind blowing across the construction site.

The smile on Minister Wang Fugui's face gradually froze.

Because...

He had clearly walked several steps away, but no one followed behind him!

Those guards, thugs, and tenant farmers who usually obeyed his every command, at this moment, seemed as if they hadn't heard his words; one by one, they silently put down their bowls and wiped their mouths.

Then, they turned and walked toward the construction site.

Not only that, they even gathered around the "mud-legged peasants" who had mocked them earlier, their faces piled with sincere and even somewhat humble smiles:

"Brother, that... just now, that technique of using Wind Blade to shave wood, can you teach me?"

"Big brother, that was my fault just now, I worked too slowly. I won't slack off this afternoon, can you take me with you?"

"I'll definitely make up for what I missed this morning this afternoon! I won't hold you back!"

"Uncle, we had some misunderstandings before, I'm apologizing to you here. You are a magnanimous person, don't hold it against me! If it really doesn't work, you can beat me up! I definitely won't fight back!"

...

Watching this group of subordinates who not only didn't leave, but instead desperately wanted to integrate into the large group, Minister Wang Fugui was dumbfounded.

"You... where are you going?!" He shouted from behind: "I, your master, am here!"

"I, your master, am talking to you! Are you all deaf?!"

"Back to the city! I order you to return to the city with me!!"

But, no matter how he shouted, no one paid any attention to him.

A few guards even turned their heads, looked at him with the expression one might use for an idiot, and then continued walking toward the construction site without looking back.

In their hearts, they were filled with guilt and gratitude toward Zhou Yun at this moment.

We clearly came here to find trouble, but the City Lord didn't care at all, and instead gave us such good food to eat!

Such precious things, he gave them away just like that!

This is a great person!

Some even Awakened because of this!

This favor, how can we repay it?

And what about ourselves?

We only did that little bit of crappy work all morning, and we were tired like dead dogs; is this worthy of being called helping?

Is this worthy of that bowl of rice just now?!

Human hearts are made of flesh!

Who could just turn around and leave at this time?

As for Minister Wang Fugui?

Ha!

A dog thing who even knows what kind of bad ideas are being brewed when he farts!

Letting us leave, isn't it just with the intention of going back to continue opposing the City Lord?

Such a City Lord, and you still think about dealing with him?

Is that something a human would do?

"If you want to leave, you leave!" The Guard Captain finally turned back and spat, "Anyway, I'm not leaving!"

Watching this group of subordinates who not only didn't leave but worked even harder than before, Minister Wang Fugui was furious to death.

This group of people had followed him for so long, didn't he know their character?

Judging from what they said, it seemed like they were all grateful.

But if they were truly grateful, he had also given them food and work before!

Why weren't they grateful to him?

The real reason was so simple!

It was nothing more than taking a fancy to the food here!

Spiritual Qi rice!

Demonic Beast meat!

Spiritual fruits!

How sumptuous! How mouth-watering?

After eating one meal, of course, they wanted a second!

After the second, naturally, they wanted a third!

This was the fundamental reason they really abandoned him!!