Chapter 26: Who's the Ruthless One After All

In her previous life as an assassin, Lin Ruanruan was not someone easily bullied or weak.

However, her speech impediment made it difficult for her to speak a complete sentence without stuttering.

She could tolerate customers teasing her about it, treating it as her unique selling point and brushing it off with a smile.

But when fellow stall owners used it as an excuse to cause trouble and insult her, she couldn't stand it.

Given her principle of resolving issues through action rather than mere words, Lin Ruanruan decisively threw the troublesome lady out of her stall.

The crowd was shocked by her swift and resolute action, especially since they were there to provoke her. They stood there stunned.

Lin Ruanruan briskly dusted off her hands and looked at them coldly.

With such timid courage, they dared to mess with her?

Her delicate face now radiated a cold aura, and her eyes were as sharp as knives.

Without warning, she spat out a single word, "Get out."

It was astonishing how a stutterer could command such presence.

The stall owners exchanged glances; some were already thinking of retreating.

This stutterer was too fierce to bully easily. Continuing to provoke her might not end well.

Originally, they weren't a solid alliance—just a few people envious of Lin Ruanruan's good business, temporarily banding together.

Before Lin Ruanruan arrived, they often fought amongst themselves over business.

Now, the snack-selling lady, thrown out by Lin Ruanruan, was lying on the ground in pain, and none of them intended to help her up.

The man selling pancakes awkwardly wiped his greasy hands on his dirty apron and took a small step back.

Lin Ruanruan, while ladling potatoes from the pot, kept an eye on this group.

Naturally, she noticed the pancake seller's small movements.

However, she had no intention of stopping him. If they wanted to leave voluntarily, it was exactly what she wanted.

But things often don't go as one wishes.

"You dare to attack us? Can you swallow this insult?" The youngest stall owner, a young man, raised his voice, instigating the others.

At his words, the pancake seller, who had taken a step back, stopped.

Seeing the young man confront Lin Ruanruan, he also lifted his head.

Indeed, there were so many of them. Were they really afraid of a stuttering girl?

Although this stuttering girl seemed taller and more spirited than ordinary girls, she was still just a girl.

"Aunt Fu, get up. We can't let this go. This stutterer dared to hit you. We should take her to Brother Dong to sort this out," the young man said, bending down to help the snack-selling lady up.

Lin Ruanruan pursed her lips, watching him. This man played his cards well, pushing others to the front while staying in the back.

Moreover, judging by his voice, he was probably the one who had shouted about selling sugar-fried chestnuts for eight wen earlier.

A talent with such scheming ability seemed wasted on just running a stall.

Aunt Fu, helped up by the young man, glared at Lin Ruanruan viciously.

"This stutterer is quite ruthless. I say, weren't you all planning to drive her off this street? I'm already involved, and you're still holding back?" she yelled at the other stall owners, gritting her teeth.

"This stutterer is really bad news. Since she arrived, our business has dropped. We really should drive her away," the bun seller chimed in.

"Drive her away! Drive her away!"

Seeing everyone speak up, the pancake seller, who was about to slip away, also joined in the shouting.

Suddenly, Lin Ruanruan became the target of everyone's hostility.

She pursed her lips, continuing to stir the boiling oil with a ladle.

The young man who wanted to sell sugar-fried chestnuts looked...

Aunt Fu gave a signal, and the woman went berserk.

"Let's smash all her stuff. Let's see how she'll continue to run her stall."

She shouted and led the charge towards Lin Ruanruan.

Lin Ruanruan sneered. These people truly wouldn't give up until they saw the coffin.

Her wooden spoon, stirring in the pot, swiftly turned a couple of times before scooping up a ladle of hot oil.

As those people were still rushing forward, she threw the ladle of hot oil at them.

Tiny droplets of oil landed on their clothes, making a sizzling sound. Some scattered onto their hands and faces like sparks, causing a sharp burning sensation.

"Ouch!"

"Ow!"

Pained cries echoed one after another as several people halted their charge, clutching the spots where they were burned and wailing.

The oil splashed widely, not just in one spot. They covered one area only to reveal another. The burns worsened with friction. In panic, everyone scattered, causing a chaotic scene.

The two who caused this chaos coldly locked eyes, as if the stall owners were no more than jumping clowns.

After a wild commotion, these people finally stopped their antics.

But when they looked at Lin Ruanruan again, jealousy now mingled with fear.

This woman was truly ruthless.

She had splashed scalding oil at them. Luckily, they were standing far away, so much of the oil landed on the ground. If they had been closer, the consequences would have been far worse.

Lin Ruanruan smiled faintly, her iron ladle still stirring in the iron pot. Though her movements were not fast, they carried a chilling intimidation.

That had just been a warning. If these people pushed her further, she wouldn't be so lenient.

After all, they were the ones picking a fight. Getting a few blisters from the oil wouldn't endanger their lives.

"Aunt Fu, how can you be so fierce? You dare to splash oil on us. Are you even human?" Aunt Fu, who had been thrown out by Lin Ruanruan earlier and now had swollen red hands from the burns, gritted her teeth but dared not make any more reckless moves.

Listening to her playing the victim, Lin Ruanruan's smile became even brighter, tinged with irony.

A bunch of people who disregarded their own businesses to cause trouble for her were now accusing her of being ruthless.

In this world, it seemed the one who spoke confidently always had the upper hand.

"Hey, you guys, what's the point of bullying a young girl?" Aunt Fu was about to berate Lin Ruanruan again when her words were interrupted by a clear voice.

The voice was crisp and clear, unmistakably that of a young man in his late teens or early twenties.

Following the voice, Lin Ruanruan saw a scholar holding a tattered folding fan, dressed in a brown cotton robe.

She recognized this scholar; he was the one who had bought rabbit meat from her yesterday, after haggling over the price for quite some time.

The worn-out fan flicked twice in the scholar's hand as he confidently strode forward and swiftly positioned himself in front of Lin Ruanruan's stall.

"What kind of logic is it to bully a stutterer? We should show her more compassion, knowing she's not fully capable. Instead of bullying her," the scholar said firmly.

His words were logical and reasonable, but Lin Ruanruan couldn't help rolling her eyes at his righteous indignation.