"Any questions?" Lin Xiao Tian smiled slightly and asked Xiao Gang.
This completely befuddled Xiao Gang.
Didn't this kid come walking with Qin Yu Xiang?
No matter how slowly he dawdled on the road, he was taking the highway, and the county roads weren't congested. How could Lin Xiao Tian have arrived before him?
Could Lin Xiao Tian be a good runner?
But even if Lin Xiao Tian was a good runner, how could Qin Yu Xiang, a weak woman, manage it?
Xiao Gang pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer.
The county only had pedicabs and buses. Neither was faster than him. Unless Lin Xiao Tian also came by car.
But the problem was, there were no taxis in the county. Where did Lin Xiao Tian get a car from?
Just as he was about to ask for the answer, Cheng Ao called him to sit down, so he didn't think about it further.
After Xiao Gang took his seat, everyone started chatting, mostly about small matters in the county and recent events in the village.
While chiming in with the others, Xiao Gang's gaze never left Lin Xiao Tian.
He had to admit, Lin Xiao Tian's demeanor surprised him.
Logically, someone so poor they wouldn't even order a meal would be somewhat timid when facing people from the city.
But from Lin Xiao Tian, Xiao Gang detected no trace of timidity.
On the contrary, Lin Xiao Tian appeared calm and composed from beginning to end, which made Xiao Gang even more curious about him.
However, despite his curiosity, he still looked down on Lin Xiao Tian.
He just felt that Lin Xiao Tian was probably faking it. After all, someone of his status must be extremely nervous right now.
"Xiao Tian, what do you do for work?" Xiao Gang asked first.
Everyone was also curious about Lin Xiao Tian, so they all turned to look at him.
"I'm a farmer," Lin Xiao Tian replied calmly.
Although he had three professions—doctor, boss, and farmer—he chose to only mention being a farmer to remain low-key.
"A farmer?"
Upon hearing the word "farmer," Xiao Gang immediately felt a sense of superiority.
He used to be a farmer himself and knew the weight of the word. Now that he was a small boss, he looked down on his former occupation from the bottom of his heart.
"Oh, oh, oh..." Xiao Gang glanced at Lin Xiao Tian meaningfully.
It seemed his guess was right. Lin Xiao Tian must be faking it.
How could a farmer be so composed?
Cheng Ao, sitting next to him, seemed to have understood Xiao Gang's implication and feigned concern, saying:
"Xiao Tian, farm work must be very hard, right? I see crop prices have been falling sharply lately. Your profits this year probably aren't great, are they?"
"I... I don't know! I think it's okay!" Lin Xiao Tian replied.
"Haha, Xiao Tian, you're truly open-minded. If the farmers around here had your perspective, they wouldn't be arguing with me every day."
"It's just that... yesterday, a few farmers supplied me with goods. They wanted the same price for cabbage as last year, so I refused. Those people said I wasn't trustworthy and threatened to harm themselves in front of my shop, insisting I buy their produce."
"But can I afford to? I need to eat too, right?"
"This year, agricultural products have a good harvest, and there are plenty of cheap, high-quality goods on the market. We're in business, not running a charity. Don't you agree?"
Cheng Ao finished speaking and looked at Lin Xiao Tian earnestly.
Lin Xiao Tian nodded.
"Haha, I knew it, Xiao Tian, you definitely understand me!" Cheng Ao said, feigning camaraderie.
"Alas! That's why Yu Xiang likes Xiao Tian, isn't it? It's precisely because she values Xiao Tian's honesty!" Xiao Gang also chimed in with a jab.
Cheng Fei Fei, listening to their conversation, was infuriated.
"Who are you two satirizing? Do you think I can't tell?"
"Fei Fei, what are you doing? We were just chatting with Xiao Tian. Why are you suddenly saying this to us?" Xiao Gang asked, feigning innocence.
"That's right! Fei Fei, are you being too sensitive? We didn't say anything!" Cheng Ao echoed.
Seeing the two of them ganging up on her, Cheng Fei Fei gnashed her teeth in anger.
Just then, Cheng Li, who had been silent all along, suddenly let out a cold snort.
"Hmph! If a man is useless, his woman has to suffer!"
"Cheng Li, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!" Cheng Fei Fei shouted at Cheng Li.
"What? Did I say something wrong? If a man is useless, doesn't his woman have to suffer? Why are you so agitated? I didn't say anything about Lin Xiao Tian!"
"You say you didn't say anything?" Cheng Fei Fei was furious.
Even if Lin Xiao Tian was useless, he was still Qin Yu Xiang's man!
Qin Yu Xiang hadn't said anything, so why should these people criticize him?
A bunch of snobbish people who had moved from the countryside to the city and now thought they were so great, constantly showing off their superiority.
If it weren't for the news that Teacher Qin was coming, who would bother attending such a gathering!
"So what if I said it? Isn't it okay to state facts?" Cheng Li retorted, unwilling to back down.
"Facts?" Cheng Fei Fei sneered. "Then let me tell you the facts. Some people are almost thirty, loafing around all day. Even finding work as a security guard was through connections, yet they constantly boast about how amazing they are."
"It's a good thing such people aren't married yet, otherwise, who knows which woman would suffer."
"Cheng Fei Fei, are you fucking insulting me?" Cheng Li roared.
"What? Did I say something wrong? I wasn't talking about you, so why are you getting so agitated? Besides, it's the truth. Isn't it okay to speak the truth?" Cheng Fei Fei shot back.
These were the very words Cheng Li had used to mock Lin Xiao Tian, and now Cheng Fei Fei had turned them back on him.
Cheng Li, lacking in intelligence, was further provoked by Cheng Fei Fei's words. Coupled with the sound of suppressed laughter from those around him, he felt utterly humiliated.
"Cheng Fei Fei! I've tolerated you for a long time. You forced my hand!" Cheng Li said, then began walking towards Cheng Fei Fei.
Seeing this, everyone knew Cheng Li was likely about to start a fight and quickly ran to stop him.
But Cheng Li was furious, and Cheng Fei Fei had embarrassed him repeatedly. In his eyes, he desperately needed a victory in a physical confrontation to regain his dignity.
Xiao Gang and Cheng Ao, standing nearby, egged Cheng Li on, enjoying the chaos.
"Oh dear! Fei Fei, just apologize to Cheng Li! It's not that big of a deal, is it worth escalating this far?"
"You know Cheng Li's temperament. He's stubborn. If a fight breaks out, we won't be able to stop him!"
"Apologize? Why should I apologize to him? If anyone needs to apologize, it's him to Xiao Tian!" Cheng Fei Fei refused to back down.
Cheng Fei Fei's words completely enraged Cheng Li, pushing him into a frenzy.
As Cheng Li advanced step by step towards Cheng Fei Fei, Xiao Gang was overjoyed.
Cheng Fei Fei wasn't on their side anyway, and now she was defending Lin Xiao Tian. He wished Cheng Li would teach her a lesson.
However, just as Cheng Li was less than a meter away from Cheng Fei Fei, someone stepped in front of her.