The Unveiling of Secret Queen

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Encountering a Local Ruffian Causing Trouble_1

He leaned back and said casually, ”Did you use to come here a lot for spicy hot pot? It looks like you’re quite familiar with the owner.”

Nathalie Quinlan was enjoying her longed-for noodles and in a good mood. While eating, she replied without looking up, ”Not that often, but I would come for a bowl when I had time. Aunt Cagwin worked for the Quinlan family before. After she stopped, she opened this street food stall.”

”Her vegetables and meat are freshly picked from the market every morning, washed clean and neatly strung. It’s more hygienic than the food in nearby restaurants.”

This was the first time Amadeus Yancey had heard her mention her foster parents’ home. His eyes deepened in color, just as he was about to speak.

Suddenly, the girl sitting opposite him frowned, put down her chopsticks, her jaw tensed as she said, ”You eat first, I’ll be right back!”

With that, she stood up and walked towards the direction of the tricycle.

Only then did Amadeus Yancey turn around to see several young men with ripped jeans and a rowdy aura surrounding the tricycle, picking and choosing through the neatly arranged vegetables in the crates...

”Didn’t I just give you 200 yuan the day before yesterday? You’ve already spent it all?” From a distance, Nathalie heard Aunt Cagwin’s voice, pained and helpless.

Mixed among the rowdy group of youths was an adolescent boy, clearly going through a voice change, who replied impatiently with a voice like a quacking duck, ”That money was used up long ago, Mom, give me some more.”

”No!” Aunt Cagwin slapped away his hand that was going for her wallet, protecting it as she said, ”This money is meant for your dad’s hospital fees, we can’t use it!”

The quacking duck-like voice of the boy retracted his hand, grinding his teeth, a hint of hesitation flickering in his eyes.

His companions immediately began to jeer on the side, ”Yo, Freddy Cagwin, how old are you still sucking milk, still asking your mom for money. If mommy doesn’t give it, you don’t dare to take it.”

”Shut up!”

The gang of unruly youths weren’t scared of him at all and continued to mock, ”If I were you, I wouldn’t care whether that old woman gives it or not, I would just take it. It’s just taking money from my own family, after all. Your family’s stall does such good business, you won’t miss this little bit of money. Your dad’s been in the hospital for over a year now, why waste the money? If you ask me, just let him die. It would save money and set him free... fuck... what are you doing!”

Out of the blue, the boy with the quacking duck voice lunged forward, ferociously throwing two punches at the face of the man who spoke.

”I told you to shut up! Shut up!”

Seeing their little tag-along actually striking out, the rest of the group, spitting out saliva, clenched their fists ready to pile on.

The middle-aged woman was not used to such scenes; she had been honest and kind all her life. Watching her son fight with the rowdy youths, she ignored her damaged stall and with tearful eyes tried to rush forward.

”Stop fighting, please stop.”

”Stupid old hag, get out of the way!”

Before she could get close, one of the young delinquents violently shook off her hand and acted as if he was going to hit her.

Aunt Cagwin was terrified, seeing the fist the size of a bowl about to hit her face, when a slender hand reached out, grabbing the man’s fist, and steadied her as well.

”Garbage should stay in the dump, not come out and stir up trouble,” Nathalie said.

She was stunned, turning her head to look at Nathalie’s clean, porcelain-white face, surprised and muttering with trembling lips, ”Nathalie? Nathalie?”

”Fuck! Who’s this bitch? Get out of the way, or do you want me to hit you too?” the man whose hand Nathalie caught shouted.

Regaining her senses, Aunt Cagwin pushed Nathalie anxiously and said hurriedly, ”Nathalie, don’t worry about me, just get away. They’re all ruffians, don’t mess with them.”