Chapter 142: Wanting to Finish off Xiao Baoshan
“Your husband went to the provincial city a few days ago, right? Did he steal something?” asked Fang Shanding.
Ye Xiaoxian said, “Sir, my husband makes a living by sailing with ships. He not only went to the provincial city but also a lot of other places. Sir, did you just say something about stealing things? My husband is honest and humble. He would never steal anything.”
If he had ever stolen anything, it must have been her heart.
Fang Shanding sneered. “Your taxes have been decreased, right?”
“Talking about the tax, I also feel very curious. It was raised some time before and then decreased. I’ve been confused about it. Don’t tell me it will be increased again tomorrow. This is the only flaw of doing business in Qinghe and it keeps me being on tenterhooks all the time.
Seeing Ye Xiaoxian’s behavior he started to become increasingly sure that she was acting dumb. He fixed his eyes on Ye Xiaoxian and tried to tear her mask of deceit off.
However, Ye Xiaoxian was very calm and just asked him with a confused expression, “Sir, is there anything else I can do for you?”
Fang Shanding said, “Just a reminder for you. Though I’m not a tax official now, don’t you think I will be defeated like that. I’ve still got some power in town, believe it or not, so let’s wait and see.”
Ye Xiaoxian asked, “Does this concern me?”
Fang Shanding sneered. “No, it doesn’t. Go and cook your dishes.”
Ye Xiaoxian bowed before she left. “Right.”
Fang Shanding gripped his tea cup again. Ye Xiaoxian was a hot little pepper and he wanted to subdue her imposing manner.
…
During the course of the next few days, Fang Shanding was constantly walking around at the dock. He was observing Xiao Baoshan secretly.
As it happened Xiao Baoshan did not have to go sailing and was taking care of the dock as usual. He also had a subordinate but most of the time he just stood on the dock quietly on his own and watched the ships come and go. His bearing was totally different from the ordinary men around him.
Maybe this was the reason that Ye Xiaoxian was attracted by him. He was also very strong and younger than Fang Shanding. Fang Shanding was no match for him in this respect.
On the third day, Fang Shanding was asking some men to tell him how good Xiao Baoshan was at fighting.
The men Fang Shanding found deliberately caused trouble at the dock. When conflict started they would take the opportunity to attack Xiao Baoshan, saying that Xiao Baoshan was nosy.
Xiao Baoshan had already noticed them for quite some time. Despite causing trouble they somehow watched him from the corners of their eyes, so Xiao Baoshan realized that maybe this gang of men were checking him out.
He deliberately only used thirty percent of his capability to subdue them.
When the gang were subdued they begged for mercy immediately and said that they would not do it again, asking Xiao Baoshan to spare them. Xiao Baoshan went easy on them and let them go after criticizing them for a while.
The men sent by Fang Shanding went to report to him after a short while. They said that Xiao Baoshan’s kung fu was not particularly impressive. As long as he found an ordinary killer from outside, he could kill Xiao Baoshan easily.
Fang Shanding pinched his chin and a kind of cruelty shone in his eyes.
…
Fang Shanding was familiar with people throughout various careers. It took him no time to find a killer known as “Dragon”.
Dragon was a “one-eyed dragon”. One of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch and the other eye wasn’t able to focus properly. When he spoke with Fang Shanding, Fang Shanding kept feeling that he was looking somewhere else and could not meet his eye at all.
Besides, Dragon directly asked him for ten taels of sliver.
As he was introduced by an acquaintance, Fang Shanding did not doubt him at all. Though his heart ached from spending that amount of money. Still, once he thought about the job he had lost and the large amount of income he had therefore been deprived of he felt a burning hatred towards Xiao Baoshan.
He planned to kill Xiao Baoshan first and then take Ye Xiaoxian.