Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

Chapter 2: White Knife In, Red Knife Out!

All that could be heard in the shop was the clanging of knives, one after another.

The blade struck the cutting board, the heavy knife slamming into the cartilage. Minced meat flew everywhere, oil splattered, and soon beads of sweat appeared on everyone's foreheads.

Zheng Tu stood behind the counter, secretly making plans in his mind.

Although Naru Tixia came to cause trouble, as the saying goes: "Anger always loses to a smile, and reason always prevails over evil."

If I do everything perfectly and meet all his demands, how can he possibly refuse to be stubborn and unreasonable?

Lu Da is almost here. If these swordsmen are slow and provoke that evil star, they will suffer greatly today.

Seeing that although the crowd was puzzled, they did not dare to stop, their hands and feet flashing and their movements swift and decisive, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little more at ease.

Before long, a lean butcher had chopped three pounds of lean minced meat, placed it in a fresh lotus leaf, and set it aside. Next, the fatty minced meat was also chopped into a bundle. However, the cartilage was the most difficult to prepare, and it took the three butchers working together to cut it into about five pounds.

Zheng Tu urged, "Faster! Faster!"

Niu Da wiped his sweat, his mind growing increasingly puzzled: Zheng Tu, though usually irritable, had never been so inexplicably anxious before.

Peeking over, one could see that although Zheng Tu was trying to remain calm, his eyes kept glancing at the street outside the door, as if he was waiting for someone, or as if he was afraid that someone would come.

Niu Da thought to himself, "Could this scoundrel owe some ruthless character a gambling debt and is here to cause trouble today?" But he didn't dare to ask any more questions and just focused on swinging his knife.

In about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all thirty catties of meat sauce had been chopped, divided into three lotus leaf wraps, and neatly arranged on the table.

Zheng Tu stepped forward to inspect it and saw that the meat sauce was cut very finely, with no tendons, fascia, or bone fragments mixed in. Only then did he nod.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard heavy footsteps coming from the street, approaching from afar, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Zheng Tu's expression changed, and he thought to himself, "They're here!"

"Hey, where is Zheng Tu?!"

At the shop entrance, a large, fat figure was blocking the way. He wore a black turban and was dressed as an officer. Who else could it be but the ruthless Lu Zhishen?

"Why is what you said different this time compared to the last life?"

Zheng Tu thought to himself, "Could it be because I was standing in the corner supervising this time, and that dark-skinned fellow didn't find me?"

Seeing the burly soldier peering inside, he quickly put on a smiling face and greeted him:

"Please forgive me, Commander! I was supervising the work from behind and didn't come to greet you properly. Whatever your orders, Commander, I will do them immediately!"

Lu Da stood still in the street, glancing at him sideways. Sure enough, he still spoke in the same words: "I am acting on the orders of the Grand Marshal, and I need ten catties of lean meat, chopped into minced meat, with not a single bit of fat on it."

Zheng Tu nodded repeatedly, not waiting for him to specify that he should cut it himself.

He quickly replied, "Your timing is perfect, Commander! I just instructed my servant to cut ten catties of lean minced meat, intending to use it to make wontons myself. Since you need it, Commander, please serve it to me first. How could I possibly delay your important business, sir?"

After saying that, he turned around, took a ten-pound bag of minced meat wrapped in a lotus leaf, and handed it over, glistening with oil.

Lu Da took it, weighed it in his hand, lifted a corner to examine it closely, and suddenly laughed, "What's the rush! Even if you take another ten catties, they'll all be fat, and they'll be chopped into minced meat, not a single bit of lean meat allowed."

Looking at Lu Da's smiling face, Zheng Tu felt a little uneasy.

But he still clapped his hands and said, "What a coincidence! There are even fat, greasy little people ready-made!" He turned around, took another bag and handed it over, the aroma of fat filling the air.

Lu Da narrowed his strange eyes and sized Zheng Tu up and down: "You say you'd use lean meat for wontons, fine. But this fatty meat is so greasy, what use do you have for it?"

Zheng Tu was furious, cursing inwardly, "Damn it! You're clearly making fun of me, yet you dare to question me!"

He forced a smile but lowered his head and did not answer.

Seeing that he had prepared both items perfectly, Lu Da's jaw muscles twitched, and he suddenly shouted, "I also need ten catties of tender cartilage, which must also be finely chopped into a topping, with no meat visible on it!"

coming soon!

Whether we live or die depends on this!

Zheng Tu's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned composure: "Yes, yes!"

He bent down and pulled out the third package of lotus leaf buns from under the table, presenting them with both hands: "Officer, please look, here is the tender meat sauce."

Naruda did not accept it, but instead crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at Zheng Tu with a half-smile.

Zheng Tu felt uneasy under his gaze, and stood there with his arm outstretched, unable to move forward or backward.

More and more idlers gathered around to watch the spectacle, but they all held their breath and dared not utter a sound.

They remained frozen in place for a good while.

"Well done, Mr. Zheng."

Lu Da suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "As the saying goes, 'Good meat isn't for filling,' so these three packets of finely chopped minced meat—did you know I was coming?!"

The laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by a thunderous roar: "Did you deliberately come here to torment me?!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head!

Before he could explain, two packets of minced meat were thrown at his face!

As Zheng Tu dodged quickly, greasy minced meat was splashed all over his head and face, like a rain of meat.

The idlers on the street and the meat sellers all shouted and hid far away to watch.

"You son of a bitch!"

Zheng Tu's pent-up frustration, fear, and bewilderment of the past few days now transformed into rage.

But then I felt a surge of heat rising from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head, burning away all the pent-up frustration from my two lifetimes.

Having returned twice and endured countless insults, do you think I'm afraid of you, you brute?

A white knife goes in, a red knife comes out! I really don't believe you, Lu Da, are made of iron!!!

He grabbed the foot-long boning dagger from the table, jumped down, and pointed the tip at Lu Da, cursing, "You scoundrel! Do you really think your master is afraid of you?!"

Seeing him holding a knife, Lu Da was not alarmed but laughed instead: "Come! Come! Let me see the skills of Zhen Guanxi!"

Zheng Tu charged straight at him with his sword, grabbing the other man's chest with his left hand.

Unexpectedly, this Commander Lu was a seasoned fighter. He neither dodged nor avoided, but instead seized Lu's left hand and twisted it.

That's incredibly strong!

Click!

Zheng Tu's left hand bones were crushed.

Zheng Tu suddenly felt half of his body go numb. Before he could struggle, he was kicked in the abdomen.

"Bang!"

He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, his back slamming heavily onto the meat counter.

The case collapsed halfway, with pork, iron hooks, and weights tumbling all over the ground.

Lu Da strode forward, planted his foot on the man's chest, raised his fist—the size of a vinegar jar—and, in the sunlight illuminating the man's greasy face, laughed: "You dog-like man, dare to fight me? Today I'll teach you a lesson about the power of a fist!"

Zheng Tu felt a metallic taste in his throat, and the scenery before his eyes gradually blurred. The last thing he saw was Lu Da's fist, as big as a bowl, crashing down on him with a whoosh of wind...

[Zheng Tu, died! 】

Survival days: 0 days

……

When Zheng Tu opened his eyes again, he could still hear the familiar sound of the knife-wielder scolding the apprentice.

The pain still lingers in my body.

He slumped in the recliner, drenched in cold sweat.

This is the second time.

He died both times from those fists.

Zheng Tu's mind was in complete turmoil, but one thought remained crystal clear:

What... not again?!