“Hey, look, isn’t that the guy who married into the Henley family? And why is he with such a gorgeous girl?”
“That’s the eldest daughter of the Henley family, Sophia!”
“Wow, Sophia is actually accompanying her useless husband to buy groceries. Did the sun rise in the west today?”
“You guys don’t get it. Even if he’s a useless husband, there are times when things go right.”
In this neighborhood, Leo’s reputation was undeniable. After all, his marriage to Sophia had even made it to the pages of magazines.
Seeing Sophia slightly furrow her brows, Leo said to her, “How about you wait for me in the car? Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll come out with it.”
Leo was used to the cold remarks and taunts from the people around. He was worried about Sophia’s feelings.
Shaking her head, Sophia replied, “Don’t mind these noises, let’s continue shopping for groceries.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Let’s start by getting some vegetables.” Saying that, Sophia walked over to a vegetable stall and began choosing vegetables.
Next, Sophia took charge of selecting the produce, while Leo was responsible for carrying it.
“Everyone, it’s time to pay the management fee as usual. Please get ready!” Right at this moment, a man’s voice suddenly echoed from a corner of the market.
The man held a portable loudspeaker and wore a uniform that seemed to be from nowhere. Behind him were four or five casually dressed young men.
“These damn bloodsuckers come twice a month, do they want to bleed us dry?”
“He’s the brother-in-law of someone in the market management. It’s like being at the mercy of the executioner’s blade. Unless you want to stop selling here, you’ve got to pay up.”
“We don’t make much profit each month to begin with, and they still exploit us. Running a business now is really tough.”
Listening to the vendors’ discussions, Leo noticed those guys walking along the stalls, shouting through the loudspeaker and collecting money.
Leo was a regular at this market, so he was already accustomed to it.
“What’s going on?” Sophia asked curiously.
“Don’t worry about it. They’re collecting stall management fees on behalf of the market management,” Leo explained casually, gesturing for Sophia to continue shopping.
By now, those men had reached a pork stall not far away. One of them, who was collecting money, took a look at the money handed to him and exclaimed, “Not enough!”
“Every time it’s the same amount.” The pork vendor looked puzzled, not understanding.
The guy collecting money gave the vendor a disdainful look and said, “Pork prices have skyrocketed lately. As prices rise, so should your management fee.”
Hearing this unreasonable logic, the pork vendor’s chubby face twitched a couple of times. He immediately handed a cigarette to the leader and said, “Ken, pork prices follow market trends. Even though I charge higher, the cost of purchasing is also high. Moreover, due to the high pork prices, fewer people buy, and my profit is actually lower than before.”
Ken Ivan put down the portable loudspeaker and then glanced at the vendor, extending a hand to pick up a piece of pork. With a playful smile, he said, “The increase in pork prices isn’t your fault, but my brothers and I rely on these management fees to make ends meet. It’s been a long time since we could afford pork. Do you think it’s fair to raise the management fee a bit?”
“Ken, a slight increase is no problem, but doubling it? How about I give this pork loin to you guys? I’ll pay twenty extra for the management fee. What do you think?” The vendor felt a bit anxious. He had seen people who didn’t pay the fee being chased away by these guys, and rumor had it that one guy had even been beaten up the next day.
“Damn it, twenty bucks! You’re treating us like beggars!” One of Ken’s underlings immediately protested.
Ken raised his hand to quiet the guy and then reached into his pocket, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He then spoke leisurely, “You’ve been in this market for a while. You should know the rules. If you don’t want to pay the management fee, fine, but pack up your pork and get lost!”
Ken finished speaking and slammed the pork cleaver down on the wooden board. The vendor trembled with fear.
Now the vendor dared not say anything else and reluctantly put money into the collection box.
Just at that moment, one of Ken’s guys pointed ahead, saying, “Boss, look, there’s a girl over there. She’s really damn pretty!”
Ken followed the guy’s gaze and indeed saw a man and a woman walking towards them.
The man was carrying groceries, and the woman was dressed in a white-collar professional outfit. Her figure, her face… Oh my, undeniably the most beautiful woman Ken had seen in years.
Ken’s eyes shifted, a wicked smile appeared on his face, and he handed the loudspeaker to the guy beside him. He walked toward Leo and Sophia.
Ken approached Leo and Sophia, first blocking Leo from his vision, and then he looked Sophia up and down with a greedy gaze. With a clicking noise, he made a sound of approval, “Miss, you’re really beautiful. I’m Ken. I’ve taken over this market. Can I take over you as well?”
Only someone like Ken, who lacked education, could say something so shameless and audacious out in broad daylight.
Seeing Ken’s scoundrel appearance and chubby face, Sophia took a step back, her face twisting in disgust.
Leo stepped forward, positioning himself between Sophia and Ken. His gaze turned icy as he asked in a stern voice, “What did you just say?”
Ken glanced sideways at Leo, unfazed, and asked, “Bro, who is she to you?”
“She’s my wife!” Leo’s voice grew colder with each word.
“Oh,” Ken muttered, taking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it himself. Then, he said slowly, “Bro, I envy you. To have such a beautiful wife.”
At that moment, one of Ken’s underlings stepped forward, pointing at Leo and saying with a smirk, “Boss, let me introduce you properly. This is the famous Henley family’s son-in-law, Leo. He often comes to the market. He’s a ‘celebrity’ around here.”
“What? So this guy married into a wealthy family and is just living off his wife?” Ken blew a smoke ring and intentionally looked surprised. “I was wondering how such a beautiful woman could end up with him. Turns out she’s the one taking care of him!”
With that, his underlings burst into laughter. “Boss, don’t waste your breath on this leech. Let me deal with him!”
“Never mind. After all, A beauty is watching us now. Let’s not ruin the image.” Ken waved his hand dismissively, then blew a smoke ring in Leo’s face. “What did you say just now?”
Sophia tugged at Leo’s sleeve and whispered, “Leo, don’t argue with these people. Let’s go.”