Chapter 263 Wang Mazi's Dog Meat Hotpot

It was getting late when they arrived. The restaurant was chosen by the old Taoist; it was called "Wang Mazi's Dog Meat Hotpot" and was located by the roadside, with a scenic river across the street.

Many of the restaurant's tables and chairs were set up across the street, next to the river.

Zhou Ze and the others chose a spot by the river to sit down. Lawyer An had a suitcase next to him, containing the old man in sunglasses.

The interrogation hadn't started yet, and since everyone was out for dinner, they couldn't leave the old man alone in the hotel. It was safer to keep him close.

With the destruction of his three avatars, the old man was like a tiger with its teeth pulled, his vitality greatly diminished. He wasn't much of a threat anymore, but you really couldn't let your guard down with people like him.

As for any concerns about mistreatment, no one really gave it much thought.

The old man had been stirring up trouble everywhere lately. While the incident in the trafficking village could be considered somewhat "satisfying to the people," his actions in Tongcheng, helping Zhu Shengnan, had almost led to a disastrous outbreak of a hundred ghosts. There was no room for sympathy for such a person.

Yingying wiped the table with a wet wipe, feeling that the place was a bit dirty and worried that her boss wouldn't like it.

However, the old Taoist seemed to be very familiar with the owner of the restaurant. He was still in the kitchen ordering dishes and hadn't returned yet.

Peixian's dog meat has always been famous. Liu Bang's general, Fan Kuai, who saved him at the Hongmen Banquet, used to be a dog butcher in Peixian in his early years, and the dog meat culture of Peixian has been passed down ever since.

Many people don't like to eat dog meat, partly because their conscience bothers them, and partly because the unique gamey smell of dog meat is off-putting to some. But for those who enjoy the flavor, it's an unforgettable delicacy.

It's a pity that it's not yet winter. When winter comes, especially with a bit of snow falling, a pot of dog meat hotpot paired with half a bottle of baijiu (white liquor) is truly a heavenly experience.

Zhou Ze wasn't too particular about food. Since the old Taoist and Lawyer An strongly wanted to eat this, he went along with it.

The old Taoist returned, accompanied by a burly, well-built middle-aged man who seemed quite imposing.

"Come, come, I personally selected the meat. You're friends of Lao Lu, so you're friends of Wang Mazi! Let's have a drink together first!"

Toasting customers, exchanging pleasantries, and offering cigarettes are common practices in many down-to-earth restaurants. However, this restaurant was quite famous, and the fact that it dared to set up tables and chairs on the riverbank across the street showed that the owner definitely had some strong connections.

Even without inspections, restaurants usually aren't allowed to place tables and chairs in front of their establishments, let alone across the street.

Wang Mazi held a wine glass in one hand, with the other behind his back, toasting with great fanfare.

Zhou Ze and Lawyer An both raised their glasses and took a sip with the owner.

Wang Mazi noticed that the people at this table seemed indifferent and felt a little annoyed, but he didn't show it. He didn't linger too long, exchanged cigarettes with the old Taoist, and then left.

"I've chosen the meat, I guarantee it's fresh!"

The old Taoist seemed impatient after sitting down.

He was the only one among them who had a genuine desire for good food.

"Hehe, the owner of this restaurant is an old acquaintance of mine. I knew his father first. Wang Mazi was just a kid back then, probably in elementary school. I even prayed for his father's well-being."

"And then?" The dog meat hadn't arrived yet, so Lawyer An picked up a peanut and chewed on it. He had just drunk the Other Shore Flower oral solution and was ready to enjoy a feast, so he was in a good mood.

"His leg was blown off on the Laoshan front line."

"Uh…" Lawyer An was speechless.

"Old Taoist, are you sure Wang Mazi won't poison our dog meat later?"

Zhou Ze asked with some concern.

"No, no, his family is grateful to me. They said that if I hadn't prayed for him, he might have been killed outright."

"Hehe, this family has a good attitude," Lawyer An said with a smile.

"A few years ago, I ran into Wang Mazi again. He was still a police officer at the time and hadn't opened this restaurant yet. After we met and chatted, I prayed for him again."

"Then this time it was useful. This restaurant is doing well; he should be considered rich," Lawyer An said.

"Wait, something's not right," Zhou Ze said, recalling Wang Mazi's gestures and expression when he toasted them. He had thought the owner was deliberately putting on airs at the time, but now that he thought about it, it didn't seem like it. "Listen to what the old Taoist said. He was a police officer?"

"It seems that two thugs hijacked a hostage. Wang Mazi rushed forward to rescue the hostage and was seriously injured in the arm, forcing him to have it amputated."

"Pfft…"

Lawyer An almost choked.

Zhou Ze couldn't help but shake his head.

This old Taoist had some kind of vendetta against the father and son. One lost a leg, and the other lost an arm. What sins had this father and son committed to run into the old Taoist and have this half-baked charlatan pray for their family?

"He's also tough. He quit being a police officer and opened a dog meat restaurant, which has been doing well these years." The old Taoist pointed around and said, "Look at these tables and chairs. The owners of other restaurants wouldn't dare to put them here, but he dares to.

Two generations of father and son, one lost a leg for the country, and the other lost an arm for the people. No one would be embarrassed to say anything about them occupying the road, right?"

Zhou Ze and Lawyer An nodded. Compared to many people who are born with privileges and unequal treatment,

ordinary people are more accepting of those who earn these small privileges through the contributions of two generations of father and son.

"Even after all that, you can still be friends with them?" Lawyer An asked.

"Of course. At the time, a knife stabbed Wang Mazi in the chest, and it would have pierced his heart if it had been a little further over. He was so lucky to have survived. It was all thanks to my prayers."

"…………" Zhou Ze.

"…………" Lawyer An.

"Wang Mazi's son was also blessed by me when he was in his mother's womb."

"This must be another sad story."

Zhou Ze held his forehead.

"I can't bear to listen."

Lawyer An lowered his head.

"He was born with cerebral palsy."

The old Taoist took a sip of wine and sighed.

"Old Taoist, do you have a grudge against this family?"

Lawyer An asked.

"As you know, or rather, as the boss knows, the cure rate for this kind of congenital malformation is very low. But Wang Mazi's son, precisely because he was blessed by me, has responded incredibly well to treatment. He's almost ten years old now. Apart from being at the bottom of his class in terms of grades, he's normal in every other way. It's said that he has a great talent for soccer and has even joined Suning's youth team.

You see, isn't that the effect of my prayers?"

"Tsk, tsk…"

Lawyer An sighed.

"Boss, let's just eat the dog meat. If Wang Mazi really hates the old Taoist, he probably wouldn't bother with poison. He'd just bring people out with knives to kill this guy and feed his corpse to a dog, and then eat that dog's dog meat to vent his anger, right?"

Soon,

the dog meat was served,

a whole pot of meat,

with a fragrant aroma.

The old Taoist and Lawyer An started eating with gusto. They were planning to sample new teas after the interrogation in the evening,

so they were eating with extra effort.

Especially the dog penis, the two of them were almost fighting over it with chopsticks in the pot.

"Mine!"

Lawyer An shouted.

"Mine!"

"Give it to me! I'll pray for you tonight, Lawyer?"

Lawyer An heard this,

and fought even harder!

Zhou Ze ate two pieces of meat and found that he really couldn't handle the flavor.

Yingying didn't eat. She sat there, occasionally looking at her hands, which were a bit dirty, probably from the stains left when she wiped the table earlier.

Because her boss was a neat freak, Bai Yingying had also been infected with some of his cleanliness habits. When there was something dirty on her hands, she couldn't sit or stand comfortably, and it was very uncomfortable.

"Yingying, I'll go wash my hands with you."

Zhou Ze stood up.

"Huh?"

Yingying was stunned.

When did this big oaf become so considerate?

"Okay, Boss."

Yingying would never refuse any request from her boss.

The two didn't go inside the restaurant to find a faucet. Instead, they walked down the riverbank. As a scenic river, this river was still very clear and should have a special department responsible for cleaning it.

After getting some distance away from Wang Mazi's dog meat restaurant,

Zhou Ze let out a long sigh of relief,

feeling a bit regretful for wasting a bottle of Other Shore Flower oral solution.

Yingying happily squatted by the river to wash her hands. After washing her hands, she saw her boss sitting on a rock by the river, and she obediently sat down next to him.

The hottest part of summer was mostly over, and the bleakness of autumn and winter hadn't yet arrived.

Sitting by the river and feeling the breeze at this time was actually quite comfortable. The master and servant sat together in silence, but compared to the chatter of a thousand words, the atmosphere at this moment was more comfortable.

"Boss, did you have a dream today?"

Yingying asked.

"You also saw me killing people?"

"I saw it."

"Mm."

"Boss was so manly back then!"

"Hehe."

Zhou Ze smiled and took out a cigarette.

Yingying took the cigarette and lighter from Zhou Ze's hand.

Zhou Ze went with the flow,

preparing to enjoy himself.

A person's bottom line keeps getting lower and lower like this.

With an Yingying like this by your side,

Zhou Ze felt that he was becoming more and more decadent.

This wasn't good.

Mm,

I'll change tomorrow.

Yingying had just put the cigarette in her lips, ready to light it, when she suddenly pointed to the river in front of her and shouted:

"Boss, someone's releasing lotus lanterns!"

Zhou Ze looked over

and saw lanterns floating on the river,

decorating the calm river surface with a mysterious and charming air.

But,

after only a short while,

Zhou Ze suddenly stood up and looked around!

"What's wrong, Boss?"

"These aren't lotus lanterns, these are Other Shore Flowers!"

"Flowers bloom on the Other Shore, people go to the afterlife,

where has my lover gone, when will my lover return,

I, your sister, wait for you on the boat…………"

A ballad with a heavy local accent floated out from the lake.

A bamboo raft slowly emerged from the bottom of the lake.

A girl holding a bamboo pole and punting the boat was standing on the raft.

The girl's originally dark skin, in the black night of the lake, under the illumination of the Other Shore Flowers,

actually looked a little white!