Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

"We both contributed, so let's share the blessing. I'll give you half," Jiang Ning concluded.

"Giggle giggle giggle." Xue Yuantong was ecstatic. Five hundred yuan!

After collecting the bonus, the staff asked,

"Want to keep playing?"

Xue Yuantong quickly pulled Jiang Ning away. She wasn't interested in playing anymore; winning once was already incredibly lucky, and she wasn't going to get greedy.

"Jiang Ning, I'm treating today," Xue Yuantong patted her purse, showing off her newfound wealth.

"You can eat anything you want on this street!"

"Sure, sure," Jiang Ning happily agreed.

...

On the other end of the pedestrian street,

Ma Shicheng, Wang Longlong, and Meng Gui gathered to play the ring toss game, Meng Gui eyeing a racing car and urging them to help him win it.

Cui Yu hadn't eaten lunch and was desperately hungry. With fifty yuan funded by Meng Gui, he scouted the food street for something to eat.

Meng Gui had given him fifty yuan, but he could only spend ten because Meng Gui had no smaller bills on him.

Suddenly, Cui Yu spotted a tricycle, modified with a stall set up on it.

It displayed a tall, brightly colored cake that looked absolutely delicious.

The sign next to it read 'Osmanthus Chestnut Cake.'

Cui Yu thought it sounded good and looked great; it must taste fantastic.

He approached the vendor, "Boss, how much for this?"

"One tael for two yuan," the middle-aged vendor, around fifty, in tattered clothing and of average build, said, his gaze flickering.

Two yuan per tael, it sounded reasonable... The cake looked filling, and Cui Yu felt good about it.

"Cut me two taels," Cui Yu said.

The vendor hesitated, "It's hard to cut just like that. How about this, you point where to cut, and I'll do it."

Cui Yu asked, "Why is it hard to cut?"

"It just is. You point, I'll cut however much you want," the vendor said.

"Okay then," Cui Yu didn't sense any trick.

He pointed at the cake, "Cut from here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the vendor's knife came down swiftly, cutting a long slice.

"That's too much, too much," said Cui Yu.

The vendor bagged the cake and deftly placed it on a digital scale:

"Not too much, that's 48 yuan total."

Cui Yu was stunned and immediately protested, "I didn't ask for that much! Besides, that's way too expensive!"

"So, you want to go back on your word?" the vendor asked sternly.

Resolute, Cui Yu retorted, "You're being unfair. Yes, I changed my mind!"

With that, the vendor gripped the cake knife, slammed it on the cutting board, and shouted fiercely,

"Trying to dine and dash, are you?"

Humiliated, Cui Yu handed over 48 yuan.

With a heart full of indignation, he left the tricycle.

48 yuan—his meal budget for two or three days.

On his way to find Meng Gui, Cui Yu resentfully bit into the so-called osmanthus chestnut cake. He couldn't stand it after one bite; never had he tasted such an awful cake.

Cui Yu found Meng Gui and Ma Shicheng, and said distressingly,

"Brother Ma."

"What's wrong, Cui Yu?" Ma Shicheng could tell something was off.

Meng Gui and Wang Longlong came over.

Cui Yu recounted everything that had just happened.

Wang Longlong blurted out, "Damn, isn't this a cake-cutting scam?"

"They scammed my brother!" Meng Gui raged.

"What do we do?" Cui Yu said, unable to swallow his pride.

"Wreck him!" Wang Longlong exclaimed.

Ma Shicheng nodded, "This guy is too arrogant. We have to take him down, but we need a good plan."

"Go over what happened again, and describe that boss in detail."

After discussing, they decided that Ma Shicheng and Meng Gui would confront him, while Cui Yu, having made an impression on the vendor, would stay back.

As for Wang Longlong, although Ma Shicheng wanted him involved, he needed to stay out of sight; otherwise, if the vendor saw three of them, he might get spooked.

Wang Longlong took Cui Yu's osmanthus chestnut cake and pocketed it.

Ma Shicheng and Meng Gui casually strolled up to the vendor's stall.

"Boss, how much is this?" Ma Shicheng inquired.

Having just scammed 48 yuan, the vendor was in a good mood, "Two yuan per tael."

"I'll take three taels," Ma Shicheng declared.

The vendor again looked troubled, "It's hard to weigh. Why don't you point where you want me to cut?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Gui took a deep breath to calm himself, noticing that Ma Shicheng wasn't the least bit nervous.

"Okay, cut from here," Ma Shicheng decided.

The vendor's knife came down, cutting off a large piece and placing it on the digital scale:

"That's 52 yuan!"

Ma Shicheng was shocked, "That's too expensive?"

"You're cheating people!" Meng Gui accused.

The vendor's expression changed, becoming fiercer as he reached for his knife, booming,

"Are you buying or not?"

He was indeed a cake-scammer, genuinely intimidating when angered!

Suddenly, a hand reached from behind him and snatched the cake-cutting knife.

The vendor felt around, "Damn, where's my knife?"

As soon as he spoke, a hand reached from behind and slapped a golden slice of cake onto his face, blinding him.

Ma Shicheng shouted with authority, "Take him down!"

With all his strength, Meng Gui kicked the big cake over.

The sinful cake rolled onto the cement floor, collecting dust.

"Run!"

Ma Shicheng grabbed Meng Gui and they bolted away.