A lesson in "fatherly love" unfolded in the courtyard, accompanied by a boy's miserable cries.
The tough guy truly wasn't holding back. The WHACK-WHACK-WHACK of the stick hitting the boy's bottom filled the other buyers with sympathy, and they stepped forward to intervene.
"Alright, that's enough! You're going to really hurt him!"
"That's enough. Let the boy save some face."
"He's old enough. You can just talk to him; he'll understand."
With everyone chiming in, the tough guy probably figured it wasn't the best place for a beating. The force of his blows lessened, and his grip on the boy's hand loosened slightly.
"It was so hard to catch him this time... Who knows if he'll get caught next time."
An Ning's unexpected comment made the tough guy's hand, which had just loosened, tighten its grip once more.
The WHACK-WHACK-WHACK of the stick grew even louder.
"AHHH— What did I ever do to you?!"
The boy stopped begging for mercy and instead howled at An Ning.
