Chapter 31 A Black Pot Falls from the Sky

"A ghost! A ghost! A ghost!"

"Oh my god! Guanyin Bodhisattva! Buddha! Jade Emperor! Help me!"

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law hugged each other and started wailing like ghosts. The two strong men were startled and quickly covered their mouths, afraid that the two foolish women would attract attention.

The two glared fiercely, "Don't shout!"

Chang Dafeng shivered, then realized the warmth of the hand covering her cheek. Warm?!

Alive?!

It's not a ghost?!

Her eyes widened. "Ouch! Ugh...!!"

What kind of little brat came here, pretending to be a ghost to scare this old lady?!

You son of a bitch, your son is born without an anus!

"Bang, bang, bang!" Several more punches landed on his face. The tall, burly man's eyes were cold. "No swearing!"

Chang Dafeng: "!!!"

Damn it, damn it!

She didn't swear! She didn't swear!

Her mouth was still covered, how could she swear?!

Damn it, why is this person so fierce?

They resorted to violence against an elderly person without a second thought. Have they no manners at all?!

Waaaaah!

Chang Dafeng grimaced in pain, her old face contorted into a grimace.

The short, burly man growled, "Behave yourself!"

His fist, as big as a sandbag, clenched so tightly it made a cracking sound.

Chang Dafeng's pupils dilated in shock. Good heavens, wouldn't that punch kill her?!

She nodded quickly, "Mmm...!" For a moment, she dared not have any other thoughts in her mind.

She no longer dared to curse people secretly in her heart, sob sob sob!

As for Jiang Qiubai, with his mother-in-law as a negative example, he cowered the moment he met the two men's fierce gazes, trying his best to shrink back and nodding vigorously, "Ugh! Don't hit me! Please don't hit me! I won't make a sound!"

The two were finally somewhat satisfied.

"Old man, hand over our stuff!" The short, burly man grabbed Chang Dafeng by the back of the neck and said menacingly.

"Ugh?!"

The short man glared and snapped, "What the hell are you talking about? Speak like a human being!"

Chang Dafeng and Jiang Qiubai: "..." This person doesn't seem very smart.

The tall man glared at the short, muscular man with annoyance. "How are they supposed to talk if you don't take your hands off them?"

Chang Dafeng and Jiang Qiubai nodded frantically, tears welling in their eyes. Yes, yes! Their mouths were still covered!

The short, burly man was embarrassed for a moment, then quickly moved his hand away.

He then threatened with his fist in a menacing voice, "Don't yell or shout, do you hear me?"

The two of them murmured like quails, "Mmm-hmm!"

Thinking to themselves, with your fist blocking their way, how dare they scream? They'd probably be chopped up and dealt with by these two before anyone even arrived!

"B-Brother, what are you talking about? We're all law-abiding citizens, we didn't take anything from you!"

Even law-abiding citizens have come out. The two burly men's lips twitched. "Don't try to fool me. This is what you dug up here yesterday!"

"Huh, what is that?"

Chang Dafeng and Jiang Qiubai were both dumbfounded, and said in unison, "We didn't come here to dig for anything yesterday!"

Jiang Qiubai trembled and asked tentatively, "This is our first time here today. Are you sure you've made a mistake, brothers?"

As soon as they finished speaking, both of them received a punch to the face with a "thud".

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law burst into tears, crying, "Hero, spare us! Spare us!"

The short man glared at him fiercely, his eyebrows raised, and said, "Still not behaving yourself? Want to get punched again?!"

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law trembled simultaneously, shaking their heads frantically in fear, "No, no! Hero, brave man, we really, really didn't see anything!"

Good heavens! Where did this monster come from? Why does it keep punching people in the face?!

Even Chang Dafeng, who spent years fighting and pulling hair with the old ladies and young wives in the compound, couldn't take it anymore.

Waaaaah! That's too fierce!

Chang Dafeng was on the verge of tears: "We've really never been here before. This is our first time here and you've already caught us. Look, there's not even any dirt on our shovels!"

So please stop hitting us, waaaaah!

Seeing that the two women didn't seem to be lying, the two men exchanged a glance and frowned. Could it be that they had really made a mistake?

Who stole their things?

The tall man stared at the two men with a chilling gaze. "Where did you two find out there was treasure here?"

His gaze was incredibly sharp, as if it could pierce right into people's hearts. Jiang Qiubai felt a moment of panic and quickly lowered his head.

Chang Dafeng betrayed Jiang Qiubai without the slightest hesitation, saying, "It was my daughter-in-law who told me!"

Chang Dafeng pointed at Jiang Qiubai and said excitedly, "It's her, it's her, it's definitely her! Good sir, if you're looking for someone, look for her! She's the one who brought me here. She said there was treasure here, but I didn't know anything. I really didn't know anything!" Chang Dafeng truly felt wronged. She really, really didn't know anything, so why was she beaten up for no reason?

"Mom?!" Jiang Qiubai looked at her mother-in-law in disbelief.

Yesterday, my mother-in-law was all very earnest, telling me to get along well with Haiyang, and that Haiyang would have to rely on himself from now on. How could I possibly sell myself off?!

Chang Dafeng avoided her gaze.

If Jiang Qiubai hadn't said there were treasures here and brought her here to dig for them, would she have endured this ordeal?

What treasure? What treasure! She didn't even see a hair of it, but instead encountered two fierce-looking, burly men who could hit anyone hard!

Chang Dafeng suspected that this was a show staged by that little hussy to get revenge for beating her yesterday.

What dream? Bah! She shouldn't have believed that little hussy's nonsense!

"Oh? Then tell me, how did you find out there was something buried here?" The tall man smiled, but his eyes turned dangerous.

Only the boss and the two of them knew about this place. Now that the boss is gone, only he and the short, strong man know about it.

How did this woman find out?

The tall man slowly placed his hand on Jiang Qiubai's neck.

Jiang Qiubai instinctively sensed danger. She shuddered, her intuition telling her not to say it was a dream. In her panic, she didn't even know what she said.

"I heard it from the neighbors..."

She looked up in astonishment. How could she say that?

The tall man stared intently at her, then asked, "Oh? Where do you live? What's your neighbor's last name and first name?"

Jiang Qiubai's mind went blank. She knew, she knew, that she had to give a clear answer today, otherwise these two wouldn't let her off the hook.

Her eyes darted around rapidly as she pondered deeply, trying to figure out which of her acquaintances was suitable to be the sucker.

One by one, the neighbors flashed through Jiang Qiubai's mind: Grandpa Zou's family in the front yard, Ma Gaosheng's family, Yu Junsheng's family in the second yard, Grandpa Guo's family, the Qin family and the Ren family in the third yard...

That's right! That's right! That's right!

She suddenly remembered that Zheng Haicheng had mentioned Ren Jiaxin had bought a bicycle when he came to take over her shift that night!

Jiang Qiubai immediately felt that this was it, this was the Ren family!

The Ren family has recently made a large expenditure, which makes them seem more credible.

What if I say I'm poor, and these two investigate and find out I'm lying? Will they come after me again?

She doesn't want to experience something like this again!

Jiang Qiubai gritted his teeth and quickly told the whole story about the Ren family: "The family's surname is Ren. The man in the family is the deputy director of logistics at the machinery factory. They live in No. 35 Xiaohuaihua Hutong. Their house was smashed to pieces a while ago, but they just bought a bicycle today. They must have sold your things, otherwise where would they get so much money!"

To be honest, Jiang Qiubai originally just randomly chose a reasonable sucker, but the more he talked about it, the more suspicious the Ren family seemed.

The Ren family's house was completely ransacked before, and they had just finished buying new things for the house. Where would they get the money to buy a bicycle for Ren Yongsheng to show off?

Their family has always lived the best life in the compound. They love to be presentable and spend a lot of money. Even if Ren Wenhua and Ren Yongsheng's salaries were combined, they probably couldn't save up this much wealth.

Could it be that they really did secretly dig up their own treasure?

That's highly suspicious.

Even if they didn't secretly dig up treasure, the money was still ill-gotten!

Jiang Qiubai thought about it more and more and felt that he was right. In this way, even if the Ren family was unlucky, they deserved it and she was not to blame!

So, she lost all guilt and started talking, "I overheard them talking about digging for treasure outside their window once, so I brought my mother-in-law to try my luck before them. Who knew we were too late?" By the end, Jiang Qiubai was surprisingly confident, as if she had actually experienced it herself.

Chang Dafeng stared at him, completely bewildered.

Wait, what is this little brat saying? She can't understand a word she's saying!

Wasn't that news something she dreamed about? How did it get involved with the Ren family again?!

Wait a minute, is this little vixen trying to shift the blame?!

Chang Dafeng stared wide-eyed, looking Jiang Qiubai, who resembled a quail, up and down as if she didn't recognize him.

She just said it, she just said it!

That little hussy is no good!

I'd better be careful not to get tricked by her in the future!

The tall man noticed her subtle movements, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Hmm? Is there something you want to say?"

Chang Dafeng shuddered and shook her head frantically, "No, no, I have nothing to say! My daughter-in-law is right, I'm just an old woman who doesn't know anything!"

So be it if the Ren family suffers; it's better for the Ren family to suffer than for us to suffer!

She could tell that the two of them were furious because their things were missing, and they wouldn't let her off the hook unless she found someone to take the blame!

Chang Dafeng was never a good person to begin with, so when faced with the choice between someone else's misfortune and her own, she would naturally choose the former!

Who could be more important than myself?!

The tall, muscular man and the short man exchanged a glance, a sharp glint in their eyes.

...

Let's leave aside the harrowing night that happened between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Zheng family.

The mornings at No. 35 compound were as lively as ever, with early risers gathering to wash up and chat about recent events. Soon, the people heading off to work or school went about their business, and the compound quieted down again.

Cheng Jiajia was sleeping soundly when a bell suddenly rang outside.

"Ring ring," "Ring ring," "Ring ring"

Cheng Jiajia frowned. She covered her head with the blanket and rolled around on the bed, but the sound seemed to be growing right next to her ear, ringing incessantly, which annoyed Cheng Jiajia to no end.

"Are you crazy? Why are you ringing the bell so early in the morning?!"

Unable to fall asleep, Cheng Jiajia got up in a huff, opened the door, and looked outside.

Ren Yongsheng was dressed in a clean and tidy Zhongshan suit, his hair was combed into a three-seven part, and he was riding his bicycle around the Second Courtyard in a showy manner. Behind him was a group of giggling little kids who were looking at the bicycle under his butt with envy.

Bai Xiaohui looked at the bicycle with great longing, and said shyly, "Brother Yongsheng, can I borrow your bicycle for a bit?"

Ren Yongsheng decisively refused, "You can't ride one, what if you break it?"

Bai Xiaohui pouted and looked at Ren Yongsheng with a wronged expression.

Ren Yongsheng pretended not to see it. He was joking. It was a new car. He hadn't even had his fill of it himself. Why would he lend it to someone else?

Ren Yongsheng had been glancing sideways at the east wing and quickly noticed Cheng Jiajia. He braced himself with his foot and brought the car to a stop with a screech. He raised an eyebrow at Cheng Jiajia, thinking himself dashing, and patted the back seat, saying, "Want to sit?"

"I don't usually let people sit here, but Xiao Cheng, we're not that close. If you want to sit, just tell me, and I'll definitely do it without hesitation!"

Cheng Jiajia: "..." She was speechless.

Seriously, such greasy food so early in the morning, her stomach can't handle it!

Cheng Jiajia's face darkened, and she scolded, "Who's talking to you like that? How disgusting! Do I even know you? Why are you talking to me like that? How can you be so good at patting yourself on the back! If you want to show off, go back and take your wife with you. Stop ringing your phone incessantly in the Second Hospital, disturbing people's sleep so early in the morning. Don't you have any public decency?"

This guy really needs to be taught a lesson. He deliberately spoke in such an ambiguous way that anyone would think they had some kind of secret relationship with him.

Ren Yongsheng was scolded harshly and looked at Cheng Jiajia in disbelief.

That's right, he did deliberately make his words so ambiguous, wanting everyone to think that this young wife was close to him.

Today, he deliberately rode his bicycle to show off in front of Cheng Jiajia. He just couldn't believe that if he rode this new bicycle in front of her every day, his little wife wouldn't be envious.

Ren Yongsheng was very confident that as long as Cheng Jiajia was tempted, he could just beckon her and offer her some sweetness, and he could gradually win her over.

Who would have thought, who would have thought!

Not only did the young wife not take the bait, she also gave him a good scolding.

Where does that leave my pride?

Ren Yongsheng's face turned ugly. He gave a stiff smile and said, "Xiao Cheng, you just don't get used to the sound of bicycle bells, so you find it jarring. You'll find it pleasant after you hear it more often."

He cursed inwardly, "You little bitch, wait till I get my hands on you, I'll make you pay!"

Cheng Jiajia couldn't bring herself to be nice to such a shameless person. She rolled her eyes and said, "I said east and you said west, huh? Fine, fine! Remember, we don't know each other, we're not close, so don't say anything weird in the future! Otherwise, you'll regret it!" She emphasized the last sentence. She had already given him a heads-up; if he still didn't behave, he wouldn't be able to blame her later.

Ren Yongsheng, however, didn't take it seriously. What could a young woman from the countryside do to him? He didn't even bother with her.

Women are all like that, so easily swayed. Today's failure might be because I didn't offer enough sweetness. It seems this little wife has quite an appetite.

Ren Yongsheng insisted that as long as he continued to show his charm, Cheng Jiajia would definitely fall for him.

To be fair, Ren Yongsheng's lecherous thinking makes some sense.

Sure enough, Cheng Jiajia didn't manage to hook up with him, but the other people in the yard were getting restless as they looked at the gleaming bicycle.

Bai Xiaohui involuntarily recalled what her mother had said to her last night.

Looking at Ren Yongsheng again, he was dressed in a neat Zhongshan suit with his hair parted in a 3/7 ratio, and he looked surprisingly refined.

Bai Xiaohui suddenly realized that this person wasn't bad-looking either, and he was a film projectionist at the factory—a respectable job. Although he wasn't as talented as Ziwen, he was still a promising young man.

Her eyes flickered, and she suddenly felt that this was a good opportunity. So Bai Xiaohui stepped forward, opened her arms, and stood in front of Ren Yongsheng, both delicate and firm.

She frowned, looking at Cheng Jiajia with disapproval, and said in a soft voice:

“Sister-in-law Yu, in principle, I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but I feel really uneasy if I don’t say something. Please don’t think I’m being offensive. Brother Yongsheng was just being kind, asking if you wanted a ride on his bicycle out of concern for his neighbors. You can be ungrateful, but how can you talk to him like that? What will everyone think of him in the future?”

Ren Yongsheng was overjoyed to have someone speak up for him, and he immediately put on a hurt expression, "That's right, I only asked if you needed a ride out of neighborly concern, I didn't mean anything by it. Xiao Cheng, you misunderstood me, those words really hurt me!"

Cheng Jiajia: "!!!"

Don't you realize whether it's a misunderstanding or not?

And then there's Bai Xiaohui, a perfectly normal girl, how come she has two holes in her head?

Anyone with eyes can see that lecherous guy is trying to seduce me, yet he still dares to lie through his teeth. How blind must he be!

I've learned something new! I've really learned something new!

She was too lazy to argue with these clueless people, and chuckled insincerely, "Since that's the case, Bai Xiaohui grew up with you, so your relationship must be extraordinary, something we ordinary neighbors can't compare to. Ren Yongsheng, why don't you take her for a drive? I think I just heard her ask to borrow your car. What, you're not going to be reluctant to let her go?" Cheng Jiajia deliberately emphasized "extraordinary" and "ordinary neighbors," leaving much to the imagination.

Ren Yongsheng's face darkened.

Bai Xiaohui was overjoyed. She looked at Ren Yongsheng expectantly, "Brother Yongsheng, is it okay?"

Ren Yongsheng resolutely refused, "Xiaohui, if your sister-in-law sees you riding with another woman on the back, she'll get angry. I'm not saying anything more, I think I heard your sister-in-law calling me!" With a push of his foot, he got on his bike and rode away.

Who wants to take Bai Xiaohui along? Although he likes to stare at young women and wives, he only looks for those with good figures and fuller figures—that's what's interesting. What's so interesting about Bai Xiaohui, who's so skinny and looks like she could be blown away by the wind?

He might as well go back to Dong Xiangxiang!

Bai Xiaohui: "..."

She stomped her foot in frustration. What kind of person is that!

What a wonderful drama of unrequited love! Cheng Jiajia watched from behind the window, still thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

She remembered that Bai Xiaohui seemed to have been interested in Qin Ziwen from the Qin family before, but now she's changed her target?

Cheng Jiajia raised an eyebrow, and could only say that the bicycle was truly captivating!

Sigh, the courtyard has been much quieter these past two days, and Cheng Jiajia is finding it rather strange.

She was starting to miss Chang Dafeng, who lived across the street. With her there, there were always big opera performances in the courtyard every day, which was really interesting.

With her gone, most of my fun has been gone.

As they say, people can't stand being nagged. Cheng Jiajia had just muttered a few words to herself when Chang Dafeng's family returned with Zheng Haiyang that afternoon.

However, when they went there, only Zheng Haiyang was injured, but when they came back, the whole family of three was injured.

At first, no one could see them because Chang Dafeng and Jiang Qiubai had both wrapped themselves up tightly with headscarves, only revealing their eyes.

Seeing that both of them looked dejected, even Zheng Haiyang had a gloomy face, as if someone owed him money.

Does this mean Zheng Haiyang is really failing?

However, everyone just muttered a few words to themselves and didn't dare to actually ask.

Zheng Haiyang was still lying on the cart. His injuries had not yet healed, and he could not walk more than a few steps. He needed to be carried into the house.

After all, living in the same compound, there's bound to be some neighborly affection. When faced with such a difficult situation, everyone will lend a hand, regardless of their reasons.

So, disregarding everything else, they all enthusiastically stepped forward to help lift Zheng Haiyang.

"Come on, everyone, lend a hand and let's carry Haiyang back inside!"

Two or three strong young men, two in front and one behind, worked together to carry Zheng Haiyang into the house and help him onto the bed.

Everyone's gaze swept over Zheng Haiyang's waist and abdomen, and their eyes were filled with pity as they looked at Chang Dafeng.

That old shrew really has bad luck. She lost her husband young, and just when she was almost fully grown up, her most promising eldest son suddenly suffered this misfortune. It's truly... truly heartbreaking.

Uh, uh, what happened to that old shrew's face?

I didn't see it before, but now that the headscarf is askew, the bruises on Chang Dafeng's face are clearly visible.

Her daughter-in-law, Jiang Qiubai, was the same way.

Everyone:"!!!"

That's ridiculous, it's really scary!

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the bruised and purple cheeks of Chang Dafeng and Jiang Qiubai, mother and daughter-in-law. Good heavens, how fierce must the beating have been to get them beaten like this?

How come this old shrew can get into a fight just by going to stay in someone's room?

"Aunt Chang, didn't you go to the hospital to take care of Haiyang? What happened to your face?"

Some teased her directly, saying, "Aunt Chang, you didn't get into a fight and lose at the hospital, did you?"

"Pooh!"

"What are you looking at?! What are you looking at?! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out! Damn it, haven't you ever seen a beautiful old lady before?!"

Chang Dafeng found those gazes extremely irritating, reminding her of the beating she received last night. She felt very uncomfortable, and when she saw them lift her son onto the bed, she immediately started glaring at them and cursing.

You're saying they helped her family? Pshaw, she didn't beg them for help! They came on their own!

Chang Dafeng is incredibly brazen in her actions of crossing the river and then dismantling the bridge!

Her son's injury could potentially affect the area, and she herself was inexplicably beaten. Chang Dafeng is now irritable and her mental state is like that of a mad dog, ready to bite anyone she sees.

"What are you all doing in my house? Waiting for me to invite you to stay for dinner? Bah! Dream on! I don't even have enough food to eat, let alone time to feed all of you irrelevant people!"

The crowd immediately suppressed their pity.

Pah! I can't feel sorry for her at all!

It's not worth it for that old shrew!

Cheng Jiajia didn't go to help; instead, she peeked out from her own doorway to watch the commotion, utterly dumbfounded.

I have to say, I really have to admit, this old lady has a real knack for stirring up trouble!

Guan Ailian had been thinking about how to regain her prestige, and now the opportunity had come!

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately took the moral high ground, disapprovingly saying, "Old Chang, I have to say something to you. Everyone helped you purely out of neighborly kindness, without expecting your thanks or forcing you to treat them to a meal. Everyone saw how you were in the courtyard before. They were magnanimous and kind to forgive and forget. But how can you take advantage of their kindness and treat them like this? Old Chang, you've disappointed us so much!"

"Everyone in this courtyard helps each other out when someone is in trouble, but your family is an exception. Before we can even catch our breath, they're kicking us out. It's really an eye-opener!"

"Yes, Aunt Chang, we didn't help your family for anything in return. You've really hurt our feelings!"

Everyone joined in criticizing Chang Dafeng.

If Guan Ailian had spoken to her like that normally, Chang Dafeng would have jumped up and cursed her. But now, when facing Aunt Guan, a guilty look flashed across her purplish-blue face, and her eyes kept flickering.

She pursed her lips, but ultimately said nothing.

Guan Ailian thought that Chang Dafeng was afraid of her, and snorted smugly to herself. She was indeed the most respectable aunt in the courtyard. Chang Dafeng, that old shrew, what was she?