He gritted his teeth, forced out a few words, and turned to yell at his two timid underlings: "Are you still standing there like you're dead? Didn't you hear me? Move your bedding! Get out the door!"
His two henchmen were so frightened that they didn't dare to utter a sound and quickly began to tidy up Ma Jinbao's things at his stall.
"Bang!"
Ma Jinbao slammed his tattered quilt onto the cold, muddy ground by the door, kicking up a layer of dust.
"Splash!"
He threw a few tattered clothes at them in a fit of anger.
He crossed his arms, his chest heaving, his eyes fixed on Du Jianshan as if he wanted to devour him alive.
Du Jianshan strolled over slowly and kicked away the broken washbasin that Ma Jinbao had thrown on the ground, making a loud "clanging" sound.
He patted the straw mat on Ma Jinbao's old bed and grinned, "Hey, this place is nice, warm. Thanks, Ma the scorekeeper."
He turned to Wang Tieniu and called out, "Tieniu, what are you standing there for? Move the stuff over here! Brother Ma is showing his generosity, we have to appreciate it!"
Wang Tieniu stood up straight and responded loudly, "Hey! Thanks, Brother Ma!"
He quickly moved his bedding over there.
Du Jianshan leaned back comfortably on his bunk, crossed his legs, and pointed his shoes at Ma Jinbao by the door.
"Oh, right, Brother Ma," he said as if suddenly remembering, "We newcomers have been traveling by train and bus all the way here, our feet are blistered. Shouldn't you old educated youth give us a 'welcome'? Show some appreciation?"
Ma Jinbao's eyes were red: "Du Jianshan! Don't you dare push your luck! What else do you want?"
“Simple.” Du Jianshan swung his toes: “Bring a basin of hot water and let our new brothers wash their feet and relax.”
"Bullshit!" Ma Jinbao completely exploded: "You want me to fetch water for you to wash your feet? You son of a bitch..."
"Brother Ma! Brother Ma, calm down!" Zhao Youcai, limping, rushed over and hugged Ma Jinbao's waist tightly: "No, don't be impulsive! This kid is deliberately provoking you! You can't beat him... you really can't beat him! Sun Qiang's leg is still broken!"
Sun Qiang also cried out on the ground, "Brother Ma, bear with it, wait until later... later we'll kill him!"
Looking at Du Jianshan's smug and carefree demeanor, and then at his brother lying on the ground in a pitiful state, Ma Jinbao felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, burning him with pain in his internal organs.
"Fine...fine..." His voice trembled, revealing a sinister edge: "Wash your feet, huh? I'll wash them for you!"
He shoved Zhao Youcai aside, his eyes like poisoned knives: "Sun Qiang! Zhao Youcai! Go! Fetch water! Wash the feet of these two new 'grandpas'!"
"Huh?" Sun Qiang and Zhao Youcai were dumbfounded.
"What do you mean 'huh'? Go now!" Ma Jinbao roared.
Sun Qiang and Zhao Youcai, with long faces and limping, went out to fetch water.
The atmosphere inside the room was eerie.
Both the new and old educated youth were stunned and dared not utter a sound.
Not long after, Sun Qiang and Zhao Youcai each carried a basin of steaming hot foot bath water and laboriously moved back, spilling the water all over the floor.
"I...I put it here..." Sun Qiang said, his head down, his voice barely audible.
Du Jianshan didn't move, but gestured towards Ma Jinbao with his lip: "Brother Ma, shouldn't you personally express your 'goodwill'? Having the two brothers do it for you makes the 'welcome' less sincere."
Ma Jinbao froze, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.
“Du, Jian, Shan!” He uttered each word as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth.
"What? Is Ma, the clerk, going back on his word?" Du Jianshan sneered. "You just promised to 'welcome' us. Everyone heard that, right?"
No one dared to breathe loudly, and no one dared to utter a sound, but their eyes were all glancing at Ma Jinbao.
Ma Jinbao's face twitched, his eyes filled with such venomous resentment they could bleed.
He stared intently at Du Jianshan for a few seconds, then stomped his foot, walked to the basin, bent down, and picked up a basin.
The water tank was too full, and his hands trembled with anger. The scalding hot water splashed out, making him hiss.
He carried the water and moved step by step to Du Jianshan, looking as if he were going to the execution ground.
"Comrade Du! Wash your feet!"
Ma Jinbao practically roared as he slammed the basin of water down at Du Jianshan's feet, splashing water all over Du Jianshan's trouser leg.
Without even glancing at his trousers, Du Jianshan slowly took off his rubber shoes and socks, and with a "plop," plunged his sand-covered feet directly into the hot water.
"Wow, that feels so good!"
He sighed dramatically, squinted, and deliberately stirred the water: "Brother Ma's service is top-notch! He's a veteran comrade after all, with high awareness!"
Seeing his smug and smug expression, Ma Jinbao was so angry that his vision blurred and he almost spat out blood.
He clenched his fists so tightly that he didn't even feel his nails digging into his palms.
Du Jianshan gestured towards another basin of water: "Take that basin to Tie Niu. Tie Niu, you should soak in it too, it'll help you relax!"
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