Sha Zhu felt guilty for smashing the Jia family's window and extorting fifty yuan from Yi Zhonghai; otherwise, he would have reported the incident to the police to deal with the Jia family and teach Jia Dongxu a lesson.
"Dongxu, how are you?"
Qin Huairu jogged over to help her husband, squatted down, and turned to look at Sha Zhu, "Zhu Zi, what's wrong with you? Weren't you two brothers getting along really well before?!"
Yan Bugui left late, wanting to comfort Shazhu when no one was around, and maybe even get a free cigarette.
It was almost dawn, so I grabbed a cigarette and headed out to the outhouse, hoping to save myself one cigarette for the day.
When he looked up, he saw Sha Zhu kicking Jia Dongxu.
The tricky angle of the kick made Yan Bugui's eyelids tremble. With a thud under his feet, he realized that even with a broken arm, Sha Zhu still possessed ample fighting power. No wonder Lao Yi was being suppressed.
"Qin Huairu, have you forgotten how Jia Dongxu whipped me with a belt last time? He really hit me hard. I still have scabs on my buttocks."
Sha Zhu stood to the side, glancing sideways at Qin Huairu, then at Jia Dongxu, who was getting up from the ground and grimacing. "Jia Dongxu, I've realized I misjudged you. You're a really wicked person. Just you wait and see, someone like you won't have a good end."
After saying that, Sha Zhu spat on the ground, turned around, and slid open the half-burnt wooden door to go inside.
The deaf old lady was once again helped back by Liu Guangtian and his brother. Sha Zhu went back to the house to pack his bedding and prepare to spend the night at his grandmother's house in the backyard.
Jia Dongxu glared at Sha Zhu's back for a moment, and only after making sure Sha Zhu couldn't hear him did he turn to Yan Bugui and say, "Third Uncle, you saw that, didn't you? This bastard thinks he can become the manager? Does he think everyone in our compound is dead?"
"Who would dare to use a mediator like that? If you ask him to mediate a conflict, you might end up getting beaten up."
“I’d rather support that donkey Xu Damao than let Sha Zhu succeed. Besides, I, Jia Dongxu, am no worse than anyone else. If Sha Zhu can run for the position of manager, why can’t I?”
As he spoke, Jia Dongxu smiled sheepishly at Yan Bugui, "Uncle, did you bring any cigarettes? I just finished mine, otherwise I would have taken them out and given them to you."
"Dongxu, what a coincidence, I left in such a hurry that I didn't bring it with me."
Yan Bugui was suddenly stunned as he listened. "Wow, I don't even know who I'm mooching from, and you want to mooch a cigarette from me? Even if I have one, I can't give it to you. How about we ask Sha Zhu if he can have one?"
"he?"
Jia Dongxu snorted twice, glancing hatefully at Sha Zhu's house. When he saw the burned-out window and half a door, he immediately grinned. "Asking him for cigarettes? You've got the wrong idea, Uncle. He probably doesn't even have the money to repair the door now. This down-and-out guy is still trying to compare himself to Xu Damao. He's a complete idiot."
"Alright, Uncle, you're busy, we'll head back now."
After saying that, Jia Dongxu glanced at Yan Bugui and was helped home by Qin Huairu.
Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses, hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped up the stairs and entered Sha Zhu's house.
As expected, Sha Zhu was packing up his bedding.
Because he only has one arm to use, even this small task is extremely difficult.
Yan Bugui rushed forward to help, tucking the bedding under Shazhu's armpits and then hanging a large teacup on his hand.
"Uncle, putting everything else aside, I, Sha Zhu, have to thank you today."
Sha Zhu sighed, clutching the blanket. "I was misled by Yi Zhonghai before and didn't like you and Liu Haizhong. I apologize. Oh, by the way, I have some cigarettes in my pocket. Could you please take them out so we can light them up?"
"Hey, Sha Zhu, what are you saying? That's all in the past. The fact that you've come to your senses now shows that you're a thoughtful and good young man."
As Yan Bugui spoke, his hands moved without hesitation. He reached into Sha Zhu's pocket, lit a cigarette, and put it in Sha Zhu's mouth. Then he lit one for himself and took a satisfying drag.
"Alright, Sha Zhu, it's already dawn, I'm going back too."
Yan Bugui had to hurry up and leave, otherwise the cigarette would burn out before he even got to the toilet.
"Okay, I need to hurry to the backyard too." Sha Zhu nodded, then suddenly remembered the whole courtyard meeting that evening. "Uncle, why did you put the cigarettes back? I meant just one for me, you can keep the rest."
"Oh, Zhu Zi, then thank you very much, Uncle San."
Yan Bugui's small eyes behind his glasses narrowed into slits with a smile. There was still more than half a pack left, enough for him to smoke for half a month. If that wasn't enough, he could always borrow a few more from someone else.
Sha Zhu wanted to wave his hand to show his magnanimity, but his other arm was not up to the task: "Hey, Uncle, if you want a smoke, come find me. After all, we'll be working together from now on."
Working together?
Yan Bugui was taken aback, and immediately realized that Shazhu was also after the steward.
"Silly Zhu, there's not much I can do to help you. You know Xu Damao often helps me out, giving me all sorts of wild mushrooms, garlic, and other mountain produce..."
"That's nothing. I'll bring you meat and vegetables when I start working."
Sha Zhu snorted nonchalantly.
"Alright, let's not delay any longer. You should go to the old lady's place quickly so as not to disturb her rest."
The two parted ways in the middle courtyard, and Yan Bugui returned to the front courtyard with half a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, completely satisfied.
Sha Zhu stood by the moon gate leading to the backyard, watching Yan Bugui's figure disappear before spitting on the ground, "What a piece of trash, giving you money? Shameless bastard."
Passing by Wang Dabao's house, Sha Zhu resisted the urge to knock on the door. With all the things that had happened today, no one in the compound had gotten a good rest, and going to their door now would really disturb their rest.
Shaking his head, Sha Zhu strode toward the deaf old woman's house.
More than an hour later, it was fully light, and the courtyard became lively again.
Wang Dabao pushed open the door, picked up the chamber pot, and went straight to the public toilet at the entrance.
While other people's chamber pots contain urine, his contains water; it's just a formality.
"Oh, Aunt Zhou, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm free these days anyway, I'll definitely come over and help!"
"Uncle Jiang, are you up? Have you prepared the coal for winter?"
"Uncle, you're up early enough. Do you have a lot of classes today? If you're fishing alone, call me and I'll come cheer you on."
Before Wang Dabao even reached the front of the line, he saw Sha Zhu standing in the line of people emptying chamber pots, constantly trying to get close to everyone. It seemed that he was campaigning for the position of the steward.
Soon after, Xu Damao arrived, listlessly lining up behind Wang Dabao.
Hearing the silly Zhu De Bi De, Xu Damao was so annoyed that he almost peed in the jar on Wang Dabao's heels, which scared him so much that he quickly pushed Xu Damao forward.
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