The news of Zhuang Zhixi and his wife receiving rewards had stirred up the neighbors, and tonight's team to catch thieves was significantly larger. In addition to the regular members, some were participating voluntarily. Seeing that the number was sufficient, Aunt Su immediately feigned weakness, claiming to be unwell today.
Of course, if she wasn't feeling well, she certainly couldn't participate!
Zhao Guihua, upon seeing Aunt Su's act, knew she was up to no good, just trying to slack off. Sure enough, as the leader, Aunt Wang, seeing her like this and considering they had enough people, said, "Then you stay home and rest. With enough people, it's fine for a frail female comrade like you not to join."
Aunt Su gave a weak smile.
"Thank you, thank you all so much. I know, our courtyard is the most warm-hearted place; there is true human kindness here!"
Old Man Bai, concerned, asked, "Sister Su, where are you feeling unwell? If it's serious, we shouldn't tough it out. I'll take you to the clinic. No matter what, we can't neglect your health. If something happens to you, your daughter-in-law and grandson would be devastated."
He made a roundabout remark.
Aunt Su's gaze was soft as she said, "I understand, but our family's circumstances... we have to save where we can. You know, these are old ailments from when I was young and worked too hard. Medicine doesn't help much; I just need to rest more. I'll be fine after a lie-down."
"That won't do! You... oh, you're lacking in nutrition. Wait, I'll go see if I can swap for an egg for you."
Aunt Su's heart swelled with pride, but she maintained her weak demeanor, saying, "How could I trouble you... Brother, you keep it for yourself. You're not young either; you need to take care of yourself..."
Zhao Guihua couldn't bear it anymore. She felt truly disgusted. These two were acting out an old-age romance drama, being overly affectionate. Zhao Guihua picked up her golden cudgel and left directly, not wanting to listen to any more of this nonsense. She felt she'd need to clean her ears when she got home.
Zhao Guihua led the way out, with others following in dribs and drabs. After all, while Zhao Guihua found the old-age romance drama repulsive, some people enjoyed watching it. In these times, entertainment was scarce, and one had to be resourceful in finding joy.
Once outside, Zhao Guihua was accompanied by Aunt Wang. Aunt Wang's family had Yang Lixin participating today, so she could have stayed home, but Aunt Wang was of a different temperament than Aunt Su and Aunt Zhou.
She was from the northeast and had a straightforward nature. Although their family was well-represented, she felt it wasn't right for her, as the courtyard manager, not to participate. So she stepped up without hesitation. However, with the addition of several young men and strong men today, their elderly patrol team quickly disintegrated.
In just one day, only Zhao Guihua and Aunt Wang, two elderly women, remained. The two of them were not at all timid. Each carrying a golden cudgel, they walked at the front. Aunt Wang curiously gossiped with Zhao Guihua, "Do you know why Jiang Lu is here? She's so clingy to her husband, isn't she?"
Yes, today there was an extra female participant, Jiang Lu!
Although Madam Zhou Li had signed up, today it was Zhou Qun participating. Zhou Qun probably didn't want to miss the chance to catch thieves, so he joined the patrol. Aunt Zhou, always one to take advantage, certainly wouldn't come out.
It was a waste of effort to send just one person.
Even so, their family still had one extra person. Zhou Qun patrolled, and Jiang Lu followed, sticking to him like a little wife. Oh, she was indeed a little wife. Observing her, it seemed she was fully prepared, carrying the wooden stick Aunt Zhou had prepared earlier and even a water bottle.
At night, it looked as if she was going on a spring outing in the mountains.
Although there were more people, Aunt Wang felt uncomfortable. She walked with Zhao Guihua and said, "I understand why these men come out to patrol and catch thieves, but what's Jiang Lu doing here? Is it really necessary?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "Who knows? Maybe she thinks it is?"
The two elderly women turned back together. It was just then that Zhou Qun sneezed twice in a row, possibly due to their behind-the-scenes chatter. Jiang Lu immediately took out a handkerchief to wipe his nose, whispering softly, "What's wrong? Quickly, wipe it."
She wiped Zhou Qun's nose and placed a hand on his face, saying, "So cold, are you catching a chill? Maybe you should go home; I can patrol here. You're the pillar of our family; you can't fall ill."
Zhou Qun shook his head, saying, "No need, everyone is here; why should I leave? Am I not a man?"
Jiang Lu gazed at her husband with starry eyes, finding him very manly. Her man was better than anyone else. She softly said, "Then have some hot water."
She unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to Zhou Qun, holding it to his mouth, being considerate and attentive. Such a caring and wealthy wife was envied by everyone present.
How they wished they could have a woman like Jiang Lu.
While everyone envied, Aunt Wang and Zhao Guihua, as experienced women, frowned slightly, finding her behavior a bit distasteful. Zhao Guihua said, "Let's walk faster; I can't stand it."
Aunt Wang laughed, saying, "Li Fang from my family doesn't like to associate with her, calling her spineless."
Zhao Guihua agreed, saying, "Li Fang from your family and I think alike."
Previously, Li Fang had been on indifferent terms with the other wives in the courtyard. Many thought it was because Li Fang didn't work and was a housewife, while most of the other wives were working women serving the people. Naturally, they couldn't get along.
After all, their experiences were different. But Zhao Guihua realized it wasn't that simple.
People don't judge by their jobs or experiences; whether they can be friends depends on whether their values align.
Li Fang simply didn't like them.
Was that strange?
Zhao Guihua thought not at all.
In their courtyard, her eldest daughter-in-law, Liang Meifen, was also working but was a spineless enabler of her younger brother; Wang Xiangxiu was a woman with no limits to support her son; and Jiang Lu, in decades-old terms, had "played a winning hand poorly," being spineless.
And...
Counting them, there were almost no one in the courtyard who could get along well with Li Fang.
Li Fang's best friend had been Zhao Guihua's second daughter, Zhuang Zhixin, but Zhuang Zhixin had married far away. Her second daughter, Zhixin, was opinionated and capable, decisive and heroic. Li Fang could be friends with Zhuang Zhixin.
No matter what, it was clear that their core values were aligned, otherwise, they couldn't have been good friends. So it was normal for Li Fang to dislike others.
Zhao Guihua said, "I've always thought Li Fang from your family is a good girl."
She had once wanted Li Fang to be her eldest daughter-in-law, but the two children had no such intentions. Her eldest son had secretly dated Liang Meifen in high school, and Li Fang's family had always been cautious, not letting her mix too much with the young men in the courtyard, fearing feelings would develop.
Compared to Aunt Wang's straightforwardness, Li Fang's father, the chef, was a bit more cunning. He knew that the families in their courtyard were all workers and would never allow their sons to be "zhuixu" (a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family), so even though there were several eligible young men in the courtyard, he didn't consider them.
He preferred to find someone with worse family conditions but more controllable.
Yang Lixin was found this way. Yang Lixin and Li Fang got along well, as among the young men in the courtyard, Yang Lixin was the best-looking. Actually, if we were to compare, Yang Lixin wasn't as good-looking as Zhuang Zhiyuan. But Zhuang Zhiyuan was fond of lecturing and not good with words, unlike the rural-born and Li Fang's father's apprentice, Yang Lixin, who knew how to please Li Fang.
As for Zhou Qun, the Su family's son, and Bai Fendou, their looks were far inferior to Yang Lixin's.
So Li Fang was quite happy to marry Yang Lixin. Although everyone wanted to find someone with good conditions, when their own conditions were not bad, they naturally preferred someone they found pleasing to the eye. Of course, the best-looking guy in their courtyard was Zhuang Zhixi.
However, Zhuang Zhixi was not of the same age group as them and was quite a bit younger, so no one really paid attention to the little kid.
Now looking at it, among the kids of similar age, besides Zhuang Zhiyuan, Li Fang seemed to be living quite well. The other three families, let's not even talk about them. Zhao Guihua said, "These people are running around like thieves, I wonder how long they can last."
Aunt Wang replied, "Who knows? No matter how long they last, I have to stick to my task. Since the organization gave me this responsibility, I must fulfill it well."
Zhao Guihua: "Oh."
She looked at Aunt Wang, nodding slightly. She vaguely remembered that there had been thief activities not just these past few days... As they strolled, Aunt Wang hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Old Zhao, I heard your son Zhuang Zhixi was rewarded with a bicycle ticket."
Zhao Guihua nodded: "Yes."
Aunt Wang: "Well... I'll be honest with you, do you need it? If not, could you give it to me? You know, my family has never had a bicycle, and my husband also wants to buy one, but these tickets are really hard to come by."
Zhao Guihua: "I plan to use it. I'll be honest with you too. You see, we already have a bike, but it was my daughter-in-law's dowry, and she needs it for work. It's inconvenient for others to use. So I want to buy one too. It's not right for that Bai Fendou to be able to afford one while we can't, right?"
In fact, it wasn't just because of Bai Fendou; she just wanted more convenience. But that didn't stop her from using that as an excuse. She said, "I've recently taken up fishing, and having a bike would make it easier to go to distant places."
Aunt Wang sighed upon hearing this, "Then it's a no-go. I'll have to think of another way. How did Bai Fendou manage to get such a ticket?"
You know, nowadays, not only do you need a ticket for a bicycle, but the ticket also specifies the brand. You can only buy what's written on the ticket. So Bai Fendou's Forever bike seemed even more special.
Zhao Guihua thought for a moment and smiled, "Who knows?"
Come to think of it, in her previous life, she hadn't heard how Bai Fendou got that bicycle. But since it wasn't from the factory, it was likely through the black market. However, she didn't mention that, as it would be inappropriate to suddenly accuse someone of going to the black market.
This wasn't like the old days of the pigeon market; nowadays, you couldn't just go there and say anything.
Aunt Wang had also guessed the general idea, but she wasn't familiar with the black market, so she could only sigh quietly. As they walked, suddenly a shout rang out: "Catch the thief!"
In the quiet night, the voice was particularly abrupt.
Zhao Guihua stopped in her tracks, hearing another shout right after: "You little thief, you dare to steal!"
The voice sounded familiar; it was Zhuang Zhixi's. Zhao Guihua's face changed, and she quickly rushed over, fearing that Zhuang Zhixi might encounter a thief again in this life. Although her son was already a grown man, in her mother's heart, he was still her baby. Even if he was very, very big, she still reflexively wanted to protect him.
Zhao Guihua sprinted over, and sure enough, the sound came from their courtyard.
Zhao Guihua: "Where's the thief? Don't even think about running!"
Aunt Wang: "Wow, Old Zhao, you're so brave."
She, the courtyard manager, was slower to react than Zhao Guihua. At this moment, a short figure with a towel over his face darted out of the courtyard. Behind him was Zhuang Zhixi, shouting, "Catch the thief!"
His voice was loud, and the patrol members, scattered here and there, heard Zhuang Zhixi's call even if they didn't see Zhao Guihua running. Everyone suddenly got energized; after all, wasn't this why they were here? Several men dashed over like lightning.
Zhao Guihua, an old lady, was left behind.
Zhao Guihua watched as a dark-faced man rushed forward, followed by Bai Fendou. They were incredibly fast. By now, the residents of the courtyard were also pouring out. The thief ran wildly, and the dark-faced man thought, "You still dare to run?"
Just as Zhuang Zhixi was about to catch the thief, he sidestepped and got ahead of Zhuang Zhixi. Before Zhuang Zhixi could react, Bai Fendou bumped into him, pushing him aside. Zhou Qun, running alongside, also swung his arm, and Zhuang Zhixi: "Damn."
He was pushed back several steps, and it was clear what was happening; they didn't want him to get the credit. Zhuang Zhixi was quick-witted. He didn't insist on chasing anymore. He glanced around, then stepped back, pretending to be in pain, bending over and gasping, "Bai Fendou, you jerk, why did you bump into me? Oh my god, I feel so awful..."
Zhou Qun glanced back and smirked triumphantly. The few men had cornered the thief near the toilet.
Zhao Guihua finally arrived but didn't rush to catch the thief; instead, she went to help Zhuang Zhixi. If it weren't for Zhuang Zhixi's strong voice accusing Bai Fendou of bumping into him, Zhao Guihua would have been scared out of her wits seeing him clutching his stomach.
Luckily, she wasn't stupid. She quickly supported her son, asking, "How are you? Are you okay?"
Zhuang Zhixi grasped his mother's hand, lightly scratching it—a signal he had learned from his wife. He looked up, "Mom, Bai Fendou almost knocked my bones out of place. Help me stand against the wall for a bit, I feel awful."
Zhao Guihua: "Okay."
She glanced around and loudly scolded, "Bai Fendou, you scoundrel, you catch the thief and bump into my son? If anything happens to my son, I'll beat you to death, you rascal."
She helped her son stand to the side. By now, the men had surrounded the thief. Interestingly, the thief, even while fleeing, had a small bundle on his back.
The dark-faced man and five or six others had trapped the thief. "See where you can run now!"
The thief, cornered behind the toilet with several burly men around, had no way out. Trembling, Bai Fendou, ignoring Zhao Guihua's scolding, pointed at him proudly, "I see how you can pick locks, you little runt. You're in my hands now, and I won't let you off easily."
"Bai Fendou, move aside, I got here first."
"I wasn't late either!" Zhou Qun chimed in.
"Who got here later? I wasn't late either."
"That's right, Bai Fendou, you even knocked Zhuang Zhixi down while catching the thief. Go check on him!"
Bai Fendou: "A man, what's the big deal? It's fine!" He took advantage of the distraction and suddenly lunged forward, determined to be the first to catch the thief and claim the biggest credit. Bai Fendou lunged hard: "I've got you..."
"Uncle Fendou, it's me..." the thief suddenly spoke.
Bai Fendou: "Ah!"
The familiar voice, the familiar height, the familiar clothes—he had been too excited and hadn't realized it. The person in front of him looked very familiar. Wasn't that Jinlai?
"Bai Fendou, what are you doing! Trying to steal the credit!" The dark-faced man rushed forward to grab the thief.
Bai Fendou: "He's not, let him go..."
"You're helping the thief, let go!"
"You let go. It's a misunderstanding!"
"It's me, it's me, I'm Jinlai..."
"I don't care who you are, you're a thief!"
The others, fearing they'd lose credit, quickly rushed forward to grab the thief. Several men held a young boy, and the scene instantly became chaotic. Aunt Wang arrived just then: "My goodness, what's going on?"
"Jinlai, my Jinlai..." At this moment, Aunt Su also rushed out, her voice shrill and pitiful: "Jinlai!"
The crowd grew larger, and seeing everyone scrambling, the dark-faced man decided to take a different approach, his gaze falling on the bundle. He yanked it forcefully, and Bai Fendou thought he was trying to kidnap someone, so he pulled too... "Ah!!!"
A scream echoed from the scene, and as if by routine, Bai Fendou and Jinlai suddenly fell backward. Behind the toilet was a latrine pit, covered with thin stone slabs, which cracked with a crunch as the two fell.
They plummeted straight down. Bai Fendou, in a flurry, grabbed at anything to save himself. However... "Ahhh! I curse your ancestors! What are you grabbing?!!!" Zhou Qun's earsplitting cry echoed, utterly helpless as he was dragged down by Bai Fendou.
Two adults and one child crashed into the latrine pit with a loud thud, splashing feces everywhere.
"Oh my god!"
The onlookers were stunned.
The unluckiest were those who had been running ahead, now splattered with filth.
The dark-faced man still held onto the bundle.
The scene fell into an instant silence, as if time itself had stopped.
But after a brief moment, chaos erupted again.
"Help! Help!"
"My grandson!"
Zhao Guihua supported her son Zhuang Zhixi, standing far off by the wall, dumbfounded.
From Zhuang Zhixi's angle, he couldn't see the specifics of the latrine pit, but the sheer volume of the screams allowed his imagination to run wild, making him reluctant to approach.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"Did the thief fall into the toilet?"
"Good heavens, it really was a thief. Disgusting."
"Don't just talk about that, the ones chasing the thief fell in too."
"Ah! How did that happen?"
The scene was a cacophony of voices. Zhao Guihua: "This..."
Zhuang Zhixi whispered, "The thief is Jinlai."
Others might not know, but he did; he was the first to chase after them. However, this situation was quite a slap in the face. Just moments ago, he had assured his wife that Jinlai couldn't be the thief, and now Jinlai was here, slapping his face repeatedly. He felt utterly humiliated.
But for now, he had to pretend ignorance and shouted loudly, "Quick, save them!"
"Yes, yes, save them."
The crowd quickly gathered around. Zhuang Zhixi and his mother Zhao Guihua circled around to take a look, only to retch and turn away, unable to bear it. Zhao Guihua: "Oh my~"
She was even more overwhelmed, having not seen such a sight in years.
Even her toilet visits were swift, and she never imagined witnessing something so revolting. Fortunately, dinner had been light, or else she would have been retching already. Even so, she couldn't handle it and shouted, "Zhixi, are you alright? Do you feel sick? Let me help you to the side."
She couldn't bring herself to save anyone; it wasn't that she lacked compassion, but the environment was unbearable.
Besides, the latrine pit probably wouldn't drown anyone.
She decisively retreated, and as they did, others rushed forward. They were disgusted, but some were curious despite their disgust.
Aunt Wang was quick-witted, saying, "Quick, who has a rope? We need to pull them up immediately."
"Oh, but can it be used after this?"
Aunt Wang sternly retorted, "Is the rope more important or their lives?"
"Alright, I have one. I'll have to ask the neighborhood committee to compensate me. I'm saving lives..."
Above the toilet, chaos reigned, and below, it was no different. Zhou Qun, dragged down by Bai Fendou grabbing his crucial spot, was in no mood to wait for rescue. He immediately delivered three resounding slaps to Bai Fendou.
Three, each one more forceful than the last!
"You scoundrel! You deliberately pulled me down! You're protecting the thief!"
Zhou Qun felt he had been cursed for eight lifetimes.
Bai Fendou, dazed from the blows, said, "What are you mad about? The priority is to get out!"
He was tall and could stand, but Jinlai couldn't. Bai Fendou struggled to hold him up, saying, "Quick, grab onto me. We'll get out first."
In the process, his face towel fell off, and everyone saw—oh, it's Jinlai!
Someone mockingly shouted, "So the thief is Jinlai!"
"Aunt Su, how do you discipline your child?"
"Yeah, you seem decent, but how did you raise a thief?"
Aunt Su seethed inside but knew she had to play the victim. "My Jinlai isn't a thief, it's a misunderstanding... Save them first, and we can explain later."
"Yes, yes, save them first!"
"Zhou Qun, Zhou Qun!!!" Jiang Lu finally squeezed in, crying out, "Zhou Qun, I'm here to save you."
If not for someone holding her back, she would have jumped in.
Aunt Wang fumed, "Don't make things worse, get back!"
"Who fell in? Is it Zhou Qun? My little Zhou Qun?" Madam Zhou Li rushed out, and without a word, she slapped her daughter-in-law twice, screaming, "You little wretch, what did I tell you? Watch over and take care of Zhou Qun, and this is how you do it?"
She slapped Jiang Lu again, her face swelling as she covered it and sobbed.
"My Jinlai is still down there, who will help him? Jinlai, Mom is coming to save you..." Wang Xiangxiu was about to jump in too.
The scene was utter chaos, each person in their own turmoil.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Let's step back a bit more, in case someone else falls in and gets splashed."
Zhuang Zhixi whispered to his mother, and Zhao Guihua nodded in agreement. They were ordinary people and couldn't handle this. Others... others also couldn't handle it, some covering their faces but still peeking through with two eyes, proving human resilience.
Aunt Su and Wang Xiangxiu wailed for Jinlai.
Madam Zhou Li and Jiang Lu exchanged slaps for Zhou Qun.
The crowd grew, yet no one cared about Bai Fendou. He had Jinlai on his shoulders, straining under the weight of winter clothes. Even so, Bai Fendou leaned on the wall, determined to protect Jinlai.
This spirit was commendable.
Zhou Qun, never having suffered such humiliation, delivered two more slaps to Bai Fendou in the latrine pit. They were like mother and son, both focused on delivering slaps rather than saving themselves.
Madam Zhou Li slapped her daughter-in-law above.
Zhou Qun slapped Bai Fendou below.
The latrine pit was deep; Zhou Qun, shorter than Bai Fendou, was submerged up to his mouth, yet he still managed to slap Bai Fendou whenever he could.
"Wow, impressive."
"Zhou Qun's got skills!"
"Bai Fendou's really tough."
He could have subdued Zhou Qun, but to ensure Jinlai stayed on his shoulders, he endured!
Such spirit moved every onlooker.
One might think he was carrying his own son.
"Where's the rope?"
Aunt Wang, ignoring the brawl, anxiously waited for the rope.
"Here it is, here it is."
Someone shouted, "Flashlights, flashlights!"
"Light it up."
Though it was dark, the crowd had flashlights, shedding some light. The rope was quickly thrown down.
Aunt Wang: "You men, quickly, pull them up."
Nearby men were all conscripted, and Zhuang Zhixi silently congratulated himself on escaping in time.
Otherwise, how disgusting would that be?
"One, two, push! One, two, push! Everyone, put in some effort."
"One, two, one, two!"
It was undeniable that this grand scene had blocked half the alley, making it impossible for Ming Mei, Liang Meifen, and others who arrived late to squeeze in. They could only watch from afar, listen to the shouts from the front, and smell the pungent odor in the air.
Ming Mei: "Oh my gosh~"
She stood on tiptoe to look inside, while Liang Meifen, not as tall as Ming Mei, asked, "What's happening up front? Can you see anything?"
Ming Mei didn't turn around, saying, "Do you think I'm a telegraph pole? I can't see anything! I'm only 1.6 meters tall."
She jumped up and down but still couldn't see.
"Can't see, but someone definitely fell into the toilet."
Liang Meifen grew even more anxious: "Ah, can't see anything!"
"Plop!" A sound came from the front, and everyone stepped back in unison. Ming Mei quickly pulled Liang Meifen back a few steps to avoid being tripped.
The front then provided a live broadcast: "Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun are too heavy. It's unrealistic to pull two people at once, and they fell halfway down again."
"Oh my god, pull them separately!"
Ming Mei: "..."
So disgusting!
But she was also certain: "As long as it's not one of our family members who fell, it's fine."
Liang Meifen nodded in agreement, thinking how disgusting that would be.
She disdainfully said, "He's not a three-year-old child anymore. How could he fall into the toilet? So useless."
Ming Mei agreed wholeheartedly.
She thought for a moment and said, "Since we can't see anything anyway, let's step back a bit more, in case they step on us again."
"Alright."
At this point, pushing forward was impossible, but stepping back was doable.
"My grandson! My Jinlai! You scared your grandma to death, do you know that?"
"Jinlai, you scared your mom to death..."
The old widow led the young widow, howling as if at a funeral.
Ming Mei turned her head: "Jinlai fell in too. But how could he fall in?"
She innocently asked, "He doesn't patrol, nor does he catch thieves."
Liang Meifen thought for a moment and shook her head. But Li Fang beside them sneered and said, "Who were they catching?"
Liang Meifen and Ming Mei were suddenly enlightened, both covering their mouths: "Uh..."
Jinlai was a thief.
Ming Mei blinked, thinking that Brother Zhixi must have misjudged.
The front was filled with cries and wails. Ming Mei said, "Let's step back a bit more."
At this moment, following the rhythm of "one, two, one, two," the three men were finally pulled up one by one. Three yellow-brown figures lay on the ground, looking lifeless. Bai Fendou's face was beaten into a pig's head, and even the few hairs he had left were pulled out.
Suddenly, he reacted, gagging and then vomiting, but nothing came out.
Wang Xiangxiu suddenly rushed forward, slapping Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun each once, shouting angrily, "You bastards! How could you treat my son like this? How dare you drag him into the cesspit? Are you human? He's just a child!!!"
Zhao Guihua, from a distance, shook her head in silence. Here it comes, the Four Forgivenesses again.
A few days ago it was: "It's New Year's."
Now it's: "He's a child."
Bai Fendou, who had feelings for Wang Xiangxiu, didn't say anything, but Zhou Qun was furious, shouting, "Who the hell are you hitting?"
He retaliated with a slap, hitting Wang Xiangxiu's face. She stared in shock, never having seen Zhou Qun hit anyone before.
"You..."
Zhou Qun roared, "We were catching a thief. Your son is a thief. I've had the worst luck to be dragged down by Bai Fendou. This has nothing to do with your son!"
"Oh, you cursed woman, you dare to hit my son. You've gone too far!"
Seeing her son being hit, Madam Zhou Li, despite his retaliation, rushed forward to slap Wang Xiangxiu. This time, Wang Xiangxiu dodged quickly. Seeing this, Madam Zhou Li turned to hit Aunt Su: "I'll teach you for inciting your daughter-in-law to go crazy. Watch out!"
Aunt Su: "Ah!"
The two old ladies quickly pulled each other's hair. Aunt Zhou's curses were intense, not only insulting ancestors but also various body parts. Aunt Su, however, just cried and fought back without cursing.
Her character didn't allow her to use foul language.
"Old hag, who are you picking on!"
Old Man Bai, who could watch his own son fall into the cesspit without helping, now rushed out to defend his old goddess. Two against one, no, three against one, Wang Xiangxiu was also there, and Jiang Lu, who had just been hit by her mother-in-law, quickly rushed forward to help.
The group fought fiercely. With Zhou Qun and the others coming up, the fight quickly turned dirty, with everyone throwing filth at each other.
Zhao Guihua watched them fight, once again retreating with her son. It was a silent, unspoken understanding between mother and son.
Zhao Guihua had always thought she was special as a reincarnated person. After all, such a bizarre event had happened to her. She had a subtle sense of superiority.
But now, she felt she had overestimated herself.
She wasn't worthy of being called the daughter of heaven.
She didn't deserve it!
She couldn't do it!
At least, she couldn't do what these people could.
She used to think she was the fiercest old lady on this street when it came to fighting. Didn't she always strut at the front when patrolling? But at this moment, she felt ordinary.
These people could fight under such stench, enduring all that filth. She simply couldn't do it.
Zhao Guihua's heart was filled with admiration in that instant.
She admired them, and so did others, especially those nearby who were affected. They were all in awe of these unruly fighters. The dark-faced man, most affected, was about to go mad.
He shouted to the sky, "Ahhh! Stop it all!"
Aunt Wang: "..."
This guy is quite capable.
She didn't dare to step forward.
The dark-faced man couldn't care less and went forward to forcibly separate the group, cursing loudly, "F***...&……￥#……"
His vocabulary was quite rich, and he scolded for a full half an hour without repeating himself. Ming Mei, standing far back, heard it all and was dumbfounded. She learned something new.
She whispered to her sister-in-law, "Next time someone causes trouble on the bus, I'll curse like that."
Liang Meifen gave Ming Mei a deep look, thinking, can't you learn something good?
The dark-faced man cursed passionately, and no one dared to interrupt. The few who had fallen into the toilet, now wet and shivering, were the most affected. Jinlai couldn't take it anymore, crying, "Grandma, I'm cold..."
Aunt Su heard and quickly hugged Jinlai, crying, "Help me, someone, please help me. Oh, my god, who will help me..."
Old Man Bai: "I'll do it!"
He didn't care about Jinlai's filth and hugged the child tightly.
Wang Xiangxiu, with tears in her eyes, said, "If anything happens to my child, I won't let you off."
"You're full of it. Your son is a thief!"
"No, that's impossible. He just went out to use the toilet. Don't frame him." Wang Xiangxiu could argue well.
At this moment, Bai Fendou spoke up, "It was Zhuang Zhixi who started chasing first. We were following his call to catch a thief..."
"Yes, yes, this whole thing started with Zhuang Zhixi."
"Zhuang Zhixi, tell us what happened. Did you frame the child?"
"That's not right."
"Exactly."
These people were like weathervanes...
Zhuang Zhixi stood in the middle of the crowd, raising his voice: "I went out to the toilet last night and saw him peeking through the window of my parents' room. The window was pried open; what else could he be doing if not stealing? And why did he have a bundle on his back when he went out to the outhouse? Where's that bundle now?"
Zhuang Zhixi wasn't holding back; he wasn't about to take the blame for something he didn't do.
At that moment, the dark-faced man suddenly remembered that it all started with a struggle over the bundle. If not for that, they wouldn't all be in this mess. He quickly said, "The bundle is with me."
He turned to look around and spotted the bundle next to the cesspit. Just then, Bai Fendou, for some reason, suddenly got up and made a grab for it.
The dark-faced man cursed, "Damn your ancestors!"
He was about to use the bundle as evidence, and this guy dared to snatch it?
With a swift kick, he sent Bai Fendou flying towards the cesspit, just barely missing it.
He quickly snatched the bundle back and, with lightning speed, unwrapped it: "Whether it's stolen goods or not, let's see for ourselves!"
Inside was a dried fish!
Zhao Guihua erupted in fury: "That's mine!!!"
