Chapter 397

Just because Liu Haizhong took a dislike to Shazhu and caused trouble for him, it ended up costing the Liu Family over three hundred yuan in compensation—this price for venting his anger is really too high!

For a moment, unable to accept such a heavy price, Er Da Ma felt her head sink, the surrounding things seemed to come alive, swirling wildly around her body, her feet felt like stepping on soft cotton, unable to find footing, her body like a drunk person, staggering as if about to fall asleep on the big road.

Seeing the situation was not good, Liu Guangtian quickly spoke up to remind them.

There is something even more serious than fainting.

This matter cannot be left unresolved.

Liu Haizhong and his wife, as well as Liu Guangtian, are very likely to follow in Yan Fugui's footsteps and go sightseeing around the country.

With Xu Daming's help, Yan Fugui managed to send Yan Jiecheng away.

Liu Haizhong was stripped of his position, and he aroused the wrath of everyone at the Yagangchang, with people wishing to devour him; lacking any patron, if he is truly punished, it will mean the ruin of his family and his own death.

Life is important!

Not considering the old couple.

He also has to think about his own life.

"Mom, if you listen to my words and you can still faint, then keep fainting—I won't care."

Worried that Er Da Ma might really faint, Liu Guangtian quickly explained the consequences of not returning the bicycle to Shazhu, laying out the cause, effect, and cost in full detail before the elderly couple.

Which is more important?

The old couple will weigh it themselves.

At worst, Liu Guangtian will stage a 'righteousness over kin' performance for them.

"As for the bicycle matter, putting it lightly, it's just that my dad takes a dislike to Shazhu and wants to teach him a lesson. Putting it seriously, it's that my dad is using his power to bully others, deliberately putting on airs and leaning on others' influence to harass Shazhu. Think about all the people in our courtyard that my dad has dealt with—those people surely have resentment bottled up inside."

What kind of person is Shazhu?

"After all, he's been the head of the Yagangchang canteen for several years. You requisitioned his bicycle, and he obediently handed it over to you—you should at least take care of his bicycle. If you don't, anyone could mess with Shazhu's bike, and I reckon Shazhu keeps that in mind."

"You are still the Team Captain of the Elderly Assault Team; Shazhu might let it slide out of respect for your position, but now you are no longer the Team Captain—if you don't hurry up and compensate him for his bicycle, yet you're hiding at home drinking, you're practically burning your eyebrows—what are you drinking for?"

"Mom, Dad, don't say I'm being unfilial for not warning you, but you two had better not go out tonight, or you'll get hit with a blunt stick."

Thanks to Liu Guangtian's efforts.

Er Da Ma finally lay down on the ground.

But she did not faint.

Just because she doesn't speak about certain things doesn't mean she doesn't understand the stakes; perhaps the bicycle matter is exactly as Liu Guangtian described.

We must give Shazhu a reasonable solution.

Otherwise, Shazhu doesn't even need to step forward; his good brother Xu Daming can easily deal with Liu Haizhong.

A plucked phoenix is worth less than a hen that lays eggs.

Liu Haizhong worries about his own face, and Liu Guangtian is a profit‑chasing, unfilial son; after thinking it over, the matter of compensating Shazhu can only be handled by Er Da Ma herself.

She let out a soft sigh.

She turned over, got up from the ground, twisted her body to the cabinet door, reached inside, felt around for a while, and pulled out a red handkerchief.

Liu Guangtian's eyes lit up.

He and Liu Guangfu have long suspected that there is still spare money hidden in their home.

They have also entertained that crooked idea.

But they have never found where it is.

It turns out it was hidden inside the wardrobe.

Er Da Ma glanced at Liu Guangtian, then, in his presence, opened the handkerchief to reveal a stack of brand‑new bills, all ten‑yuan notes; judging by the quantity, there looked to be about sixty or seventy of them.

A new bicycle costs around 180 yuan, and a bicycle voucher on the black market also goes for over a hundred yuan.

Stained with saliva.

She counted thirty of them and slipped them into her left pants pocket.

Then she counted another twenty and put them into her right pants pocket.

The remaining bills she wrapped in the handkerchief and stuffed back into the wardrobe.

She closed the wardrobe door.

Seeing Liu Guangtian staring blankly at the wardrobe.

She shouted a sentence.

"What are you looking at? This is the money I've saved for you to marry a wife. Sigh, none of you let me relax—spending three hundred yuan to vent my anger, do you feel better now?"

Having said that.

She paid no heed to Liu Haizhong's ugly face, ignored Liu Guangtian's constipated grimace, and, with heavy steps, walked steadily toward Shazhu's house in Zhong Yuan.

She walked for five or six minutes.

She arrived at Shazhu's door.

Through the glass, she saw Shazhu and Yan Fugui sitting inside, drinking.

Er Da Ma's heart.

It eased a little.

With Yan Fugui present as a witness to the Liu Family's compensation of Shazhu's bicycle, there's no fear that Shazhu will deny it later.

She knocked on the door.

Without waiting for a response from inside.

Er Da Ma then pushed the door open herself and went in.

She greeted the somewhat dazed Yan Fugui and Shazhu, who wore a faint strange expression, saw Zhuli tidying clothes in the inner room, and also greeted Zhuli.

She then steered the conversation toward the purpose of her visit.

She is also someone who knows how to behave as a person.

Right off the bat, he first said that his own side was at fault, then said Liu Haizhong was wrong, this and that, Liu Haizhong was also forced, this and that, and listed a whole bunch of such excuses.

"Old San Daye, you happen to be here too, stand in as a witness for me, Shazhu, Yu Li—this matter is our Old Liu's fault. Just now inside the house, I gave him a good scolding, and Guangtian also blamed him. It's Old Liu who messed up, doing some wrong things."

Yan Fugui gave a bitter smile.

What he said sounded even better than his singing.

Liu Haizhong didn't just make a small mistake; he wanted to drive everyone inside the courtyard down a dead-end road. Leaving aside those far off, just considering the few people inside the house—except for the second aunt who couldn't make compensation and the two clueless little brats—Yu Li, Shazhu, and Yan Fugui are all victims of Liu Haizhong.

Shazhu had been prepared all along, and no matter how many times Liu Haizhong tried, he couldn't find any way to deal with Shazhu.

As for Yan Fugui, he wasn't as fortunate as Shazhu; if it weren't for Xu Daming stepping in, Yan Fugui reckons he wouldn't even have had the chance to sit and drink with Shazhu.

A grudge born of family ruin and personal loss.

Just one sorry.

Then it all vanished.

What good things are you thinking about?

Everyone says to repay hatred with virtue, but who will repay virtue?

Every grievance has a source.

Every debt has an owner.

They're all adults.

What are you pretending to be deep for?

Besides, they came looking for Shazhu, and it had nothing to do with Yan Fugui; he just needed to sit quietly and watch the show, and when necessary, he would step up to speak nonsense for Shazhu, claiming compensation had been made when it hadn't, and also let Liu Haizhong taste the bitterness of suffering.

"Shazhu, Old Yan, considering our neighborly ties, let's just let this matter go, okay? Let's pretend it never happened; I guarantee Old Liu won't come against you guys again."