Chapter 144: Xu Damao Pits His Father

"Alright!" He Yuzhu closed his eyes, a hint of expectant laughter at the corners of his mouth.

Zhao Ying, however, only pecked him on the face like a dragonfly skimming water, then twisted his ear and scolded: "You little rabbit, you're already thinking about your sister here? I think you're just a fickle flirt; thinking about your cousin on one hand, and your cousin's friend on the other, how shameless!"

He Yuzhu chuckled and pushed Zhao Ying's hand away, "You really know how to shift the blame; when did I ever think about you? Even if I were thinking about it, I'd have the heart of a thief but not the guts."

"No, I think your thief's heart and thief's guts are quite large!" Zhao Ying said.

He Yuzhu laughed and said: "Sister, now that you mention it, I suddenly remembered a joke. It says that when a man sees a beautiful woman: when he's young, he has the thief's heart but not the guts; in middle age, he has both the thief's heart and the guts, but the 'thief' is gone; in old age, he has both the thief's heart and the guts, and the 'thief' has come, but he himself is gone."

Zhao Ying laughed for a long time, and once she finished, she immediately chased after He Yuzhu to ask: "Tell me honestly, do you have a 'thief' yet? Let me see!"

He Yuzhu hurriedly raised his hands to beg for mercy, though his face remained grinning.

Zhao Ying leaned in closer, looking at him with eyes like silk, "Don't be shy, let sister see, do you really have a 'thief' or not?"

"No, I really don't!"

"If you don't even have a 'thief', then you have no chance!" Zhao Ying said with a smile.

Afterwards, she lay sprawled out on the soft bed without a care, staring at the ceiling. "In a while, Su Qing is coming over to look at the paintings, you get ready!"

"He isn't planning to copy all my paintings, is he? Then pull a 'civet cat for the crown prince' trick, take away my authentic works, and leave me with a fake!" He Yuzhu became alert.

"Your brain turns really fast, kid. He does indeed want to copy that set of 'Portraits of Emperors Through the Ages' and the 'Shinü Tu'. However, he is a scholar; he wouldn't take your paintings, you stingy ghost!" Zhao Ying rolled her eyes at him.

"Sister, you two are developing quite fast. When you get to the United States, will you just go ahead and hold the wedding?" He Yuzhu teased.

"If you keep talking nonsense, see if I don't tear your mouth apart!" Zhao Ying made a move as if to get up.

He Yuzhu shrugged and said: "You've already started speaking up for him, yet you're afraid of people talking."

"You little brat, I'd take you too, but you don't even have a 'thief', and you want me to wait for you? In another five years, I'll be an old maid!"

"It won't take that long; actually, it could probably make do right now..."

"Are you uncomfortable if you don't get beaten for a while?" Zhao Ying scolded.

Not long after, Su Qing came to knock on the door. He said with some embarrassment: "Am I disturbing you two?"

"Absolutely not, I was just wanting to learn how to appraise calligraphy and paintings from Teacher Su!" He Yuzhu said.

In the Siheyuan of Si Jiu Cheng, twilight began to rise, and it gradually became lively. Children returned from school, adults returned from work. These past few days, Xu Damao's older and younger sisters had all gone to their uncle's house, but he alone hadn't gone, huddled at home by himself.

Ever since he was beaten by his father Xu Fugui, he had been harboring a wicked fire in his heart, and the more he thought about it, the more humiliated he felt. Being beaten by a "money-losing goods" and tied to a tree to be put on display—this strange shame made him desperately want to take revenge, but he couldn't beat the other person.

For these past few days, he had been racking his brains for a solution, and finally decided to incite his father to take revenge on Chen Daya.

Xu Fugui dragged his exhausted body home from work. Seeing the cold stove and the pitch-black house, a nameless fire surged up. He cursed at Xu Damao, who was curled up in a chair doing nothing: "How old are you? Can't you even cook a meal? Among the children in the courtyard, who is as idle as you?"

Xu Damao stiffened his neck and retorted: "Dad, I think you were bullied by Chen Daya, and you're holding in anger with nowhere to vent, so you're taking it out on me? It's not been just a day or two that I can't cook. Why are you picking on me today of all days?"

"You little rabbit, see if I don't whip you!" Xu Fugui was poked in a sore spot, and in his embarrassment and anger, he made a move to hit him. "If it weren't for you losing those four Big Ocean, I could be eating meat at a restaurant every day!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao seized the opportunity to ask: "Dad, why are you so afraid of that Chen Daya? Is there some shameful handle of yours in her hands?"

"You little bastard, if you talk nonsense again, I'll beat you to death!" Xu Fugui's face suddenly sank, his tone carrying a trace of panic.

Xu Damao curled his lips and said disdainfully: "You're just being controlled by Chen Daya. That day you saw me tied to the tree by her, you didn't even dare to let out a fart. I've never seen you so cowardly!"

"You're talking nonsense! I just thought what you did was too shameful! If you want to rob someone, rob the young lady of a wealthy family! To go rob the little girl from the poorest family in the courtyard, I feel ashamed just thinking about it!"

"Dad, you're no better than me! Controlled to death by a 'money-losing goods', not even daring to take revenge." Xu Damao continued to fan the flames.

"I'm just not stooping to her level. Do you really think I'm afraid of her?" Xu Fugui stiffly maintained his face.

"Whether you're afraid of her or not, only you know in your heart. But now Chen Daya is incredible in our courtyard; she's practically the one who calls the shots!" Xu Damao added fuel to the fire.

"Why?"

"Isn't it because she got Ma Laotou's whole family to go work for her? I heard she gives them forty Big Ocean a month! What a huge temptation that is? The Ma Family has practically turned from a hen into a duck; they've really risen up!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Where in the world is there such a good thing? Lou Laoban is considered generous, and he only gives me twenty-five!" Xu Fugui shook his head in disbelief.

"There's more than that! They also provide food and housing, and they even sent Ma Yan to school." Xu Damao said with certainty.

"Really?" Xu Fugui narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of light flashing in his murky pupils; he clearly already believed it by half.

"Ma Laopo told Jia Zhangshi herself, and she also said Chen Daya took Ma Yan as an Apprentice; the two families are getting along great!"

"I still don't believe it. Besides washing clothes, what else can Ma Laopo do?"

"The point is that they have a good relationship now. You didn't see it, but Ma Yan is wearing a new set of clothes now. When she saw me, she didn't even lift her eyelids, just like she didn't know me!" Xu Damao's tone was full of sourness and jealousy.

Xu Fugui remained calm on the surface, but his heart had already exploded.

Chen Daya had the photo of him kneeling at Qianmen back in the day; that was a lifelong stain. As long as the photo existed, he would be controlled forever. He secretly made up his mind: it was time to find someone to get rid of this thorn in his side.

Xu Fugui put down some money and said: "You go out and buy a bowl of wontons to eat. I'm not cooking; I'm going out to take care of some business."

After Xu Fugui finished speaking, he went to drink with a friend.

Xu Damao cursed: "Old thing, he must have gone to Badahutong."

After he finished speaking, he went to find Li Yong, and the two of them went out to find a street stall selling wontons.

"Boss, how much for a bowl of wontons?" Xu Damao asked.

"Today it's 2,000 legal tender," Boss Hou said.

Xu Damao looked at the 1,800 legal tender in his hand and cursed: "The old thing only gave me 1,800; it's not even enough for a bowl of wontons. Boss, I'll give you 1,800, can you give me two fewer wontons?"

"Fine, you don't need to curse your dad. Yesterday it was selling for 1,800, but prices have risen again today; at 1,800 I'd be losing money!" Boss Hou said.

"Boss, please put the wontons in two bowls and give me a bit more soup," Xu Damao said.

"Alright, that's fine."

After Xu Damao and Li Yong finished the wontons and drank the hot soup, they immediately felt their bodies warm up quite a bit.

Xu Damao said: "We suffered a loss last time; we have to get our own back somehow. Do you have any ideas?"

Li Yong shook his head.

Xu Damao said: "What do you say we set fire to the He Family's house, how about that?"

Li Yong shook his head, "You've got too much nerve, kid. If you set fire to their house, all the houses in this courtyard will be burned."

"Then we can't just take this loss for nothing!" Xu Damao was very unwilling in his heart.

Li Yong thought for a moment and asked, "Xu Damao, what exactly is Chen Daya's background? How is she so overbearing?"

"I've got it, we'll tail Chen Daya to see where she lives and what kind of skills she has," said Xu Damao.