Chapter 18: Xu Damao Causes Trouble

Fortunately, that pretty little girl did not notice him. He Yuzhu watched the two figures walk into the back hall, then immediately asked, "Boss, is this clothing store yours?"

Liu Shifu shook his head, "This clothing store is a subsidiary of the 'Chen Family Silk Store'; to put it plainly, it is Boss Chen's property."

"Do you know the little girl who was walking behind just now?" After He Yuzhu said this, he felt a bit of regret. In this era, people were quite sensitive about asking such things; they would think you had ulterior motives.

"This, I know, but I cannot tell you," Liu Shifu said.

He Yuzhu smiled and said casually, "I've seen her, just asking out of curiosity."

Liu Shifu did not say anything more.

He Yuzhu returned home; the sky had already turned dark. The men working at the Rolling Mill were returning one after another, and the courtyard suddenly became lively. Adults began to cook, and children began to wander around the courtyard. Some were kicking shuttlecocks, some were throwing sandbags, and others were playing with glass marbles.

He Yuzhu wandered around the Zhongyuan, but his eyes were fixed firmly on the entrance.

Not long after, Xu Damao walked in together with a child from the Houyuan named Liu Jin.

Xu Damao had been bragging to his little friend the whole way and did not see at all that He Yuzhu was standing right at the entrance.

"Xu Damao! You stop right there!" He Yuzhu blocked his path.

Xu Damao was startled by this shout. Seeing clearly that it was He Yuzhu, he immediately put on that punchable, cheeky grin: "Yo-ho! He Yuzhu, you've got white cloth wrapped around your head and you still haven't learned your lesson? If you try to act up with me again, believe it or not, I'll have my dad take you to the Military Police?" He shook his head triumphantly.

"Pah!" He Yuzhu spat in disdain, "Look at you! Do you think the Military Police is run by your family? You can just take whoever you want inside?"

"The Military Police isn't run by my family, but my family has money! Money can make the devil turn the millstone, understand?" Xu Damao puffed out his thin chest, his face full of pride.

"Money? Isn't your mother just a servant for the Lou Family? What are you showing off to me for!" He Yuzhu sneered.

Although Xu Damao was not old, he was sharp-tongued. He immediately cursed: "Isn't your dad just a lousy cook? When it comes down to it, our parents are the same; they're both people who serve others!"

"It's fine if you know your mother is a servant; those who don't might think she's some princess of the fallen dynasty!"

"You motherfucker, you just wait!" Xu Damao was furious. After all, he was only eight years old and did not have the composure to remain calm in a crisis.

He Yuzhu had no interest in continuing to bicker with him, but instead asked directly: "Xu Damao, tell me, when the Japanese were checking household registrations yesterday, was it your dad who framed my dad for having ties to the Communist Party?"

"You... you're full of shit! You're talking nonsense! My dad didn't!" Xu Damao had his family's dirty laundry aired in public; his face flushed to the color of a pig's liver, and he jumped up and down in a rage.

At this moment, Jia Dongxu, who had just entered the courtyard, happened to hear the two talking and leaned over to ask: "Zhuzi, was Uncle He really reported by Damao's dad last night? Do you have proof?"

"Of course!" He Yuzhu immediately raised his voice and shouted to the neighbors who were gathering around, "It's absolutely true! Many people in the Houyuan heard it!"

"He Yuzhu! Fuck your grandfather! You're full of shit!" Xu Damao was so angry he lost his sense of shame, cursing viciously, feeling his face burning.

"If you don't want people to know, don't do it! Your dad is just too stingy; he was too busy licking the Japanese's asses and didn't serve the interpreter well. The man wasn't happy, so he turned around and sold your family out completely!" He Yuzhu did not show any weakness, his voice loud and every word clear.

"Bullshit! My dad didn't mention your family's business at all!" Xu Damao was still stubborn, and it must be said, for an eight-year-old kid, his capacity for lying was quite impressive.

"Let me tell you! I reckon the Li Family and the Li Family heard every word your dad said! Unless their hearing is worse than the Deaf Old Lady's! She heard it clearly through the wall yesterday! And here you are, trying to cover your ears while stealing a bell, thinking everyone else is a fool!" He almost poked his finger into Xu Damao's nose.

By now, the Zhongyuan was filled with older children who had just finished school and neighbors watching the commotion, and the sound of buzzing discussions filled the air.

Wang Shucheng from the front yard asked Li Yong from the Houyuan in a low voice, "Did you hear that? Is what Zhuzi said true?"

"Although I didn't hear it clearly, it is true that the Japanese stayed at Damao's house for a long time. As for what was said, I was shaking with fear at the time, I was in no mood to eavesdrop," Li Yong said.

"Fuck! This Xu Fugui really is a piece of work," Wang Shucheng cursed.

Hearing people cursing his father, Xu Damao finally could not take it anymore. He swung his heavy schoolbag and, regardless of anything else, smashed it toward He Yuzhu's head! "He Yuzhu, you grandson, I... I'll fight you to the death!"

He Yuzhu had been prepared; his shoulder moved, and he agilely dodged to the side!

Xu Damao had used too much force, and the schoolbag whistled through the air, grazing the corner of He Yuzhu's clothes.

He Yuzhu seized the opening, lifted his leg, and kicked Xu Damao hard in the stomach!

"Ouch!" Xu Damao let out a miserable cry, was kicked back several steps, and fell hard onto the ground with a "thump."

"He Yuzhu! Fuck your grandmother!" Xu Damao was in pain and humiliated; he struggled to climb up, his eyes red.

He caught sight of half a brick at the base of the wall, bent down to pick it up, swung his arm around, and threw it fiercely at He Yuzhu!

He Yuzhu reacted extremely quickly; seeing the dark shadow fly over, he immediately ducked down!

That half-brick whistled through the air with a "whoosh," grazing the top of He Yuzhu's head!

"Clang! Crash—!"

The brick hit the Jia Family's window, which was covered with Korean paper, squarely in the center!

The window lattice snapped, the Korean paper was torn open, and the brick, its momentum not yet spent, crashed into the room with wood splinters and paper scraps with a "thud!"

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi was sitting cross-legged on the kang, sewing shoe soles.

This sudden, deafening sound and the brick flying in passed almost right by her scalp, and her face was even pricked by a few wood splinters! She was scared out of her wits!

"Oh my mother!!" Jia Zhangshi threw down the needle and thread in her hands, and before long, she let out a series of unique curses: "Which thousand-cut bastard! May you be struck by lightning! You're courting death! Smashing my window! I'll fuck your eight generations of ancestors..."

Jia Dongxu stared dumbfounded at the large hole in his window, then looked at the furious Xu Damao and the grinning He Yuzhu squatting on the ground. He froze in place for a moment, completely stunned, not knowing what to do.

He Yuzhu stood up nimbly and gave a cheeky grin to the dazed Jia Dongxu, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Brother Dongxu, you saw it all; this isn't my fault, it was all done by this little bastard. Please explain it well to Auntie Jia! I have to go home and cook for my mom!" After saying this, he turned around, hands behind his back, and strolled away.

Only Xu Damao was left at the scene, under the watchful eyes of everyone, facing the Jia Family's broken window and the crazed Jia Zhangshi. His face was deathly pale, his lips trembling, and he was completely lost in the wind.

He Yuzhu returned to his small room, scooped water to wash the rice, but his ears were pricked high, listening to the highly penetrating, varied curses of Jia Zhangshi outside the window, as well as Xu Damao's stuttering, feeble excuses.

"Today is a good day, things you wish for can all come true; today is a good day, open the door and we welcome the spring breeze..." While working nimbly, He Yuzhu shook his head and hummed a cheerful little tune, the melody forming a highly "harmonious" duet with Jia Zhangshi's street-cursing outside the window.

The argument in the Siheyuan continued; Jia Zhangshi was like a War God possessed, spewing profanities as if they were free. In fact, if you listened carefully, it was all the same repetitive nonsense, cycling every two minutes.

However, this outburst was enough for Xu Damao.

For a time, Xu Damao stood there blankly, not knowing what to do. At this moment, Xu Fugui walked in with hurried steps. At first, he did not step forward to deal with his son, but listened carefully to Jia Zhangshi cursing.

Seeing that the time was right, Xu Fugui stepped forward, stuffed two silver dollars into Jia Zhangshi's hand, and bowed: "I'm sorry, old sister-in-law." After saying this, he pulled Xu Damao away.