Chapter 11: Shazhu Plays a Dirty Trick

Qin Huairu endured this indignity in the Jia Family, but Shazhu, who was passing by, saw it all and couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.

He had originally intended to go visit Jia Dongxu, who had returned.

He hadn't expected to see this scene through the window.

This made He Yuzhu, who had begun to feel lust for Qin Huairu, somewhat unable to accept it.

In his eyes, Sister Qin was a celestial beauty, while that Jia Dongxu was just a toad without legs, unable to hop at all.

"Ah, Sister Qin is truly suffering; if Jia Dongxu weren't here, I, Shazhu, would certainly take good care of Sister Qin," Shazhu sighed while leaning against the window.

Inside the Jia Family house, hearing movement by the window and thinking it was some wild cat, Jia Zhangshi picked up a shoe sole and threw it with a bang.

"Ouch, damn it."

Shazhu pinched his nose, nearly suffocated by the stench of Jia Zhangshi's old sweaty feet; he couldn't believe that even at her age, her feet were still this smelly.

Disgusted to the core, he pinched the stinky shoe and threw it back through the window.

Without even looking, he ran back to his own home.

That stinky shoe landed right in the foot-washing basin, and the water in the basin changed color instantly.

The foul water sprayed all over Qin Huairu's face; she couldn't help but retch, "Ugh... what is this thing?"

"Mom, how about I boil some water for you so you can wash up yourself?"

"My stomach is feeling a bit uncomfortable..."

Qin Huairu looked disgusted.

Jia Zhangshi's expression was also unpleasant.

That goddamn wild cat, how dare it throw it back at her?

"No! You're starting to look down on the two of us now, aren't you? You must wash it for me!"

Jia Zhangshi's attitude was very firm.

Qin Huairu was on the verge of tears; she had never realized before that her mother-in-law's feet smelled so bad, and she didn't know how she would go on living like this.

Shazhu, meanwhile, had slipped away in a flash.

His hand was still wrapped in bandages, and as soon as he ran home, he felt a dull pain, causing his face to twist hideously.

"It's all that hateful Zhao Gangzi's fault; he's going to start working at the Rolling Mill in two days, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

Shazhu bared his teeth and grimaced.

He took a bowl of chicken blood he had just prepared from the cupboard, along with two pieces of toilet paper of different colors.

He saw that it was getting late outside.

He hurriedly smeared his left hand with the chicken blood, making it look terrifying.

He had lived in the Siheyuan for so many years.

He knew some of Zhao Gangzi's habits.

Every night at twelve o'clock, he would come out to use the toilet.

Even though there were dozens of people living in the Siheyuan, they all shared one toilet.

It just so happened that the toilet was in the Middle Courtyard.

Zhao Gangzi would sneak into the toilet in the middle of every night.

Shazhu had seen him do it several times when he got up at night.

Shazhu's plan was very simple: to dress up as a ghost to scare Zhao Gangzi; although everyone was a materialist now, there were still quite a few people who believed in such things.

They just usually didn't dare to say it out loud.

Many people lived in the Siheyuan.

Therefore, the pit latrine was dug quite large and relatively deep, about the size of a water vat.

Usually, two loose wooden boards were placed over it.

When squatting down, one had to step on the two boards, and if one wasn't careful, it was possible to fall in.

So, generally, no one went to the toilet at night.

They were afraid that if they weren't careful, they would fall in with a crash and have a "full" experience.

Although Zhao Gangzi had transmigrated, the physiological functions of his original body had not changed.

Sure enough,

Zhao Gangzi had already fallen asleep when he suddenly felt a churning in his stomach.

"Damn it, is there something wrong with me? My stomach hurts as soon as it hits twelve o'clock, it's fucking punctual," Zhao Gangzi clutched his stomach and prepared to head out.

His face turned a shade of leaden blue.

It was so cold in the middle of the night, and he had to go to the Middle Courtyard to use the toilet; even flies didn't want to stay in that place for long.

Zhao Gangzi pondered whether he should set up a private toilet in the Back Courtyard.

But that would just benefit others.

It would be best if he could just install a toilet or something at home.

"Gangzi, wait a moment, let Second Uncle go first!"

"I can't hold it in anymore."

Zhao Gangzi had just stepped out.

Liu Haizhong, who lived next door, also walked out clutching his stomach.

He was letting out a series of farts as he walked.

"Second Uncle, that won't do; I came out first, so I should be the one to go first," Zhao Gangzi was also in great discomfort and tried to step ahead.

But he was immediately grabbed by Second Uncle, who wouldn't let him leave, cursing as he said, "Zhao Gangzi! Do you even know what it means to respect the old and cherish the young?"

"How can you be so ignorant of manners? No matter what, I am of the same generation as your father."

"I'd let it slide usually, but the situation is urgent this time; what's the harm in yielding to me?"

"Truly ignorant!"

Liu Haizhong rolled his eyes at Zhao Gangzi and even had his two sons, Liu Guangfu and Liu Guangtian, who were in the room, grab hold of Zhao Gangzi and refuse to let go.

Clutching his old backside, he waddled toward the Middle Courtyard with a *puchi puchi* sound.

Zhao Gangzi was amused.

He hurriedly smiled toward Liu Haizhong: "Second Uncle, you'd better be careful! Watch out for ghosts in the latrine!"

"I am a staunch materialist; as for any ghosts or demons, I'll send them packing with a single piss!"

"You young comrade have no ideological awareness at all, still engaging in that feudal superstition..."

Second Uncle's voice gradually faded into the distance.

Zhao Gangzi had no choice but to clench his cheeks; he couldn't exactly go home and find a basin to catch it.

He would just have to accept his bad luck tonight, but the matter of installing a toilet in his own home really did need to be put on the agenda.

However, in this era of meager material foundations, a thing like a toilet was truly hard to get one's hands on; one could say that only those wealthy, prominent households had them.

But in terms of rarity, toilets in Sijiucheng could be said to be even scarcer than bicycles.

On the other side.

Second Uncle was clutching his buttocks and rushing toward the latrine, making quite a racket, which directly startled Shazhu, who was secretly keeping watch on the side.

Shazhu was bleary-eyed and only vaguely saw a dark shadow dart out from the Back Courtyard and *whoosh*, dive into the latrine.

He looked at the time.

It was right in the middle of the night, and at this hour, the residents of the Back Courtyard were all in their dreams.

The Deaf Old Lady, First Uncle, and Second Uncle—those families with older folks—were usually fast asleep by nine o'clock or so and wouldn't come to the latrine in the middle of the night.

"Hmph, Zhao Gangzi, oh Zhao Gangzi, this time you've finally fallen into my hands!" Shazhu let out a sinister laugh.

The chicken blood smeared on his left hand had mostly dried, even forming a layer of crust, which looked incredibly ghastly under the moonlight.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, Shazhu crept to the entrance of the latrine without making a single sound.

The latrine in the courtyard was enclosed by wooden planks, with a large gap left at the bottom; Old Liu was currently letting himself go freely on the pit, the splashing sound continuous.

A stench of excrement wafted within a three-meter radius of the entire latrine.

Shazhu held his breath, took out a piece of red toilet paper and a piece of yellow paper, first shoved the red toilet paper in, and through the crack in the door, pinched his throat and said eerily:

"Do you want this red toilet paper, or do you want the other yellow paper I have in my hand?"

"Heh heh..."