Chapter 831: Excellent Acting

Nanluoguxiang

Cao Cao Weiguo had just finished lunch and was playing with his wife and children when Xu Xu Damao, disheveled and bearded, walked into the courtyard holding a broom like a lonely ghost.

"Brother Cao Weiguo, you're finally back. I've missed you so much!"

Upon seeing Cao Cao Weiguo, Xu Xu Damao threw down the broom and wailed at the top of his lungs, looking exactly like a spoiled child crying to his parents, leaving Cao Cao Weiguo at a loss.

Cao Cao Weiguo comforted him gently: "Brother Xu Damao, why are you crying? Didn't the neighborhood office release you? Don't feel wronged; everything will pass. Just accept your reform properly, and the organization will still employ you."

Yes!

Xu Xu Damao had been released while Cao Cao Weiguo was away on business, but in reality, he had just been moved from one cage to another.

Even back home, Xu Xu Damao still carried his disciplinary record. Every few days, he had to undergo criticism and education from the masses and perform labor reform under their supervision. The neighborhood office had already made a dense schedule of labor for him: sweeping the streets, cleaning public toilets, taking care of the elderly without families... and so on.

At the same time, the leadership of the Red Star Rolling Mill held a meeting and decided to impose a severe disciplinary action on Xu Xu Damao: one major demerit. He was to clean public toilets alongside Seeing Shazhu, accept the supervision of all factory employees, and undergo profound self-reflection and reform.

Xu Xu Damao's life was now in dire straits; several times he had wanted to find a rope and hang himself.

Fortunately, Seeing Shazhu was there to support him in living on.

Once he thought about how Seeing Shazhu had caused him to be in such a miserable state, the urge to die vanished immediately. He wasn't afraid of Seeing Shazhu ruining him; he just couldn't die with his eyes closed.

From the moment he returned home, Xu Xu Damao made up his mind: he could do nothing else in this life, but he would lock horns with Seeing Shazhu to the end. To the death! If he didn't kill that grandson Seeing Shazhu, he wouldn't be a human in his next life!

It was precisely with this belief in "revenge" that Xu Xu Damao was able to persist until now, enduring huge humiliation and torture—sweeping streets, cleaning latrines, suffering the cold looks and curses of others—all just to make Seeing Shazhu pay in blood.

However, he currently had no money and no power. Trying to fight Seeing Shazhu one-on-one was just delivering himself to be beaten. At the end of his rope, Xu Xu Damao viewed his good brother Cao Cao Weiguo as a life-saving straw.

Upon hearing that Cao Cao Weiguo was back from his business trip, Xu Xu Damao ran over without stopping to seek help.

"Brother Cao Weiguo, I'm miserable, I'm wronged, I'm so pathetic. You must pull your brother up!"

"That Seeing Shazhu, that idiot is too hateful. He actually played dirty with me, setting a trap to ruin me. Now I'm like a rat crossing the street. The neighborhood office punished me, the factory disciplined me, and my parents want to sever ties with me. I'm truly at a dead end. If you don't help me, I'm going to find a rope and hang myself."

Xu Xu Damao ran to Cao Cao Weiguo, wiping away tears and wailing his grievances. His tearful performance was enough to make one sigh.

Suppressing the urge to retch, Cao Cao Weiguo said righteously: "Brother Xu Damao, I fully understand your current mood and sympathize with your current situation. Don't worry, we are iron brothers who share everything. If I don't help you, who will? Don't worry, I will help you plead with the neighborhood office and the factory to try to reduce your punishment. Also, from now on, whenever you encounter difficulties in life, just come to me. If nothing else, if I have a mouthful of rice, you'll have a mouthful of soup."

Xu Xu Damao was moved to tears, weeping on the spot like a child: "Wuwuwu... Brother Cao Weiguo, you, you are truly too good. To have a brother like you who values friendship so much, my life as Xu Xu Damao has been worth it."

Cao Cao Weiguo comforted him: "Alright, alright, let's not cry. A real man sheds blood, not tears. Brother Xu Damao, you must pull yourself together and not be defeated by temporary setbacks. In the past, Han Xin endured the humiliation of crawling between legs, and King Goujian of Yue slept on brushwood and tasted gall. What are these minor difficulties? With your brains and ability, Brother Xu Damao, a comeback is only a matter of time."

Xu Xu Damao wiped away his tears, head held high: "Brother Cao Weiguo, with your encouragement, I feel I can do it again. You're right, I, Xu Xu Damao, am a real man; I cannot be defeated by temporary failure. I, Xu Xu Damao, am a genius; I will only grow stronger with every battle. Seeing Shazhu, a mere idiot, how could he be my opponent?"

Cao Cao Weiguo picked up the teapot and poured Xu Xu Damao a cup of water: "Brother Xu Damao, sit down and have a drink first."

Xu Xu Damao said: "No need for water. Brother Cao Weiguo, can you lend me fifty Brother Yuan?"

"Brother Xu Damao!"

Cao Cao Weiguo put down the teacup and said: "What are you saying! What do you mean 'can you'? If you borrow money from your brother, of course you can! It's only fifty, right? I'll have Song Yulan get it for you right now."

Xu Xu Damao was moved to tears again: "Brother Cao Weiguo, you are too righteous."

Cao Cao Weiguo stood up and walked to the door, saying to Song Song Yulan, who was playing with their son on a rocking horse: "Song Yulan, get me fifty Brother Yuan."

Song Song Yulan turned back: "What do you need money for?"

Cao Cao Weiguo winked at Song Song Yulan: "Brother Xu Damao needs to use some money."

Song Song Yulan understood immediately. She put her hands on her hips and shouted indignantly: "Where would we have money? You've taken all the money out to treat people to meals. Don't you have any idea? The rice jar at home is almost empty, and I don't know how we'll solve dinner tonight. Where do you expect me to get money for you? Should I just take a kitchen knife and go out to rob someone for you?"

Cao Cao Weiguo pretended to be angry: "You're talking nonsense. How could we have no money? I give you all my salary every month. You tell me we have no money? Do you believe I'll slap you?"

Song Song Yulan walked over aggressively: "You've got some nerve, wanting to hit me. Come, come, come, hit me! You go out all day to treat people to meals, eating and drinking, while you don't care about anything for the adults and children at home—food, clothing, daily necessities. None of these cost money? You heartless thing, you only care about your own eating and drinking outside and don't care about the family at all. You want to hit? Come! Hit me right here! It would be best if you hit the child in my belly to death too."

Watching Song Song Yulan charge forward aggressively with her big belly, Xu Xu Damao was dumbfounded. What was going on? Cao Cao Weiguo, a dignified section chief, was actually living such a miserable life!

Cao Cao Weiguo said angrily: "Song Song Yulan, stop making a scene. Don't think I don't dare to hit you!"

Song Song Yulan stuck out her big belly: "Hit! Hit! Hit me to death! I haven't wanted to live with you for a long time!"

Seeing this, Xu Xu Damao hurriedly tried to persuade them: "Sister-in-law! Brother Cao Weiguo! You can't do this! Let's talk things over! Let's talk things over! What's going on! A good family shouldn't resort to violence!"

Song Song Yulan wiped the corners of her eyes and complained: "Brother Xu, you don't know. People outside all think my family eats meat and drinks well, but they don't know how bitter I feel inside. This heartless man has a decent salary, but he spends his days treating people to meals, going to restaurants all the time, eating fish and meat, and getting drunk every single meal. Even if we had a mountain of gold and silver, it wouldn't be enough for him to squander. But he doesn't care about any of this; he only cares about eating and drinking outside. He won't even lift a bottle of soy sauce if it tips over at home, and he doesn't even look when the children's clothes get too small. You tell me, how can we live like this?"

Cao Cao Weiguo said with a red face: "That's work entertainment! I drink outside until I'm about to vomit blood, but that's for work, for our family! Why can't you understand me? I have to be busy with work outside, and when I come home, I have to deal with all your eating, drinking, and pooping. How am I supposed to live? You have to let me catch my breath!"

Song Song Yulan said angrily: "You want to catch your breath, so I shouldn't? You don't care about anything at home and expect me to do everything. I don't have three heads and six arms!"

Cao Cao Weiguo said impatiently: "Alright, stop talking. Brother Xu Damao needs money urgently. Go get the money."

Song Song Yulan: "There's no money at home."

Seeing this, Xu Xu Damao felt too embarrassed to ask for money. He hurriedly waved his hand: "Brother Cao Weiguo, I'm not in a hurry, not in a hurry. I don't need the money for now. By the way, I still have a stretch of street to sweep. I'll go sweep the street first. We'll talk when we have time."

Watching Xu Xu Damao pick up his broom and leave in a hurry, Cao Cao Weiguo hugged Song Song Yulan and laughed: "Wife, it's a pity you didn't become an actress."

Song Song Yulan rolled her eyes at Cao Cao Weiguo: "You, if you didn't want to lend the money, just say so. Why drag me into acting? How embarrassing."

Cao Cao Weiguo laughed: "Hey, saying it directly is boring. Not only would it offend him, but it would make me look stingy. Acting it out like this makes Xu Xu Damao too embarrassed to borrow money, and it makes me look especially righteous."

Song Song Yulan pinched Cao Cao Weiguo's arm: "Hypocrite. You mustn't teach the children these things."