Chapter 95

The driver, seeing Li Xuewu offer a cigarette, thought for a moment and took it.

Their enlistment times were the same, same cohort.

They exchanged their unit numbers, talked about military life, shared stories from their respective units, sometimes laughing heartily—completely free of the stiffness and restraint they’d shown in the villa, and no longer awkward in the face of authority and coldness.

After smoking two cigarettes, just as Li Xuewu was about to light a third, Dong Wenxue and Director Ren came out; seeing Li Xuewu standing by the car, Dong Wenxue gave him a complex look but said nothing.

Li Xuewu opened the doors for both men, then jumped into the front passenger seat without glancing back at the villa.

The driver, as silent as on the way there, started the car and turned back the same route.

All three passengers sat silently, staring out the windows; Li Xuewu, however, felt an inexplicable sense of ease.

The GAZ jeep dropped them off again at Dong Wenxue’s front gate, then turned around and left.

The two exchanged a few low words, then Dong Wenxue politely saw off Director Ren.

Li Xuewu also took his leave, saying he had matters at home.

Dong Wenxue knew his family situation, so he didn’t press him to stay; he told him to come by anytime he was free on Sundays.

Li Xuewu agreed, took his bike, and rode home.

He got home by four in the afternoon; just as he set up the bike stand and was about to enter the house, he heard Liu Guangfu loudly announcing throughout the courtyard that the Three Elders were calling a full-courtyard meeting.

Li Xuewu pushed aside the thick cloth door curtain and entered the house, saying to his mother Liu Yin: “Why so many meetings? Even opera troupes don’t perform this often.”

Liu Yin, pouring water for him to wash his hands, replied: “Houyuan’s Xu Damao beat his wife—says he’s been running around with whores, and the Three Elders are going to deal with him.”

Li Xuewu suddenly remembered—it must have been last night’s masterpiece by He Yuzhu.

Last night, He Yuzhu stripped Xu Damao naked and left him out all night; He Yuzhu himself slept in the canteen too.

One has to admit He Yuzhu is a man who’ll stop at nothing for revenge—single-minded, even gave up his own matchmaking appointment.

This morning, Xu Damao woke up sober and cold, saw himself tied up like a fish on a chopping block, and had no choice but to call He Yuzhu “Grandpa” before being untied.

But He Yuzhu didn’t hold back—he claimed Xu Damao had tried to rape a female comrade, and he’d stopped him, so Xu Damao should thank him.

Good heavens—even if Xu Damao had been blackout drunk, he couldn’t imagine any reason He Yuzhu would save him; just not standing by to watch the spectacle would’ve been enough.

Xu Damao refused to believe He Yuzhu’s lies, but he had no recourse except to vent empty threats—except his underwear was gone, so he could only sulk back home.

On his way home, Xu Damao vaguely recalled what he’d said and done last night.

He’d been dragged out by Li Xuewu’s people; now he was punished by He Yuzhu—it had to be a setup, Li Xuewu and He Yuzhu in cahoots.

In truth, He Yuzhu had secretly slipped Xu Damao’s underwear into the stove entrance—not caring about the dirt, just to retaliate for Xu Damao’s sabotage.

When Xu Damao returned to the courtyard and saw Third Auntie and Jia Dongxu gathered by the water tap, whispering toward the Li family’s side, he guessed Li Xuewu must have come back carrying a child.

Xu Damao didn’t want to join a bunch of old women gossiping; he didn’t deliberately avoid them, just tried to walk past to get home—but as he passed, Jia Dongxu glared at him and spat.

Of course—it was still about Bao Geng’s affair; this old woman still resented him.

He worked every day; Lou Xiaoe never managed household affairs and constantly ran back to her parents’ home.

But Jia Dongxu stayed home all day—she could ruin him any day; no, he had to give her something to do.

“Oh~ Aunties, chatting away?”

Seeing Xu Damao come over to chat, the old women were taken aback.

Xu the projectionist was so proud—he lived the best life among them, never bothered with these “poor folks”—why was he suddenly coming over to talk?

Third Auntie lived right by the front courtyard gate; her husband often took petty advantages from Xu Damao, so their families were closest; she replied: “Damao, just back?”

Xu Damao feared anyone finding out about this—he laughed awkwardly and asked: “I heard you were talking about the Li family—what’s going on with them?”

These women didn’t know Xu Damao’s relationship with the Li family, so they wouldn’t answer him.

But Jia Dongxu knew Xu Damao’s family had no ties to the Lis—when Xu Damao’s father lived here, he’d never gotten along with the Lis.

“We were just saying the Li family seems to have a crying child—huh? You know something?”

Seeing Jia Dongxu take the bait, Xu Damao thought: Perfect—I’ll drop a hint, let them gossip, let the Lis crush her—then the Lis won’t be able to rest either. One stone, two birds.

Jia stole his hen; the Lis strutted like a rooster.

A little trick of mine and I’ll cripple both of you.

“What do I know? I just saw Section Chief Li carrying a bundle wrapped in cloth leaving the assembly workshop yesterday—nothing else.”

Xu Damao finished his wall-peeping and headed home.

His remark sounded like something, yet nothing at all—the women grew even more suspicious.

“I told you their house had a baby crying.”

“It really does.”

“Could it be an adopted child?”

“Nonsense—Li Xuewu’s only nineteen; how could he adopt? This isn’t the old days—where would he even find one?”

“Can’t be adopted either—his brother’s only been married a few months; they wouldn’t need to adopt.”

“Not necessarily—could be Li Xuewu’s own. That kid was always a troublemaker—who knows how old the baby is or who gave birth to it?”

“Could very well be.”

Third Auntie pursed her lips, silently thinking: I was right to warn Yu Li.

Let’s not dwell on these women gossiping.

Xu Damao went home to rest, complaining to his wife about his misfortunes.

Lou Xiaoe grumbled as she gathered his clothes to wash, but after searching long and hard, couldn’t find his underwear—thinking of past incidents, she assumed he’d been out chasing women again.

The couple fought, and it was fierce.

He Yuzhu, who’d returned just after Xu Damao, suddenly remembered he still had a matchmaking appointment waiting at home—he rushed back.

Preoccupied with his date, he didn’t even enter his house but ran straight to Jia Dongxu’s to ask if Qin Jingru was still there.

Jia Dongxu, happily gossiping with the old women about her enemy, had just finished speculating how Li Xuewu planned to handle the child—she barely noticed He Yuzhu running up.

Jia Dongxu also thought He Yuzhu unreliable—he’d arranged to meet Qin Jingru last night, then vanished; she had nothing but scorn for him.

He Yuzhu rushed home excitedly—only to hear from Jia Dongxu that Qin Jingru had left, early that morning.

He was stunned—he wanted to ask if Qin Huaiju was around, to find out what had happened; Qin Huaiju was on duty today.

Though disappointed he hadn’t met his date, he felt some satisfaction hearing Xu Damao and his wife fighting—he’d gotten his revenge.

But the old women’s chatter suddenly sounded off.