Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

At dusk in winter, the sky seems to be pulled quickly by an invisible hand and darkens early, like a heavy lead plate pressing heavily on the ground.

There was no light on in Sha Zhu's room, which was less than ten square meters. Dim light came in through the dusty window. Every ray of light was wrapped with dust particles, floating slowly in the dead air, making the whole room seem even darker and more depressing, like an airtight prison.

Sha Zhu was like a trapped beast on the verge of going mad in a small cage, pacing back and forth in this cramped space.

Every step he took carried with him the anger and unwillingness that had accumulated for countless days and nights. The force was so heavy that it seemed to crush everything in the world. He stepped heavily on the old floor, making a dull "thump thump" sound.

The sound echoed in the silent room, as if it was going to trample a hole in the thin floor and crush the last bit of sanity in his heart.

His brows were tightly twisted into a knot, and the deep wrinkles on his forehead were filled with anxiety and resentment that had been surging like a tide in recent days.

In his mind, the intimate scenes of Cao Wei and Qin Huairu, Lou Xiaoe, and Yu Li flashed over and over again like a cursed revolving lantern, and no matter how hard he shook his head, he could not get rid of them.

Qin Huairu, the woman whom he had been thinking about and treating with all his heart for countless days and nights, actually gently straightened Cao Wei's collar. The tenderness and affection in her eyes were like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into Sha Zhu's heart. It was the deep affection that he had never seen in her eyes in his entire life.

Lou Xiao'e, who used to be as proud as a white swan, now kissed Cao Wei's cheek affectionately. The smile on the corner of her mouth was like a handful of salt, sprinkled on Sha Zhu's already bleeding wound, stinging his eyes.

And there was Yu Li, who snuggled up to Cao Wei coquettishly. Her petite posture was like a blazing fire, which completely ignited the fire of jealousy in Sha Zhu and made his internal organs seem to melt.

These scenes, like extremely sharp steel knives tempered with poison, pierced straight into Sha Zhu's heart, stirring up a turbulent tide in his heart, filling him with anger and pain until he was almost suffocated.

In order to come up with a way to deal with Cao Wei, Sha Zhu racked his brains and scratched his hair with his hands. His scalp was almost scratched to pieces and he could even feel the slight tingling and warm blood from his scalp on his fingertips.

Should he rush over to settle accounts with Cao Wei? As soon as this thought came to his mind, he seemed to see himself being knocked to the ground by Cao Wei's punch, with a bruised face and a swollen nose, blood at the corners of his mouth, and his clothes torn into tatters, like a discarded rag doll.

No, Cao Wei is strong and I am definitely no match for him. Not only will I not be able to take revenge, but I will also become the laughing stock of the neighbors in the courtyard and the topic of conversation. I cannot allow this to happen.

Report Cao Wei for having an affair? As soon as this thought came to his mind, Sha Zhu shook his head fiercely, as if to get rid of this idea completely from his mind. His head shook like a rattle.

He knew better than anyone that once he reported the case, Qin Huairu's reputation would be ruined. She would be drowned in rumors and become the object of everyone's scorn. How could she hold her head up high in this world in the future? How could he bear to let his beloved woman suffer such hardship? It would be more painful than being cut into pieces.

Sha Zhu was filled with anxiety and had no place to vent it. He felt dizzy walking around in this small room. He felt as if the whole world was spinning before his eyes and everything was distorted.

Suddenly, he seemed to be struck by lightning. His steps stopped abruptly, his body swayed, and a long-lost ray of hope flashed in his eyes.

"Oh, right, find Xu Damao!" He muttered to himself, his voice trembling unconsciously, with a hint of determination to burn his boats. "This kid has a lot of tricks and likes to be clever. Maybe he can come up with a brilliant idea to deal with Cao Wei."

In the past, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were well-known enemies in the courtyard. Whenever they met, they were like two angry fighting cocks with red eyes. They quarreled with red faces and spit flying, and every curse they uttered was like a sharp blade, flying back and forth in the air.

They just started fighting, pushing and shoving each other, causing chaos in the entire courtyard and no peace.

The neighbors were used to their tit-for-tat. Every time they heard their yelling, they would just shake their heads and sigh helplessly, their eyes full of boredom and fatigue.

But during this period, Xu Damao seemed to have become a different person. Every time he saw Sha Zhu, his face was full of smiles, which were brighter than the flowers blooming in spring. He would take the initiative to greet him, nodding and bowing, his waist almost touching the ground, and he no longer had the arrogance and domineering attitude of the past.

Sha Zhu secretly observed for a long time, his eyes almost had a hole in them. Every day, he watched Xu Damao's every move like a detective, but he didn't find any shady tricks of Xu Damao. In addition, his previous behavior made Xu Damao a eunuch. Sha Zhu felt that the grudge between the two of them could probably be put aside, and the past hatred might disappear at this moment.

Thinking of this, Sha Zhu no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and wrapped tightly around his body the patched, tattered cotton jacket. Every patch on the jacket was like a scar from his past life, recording his hardships and difficulties.

He strode out of the room and walked towards Xu Damao's house in the backyard.

Along the way, the cold wind scraped across his cheeks like a knife, making his ears hurt, as if it was going to cut his ears off. His cheeks were frozen red, like ripe apples, but he was unaware of it. In his mind, there was only one thought as firm as a rock: to find Xu Damao and discuss together a way to deal with Cao Wei.

Soon, Sha Zhu arrived at Xu Damao's house.

He raised his hand, and the rough big hand trembled slightly in the air. He hesitated for a moment, with his knuckles hanging in the air, and did not fall down for a long time.

He still felt a little uncomfortable. After all, the years of grudges between him and Xu Damao were not something that could be completely let go. The scenes of quarrels and fights still emerged in his mind from time to time, like an old movie that was played in an endless loop.

But when he thought of Cao Wei's smug look, with the corners of his mouth raised and his face full of sarcasm, and thought of Qin Huairu being "bewitched" by him and her eyes full of love for Cao Wei, Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, as if he had made a great decision, and knocked on the door hard.

"Knock, knock, knock," the dull knocking sound was particularly loud in the silent courtyard, startling the sparrows under the eaves and making them fly up "fluttering". They circled in panic in the gray sky, chirping, as if they were also uneasy about the upcoming meeting.

At this time, Xu Damao was lying on his somewhat shabby recliner at home, humming a tuneless tune and playing with a small object in his hands. He looked leisurely and comfortable, and had no idea of ​​the coming storm.

When he heard the rapid and dull knock on the door, his heart skipped a beat, as if hit hard by something. His heart suddenly shrank and the small object in his hand almost fell to the ground.

He put down what he was holding, stood up and opened the door, still wondering in his heart, who could it be in this cold weather?

The moment the door opened, Xu Damao was stunned when he saw Sha Zhu standing at the door. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly opened, and his face was full of disbelief, as if he had seen some incredible monster.

He never thought that Sha Zhu would come to him on his own initiative.

Ever since that special incident, Sha Zhu has always treated him with a frown, guarding against him like a thief, with every look filled with vigilance and hostility. What is he doing today?

However, this hint of surprise only flashed by, and in an instant, his face was filled with smiles, a smile brighter than the sun, as if the surprise had never appeared. He was like a well-trained actor, quickly switching expressions.

"Hey, isn't this Sha Zhu? What brings you here? Come in, come in!" As he said this, he stepped sideways enthusiastically, made an exaggerated invitation gesture, and bent his waist even lower, as if he was welcoming a distinguished guest whom he hadn't seen for a long time. His attentive look made people almost think that he and Sha Zhu were close friends for many years and were very close.

Sha Zhu walked into the room silently and sat down on a chair. His brows were still tightly furrowed, and the sadness on his face could not be dispelled, as if the sadness had taken root in his face and grown into an indelible groove.

His hands unconsciously clenched into fists and placed on his knees. His knuckles turned white due to the force and the veins on the back of his hands bulged out like angry little snakes twisting under his skin.

Seeing this, Xu Damao was very confused. He knew very well the relationship between him and Sha Zhu. Since Sha Zhu came to him on his own initiative today, it must be something big.

But he didn't dare to ask rashly, so he quickly turned around and poured a glass of water, and carefully handed it to Sha Zhu with both hands, with a flattering smile on his face, "Zhu Zi, drink some water first, and tell me what you want to say."

Sha Zhu just took two steps forward, and Xu Damao immediately took half a step back vigilantly, his hands unconsciously protecting in front of him, with a hint of panic in his eyes, like a frightened deer.

Seeing Sha Zhu's face so gloomy that it seemed like water could drip out of it, Xu Damao's heart started pounding, thinking that Sha Zhu was here to settle a score with him. The scene of himself being beaten up by Sha Zhu instantly emerged in his mind, with fists falling on him like raindrops. He was so scared that he almost screamed out loud, and his body trembled slightly.

Sha Zhu also noticed Xu Damao's nervousness and realized that his fierce appearance might have scared him. He took a deep breath and tried to make his tone sound calmer: "Da Mao, don't be nervous. I'm not here to cause trouble for you."

As he spoke, he forced out a smile that was uglier than crying. The helplessness and bitterness in that smile made Xu Damao relax his vigilance a little, and the fear in his eyes gradually faded.

Xu Damao looked at Sha Zhu with doubt, then shrank back into the house, his eyes fixed on Sha Zhu's every move, "Really? Don't lie to me."

The suspicion and uneasiness in his eyes were like a frightened rabbit, ready to run away at any time.

Sha Zhu sighed helplessly, "Why would I lie to you? I came here today because I really need your help."

The tiredness and earnestness in that voice made Xu Damao believe that Sha Zhu really came to seek help this time, and his attitude softened a little.

Xu Damao relaxed a little, but he still remained alert and stepped aside to let Sha Zhu enter the house. "Then you come in first and talk."

There was a hint of caution in his voice, as if he was afraid that saying a wrong word would annoy Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu walked into the room, not bothering to look around. He sat down on a chair, supported his knees with his hands, leaned forward, and said in a low voice with a gloomy face: "Do you know what I just saw?"

The voice was so low that it seemed to come from hell, carrying endless oppression, and every word seemed to come from the bottom of a deep valley.

Xu Damao breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves instantly relaxed. It turned out that Sha Zhu was not here to settle the score with him, so there was nothing to worry about.

So I turned to ask curiously: "What did you see just now? You are so mysterious."

The curiosity on his face had completely replaced the nervousness and vigilance from before, and his eyes were flashing with curiosity.

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, as if he had made a great decision, "I just saw Qin Huairu, and your previous wife Lou Xiao'e who couldn't lay eggs, together with Cao Wei, and they were very close and flirtatious."

Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between teeth, carrying with it a thick layer of anger and unwillingness. The hatred in the voice seemed to be able to freeze the air.

Xu Damao frowned, his face full of confusion and shock. He couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say? This is impossible!"

As he spoke, he paced back and forth in the room, his steps hurried and flustered. The scene of Lou Xiao'e and Cao Wei together kept appearing in his mind, and he felt uncomfortable.

Although he and Cao Wei were not close friends, they had a good relationship. How could Cao Wei do such an unkind thing as hooking up with his ex-wife?

That scene was like a sharp dagger, piercing his heart again and again, causing his chest to ache dully, as if it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand.

"I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be false?"

Seeing Xu Damao's face full of doubt, Sha Zhu stood up anxiously, waving his hands in the air, as if he wanted to grab something, or as if he was trying to drive away the anger and unwillingness in his heart.

"That scene was as disgusting as it could be. Sister Qin even fixed Cao Wei's collar with her own hands, and Lou Xiao'e even kissed him on the face. Who could tolerate this?"

Sha Zhu became more and more excited as he spoke. His face turned red like a ripe tomato, and anger burned in his eyes again. It seemed as if the whole house would be burned down, and his body was shaking slightly with anger.

Xu Damao stopped and frowned, "This Cao Wei is too unkind! How could Xiao'e..."

There was a hint of anger in his voice, as well as a hint of loss that was difficult to conceal. Lou Xiao'e was once his wife, and although they later separated, hearing that she was so close to another man still made him feel like being stabbed by a needle. The feeling of being betrayed made his chest ache, as if countless ants were gnawing at his heart.

"Da Mao, I really can't swallow this breath, but I can't think of any good way to deal with him." Sha Zhu sat back in the chair, holding his head with both hands, looking distressed, "I know you have a lot of tricks, you have to help me think of a way, I can't let him get away with it like this."

Sha Zhu raised his head and looked at Xu Damao eagerly, his eyes full of expectation, as if Xu Damao was his last straw, and as long as Xu Damao could come up with a solution, he could be freed from this endless pain.

..................

..................