My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

"Ahhh!!!"

Jiang Lu's scream was so ear-piercing, it nearly reached the heavens.

The commotion attracted everyone who heard it, and soon the entire neighborhood had gathered at the Zhou family's doorstep. People huddled at the entrance, whispering and peeking inside. What they saw left them in shock.

Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou were both stark naked, like freshly cooked chicken. Zhou Qun was rolling on the ground, covering a certain part of his body, while Bai Fendou sat in the corner, looking like a traumatized bride.

Oh boy!

This was something no one had ever seen before.

Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for words... gulp. Someone swallowed hard. Zhuang Zhixi, standing at the front, quickly reacted, "Ladies, don't come forward!"

Aunt Sui: "What's going on? I'm old, I can handle it."

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

Other men: "..."

Such a shocking scene made the men naturally step forward to shield the women from the sight. Not to protect Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou's modesty, but to prevent the women from getting nightmares. Who in their right mind would want to see this?

Ming Mei, who was jumping around at the back, stopped and quietly peered forward. It seemed the scene inside was not something ordinary women should witness. Beside her was her equally curious sister-in-law, Liang Meifen: "This is something else, something else."

When her son, rubbing his eyes, came out, Liang Meifen scolded, "Go back to bed, now! This is no place for kids."

Little Hutou mumbled softly and shuffled back into the house.

He was sent away, but other kids like Jinlai were peeking out from the doorway.

Men and elderly women stood in the front row; young wives and unmarried girls in the middle; and at the back, the kids who would come out even in the pouring rain to watch the drama.

The entire neighborhood had been woken up.

Zhao Guihua hadn't expected this. They had just decided to let the matter slide, pretending they knew nothing, but then it all blew up on its own. How it happened, no one knew, but seeing Jiang Lu trembling with anger, they felt they had to say something: "Jiang Lu... you..."

No one knew what to say.

Everyone looked at Aunt Wang, the neighborhood committee leader. Aunt Wang: "..." This was truly her worst nightmare!

"Jiang Lu, why don't you stay at your parents' place for a few days?"

She didn't dare ask what had happened. With Jiang Lu in this state, asking would only provoke her.

Aunt Wang meant well, but it backfired. Jiang Lu suddenly turned viciously and snapped, "Why should I go to my parents' place? Am I making room for Bai Fendou, the male seducer? This is my home! Does he want to usurp it?"

Aunt Wang: "I didn't mean that."

She was snapped at.

Jiang Lu: "Then why are you telling me to go to my parents'? Are you on Bai Fendou's side? Are you colluding to drive me out?"

Aunt Wang: "..."

She was utterly speechless.

Aunt Wang was so furious she was shaking. Zhao Guihua stepped in, helping Aunt Wang to the side and said coldly, "Jiang Lu, speak properly. Who are you snapping at? If it weren't for living in the same neighborhood, who would care about your mess? You're acting like a mad dog biting everyone. Why don't you direct your anger at Zhou Qun?"

Jiang Lu's eyes were bloodshot. She glared at Zhao Guihua and spat, "This is my business! You neighbors can mind your own damn business! Who do you think you are?"

Zhao Guihua sneered, "Do you think we want to meddle? If it weren't for you snapping at Aunt Wang, I wouldn't have said a word. If Aunt Wang weren't the neighborhood committee leader, do you think she'd want to deal with your mess? Do you think this is something to be proud of?"

She turned to Aunt Wang, "Old Wang, you're just the neighborhood committee leader. Do what you can, but if you can't, it's not your fault. You see? Some people just don't know good from bad."

Aunt Wang had calmed down by now. She patted her friend's hand and said, "You're right."

She looked directly at Jiang Lu and said, "I'm not getting involved in your family's affairs anymore. Do whatever you want."

With that, she turned and walked away!

She was truly furious. Over the years, she had worked tirelessly for their neighborhood. While every neighborhood had its share of petty disputes, theirs seemed to have more than its fair share. She had put in a lot of effort.

She had helped every household, but never expected Jiang Lu to bite the hand that fed her.

Aunt Wang shouted, "Old Li, Li Fang, Yang Lixin, go home!"

Even though Chef Li was usually the boss at home, he dared not defy Aunt Wang when she was angry. He quickly turned and obediently followed. Yang Lixin also dragged his wife and hurried away.

Jiang Lu watched their backs and shouted through gritted teeth, "I don't need your help!"

Suddenly, she erupted and charged at Bai Fendou, kicking him: "You male seducer! You seduced my husband!"

At the last moment, Bai Fendou barely dodged, thanks to his experience from previous beatings. He knew Jiang Lu's tactics—she went for the lower body, no matter how unsightly. The goal was to win!

He barely dodged and looked at Jiang Lu with a fierce glare. No one expected him to suddenly strike back, slapping Jiang Lu hard across the face.

"Ah!" Jiang Lu's face instantly swelled up.

"Holy crap, Bai Fendou actually hit her!"

"Yeah, those two men messing around, and now he's hitting her?"

"That's too much."

"He should be arrested by the security department!"

"Exactly!"

"Bai Fendou, are you even a man? Hitting a woman, tarnishing the reputation of us men in Beijing."

Beijing men might brag about beating their wives at home, but actually doing it was looked down upon. Hitting someone else's wife was downright despicable.

Whether it was the blow or the crowd's support that fueled her, Jiang Lu let out a howl and charged again. Her fists mercilessly pummeled Bai Fendou, who pushed her hard, not caring that he was still naked, and slapped her again.

Now both of Jiang Lu's cheeks were swollen.

"Holy crap!"

"Bai Fendou, what are you doing!"

"That's too much!"

"How can you hit Jiang Lu? Is there no law?"

The crowd couldn't take it anymore and rolled up their sleeves, ready to teach this unprincipled man a lesson. But before they could step forward, Bai Fendou suddenly roared at them, "I'll hit her! I'll hit her! They set me up! They must have set me up! They plotted against me, waaah! My innocence! I'm still a virgin! I've never been with a woman! Zhou Qun molested me, waaah!"

He cried, tears and snot streaming down his face, "I don't believe Jiang Lu didn't know! They must have been holding a grudge from the small warehouse incident! The couple lured me to their home, then Zhou Qun molested me, waaah, and Jiang Lu exposed me to ruin my reputation! That's what they wanted! Waaah... you're bullying me, you're all bullying me!"

Thinking of this, his eyes turned vicious, and he kicked Zhou Qun: "You bastard! You bastard took advantage of me while I was asleep. Waaah, you're despicable, may lightning strike you down! Why don't you just die..."

Bai Fendou cried as if the world was ending. He never imagined he'd encounter such a thing. He'd only heard of young girls or women being harassed, never a thirty-something man!

He was unlucky, so unlucky.

He cried and kicked Zhou Qun: "You bastard! You're not human! You even said you'd teach me some tricks... you were plotting against me! Waaah! You took advantage of me while I was asleep..."

The crowd: "What the...!"

"Oh, this..."

Everyone was stunned, not knowing what to say.

It was just... so bewildering.

Bai Fendou was even more bewildered. He hadn't expected Zhou Qun to say such a thing. Seeing Zhou Qun crying so hard that he was about to faint, yet still trying to attack Bai Fendou, Jiang Lu quickly stepped forward: "Don't hit him! What are you doing? Who told you to act wild in my house!"

She tried to block Bai Fendou's attack, not allowing him to hit Zhou Qun.

Bai Fendou roared in anger: "You're going too far!"

He pointed at Jiang Lu and demanded: "Tell me, did you and your husband plan this together? You bullied me and even tried to ruin my reputation. Tell me!"

Everyone followed Bai Fendou's gaze and turned to look at Jiang Lu.

Jiang Lu widened her eyes: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Bai Fendou ignored her and kicked Zhou Qun again: "She won't say it, so you tell me. Did you deliberately try to sleep with me? Tell me!"

Zhou Qun, who was kicked and clutching a sensitive area, rolled around on the ground, barely able to speak: "I... this... this is a misunderstanding..."

Bai Fendou refused to believe it and shouted: "Go to hell with your misunderstanding! There's no way it's a misunderstanding! You stripped me naked. How could it be a misunderstanding? Waaah, my dream girl in my dreams..."

He cried so pitifully that everyone, who were used to seeing Bai Fendou's tough exterior, felt sympathy for him for the first time. Although no one knew exactly what had happened, given Bai Fendou's state, it was hard to believe he had any intention of getting involved with Zhou Qun.

It was more likely that Zhou Qun had done something to him!

Oh, how terrible!

Bai Fendou: "Jiang Lu, you tell me!"

Jiang Lu, though furious and heartbroken for Zhou Qun, saw Bai Fendou's madness and calmed down a bit. She shouted: "I don't know what you're talking about! I have no idea what you're saying! I just took you in out of kindness, and then I got up to use the bathroom and heard noises in the room... Do you think I wanted to see that? That's my husband! That's my husband! I'd have to be crazy to come up with such a scheme. How could I possibly do something like that to trick you?"

By the end, Jiang Lu was shouting.

Bai Fendou also shouted: "If that's not the case, then why did Zhou Qun do this to me?"

He was just one step away from losing his innocence.

He cried so hard that his tears outnumbered the raindrops outside.

"Just one step away, I almost got violated by a man. Waaah!"

At this point, no one dared to say a word. The atmosphere was clearly explosive on both sides, and no one knew what had really happened. Was it Jiang Lu and Zhou Qun's plot, or did Bai Fendou somehow seduce Zhou Qun? It was impossible to tell.

Both sides felt wronged.

So everyone was holding their breath, afraid that even a slight movement might miss something crucial.

But... did Bai Fendou really not get violated?

Was that true? Jiang Lu didn't seem that angry.

Bai Fendou turned and saw everyone's suspicious looks. Even though no one said anything, Bai Fendou felt like they had said it all. He roared: "Nothing happened! It was just one step away! Waaah, my dream girl was supposed to be a beauty..."

It was all Zhou Qun's fault. That bastard Zhou Qun was a scoundrel. Before going to sleep, he had talked nonsense to Bai Fendou and even tried to "teach him." Although Bai Fendou felt weird and refused, he couldn't help but dream of such things.

In his dreams, it was Wang Xiangxiu.

He had lied when he said "big sister."

After all, he couldn't say that the woman in his dreams was Wang Xiangxiu. Sister Xiangxiu's reputation was important too. In his dreams, they had kissed, hugged, and done many happy things together. But... everything was fake.

Jiang Lu's scream woke him up!

Waaah, there was no Wang Xiangxiu.

Only Zhou Qun, who had intended to take advantage of him!

He felt so wronged that he curled up like a 150-pound ball, on the verge of losing everything. In the nick of time, he used his ultimate move—the Dragon Claw.

With a powerful grip, Zhou Qun collapsed!

Bai Fendou stumbled and curled up against the wall, feeling helpless and pitiful.

Who would have thought that even men weren't safe these days? And to think that Jiang Lu was still trying to frame him. He felt even more wronged than Dou E! He cried even harder: "How can you treat me like this? I'm a virgin! I'm not clean anymore... How am I supposed to get married in the future?"

Jiang Lu: "Don't try to shift the blame. I could say you're the one who bullied my husband..."

Bai Fendou's eyes turned red instantly: "You bastard! I'll kill you!"

He rushed outside to grab a kitchen knife.

Wang Zhaodi, who was already in the room, reacted quickly and snatched the knife just as Bai Fendou approached, throwing it out... "Holy crap!"

"This is crazy! He's going to kill someone!"

"It's a kitchen knife! How could you throw it out?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Wang Zhaodi was scared out of her wits, trembling: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I... I just..." She was too nervous to speak. She hadn't meant to do it; she was just afraid Bai Fendou would hurt someone.

Everyone was crowded at the door. Luckily, they all dodged in time, and the knife fell to the ground. Otherwise, they would have been injured just watching the drama. Everyone gave Wang Zhaodi a disapproving look.

Wang Zhaodi awkwardly stood by the door, not knowing what to do. Zhuang Zhixi quickly shouted: "Move aside! I'll kick it out."

Even the most skilled fighter would fear a kitchen knife.

Everyone quickly moved aside as Zhuang Zhixi kicked the knife out.

Yang Lixin quickly pulled Wang Zhaodi out of the way. Although they had left, Yang Lixin couldn't resist coming back to watch. After all, Bai Fendou losing his innocence was too good of a show to miss. He couldn't help but peek, especially since his mother-in-law and father-in-law were also standing on tiptoes, trying to see what was happening.

Although he had been angry at first, this situation was too intriguing not to watch.

Yang Lixin pulled Wang Zhaodi out, leaving the stage to Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun's family. Wang Zhaodi shivered and leaned against the wall, finding city people quite frightening.

"What are you all looking at? There's nothing to see here! Are you here to watch my humiliation? When have I, Bai Fendou, ever been so embarrassed? You're not giving me the knife back, so..." He grabbed a cutting board and prepared to charge in.

If this continued, someone could get seriously hurt.

Aunt Wang was really at a loss, but she quickly spoke up: "Both of you have your reasons, but maybe neither of you is at fault. Maybe it's Zhou Qun's issue. Maybe Zhou Qun just took a liking to Bai Fendou. It's not about revenge or ruining Bai Fendou's reputation. Maybe Zhou Qun just likes Bai Fendou. Otherwise, why hasn't Jiang Lu had a child all these years? Zhou Qun just doesn't like women."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for Bai Fendou to hear.

Bai Fendou froze, then his eyes darkened, though his tears flowed even more.

Damn it, this was even more unbearable than being tricked.

At that moment, Jiang Lu hugged her husband and looked up, saying seriously: "I swear, I didn't plot against you."

Seeing Bai Fendou go mad like this, Jiang Lu managed to clear her mind a bit. She knew she hadn't done anything, so she had to make it clear. Otherwise, their family would never be able to face people again.

No matter what Zhou Qun had done, she had to distance herself from it first.

Only then could she consider that Zhou Qun might have had a dream.

If she didn't clear this up, their family would never be able to face people again.

She started by distancing herself, raising her hand: "I swear, if my husband and I plotted together to trick you, let me be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! Let the lightning outside strike me down now!"

Bai Fendou: "Waaah!"

Seeing Jiang Lu so determined, everyone began to persuade Bai Fendou: "Fendou, since Jiang Lu is willing to make such a vicious oath, she probably didn't trick you."

"That's right. If Jiang Lu had really tricked you, she wouldn't have been so angry earlier."

"Yeah, no one would do such a thing. You must have misunderstood her."

"I think you misunderstood Jiang Lu. Jiang Lu is actually quite nice."

Jiang Lu had been living in this courtyard for over ten years, and people had some understanding of her. While her mother-in-law, Aunt Zhou, might have done something like this, Jiang Lu probably wouldn't.

What good would it do her to spread this story around?

Bai Fendou's reputation is already in tatters, and how could their marriage possibly remain intact?

Obviously, it couldn't.

Bai Fendou was bawling his eyes out, completely devoid of any manly dignity. Jiang Lu's oath would have been fine if she hadn't made it, but now it seemed to confirm that he had indeed set his sights on her.

At thirty-something, finding a wife was so difficult, yet finding a man was so easy?

Could it really be that his grandmother's legs could attract the attention of a man?

Such an absurd situation was more than Bai Fendou could handle. With a loud "Ga!" he suddenly passed out and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh my God!"

"Mommy!"

"Uncle Bai! Uncle Bai!"

"Quick, Bai Fendou has fainted!"

At a time like this, of course, they had to call for Old Man Bai. Finally, he managed to squeeze through the crowd of mischievous youngsters blocking the doorway. He hadn't expected things to turn out like this and felt nothing but bad luck.

He said, "Everyone, lend a hand and help me get him home."

Who could have imagined that his son, just out for a night's lodging, would encounter a pervert?

Old Man Bai was heartbroken. The bitter taste seemed to rise from his throat.

"Bai Fendou's underwear..."

Old Man Bai: "Wait a moment."

First, he had to get his son home. "Fendou, pull yourself together."

The man was unconscious; what kind of pulling himself together was he talking about?

Since Bai Fendou was as naked as a plucked chicken, everyone shouted, "Ladies, close your eyes, don't look!"

As Bai Fendou was carried out, the women turned away, though some older ones, like Aunt Su, stood on tiptoe to peek. She then shook her head slightly, clearly disapproving of something, though only she knew what.

"Son, it's Dad's fault. I didn't take good care of you. I actually believed Zhou Qun's words. That treacherous scoundrel took advantage of you..." Old Man Bai began to sob as well.

He had only this one son. His testicles were shattered, he hadn't married, and now he was rumored to have been bullied by a man.

His heart was in such pain.

He only regretted not having another child when he was young.

Now, he was physically unable to do so.

Sob, sob, sob.

Old Man Bai thought of how miserable it all was and started crying too.

He had planned to fix the leaks in his house tonight, sleeping later than everyone else. By the time the commotion started, he couldn't squeeze through the crowd. Although he was anxious and felt ashamed, he could still hold it together. But seeing it with his own eyes, his last thread of reason snapped.

He cried bitterly.

However, he didn't mention taking his son to the hospital. Bai Fendou hadn't been injured; he had just fainted from anger. There was no need to go. Old Man Bai wailed. Bai Fendou gradually regained consciousness, saw his father crying, and couldn't help but cry again...

He was truly too miserable.

The Bai father and son cried loudly, like Lady Meng Jiang trying to bring down the Great Wall. In the next room, Jiang Lu also cried, even more miserably than the Bai duo. Her husband had done such a thing, and she felt too ashamed to make any excuses.

For the first time in their ten years of marriage, Jiang Lu resented Zhou Qun.

Didn't he care about his reputation at all?

At this moment, Jiang Lu even thought that if Zhou Qun had found a woman outside, it might have been better than the current situation. How could he have set his sights on a man? What was wrong with her? Why did he choose Bai Fendou?

Was he blind?

Jiang Lu was exhausted. She really felt terrible, but she knew she had to protect Zhou Qun. She looked up and said, "I think it must have been a dream. Zhou Qun must have mistaken Bai Fendou for me..."

She was determined to clear his name.

She tried to sound sincere: "Think about it. If it wasn't a mistake, why would Zhou Qun do such a thing? We've been married for so many years, and I know he's a real man."

Wang Xiangxiu didn't agree with this.

She thought Zhou Qun wasn't much of a man. After all, it only lasted a few seconds. How could that be considered manly?

Originally, it was just a few seconds, but now he had changed his taste. As the saying goes, "Ugly people play dirty."

That's really true. This unlucky guy wasn't a good person. No wonder he hadn't been looking for her lately. She thought he was avoiding her, but it turned out he had changed his taste. Wang Xiangxiu wasn't surprised by Zhou Qun's change in preference.

After all, this man had hooked up with a forty or fifty-year-old woman during his teenage years and now, in middle age, had set his sights on a man. Nothing about him was surprising.

You couldn't expect him to be normal.

It was impossible.

Wang Xiangxiu shook her head slightly, not believing the "dream" excuse. If it were a dream, wouldn't he have realized it once he touched him? Men and women are different. Bai Fendou was completely naked.

Thinking of Bai Fendou, Wang Xiangxiu felt even more tired. He had been one of her loyal followers, her wallet.

But she never expected him to get into such a situation.

Thinking of Bai Fendou's appearance, Wang Xiangxiu deeply lamented Zhou Qun's poor taste and desperation.

He'd take anything!

"Zhou Qun isn't that kind of person. Many in the courtyard have watched him grow up and know his character. Although there have been some bad rumors before, my Zhou Qun is a man of integrity. He's really a good man..."

Jiang Lu continued to defend Zhou Qun, though no one responded to her.

Everyone remained silent, not knowing what to say, making Jiang Lu seem like she was performing a solo act.

Jiang Lu's face was already unnaturally red. She tugged at Zhou Qun and said, "Zhou Qun, say something! Explain yourself! Don't let them slander you like this!"

Zhou Qun: "Waaah!"

At this moment, he finally showed some reaction, but it was also tears streaming down his face. He whimpered, "It hurts... ow... it hurts..."

After being squeezed by Bai Fendou, he felt a searing pain.

Before he could recover, he was kicked multiple times. He felt... he felt like he might have... been shattered.

Zhou Qun sobbed, almost squeezing the words out: "Go... go... to... the... hospital..."

It was only then that Jiang Lu realized Zhou Qun wasn't refusing to speak or defend himself; he was simply unable to. After all, the injury was in a very important part of a man's body. For a man, everything else was secondary; this was the most crucial part.

He grabbed Jiang Lu's shoulder, trembling: "Hospital..."

Jiang Lu looked down and saw blood.

She screamed, "Ah! Zhou Qun, hold on! Hold on! I'll take you to the hospital."

She quickly called out, "Someone, help me!"

Upon hearing this, the men all took a step back. No one wanted to help, as Zhou Qun had a history of such behavior. If they were mistaken for being interested in him, it would be truly disgusting.

Moreover, who would want to be misunderstood? They couldn't help.

The women certainly wouldn't step forward either. Zhou Qun was naked, and they still had their reputations to protect.

Jiang Lu: "We're all neighbors; do you have to be so cold-hearted?"

She shouted, but no one came forward.

Even Aunt Wang, the neighborhood committee leader, didn't intervene. Others certainly wouldn't. Aunt Wang had her own thoughts; after dealing with the situation, would Jiang Lu blame her? She wasn't that idle. Earlier, when Bai Fendou wanted to attack with a knife, it was a big deal, and she couldn't let him make a mistake. But now, she wouldn't intervene.

No one was willing to help, so Jiang Lu called, "Wang Zhaodi!"

Others could avoid it, but Wang Zhaodi couldn't. She closed her eyes and stepped forward reluctantly, like a blind person. She was still an unmarried girl and didn't want to see such a scene. However, Jiang Lu could see that the two women couldn't carry a man by themselves. She looked at the crowd, and they all took another step back.

Jiang Lu took a deep breath, deeply hurt by their cold-heartedness.

The people in this courtyard truly had no warmth.

She looked up and shouted, "Who will help? I need four men to help me get Zhou Qun to the hospital. I'll pay each of them fifty cents."

"Ah!"

"Fifty cents?"

"That's not bad."

"That's right, meat costs eighty-five cents a jin, so that's more than half a jin..."

"I'll do it!"

"Me too!"

"Me, me, me."

Under the lure of a hefty reward, brave men will emerge.

Soon, four men stepped forward. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Old Cao from the neighboring courtyard.

Why is he here?

"Old Cao, why are you in our courtyard?"

Old Cao: "I came out to use the latrine and heard the commotion. With all the noise you're making, who wouldn't want to take a look?"

Looking around, it was clear that many people from the surrounding courtyards had come to watch the spectacle, drawn by the commotion.

Jiang Lu felt a wave of dizziness. She found the situation increasingly unbearable, but she stubbornly persisted, saying, "Quick, quickly help Zhou Qun..."

She meant to have him placed on a bicycle, but it was obvious that Zhou Qun couldn't even sit up, let alone ride.

"Maybe we should borrow a cart from the next courtyard."

"In this heavy rain, they probably won't be willing."

"True."

Jiang Lu bit her lip so hard that it bled, but she had no choice. She said, "I'll compensate them with 50 cents!"

"Ah, that should work."

"Five mao is quite a bit."

Soon, the cart was borrowed. The four men lifted Zhou Qun onto the cart and covered him with a cloth, saying, "Let's go."

"Move, move!"

Boom!

The rain suddenly intensified, and the heavy drops stung as they hit the skin.

"Hey, why does the rain feel painful when it hits?"

"Look closely, those aren't just rain drops—they're small hailstones!"

"Oh my, it's hailing!"

"It's been overcast for days, and now that the rain has started, it won't stop."

"This weather is really miserable."

"Stop talking. Oh, right, the nearest hospital doesn't take patients like Zhou Qun, right? We'll have to go farther. With this hail..."

Five mao was a decent sum, but trudging through hail for a long distance was another matter.

Everyone remembered the last time—during the "Battle of the Gods" when Aunt Zhou, Uncle Bai, and Aunt Su were involved. They had to visit several hospitals because the injuries weren't severe, but even then, people advised them to try elsewhere.

This time... If they were turned away again, where would they go?

Seeing the reluctance in everyone's eyes, Jiang Lu immediately shouted, "One dollar! I'll raise it to one dollar! I know it's difficult, but please help me for the sake of the money. I'm just a woman, and I really have no other options."

Fortunately, she still had the means to earn money.

Otherwise, what would she do?

"Ah, fine."

"I'm the most helpful. I love helping neighbors. Money isn't important; what matters is not letting Zhou Qun suffer like this."

"Exactly. Even if it's hailing, or even if it were raining knives, we'd still help. We're men of Beijing, and we stand by our word."

"Absolutely!"

The group suddenly became enthusiastic, disregarding the rain and hail. They were more than willing to "help."

It had nothing to do with the one yuan, of course.

It was purely out of kindness.

They were just being righteous!

"Let's go!"

"Stop right there!"

At that moment, Bai Fendou burst out from the house, arms spread wide to block the exit. His eyes blazing with fury, he glared at Zhou Qun and Jiang Lu, shouting, "You two can't run away! Everyone knows Zhou Qun's malicious intentions, and now you want to brush it off as a dream? No way, no way at all!"

"Ah!"

"My goodness!"

"Mother!"

"Bai Fendou, are you crazy? You're not wearing any clothes!"

"Exactly!"

Thankfully, the men were in the front, while the women had gathered at the back, whispering among themselves. Otherwise, seeing Bai Fendou jump out like that would have been enough to make anyone sick.

"You're indecent! Are you trying to be a pervert?"

A few hot-tempered men were ready to grab Bai Fendou by the collar and give him a punch.

But the problem was, he wasn't wearing a collar.

"Ladies, turn around, turn around. Ladies, please turn around..."

"Thank goodness it's a dark night..."

With the heavy clouds, there was no light at all, or else it would have been unbearable to look.

Bai Fendou raged, "They want to run!"

"This is our home; where would we run to? Bai Fendou, Zhou Qun is injured. If we don't take him to the hospital, what if something happens? Wait for me to return, and I'll give you an explanation."

Jiang Lu pleaded urgently, then added, "He really just dreamed he was you. He didn't actually do anything to you. Really!"

Seeing that Bai Fendou remained unmoved, Jiang Lu suddenly stepped forward. Bai Fendou shrieked, "What are you doing?"

At that moment, Jiang Lu didn't care if Bai Fendou was naked. She dragged him several steps to the corner and whispered, "If this gets out, both of you will have ruined reputations. Do you even know what you're saying? No matter what happened, saying it was a dream is the best way to resolve this. Both of your reputations can be saved."

Seeing Bai Fendou still glaring, she continued, "I don't care about the specifics, but maybe Zhou Qun did something wrong. But I won't let you suffer. I'll compensate you for the sake of both your reputations. Just pretend it was a dream, okay?"

Jiang Lu knew that if both Bai Fendou and Zhou Qun stuck to the story of a dream, they could at least save face.

She said, "I'll give you money."

She added seriously, "You've suffered, and I'll compensate you."

Bai Fendou: "I don't care about money. It's just..."

“Money isn't important, but what about your reputation? Think about it—even if you're the victim, with a reputation like this, how will you find a partner? It's better to keep things small. I'll introduce you to someone, and I'll give you fifty kuai. Does that work?”

"Are you serious?"

Jiang Lu nodded firmly, "I'm not lying."

"Fifty is too little." Bai Fendou held up a finger, "One hundred yuan, and introduce me to someone. Then I'll forget about this whole thing."

He rubbed his red eyes and said, "If it weren't for my own reputation being at stake, I would never agree to this deal. But if you don't agree, I'll drag Zhou Qun down with me, even if it kills me!"

Jiang Lu clenched her teeth, "Fine!"

She quickly pushed Bai Fendou aside and said, "Let's go."

No one had heard what Jiang Lu and Bai Fendou had discussed, so they asked, "What did you two talk about?"

Jiang Lu remained expressionless, "I appealed to his sense of justice."

She said, "Fortunately, Bai Fendou is reasonable. Let's go, take Zhou Qun to the hospital."

The group looked at each other, then Jiang Lu asked, "Are we going or not?"

"Let's go!

After all, this was a deal worth one yuan.

The group marched out, but Zhuang Zhixi stayed behind, telling Bai Fendou, "Go home and put some clothes on."

Bai Fendou stood in the corner, wiping the rain and tears from his face. Finally, he trudged home... only to find his room flooded. He huddled in Old Man Bai's room, hugging his knees and leaning against the wall, looking utterly defeated.

Though he could still talk about money, his heart was shattered.

In pieces.

A few people followed him into the room and cautiously asked, "Bai Fendou, are you okay?"

Bai Fendou shook his head, "No."

"If you encounter something like this, you have to learn to let go. Life is about being happy. Everything else..."

Bai Fendou: "Get lost. I'm not happy."

The group's faces stiffened, but they continued to advise, "Life has its ups and downs. You'll encounter unpleasant things, but as long as you endure, better days will come. Try to see the bright side."

Bai Fendou: "I can't."

"What about going to the security office? He took advantage of you, a young man, and they should..."

At this, Bai Fendou finally reacted, immediately saying, "He didn't take advantage of me."

Everyone: "Huh?"

Bai Fendou, finally regaining a sliver of sanity, wasn't born with a screw loose. The cold rain and Jiang Lu's words had cooled his rage, and he was beginning to think more clearly.

Jiang Lu was right; he also had to consider his own reputation.

He took a deep breath and said, "The truth of the matter is, Zhou Qun had a dream and mistook me for Jiang Lu... Fortunately, I realized it in time and prevented a bigger mistake. In fact, nothing really happened between us."

Everyone: "Ahhhh~~~~"

They weren't exactly convinced.

Did you forget how devastated you were just moments ago?

It's hard to believe you changed your story so quickly without Jiang Lu's involvement.

Did the two of you make some kind of deal?

Of course, Bai Fendou probably had to say this to protect his reputation.

After all, tonight's incident had caused quite a stir.

"Bai Fendou, you're swallowing your pride and teeth together."

Bai Fendou glanced at everyone and said, "There's no such thing."

Old Man Bai couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Go, go, go! All of you, go home! Why are you all crowding into my house to watch the commotion? Is my house a place for you to gawk? Do you even have any manners?"

He pushed and shoved: "Move, move, move!"

Whoosh...!

The pots, pans, and bedding stacked by the window to block the rain suddenly fell over, and rainwater poured in.

Old Man Bai: "Damn it!"

It truly was a case of bad luck compounding. He quickly rushed over to block the leak again, saying, "All of you, leave! Are you here to laugh at us? My family doesn't have time to entertain you; we're busy. Go, go, go!"

He drove everyone out, one by one.

Standing at the door, people still couldn't stop whispering, "I wonder what Jiang Lu agreed to."

"Probably money. Jiang Lu's family is well-off. Look, I didn't even get a chance to grab that dollar!" It was painful just thinking about it; those people were too fast.

"Me too, a dollar! That's enough to buy a pound of meat and still have change."

"I don't think it's necessarily about money. Jiang Lu must have offered something, or Bai Fendou wouldn't be saying all this to save face, right?"

"You can't judge him by his face; just be careful of Zhou Qun in the future."

"Ah, right. That scoundrel is so despicable, so shameless."

"It's not just Zhou Qun. If anyone invites you to stay at their house, be cautious. You never know if they have ulterior motives. Men aren't always safe, and you might just run into someone like Zhou Qun, who pretends to be kind but is actually insane."

"Exactly. Oh, but what's really going on with Zhou Qun? I never noticed he was like this before."

"Didn't you notice? I did. Think about it, with Madam Zhou Li as his mother, what kind of decent person could he be? Zhou Qun was always cold. I guess his kindness was all an act. Now he can't keep up the facade anymore. Look at the things he's done; none of them are decent. He's clearly not a good person."

"Living in the same courtyard as him is embarrassing."

"Exactly."

The discussions went on and on. No one slept that night.

Some people even braved the rain to go watch the commotion, even though they didn't get a dollar, but watching the drama was entertaining. Others stayed with Bai Fendou to watch the show. Some... stood under the eaves in the pouring rain, gossiping in hushed tones.

In short, no one was tired that night.

Such a situation was unprecedented.

Really, no one had seen anything like it.

But their courtyard always had its fair share of drama.

Today it was one thing, tomorrow it was another.

Even the types of drama never repeated.

It not only enriched everyone's daily life but also made them feel embarrassed whenever they went out, even though it had nothing to do with them. Still, it was hard not to feel embarrassed. Zhuang Zhixi stood in the crowd with his wife, Ming Mei, along with other members of the Zhuang family, the Lan couple, and Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang didn't go to the hospital this time. Normally, in such situations, as the courtyard manager, Aunt Wang would go to the hospital to help out as much as possible. But she was really disheartened by Jiang Lu.

The Zhou family had a lot of issues, despite only having three members. Whenever there was any chaos, their family was always involved. As a result, Aunt Wang had helped out a lot. But no matter how much she helped, Jiang Lu would turn around and take out her frustrations on others.

This made Aunt Wang feel very disheartened. The Zhou family's affairs? She wasn't getting involved anymore.

"I hope they all learn a lesson this time."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, disagreeing with Aunt Wang's statement. "I don't think they'll learn anything. Their personalities are what they are. Even if they fall into a cesspool, they'll just find new ways to embarrass themselves. People might not trip over the same stone twice, but..."

He grinned, genuinely saying, "With personalities like Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou, they can definitely trip over two stones twice."

"You..." Everyone wanted to say he was exaggerating, but then they thought about it and realized Zhuang Zhixi had a point.

In the past half year, there had been no shortage of drama.

It was really baffling how they could stir up so much trouble.

Aunt Sui came out of Bai Fendou's house. Zhao Guihua waved her over, and Aunt Sui immediately came over. Zhao Guihua asked, "How is he? Is Bai Fendou okay?"

Aunt Sui shook her head. "What okay? The man looks like he's lost his soul, his eyes are glazed, and he's just staring blankly. I don't know what he's thinking, but he just keeps crying. People say men are strong, but it's not always the case. Usually, they're fine, but when something really happens, you see them cry just as much as women."

"Didn't he say it was an accident? That Zhou Qun had a dream?"

"Do you believe that?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Whether I believe it or not, that's what he's saying."

"I really..."

The chatter continued. Ming Mei stood by Zhuang Zhixi's side, her big eyes darting around. She looked at Aunt Su and Wang Xiangxiu, who seemed to be whispering something with not-so-great expressions. Meanwhile, their three children were running around the eaves in the rain like wild horses.

When kids get mischievous, they're truly little devils.

Ming Mei didn't want to get bumped into and moved closer to Zhuang Zhixi.

Zhuang Zhixi looked down. "What's wrong?"

Ming Mei: "Nothing, I'm afraid of getting bumped."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Move closer to me."

He put his arm around his wife and asked, "Do you want to rest for a while? If not, I can ask for leave for you tomorrow at your workplace, and you can catch up on sleep at home."

Ming Mei shook her head. "No need. I'm actually fine. Besides, with such a big event, I'm too excited to sleep right now."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Then ask for leave tomorrow..."

Ming Mei still shook her head. "No, I've just joined this department. It's not good to take leave."

She teased, "Don't worry, I know my limits. I won't jeopardize my safety."

Zhuang Zhixi saw that her complexion was good and nodded.

He said, "Alright."

Ming Mei: "Don't you think the rain is getting heavier?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "It's been getting heavier. Going to the hospital in this weather is really tough, but that's a dollar. Even if it were raining knives, I bet someone would go."

Jiang Lu was really generous with money.

In fact, Zhuang Zhixi wasn't wrong. Although the rain was getting heavier, no one regretted it. The quick money was better than anything. Although the hospital had recently said they weren't keen on treating them, in such weather, they still rushed over immediately.

The night shift doctor saw the familiar face and fell into deep thought... At this moment, he almost wanted to step out of the realm of science and suggest that this family find a place to pray, because how could they have so many issues?

Their family was truly relentless in bringing business to the hospital.

Of course, they didn't really want it.

But in such heavy rain, with the person injured in such a sensitive area, he sighed and quickly said, "Quick, push him to the emergency room, and family members go handle the paperwork..."

Upon hearing the doctor's words, the group of men pushing the cart immediately turned their heads in unison to look at the attending physician. Their eyes brimmed with deep gratitude. The hospital agreeing to admit the patient had saved them a lot of trouble.

They had been prepared to search the entire city in the pouring rain for a hospital, but the surprise came so unexpectedly.

"Doctor, you're a good man, a really good man."

"We've truly encountered a kind soul."

The attending physician didn't pay much attention to their words; the patient was quickly wheeled into the emergency room.

Everyone sat on the long benches in the corridor. Besides the four men who were there for the money, many others had come to watch the commotion. Despite the heavy rain, it did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. They followed along and sat on the benches, discussing among themselves.

"I wonder how he's doing?"

"We brought him in pretty promptly, right? He should be fine."

"Jiang Lu has it tough, being married to a man like that. Dealing with both his mother and him, yet she doesn't even have a child. She has to run around and spend money for him."

"What, do you feel sorry for her? Jiang Lu is willing, and her relationship with Zhou Qun isn't bad. For over ten years, even without a child, Zhou Qun never once criticized her. And whenever Aunt Zhou was harsh with Jiang Lu, Zhou Qun always stood up for her. There aren't many men like that."

"Stop talking about that. He must have done something wrong, that's why he treats Jiang Lu so well. Otherwise, what do you think?"

As they chatted, Jiang Lu returned after paying the fees and overheard their conversation. Her face darkened, but she managed to suppress her anger. This wasn't their courtyard; it was a hospital. No one here would indulge them. If she were to lose her temper and shout in the hospital, she would only be looked down upon.

The fact that they had been able to get admitted had already made her very happy.

"Sister Jiang Lu, you sit here," Wang Zhaodi waved, offering her seat to Jiang Lu and standing beside her like a servant.

Jiang Lu, exhausted both physically and mentally, leaned back in the chair, her eyes fixed on the ward.

People can't stay still; once they do, she starts thinking about all sorts of things... She got up to go to the bathroom, ready to take out the chamber pot, when she heard a rustling sound—Zhou Qun's passionate voice. Her mind went blank, and she walked over and pushed the door open.

Zhou Qun... Zhou Qun was in the act...

Others didn't know, they only saw what happened afterward, but she saw it, the most disgusting scene. Zhou Qun was like an animal, that hideous sight... "Ah!"

Jiang Lu suddenly hugged her head, covering her ears, and started sobbing.

Bai Fendou cried out of grievance and disgust, Zhou Qun cried out of pain, but she, Jiang Lu, was also a victim. She was equally wronged and pitiful. She kept screaming: "Ahhh!!!"

"Oh my!"

"Damn!"

"What's wrong with Jiang Lu?"

"Sister Jiang Lu, are you okay? Don't cry..."

"Jiang Lu, you..."

...

No one knew what to say, but seeing Jiang Lu in this state, they realized she had completely broken down.

A nurse hurried over, scolding, "What are you doing? Making a ruckus? Do you want others to rest or not? This is a hospital, with many patients. If you scare others and cause harm, can you take responsibility?"

She had known it, this family always caused trouble.

Indeed, it was just as she expected.

"I'm sorry, really sorry..." Wang Zhaodi stood up and kept bowing in apology.

The nurse: "Watch her, don't let her scream anymore..."

She was also quite helpless.

Jiang Lu's screams woke up many people, but this was, after all, a hospital. Some turned over in bed, muttering, "Late at night again, who's passed away..."

"Who knows, the family is crying so loudly..."