The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

Yan Jiecheng lifted his foot, the sole of his shoe covered in mud, and was about to stomp down on Sha Zhu's face.

Just then, a sharp whistle rang out.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Officer Wang strode over, followed by two young guards.

His face was ashen, and the muscles in his cheeks bulged, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.

He ran up to them, first shoved Yan Jiecheng aside, then looked down at Shazhu lying on the ground with his face covered in blood, and then glanced up at the Yan brothers with eyes so cold they could freeze.

"Who did it?"

No one spoke.

"I'm asking you, who did it!"

Wang's voice suddenly rose, exploding like thunder above everyone's heads.

Yan Jiecheng's lips trembled slightly, and his voice was barely audible: "I...I struck first."

"And me too." Yan Jiefang lowered his head, his voice muffled.

Officer Wang sneered, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men's faces twice: "Fine, fine, you two are really capable. Old Ma, take them to the duty room, I'll deal with them when I get back."

Old Ma and another guard stepped forward and took the Yan brothers away, one on each side.

Yan Jiecheng took two steps, then suddenly stopped, turned around and glanced at Sha Zhu.

There was no regret or fear in his eyes, only an indescribable sense of relief, as if he had finally let out a breath he had been holding back for a lifetime.

Sha Zhu lay on the ground, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he still had a smile on his face.

His smile was as ugly as it could possibly be, a mixture of crying and laughing, smeared with blood and dirt, making him look like a clown on a stage.

Officer Wang squatted down to examine Sha Zhu's injuries, and his brows furrowed.

The injury on my face isn't serious; it's just a minor cut and a small bump. It'll be fine in a couple of days.

When Officer Wang gently pressed on Sha Zhu's left leg, Sha Zhu gasped sharply, jerked as if electrocuted, and hissed.

"What happened to your leg?" Officer Wang's voice turned somber.

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead: "I should be fine... I just bumped into something."

Officer Wang didn't believe him and reached out to press along his shinbone again.

When the pressure was applied to the middle of his calf, Sha Zhu's face turned as white as paper. His lips trembled, and a scream escaped his throat.

"what!"

The voice was shrill and sharp, like a pig being slaughtered.

Officer Wang's hand stopped on Sha Zhu's calf, and he didn't continue pressing. He could already feel it—the bones were not right, and there was a clear sense of misalignment.

"His leg is broken."

Officer Wang stood up.

"Xiao Li, take them to the hospital. Xiao Zhang, you stay here and watch over them. Nobody is allowed to leave. I'll question them one by one when I get back."

People in the crowd began to whisper among themselves.

"A broken leg? This is a big problem."

"It hurt just watching Yan Jiecheng stomp on me."

"Sha Zhu has really suffered a huge loss this time. His leg is broken and he'll have to endure even more punishment."

"What did he lose? He hit Yang Ruihua first, so it's only natural that Yang's son came to settle the score."

"What do you mean by 'it's only natural'? This is a prison, not outside. Beating someone in prison will result in an extended sentence. Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang won't escape this time either."

From the very beginning, Jia Zhangshi huddled at the edge of the crowd, her eyes fixed on Shazhu on the ground, the corners of her mouth slowly turning upwards, the wrinkles on her old face squeezing into a withered chrysanthemum.

She had waited so long, and this moment had finally arrived.

When Sha Zhu was lifted up on a stretcher by two guards, he groaned in pain, his forehead was covered in sweat, his lips were covered in blood, and his left leg was stiff and he dared not move. Even the slightest jolt made him wince in pain.

Jia Zhangshi finally couldn't hold back any longer.

She squeezed out from the back of the crowd, hands on her hips, neck stiff, her old face full of smugness.

He cleared his throat, his voice sharp and bright, like he was performing a grand opera.

"Oh dear, you silly Zhu, you've finally met your match! Your leg's broken, your face's crooked, you're lying on the stretcher like a wilted onion. Just a moment ago you were so defiant, cursing this and that, looking down on everyone, but what's wrong with you now? Lying there unable to move, you're not even as good as an ant!"

Sha Zhu, lying on the stretcher, heard Jia Zhangshi's voice and turned his head with difficulty.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with anger, pain, and humiliation, but he couldn't speak. The scabs on his lips cracked open, and new blood seeped out. His throat was hoarse, and the sounds he made were like a broken bellows leaking air.

Seeing his expression, Jia Zhangshi became even more excited. She took two steps forward, pointed her finger at Sha Zhu's nose, and began to speak rapidly.

"Listen to me, you idiot Zhu! You're a filthy scumbag, always talking big and doing nothing right. You beat this person today and curse that person tomorrow, offending everyone in the neighborhood. You think you're so tough? You're just a paper tiger, easily broken. Look at you now, your leg is broken and you're going to get extra punishment. How are you going to live the rest of your life? This is your fate, you deserve to suffer this calamity!"

People around laughed; the sound wasn't loud, but it was clear.

Among these people were those who had been scolded by Sha Zhu, those who had been bullied by Sha Zhu, and those who were simply there to watch the drama unfold.

The people in courtyard house number 95 didn't really have any feelings for each other. They were happy when you were down on your luck and pleased when you suffered.

Xu Damao stood in the crowd, arms crossed, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He was actually quite pleased that Sha Zhu had fallen to this state. Over the years, he had fought with Sha Zhu and lost many times. This time, he finally saw Sha Zhu fall.

Seeing that there were people supporting her, Jia Zhangshi raised her voice even louder, and her whole body seemed to be injected with chicken blood, with an abnormal blush on her face.

"Shazhu, stop glaring at me! Glaring won't do any good! Yan Jiecheng broke your leg, it has nothing to do with anyone else! If you want revenge, go find him, don't try to bully me here! If you're not satisfied, come find me, Zhang Xiaohua, when your leg heals. I'll be waiting for you then, let's see what you can do to me!"

Sha Zhu's lips trembled violently, and he made a "hoarse" sound in his throat, as if he wanted to say something, but he could only utter indistinct sobs.

Seeing his expression, Jia Zhangshi laughed so hard her eyes almost disappeared, her face wrinkled up, looking just like a dried toad.

"Oh my god, you silly Zhu, you've finally met your match! Back in the day, you were so popular in the courtyard! Helping this person today, helping that person tomorrow, thinking you were a hero. And what happened? Qin Huairu made a fool of you, and everyone in the courtyard laughed at you."

You think you're so great? I think you're just a complete fool, getting sold out and still helping the seller count the money!

When Qin Huairu was mentioned, Jia Zhangshi deliberately raised her voice by a octave and glanced at the crowd, wanting to see Qin Huairu's reaction.

Qin Huairu stood at the back of the crowd, her face expressionless. She just stood there, neither angry nor dodging, like a wall made of cotton, soft and yielding, impossible to hit.