Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

The day after Jia Zhangshi was repatriated, the courtyard house was unusually quiet.

Without that old hag's constant cursing and spieling, everyone felt much more comfortable when they went out.

In the evening, Xu Damao returned from the hospital humming a little tune.

Lou Xiao'e and her son Xu Xiaojun are recovering well and will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. They plan to stay at the Lou family home for two days to recuperate before returning to the courtyard house.

With a son, Xu Damao was naturally overjoyed, walking with the bouncy, skipping gait of a primary school student.

As soon as he entered the backyard, he saw Sha Zhu standing like a wooden stake at his door, carrying two bottles wrapped in newspaper.

Xu Damao was taken aback, instinctively taking a step back and looking at him warily: "Silly Zhu, what are you trying to do now? Let me tell you, I'm in a good mood today, so don't try to make things difficult for me!"

Sha Zhu didn't say anything, but silently handed over the two bottles of wine in his hand.

Xu Damao looked at the two bottles of Xifeng liquor by the moonlight.

"Are you... like a weasel paying respects to a chicken?" Xu Damao asked suspiciously.

Sha Zhu raised his head, his usual fearless and arrogant demeanor gone, replaced by a rare look of dejection and exhaustion.

He looked at Xu Damao, his lips moved, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence.

"Da Mao, that day... it was my fault, I acted impulsively."

He lowered his head, his voice muffled: "You can fight back, you can pay me back, I'll accept it."

Today, He Yushui talked to him for a long time because Sha Zhu started the fight that day. Strictly speaking, although it was settled privately, it was Xu Damao and the Jia family who settled it privately. Sha Zhu was treated as a collateral, let off the hook, and even the police station assumed that he was a member of the Jia family.

And that day, he also swung his arm, which, although he didn't hit Lou Xiao'e, was still very dangerous.

So the rain forced him to come and apologize.

It was Sha Zhu who was in the wrong from the start, and Yu Shui has been extremely worried about his silly brother.

Sha Zhu, though embarrassed and saying it was nothing, thought about it during the day and still bought some wine to apologize to Xu Damao. After all, this wasn't the first or second time the two of them had fought.

Xu Damao was completely stunned.

He and Sha Zhu have been fighting for over twenty years, ever since they were toddlers. Xu Damao is 24 this year and Sha Zhu is 27. This is the first time he has ever heard Sha Zhu admit his mistake.

This feeling was even more incredible to him than the birth of his son.

He glanced at Sha Zhu from head to toe, then burst out laughing.

"Alright, you idiot Zhu, you can admit your mistake? The sun must have risen in the west."

Xu Damao took the wine but didn't invite Shazhu inside. He just leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, with a playful look on his face.

"You're always the same, always quick to admit your mistakes but never repent. You're the toughest when you're hitting people, but afterwards you act like a coward. We're all used to it."

Sha Zhu's face turned bright red, and he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.

If it were any other time, if Xu Damao dared to talk to him like that, he would have already punched him.

But today, he held back.

His mind was filled with Qin Huairu's pale, helpless face and Bang Geng's gloomy eyes.

Jia Zhangshi is gone, and Qin Huairu is raising three children alone. Banggeng still needs medicine for his ear, and Xiaodang and Huaihua are about to go to daycare. Money is everywhere.

He wasn't well-liked in the factory either. Director Ma of the factory canteen would cause him trouble every day, and Liu Cheng, an 8th-grade worker, would also mess with him from time to time. If it weren't for Yi Zhonghai protecting him, he probably would have been sent to the foundry workshop.

If he falls out with Xu Damao again, who knows what kind of trouble will arise with his job at the factory canteen, since Xu Damao and Zhang Dabiao have a good relationship with Li Huaide, and the canteen is managed by Li Huaide.

Sometimes when I think about it, I wonder how I, Sha Zhu, ended up in a situation where everyone has turned against me.

He wanted to marry Qin Huairu and give her a good life, so he couldn't just do whatever he wanted anymore.

Thinking of this, Sha Zhu managed to suppress the anger in his heart.

He took a deep breath and raised his head again: "Da Mao, I used to be a man, but I was a bastard. From now on... I'll try my best to change."

Seeing his frustrated expression, Xu Damao felt incredibly relieved.

He knew that Sha Zhu was having second thoughts, and only with second thoughts could he back down.

What are the concerns?

Jia Jiabei, Qin Huairubei.

However, Xu Damao has no interest in getting involved in these matters right now.

"Alright, for the sake of these two bottles of wine, let's call it quits." Xu Damao waved his hand, his tone carrying the magnanimity of a victor. "But let me make this clear beforehand. The Jia family, and you, neither of you are to cause me any trouble."

"If he causes any more trouble, I, Xu Damao, will beat him to death. Anyone who tries to stop me, I'll kill them. I mean what I say!"

Xu Damao's eyes revealed a fierce glint, the protective instinct that only a father would have.

"I understand." Sha Zhu squeezed out three words through gritted teeth, nodded, and turned to leave silently without saying anything more.

Looking at Sha Zhu's desolate back, Xu Damao's lips curled into a smug smile.

He carried two bottles of wine, turned around and went into the house, put the wine on the table, and felt extremely happy.

You idiot Zhu, you've finally met your match!

He can't even straighten his back because of a widow.

How embarrassing!

If you've gotten the meat, and you act all wronged and cowardly on the surface, I can help you put on an act. But what are you trying to achieve by acting like this?

Xu Damao now has a wife and son, and he's about to treat the whole hospital to a drink. His life is getting better and better!

He had even started planning how big the banquet would be when his son turned one month old, who he would invite, and how he could make it a grand affair that would outshine Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai's gang.

From now on, Xu Damao will be in charge of the affairs of this courtyard!

No, there's another cadre above him, Liu Guangqi, whose wife is also a cadre, and Zhang Dabiao also enjoys cadre benefits...

When will I be able to become a cadre? Only when I become a cadre will no one bully me, and only then will I have any backbone.

I, Xu Damao, also want to improve!