Siheyuan: At the beginning, I can integrate everything!

"Brother Huaimin, what's wrong with the old lady?"

Sha Zhu, carrying a teacup, walked up to Zhang Huaimin with a puzzled look on his face.

"You ran faster than me just now, did you do something naughty again?"

Zhang Huaimin shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"Uncle Zhu, you've wronged me."

The old lady just asked me if I had eaten, and I said I had.

"Then the old lady said she still had meat stewing in the pot and was afraid it would burn, so she quickly ran back."

Sha Zhu looked at Zhang Huaimin with a mixture of belief and doubt, then glanced at the tightly closed door of the main house in the backyard.

"Stewed meat? The old lady has already used up all her meat coupons for this month."

Sha Zhu muttered something but didn't delve into it. He picked up his teacup and turned to go back to the central courtyard.

Zhang Huaimin watched Sha Zhu's retreating figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The deaf old woman was startled by this.

It's estimated that they won't dare to provoke me again for a long time.

Without this "patriarch" who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, the beasts in this compound would be even less of a threat.

As evening fell, the Hongxing Courtyard became lively once again.

A crisp bicycle bell rang out from the alley entrance.

"Ring ring—"

Xu Damao pushed his gleaming old bicycle into the courtyard, beaming with pride.

These past two days he's been going to the countryside to show movies to the commune.

Not only did they enjoy the finest food and drinks, but they also reaped considerable benefits along the way.

Look, there are two plump old hens hanging on the handlebars of the bicycle, one on the left and one on the right.

There was also a string of dried mushrooms and two bottles of sweet potato liquor tied to the back seat.

Xu Damao hummed an unknown tune, his horse-like face full of undisguised smugness.

As he passed the Intermediate People's Court, he deliberately rang his bicycle bell loudly.

This drew frequent glances from Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi, who were washing vegetables.

When Jia Zhangshi saw the two old hens, her eyes almost turned green with jealousy.

"Pah! What's the use of a capitalist's daughter marrying a childless projectionist? She'll still be unable to have children!"

Madam Jia cursed under her breath and spat hard on the ground.

Whether Xu Damao heard it or not is unknown, but he walked back to the backyard with his head held high and his chest puffed out.

Pushing open his front door, Xu Damao threw two old hens into the corner of the wall.

He called out towards the inner room, "E'zi, I'm back!"

Lou Xiao'e was eating melon seeds inside the house when she heard the noise and came out. She was delighted to see the old hen on the ground.

"Wow, you've had quite a fruitful trip to Red Star Commune this time."

Lou Xiao'e is a wealthy heiress, although her life is not as extravagant as it used to be.

But they still found Xu Damao's ability to steal things on a whim quite useful.

Xu Damao walked over, grabbed Lou Xiao'e's waist, and revealed an extremely lewd smile.

"Of course, when have you men ever come back empty-handed?"

"E'zi, I've missed you so much these past two days."

"Let's stew this hen tonight and nourish ourselves so we can have a big, healthy baby boy soon!"

As he spoke, Xu Damao's hands began to wander.

Lou Xiao'e playfully slapped his hand away: "Alright, alright, it's broad daylight, aren't you ashamed?"

"Go wash up quickly, you smell all muddy. I'll go clean the hen."

After dinner, the night was deep.

Xu Damao drank two ounces of sweet potato liquor and, emboldened by the alcohol, crawled into bed early.

Although I've had a great time in the countryside these past few days, I've also felt a bit stifled.

At this moment, he looked at Lou Xiao'e, who had just finished washing up and was wearing a close-fitting sweater.

Xu Damao felt a surge of excitement.

He eagerly pressed himself against it, ready to display his prowess.

however.

A minute passed.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes have passed...

Fine beads of sweat began to appear on Xu Damao's forehead.

He was breathing rapidly, his face flushed red, and he was desperately trying to summon his body's instincts.

but.

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he fantasized about those exciting scenes in his mind.

His lower body, however, seemed to have completely crashed.

No response at all!

Like a piece of dead wood soaking in ice water, utterly lifeless.

What happened?!

An unprecedented sense of panic welled up in Xu Damao's heart.

Although his service was short, Lou Xiao'e disliked him for being useless.

But at least he's a normal man!

Starting and departing are not a problem.

Why can't I even light a fire today?!

Lou Xiao'e waited for a long time and saw Xu Damao tossing and turning like a dead fish, covered in sweat but not moving at all.

He suddenly became a little impatient.

"Xu Damao, what are you doing? Making pancakes in the middle of the night?"

Lou Xiao'e turned over, her tone clearly showing disdain and sarcasm.

"If you can't manage, go to sleep early. Don't keep messing around here. I'm still sleepy!"

These words were like a needle, piercing deeply into Xu Damao's already fragile self-esteem.

"Who...who said I can't do it anymore!"

Xu Damao roared angrily, but his voice was clearly lacking in confidence.

"I...I was just tired from cycling today! Plus, I had a few drinks, so I didn't perform well!"

"You don't know anything!"

Xu Damao, trying to save face, threw off the quilt, hurriedly put on his clothes, and got off the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Where are you going in the middle of the night?" Lou Xiao'e asked irritably.

"I'm going to the bathroom!"

Xu Damao rushed out of the house without looking back.

He was panicking and desperately needed to find a secluded place to thoroughly examine what was wrong with his "vital parts".

Public toilets in the alley outside the courtyard house.

On a cold, damp winter night, the toilet was filled with a foul stench.

Xu Damao didn't care about any of that.

He found the innermost squat toilet, took off his pants, and used the dim streetlights outside to light them.

He began to make a series of extremely desperate attempts with his lower body.

He rubbed it with his hands, splashed it with cold water, and even felt like slapping himself twice.

However, the dead tree still drooped lifelessly.

It's like having your neural connections completely severed.

"It's over... it's over..."

Xu Damao leaned against the cold toilet partition, his face ashen and his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

He suddenly remembered that two days ago, Zhang Huaimin had bumped into him.

Those two pats on his knees and lower back.

At the time, he only felt a slight chill in his lower body and didn't pay much attention to it.

Looking back now.

Could it be that that wicked kid did something to me?!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"What does a five-year-old kid like him know?"

"It must be because I've been too tired from working in the countryside lately, yes, that must be it..."

Xu Damao tried desperately to reassure himself, but the feeling of panic lingered.

Just when Xu Damao was in a state of extreme despair and self-doubt.

Suddenly, a rustling sound of someone unbuckling their belt came from the next squatting stall.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar and rough voice rang out, accompanied by the satisfying sound of water being released:

"Hey, isn't this Xu Damao?"

"Why aren't you in the middle of the night, snuggled up in this stinking latrine, making babies with your wife?"

The person who came was none other than Sha Zhu, who had gotten up in the middle of the night.

Sha Zhu had vaguely heard the noise next door, and he and Xu Damao didn't get along anyway.

Now that they've seized the opportunity, they naturally want to give it a good thrashing.

"Could it be... that he's impotent and his wife kicked him out of bed?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Sha Zhu's loud laughter echoed in the empty toilet, sounding particularly jarring.

Provoked by Sha Zhu, Xu Damao's already fragile nerves snapped instantly.

"Idiot Zhu! What the hell are you spouting?!"

Xu Damao suddenly pulled up his pants, rushed out of the cubicle, and pointed at Sha Zhu, cursing loudly.

"You old bachelor who's never even touched a woman's hand, what do you know!"

"I...I did that to conserve my energy!"

Sha Zhu looked at Xu Damao's face, which had turned a deep, liver-colored hue, yet also revealed a guilty conscience.

This further confirmed my suspicions.

"Oh my, still conserving your energy?"

Sha Zhu laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I think you're a born eunuch! You're destined to be castrated!"

"No wonder Lou Xiao'e hasn't laid a single egg after all these years of marriage!"

"So the problem was with you, kid!"

"You're destined to be childless and have no descendants!"

Sha Zhu's words were piercing, each one hitting Xu Damao's weak spot.

Xu Damao was so angry that he trembled all over. He wanted to retort, but he couldn't say a word.

His current state is indeed not much different from that of a eunuch.

"You...you just wait!"

Xu Damao held back for a long time, only managing to utter a single harsh remark that had no real impact.

Then, pulling up his pants, he fled the public restroom in a disheveled state.

His face was as pale as paper, and his legs felt as heavy as lead.

My mind was a complete mess, filled with fear and despair about the future.

I stumbled and staggered into the courtyard house.

Xu Damao looked up.

They happened to run into Zhang Huaimin, who had just finished his late-night snack and was strolling around the yard to digest his food.

under the moonlight.

Five-year-old Zhang Huaimin stood there quietly with his hands behind his back.

He looked at Xu Damao, who seemed lost in thought.

There was neither mockery nor anger in those clear, large eyes.

There is only a lofty, godlike compassion for ants.

Zhang Huaimin looked at Xu Damao and sighed softly.