69novels Chapter 1002 Losing Money
Chapter 1002 Losing Money
Xu Damao glanced at Jia Zhangshi with a disdainful look on his lips: "Then you should give up on that idea. There's no way you'll succeed." He hated Jia Zhangshi's face the most, always trying to take advantage of any opportunity. She relied on the fact that she had been shot and kept saying "I was injured for the hospital" as if the whole hospital should worship her.
Jia Zhangshi's face turned red from being choked by him. She pointed at Xu Damao and managed to utter a "you" after a long while, but the rest of the words got stuck in her throat. She knew that Xu Damao now had Gu Nan backing him up, and that she would definitely not get the better of him if she confronted him head-on. She could only vent her anger in her eyes, wishing she could poke a few holes in him with her gaze.
Yan Bugui, watching from the sidelines, understood that arguing like this would lead nowhere and only make them a laughingstock in front of the neighbors, causing him and Liu Haizhong, the "old man," to lose face. He cleared his throat and said to Jia Zhangshi, "Alright, we both know what's going on. We'll come up with a plan later."
Although Jia Zhangshi was unwilling, she knew that Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong wanted to suppress the matter. If she continued to make trouble, she might not even get the benefits she had. So she could only shut her mouth in a huff and stare at the two of them. Her eyes clearly said, "If you dare to be biased, I won't let you off the hook."
Seeing that Jia Zhangshi had calmed down, Liu Haizhong quickly moved closer to Yan Bugui and asked in a low voice, "How do you plan to punish Xu Damao? We can't just let it go like this, otherwise the rules of the courtyard will become meaningless."
Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice as he replied, "What else can we do? Make him bleed a little. The other day, the Intermediate Court had several windows smashed; he should have to pay for that, right? We should also make him buy some gifts for every household in the courtyard, like candy and snacks, as an apology. This kind of punishment will teach him a lesson and also save face for the neighbors. What do you think?"
Liu Haizhong considered it for a moment and thought the idea was quite appropriate. It wouldn't escalate the situation while still maintaining his authority as the "big boss," so he nodded immediately. He cleared his throat, turned to Xu Damao, and adopted a businesslike demeanor: "This time, you were indeed in the wrong, disturbing the neighbors. How about this: you'll pay for all the repairs to the broken windows in the courtyard; in addition, send a small gift to every household in the courtyard as an apology. What do you think?"
Xu Damao did the math in his mind—a few pieces of glass weren't much, and buying some candy and snacks for each household wouldn't cost much either. Compared to being yelled at by the people in the yard, this was nothing. He forced a smile and readily agreed, "Okay, I accept this punishment." Anyway, the cost would come from the customers, and he could just find an excuse to report it to the factory later. There was no need to argue with them here.
As soon as these words were spoken, Jia Zhangshi immediately flew into a rage, shouting in a shrill voice, "Old Liu! Aren't you talking nonsense? Xu Damao compensated for the broken glass and apologized, but what about me? Did I suffer this bullet to the butt for nothing? Did I just suffer this pain for nothing?" In her agitation, she forgot to be discreet, clutching her lower back and trying to stand up, grimacing in pain but ignoring it.
Liu Haizhong was exasperated by her shout and frowned, saying, "Alright! Gu Nan has already settled your hospital and medical bills, hasn't he? He even sent you brown sugar and eggs to help you recover twice. What more do you want? This matter is settled. Stop nagging!" He was genuinely afraid of Jia Zhangshi's persistent ways; if she continued to cause trouble, who knew how much she might extort.
Jia Zhangshi was rendered speechless by his retort. Seeing Liu Haizhong's "it's pointless to say more" look, she knew that she had indeed taken the bullet for nothing. She could only sit down with a thud, muttering "biased" and "unjust" under her breath, but her voice grew softer and softer. She knew that if she continued to make a fuss, even the compensation given by Gu Nan would be wasted. She could only grit her teeth and accept it.
Seeing that the farce was nothing new, and having figured out that Xu Damao was going to pay for the glass repairs, the neighbors in the courtyard all felt like they had gotten a good deal and left happily. As they walked home in twos and threes, they muttered, "At least we got an explanation. Otherwise, with this broken glass, the courtyard felt really shabby."
Gu Nan stood there for a while, finding the entire college meeting rather pointless. He had initially thought that if anyone dared to use this incident to target him, he could take the opportunity to speak his mind and avoid being gossiped about behind his back. But from beginning to end, not a single person dared to mention him, not even Yan Bugui, who was usually the most scheming. He was dejected, which relieved him. With a slight smile, he turned and went home.
Xu Damao looked at Liu Haizhong with a fawning smile and softened his tone: "Uncle, could you please find out the price of those few broken windows in the central courtyard? Give me a number and I'll pay for them." He just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible to avoid being dragged into it and becoming a laughingstock in the whole courtyard.
Liu Haizhong nodded, saying nothing more, but his eyes held a hint of disapproval. The noisy, department-wide meeting ended rather blandly, leaving only cigarette butts scattered on the floor and a few sporadic coughs.
When Gu Nan returned home, Ran Qiuye was wearing an apron and clearing the table of dishes. When she saw him come in, she didn't stop what she was doing and said softly, "You have to go to work tomorrow. Go wash up and go to bed. Don't stay up too late."
"Okay." Gu Nan replied, taking off his coat and casually hanging it on the coat rack behind the door. He felt a sense of peace. Without all those messy entanglements, he finally felt at ease.
Meanwhile, at He Yuzhu's house, things were still lively. He Yuzhu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and thinking about how Xu Damao had been verbally abused by Jia Zhangshi and then beaten by the old man, he couldn't help but laugh. His mouth was wide open, and he slapped his thigh, saying, "Serves him right! He's always been so arrogant, bullying the neighbors just because he's close to the leaders. Now he's fallen! It's truly gratifying!"
But Lu Jia, standing beside her, had a sullen face, showing no sign of happiness. She clutched a rag in her hand, not wiping the table for a long time. Her mind was in turmoil—Xiao Bao's henchmen had all been arrested by the police, and even rumors were circulating that Xiao Bao himself had been apprehended. She was frantic, like a cat on a hot tin roof, wanting to know exactly how Xiao Bao was doing, which detention center he was in, or if something else had happened to him. But no matter how much she inquired, she couldn't get any definite information.
What puzzled her even more was how Gu Nan, a mere steel mill worker, could survive so many heavily armed mercenaries. How could he even turn the tables and raid Xiao Bao's hideout? This was simply illogical, like a fantasy.
Seeing that her expression was off, He Yuzhu leaned over and said with a smile, "Lu Jia, look at Xu Damao, he's so cowardly, he can't even lift his head after being scolded. Why are you still unhappy? Is something bothering you? Tell me, I'll help you vent your anger."