"My grandfather…" Xu Guozhong looked at the old horse. (www.vm)
"Hey girl, you can't insult people like that! Look at this old horse, right? He's still strong and vigorous, you know? Mu Guiying was still quite handsome at eighty! Look how sturdy this horse is!"
Xu Guozhong delivered a thunderous punch.
The old horse let out a mournful cry, its two hind legs split apart, and it almost fell over. Then it urinated in a loud gulp to express its dissatisfaction.
Horse urine splattered onto Xu Guozhong's trouser leg.
"Come on! Xu Guozhong, do you think I don't know you? Take your grandpa over there to cool off under the tree roots for a while, so he doesn't get heatstroke! There's some grass and stuff under the tree roots, let your grandpa eat some, so he doesn't go hungry! Let me tell you, yours and Wang Xiaoyan's doesn't count! Ma Xiaohe, go and call Wang Xiaoyan and his son out to work! Otherwise, when it comes to dividing the land... he'll have to figure it out himself!" Liu Haiyan kept calling him "your grandpa."
Xu Guozhong glared, gritted his teeth, and stomped his foot, but didn't dare to utter a sound. He had something on someone's hands! The day before yesterday, he and Chen Chusun went to a hair salon to find prostitutes and were caught by the police. The village paid to bail him out. He was afraid that Liu Haiyan would expose this in front of so many people, which would be very embarrassing.
The villagers gradually arrived, and Ma Xiaohe also returned.
They said Wang Xiaoyan and his son were drying firewood, so they didn't have time to come, and besides, they had already sold a livestock.
Liu Haiyan was furious. She thought to herself, "Who would dare use Wang Xiaoyan's livestock? If he faints and dies while doing some work, the village will have to compensate him with a new one. That old guy is really cunning."
More than two hundred households have arrived, except for Wang Xiaoyan's family.
Liu Haiyan didn't wait any longer and called for people to repair the irrigation ditch.
Everyone knows Wang Xiaoyan's character, so they don't bother with him. However, many people still gossip about him.
Chen Chu's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself, "Wang Xiaoyan, today is your unlucky day."
Gangsters typically seek revenge quickly.
He immediately made a phone call to summon someone after being bullied.
At most, a day later. But Chen Chu didn't think so. A dog that bites doesn't show its teeth; he had to wait for an opportunity.
The more people criticize Wang Xiaoyan, the better, so it'll be easier for me to make my move. Then I won't know who to suspect.
But how exactly do we begin?
Chen Chu pondered, should he beat him up? That old bastard is a scoundrel; unless he's beaten to death, he'll still act the same way even after a beating.
He pondered this in his mind and worked slowly.
"Chen Chu! Go buy some things for the village, and then put them on the village's tab!" "Buy what?" Chen Chu asked.
Liu Haiyan quickly pulled him aside.
"Silly boy, I told you to buy it, so just buy it. I'm just letting you slack off a little, understand?"
Chen Chu understood, and muttered to himself, "My sister still cares about me the most. I just don't know how to repay her."
"Get lost... Chen Chu, you're all talk and no action. You're always leering at Deputy Village Chief Liu, and what are you looking at me for?"
Chen Chu glanced at Liu Bingbing, who was also busy. She had put on a camouflage uniform and was pulling weeds out of the ditch while swinging her ponytail.
Her slender figure and alluring waist made Chen Chu instantly aroused.
He thought to himself how great it would be if there weren't these people around, so he could pin her down and beat her up.
With Liu Bingbing here, he really didn't want to leave, but he couldn't refuse Liu Haiyan's kindness.
Only then did he put down the shovel and return to the village. He first went around Wang Xiaoyan's house, and sure enough, the old man had corn stalks drying around the house.
This is practically making excuses for not having work. It hasn't rained for the past few days, so why are you drying firewood? It's just being lazy and shirking your responsibilities.
Chen Chu wandered around for a while, then ran home, retrieved the money he had hidden, and went to Old Man Zhang's place.
Upon entering the room, I saw the elder sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Old man, did you pass away or something?"
"Get lost! You donkey! I won't leave you my house when I die! Huh? What the hell?"
"Ten thousand yuan. I don't have an ID card right now, and I can't open a bank account. If I give it to my dad, he'll definitely deposit it and I won't be able to get it out. I'd better keep it with you. You can spend it whenever you want, and I'll come and get it when I need it."
"Pah! I spent all my money on drinks for you, and you still won't give me anything! Where did you get it from?"
"That little green girl gave it to me; consider it compensation for the wear and tear on my big guy down there..."
"Pah! You ruded her, and she's already being kind by not asking for compensation for the damage! But you've got potential, kid. How about a threesome? Hehe!"
"Absolutely! Wouldn't it be embarrassing for you if we didn't take advantage of both of them?"
"Okay, okay, you have potential, but donkey, let me tell you, you're still green. A real man... I mean a truly charismatic one, can conquer a woman with just one look. Look, like my eyes..."
Chen Chu was stunned for a moment. Old Zhang's eyes were cloudy, and he looked like he wanted to be punched as he approached.
Chen Chu was so disgusted he almost slapped him across the face.
"Old man, just looking at you makes me want to pee!"
"Get lost! Back in the day, I charmed quite a few young girls..."
Chen Chu then went on to recount how he had been kicked by Ma Houzi and wanted to take revenge on Wang Xiaoyan and Yan San.
Old Zhang pondered for a while.
Chen Chu grinned, thinking that he might as well beat him up! This old guy is even more ruthless. If Wang Xiaoyan's house burns down, he'll hang himself.
"Old man, you...you're right, but this is a bit underhanded, not honorable at all. Setting fire to the place, what kind of mess is that?"
"Pah! You don't know anything! What's so 'honest' about it? Is it 'honest' to have an affair, to steal someone else's wife? Or is it 'honest' to sleep with someone's woman and then swindle her money? You've done too many despicable things, you even slept with your homeroom teacher, and you're talking to me about 'honesty'? Don't you have any shame..."
"Um... old man, what do you suggest I do? You always have so many bad ideas."
"I...bullshit! This is called a strategy! This is called a fire attack, and there's also a water attack. Ancient military strategy emphasizes tactics. You should remember this in the future: if you want to achieve great things, you must learn to use any means necessary! Which country has ever gained power through honest means? Which strong person has ever achieved power through intrigue and manipulation? For example, the Immortal's Trail...you wouldn't understand even if I told you!"
Old Zhang looked around as he spoke, then whispered, "Yan San, you should hold off for now. That kid hasn't made a move in two days, he must be prepared. You should be careful. As for Wang Xiaoyan, you can't openly start a fire, understand? Look! This donkey dung ball, burn it into charcoal, then wrap it in several layers of tattered cotton, then wrap it in newspaper, and stuff it into his firewood. It should burn in about an hour, understand?"
Chen Chu nodded.
Although I felt this tactic was a bit underhanded, I figured I had to be ruthless. Anyway, it was all about revenge. This time, I'd make Wang Xiaoyan go bankrupt. He almost killed me, so I'd get my revenge.
Chen Chu didn't go to work in the afternoon; he stayed home reciting his lessons. When a villager asked him where he had been, Liu Haiyan said he had gone to help out in the village.
Chen Chu had been studying all day and finally breathed a sigh of relief late at night.
I feel like I've memorized all three books on the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams.
My mind is filled with divination images.
At this moment, the full moon hangs high in the sky.
Chen Chu stood tall, the night wind blowing in gusts, causing his clothes to flutter.
Chen Chu took out a few large coins from his home, shook them slightly in his hand, and then unfolded them.
The three large coins, one on each side, were shaken several times until Chen Chu obtained the Well hexagram, a symbol of hidden strength followed by eventual success.
After pondering it in my heart, I realized that I must first be patient, and then everything will go smoothly.
That meant enduring Yan San.
Chen Chu nodded; the divination result was roughly the same as what Old Man Zhang had explained.
Wang Xiaoyan is a petty person, and in the Well hexagram, petty people are not in power.
Chen Chu checked the time: 9:30.
Then they started burning donkey dung balls. When the donkey dung balls turned red-hot, they found some tattered cotton and wrapped the red-hot donkey dung balls in it.
They wrapped the cotton in several layers, then covered it with newspaper and tied it with rope.
He then jumped over the courtyard wall.
The village was quiet at this time, except for the croaking of frogs.
When Chen Chu arrived at Wang Xiaoyan's house, he saw that the area in front of and behind the house was covered with dry corn stalks, forming a dense, impenetrable barrier.
Chen Chu snorted, stuffed the bundle of newspapers inside, and strode away.
However, he did not sleep. Bored while waiting, he picked up a medical book and casually flipped through it.
An hour and a half later, a bustling sound of voices came from the west side of the village, followed by shouts.
"Fire! Fire! Help!"
Seeing that his neighbors had all gotten up to help put out the fire, Chen Chu also grabbed a basin, mainly to watch the excitement.
Chen Chu was a little stunned when he saw the flames flying from a distance.
I've never seen such a big fire. When I cook at home, this kind of fire doesn't seem like much!
Now, seeing it, the flames, nearly two zhang tall, shot up into the air, turning the sky red—it was truly terrifying.
Chen Chu couldn't help but join the firefighting team as well.
Wang Xiaoyan and his wife both ran away.
The old man was only wearing a pair of shorts, his face was covered in black streaks, and he was wrapped in a tattered quilt.
Two of the three large brick houses were already ablaze in an instant.
He hurriedly shouted to his son, "Wang Dasheng! Stop worrying about putting out the fire, call the police right now!"
Wang Dasheng hummed in agreement: "Dad, what's the emergency number again, 119?"
Wang Xiaoyan blinked: "119...you fucking donkey! Isn't 119 fucking 119?"
Wang Dasheng was a little dumbfounded, his fingers trembling as he pressed 119 on his phone.
Then I dialed the number.
Wang Xiaoyan was listening nearby, and Xu Guozhong, who had just arrived, was also there. He even greeted Chen Chu, since the two of them and Yan San had been arrested together for hiring prostitutes at a hair salon, and they had a bit of a bond as fellow inmates.
"Hello~! Is this 119?" Wang Dasheng shouted loudly, "Hello! It's bad! My house is on fire! Please come quickly!" Then he slammed down the phone.
Wang Xiaoyan took a moment to react, and Chen Chu and Xu Guozhong behind him were also stunned. After a five-second pause, they felt like they hadn't said something.
"Nephew, did you tell me where you live?" Xu Guozhong asked in a low voice.
Wang Xiaoyan went up and slapped his son across the face.
Xu Guozhong quickly stopped him: "Brother, don't call, don't call! We need manpower right now, and the kid is confused. Wang Dasheng, why don't you call again and clearly state your home address!"
"Oh!" Wang Dasheng's face was burning hot, and he was so anxious that he almost cried.
He hurriedly dialed the phone: "Hello! My house is on fire! My house is in Xiaoyangshu Village, Dayangshu Township, Dayangshu Town... Yes, whose house is it? Oh, Wang Xiaoyan's house. My name is Wang Xiaoyan. If you ask around, everyone knows Wang Xiaokou..."
"You beast!" Wang Xiaoyan couldn't stand it anymore, so he went over and kicked his son, then snatched the phone away.
"How the hell did I raise such an ungrateful wretch like you!"
Wang Xiaoyan snatched the phone and shouted, "Hello, this is Wang Dehuai! Yes, the fifth house at the south end of Xiaoyangshu Village. What? I'll come pick you up at the village entrance! Okay!"
Wang Xiaoyan led his son to run towards the east end of the village, and Chen Chu and Xu Guozhong followed to meet the fire truck.
After waiting for a while at the east end of the village, the fire truck still didn't arrive.
Wang Xiaoyan was so anxious that he dialed 119 again.
"Why the hell aren't you here yet? What? I'll be nicer? Civilized? Fine! Dad! My house is almost burned down, come on over..." Wang Xiaoyan plopped down on the ground and started howling.
Chen Chu noticed that, besides himself, Xu Guozhong next to him was also covering his mouth and laughing.
Three fire trucks arrived.
When they arrived, two of Wang Xiaoyan's three large brick houses had burned down, and the fire in the last one was raging. The fire trucks started firing ice cannons, and in a few moments, they destroyed Wang Xiaoyan's last room.
Wang Xiaoyan was dumbfounded.
Generally, large fires require the use of ice roars. These are large blocks of ice, and they are very effective.
The fire was extinguished, and the final result was that the weather was dry and the fire was spreading out. Wang Xiaoyan had also scattered all the firewood, so it deserved to catch fire.
But Wang Xiaoyan held onto the firefighters, preventing them from leaving, saying that the last room hadn't collapsed originally, but that they had collapsed it with ice blasting.
However, Wang Xiaoyan was notorious for extorting people. After being persuaded by everyone, the firefighter ran away without even having a sip of water, afraid that he would be extorted by this crazy old man.
Wang Xiaoyan moved directly to live at his son Wang Dasheng's convenience store.
Most of the villagers gloated and said he deserved it.
However, a discordant voice rang out behind Chen Chu.
"Damn it, it must have been Chen Chu who did it! He raped someone's daughter-in-law, and now he's set their house on fire!"
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