The moment Xu Damao saw Silly Zhu coming over,
he was so frightened that he rushed inside and bolted the door, leaving Qin Jingru outside.
Qin Jingru said angrily, "Damao, where am I supposed to go tonight?"
"Y-you go apologize to Qin Huairu! The second I open the door, Silly Zhu will rush in and beat me up!"
"If you don't open the damn door, I'll beat you up too! You bastard, spreading rumors about people behind their backs—get out here!"
The Deaf Old Lady picked up her cane and smashed it against the window.
Whenever Silly Zhu and Xu Damao had a conflict, the Deaf Old Lady always sided completely with Silly Zhu.
Xu Damao shouted anxiously from inside, "There's no law anymore! Robbers!"
Qin Jingru shouted along with him, "Someone's being beaten! Someone's being beaten!"
Seeing that things had gotten out of hand, Second Elder Liu Haizhong hurriedly shouted, "Stop it, Silly Zhu! What's going on?"
"Don't throw your weight around with me! It's none of your business!"
Their commotion in the back courtyard carried straight to the front courtyard.
Lin Zhen and Lou Xiao'e were pleasantly tipsy, and the two had just gotten into the mood.
But the shouting from the back courtyard instantly killed it.
Lin Zhen frowned. "Those two bastards, Silly Zhu and Xu Damao, really deserve a beating!"
Lou Xiao'e giggled. "Then do you still want that daughter of yours?"
"Hehe, let's turn a deaf ear to what's going on outside. Let them crack their heads open and bleed for all I care!"
Lin Zhen had just picked up his wife.
When Third Master called from outside, "Lin Zhen, asleep yet? Silly Zhu and Xu Damao are fighting. Old Yi wants us all to go over."
"Oh, for crying out loud! What a harmonious Siheyuan neighborhood!"
Lin Zhen answered helplessly, "Got it, Third Master. I'm coming right over."
Lou Xiao'e covered her mouth and laughed nonstop. "Honey, looks like you won't get your wish tonight."
"Sigh, you go to sleep first. I'll be right back!"
Lin Zhen threw on some clothes and hurried to the back courtyard.
Silly Zhu and Xu Damao, one outside and one inside, were cursing at each other.
Even the three Elders could not stop them, though it was obvious they did not really want to.
Yan Jiecheng, Yan Jiefang, and Yan Jiekouang stood to the side watching the show.
Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were also snickering.
The Deaf Old Lady stood nearby, egging them on.
"Silly Zhu, smash down the door and drag that bastard out for a beating!"
Silly Zhu said happily, "You got it! I was waiting for you to say that!"
Xu Damao was furious inside.
"Old Lady, you're playing favorites! Silly Zhu, if you dare come in, you're a robber!"
"Favor your grandmother's leg! You're the useless bastard!"
Lin Zhen's good mood had been thoroughly ruined.
Seeing the Deaf Old Lady use her age to bully others while favoring Silly Zhu made him even angrier.
Although Xu Damao was no good either, these people were even more hateful for disturbing everyone in the middle of the night.
Bang!
"Ow! Who kicked me?!"
Silly Zhu, who had been smug and full of himself, was kicked sprawling by Lin Zhen.
The Deaf Old Lady panicked at once. "Why did you kick my grandson?"
"Old Lady, Silly Zhu was disturbing everyone in the middle of the night. He deserved it!"
Pouting, the Deaf Old Lady said, "I can't hear you, but you can't kick my grandson!"
As she spoke, she raised her cane and swung it at Lin Zhen's head.
Just then, Silly Zhu had climbed back to his feet and realized that Lin Zhen had kicked him. He immediately flew into a rage.
He had been about to exchange a few moves with Lin Zhen, and with a grit of his teeth and stomp of his foot, he lunged forward.
Lin Zhen could not be bothered to tangle with the Deaf Old Lady.
With eyes in every direction and ears tuned to all around him, he moved through the chaotic scene like a fish in water.
With one quick move, he grabbed Silly Zhu by the back of the neck.
Borrowing Silly Zhu's momentum, he shoved him forward.
Clang!
The Deaf Old Lady's cane landed squarely on Silly Zhu's forehead.
The crack was loud and crisp.
A lump immediately rose on Silly Zhu's forehead.
"Ow! Old Lady, why did you hit me?" Silly Zhu clutched his forehead, baring his teeth in pain.
The Deaf Old Lady widened her eyes and froze.
"Oh! How did I hit my grandson?"
"I... I'll hit him again!"
The Deaf Old Lady swept her cane at Lin Zhen's waist again.
Lin Zhen smiled faintly and, still gripping Silly Zhu by the back of the neck, sent him forward to meet it.
Clang!
Another hit.
"Ow! My head! Old Lady, can you go back inside? Why do you keep making things worse?"
The Deaf Old Lady gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Y-you keep using your head to block my cane. What else am I supposed to do?"
"I don't want to either! Lin Zhen must've been raised on tiger's milk—he's way too strong!"
Silly Zhu was held by the neck like that by Lin Zhen.
With his head lowered and his back bent, he was the same height as the Deaf Old Lady.
The Deaf Old Lady glanced at Lin Zhen. Left with no choice, she pouted and went back inside.
Well, Deaf Old Lady, we've officially broken ties today. Don't expect my wife to say another word to you from now on!
"Brother, can you let go? Even killing someone only calls for a nod of the head!"
Bent over and unable to move under Lin Zhen's grip, Silly Zhu had no choice but to give in.
Lin Zhen sneered. "Let's make this clear first. I'm not taking Xu Damao's side. I'm blaming you for ruining my good mood in the middle of the night!"
"Fine, whatever you say!"
Only then did Lin Zhen let go.
The instant Silly Zhu regained his freedom, he threw an uppercut at Lin Zhen's chin.
Lin Zhen frowned.
He sidestepped it, grabbed Silly Zhu's arm with one hand and his shoulder with the other.
Then he yanked and twisted.
Crack!
He dislocated Silly Zhu's shoulder on the spot.
Bang!
He followed with a kick that sent him flat to the ground.
"Ow! I'm convinced! I surrender, I surrender! My shoulder... ah!"
This time, Silly Zhu was truly obedient. He had no choice but to admit defeat.
From childhood until now, after all his fights, this was the first time he had encountered someone he could not even lay a hand on.
"Silly Zhu, are you convinced now?"
"Absolutely! Hurry, hurry, put my arm back in place! Ow... it hurts like hell!"
Yan Jiecheng and his two brothers, along with Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, were stunned by the sight.
They stood there with their mouths hanging open, unable to say a word.
Silly Zhu, who had no rival in the Siheyuan or even the entire alley, had been beaten so casually by Lin Zhen that he could not fight back at all.
The troublemaker Silly Zhu had actually yielded!
This was huge news!
From now on, none of them would dare act even slightly out of line around Lin Zhen.
Xu Damao shouted happily from inside, "Good! Master Lin, that was a fine beating! You wiped out evil and upheld justice—well done!"
"Shut up, Xu Damao! Disturb the neighbors again and I'll geld you!"
"Yes, sir! I'll shut up right away!"
With a few quick motions, Lin Zhen reset Silly Zhu's dislocated arm.
Only then did this farce finally come to an end.
Qin Jingru wanted to enter Xu Damao's room, but Xu Damao refused to open the door no matter what.
He insisted that she apologize to Qin Huairu and go back to stay with the Jia family.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Jingru suddenly blurted out, "Lin Zhen, can I stay at your place for the night?"
Lin Zhen looked at Qin Jingru as though she were an idiot.
"What exactly is in your head? Which bed are you planning to sleep in at my house?"
"Then... then Damao won't let me in, and my sister won't let me in either. I can't exactly go to Silly Zhu's home, can I?"
Silly Zhu glared at her. "Go sleep on the street!"
Lin Zhen smiled. "Not a bad suggestion."
"Huh? You really want me to sleep on the street?"
"Come back here! Stop embarrassing yourself! First thing tomorrow morning, you're going back to your hometown!" Qin Huairu shouted irritably from the corner by the wall.
"Oh..." Qin Jingru understood. She truly could not stay in the city any longer.
Lin Zhen returned home.
Lou Xiao'e was still awake and asked with a smile, "How did it go?"
Lin Zhen smiled. "A few punches and kicks took care of it, but I need to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"Don't go to the back courtyard for no reason from now on, especially not around the Deaf Old Lady. Keep your distance from her!"
"Okay!"
Lou Xiao'e nodded without even asking why.
Lin Zhen asked with a smile, "You're not going to ask for the reason?"
Lou Xiao'e looked up into her husband's eyes and smiled dreamily. "I won't ask. As long as it's something you say, I'll listen!"
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