After getting off work, Xu Damao really did go buy half a jin of goji berries.
In truth, goji berries did not boost virility. On the contrary, they nourished yin.
Xu Damao already lacked yang energy, and after overindulging these past few days, he had long since become yang-deficient with excessive yin.
If he nourished yin any further, he would develop excessive yin fire, becoming irritable, thirsty, and restless.
And when it came to bedroom matters, he would become obsessed with them like a moth drawn to flame.
Fortunately, this would not endanger his life in the short term. As long as he restrained himself, he could slowly recover.
On the other hand, given Xu Damao's physical condition, draining the pond to catch the fish might have the opposite effect. Whether he could make it through depended on his luck.
It was just that he would have to suffer quite a bit during this period.
Lin Zhen thought, As for how this ends, that depends on how you treat me, kid.
That night, after midnight.
Most of the people in the courtyard had fallen asleep.
Silly Zhu threw on some clothes and shoes, quietly pushed open his door, and headed for the back courtyard.
He had finally understood what the Deaf Old Lady meant by disturbing the neighbors.
That was why he had sneaked over to Xu Damao's door in the back courtyard.
The moment he reached the window, he heard sounds brimming with the air of spring from inside.
"Damn! I need to wash out my ears!"
The instant Silly Zhu imagined the Deaf Old Lady being put through that, fury surged in his heart.
He had bullied Xu Damao since they were children, so he did not mind doing it again now that they were grown up.
Smash!
Silly Zhu threw half a brick and ran.
"Ah!!!" Qin Jingru screamed in fright.
Xu Damao was so scared he nearly passed out.
"Who was it? Who the hell is so damn wicked? Silly Zhu! Was it you?!"
In this courtyard, the only person capable of such a rotten deed really was Silly Zhu.
Ten minutes later, Xu Damao had shouted the entire Siheyuan awake.
Lou Xiao'e had just fallen asleep. Drowsily, she asked, "What's wrong with Xu Damao?"
Lin Zhen frowned. "I just heard glass breaking in the back courtyard. It was probably Silly Zhu acting like an idiot, actually listening to the Deaf Old Lady and smashing Xu Damao's window."
Lou Xiao'e said in astonishment, "Huh? This... Even if Xu Damao and Qin Jingru were being improper, he couldn't smash their window at a time like that, could he? Someone could die!"
"This is the consequence of the Deaf Old Lady spoiling Silly Zhu. It's no different from Jia Zhangshi spoiling Bang Geng. Sometimes I even wonder whether Xu Damao became so wicked because Silly Zhu drove him to it. Just wait and see—there'll be another whole-courtyard meeting tomorrow."
"Aren't you going to the back courtyard to take a look?"
"No. Let's sleep. We can watch the show at the meeting tomorrow."
How pleasant it was to hold his wife on a warm kang bed. He had no interest in going to the back courtyard to join that chaos.
In the back courtyard.
The brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were snickering, while Yan Jiecheng and his two brothers covered their mouths.
Xu Damao was furious.
"Silly Zhu! Don't you dare do it and deny it! Was it you?!"
After understanding what had happened, Yi Zhonghai darkened his face and asked, "Zhuzi, were you the one acting recklessly?"
Silly Zhu only kept chuckling. "First Elder, why don't you do something about him disturbing the neighbors?"
Qin Jingru snapped, "Pah! We're trying to have a child. Every married couple does that. You want to disturb the neighbors, but you can't even manage it!"
Qin Huairu frowned. "Qin Jingru, go back inside. What are you saying? Aren't you ashamed?"
Qin Jingru did not care. "Hmph! Silly Zhu should be arrested!"
Xu Damao slapped his thigh. "That's right! Let's report this!"
"Enough!"
Yi Zhonghai hurriedly stopped them. "This is ridiculous. Old Liu, Old Yan, and I are here. If there's a problem, settle it in the courtyard. And you two, couldn't you be a little more restrained?"
Xu Damao was not backing down this time. It concerned his privacy and dignity, so he glared and shouted, "Old Yi, don't play favorites! I respect you as the First Elder, but you can't protect Silly Zhu like this. This isn't over!"
Liu Haizhong said impatiently, "We'll hold a whole-courtyard meeting tomorrow and specifically criticize He Yuzhu!"
Silly Zhu glared. "Why? I was getting rid of a public nuisance!"
Yan Bugui shook his head. "At the moment, you are the nuisance!"
"Hey! Third Master, you're targeting me too?"
The Deaf Old Lady tapped her cane and shouted, "Enough, enough! Are you going to let this old woman sleep or not? It's already one in the morning! Can't you talk about it tomorrow?"
Yi Zhonghai quickly waved everyone away. "Go back inside, all of you! Tomorrow happens to be Sunday. We'll hold a whole-courtyard meeting in the morning!"
Silly Zhu still wanted to argue stubbornly, but the Deaf Old Lady gave him a look. Only then did he twist his head and head back.
Xu Damao returned home, found a wooden board to temporarily block the window, and lay there fuming for several hours before finally falling asleep.
Early the next morning.
Before any household had even started making breakfast, Xu Damao moved his large square table into the central courtyard.
He went door to door calling everyone to the meeting.
"Lin Zhen, Lou Xiao'e, hurry up! Don't cook yet—we're having a meeting!"
Lin Zhen deliberately asked, "Xu Damao, what happened last night? You were shouting so much that no one could sleep!"
Xu Damao said indignantly, "That bastard Silly Zhu smashed my window! He scared me so badly I nearly passed out!"
Lin Zhen could not help laughing. "At a critical moment?"
Xu Damao gritted his teeth. "If I end up useless after this, I'll fight Silly Zhu to the death!"
Before long, several dozen people, young and old, from the courtyard had gathered in the central courtyard.
Yi Zhonghai sat north of the square table with a dark expression, holding an enamel tea mug.
Liu Haizhong sat solemnly on the east side of the table, with an enamel mug beside his hand, pursing his lips as he looked Silly Zhu over.
Yan Bugui sat on the west side of the table, leisurely drinking hot water.
Xu Damao's dark circles were even worse. He and Qin Jingru sat side by side on the long bench in the front row, while Qin Jingru looked rather well-rested.
The two were seething, wishing they could tear Silly Zhu apart.
Silly Zhu sat with one leg crossed over the other, completely unconcerned, his head tilted as he looked up at the sky.
The Deaf Old Lady sat not far from Yan Bugui, smiling as she surveyed everyone in the courtyard.
Some people in the courtyard whispered among themselves, while others lowered their heads and snickered.
Lin Zhen's family of six found an empty spot to sit down and joined in the gossip.
"Yan Jiecheng, did you go take a look last night? What happened?"
"Heh! By the time I got there, it was already over. I didn't know what the scene was like, but I bet Xu Damao had gone limp by then."
"Tch, of course you couldn't see the scene. It wasn't a live broadcast. I mean, did Silly Zhu and Xu Damao fight afterward?"
"They didn't. Silly Zhu was in the wrong and just acted shamelessly."
Lou Xiao'e smiled and said, "Keep your voices down, you two."
Yu Li said, "Exactly. It wouldn't be good if Silly Zhu and Xu Damao heard you."
Lin Zhen smiled. "Us men are talking among ourselves. You women stay out of it. Hey, Liu Guangtian, have you felt disturbed by the neighbors these past few days?"
Liu Guangtian chuckled. "Sometimes I could hear them reciting 'Ode to the Goose.'"
"Oh? Really? Xu Damao's got some skills, huh!"
Lou Xiao'e was amused and annoyed by her husband's words. She pinched his arm. "The children are right here. Don't talk nonsense!"
Knock, knock, knock!
"Quiet, quiet!"
Yi Zhonghai knocked on the table. After looking around, he stood up to speak.
"Today, we've gathered everyone for this whole-courtyard meeting mainly to criticize He Yuzhu. As for the reason and what happened, I'm embarrassed to describe it. I assume everyone already knows. Those who don't can ask someone beside them later. First, let's hear what Xu Damao and Qin Jingru have to say."
Before you continue