Siheyuan: Start with a Truck Driver

On the short way to the toilet, Xu Damao's eyes were like a stalking hunter, staring at Liu Haizhong tightly, never relaxing for a moment. His gaze was like two sharp arrows, making Liu Haizhong feel like a thorn in his back, uncomfortable all over, and it was difficult for him to find a chance to escape.

They were in a stalemate all the way to the toilet, hoping to slip away when Xu Damao let down his guard. But unexpectedly, Xu Damao seemed to see through his thoughts, and not only did he not relax at all, but he became even more vigilant and insisted on sending Liu Haizhong back home.

Liu Haizhong couldn't hold it in any longer. His patience had been worn out. The anger in his heart suddenly rose up. He stopped, turned around, glared at Xu Damao, and shouted: "Xu Damao, what on earth do you want to do? Don't go too far!"

However, Xu Damao looked at Liu Haizhong innocently with a hypocritical smile on his face, and said sarcastically: "Hey, uncle, what are you talking about? I'm worried that it's getting dark and your eyesight is not good. What if you fall? I'm concerned about you." Although his words were concerned, his eyes revealed a hint of cunning and complacency.

Liu Haizhong was so angry that he almost passed out after hearing what Xu Damao said. He knew that Xu Damao was deliberately making things difficult for him and didn't really care about him. "Stop pretending! Don't you just want to make fun of me? I tell you, no way!" Liu Haizhong angrily hit back, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly with anger.

Xu Damao was so happy when he saw Liu Haizhong's angry expression. He wanted to irritate Liu Haizhong and make him reveal his flaws. "Second uncle, please don't misunderstand me. I'm doing this for your own good. You're here in the middle of the night, acting so mysterious. I'm just worried that something might happen to you." Xu Damao continued, smiling even more brightly. His smug look made people hate him.

Liu Haizhong was extremely anxious at the moment. In order to keep the secret between him and Sha Zhu, he had planned to just deal with it in the toilet, and then sneak out to meet Sha Zhu when the time was right. But he didn't expect Xu Damao to cling to him like a piece of dog-skin plaster that couldn't be shaken off.

When Xu Damao offered to take him home, the rage in Liu Haizhong's heart was like an erupting volcano, and he could no longer suppress it. "Xu Damao, don't go too far!" He widened his eyes, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his voice became a little hoarse due to anger.

However, Xu Damao still had that hypocritical face. He spread out his hands and said in a wronged manner: "Uncle, what's wrong with you? I'm worried about you. You are not young anymore, and it's dark here. It would be troublesome if you accidentally fall and get hurt. Why don't you appreciate my kindness?" There was a barely perceptible sense of pride in his eyes. Looking at Liu Haizhong's angry expression, he felt so relieved.

Liu Haizhong glared at Xu Damao and really wanted to punch him, but he knew that would only make things worse. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, but his voice still trembled: "Humph, you know what you are thinking."

Xu Damao still refused to give in: "Second Uncle, please don't accuse me. I really don't mean anything else. Come on, I'll take you home." As he said that, he reached out to pull Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong reluctantly shook off Xu Damao's hand, knowing that he couldn't get rid of him today. He glared at Xu Damao fiercely and turned to walk home. With every step he took, he felt extremely heavy, and kept cursing Xu Damao in his heart. He knew that if he missed the meeting with Sha Zhu this time, he might miss the opportunity to solve his problem, but now he could only go home first and think of a solution.

Liu Haizhong returned home dejectedly, and the action of gently closing the door still woke up the second aunt. The room was dim, and the second aunt fumbled to light the small oil lamp beside the bed, and the dim light reflected her puzzled face.

"Old man, why did you take so long?" Second Aunt rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice filled with weariness and concern.

When Liu Haizhong heard this, he rolled his eyes in anger. His heart was like a mess and a fire was burning, but how could he tell the truth? He could only hold back his resentment and curse Xu Damao in his heart.

"Nothing. I just ran into that bastard Xu Damao and was delayed for a while." Liu Haizhong replied unhappily, sitting down on the edge of the bed with a look of regret and resentment on his face.

"Xu Damao? Why is he looking for you so late at night?" The second aunt frowned, becoming even more confused.

"Humph, he is just deliberately making things difficult for me. That guy has no good intentions." Liu Haizhong gritted his teeth and stared at the ground, as if he wanted to stare a hole in it. He was so angry with Xu Damao that his teeth were itching. His good plan was ruined by him. He knew in his heart that if he told this matter, it would only bring more trouble to his family, so he could only swallow the bitterness.

The second aunt looked at Liu Haizhong's expression and knew that he must have something to hide. She sighed and comforted him, "Forget it, don't bother with him. Go to bed quickly. It's so late."

Liu Haizhong nodded helplessly. He knew that he couldn't go out tonight. He could only wait until tomorrow to find a chance to explain to Sha Zhu. He hoped that nothing serious would happen. He blew out the oil lamp and lay on the bed, but he tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
The next day, just after dawn, before the sun rose completely, the courtyard was quiet. Liu Haizhong hurried to Sha Zhu's house, feeling very nervous, not knowing how to explain to Sha Zhu what happened last night.

Sha Zhu had been waiting for Liu Haizhong all night and was already furious. When he saw Liu Haizhong coming, he was even more furious. He had a dark face and before Liu Haizhong could speak, he shouted, "Liu Haizhong, you are really amazing! What happened last night? You made me wait there like an idiot. Do you know how much risk I took?"

Liu Haizhong looked guilty. He rubbed his hands and explained hurriedly, "Shazhu, listen to me. Something unexpected really happened last night. I was about to go out, but I ran into that guy Xu Damao. He kept pestering me and I really couldn't get away."

Sha Zhu snorted coldly, his face full of disdain: "Humph, excuses! Do you think I will believe you? Our business is not open to the public. If you don't want to do it, just say so. Don't make excuses for me here."

Liu Haizhong was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. He knew he was in the wrong this time, but he didn't want to lose this opportunity to make money. "Shazhu, I really didn't lie to you. Xu Damao was too cunning. He insisted on following me. If I got rid of him, he would definitely get suspicious. I really didn't mean to break my promise."

Sha Zhu still refused to give in: "I don't care what your reason is. Anyway, you didn't go last night, and I have already lost my trust in you. Let's just pretend that this never happened. I won't help you make money in the future."

When Liu Haizhong heard what Sha Zhu said, he panicked. He quickly grabbed Sha Zhu's arm and begged, "Sha Zhu, you can't do this. I really need the money now. Please give me another chance. I promise that this problem will not happen again in the future." Sha Zhu shook off Liu Haizhong's hand and frowned, saying, "Chance? How many chances can there be for such a thing? What if we are all arrested because of you? That would be the end of us. I don't want to get myself into trouble because of you."

Seeing Sha Zhu's firm attitude, Liu Haizhong became more anxious and hurriedly told him the details of how Xu Damao had targeted him last night.

"Silly Zhu, you don't know, as soon as I went out last night, I was seen by that guy Xu Damao. He has always been at odds with me, and last night he was like a dog-skin plaster, pestering me. I even went to the toilet, but he still insisted on sending me home. I really had no choice!" Liu Haizhong said helplessly.

When Sha Zhu heard that it was Xu Damao who was causing trouble, he immediately flew into a rage. The hatred between him and Xu Damao was not just one or two days old. The two of them had always disliked each other in the compound. "Xu Damao, this bastard, always ruins other people's good things!" Sha Zhu cursed angrily.

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong struck while the iron was hot and continued, "Yes, if it weren't for him, I would have arrived on time last night. Shazhu, trust me again, I will definitely not make any problems this time. Besides, I have an idea, if I make any money this time, I will give you half."

When Sha Zhu heard this, his eyes lit up slightly. He was a money-loving person, and if this thing could be done, half of the money would not be a small amount. He frowned and thought for a while, then looked at Liu Haizhong and said, "Are you serious? Don't do anything weird when the time comes."

Liu Haizhong nodded quickly and promised: "I swear, there will be absolutely no problem this time. If I mess up again, I will... I will compensate you with all my wealth!"

Seeing Liu Haizhong's sincere attitude and thinking of the half of the money, Sha Zhu finally relented: "Okay, then I'll trust you again. Let's make a deal. We'll meet at the courtyard gate at 2 a.m. tomorrow, and then go to the canteen of the lumber factory together. Don't make any mistakes this time. If Xu Damao or anyone else finds out, we'll both be finished."

Liu Haizhong nodded, and said with relief: "Don't worry, I'm ready. I will definitely get it done this time."

The two discussed some details and then went their separate ways. After Liu Haizhong left Sha Zhu's house, he heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that he couldn't mess it up again this time. Sha Zhu was thinking about the plan of this operation in the house, hoping that everything would go smoothly and he could get the money smoothly.

The next morning, the clock struck two, and silence enveloped the courtyard like a large net. Liu Haizhong climbed out of bed again. This time, he learned from last night's lesson and moved as quietly as a cat. He slowly lifted the quilt, and was very careful with every move, fearing that he would make even the slightest sound. After getting out of bed, he did not rush to put on his shoes, but fumbled for his clothes barefoot in the dark and slowly put them on.

After making sure that he had not disturbed the second aunt, he quietly opened the door, and the sound of the door hinge turning was kept very small. After leaving the house, he walked along the wall, step by step, towards the middle courtyard. The moonlight stretched his furtive figure.

At this time, Xu Damao got up to go to the toilet because of stomach discomfort. As soon as he walked into the yard, he saw the familiar figure - Liu Haizhong. Xu Damao's eyes widened suddenly, and he was about to call him, but the scene of last night flashed through his mind. He thought to himself: "This Liu Haizhong must have bad intentions. He sneaked out in the middle of the night. He must be doing something shameful." Thinking of this, Xu Damao smiled slyly. He decided not to alert the enemy this time, but to secretly follow Liu Haizhong to see what he was up to. So, Xu Damao lightened his footsteps and followed Liu Haizhong quietly like a ghost.

Liu Haizhong walked cautiously all the way, and finally arrived outside the compound, but his heart suddenly rose to his throat. He looked around anxiously, but did not see Sha Zhu. The cold night wind was blowing, making him feel anxious and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"This idiot Zhu, could something have gone wrong again?" Liu Haizhong muttered to himself, rubbing his hands, trying to dispel the coldness and uneasiness.

Just when he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, suddenly, Shazhu jumped out from a corner behind him, letting out a strange cry.

"Ah!" Liu Haizhong was so frightened that he trembled all over and almost collapsed on the ground. He widened his eyes and after seeing that it was Sha Zhu, he couldn't help but cursed: "Sha Zhu, you are going to die! You scared me to death."

Sha Zhu smiled nonchalantly and said in a low voice, "Follow me, don't talk nonsense." After that, he crouched down and walked towards the darkness in the distance. Liu Haizhong hurriedly followed, and the two figures quickly merged into the night.

Xu Damao, who had been following quietly from behind, was more certain of his guess when he saw Sha Zhu appear. "Humph, I knew these two were up to no good." He muttered softly, carefully keeping his distance and continued to follow them.

Sha Zhu and Liu Haizhong hurried along and soon arrived outside the lumber mill. It was quiet all around except for the occasional chirping of insects. Sha Zhu stopped, slightly hunched over, staring at the closed door of the lumber mill. Liu Haizhong also hurriedly stopped, not daring to breathe, and stood nervously beside Sha Zhu.

The two of them waited quietly, as if time had frozen. Every second of waiting was like torture, the cold wind whistled past, making their cheeks hurt, but their attention was all on the lumber mill, waiting for the cook to appear.

In the shadows not far away, Xu Damao was hiding like a cunning fox. He curled up in a corner and listened to the conversation between Sha Zhu and Liu Haizhong. When he heard the two whispering about the cook and meat, a smug smile appeared on his face. He was secretly happy: "Haha, I finally got hold of your handle this time. Let's see how arrogant you can be."

Xu Damao was extremely happy. You know, in the courtyard, his biggest rivals were Liu Haizhong and Sha Zhu. This time he could take them out at once. (End of this chapter)