Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

She felt it was better to believe it than not. What if what this person said was true? Wouldn't marrying him be like jumping into a fire pit?

She didn't even say "thank you," turned the car around, and hurriedly went home.

That evening, she told her parents exactly what Sha Zhu had said.

When the girl's parents heard this, they were shocked.

Although they are an ordinary family, they are honest and upright people, and they cannot marry their daughter to a person of bad character.

They didn't make a fuss, but quietly asked someone to inquire around Xu Damao's courtyard.

Upon inquiring, all they heard was that Xu Damao was a smart aleck, loved to argue, and was unpopular in the compound.

As for Sha Zhu's claims about "picking up girls," although no one can verify them, "there's no smoke without fire," and the girl's parents have already given up.

They felt that their daughter would definitely suffer if she married into that family.

So the next day, the matchmaker went to the Xu family and returned the betrothal gifts they had sent, clearly stating that the marriage was canceled.

Xu Damao was dumbfounded.

He initially thought it was because the woman's family had changed their minds at the last minute, or there was some other reason.

Just as the matchmaker was leaving, she quietly revealed, "Da Mao, did you offend someone? I heard that someone stopped a girl on the way and said a lot of bad things about you."

Xu Damao's mind went blank for a moment, and he instantly understood.

Who but Sha Zhu would stop a girl on the way and speak ill of her?

"Idiot Zhu! I'm not done with you yet!"

Xu Damao's eyes turned red. He grabbed a wooden stick used for drying clothes from the corner of the wall and roared as he rushed into the central courtyard.

At this moment, Sha Zhu was standing by the well in the yard, shirtless, humming a little tune, chopping firewood for cooking that evening.

"Idiot Zhu!" Xu Damao roared, rushing towards him. "Was it you? Did you lie to Xiaofang?"

Sha Zhu raised his head and looked at the menacing Xu Damao without feeling guilty at all.

"I said it, so what?" He stuck the axe into the woodpile, his neck stiff, and said, "I just can't stand your smug look! What I said wasn't the truth? You, Xu Damao, have been a petty thief since you were a kid, always talking nonsense and causing trouble. I was just reminding that girl not to be fooled by you!"

"I'll deceive your mother!" Xu Damao trembled with rage. He raised the wooden stick and swung it across Shazhu's head.

Sha Zhu reacted extremely quickly. He suddenly turned to the side, and the wooden stick swept past his ear with a whoosh before hitting the wall behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Sha Zhu casually grabbed a low wooden stool used for chopping firewood and held it in front of him.

With a muffled thud, Xu Damao's second stick slammed solidly onto the wooden stool.

Sha Zhu felt a numbness in his arm, but he still held on tightly.

The courtyard was already cramped, and Xu Damao, relying on his weapon, pressed forward relentlessly. He wanted to bypass Sha Zhu and attack his lower body.

As a result, the wooden stick in his hand got tangled in the wire rope used for drying clothes above his head, and his movements suddenly froze.

In that split second, Sha Zhu seized the opportunity!

He lunged forward and grabbed the end of the stick.

"Let go of me!" Xu Damao pulled back forcefully.

"Let go first!" Sha Zhu refused to let go either.

As the two were locked in a stalemate, Xu Damao suddenly had a brilliant idea. He abruptly released his grip on the wooden stick and, taking advantage of Sha Zhu's momentary backward lean due to inertia, slammed his shoulder into Sha Zhu's chest.

This move caught Sha Zhu off guard, and he was knocked back several steps with a "thump thump thump".

There was a basin of water that had just been filled with water right next to them. Sha Zhu stepped on it and knocked it over. With a "splash," water splashed everywhere, and the ground instantly became incredibly slippery.

This limited Sha Zhu's ability to exert force.

Xu Damao seized the opportunity and punched Sha Zhu in the face.

Sha Zhu was enraged after taking that punch. He no longer held back, pouncing like a hungry tiger, grabbing Xu Damao's outstretched wrist, twisting it hard, and slamming Xu Damao down onto the nearby pile of firewood.

"You son of a bitch, you dare to lay a hand on me!" Sha Zhu raised his fist.

But when he looked at Xu Damao's face, which was red from the beating, he thought of his wife Wu Cuilan, who was pregnant. He couldn't beat her as he used to. What if he really hurt her and got arrested? What would happen to his wife and child?

He hesitated for a moment, and his fist didn't come down.

Just then, Xu Fugui and his wife heard the commotion and rushed over from the backyard.

"Shazhu! You heartless bastard! Let go of my son!" Xu's mother immediately started scratching and clawing.

Xu Fugui, without even asking what happened, pointed at Sha Zhu's nose and yelled, "He Yuzhu! Have you no regard for the law? You ruined my son's marriage, and now you dare to hit someone? Believe me or not, I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

Wu Cuilan, also heavily pregnant, ran out of the house and hurriedly stood in front of Sha Zhu to protect him.

"Uncle Xu, Aunt Xu, please calm down! Let's talk this out!"

"Speak calmly? This can't be discussed calmly!" Xu Damao climbed out of the woodpile, pointed at Shazhu, and roared, "He has to give me an explanation today! Otherwise, I'm calling the police!"

Sha Zhu was also stubborn, and he retorted with his neck stiff, "Fine, I'll report you! Who's afraid of who! I just can't stand you!"

The two families were arguing in the yard, and it looked like things were about to escalate into a major argument.

Yan Bugui, who lived in the front yard, was also alarmed. When he saw the situation, he was completely bewildered.

If this were reported to the police, the reputation of their entire neighborhood would be affected, and he, as an "active member" of the neighborhood committee, would lose face.

"Stop arguing! Stop arguing!" Yan Bugui tried to persuade him for a long time, but no one listened to him.

He was so anxious that he stomped his feet, and finally, having no other choice, he ran out of the yard in a flash.

"I'll go and fetch Director Cheng! Let him come back and judge this matter for you!"

Not long after, Cheng Shuhai followed Yan Bugui back to the courtyard house.

Upon entering the Intermediate People's Court, one is greeted by a scene of utter chaos.

The basin of water was overturned on the ground, and firewood was scattered all over the place. Xu Damao had a bruise on his face, and Shazhu had a bruise on the corner of his mouth. The two families were still pointing fingers and cursing at each other, while a group of neighbors gathered around to watch the commotion.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Cheng Shuhai gave a sharp shout, his voice not loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

The once noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.

All eyes were on him.

Cheng Shuhai's cold gaze swept across the faces of Xu Damao, Shazhu, and their respective family members.

"Xu Damao, put down the wooden stick you're holding first," he said first.

Xu Damao looked at Cheng Shuhai, and although he was resentful, he reluctantly threw the wooden stick on the ground. He knew that in this courtyard now, Cheng Shuhai's words carried more weight than his father's.

"What's going on?" Cheng Shuhai asked Yan Bugui.