Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Okay, I'll do it." Lotus quickly stuffed the money into her pocket. "Tomorrow night, at the entrance of the alley leading to the back street of Nanluoguxiang, He Yuzhu, right? I've got it. But brother, let me be clear, in case... in case something goes wrong, I can't completely guarantee success."

"Don't worry, as long as you do as I say, nothing will go wrong. Even if something does, it won't be your fault." Xu Damao said coldly, then turned and disappeared into the night. Hehua watched him disappear, pouted, hid the money, and continued to draw in front of the mirror, already thinking about how to make tomorrow's "play" more convincing.

……

The opportunity seemed to be unfolding exactly as Xu Damao had written.

The next day, the third canteen received a special task: to prepare an overtime meal for a workshop team that was working late that night. As the head chef, Sha Zhu naturally had to stay behind to oversee the work.

After finishing the work, it was already past 7 p.m. The workshop foreman, to express his gratitude, specially invited Sha Zhu to stay for two small cups of bulk liquor. Sha Zhu was already feeling down, and since the work was done and someone was offering him drinks, he didn't refuse.

After a few cups of cheap liquor, he felt warm and a little dizzy, but still relatively clear-headed. He declined the offer to send someone to deliver the food, and instead, carrying his lunchbox (containing some good dishes he had specially saved for tomorrow), he staggered home.

The sky was already completely dark, and the streetlights were dim. On the way back to Nanluoguxiang from the back gate of the steel mill, there was a relatively quiet stretch of road, flanked by low courtyard walls and corners piled with miscellaneous items. A chilly evening breeze blew by, and Shazhu wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter, humming an off-key tune, his steps slightly unsteady.

Just as he was about to reach the entrance of the alley leading to the courtyard house, a figure suddenly stumbled out from the side, seemingly a woman, and bumped into him.

"Ouch!" the woman exclaimed, nearly falling over.

Sha Zhu instinctively reached out to steady her, saying, "Watch where you're going..." Before he could finish, the woman jerked her hand away as if bitten by a venomous snake, and a piercing scream shattered the silence of the night.

"This is indecent assault!!! Help!!! Catch the pervert!!!"

Sha Zhu was stunned by the sudden scream, and his drunkenness sobered up halfway. He looked closely and saw a woman in front of him wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket and with slightly disheveled hair. She was pointing at him with a look of "terrification" on her face, shouting and backing away.

"You... what nonsense are you talking about! Who's being a pervert!" Sha Zhu was both shocked and furious; he didn't know this woman at all.

"It's you! You touched me just now! And you tried to pull me! Everyone come and see! This filthy scoundrel is being a scoundrel and won't admit it!" Lotus's acting was spot on; her voice was shrill and tearful, and she tore at her clothes as she shouted, making them even more disheveled.

Her screams quickly attracted the attention of nearby residents. Several passersby gathered around at the sound, and others in the distance opened their windows to peer out. In the dim light, a tall man (Shazhu) could be seen with a flushed face (from drinking and anger), seemingly having just been arguing with a disheveled woman, who was crying and accusing him of indecent assault.

"What's going on?" A middle-aged man who looked like a cadre walked over with a frown.

"He! He's a pervert! I was just walking along when he rushed over and touched me, and then dragged me into the dark!" Lotus cried, tears streaming down her face, pointing at Sha Zhu, her fingers trembling.

"Bullshit!" Sha Zhu trembled with rage, blood rushing to his head. "I didn't even touch you! You ran into me yourself!"

"Everyone saw it! He even tried to hit someone!" Lotus screamed, hiding behind the middle-aged cadre.

The onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves at Sha Zhu.

"Isn't this Chef He from the steel mill's canteen?"

"He Yuzhu? I heard he was going to the union a few days ago trying to find a wife..."

"Wow! He's so lovesick he's resorting to such despicable acts?"

"He looks all respectable, but I never expected him to be this kind of person!"

"Would a woman really wrong him? Look how scared he's!"

"Call the police station right away!"

Public opinion is a fearsome thing, especially preconceived prejudice. The absurd story of Sha Zhu's "recruiting a mate through the union" had already spread. At this moment, his appearance, reeking of alcohol, flushed, and roaring angrily, appeared so "suspicious" and "vicious" in the dim light, in contrast to He Hua's realistic performance and stern accusations.

The middle-aged cadre, observing the situation and listening to the surrounding chatter, darkened his expression: "Stop arguing! This woman, and Comrade He Yuzhu, you two are coming with me to the police station! Let's get this straight!"

Sha Zhu wanted to argue, but he was surrounded by several people, and He Hua was crying and speaking with conviction. He was speechless and felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, almost about to explode.

He knew that if he attacked or resisted violently at this point, things would only get more complicated. He glared fiercely at the still sobbing woman, his teeth clenched: "Fine, I'll go! I've never done this before, what's there to be afraid of!"

However, when they arrived at the nearby police station, the situation became even more unfavorable for Sha Zhu. He Hua insisted that Sha Zhu had "touched her inappropriately" and "attempted to rape" her, describing the incident in great detail, with the time, place, and details of the actions (which were, of course, fabricated) all "clearly" presented.

She even tearfully recounted, with "shame and indignation," that she was a "respectable street-side cardboard box maker" who had encountered such misfortune on her way home from get off work. Meanwhile, Sha Zhu, aside from angrily denying and defending himself by claiming he had drunk some alcohol but absolutely did not touch her, could not provide any evidence to prove his innocence.

He did smell of alcohol, which became evidence of "drunken misconduct"; his irritable temper and bad reputation became an indication of "having a criminal record".

Most importantly, there were no third-party witnesses who could testify to the specific circumstances of the incident. The few onlookers only saw the two struggling after hearing the shouts, and they prejudicially assumed that Sha Zhu was bullying someone.

The police officers on duty had serious expressions. These days, cases of "hooliganism," especially those involving "attempted rape," are dealt with very severely.

Faced with a clear accusation from a "victim" and a feeble defense from a "suspect," the bias is self-evident. Although Sha Zhu stubbornly shouts "Innocent!", he cannot produce any evidence to refute it. He Hua, on the other hand, sobs softly, appearing incredibly "vulnerable" and "wronged."

"Comrade He Yuzhu, please calm down. This woman is accusing you of indecent assault, which is a serious offense. If you don't have other evidence to prove your innocence, I'm afraid..." The old policeman didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already clear.

Sha Zhu's heart sank deeper and deeper, gripped by a mix of immense injustice, anger, and a nagging fear. He knew that if the charge was proven true, he was finished! He would definitely lose his job, his reputation would be completely ruined, and he might even go to jail! He couldn't understand why this inexplicable woman would want to harm him. He didn't even know her!

"I want to find the old man in our compound! I want to find our factory leaders! I've been wronged!" Sha Zhu roared.

"We will notify your workplace and neighborhood committee. But for now, please cooperate with the investigation," the police officer said in a businesslike manner.

Ultimately, with the case still unclear and Sha Zhu unable to provide strong counter-evidence, he was temporarily detained pending further investigation.

……

The next day, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, the news that "the canteen idiot Zhu was arrested for indecent behavior" exploded throughout the entire courtyard and steel mill with ten times the speed and horror of the previous "union courtship".

Xu Damao was undoubtedly "indispensable" in spreading the news. He got up early in the morning and pretended to be surprised and uncertain, with a hint of regret that he thought "I knew it." He casually revealed in the yard: "Have you heard? Shazhu is in big trouble! He was arrested by the police station last night! They said... he was a hooligan! He touched a woman inappropriately!" He controlled his tone perfectly, both shocked and heartbroken, as if he was sighing for his neighbor who had gone astray.

Instantly, the entire courtyard erupted in chaos.

"What?! Sha Zhu's been a pervert?!" "My God! Really? This is terrible!" "I knew it! He's obsessed with his wife all the time; he was bound to get into trouble sooner or later!" "This is it! Perverting is a serious crime! He's definitely out of a job!"

Jia Zhangshi immediately retorted in a shrill voice, "I knew that silly Zhuzi was no good! His thieving eyes were always darting towards my Huairu! He deserved it!"

Qin Huairu's face paled, and she lowered her head without speaking. Jia Dongxu let out a heavy groan on the bed.

The third uncle, Yan Bugui, pushed up his glasses and shook his head repeatedly: "It's an insult to scholarship, an insult to scholarship! Young man, how could you lose control!"

Upon hearing the news, Yi Zhonghai dropped his teacup with a clatter, his face instantly turning deathly pale: "Zhu Zi... how could Zhu Zi possibly..."

He knew Sha Zhu well; he had a bad temper and a foul mouth, but he wasn't a bad person at heart, and he would never do such a heinous thing!

The deaf old woman, leaning on her cane, shakily made her way from the backyard, grabbed Yi Zhonghai's hand, and cried out, tears streaming down her face, "Zhonghai, Zhuzi is innocent! He must be innocent! You have to save him! Go and find out!"

Yi Zhonghai forced himself to calm down, went out immediately, first to the street, then to the police station to inquire.

The news he received, however, sank him to the bottom: the woman's accusations were clear, Sha Zhu's defense was weak, there were no favorable witnesses at the scene, and Sha Zhu had been drinking... The situation was extremely unfavorable for Sha Zhu. Although the officers at the police station did not make a final determination, their tone was very serious, stating that if the evidence was conclusive, they would deal with the matter seriously according to the law.

Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. They firmly believed that Sha Zhu was innocent, but how could they prove it? They went to the factory, and the factory security department and the labor union also got involved, but faced with the police station's investigation and the woman's persistent accusations, they were at a loss for what to do.