Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 109

Zhang Huai’s legs went weak, and for a moment, he wanted to turn and run. But when he looked closely, he saw that Lai Fu’s expression wasn’t angry—it was the same as always.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he walked over and asked, “Brother Lai Fu, did you call me? What’s the matter?”

Lai Fu smiled. “Master is drinking upstairs. He saw you and asked you to come up.”

“Oh?” Zhang Huai responded casually. “Who is the master drinking with?”

“Why are you asking so many questions today? Don’t you usually like getting close to the master?” Lai Fu teased.

Zhang Huai tensed for a fraction of a second but quickly laughed it off. “Just curious, that’s all.”

“Enough with the nonsense. Be careful, or the master might get impatient and give you a slap later,” Lai Fu warned, leading the way. Zhang Huai followed behind him, heart pounding as they climbed the stairs to the restaurant.

“Ah Huai, come here!” Master Wang called out cheerfully. “These are the heroes of the Qinglong Gang in our town. Come greet them.”

Zhang Huai cautiously glanced at the men and immediately lowered his head in fear. These were the town’s most notorious thugs—men who could kill without hesitation. Why did Master Wang invite them? Were they here to deal with him? No… Master Wang didn’t seem to have such intentions.

Swallowing hard, Zhang Huai stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, heroes.”

The men barely spared him a glance before turning away in disdain. Zhang Huai felt a surge of anger but kept it buried.

“…It’s him. He should know where those two peasants live,” Master Wang said to the gang members before turning to Zhang Huai. “Take these men to their homes tonight. If I don’t teach them a lesson, I won’t be able to let this go.”

Zhang Huai’s mind raced. So, Master Wang wanted to deal with Zhang Shu? But how could he possibly lead them to Zhang’s house? Besides, all of this was just to vent his anger over that woman?

If it had been an hour earlier, Zhang Huai might’ve gone along with it just to silence Zhang Shu. But now that he knew the truth, why should he help? In fact, he’d rather see Zhang Shu spread the news about Master Wang being cuckolded far and wide.

A thought suddenly struck him. A sly smile crept onto his lips as he nodded. “Master, don’t worry! I hate him too. Look at how he beat me up. Think of it as me getting revenge for you.”

Master Wang looked pleased. He liked obedient, tactful people.

Before nightfall, Zhang Huai wandered the town, gathering information. Then, as darkness fell, he met the gang members at the entrance of Tianshui Lane. Grinning, he said, “Heroes, that man lives near the ancestral hall in Wujing Lane. I’ll take you to him.”

The masked men gave no visible reaction, only nodding before silently following him.

Soon, they arrived.

“That house up ahead,” Zhang Huai said, putting on a fawning smile. “I won’t go any closer in case he recognizes me.”

The gang leader shot him a look of contempt but waved him off. Zhang Huai quickly slinked away.

The men knocked on the door, but when no one answered, they kicked it open. The sound echoed through the silent night. The surrounding neighbors heard but didn’t dare intervene, only praying it wasn’t their own home being targeted.

Inside, Master Yang lay in bed, unbothered. With his ties to Master Wang, who would dare trouble him? He lazily reminisced about the events of the afternoon, reaching out to touch the person beside him—only to flinch and wipe his hand on the blanket.

Then, he heard the sound of footsteps.

Something felt off.

Quickly putting on his clothes, he lit a candle and stepped out—only to see a group of men who broke into his home.

In the flickering candlelight, one of them muttered, “Didn’t they say he was in his twenties? Why does he look so old?”

“Doesn’t matter,” another said. “Look at that sharp face—must be him. Get him!”

The leader kicked the candle out of Master Yang’s hand and landed a heavy punch to his face. Stars exploded in Master Yang’s vision as he staggered back, dazed.

His wife, woken by the commotion, rushed in and saw the attack. Terror-stricken, she grabbed a wooden pole from the room and charged at them.

“What are you doing?! What has my husband done wrong? Stop! Stop it!” she screamed, swinging wildly.

A few of the men took hits, their expressions twisting in irritation. But remembering the gang’s unspoken rules, they merely wrenched the weapon away instead of retaliating. Their frustration, however, was taken out on Master Yang.

Madam Yang couldn’t bear it. She dropped to her knees, knocking her head against the floor in desperate pleas. Soon, blood trickled down her forehead.

Master Yang, lying like a beaten dog, watched his frail wife beg for him. A flicker of emotion stirred within him. He once loved her, back when they were first married…

Seeing no end to the beating, she threw herself over his body, shielding him with her own.

The gang members exchanged glances. It was enough.

“You can’t afford to offend the Wang family. Watch yourselves from now on!” one of them spat before they turned and left.

Master Yang lay on the ground as if struck by lightning. The Wang family… was it really the Wang family? In an instant, he felt the blood in his body run cold. He was finished. The master knew…

Madam Yang was confused. Didn’t her husband have a good relationship with the Wang family? “Master, don’t you have a good relationship with them? Why did they send people to beat you?”

She tried to help Master Yang up and lit a candle. Seeing his bruised and swollen face, she felt a pang of discomfort.

She found some lard and gently rubbed it on the injured areas. She was so focused on tending to his wounds that she didn’t notice the ferocious, almost crazed expression on his face. Her thoughts were elsewhere—thankfully, the children went to their grandparents’ house today. Otherwise, they would’ve been terrified.

Master Yang sat on the stool like a puppet, allowing her to apply the ointment. He saw no way out. At this point, his only option was to act first. Clenching his fists, he reaffirmed his decision.

Zhang Shu had no idea that someone else suffered in his place that night. Still, he remained vigilant, taking extra precautions. He separated the dogs, placing two in the small front yard and three in the backyard. At the slightest disturbance, he would wake up immediately, grabbing the stick by his bedside to check.

He barely slept. By dawn, when Li Mujin woke up, he found Zhang Shu sitting at the table, looking exhausted. It wasn’t just the lack of sleep—it was the heightened tension that made it even more draining.

“Ah’shu, what are you doing?”

“Nothing, I just couldn’t sleep,” Zhang Shu replied, not wanting him to worry.

Li Mujin pulled him onto the bed and tucked him under the blanket. “Get some rest. You can’t go on like this. I’m here.”

Zhang Shu wanted to refuse, but his eyelids drooped involuntarily. Li Mujin shook his head, got dressed, and left the room.

Later, Zhang Shu was woken by a tugging sensation on his face. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw his child lying on top of him, pulling at his eyelids. The moment Qianjin saw him wake up, he grinned mischievously and drooled onto his clothes.

Zhang Shu didn’t mind. He wiped Qianjin’s mouth with his sleeve and chuckled. “What are you doing here, little rascal? Where’s your Aba?”

He looked outside—it was already bright, probably close to noon.

“Wah!” Qianjin babbled, his big eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh, so your Aba went out? Are you here to sleep with me instead?” Zhang Shu pulled Qianjin under the blanket, making him squirm and pretend to cry.

With no other choice, he picked Qianjin up. “Alright, where do you want to go?”

Qianjin pointed toward the door, signaling Zhang Shu to take him outside. Zhang Shu sat up, lifted Qianjin high in the air, making him giggle, then got out of bed and carried him out.

Li Mujin approached with a bowl of shredded chicken porridge. “You’re finally up. Hurry and eat—everyone else already had lunch.”

Zhang Shu nodded and gestured for him to place the bowl on the stone table. He ate slowly, teasing Zhang Yao, who was sitting on his lap. The little one, tempted by the fragrant porridge, lunged toward it but was firmly restrained. After several failed attempts, he finally burst into tears.

Li Mujin skillfully picked him up and rocked Qianjin in his arms. Qianjin instantly stopped crying and pointed at the flowers in the yard, asking Li Mujin to pick them.

As Zhang Shu finished his porridge, he watched his child play with the peach blossoms.

Suddenly, the courtyard door swung open. Yu Xiaoliu strode in, looking secretive. “Guess what Old Yang said when he went to town today?”

“What?” Zhang Shu asked, drinking the last spoonful of porridge.

“Wang Yuanwai died this morning!” Yu Xiaoliu’s face was full of excitement, as if he just stumbled upon a great scoop.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!!” Zhang Shu choked on his porridge, his face flushing as he struggled to breathe.

Li Mujin quickly handed Zhang Yao to Yu Xiaoliu and rushed to pat Zhang Shu’s back. “Why are you always in such a hurry? How many times have I told you to eat slowly?”

Then, turning to Yu Xiaoliu, he scolded, “Couldn’t you wait until he finished eating? I’ll have Brother Yue teach you a lesson later!”

Yu Xiaoliu, holding the now-curious Zhang Yao, looked aggrieved. How was he supposed to know Ah’shu would react like this? It was as if he knew Wang Yuanwai personally.

With Li Mujin’s help, Zhang Shu finally caught his breath. His mind raced. How could Wang Yuanwai suddenly die? In his previous life, the old man didn’t die until Li Mujin was thirty—there were still more than ten years left!

Besides, if he knew Wang Yuanwai would die today, he wouldn’t have spent the whole night keeping watch, losing sleep over it.

“Are you talking about Wang Yuanwai from Tianshui Lane?” Zhang Shu still couldn’t believe it.

“Brother Zhang Shu, don’t be dumb. Who else in town has the surname Wang and holds that title? Oh, right, that’s the family that offered a hundred taels for a bride two years ago. Tsk, I heard his son left him an heir. At least he can die in peace.”

When Zhang Shu heard this, he suddenly felt like he understood something…