Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 6

Zhang Shu knows he is eighteen this year, with three months left before his birthday.

That means Little Mujin should be around seventeen, and since his birthday is in the spring, it has already passed.

There are still two or three months before his family encounters trouble. It has been so long that he only remembers it happening sometime in the summer or autumn of this year, but he can’t pinpoint the exact time.

The wheat has already been harvested, and there is no farm work to do for the next couple of days. After some thought, Zhang Shu decides to head to the county to see if anyone is hiring temporary workers. He needs to start saving money now—he can’t just rely on his grandparents, even if they do have money.

When he tells his grandparents about his plan, they don’t object. In fact, they’ve noticed that Zhang Shu has been more sensible lately. However, they make one request: he can’t go alone. Instead, he should wait until their neighbor, Laiwang, finishes harvesting his wheat and go with him, since Laiwang has experience.

Even for short-term work, experience matters. Employers prefer familiar faces, and even if a newcomer is accepted, the pay is often lower than that of experienced workers.

Zhang Shu nods in agreement. Brother Laiwang is already married—to a woman five or six years older than him. People in that age group haven’t bullied Zhang Shu much, so he doesn’t mind tagging along.

Thinking about how he hasn’t seen Mujin since they held hands on the small slope that day, Zhang Shu misses him dearly. So, he quietly takes a hard-boiled egg from his grandmother and heads toward Mujin’s house.

His own home is in the center of the village, while Mujin’s is at the far end, near the mountains. It’s neither too far nor too close—a young man can cover the distance in about half an hour.

Excited, he sets off, but as he passes a particular house, two people suddenly block his path.

There’s a bamboo grove behind the house, and it’s one of the most secluded spots in the village. Zhang Shu glances around and quickly realizes there’s no way to escape. A sense of desperation creeps in.

The ones blocking him are Wang Changfa and Zhu Dabao—close friends and notorious troublemakers in the village.

Wang Changfa still hasn’t gotten over what happened that day on the hillside. Zhang Shu had caught him off guard and pushed him down before running away. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to fight back. He thought it didn’t matter—after all, no one had seen it.

But who knew Zhang Shu’s grandmother would let it slip while chatting with others? She had proudly recounted how her grandson had dared to fight back.

Now, everyone in the village knows Wang Changfa was beaten by Zhang Shu. If he lets this go, how can he still call himself the boss of Shuitou Village?

“You think you’re tough, huh, kid?” Wang Changfa walks up slowly, slapping Zhang Shu’s face in a clear act of humiliation.

But since he’s shorter than Zhang Shu, the action looks somewhat ridiculous. Zhang Shu remains silent, standing still like a tree, letting him slap him.

“Not talking? Your grandma said she learned how to hit me from someone else. Didn’t she learn well? Didn’t she teach you?” Wang Changfa’s narrow eyes gleam with malice, clearly still furious about the incident.

Zhang Shu stays quiet.

The flesh on Zhu Dabao’s face trembles. “Afa, stop talking. Just beat him up already!” He grabs Zhang Shu’s collar despite being shorter, resembling a pig hanging off a tree.

“Listen up,” Wang Changfa sneers. “If you dare tell your grandma about this, I’ll beat you every time I see you.”

Zhu Dabao is the first to throw a punch, followed by Wang Changfa. They rain down blows like a torrential storm.

Zhang Shu realizes that he’s still afraid. He can barely fight one person—how can he take on two? If he struggles, they’ll just beat him harder. He might as well endure it for now and fight back next time.

So, he lies there quietly, taking the blows.

“Hey, what’s in his hand?” Zhu Dabao suddenly notices the white object peeking out from Zhang Shu’s fingers.

“Oh, an egg! What’s the use of giving something like this to a coward like you?” Wang Changfa bends down, trying to snatch it away.

Zhang Shu stiffens, gripping it tightly. This egg is meant for Little Mujin—not them!

Annoyed, Wang Changfa signals Zhu Dabao to hold Zhang Shu down. They try prying his fingers open, but Zhang Shu refuses to let go, using all his strength to keep his grip.

Enraged, Wang Changfa stomps on his hand. “If I can’t have it, neither can you!”

Pain shoots through Zhang Shu’s hand as sharp rocks cut into his skin, but he’s used to pain. What truly breaks him is the sight of the crushed egg.

The yolk and egg white ooze out, mixing with dirt in his palm. Zhang Shu’s eyes turn red, and a surge of resentment bursts forth.

Why? Why does everyone bully him? What has he done wrong? He has never hurt anyone, never provoked anyone—yet people still step all over him!

Is heaven really blind? The good die young, while the wicked live forever!

With a furious roar, he yanks his hand free, shoving the broken egg to the ground. Then, he kicks Wang Changfa.

Wang Changfa falls, startled. Before he can react, Zhang Shu slams his fist into his face. He grabs his collar with one hand and punches him with the other.

Panicked, Wang Changfa grabs a stone and smashes it against Zhang Shu’s head. Blood trickles down Zhang Shu’s forehead, but he doesn’t even flinch.

Zhu Dabao hesitates, startled by the sudden turn of events. When he snaps out of it, he sees Wang Changfa pinned beneath Zhang Shu, getting pummeled. Alarmed, Zhu Dabao rushes to help, but Zhang Shu doesn’t budge—his fists move mechanically, eyes blazing red like a demon from hell.

Zhu Dabao tries pulling him off but can’t. In desperation, he punches Zhang Shu, who suddenly turns to glare at him, blood streaming down his face.

Terrified, Zhu Dabao stumbles backward. Zhang Shu steps toward him.

Panic sets in, and Zhu Dabao tries to run, but Zhang Shu is faster. He grabs him, knocks him to the ground, and delivers the same brutal beating.

Wang Changfa lies gasping, eyes filled with fear. If Zhu Dabao hadn’t intervened, Zhang Shu might have beaten him to death. Those emotionless eyes will haunt his nightmares.

Zhu Dabao, meanwhile, is so terrified that he wets himself. When he bullied others, he was fearless. But now, he’s the one trembling in despair.

Zhang Shu’s thoughts are in chaos. One thought dominates: kill them. Kill them all!

“What are you doing? Brother Dashu, what’s wrong with you?!”

A panicked voice rings out.

Little Mujin had spotted Zhang Shu coming from the hillside earlier. He had run home, excitedly waiting for him to arrive.

But when Zhang Shu never shows up, Mujin goes out to find him. The sounds coming from the bamboo grove make his heart sink. Had Zhang Shu been bullied again?

He rushes over, only to find Wang Changfa bloodied on the ground, and Zhang Shu pinning Zhu Dabao down, fists flying.

“Brother Dashu, stop! You’ll kill him!” Mujin cries, running forward and hugging Zhang Shu tightly. “If you kill someone, you’ll go to prison! You’ll be executed!”

Zhang Shu, lost in rage, instinctively wants to shove him away—but that voice is familiar. He hesitates, then looks at Mujin.

His sobs shake Zhang Shu out of his daze. Looking at Mujin’s tear-streaked face, he slowly stops.

Mujin clutches him tightly, still crying. “Brother Dashu, your egg… It’s okay… I don’t even like eggs.”

Zhang Shu pulls him into his arms. “If anyone bullies me or Little Mujin again, I’ll beat them to death like today.”

Mujin hiccups, still crying as he pulls Zhang Shu to sit down. Then he turns and shouts, “Get lost! Do you want to die?!”

The two bullies scramble to their feet and flee.

Mujin chokes back a sob. “Just beating them is enough… If you kill them, you’ll go to prison. I don’t want you to go to prison!”

Zhang Shu’s chest heaves. Mujin clings to him, sobbing. No matter how terrifying Zhang Shu looks, he knows his Brother Dashu never hurts him.

Zhang Shu blinks back his own tears. “Alright, I won’t kill them.” He mutters under his breath, “I’m not afraid of them anymore—not anymore!”