1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

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Sha Zhu stood still in the room, like a statue. Time seemed to have frozen. He stood there, motionless, as if he had lost his soul. He didn't know how much time had passed, perhaps hours, or perhaps even longer. He was still immersed in his own world, unable to accept the cruel reality before him: he was disfigured.

Finally, after a long wait, Sha Zhu slowly regained consciousness and, as if exhausting all his strength, he took heavy steps, one, two... each step seemed so difficult. He looked completely lost, like a zombie, and stumbled out of the room lifelessly.

He silently lowered his head, his lips tightly sealed, and said nothing. Yet, as he passed by others, they could clearly sense the chilling murderous intent emanating from him. That chill was like a biting wind, piercing everyone's bones with fear.

Sha Zhu walked silently to the center of the yard. Suddenly, he raised his head and cast a sharp gaze at the people around him. His eyes were bloodshot, and his originally kind face was now twisted and ferocious with anger and pain, looking extremely terrifying.

"Where is that old witch Jia Zhang!" Sha Zhu roared at the top of his lungs, his voice so deafening that it echoed throughout the entire yard.

"Where is she now!!!" This second roar was filled with endless anger and hatred, making everyone present shiver.

Everyone trembled in fear at Sha Zhu's sudden shouts, especially after seeing his unrecognizable face. Some of the more fearful people felt their legs weaken and nearly collapse to the ground. Even the children were frightened and burst into tears, desperately trying to cling to their mothers' arms as they cried.

One of the children hugged his mother's neck tightly, sobbing with fear on his face, "Mom, I'm scared. Uncle Shazhu looks so scary. I'm scared!" The child's tender cry filled the air, making the already tense atmosphere even more solemn.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu felt a surge of rage rising from the depths of his heart, like a volcanic eruption, uncontrollable. His body trembled uncontrollably, as if every nerve in his body was ignited by anger. His fists were clenched so tightly that the joints were even turning white from the excessive force.

The child's mother, standing nearby, was startled when she saw this. She quickly hugged her child tightly and took two steps back. She looked at Sha Zhu with horror, fearing that this enraged man would suddenly lose his mind and do something extreme to them.

However, Sha Zhu had no time to consider other people's reactions. He stared wide-eyed and looked around, but found no one willing to respond to his question. Unable to contain his inner anxiety and anger any longer, he opened his mouth and roared again, "Hey! I'm asking you! Where is Jia Zhang? Where did that damn old woman go?"

His roar was like thunder exploding in the air, making the eardrums of those around him buzz. Just when everyone was too frightened to say a word, a timid person finally replied tremblingly, "Jia...Jia Zhang is at her own home. She just returned not long ago and hasn't come out since."

After receiving the news, Sha Zhu first showed a barely perceptible smile on his face, but because his face was particularly hideous and distorted due to anger at this moment, the smile not only looked unkind, but also creepy and chilling.

Then, Sha Zhu gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, so you were hiding at home. Humph! I'm going to settle the score with her right now. She actually dared to ruin my appearance. I'm going to teach this ignorant old thing a lesson today!" After that, he took big strides and walked towards Jia Zhang's house in a menacing manner.

At this moment, the originally quiet air was suddenly broken by a loud shout. Yi Zhonghai appeared behind Sha Zhu without anyone noticing, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Sha Zhu, stop right there!" His voice was as loud as a bell, making the eardrums of those around him buzz.

Yi Zhonghai was extremely anxious, because he knew clearly that if he allowed the situation to continue, the consequences would be disastrous. Therefore, even if there was only the slightest chance, he decided to try to persuade Sha Zhu again and do his best to calm the storm that was about to set off a huge storm.

"Shazhu, even though your face is so horribly scratched by that old lady, you should at least take a look at her face. Tsk tsk tsk...it's also horribly scratched by you, and it's not much better than yours." Yi Zhonghai said this while shaking his head and sighing, his face full of an expression of disappointment. His tone was earnest, as if an elder who had experienced many vicissitudes of life was earnestly advising his younger generation who had made mistakes.

Hearing this, Sha Zhu, who had been charging forward with such vigor, suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, as if under a spell. He stood there completely still, like a thick wooden stake stuck in place. After a long while, he slowly turned around, his eyes like two cold rays of light shooting straight at Yi Zhonghai behind him. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a sneer full of sarcasm: "Hmph, my Lord, you're talking so lightly! This Jia Zhang actually had the guts to mess up my face like this, do you think I should just swallow this so easily and let it go?" Sha Zhu's words were filled with undisguised anger and dissatisfaction, as if if Yi Zhonghai said another word, he would explode on the spot.

Yi Zhonghai hurriedly took two steps forward and continued to persuade him earnestly: "Shazhu, you can't say that. After all, you have also tickled the old sister-in-law quite a bit. How about you two each take a step back, cancel each other out, and call it a day?"

However, Sha Zhu was completely unimpressed by Yi Zhonghai's proposal. He simply snorted coldly and responded with disdain, "Huh? Offset? Even? How could it be that easy!" He then raised his hand, pointed directly in the direction of Jia Zhang's house, and roared, "I'm a young man, unmarried, with a long life ahead of me! And what is Jia Zhang? She's already an old woman half buried in the ground! How can she compare with me?"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment, opening his mouth but unable to utter a single word. He felt that what Sha Zhu had just said made some sense. However, as the eldest son of this courtyard, he knew he had a heavy responsibility and could not allow this fierce fight to continue.

So, Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, with an earnest look on his face, and said to Sha Zhu: "Sha Zhu, please beg me as a lord, okay? Just give me some face and stop making trouble." His slightly vicissitudes of life voice was full of helplessness and pleading.

However, Sha Zhu firmly shook his head, unhesitatingly rejecting Yi Zhonghai's request, and shouted, "No! No one can persuade me!" Before he finished speaking, Sha Zhu clenched his fists and strode straight towards the Jia family. He thought to himself: No matter what happens today, even the Jade Emperor can't stop me!

At that moment, a petite figure rushed in front of Sha Zhu like a gust of wind. Upon closer inspection, it was Tingting. Her face was filled with anxiety, and she quickly opened her small hands, firmly blocking Sha Zhu's way. Tears welled in her beautiful eyes, and she pleaded, "Sha Zhu, I know my mother-in-law was wrong today and made you angry. On my mother-in-law's behalf, I apologize to you. Could you please be so magnanimous and forgive us this time?"

As if under a spell, Sha Zhu involuntarily stopped his hurried steps. His originally dazed eyes were instantly captivated by the delicate and lovely Tingting in front of him.

Especially when his eyes fell on Tingting's charming little face, as delicate as a pear blossom in the rain, Sha Zhu felt his heart skip a beat, as if an electric current had quickly spread throughout his body. He subconsciously swallowed, and a slight "gulp" sound came from his throat.

At this moment, Sha Zhu's heart was like a vast ocean, his thoughts churning. He sighed inwardly, "Oh, how wonderful it would be if Tingting wasn't married yet! Thinking back, Tingting is actually quite pretty. While her figure might appear a little bloated, it's definitely not fat. Rather, it's more of a perfect plump beauty. This unique charm makes you want to take a second look."

Sha Zhu's face flushed crimson, and his hands began to tremble slightly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his tongue was knotted and wouldn't straighten out. He finally managed to squeeze out a few words, but they were stammering: "Ting... Tingting, you really have no business here. You... you better get out of my way."

Yet, Tingting showed no sign of retreating. Far from obeying Sha Zhu's command and moving aside, she straightened herself, like a pine tree standing proudly in the cold wind. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Sha Zhu, revealing an unwavering determination and stubbornness. She purred her lips and snorted, "Hmph, what if I refuse to move?" At that moment, Tingting thought to herself: Regardless of whether Jia Zhang was right or wrong, she was still her mother-in-law. Now that an outsider had dared to bully her own mother-in-law, as her daughter-in-law, she had to step forward and help.

Just like that, Sha Zhu was locked in such a direct and sharp gaze from Tingting that he was momentarily at a loss for words. Somehow, he felt his face flush, and even the courage to meet Tingting's gaze was gone. So, like a shy child, Sha Zhu quickly averted his gaze.

At this moment, the whole situation fell into a stalemate. Sha Zhu, who had been furious and eager to confront Jia Zhang, was abruptly stopped by Tingting.

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Jia family.

Inside the house, Jia Zhang's face was gloomy, like the dark sky before a storm, dark and frightening. At this moment, she was standing motionless in front of the mirror, staring at herself in the mirror with eyes that were cold and full of despair.

Her once-pretty face was now gloomy, as if dripping with water. Her once-fair skin had turned dull and gray, veins bulged on her forehead, and the corners of her eyes and mouth twitched slightly with anger. She clenched her teeth tightly, mumbling, "Impossible! How could this happen? Why is this happening..." Her voice betrayed disbelief and deep fear.

Then, Jia Zhang seemed to have suddenly lost her mind. She raised her hands to cover her cheeks and kept muttering to herself: "Why did my face become like this all of a sudden? Why is it disfigured? What is going on? Who can tell me..." As she spoke, she carefully stroked her face, as if trying to erase the terrible changes on her face, but everything was in vain.

Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, Jia Zhang's eyes widened, her face flushed crimson, unable to accept the cruel reality before her. She stared at herself in the mirror, her once pretty face now covered in shocking bloodstains, looking hideous and terrifying.

Her lips trembled slightly, and a low roar emanated from her throat, like an enraged beast. Finally, this long-suppressed rage erupted like a volcano. She suddenly raised her head and roared hysterically at the mirror, "Shazhu, you bastard! How dare you scratch my face like this? I will never let you go!"

The entire room seemed to tremble slightly with her roar, and a suffocating tension filled the air. Jia Zhang clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, oblivious to the pain. She gritted her teeth and continued to roar, "Just wait and see. If you don't avenge this, you're not a gentleman. I will make you pay a heavy price! We'll see!"