Chapter 63: He Couldn't Even Handle a Few Country Bumpkins?

What on earth does the Zhangjiazhuang militia squad think it is?
A bunch of mud-legged peasants!
Just because they picked up guns, do they think they're combat heroes?
Bah!
Ma Jianshun couldn't help but think of Zhao Dong.
That kid was Cuilan's neighbor and used to love hanging around the educated youth team!
Ma Jian had run into Zhao Dong several times, and in his heart, he felt that Zhao Dong was clueless and reckless!
On several occasions, while Ma Jian was showing off his javelin throwing skills in public, Zhao Dong would roll his eyes at him from the side...
Don't think he hadn't noticed!
It was just that there were too many people around, and he couldn't be bothered to argue with Zhao Dong!
Ma Jian had heard whispers that Cuilan's family had always been under Zhao Dong's protection.
Thinking of this, Ma Jian couldn't help licking his lips, giving rise to some suspicions he hadn't had before.
Cuilan's husband had been useless for a long time!
As a young woman in the prime of her life, she must have strong desires—how did she usually take care of her needs?
Perhaps she had already hooked up with that punk Zhao Dong!
It was just that recently, Zhao Dong had been following Zhang Yang from the militia squad, wholeheartedly going up the mountain to hunt, and word was he wasn't even sleeping at home anymore.
"No wonder Sister Cuilan finally couldn't hold back and threw out an olive branch..."
Ma Jian felt immensely smug.
Heh!
Tonight, he would prove to Sister Cuilan that he was far better than that punk Zhao Dong.
At this thought, Ma Jian practically flew forward.
He walked in one breath to the courtyard of Cuilan's house, and sure enough, behind the fence, he spotted a petite figure!
The lights in the main house were already out, and the courtyard was pitch black and hard to see clearly, so Ma Jian quickened his pace.
Just as he approached to get a better look, the figure suddenly flashed, darted toward the small shack next door, and hid inside.
Even the courtyard wall of that shack was dilapidated; without even thinking, it had to be Zhao Dong's home!
"Tonight is the night the militia squad is officially established, so Zhao Dong isn't home..."
Ma Jian's mouth was practically watering.
"Sister Cuilan also knew Zhao Dong wouldn't come back, so she went to his place... What an absolute perfect spot for a tryst!"
This thought made the pit of Ma Jian's stomach burn with heat.
He hurried after the dark shadow and slipped right into Zhao Dong's house.

The moment he stepped through the door, he sensed movement behind it.
Ma Jian spun around, preparing to embrace the person behind the door, but unexpectedly, a heavy blow came down upon him.
"Ah..."
With a low gasp, he passed out cold.
...
In the middle of the night, following Zhang Yang's orders, the militia squad ended their mountain patrol early.
Coming down from the mountain, they happened to pass by Zhao Dong's house.
Zhao Dong warmly invited everyone in, "You brothers have all worked hard today, come into my place and have a sip of water!"
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned it, but the moment he brought up water, everyone suddenly felt thirsty.
However, the team members also knew that Zhao Dong was currently living at Zhang Yang's place.
In the dead of winter, with no fire burning in Zhao Dong's house, that water had probably frozen solid long ago—could it even be drunk?
Zhao Dong, however, smiled with total confidence, "Who says that just because I don't sleep at home, my place is freezing? The auntie next door is so good to me; every day she has her little grandson watch my stove so the fire never goes out!"
Only then did the team members brighten up, following Zhao Dong with light footsteps.
"You kid actually have pretty good connections!"
"In weather this cold, you certainly can't let the hearth go cold!"
"Is your water vat in the woodshed? If we could have a nice big gulp of lukewarm water right now, that would be wonderful!"
Zhao Dong strode carelessly ahead. "Even if the water's cold, if I toss in some firewood and boil it now, it won't take long at all! Besides, at this hour, if you all go back to your own homes and make a fuss, you'll wake up your families—it's not worth it! From now on, you can all come to my place for water at night!"
"True brother!"
"So living alone has this perk!"
As everyone laughed and chatted, they reached Zhao Dong's doorstep in no time.
The moment Zhao Dong stepped into the courtyard gate, he let out a sudden exclamation of "Aiya!"
Then he abruptly stopped in his tracks, pulling back furtively.
The other team members were startled. "What is it, Dongzi?"
Zhao Dong reached out and pointed. "Look! The door seems to be half-open!"
The team members: "Huh? Didn't your neighbor finish stoking your fire and leave in a hurry without closing it tightly?"
Zhao Dong immediately dismissed the notion. "Impossible! The auntie next door is such an honest person! She always tells her two boys to make sure my door is securely closed!"
"Then could it be... a thief broke in?" someone suggested a new hypothesis.
But someone familiar with the situation at Zhao Dong's place chuckled derisively. "No way, right? We're all villagers here, no outsiders. Who doesn't know Dongzi lives alone? What is there even to steal? If they were going to steal anything, they'd rob the squad leader's house!"
"Hahaha!"
Just then, Zhang Yang caught up from behind.

"Regardless of whether there's a thief, an open door isn't right. Let's go in and take a look!"
Prompted by him, everyone instantly dropped their joking demeanor, feeling a sudden surge of urgency as they strode toward the house.
Pushing the door open, everyone laid eyes on a shirtless man lying on the floor!
Clothes were scattered all around, looking very much like...
As if a fierce, unspeakable battle had just taken place there!
Zhao Dong shouted, "Who is this? Don't tell me he's dead! If he's going to die, don't die in my house!"
There were still a few people outside who hadn't made it through the door yet. Hearing Zhao Dong's shout, everyone craned their necks to look forward.
Before long, someone recognized the face on the floor.
"Isn't this Ma Jian from the educated youth team? Why is he here? And moreover, in such disarray..."
Without standing on ceremony, Zhao Dong rushed into the woodshed, scooped up a ladle of water, and splashed it right onto Ma Jian.
The ice-cold water instantly shocked the unconscious Ma Jian back to awareness!
"W-where am I?"
"Little thief! Open your eyes and look! This is your grandpa's house!"
Cursing, Zhao Dong went to find a match and lit the kerosene lamp in the room.
During this process, Ma Jian gradually recovered his wits.
Shivering, he hurriedly picked up his clothes from the floor and put them on, his face turning pale with shock.
"Cuilan, that bitch! How dare she trick me..."
"Who the hell are you cursing with your filthy mouth?" Zhao Dong roared.
All the alcohol in Ma Jian's system had completely worn off by now.
His brain raced, and in an instant, he pieced together the whole sequence of events from tonight.
"Zhao Dong, it was you punk who framed me..."
Zhao Dong spat in his face. "Why would I frame you? Am I that idle? We have no grudges in the past and no enmity today—are you rich or powerful enough for me to bother framing?"
Ma Jian didn't argue further; he simply insisted that Zhao Dong and Huang Cuilan had conspired to set this trap.
Seeing that Zhao Dong was losing the shouting match, Zhang Yang immediately stepped forward.
"If you're going to make up lies, at least make them believable!"
"Dongzi has been with me all day since this morning, and tonight he was patrolling the mountain with everyone else. How could he possibly have framed you?"
"It's already bad enough that you broke into my brother's house in the middle of the night, but you're also insisting that he harmed you!"