Chapter 24: The Shrew Swallows Her Pride to Curry Favor, Then Strikes from the Shadows in the Dead of Night

Over the next few days, Mrs. Jia became completely docile. That brutal beating had thrashed every ounce of her shrewish spirit right out of her bones. She finally recognized the reality of her situation: in this place where her cries for help went unanswered by heaven or earth, her usual repertoire of tantrums and rolling on the floor was not only useless but invited even more vicious retaliation.

To avoid further beatings and secure a warm meal, she began learning how to curry favor with Sister Dao’s gang. Every morning, she was the first to wake, using her chipped enamel mug to fetch wash water for Sister Dao. During meals, she would respectfully offer the tiny portion of pickled vegetables from her own steamed bun to Sister Dao’s bowl. Before bed, she would take the initiative to knead Sister Dao’s shoulders and back, her sycophancy even more diligent than if she were serving her own father. She scrambled to handle all the dirty and exhausting chores in the cell, such as emptying the chamber pot and scrubbing the floors, praying only for a moment of peace in exchange.

Sister Dao and her cohorts, watching the once-arrogant fat woman now trailing behind them like a pug, felt a great sense of satisfaction. They stopped giving her a hard time, though they would occasionally use her for amusement.

"Hey, Fatty, come here and sing a tune for us."
"Dead fatso, go wash my socks!"

To these insulting demands, Mrs. Jia would grit her teeth and comply one by one. Her face was always plastered with a humble smile, but deep within her murky eyes, a fire of burning resentment raged. She kept a clear account of every single debt in her mind—debts owed by Sister Dao, by everyone in the cell, but ultimately, the greatest debt of all was owed by Chen Mo.

Every night, lying by the latrine and breathing in the suffocating stench, she would slice Chen Mo into a thousand pieces in her mind a hundred times over. She swore that once she got out, she would make Chen Mo pay the price. She would make him wish he were dead.

This life of enduring humiliation lasted for about a week. Mrs. Jia’s facade became increasingly convincing, to the point where even Sister Dao began to believe that this fat woman had truly been broken into submission. That evening, after dinner, the people in the cell began their usual idle chatter.

Mrs. Jia, as was her routine, knelt behind Sister Dao, diligently pounding her back.

"Sister Dao, how’s the pressure on your shoulders? Is it alright?"
"Mm, not bad. Use a bit more force." Sister Dao hummed in comfort.
"Right away!"

As she pounded, Mrs. Jia asked, seemingly offhandedly, "Sister Dao, judging by your accent, you’re not a local from the capital, are you?"
"Nonsense. I’m from the Northeast."
"Oh, the Northeast is great! Everyone there is so straightforward and bold!" Mrs. Jia quickly flattered her. "I’ve heard that in the Northeast, the winters are freezing, and everyone sleeps on big heated brick beds—must be nice and cozy!"
"You bet." Mentioning her hometown made Sister Dao more talkative. "The brick beds back home, when they’re fired up hot, you lie down and all the fatigue of the day melts away. Only one thing, though."
"Oh? What’s not good about it?"
"It’s too dry!" Sister Dao smacked her lips. "Sleep a whole night, and when you wake up the next day, your mouth is parched and your throat feels like it’s smoking. Plus, you sleep so soundly that even a thunderclap couldn't wake you."

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart. Mrs. Jia’s hand, pounding the back, faltered imperceptibly. *Sleep so soundly? Even a thunderclap couldn't wake you?*

A wickedly vicious idea slithered out from the depths of her soul like a venomous snake. She kept the fawning smile on her face, but the force of her hands involuntarily increased.

"Ouch! You dead fatso, you trying to snap my bones?!" Sister Dao cursed in annoyance.
"Sorry, sorry, Sister Dao, I was just daydreaming." Mrs. Jia apologized hastily, easing the pressure.

Inside, however, she was calculating frantically. She couldn't win a fight. Complaining was useless. But if she could make this Sister Dao suffer a monumental, silent loss—make her life a living hell—wouldn't that be far more satisfying than just beating her up? The more Mrs. Jia thought about it, the more excited she became; her long-dormant, malicious heart began to stir once more.

She had already planned it out: she was going to serve this arrogant Sister Dao a "feast" she would never forget for the rest of her life.

The night deepened. Everyone in the cell had drifted into dreamland. The sound of snoring rose and fell. Mrs. Jia lay on the cold floor, her eyes wide open, flickering with an excited, venomous light in the darkness. She pricked up her ears, listening carefully to the movements on the common bed.

When she heard the heavy, rhythmic breathing of Sister Dao, she knew the time had come. Like a fat but unusually agile rat, she climbed up from the floor without a sound. Barefoot, she crept step by step toward the corner of the cell.

There sat a large wooden chamber pot. During the day, it was where everyone in the cell took care of their bodily functions. After a day of "accumulation," the pot was more than half-filled with yellow and white filth, emitting a nauseating stench.

Mrs. Jia suppressed her nausea, looking at this "heavy-duty" secret weapon before her, a twisted and perverted smile spreading across her face. She knew this chamber pot was the hope for her revenge. She bent down and, using all the strength in her body, slowly lifted the heavy vessel.

Her target was the very end of the common bed, where Sister Dao lay sleeping like a dead pig. In the darkness, clutching the foul-smelling pot, Mrs. Jia moved like a messenger from hell, step by step, silently creeping toward her prey. The smile on her face looked exceptionally warped and terrifying in the dim light.

*Sister Dao, you like having a good spot to sleep, don't you? Tonight, I’ll let you have a really good "enjoyment"!*