Volume 1, Chapter 65: An Unobstructed Street

Pondering for a moment, he slammed the door shut and went back inside to look for a large broom.

On the other side, Silly Zhu wrapped himself up tightly in quilts, spare clothes, and every piece of fabric he could find in the house.

Even so, he still felt a piercing cold.

"With this weather, it's got to be at least minus ten or twenty degrees."

Silly Zhu shivered, muttering to himself, and prepared to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, a series of urgent and heart-palpitating knocks rang out.

"Open the door! He Yuzhu! Get out here and shovel the snow!"

Without needing to guess, the voice belonged to Su Jianshe.

Silly Zhu poked his head out from under the covers, gritting his teeth, wishing he could tear Su Jianshe limb from limb.

"I'll be damned..."

"Coming! Coming!"

After a moment of hesitation, Silly Zhu trudged over to open the door, his heart full of rage, only to find that Su Jianshe had already walked away toward Xu Damao's house in the rear courtyard.

In the rear courtyard, Xu Damao was shivering just as violently.

Almost all of his savings were gone. When he went to the hospital yesterday, the doctor took one look and told him he would walk with a slight limp for the rest of his life.

Because he had been frozen for too long and beaten nearly to the point of fracture, the damage was irreversible.

Xu Damao had almost fainted upon hearing the news.

He was still young and unmarried; if he ended up crippled, how could he ever face people again?

Just then, knocking echoed at his door.

"Open the door! Xu Damao! Get up and shovel the snow!"

Speak of the devil. Xu Damao was already full of hatred for Su Jianshe, and upon hearing that voice, he immediately climbed out of bed, limped over, and snatched a kitchen knife from the table.

Today, it's either he dies or I do!

Though his words were fierce and his bravado high, the moment Xu Damao opened the door and saw Su Jianshe's gloomy face, his courage evaporated.

"Qing... Jianshe."

"My... my leg is already like this."

"Surely I don't need to shovel snow, right?"

Xu Damao looked at Su Jianshe with a pitiful expression.

Su Jianshe lowered his eyelids, ignoring Xu Damao's plea as his gaze landed on the knife in the other's hand. "What, planning to spar again?"

"No, no, no!" Hearing this, Xu Damao hastily dropped the knife, waving his hands in a panicked flurry. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I brought this all on myself; how could I ever dare go against you, Su Jianshe?"

"I just wanted to say..."

"Enough, say no more!" Su Jianshe waved his hand to cut him off, saying sternly, "We were born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, so how can we shrink back from such a minor difficulty? Are you still a good young man? Pick up the broom and come with me, or I'll make you!"

Without giving Xu Damao a chance to retort, Su Jianshe turned and walked toward Liu Haizhong's house. As he turned, the stern look on his face shifted into a smug, wicked grin. This tactic was simply tailor-made for him: morality in the left hand, fists in the right. Will you obey? If not, listen to the fists!

Xu Damao had it miserable. Opening the door meant facing the biting wind, and now he had to brave the freezing weather to shovel snow—this was far worse than torture.

"May you die without descendants!" Xu Damao muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Su Jianshe asked.

"Nothing, nothing! I said I wish your whole family peace, health, and everlasting happiness," Xu Damao quickly corrected himself.

...

Ten minutes later, three groups of people stood arrayed and ready in front of the courtyard's main gate. In a northern winter, the wind felt like a blade, stinging the face; without proper protection, skin would crack in moments. The snow on the ground had reached calf-height, crunching loudly underfoot.

Yi Zhonghai led one group, Liu Haizhong led another, and the younger folks—Silly Zhu, Xu Damao, and Qin Huairu—formed the third. Su Jianshe had initially thought of calling the deaf old lady, but thought better of it out of a shred of mercy.

At nearly eighty years of age, if she were to sweep in the freezing wind for an hour or two, she might not survive the ordeal.

"Ahem!"

At the head of the procession, Su Jianshe wore the warm overcoat gifted by the system, finding the temperature just right. Everything crafted by the system was of top-tier quality. The merits of the coat went without saying; just the fur on the hood alone was genuine sea otter pelt, offering supreme warmth that rendered sub-zero temperatures entirely negligible.

To get back to the point, Su Jianshe cleared his throat, furrowing his brow as he paced back and forth before the crowd: "You lot... are utterly weak!"

"What is there to fear in this freezing weather?"

"All difficulties are merely paper tigers; we must forge ahead bravely!"

"If there are no difficulties, we shall create them!"

"As long as our neighbors can step outside with a smile, our generation will be fully satisfied!"

*Humph! When have you ever experienced our suffering?*

*You're draped in some unknown luxury fur with a rosy complexion, while the rest of us are nearly frozen solid!*

*How can you even call yourself human!*

*I wish I could...*

*Using a feather as an arrow to issue imperial decrees!*

Amidst the biting wind, the crowd shivered uncontrollably.

Yi Zhonghai and the others cursed Su Jianshe inwardly.

Helplessly, the severe cold was unbearable; even staying indoors offered little refuge, let alone standing out in the wind and snow.

The snow reached their calves, soaking their shoes and socks.

"L... Little Su, how about... we start right away?"

"It's just too cold." Yi Zhonghai's voice trembled.

Silly Zhu also wore a bitter expression: "Cut the crap and let's get this over with so we can go home early."

As for his grievances regarding Director Wang, Silly Zhu only dared to entertain them in his thoughts, lacking the courage to speak them aloud.

He had experienced the agony of lacking coal firsthand, and he also deeply feared the terror of being controlled by Su Jianshe.

Current circumstances demanded submission; he had no choice.

Everyone was trembling, begging Su Jianshe to give the word.

Su Jianshe looked up at the sky, estimating that people were waking up, and finally nodded in consent.

"Very well, get to work immediately."

"Make sure you sweep thoroughly so that our neighbors can witness a pristine street!"

"An obstacle-free street!"

"Yi Zhonghai, your team will clear the first zone."

"Liu Haizhong, you are responsible for the second zone."

"Silly Zhu and company, head to the third zone!"

"What! I object!" Yi Zhonghai protested loudly.

The first zone was the widest and accumulated the most trash, with a workload far exceeding the other two streets.

Su Jianshe turned a blind eye to Yi Zhonghai's protest.

He intended to make things difficult for Yi Zhonghai, and he made no effort to hide it.

Yi Zhonghai had brought this trouble upon himself, so he had no one else to blame.

"Stop dawdling. If it's not cleaned properly, you'll see what happens."

Hearing this, Yi Zhonghai angrily threw his broom down. "I'm not sweeping anymore! Whoever wants to sweep can do it!"

"Su Jianshe, you're making a mountain out of a molehill!"

"Everyone, why should we listen to him?"

"Drop your brooms! Let Director Wang find out who ends up in trouble!"

Su Jianshe's smile remained unchanged as he stood in the doorway, eyeing the crowd.

He knew what everyone was thinking and was certain no one would dare follow Yi Zhonghai's lead to rebel.

First, the zones they were assigned were much easier.

Second, it concerned the reputation of the neighborhood.

Divide and conquer, win over the masses.

Based on these two points, not a single person would follow Yi Zhonghai.

Just as Su Jianshe anticipated, the moment Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, absolute silence descended.

Liu Haizhong, Silly Zhu, Xu Damao, and the others looked on quietly, but no one responded to Yi Zhonghai or dropped their brooms.

Their reasoning was simple.

Obeying Su Jianshe was merely a way to put on a show.

Perhaps the neighborhood would look brand new after the sweep, and the winter subsidy would be successfully disbursed?

In this freezing weather, who wanted to suffer from hunger and cold?

"Zhuzi!"

Seeing the silence, Yi Zhonghai turned to Silly Zhu. "Are you really planning to keep sweeping?"

"Are we just going to let Su Jianshe bully us like this?"

Silly Zhu chuckled dryly, avoiding Yi Zhonghai's gaze.

*This old fox wouldn't even lend me coal yesterday.*

*And now he expects me to stick my neck out.*

*No way in hell!*

Seeing Silly Zhu's perfunctory attitude, Yi Zhonghai pinned his last hope on Liu Haizhong. "Old Liu!"

"You're considerably older than Su Jianshe, after all."

"Can you really swallow this insult?"

Liu Haizhong opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, he silently picked up his broom and led his group toward the second zone.

*It's not worth it.*

*Su Jianshe is far too confident.*

*Following Yi Zhonghai would probably just lead straight into another trap.*

After Liu Haizhong left, Silly Zhu and the others quickly picked up their brooms and hurried away.

Only Yi Zhonghai and his small group were left standing awkwardly in place.

At that moment, Su Jianshe stepped out with a smile. "Yi Zhonghai, you can go back and rest."

"You don't have to sweep anymore."

"Don't be like that."

Inwardly, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but admire Su Jianshe's brilliant methods!

Divide, rally, and consider every single angle!

This game was played masterfully—Yi Zhonghai had to concede that!

"I'll sweep! We'll sweep, alright?!"

Yi Zhonghai picked up his broom once more and led his group toward the first zone.

"Su Jianshe, we'll cross paths again! One day, you'll fall into my hands!"

Of course, Su Jianshe didn't hear this remark, as Yi Zhonghai only dared to mutter it under his breath once he had walked far away.

After arranging the groups, Su Jianshe returned to the small warehouse, brought out a small wooden stool, and moved the red fruits under the doorway.

Sitting here sheltered him from both the wind and the snow.

He began pitting the red fruits while enjoying the falling snow.

It had a certain quiet charm to it.

For ordinary people, pitting red fruits was quite a troublesome chore.

But for Su Jianshe, who was well-versed in both culinary arts and martial arts, it was a piece of cake.

He picked up two chopsticks and thrust them forcefully into the center of a red fruit.

Driven by his immense strength, the chopsticks didn't deflect at all despite the fruit's size, piercing straight through it.

With a swift twist of his wrist, the pit popped out onto the ground, leaving a perfectly intact, pitted red fruit in his hand.

"Not bad."

With that, Su Jianshe tossed a red fruit into his mouth.

"So sweet."

The system-gifted red fruits were sweet without being cloying, with just the right amount of tang.

No wonder they paired so wonderfully with the sour jujube paste, making a flawless combination.

By this time, the people on the street had noticed Su Jianshe sitting in the doorway.

"What is that kid doing?" Jia Zhangshi approached Liu Haizhong to ask.

Liu Haizhong took a close look and gasped softly.

"Su Jianshe... where on earth did he get those red fruits!?"

"Look! Su Jianshe is prepping red fruits!" Liu Haizhong whispered, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Qin Huairu stared hungrily at the bag of red fruits at Su Jianshe's feet, her mouth watering.

Having come from the countryside, she knew very well that this was the prime season for red fruits.

They ripened in late October, and by late December to January, they reached their sweetest.

Back in the village, red fruits were a delicacy reserved exclusively for the Lunar New Year.

"Mom! I want red fruits!"

Banggen stood beside Qin Huairu, drooling profusely.

Jia Zhangshi was equally covetous. "That brat! Where did he get red fruits?!"

"The roads are blocked by heavy snow this year, so travel to the capital must be cut off."

"Yeah."

Another older woman chimed in, "I heard from Old Xu's family that the snow blocked the roads and even the trains stopped running, so supplies can't be shipped into the city."

Not far away, Yi Zhonghai held his broom and swallowed hard as he stared at the red fruits.

Red fruits were mountain goods; in previous years, the factory only distributed a small bag of them for the winter—barely a dozen—yet they remained a fond memory.

Although this was the peak season, suburban and mountain villagers used to bring them into the capital to sell every year.

Yet this year, searching all over the city yielded no trace of them.

"Old Yi, Little Su really has some tricks up his sleeve."

"Quietly, he's hoarded so many delicacies in his house."

"Is that dark paste jujube mash?"

Several older men in the courtyard gathered around Yi Zhonghai, their eyes filled with envy as they looked toward Su Jianshe.

Hearing his old neighbors praise his adversary, Yi Zhonghai's expression darkened before he forced a bitter smile. "Heh, they're just some red fruits and jujube paste, nothing special."

"Let's get back to what we were doing."

With that, the sour jealousy practically radiated from him.

The old men exchanged knowing glances, fully understanding Yi Zhonghai's thoughts, and said no more.

Before long, the morning sun began to peek through.

Many courtyards opened their main gates wide.

Residents in the alleys stepped out with brooms, eager to clear the snow from their doorsteps.

To their surprise, upon opening their doors, there was no snow to shovel—the street was already impeccably clean.

"Oh! Which kind-hearted soul was so considerate, sweeping the street this clean?"

First Aunt leaned on her broom with a smile.

Someone else chimed in, "It must have been Old Yi and his courtyard folks."

"I just saw He Yuzhu and the others over in the third zone."

"Really? Was it organized by Old Yi?"

"Most likely. Old Yi is the senior elder of their courtyard; his word carries weight."

"That Old Yi, he's such a warm-hearted person!"

"Well then, we've got to go over and thank him."

"Right, right, I'll go back and grab a few eggs."

"Indeed, you can't let people do hard work for nothing and not show appreciation."

"That's just not something we'd do."

With that, the residents turned and headed back into their yards.

In those days, simple and honest virtues still prevailed.

If someone helped you out, you naturally felt grateful!

Even though life was hard.

Still, scraping together a couple of eggs or a coarse cornmeal bun was manageable.

The older generation despised doing things that invited gossip.

Down on the street, Yi Zhonghai beamed with joy upon hearing these remarks. What an unexpected windfall! Su Jianshe had brought this on himself!

Didn't you tell us to shovel the snow? We did it!

And not only did we shovel the snow, but we also won eggs, coal, and a stellar reputation! This snow-shoveling gig was totally worth it!

When the time came, Su Jianshe was bound to be fit to be tied!

After watching for a moment, Yi Zhonghai turned back to his group and shouted, "Did you all hear what they just said?"

"Keep up the good work! Good deeds bring good rewards!"

"Look at you, Old Yi!"

Encouraged by this, everyone regained their vigor and labored with renewed enthusiasm.

At that moment, Chu Yan emerged from the doorway carrying a bowl of steamed egg custard and a large white steamed bun.

Morning wasn't the time for heavy meals, lest it cause indigestion.

By now, Su Jianshe had finished pitting his red fruits.

He stretched lazily, took the bowl of egg custard, and flashed a playful wink at Chu Yan, causing her cheeks to flush a deep red.