I Return From Hell

Chapter 101: Chapter 94: Soft Man

Xia Family Village was surrounded by water on three sides. Xia Yu’s home happened to be located in the southwestern corner of the village. To the north was a neighbor’s house, to the east a village path, and both the south and west sides were bordered by ditches.

Her family’s foundation was high and sturdy and had never been flooded.

The western ditch ran alongside a main road, and on the other side of that road was Zhao Family Village.

Xia Yu knew the area in front of the courtyard gate was piled high with construction materials, a concrete mixer, and other objects, making it impossible for a car to pass. So, she simply parked her car on the side of the main road.

She followed the ’Garbage Bridge,’ crossed the ditch, and arrived at the main gate.

The ’Garbage Bridge,’ as its name implied, was a bridge built from piles of all sorts of trash. It had a bit of a smell but was exceptionally sturdy. It hadn’t collapsed in over twenty years; on the contrary, it had only grown ’wider’ and could now accommodate three adults walking side-by-side.

’The progress doesn’t seem too slow.’

Xia Yu didn’t know much about construction and couldn’t make out the finer details. She was just taking a symbolic look around, wanting to find her uncle to ask about a few things.

As she passed a corner of the courtyard, she heard a voice. ”In this little worksite, I dig and dig and dig. For a tiny little wage, that’s never big enough...”

”Hey.”

”Sis, my legs are numb.”

”Don’t worry, I’m not stupid. I’d never force myself to do heavy lifting. My legs are only numb because I’ve been squatting on the toilet for too long. I’m telling you, this is what you call getting paid to take a dump, haha.”

’The northwest corner?’

That was where the family’s outhouse was located.

Xia Yu’s brow furrowed. She clearly hadn’t expected to run into a worker slacking off so soon. Her initial impulse was to ignore it; after all, she only cared about the project’s progress and quality.

Everything else was irrelevant.

But in the next moment...

”Who’s that guy? Hogging the shitter all day without taking a shit. What a jerk.”

”That’s Wang Dan, Wang Chunxue’s younger brother. You know Wang Chunxue, right? She’s the foreman’s sister-in-law! The boss’s own third aunt! The guy has connections.”

”Sigh, it must be nice to have connections. Rakes in good money without having to do any work. All he has to do is squat in the toilet.”

Two workers walked past. They weren’t from the village and didn’t recognize Xia Yu, so they just complained amongst themselves.

’Wang Dan?’

This man was a well-known ’softie.’ His legs would go weak whenever he had to exert himself—always. Rumor had it that several of his girlfriends had broken up with him; no matter how much betrothal money he offered, they refused to marry him.

People from many of the surrounding villages had heard of him.

Xia Yu, of course, had heard the rumors as well.

Just then, Xia Hongzhong strode over.

”Little Yu.”

”You’re here.”

Afterward, he gave Xia Yu a brief tour, explaining the details carefully.

Xia Yu was very satisfied and gave specific requirements for the project’s design. Xia Hongzhong took careful notes and offered his own suggestions.

She could tell he was taking it very seriously.

Before leaving, Xia Hongzhong asked, ”Little Yu, are there any other instructions?”

The project had just begun, so any changes would be easy to make.

Xia Yu, noticing that Wang Dan still hadn’t come out of the outhouse, said, ”Get rid of Wang Dan.”

”Huh?”

Xia Hongzhong froze for a moment, not expecting such an abrupt change of topic from Xia Yu.

”Alright.”

He didn’t ask any further questions and simply nodded in agreement.

If his third brother hadn’t personally recommended him, and if Wang Dan hadn’t repeatedly promised not to slack off, he would never have hired someone with such a bad reputation for his construction team in the first place.

Soon, Xia Yu left.

After looking for a long time without finding Wang Dan, Xia Hongzhong had no choice but to ask the others, ”Where’s Wang Dan?”

”The outhouse.”

”Mm.”

He waited for a long time.

Wang Dan still didn’t come out.

’Does he have diarrhea?’

Xia Hongzhong waited for another long while, but the man still hadn’t emerged.

”It’s been over half an hour. What is he doing in there?”

He was beginning to understand why Xia Yu wanted to fire Wang Dan. Fuming, he stalked toward the outhouse. Before he even got inside, he heard the in-game sound effect, ”My spear is still sharp!”

’Getting paid a high salary to play games?’

’Everyone else is working themselves to death, and you’re just loafing around in here?’

Xia Hongzhong felt like his lungs were about to explode. He roared, ”Wang Dan!”

Inside the outhouse, Wang Dan jumped in fright, and his phone fell into the cesspit.

”Get the hell out.”

Xia Hongzhong barely restrained himself from beating the man. He pointed toward the main gate and bellowed, ”Now! And don’t let me see you again!”

He had done manual labor for years and was powerfully built. Towering at six-foot-one, his furious expression made him extremely intimidating.

Terrified, Wang Dan scrambled to pull up his pants and run.

He didn’t even have time to zip up his fly.

The cold wind whistled right in.

The other workers on site all suppressed their laughter, feeling a sense of immense satisfaction.

「Two hours later.」

”Sis, I figured it out. It must have something to do with that bitch Xia Yu.”

”Everything was fine before she showed up.”

”She makes one visit, and I get fired and lose my phone. What fucking bad luck,” Wang Dan cursed.

Wang Chunxue also gritted her teeth. ”She’s had it out for us for a long time. She must have fired you on purpose.”

Nearby, Xia Yu’s third uncle, Xia Hongchun, glanced at Wang Dan and said, ”Is it true what I hear? That you were slacking off on the job, squatting in the toilet for hours at a time?”

”Aren’t you afraid of getting hemorrhoids!”

Before Wang Dan could speak, Wang Chunxue, who was standing beside him, became displeased and snapped, ”What’s wrong with you? Why are you taking an outsider’s side?”

”So he can’t even use the toilet now?”

”Besides, my brother is only 25. He’s still young. Couldn’t your older brother and your niece look out for him a little? We’re all family here. What’s wrong with him doing a little less work?”

Xia Hongchun’s bravado immediately deflated. He said placatingly, ”I’ll give Xia Yu a good talking-to later. Now that she’s latched onto some rich person, she doesn’t even know to help out her own family.”

”What an ungrateful brat.”

As he spoke, he called Xia Yu right then and there.

The result: ”The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable...”

”It’s not going through?”

He waited a moment, then dialed again.

It still wouldn’t connect.

”Don’t tell me she blocked you?” Wang Dan asked.

”She’d dare!”

Hearing this, Xia Hongchun was furious. He took the phone from Wang Chunxue and dialed Xia Yu’s number.

Then, it went through.

”Hello.”

Xia Yu’s voice came through the phone.

”It’s your third uncle. You...”

Anger flared up inside Xia Hongchun. Just as he was about to give his niece a piece of his mind, the call was disconnected.

He tried calling back.

It wouldn’t connect.

”You!”

If he hadn’t been worried about the cost, he would have smashed the phone in his anger.

At that moment, he felt an immense envy for those who could afford to smash their phones whenever they got angry.

”See?” Wang Chunxue added fuel to the fire. ”Xia Yu doesn’t see you as her third uncle at all.”

”Sis, is it possible I was fired because of my brother-in-law?”

Wang Dan had a peculiar train of thought. ”Isn’t he in a conflict with Xia Yu because he’s occupying her family’s land?”

Wang Chunxue’s eyes lit up.

”That’s right!”

”Xia Hongchun, this is all your fault!”

She shrieked like a shrew, ”You have to find my brother an easy, stress-free job that pays over ten thousand a month, no matter what! Otherwise, you can stay out of my bed from now on.”

Gazing at Wang Chunxue’s alluring figure and fair skin, how could Xia Hongchun bear the thought of not touching her?

He stormed off in a huff.

He went to find Xia Hongzhong, hoping to get Wang Dan rehired, but he only got a harsh scolding and didn’t dare to talk back. This made him even angrier, so he decided to go into the city to take it out on Xia Yu.

However, he hadn’t been to Xia Yu’s home in years and only remembered the general location of her residential complex.

He had to ask many people before he finally found her apartment.

And by now, it was already ten o’clock at night.

Xia Tian was already asleep.

He had been wearing the Soul Spirit Jade for the past few days, which left his mind feeling clear and helped him fall asleep quickly.

”KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.”

A knock came from the door.

Xia Tian was startled awake. He first grabbed his phone but saw no calls or messages from his sister or Wang Zhe.

He became vigilant.

He pulled a gun out from under his pillow.

Looking closely, it wasn’t a real gun, but a light and compact Nail Gun. After Xia Tian’s modifications, it was very powerful and had a high firing rate.

Within three meters, no one could dodge it.

If his aim was true, it could even be lethal!

He had a strong talent for shooting and had been practicing consistently these past few days. He could now easily hit a bullseye from five meters away.

There were no voice-activated lights outside; it was pitch-black. He wouldn’t be able to see anything through the peephole, and Xia Tian knew this, so he didn’t waste his time trying.

Instead, he deliberately lowered his voice, calling out gruffly through the door, ”Who is it?”

Xia Hongchun’s loud and angry roar came from outside. ”Xia Tian, open the door! It’s your third uncle.”

’Xia Hongchun?’

’What is he doing here?’

Xia Tian knew his third uncle’s personality. A visit from him at this hour definitely meant trouble. If he opened the door, he wouldn’t get to sleep before midnight, and if he didn’t rest well, his body would become very weak. He might even end up in the hospital.

So...

”You’re looking for Xia Tian? He and his sister moved out after they sold the apartment to me.”

An idea struck Xia Tian, and he continued speaking in the same gruff voice.

”Huh?”

Xia Hongchun, of course, knew nothing about this. He connected it to the idea of Xia Yu ’latching onto some rich bastard’ and it suddenly made sense to him. He cursed, ”They must have moved into a better place.”

”Those two ungrateful brats, just wait until I get my hands on you!”

’???’

Hearing this, Xia Tian frowned, realizing something must have happened. But he wasn’t about to waste time talking nonsense with him. He impatiently shooed him away. ”Is there anything else? If not, get lost. Don’t keep me from my sleep.”

Xia Hongchun, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, immediately offered an apology and turned to leave.

”Cough, cough.”

Xia Tian coughed twice, a slight pain throbbing between his eyebrows.

Without any hesitation, he went back inside, turned on his computer, and began to work with practiced skill.

’Whatever the reason, if Xia Hongchun dares to curse my sister, he must be punished!’

’I will make you regret this.’

’Xia Hongchun!’

The faint glow of the computer screen illuminated his pale face, his eyes gleaming with a rather frightening light...