Looking at the people outside her door, Bai Jiu’s mouth twitched hard. She never expected them to show up this quickly.
But she was no pushover, either.
"Sorry, ladies, but the cement in the toilet hasn’t dried yet. The workers told us to let it air dry for a few days before using it." She scoffed inwardly, thinking that they could dream on if they expected her to lend it out.
In the past, she definitely would have let them use it once or twice. But after hearing about what happened to Shen Zhongguo’s family, she wouldn’t lend it out even if her life depended on it. Why should she suffer strangers’ attitudes over her own property?
Hearing this, the smiles vanished from the two older women’s faces.
At that moment, their grandsons threw a fit.
They had originally wanted to go to the public restroom, but their grandmothers had dragged them over here instead. Now, they could barely hold it in.
"Grandma, I need to poop!" The two boys squeezed their legs together, looking absolutely desperate.
The boys—one eight and the other nine—were at their most mischievous age. How could they endure such a grievance?
"Let go of me! I’m gonna poop my pants!" If it had just been pee, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but they desperately needed to poop.
With that, the two children charged straight toward the house, nearly causing the two old women holding onto them to fall flat on their faces.
Never underestimate a child’s strength; in a moment of desperation, they could pull a cow, let alone two elderly women.
Seeing that they weren’t being let in, the boys didn’t waste a second and tried to barrel their way through the door. The Ding Family’s boy was a step behind. As the Lin family’s boy charged in, he nearly knocked Bai Jiu over.
But Bai Jiu was quick. She reached out and firmly grabbed both children by the back of their collars.
"If you want to poop, go do it at home. My house isn’t a public latrine." With that, Bai Jiu tossed the two kids back to the old women. "You ladies better take your grandchildren home first."
There was no way she was stepping aside today. Nor was she going to set a precedent.
If it had been early morning or late at night, she wouldn’t have minded helping out. But in broad daylight? It was obvious these two kids had been dragged over here against their will. Did they really think her private bathroom was a public restroom?
"Ugh, why are you so stingy? It’s just using the toilet. What’s the big deal? I’ll bring some water and flush it for you afterward," Lin Po said, her face instantly dropping into a scowl when she saw Bai Jiu push the boys out. "If we didn’t think highly of your family, I wouldn’t even want to come here."
What a ridiculous statement. It was as if coming here to use the toilet was doing Bai Jiu a favor.
Granny Ding nodded in strong agreement. "Exactly. You shouldn’t be so petty. We all live in the same courtyard, we’re neighbors. What’s wrong with helping out?"
Bai Jiu was so angered by their shameless words that she actually laughed.
"Is this a matter of helping out or not? Can’t you understand plain human speech? I already told you, the cement in the toilet isn’t dry yet. How are they supposed to use it?" She wondered if they really took her for a pushover. "Besides, what if they ruin it? Who’s going to pay for the damages?"
Seeing her stance, Lin Po grew highly displeased. "How could using a toilet ruin it? Is it made of mud?" Regardless, they were going to use it today no matter what. If she wasn’t allowed to use the toilet, she simply wouldn’t leave.
"It’s just a toilet. Is there a need to be so stingy? Are you from the countryside or something?" Lin Po’s gaze changed.
Granny Ding had the same look in her eyes. Even though she herself was originally from a rural village, she had lived in the city for a long time. Her eyes were now filled with unadulterated contempt for country folk.
"Oh, so you’re city folk now? Then why didn’t you build one in your own homes?" Bai Jiu was thoroughly amused. "What’s wrong with people from the countryside? Did country folk eat your rice? Count back three generations, and whose family wasn’t from the countryside?"
These people were truly ridiculous.
"If it weren’t for people from the countryside, would you be eating shit?" she added, showing absolutely no mercy.
Granny Ding was rarely disrespected to her face like this. Seeing Bai Jiu’s attitude, her anger flared up instantly.
"Watch your mouth! It’s just borrowing a toilet! Didn’t you agree to it yourself back then? Are you trying to back out of your word now?
"If you had the guts, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place. Truly shameless, going back on your own word."
Granny Ding glared at Bai Jiu, as if determined to paint her as someone who just spouted empty talk.
"That was then, and this is now. Besides, are you deaf? I said the toilet isn’t dry. It’s not dry! If you’re sick in the head, go to a hospital. Don’t try to extort me here."
She had finally learned her lesson about these people. They were even worse than old village women. At least old village women had a sense of shame. These two had no shame whatsoever; their skin was thicker than the city walls.
While the adults were arguing, the two children finally lost their battle.
"WAAAH, I can’t hold it anymore!"
As soon as they cried out, they clamped their hands over their noses and mouths. Because it was summer, they were wearing thin clothing. In no time at all, noticeable bulges appeared at the seats of their pants.
Soon, a foul stench drifted into the noses of the three adults.
Without another word, Bai Jiu immediately backed up several steps. It reeked.
"Hurry up and take them away! Don’t let that shit drop on my doorstep, or else I’ll shovel it all right into your houses!" Bai Jiu yelled at the two women, pinching her nose.
Her shout immediately snapped the two old women back to their senses.
"You little brats! How could you poop your pants?! We don’t have any clean trousers left for you at home!" Lin Po immediately raised her hand and slapped her grandson on the butt.
It would have been better if she hadn’t hit him. But with that slap... SPLAT.
Granny Ding wasn’t slow to react either, directly following in Lin Po’s footsteps.
"You shameless little thing! How could you just let it out?" While Granny Ding scolded the boy, her gaze darted toward Bai Jiu.
Then, she looked at the well in Bai Jiu’s courtyard. "Mrs. Gao, let us come in and wash up. We can’t just leave the children covered in this, can we?" Granny Ding pointed a feces-stained hand at the pump well behind Bai Jiu.
Bai Jiu frantically shook her head.
"No way! I’m not lending it. Hurry up and leave!" They stank so badly; she didn’t want them fumigating her precious plants and flowers.
The well in her courtyard provided her daily living water. She relied on it for cooking and drinking. Letting them use it would make her sick to her stomach.
Seeing her refuse, Granny Ding’s face turned even uglier.
"Why on earth are you so stingy? You refused to lend out the toilet, and now look, they’ve pooped their pants! Now you won’t even lend us your well. What is the meaning of this? Are you looking down on us?" Granny Ding snapped, at the end of her patience. "Do you really think you’re some pampered aristocratic heiress, turning your nose up at this and that? The water underground belongs to everyone! What right do you have to stop us from using it?"
This old woman was truly shameless.
"Hah, that’s hilarious! If you’re going to use that logic, then I say everything in your house is for public use, too. If you’re so capable, bring all your things out for everyone to share! The moment you do that, forget the toilet and the well—you can have your pick of anything you fancy in my house!"
She had seen shameless people before, but she had never seen anyone quite this brazen.
"Let me warn you: if you dare drop a single piece of that stuff on my doorstep, I’ll go shit in your courtyard tonight and suffocate you all with the stench!" Hmph.
Even if she couldn’t produce any herself, it didn’t matter. Worst case scenario, she’d have Gao Zhijun carry buckets of manure and dump it straight into their homes. Wasn’t that the exact kind of thing Lin Po liked to do? This would be the perfect opportunity to let her taste her own medicine.
"You...!"
Left with no other choice, the two old women could only lead their grandsons away. As they walked, they carefully cupped the boys’ bottoms with their hands, terrified that the poop might fall out.
The moment they were gone, Bai Jiu slammed the door shut.
It was simply too smelly.