Chapter 118

Not steaming buns, just arguing for pride.

No matter what, we can't just let ourselves die and vanish like that.

Although Qin Huairu hasn't yet evolved into that scheming woman of later generations, she still knows what she wants. She painstakingly went through Yi Zhonghai to realize her dream of marrying into the city, just to enjoy, to enjoy the city folk's life; no matter what, she can't just drop dead like that.

She also wanted to return home in glory, to be worshipped by the people of Qin Family Village.

No one knows where the strength came from, or perhaps the remarks of those outsiders stimulated Qin Huairu. The Qin Huairu who had lost all strength and was about to die suddenly seemed to have swallowed an immortal pill from the Child‑Bringing Goddess, and she was suddenly full of vigor, gathering all her strength in one place. It might also be that Bangeng felt the time was ripe, knowing he should come out and not linger in the womb. In a series of unforeseen circumstances, what was originally a tragic case of one corpse and two lives lost turned into a joyful event of mother and child safe.

"The head is out!"

"Give it more strength!"

"Born!"

"The baby is out!"

The excited shouts echoed throughout the room.

It also let the anxious people outside, whose hearts had been hanging in midair, finally let them settle.

The baby was born.

Then the discussion of whether to save the mother or the child naturally had no place to apply.

The one most affected is Shazhu, who never forgets the thief saint Bangeng; he will descend upon the Siheyuan in this unexpected way. He vaguely recalls that in his previous life there didn't seem to be so many things. Could it be because he has been reborn, or because in his previous life Qin Huairu's harm left him destitute, and Heaven, unable to bear it, added some difficulty?

The midwife who had been seeking a plan, asking Jia Dongxu whether to save the mother or the child, hearing the sound, turned and went back inside. Seeing the newborn thief saint, she raised her palm and fiercely smacked his buttocks, you little turtle spawn, almost causing your mother to die and vanish, and almost causing the old lady to smash her own sign.

After two slaps, the thief saint wailed loudly.

"Wah!"

The clear child's voice rang clearly into everyone's ears.

This is life: plain and simple human fireworks, also what Yi Zhonghai constantly longs for, the continuation of the bloodline!

That's all.

Having a child means having expectation and hope.

People's gazes fell on Jia Dongxu, scrutinizing him at this moment; his face showed no joy at the child's birth or his new fatherhood, instead replaced by a look of resentment, which became especially conspicuous when his eyes met Yi Zhonghai's.

Combining the previous rights and wrongs and endless rumors, many people guessed at some truths.

Could it be that the rumors about Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu are true? Otherwise, why would Jia Dongxu look like he's wearing a green hat!

The door opened.

The midwife, who just a moment ago had the look of someone whose parents were dead, came out with a pleased smile and said to the unhappy Jia Dongxu, "Mother and child are safe; it's a big fat boy, weighing over six catties."

She probably mistook Jia Dongxu for one of those old‑fashioned folks who favor sons over daughters, which is why she emphasized the words "big fat boy".

Those four words "big fat boy" brought Jia Dongxu no pleasure at all; to him it was humiliation—his wife Qin Huairu and his master Yi Zhonghai had produced this offspring, and he, the bastard, had a green glow on his head, so he couldn't be happy.

The midwife reporting safety to the master household has two meanings: first, to inform the master of the situation; second, nothing else but to ask for a red envelope.

Regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl, even if you favor sons over daughters, you still have to give the midwife a red envelope.

This is a rule passed down from the elders.

Unhappy, Jia Dongxu turned his face, gave a cold snort, and turned toward the Jia Family.

Yi Zhonghai tried to smooth things over, saying, "It came out suddenly; I didn't bring any red money on me, I'll go back inside to get some for you."

Having said that.

Then came a "clang" sound.

Looking back at Jia Dongxu of the Jia Family, he slammed the door shut with a series of bangs, then bolted it, and the indoor lights were also pulled off.

Yi Zhonghai felt as if he'd been slapped in the face, standing there dumbfounded.

The midwife also turned into a wooden statue; after delivering babies for decades, she had never seen such a strange master as Jia Dongxu—whether the wife was giving birth or having a difficult labor, she paid no heed, letting him decide whether to save the mother or the child, remaining silent; after the child was born, mother and child safe, still a six‑ or seven‑catty big fat boy, she simply turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Shazhu poked Heyu with his hand, gesturing toward the Jia Family.

Heyu nodded warily and glanced at Yi Zhonghai not far away.

The two fools of the Siheyuan are up to something again.

Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu have a problem!

Jia Dongxu's behavior, his expression, his indifferent attitude—clearly a self‑inflicted accusation. Even the neighbors who had doubted the relationship between Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu now had no doubts, and even Long Laotaitai expressed suspicion about life, feeling that Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu were up to something.

"Jia Dongxu, you fucking sick?" Shazhu cursed, being the first to speak, "Your wife gave birth to a six‑ or seven‑catty big fat boy, mother and child safe, and you're not happy about an eggplant? This is your son, not someone else's, what the hell? A piece of rotten meat spoils a pot of soup—I spit."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned green at once.

Facing Jia Dongxu's attitude, he vaguely guessed some reasons, and wanted to find a chance to explain to Jia Dongxu—if he didn't believe Qin Huairu, could he not believe this master of his?

Good fellow.

Shazhu's foul mouth directly caused Yi Zhonghai to not know how to wrap things up, effectively laying the matter out in the open.

Yi Zhonghai wished he could tear Shazhu's mouth to shreds; could such a thing be said on this occasion?

The midwife isn't a member of the Siheyuan; once she leaves the Dayuan, who knows what she'll do or say—by then the Siheyuan's face could be completely lost.

"Shazhu, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Pressing the ladle in the water barrel.

Press this side down, the other side pops up.

Shazhu stopped speaking, but Heyu opened his mouth.

"Elder, this can't be blamed on Shazhu; blame Jia Dongxu. Tonight Jia Dongxu's behavior is nothing like that of Qin Huairu's man. Qin Huairu bore him a son, yet he's not happy—implying the son Qin Huairu gave him isn't really his. One must be upright; who is Qin Huairu's lover? You, Jia Dongxu, actually dragged the person out."

The midwife seemed to understand something.

The child isn't Jia Dongxu's; not knowing whose love‑child it is, no wonder Jia Dongxu looks resentful and indifferent.

If it were her son, she'd probably be reaching for the kitchen knife.

When Yi Zhonghai's gaze fell on the midwife's face, his heart gave a jolt. The hypocrite couldn't care about much; he pulled two thousand from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand.

First send the midwife away, then we'll talk.

If they lingered any longer, Shazhu and Xu Damao might end up saying something even more melodramatic.

The midwife declined a few times, took the red money from Yi Zhonghai's hand, turned her face and gave a few instructions to the elder lady, then twisted her buttocks as she left the siheyuan.

……

Shazhu spent a moment pondering.

It was just over thirty seconds.

He pushed his bicycle out of the siheyuan.

Yi Zhonghai can act inhuman, but Shazhu cannot let people say he's clueless.

"Auntie, I'll give you a ride on my bicycle."

"Auntie, then thank you."

"No need to thank me, just sit tight."

Shazhu rode his bicycle, carrying the midwife, pedaling back the way they came.

He had an ingratiating intention.

Midwives and matchmakers are two indispensable professions of this era; some midwives also work part-time as matchmakers. Shazhu thought to himself that he is eighteen now, and in two years he'll be twenty-ish, the age to marry and take a wife.

Reborn into another life.

He figured out many things.

He also saw through many people.

In his previous life, there were things and people he couldn't understand; now he has pretty much figured them out. The reason he didn't marry before Qin Huairu became a widow in his previous life was that Yi Zhonghai and his wife, together with Long Laotaitai, three of them, were secretly scheming behind Shazhu's back. Having suffered the loss of not marrying before Jia Dongxu's death, this lifetime he must, no matter what, get this done ahead of time. The advent of the Thief Saint Bangeng made Shazhu inexplicably envious; a wife, kids, and a warm kang — isn't that what men spend their lives pursuing?

"Kid, I heard that donkey-face calls you Shazhu."

"Donkey-face" is Xu Damao; those who don't know his name habitually call him donkey-face.

Shazhu chuckled and explained to the midwife the origin of his nickname Shazhu.

"Is it your family's Tan family cuisine?"

The midwife's voice was abnormal, carrying a hint of wanting to draw a line with Shazhu.

Tan family cuisine.

Commonly known as official cuisine.

Without a certain status, you can't afford Tan family cuisine, nor are you worthy of it. Correspondingly, the chefs who make Tan family cuisine have very sensitive identities. This is why the midwife suddenly wanted to distance herself from Shazhu; if it weren't for his bicycle being a bit fast, and also it being late at night, she might have jumped off to get away from him.

"Auntie."

"You should still call me comrade."

"Auntie comrade, my cooking skills I learned from our family's old man; the old man abandoned me and my sister last autumn, following a widow to Baocheng; the next day I severed ties with our family's old man; on the severance application, there were signatures and handprints of over twenty households from our Siheyuan's neighbors; the application was submitted to Old Wang of the Jiēdào, who then reported the situation to the police station."

Then what is your current status?

Ordinary citizen.

Ah! The midwife's exclamation carried a hint of relieved ease, her tone lightened, and she casually asked about Shazhu's situation: "How old are you this year? Where do you work?"

I am eighteen this year, working as a purchasing clerk at the Red Star Scrap Station, with a monthly salary of 455,000.

The scrap station's purchasing clerk belongs to the Eight Great Workers alongside film projectionists, supply and marketing store clerks, and automobile drivers, a profession countless people envy.

The work is good.

The wages are high.

His background is still fairly clean.

He also cooks exceptionally well.

He is also thorough in his dealings.

The midwife instantly listed Shazhu as her top choice among clients; though he is too young to marry, that does not mean they cannot get engaged.

Most people in your Siheyuan work at Yagangchang; you're a cook, so why haven't you gone to work at Yagangchang?

Shazhu recounted how Yi Zhonghai had schemed against him, preventing him from taking on an apprentice, making it impossible to support his sister Yushui, and ultimately forcing him to work at the scrap station.

"Yi Zhonghai!" the midwife said, somewhat disbelieving, mainly because his hypocritical 'nice guy' face had deceived too many people, "I think he's quite good."

At first I also thought he was fine and didn't suspect him, but this matter was his doing; it was even uncovered by the steel mill's Security Section (Yegang chang baowei ke), reportedly after the cafeteria head gave him up, saying when he confessed that Yi Zhonghai deserved to have no offspring.

He has no children?

No!

I know what's going on now. Shazhu specifically reminded her, and the midwife linked Shazhu being schemed against by Yi Zhonghai with Yi Zhonghai's lack of offspring: "He has no descendants; as a young man supporting your sister, the reason he won't let you take an apprentice is to manipulate you into supporting him in his old age."

In his previous life.

Yi Zhonghai operated this way: during the first two years after He Daqing left, Shazhu endured much hardship to care for his sister, often going hungry; the truth was that Yi Zhonghai, seeking a good reputation, deducted part of the money He Daqing sent each month, and when Shazhu and Yushui were starving, Yi Zhonghai appeared as a savior, providing food, drink, and clothing, causing the siblings to suffer many false accusations.

Because of this, unaware of the truth, Shazhu always thought it was Yi Zhonghai's kindness, heeded his words to help Qin Huairu, and harbored the idea of repaying Yi Zhonghai's favor.

What's going on with Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu?

You say this matter, I'm not entirely clear either; it seems our courtyard has somehow spread a rumor that Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai have become involved.

What kind of rumor of being involved? They are clearly having an affair; otherwise Jia Dongxu wouldn't wear a frown all the time.

Could it be? Shazhu hinted at the relationship between Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu: "The elder is Jia Dongxu's master, Qin Huairu is Jia Dongxu's wife; although Qin Huairu was introduced to Jia Dongxu by the elder, they differ in generation."

On the midwife's face.

She showed a very confident expression.

The wife gave birth not at home but went to Yi Zhonghai's house to deliver; as Qin Huairu's husband, Jia Dongxu remained indifferent throughout, and there was also the fact that Yi Zhonghai had introduced Qin Huairu to Jia Dongxu.

The truth is that Qin Huairu already had a relationship with Yi Zhonghai before she even met Jia Dongxu.

Shazhu, listen to Auntie's advice: stay away from that Yi Zhonghai, and keep your distance from Qin Huairu too—they're not good people.

I will listen to Auntie.

Shazhu pedaled his bicycle forward.

The midwife sitting in the back seat of the car.

Putting their minds to work.

Shazhu is one of the eight great workers; cooking is fine, and he also has a bicycle, making him an ideal customer. If word gets out, I'd guess many people will rush over to ask.

Who should we introduce Shazhu to?

Not getting married.

Get engaged first.

Snag Shazhu.

"Zhuzi, Aunt has time to tell you about a prospect, how about that?"

"Okay."