Chapter 135: The Strong Consequences Caused by Liu Yufeng

Having secured Yi Zhonghai's guarantee, Old Liu, who believed Liu Yufeng's marriage was a sure thing, felt boundless delight; on his way home from work, in high spirits, he bought a bottle of erguotou for the first time, also half a jin of pork head meat, plus two pig ears.

Holding the erguotou in his left hand and the pork in his right, he staggered into the siheyuan, his face lit with a happy smile from start to finish.

"Old Liu, look at your complexion—something good must be happening."

"Thanks for the kind words; there really is good news."

Liu Yufeng's marriage.

Not to mention, the Old Liu family's people are worried.

The neighbors of the siheyuan are also worried.

As soon as Old Liu said that, they instantly guessed the truth and joined in the merriment.

"Has Yufeng's marriage been settled?"

"It has."

Four characters.

It immediately had the effect of a huge, shocking wave.

The people inside the courtyard swarmed around Old Liu in a mass; those who couldn't get out in time pressed their faces to the glass and immediately pricked up their ears.

The Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering truly showed her power.

That divine person made such a brave sacrifice; in the future we must certainly take a good look at that bold fellow who took the crucial step of marrying Liu Yufeng.

Seeing these people, Old Liu's mind stirred; although Shazhu and Liu Yufeng's marriage still had no basis, thinking of the guarantees Yi Zhonghai had given before leaving, he felt sure of it, and for a moment lost his inhibitions, blurting out Shazhu's name.

"It's nobody else—just the cook from our steel mill, Shazhu."

Those plain words were the opposite of Old Liu's boastful tone.

He just wanted to show off.

He just wanted to act high and mighty.

Inside the siheyuan there were marriageable young men; Old Liu had sent a matchmaker saying no betrothal gifts, no three turns and a sound, as long as they were willing to marry Liu Yufeng, he would give them plenty of stuff.

It was practically a reverse dowry.

Even so.

Liu Yufeng still had no one willing to marry her.

Many people in the courtyard worked at the steel mill; they had heard of Shazhu's reputation, and heard that the steel mill's famous divine chef Shazhu was going to marry Liu Yufeng, they opened their mouths wide and made a gasping sound.

They were startled.

Shazhu and Liu Yufeng!

How could that be possible.

To say something without exaggeration.

Although Shazhu wasn't a steel mill worker, inside the mill everyone knew him; relying solely on his fame and cooking skill, if he spoke up, many unmarried girls in the mill would rush into his arms to become his wife.

The reliance is just his cooking skill.

Marrying Shazhu means eating well and drinking spicy every day.

I heard the steel mill's leadership was no longer satisfied with just letting Shazhu help with reception meals; they offered the condition that if Shazhu came to work at the mill, he would be made canteen director, but Shazhu ruthlessly refused.

Many people couldn't understand.

With so many pretty girls available, they insist on marrying a meat mountain like Liu Yufeng.

This is just going out of love!

Their gaze fell on Liu Yufeng.

Not seen for a few days.

Liu Yufeng had gained more weight; before she could barely walk out the door, now she needed someone to push her from behind to squeeze out of the house.

Glutton.

Hearing that the steel mill's head chef Shazhu wanted to marry her, Liu Yufeng got furious, wanting to talk properly with her father; this is one reason.

Another factor: Liu Yufeng saw the pork head meat and pig ears in Old Liu's hands, her craving surged, she rushed out the door, underestimated her waist and weight, and at the moment of stepping out, her body got stuck in the door threshold, unable to go in or out.

"Mom, give it some strength."

Another shortcoming of Liu Yufeng.

Her voice is horribly harsh; even a cracked gong sounds better than her speaking, she snores when sleeping, and the residents of the three front, middle, and rear courtyards can all hear it.

She has become a major pest of the courtyard.

Marriageable young men, because Liu Yufeng is in the courtyard, no girl wants to marry; even if they do, they also agree to the suggestion of moving out to live elsewhere.

Shazhu marrying Liu Yufeng feels unreal, but deep down he really wishes to make it happen.

Some people, thinking that way, congratulated Liu Yufeng as she finally managed to squeeze out of the house.

"Sister Liu, congratulations."

Liu Yufeng ignored them, her attention on the meat; she walked with steps that made the ground tremble to Liu's father, snatched the pork head meat with her right hand, grabbed the pig ears with her left, and treated them as enemies to be destroyed.

Two whole pig ears.

She gulped them down in six bites, leaving nothing.

Half a jin of pork head meat.

She swallowed it in five mouthfuls.

Eating in a wolfish hurry, the food in his mouth hadn't yet gone down before he shoved more in.

The people around felt disgusted.

This way of eating.

A standard hungry ghost rebirth.

"Dad, you said Shazhu wants to marry me?"

"You are my daughter, I am your father, when have I ever lied to you?" Liu Father looked at the girl before him, thought to himself, marrying Shazhu would also settle one of his wishes, "Yagangchang level-six worker Yi Zhonghai personally acts as matchmaker, you wait to be the bride."

"When will he marry?" Liu Yufeng drooled at the corner of her mouth, "I heard his cooking is fragrant; by then I'll have her cook for me every day."

"Soon, Yi Zhonghai said it's just these few days."

"Master Liu, you said Yi Zhonghai will act as matchmaker for Yufeng and Shazhu; when is this?"

"This afternoon around three."

"Master Liu, how many good cooks named Shazhu are there in the Yagangchang?"

"There's only one good cook named Shazhu, and he's the one Yi Zhonghai is matchmaking for."

"Master Liu, I think you should have a good talk with Yi Zhonghai. This morning I was selling scrap and met Shazhu; Shazhu was chatting with Matchmaker Wang, who said Shazhu's request for her to act as matchmaker is progressing, the two have seen each other, and the meeting is just a formality."

The shocking effect of Shi Potian appeared.

The neighbors who had just been digesting the news of Shazhu marrying Liu Yufeng were, in the next second, completely dumbfounded by someone's words.

Yi Zhonghai acted as matchmaker for Liu Yufeng in the afternoon, and he patted his chest, giving a solemn guarantee.

The person involved, Shazhu, met Matchmaker Wang in the morning and settled the marriage meeting.

It turns out this is a mix-up.

Liu Father's face lost its complacent look; the smug, showy expression disappeared, replaced by infinite anger—if what the other party said is true, then Yi Zhonghai is treating the Old Liu family like a fool to play with.

Without all those miscellaneous things just now.

Old Liu wouldn't be that angry.

What can be done about losing face?

Only a limited few people know.

Just now's showing off let everyone in the compound know.

How joyful the carefree moment was.

How miserable this moment is, how depressed.

A big 'worry' character appeared on Old Liu's forehead; with a bang, he grabbed a kitchen knife.

Liu Yufeng threw her arms around her own father.

"Dad, you can't get rough with Shazhu; I'm still waiting to marry Shazhu so he can cook for me every day."

"I'm not looking for Shazhu, I'm looking for Yi Zhonghai." Old Liu's forehead bulged with veins, "I'll beat him to death."

……

Siheyuan.

Shazhu got off work and returned home.

He had just parked his bicycle at his own doorstep, in the moment of locking it.

Inside the neighboring house, Yi Zhonghai, who had been listening to the commotion, hurriedly threw on his clothes and came out.

In the instant he greeted Shazhu, kindness appeared on Yi Zhonghai's face, the hypocrite trying as much as possible to display his benevolent glory.

He specially chose a time when many people were around to come out and talk to Shazhu; he wasn't worried that Shazhu would refuse, for Shazhu's possible responses—including excuses—were all anticipated by Yi Zhonghai, the hypocrite having made specific arrangements accordingly.

The only thing overlooked was Shazhu's marriage meeting.

Yi Zhonghai had not failed to consider it; he had thought that Shazhu could not possibly ask a matchmaker to find him a partner, for that would spread a bad reputation and people would call him Zhu Bajie.

"Zhuzi, off work?"

Shazhu glanced at Yi Zhonghai, said nothing, took down the vegetable basket hanging from the bicycle's handlebars, intending to go around Yi Zhonghai and head home.

Yi Zhonghai couldn't just let Shazhu leave like that; he had to say something about Liu Yufeng's matter, and even if it was just a notice, he had to deliver it personally.

"Zhuzi, don't go yet; Elder One has something to say to you."

Seeing the neighbors focus their gazes on him, Yi Zhonghai slightly raised his head, and his whole person glowed.

In Yi Zhonghai's mind, although he and Shazhu normally have nothing to do with each other, he still acted as a managing elder to help Shazhu with a match; this is Yi Zhonghai's magnanimity, facilitating his persona establishment.

"You've also reached marriageable age; Elder One specially helped you arrange a marriage."

Third Aunt, Second Aunt, and several extra aunties immediately put on a melon‑eating expression on their faces.

At noon, Shazhu met Matchmaker Wang, who had come specially to report the situation, at the hutong entrance; Shazhu's matter with Yu Li was inadvertently known by several aunties of the Siheyuan.

Although they weren't sure of the surname and name of the girl Shazhu was meeting, they knew that Shazhu had entrusted a matchmaker to arrange a meeting and that the matchmaker had fulfilled Shazhu's request.

Thus.

Thus Yi Zhonghai's introduced match seemed to have some ulterior motive.

Others have entrusted matchmakers to meet, yet you, Yi Zhonghai, still want to introduce a match for Shazhu—what's on your mind? Is this a scheme to send Shazhu off?

"The daughter of Old Liu from the Yagangchang, named Liu Yufeng, is seventeen; you two are a perfect match—Elder One means you should first get engaged, then marry next year."

What did Yi Zhonghai say afterwards?

Shazhu had no recollection; his mind was a blank, yet those events from his previous life existed intact in his memory, and he was reborn into this life along with them.

Who is Liu Yufeng?

Shazhu is very clear‑minded.

Definitely a tool of Yi Zhonghai.

Previous life.

After Qin Huairu had worked at the factory for four years, Shazhu felt he could achieve success and retire, so he casually mentioned to Yi Zhonghai that he wanted to marry. Yi Zhonghai patted his chest and assured Shazhu, promising to introduce a satisfactory match for Shazhu, and the match was Liu Yufeng. Shazhu was almost scared to death, and from then on Liu Yufeng acquired the nickname "Zhu Bajie's second sister."

I thought that after being reborn, I would have no further ties with Liu Yufeng.

It turns out Yi Zhonghai cannot forget wanting to introduce Liu Yufeng to him as a wife.

Shazhu just wants to know whether this is Yi Zhonghai's own idea, or the strategy of his advisor, the 'dog-headed military strategist' First Aunt, or perhaps the plot of the deaf old matriarch in the rear courtyard.

The desire to destroy me is not dead.

"Elder One, you said her name is Liu Yufeng."

Shazhu deliberately raised his voice; his facial expression was as exaggerated as possible, this acting, he didn't even bother to hide it.

Liu Yufeng was also a well-known figure at the Yagangchang.

The residents of the Siheyuan, more or less, had heard some rumors about Liu Yufeng; in those years of scarce supplies, a girl 1.5 meters tall weighed over two hundred catties.

Shocking to hear.

Upon hearing that Yi Zhonghai wanted to introduce Liu Yufeng to Shazhu, everyone was dumbfounded.

Shazhu's days.

The whole hutong consisted of the most well-off families.

In the courtyard and surrounding Dayuan, families with marriageable-age women, or relatives and friends of such families, have been inquiring about Shazhu's situation recently.

A scene of 'one girl, a hundred suitors' unfolded in the Siheyuan, except that the girl(s) turned into Shazhu's male suitors.

All the good girls are rushing to marry Shazhu; you, Yi Zhonghai, what do you mean by telling Shazhu to marry an ugly girl like a pig?

It's not that an ugly girl cannot marry.

But these people think Yi Zhonghai isn't acting in good faith; that big, fat girl like a pig, what right does she have to marry Shazhu? To marry Shazhu, she must also be a young lady from these households in the courtyard, or a relative's young lady.

"Elder, is the Liu Yufeng you mentioned the same Liu Yufeng from the Yagangchang?"

The one asking was Yan Fugui.

Yan Fugui also had designs on Shazhu; although Yan Jie Di is of a different age from Shazhu, that doesn't mean Yan Fugui can't seek profit from Shazhu's marriage.

Yan Fugui's school newly assigned a female teacher three years older than Shazhu.

She had a dignified appearance.

Her background was spotless.

A woman three years older brings a golden brick.

He was scheming to become the matchmaker between Shazhu and the female teacher.

As a result, Yi Zhonghai introduced Liu Yufeng to Shazhu.

This was tantamount to messing with the interests of these Siheyuan residents.

"If that's Liu Yufeng, I think she's not a good match for Shazhu; I've seen that girl once."

"What San Daye said is right; Liu Yufeng is not a match for Shazhu."

"She's 1.5 meters tall, weighs 250 catties, eats 2 catties of sorghum rice per meal, when she sleeps her snore shakes the heavens, her voice is a hoarse gong that frightens people."

Yi Zhonghai felt a bad premonition; he suddenly realized that mentioning the matchmaking for Shazhu in front of the neighbors made himself become the object of everyone's blame.

What schemes are the neighbors hatching?

How could the Moral Heavenly Venerable Yi Zhonghai not know?

It's nothing but profit.

The deed is done.

Words spoken cannot be taken back.

He could only focus his efforts on Shazhu; as long as Shazhu agrees to marry Liu Yufeng, these people's envy is useless.

"Elder, you must have heard the neighbors' words; regarding my marriage, you shouldn't worry. On one hand, I need to listen to the neighbors' opinions; on the other hand, I already have a partner. As for you, you should put your effort elsewhere, like looking for someone without a father and adopting them as a son."

Yi Zhonghai, unusually, did not get angry.

Even if Shazhu says he will cut off the line.

The hypocrite, however, still does Shazhu's ideological work.

"Shazhu, an ugly wife is a treasure at home; the eldest uncle means well for you, no matter how beautiful a woman is, she cannot be eaten as food; when taking a wife, one must still take a wife who can manage the household."

"The eldest uncle's meaning is that I, in order not to marry Liu Yufeng, deliberately lied to you." Shazhu dragged the midday melon-eating aunts into the water, "Er Da Ma, Third Aunt, Aunt Yang and the others can all testify."

Now Yi Zhonghai is the neighbors' enemy.

Even if they didn't see the scene of Shazhu eagerly talking with Matchmaker Wang, the neighbors, for their own interests, would also speak up in support of Shazhu; moreover, having witnessed it themselves, they spoke with even greater certainty.

"The eldest uncle, Shazhu didn't get it wrong; they really have a partner, that Matchmaker Wang—when Qin Huairu gave birth to Bangeng with difficulty, they asked the eldest uncle whether to save the adult or the child, and the eldest uncle said to save the child, that Matchmaker Wang."

Yi Zhonghai's face.

In an instant, it turned green.

The Jia Family mother and son's complexion also changed.

Especially Jia Zhangshi, with a grim face, as if Yi Zhonghai owed her money; although Jia Zhangshi was unaware of some matters, she knew that Qin Huairu had a difficult delivery and that Yi Zhonghai wanted to save the child—whether it was Jia Dongxu, Yi Zhonghai, or the neighbors, they all unanimously chose to keep this from Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Dongxu's wife had a difficult delivery.

What right does Yi Zhonghai have to save the child?

Who does he think he is?