Chapter 150

Shazhu believed that the heated quarrel before him between Jia Zhangshi and He Yushui had Yi Zhonghai as the hidden instigator, standing aside watching the drama as if he had nothing to do with it.

It was Yi Zhonghai who instigated Jia Zhangshi.

He himself had just come back.

Laoqianpo then stirred up trouble.

He had reason to suspect Yi Zhonghai was up to something.

The Head Steward of the Siheyuan always took charge of any big or small matter, Yi Zhonghai never giving the Second Steward Liu Haizhong a chance to show off.

Jia Zhangshi and He Yushui were arguing; He Yushui had already slapped a big label of "reversing history" on Jia Zhangshi; Yi Zhonghai is Jia Dongxu's teacher, and given the ties between the Yi and Jia families, a hypocrite ought not, by sentiment or reason, to stand idly by and let the situation unfold on its own—after all, Yi Zhonghai's old age still depends on Jia Dongxu, yet from start to finish Yi Zhonghai put on an air of having nothing to do with me.

It was a bit strange.

Shazhu's remark—"If Jia Zhangshi really makes He Yushui so upset she can't get into college, is the blame yours, Jia Zhangshi, or that of the Head Steward of our courtyard?"—was aimed at Yi Zhonghai.

He pointed his accusation at Yi Zhonghai.

But Jia Zhangshi unexpectedly stepped forward to take the blame.

"Shazhu, what does He Yushui's failure to get into college have to do with us? Are we the ones preventing her from attending college?"

Shazhu watched Yi Zhonghai open his mouth to speak, then shut it again.

He was so angry his nose twisted.

His gaze swept over Jia Zhangshi.

Truly despicable.

This must be Jia Zhangshi's signature move.

In times of scarcity, when every household went hungry, Jia Zhangshi remained white and plump, looking like a wealthy old lady.

Shazhu guessed that Jia Zhangshi was naturally prone to gaining weight—even drinking cold water made her fat—or perhaps she prioritized eating the Jia family's food for herself.

Laoqianpo could do such a despicable thing.

In the afternoon, Shazhu heard Jia Zhangshi asking Yi Zhonghai for white flour.

It's a bit screwed up.

Without Shazhu, but with Yi Zhonghai, the Jia family regarded Yi Zhonghai as a supply depot; Jia Zhangshi's physique, her white plump body, could be called a miracle.

Shazhu quietly watched Jia Zhangshi.

He thought, "This white, plump old woman is truly an ungrateful old white-eyed wolf; in his past life, after eating so much of his stuff, she never uttered a word of thanks, and whenever they met she kept calling him Shazhu—truly only the word "despicable" can describe her."

Fortunately, in this life the two families have not had deep contact; whenever they meet, they either argue or cause trouble.

"How can you not blame me? I just heard you angering our family's Yushui, making her study taxing her brain; Yushui, angered by you, can't study properly, so naturally she can't get into college—you claim the Jia family bears no responsibility?"

Everyone secretly exclaimed, "What a good fellow!"

Shazhu is following Jia Zhangshi's path, leaving her no way out.

His nonsensical, stubborn talk is a match for Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Zhangshi, whose words Shazhu had stolen, now gaped with a look of disbelief and fear—"My words have all been snatched by Shazhu! He's saying everything that's mine!"

Jia Zhangshi pointed at the crowd and said, "How can you blame me? Why don't you blame them?"

"They haven't even argued with Yushui, so why should I blame them?"

"If you don't give Yan Fugui food, I can argue with He Yushui?"

The atmosphere instantly turned solemn.

Everyone present immediately focused their gaze on Shazhu.

If my ears weren't hallucinating.

Jia Zhangshi said Shazhu had delivered food to Yan Fugui.

In famine years, having surplus grain to give to others shows that Shazhu still has plenty of food.

The neighbors all saw Shazhu returning with two bulging large bags; although they didn't know what was inside, they were sure it contained food.

Their thoughts became active, their gazes fixed on Shazhu like wolves.

They are all neighbors of the courtyard; if Shazhu can give food to Yan Fugui, he could give it to them too—giving to Yan Fugui but not to them, Shazhu is playing favorites, treating the neighbors differently.

Yi Zhonghai had said before that the neighbors should live in harmony and mutual love; they don't need much—Shazhu just needs to give each household a catty of white flour.

His face bore a hint of expectation.

Shazhu realized he had become a tasty morsel in the neighbors' eyes; everyone stared at him eagerly; he greeted Jia Zhangshi's natal family in an extremely enthusiastic tone, then immediately looked calmly at the troublemaking Laoqianpo.

Meet force with force, water with earth.

The things are Shazhu's; he can give them to whoever he wants.

Jia Zhangshi can't control it.

Yi Zhonghai can't control it.

The neighbors of the Siheyuan can't control it either.

"How would I not know I gave food to the Third Elder?"

This is Shazhu's countermeasure.

He refuses to admit it.

What can you do to me?

"What era is this? When every household is only half-fed, I'm about to marry and soon there'll be an extra mouth to feed at home—I've gone crazy, I'd give grain to the Third Elder's household?"

Besides being stubborn, Shazhu also wanted to drag Yi Zhonghai down; he had long found Yi Zhonghai beside him displeasing, pretending to be a big-tailed wolf.

Go with the flow.

Pretend to deliver a message for the emperor.

"Jia Zhangshi, do you see everyone as a Head Steward? The Head Steward has money and goods; even if he doesn't eat white flour, you still want to send it to the Jia family—that's someone else's Head Steward; our Siheyuan has twenty-odd households, only one Yi Zhonghai as Head Steward; what's the meaning, the Head Steward aiding your family isn't enough, you still want the neighbors to aid your family? Jia Zhangshi, how can you be so greedy?"

Shazhu began his argument by citing Jia Zhangshi's weight.

"Jia Zhangshi, look at yourself, you've gotten as fat as a pig. Not to mention our courtyard, even our street, you probably couldn't find anyone as white and plump as you. Tell me, what's the difference between you and that landlady? Some landladies might not even be as fair and clean as Jia Zhangshi."

The neighbors all showed expressions of sudden realization.

One leaf covers the eyes, and Mount Tai cannot be seen.

Day after day staying in the same courtyard with Jia Zhangshi, I really never noticed her weight.

After being reminded by Shazhu.

Then they all felt relieved.

How does Jia Zhangshi eat so much and stay so white and plump?

Jia Dongxu is thin and wiry like a monkey.

The mother and daughter are like two extremes.

Jia Zhangshi is fat.

Jia Dongxu is thin.

Playful glances flickered back and forth between Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi.

Yi Zhonghai pulled a long face.

He knew the true meaning behind the neighbors' playful looks — nothing more than saying that he, Yi Zhonghai, and Jia Zhangshi had an immoral relationship.

Even the white flour that he himself doesn't eat must be given to Jia Zhangshi.

This is evidence of their affair.

As for why he used Qin Huairu as an excuse, it's surely because he didn't want the neighbors to know that something was going on between Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi.

The neighbors' glances became increasingly playful.

Some people even let out frightened breaths from their mouths.

Yi Zhonghai had unspeakable bitterness.

Heaven pities him.

Really not.

I was going for the child in Qin Huairu's belly; I gave the white flour to the Jia family, so that Jia Zhangshi could make noodles for Qin Huairu to eat.

I'm crazy.

I gave the white flour to an old shrew.

He opened his mouth wanting to explain.

When the words reached his lips, he didn't know how to explain; he couldn't blurt out the truth — that he, Yi Zhonghai, and Qin Huairu had an improper relationship, that the child in Qin Huairu's belly was his, that he, Yi Zhonghai, was about to have a son, and only if his brain were kicked by a donkey would he speak the truth.

He became like an ant on a hot pan.

He didn't know how to continue the conversation.

This is one aspect.

On the other hand, Yi Zhonghai now also suspects Jia Zhangshi a little; in those days when even steamed cornmeal and sorghum rice could only fill you halfway, Jia Zhangshi's weight appears to be over two hundred catties, yet she is still white and plump.

Shazhu really wasn't wrong.

Jia Zhangshi's plump appearance surpasses that of any landlady, being unsurpassed.

Could it be that all the nutritional supplements meant for Qin Huairu have gone into Jia Zhangshi's stomach!

A hiss.

Yi Zhonghai sucked in a breath of cold air in his heart.

He thought of the nutritional supplements.

In order to let Qin Huairu give birth to a big, fat baby, Yi Zhonghai would go to the black market every now and then to get her supplements — fish liver oil, milk powder, and so on — doing his best to procure them for Qin Huairu.

These things probably also ended up in Jia Zhangshi's stomach, right?

His gaze unconsciously turned toward Qin Huairu.

It was a request for confirmation.

When his gaze fell on Qin Huairu, she should have sensed the pleading intent in his eyes, nodded slightly, then lowered her eyes to her already-showing ten-month pregnancy belly.

Yi Zhonghai's heart could finally settle; through Qin Huairu's body language he obtained the answer he wanted — Jia Zhangshi might have gotten a share of those supplements he gave Qin Huairu, but most of the supplements still went into Qin Huairu's stomach.

That's fine.

Yi Zhonghai exhaled as if relieved of a heavy burden, his whole person visibly relaxing quite a bit, and his face broke into a happy, pleased smile.

Something he didn't know.

Was that Jia Dongxu had taken in the whole scene.

From Yi Zhonghai directing his questioning gaze at Qin Huairu, to Qin Huairu first nodding, then looking at her belly, and Yi Zhonghai relaxing upon receiving her feedback signal — Jia Dongxu missed none of these steps.

People suspected Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi of having an affair, yet Yi Zhonghai turned his gaze to Qin Huairu, Qin Huairu responded to Yi Zhonghai, and then Yi Zhonghai laughed afterward.

Although they didn't know why Yi Zhonghai laughed.

But Jia Dongxu still sensed the element of happiness from Yi Zhonghai's smile.

The wife is his own.

Jia Dongxu's fists were clenched tightly; the depression in his heart was even more infuriating, several points more than Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai being together.

One is his own master.

One is his own wife.

They actually!

The child in Qin Huairu's belly doesn't bear the Jia surname; he should bear the Yi surname!

Jia Dongxu felt as if he had been stabbed in the back.

A strange smile appeared on Jia Dongxu's face.

Not knowing what he had thought of, he suddenly blurted, "Mom, the things my master gave to help our family, I remember you seemed to have made them all for Huairu to eat."

「Yes yes yes, all given to Huai Ru. 」 Jia Zhangshi, who didn't know what medicine Jia Dongxu was selling in his gourd, but she knew this was a good opportunity to take advantage of the situation, 「Huai Ru is pregnant and needs nutrition; the eldest uncle is our family Dong Xu's master; Huai Ru is our family Dong Xu's wife; he is equivalent to Huai Ru's father-in-law in our family. 」.