Chapter 16: The Hypocrite's Explanation, He Daqing Left You One Million

Yi Zhonghai felt uneasy in his heart.

Shazhu's few words were like a big club, all smashing into Yi Zhonghai's head.

Some things.

Shazhu didn't understand.

But Yi Zhonghai understood.

If Shazhu brought Yushui to beg for food in front of He Daqing, it would be a slap to He Daqing's face, and Yi Zhonghai would also suffer misfortune; some unspeakable things would all become evidence to exterminate Yi Zhonghai.

"Eldest Uncle, I thank you."

Thoughtless thanks.

Made Yi Zhonghai let his guard down.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Eldest Uncle, if you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought to look for my father. I'm grown up, Yushui is still young; I can support myself alone, but how can Yushui support herself? I've heard there's a crime of neglect, punishable by execution."

Shazhu bullied Yi Zhonghai for not knowing the law.

He was recklessly threatening Yi Zhonghai.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the street office and have the street director take me to Baocheng. I must confront the leadership face-to-face and ask whether my father is Yushui's biological daughter? I also don't resent him for running off with a widow; my mother has been gone for years, and my father raised us siblings alone, acting as both father and mother, but that's not his excuse for not supporting Yushui."

If Yi Zhonghai's heart weren't stuck in his throat.

His heart could be frightened out by Shazhu's words.

Taking the street director to Baocheng to confront He Daqing.

This isn't going to confront He Daqing.

This is going for Yi Zhonghai's life.

No matter what, we must not let Shazhu go to Baocheng again.

This is the time.

That is the time.

Plans must be appropriately revised as reality changes.

We can't let the details leak.

"Shazhu, Eldest Uncle just remembered that when He Daqing left, he left me one million, to give to you when you can't get by. Eldest Uncle worries you resent He Daqing for running off with a widow and won't spend his money, so he kindly didn't mention this."

The hypocrite's cultivation is high.

A few words overturned the essence of Yi Zhonghai's withholding of He Daqing's money and property.

The bad turned into this good.

A well-intentioned lie.

Let's find out.

"In a moment, Eldest Uncle will bring you this money; with this one million, your and Yushui's life will be much easier, and you can hold out until you become an apprentice worker."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, his heart turned cold.

His plan went up in smoke.

Simply put, Yi Zhonghai's plan to have Shazhu continue as an apprentice hasn't been shattered yet.

This is based on Yi Zhonghai not knowing that Shazhu already works at the recycling station; otherwise he'd have to cough up two taels of blood.

Every scheme, every failure.

Do we have to be this unlucky?

"Then thank you, Eldest Uncle. One million, spending fifty thousand a month, twenty months of expenses—no, this also includes Yushui's tuition and clothes; it should last a year fine. After a year I'll be an apprentice worker, earning 175,600 per month, enough to support Yushui."

"Shazhu, if you think this way, Eldest Uncle will be relieved. He Daqing's departure this time has his own difficulties; I estimate he'll return after a while. After all, you and Yushui are his biological children; in old age, one wishes to have grandchildren on one's knees. Shazhu, you must not, because He Daqing ran off with a widow, abandon you and Yushui, and then resent him and ignore him. He Daqing raised you when you were small; as his son, you must support him in his old age. Being human means having conscience."

Yi Zhonghai was again brainwashing Shazhu.

It seemed to be excusing He Daqing, but the final line "one must have conscience" revealed Yi Zhonghai's true nature.

The hypocrite still harbors some designs on Shazhu.

He even made use of the deaf old lady.

Yi Zhonghai again brought up the matter of Shazhu making steamed buns for the deaf old lady at noon today, using the same rhetoric, only changing the original steamed buns in the wording to this pork.

To prevent Shazhu from delivering steamed buns to the deaf old lady, Yi Zhonghai outright stated the topic, having Shazhu help make meat dishes to eat.

"Shazhu, the old lady just told me she's craving meat; your eldest aunt will go buy meat tomorrow morning, and at noon you'll make a meat dish for the old lady. After she tastes your cooking, you'll also have a chance to show your skills, and the old lady at the steel plant saying a word could get you an early transfer to apprentice worker."

"I thought it was something big, but it's just making meat for the old lady; you leave it to me, we can't do anything else, cooking is our thing."

Shazhu raised his thumb.

On the surface he agreed to Yi Zhonghai's request.

But in his heart he was calculating whether to leave the siheyuan.

Day after day holed up in the siheyuan, with nothing to do, just endless family squabbles, and still having to match wits and courage with Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady.

One schemes for old-age support.

One does not want to be schemed for old-age support.

Too exhausting!

Can't afford to provoke.

I can hide.

Just from Yi Zhonghai's earlier remark about having Shazhu make meat for the deaf old lady, one can tell.

For old-age support.

Yi Zhonghai is almost obsessed, still not giving up, constantly thinking of creating an opportunity to artificially bring Shazhu and the deaf old lady closer.

I'm moving out.

You can't possibly come rushing up here to scheme against me, can you?

I don't work at the steel mill, nor do I live in the courtyard house—how are you scheming against me?

Nowadays all houses are state property; whether you live where you do or want to move somewhere else, you must apply to the street office, and only if they agree can you move out.

Otherwise, you have to stay put honestly.

The courtyard house where Shazhu currently lives is split: half the ownership belongs to the steel mill, inhabited by workers and families like Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong; the other half belongs to the street office, with Yan Fugui and Long Laotaitai uniformly managed by the street office for housing allocation.

He Daqing has run off, and Shazhu is now again a dispensable apprentice, not qualified to live in the steel mill's housing; this is a good chance to move out of the courtyard and stay away from those bastards.

The little devils have entered the village.

No shooting.

Working secretly.

Absolutely must not startle certain people in the courtyard, such as the deaf old lady and Yi Zhonghai.

These people never do anything good; they always ruin your affairs.

Shazhu decides to go first thing tomorrow morning to the street office to find Director Wang, see if there are any vacant rooms nearby, and move out directly, refusing to have anything to do with those people in the courtyard.

This matter should be done early, not delayed.

Long nights bring many dreams.

Shazhu, thinking seriously, gave Yi Zhonghai a hint of surprise; he didn't know what Shazhu had figured out, yet he was so absorbed.

The hypocrite just watched Shazhu like that, then created this opportunity for He Yushui to get drunk and act crazy.

Before this.

Shazhu has been filled with doubt all along.

He wants to know whether this nine‑year‑old child will act crazy if he drinks too much.

The answer is yes.

Under the stimulation of alcohol, the little maid He Yushui lying on Shazhu's bed sprang up, sitting straight, and the hot towel on her forehead was thrown like a hidden weapon onto Yi Zhonghai's head.