Chapter 166

In the evening.

Shazhu and Jia Dongxu entered the siheyuan one after the other.

One pushed his bicycle toward the north house; his lovely wife Yu Li saw Shazhu return, hurriedly opened the door, let Shazhu in, and eagerly said the meal was already cooked—Shazhu just needed to wash his hands to eat.

One walked toward the west house; at the doorway, two kids with their backs to him were playing in the mud, completely missing Jia Dongxu, who had just come home from work, standing there with an angry glare at the pitch-black Jia family.

Late at night.

Every household in the siheyuan had lights ablaze.

Only the Jia family was pitch black.

Where had Qin Huairu gone?

Where was Lady Jia Zhangshi again?

Everyone in the siheyuan worked at the Yagangchang; why was Jia Dongxu inferior to Shazhu in everything, constantly being stepped on by Shazhu?

As for Shazhu, he was on the bicycle, off the bicycle.

As for Jia Dongxu, he went on foot and returned on foot.

Returning with a rumbling stomach, Shazhu could wash his hands and eat Yu Li's cooking, while he himself still had to endure hunger, speaking kind words to the Five Organs Temple.

He glanced with disdain at Bangeng and Xiao Dang, who were still playing in urine-mud, and kicked Bangeng's butt with his foot.

He asked in a low voice, "Where's your mom?"

"At Grandma Yi's house!"

Jia Dongxu's heart.

In an instant it fell into calm.

It wasn't because of Bangeng's honest answer that he flew into a rage; nor did he grab a knife to confront Yi Zhonghai—his thoughts, surprisingly, were calmed by the stimulation.

It seemed.

Qin Huairu couldn't wait another day; she wanted to move openly and aboveboard into the Yi family!

Not that easy!

Jia Dongxu's drooping hand clenched into a fist, veins bulging, then quickly relaxed back to normal.

Can't rush.

Also must not rush.

Before Qin Huairu gave birth, before the child was born and before it could be proven that the child was related to Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu had to play deaf, dumb, and blind, turning a blind eye to their affairs, letting them develop unchecked, as if numbing them.

He sniffed.

He asked again.

"How about your grandma?"

Just as his words fell,

Jia Zhangshi appeared beside Jia Dongxu in rhythm, looking at her own son; Laoqianpo mistakenly thought Jia Dongxu was worried about the child in Qin Huairu's belly, and hurriedly explained.

"Dong Xu, you're asking about Huairu? At your teacher's place, today for some reason the stove vent isn't letting smoke out, Mom doesn't dare light a fire, it's freezing inside, Mom thought the child in Huairu's belly shouldn't get cold, so she helped Huairu go to your teacher's house; coincidentally, your teacher's family is eating buckwheat noodle dumplings today—though the filling is vegetarian, they're still dumplings, and your teacher said to let our family come over for dumplings."

Jia Dongxu looked across at the Yi family.

His gaze seemed to pierce the Yi family's walls, seeing Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai, and their three-person family in a warm, harmonious scene.

Eating dumplings!

My mother!

Are they inviting you to eat dumplings?

People are giving Qin Huairu dumplings to eat; we are merely an excuse Yi Zhonghai uses to cover up.

This cannot be said.

Jia Zhangshi is unstoppable within the siheyuan, but only limited to within the siheyuan; once outside the siheyuan, he's worthless, nobody pays him any heed; in terms of tactics, scheming, and connections, Yi Zhonghai can crush him in a split second.

Can only endure.

Can only wait.

After Bangeng took Xiao Dang to Yi's house to eat dumplings, Jia Dongxu inexplicably grabbed Jia Zhangshi, who was about to follow Bangeng and Xiao Dang to Yi's house to eat dumplings.

Before he could even speak, Jia Zhangshi, whom he had grabbed, became frantic, repeatedly telling Jia Dongxu how important the Yi family's dumplings were.

"Son, dumplings—if you're late, you'll miss out."

The two sides are not on the same wavelength at all.

Jia Zhangshi worries she won't get to eat the Yi family's dumplings.

Jia Dongxu, however, was telling Jia Zhangshi that he might possibly die at Yi Zhonghai's hands.

Premonition.

Starting from the afternoon, Jia Dongxu felt an indescribable sensation, as if he were about to run into terrible luck.

"Mom, come in, I have something to tell you."

Jia Dongxu pulled Jia Zhangshi into the Jia family home.

Secret matter.

Naturally, one should try to avoid outsiders as much as possible.

"Son, what's the matter? Let's eat and chat at your master's house. You don't know, but your master's wife has already made two hundred dumplings—these are egg‑filled dumplings. By the time I came out, they had already started boiling the dumplings. Long Laotaitai from the rear courtyard has also come; that greedy, gluttonous Long Laotaitai will probably eat fifty of them. Add in your master's wife and your master, and if we don't hurry, we might not get any."

Jia Zhangshi was anxious as if on fire.

Nothing is more important than eating dumplings.

Urging Jia Dongxu to speak quickly.

"Hurry up and speak, Mom still has to go eat dumplings."

"Mom, remember, I'm not lying." Jia Dongxu said to Jia Zhangshi in a very serious tone: "If something happens to me, go find Shazhu; have Shazhu take you to Jiēdào and public security to have them arrest Yi Zhonghai."

What Jia Zhangshi heard was a foggy mess.

A mallet in the east, a stick in the west.

What the hell are you all saying?

I've had an accident—go find Shazhu and have him round up people to grab Yi Zhonghai!

Yi Zhonghai is your master, after all—according to my old lady, getting Yi Zhonghai to catch Shazhu is about the same.

Jia Zhangshi didn't say any of these words.

There is something even more important than this.

Let's eat dumplings!

"I understand."

After blurting out a remark, Jia Zhangshi turned and hurried out of the Jia family residence, sprinting toward the Yi household.

Indoors, Jia Dongxu.

Watching Jia Zhangshi's dust‑clouded retreat, he couldn't help shaking his head—he knew she wouldn't take his words to heart.

His hand unconsciously drooped onto the table.

He felt a pencil, and also Bangeng's homework notebook.

An idea formed in his mind.

……

Simple tea and plain meals made the home warm.

Although the food wasn't egg‑stuffed dumplings, the fact that Yu Li had prepared it gave it a special significance for Shazhu.

Black steamed corn buns.

This is the staple.

Stir‑fried potato slices.

This is the main course.

It doesn't look very appetizing.

The flavor is also rather strong.

Yet Shazhu still thought it was the most delicious dish he had ever eaten in his life.

The meal his wife had made for him.

He had washed his hands.

He sat on the stool, gazed at the food before him, and couldn't help complaining.

"I told you—I'm the cook, so the cooking should be my job. Why won't you listen and insist on doing it yourself?"

"I thought you'd had a hard day at work, and since I was just sitting around at home, I went ahead and made dinner so you could have something hot when you got back."

Yu Li handed Shazhu the tea she had just poured for him.

She pushed it toward him.

She also passed him the chopsticks.

She then gazed at Shazhu with hopeful expectation, like a grade‑schooler waiting for a teacher's praise.

"What is this?"

"Stir‑fried cabbage in vinegar!"

Shazhu frowned, having thought it was stir‑fried potato strips, only to realize it was actually made of cabbage—and prepared as vinegar‑sautéed cabbage.

He detected neither the tangy vinegar nor the fragrance of cabbage.

She could turn vinegar‑sautéed cabbage into something that tasted like stir‑fried potato slices.

This, too, was Yu Li's talent.

Shazhu took a bite.

Never mind the taste—just the chewiness was like gnawing on a rag, and it left his throat a little sore. Since it was his wife's cooking, indeed the first meal she'd made after their wedding, he couldn't bring himself to discourage her, so he muttered a reluctant "good" and forced the cabbage down.

He then picked up the steamed corn bun.

He felt another pang of doubt.

Holding the bun felt coarse, yet the one in Shazhu's hand had a surprisingly fine, wheat‑flour texture.

He felt a flicker of amusement.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Honey, as the elders say, 'outsiders don't intrude on a family's ways.' I'm a cook, and I married a woman who has a talent for cooking—the texture of this bun feels just like a white‑flour steamed bun."

"Head of the household, you're mistaken—this isn't a corn bun, it's a steamed wheat bun."

Shazhu was utterly startled.

Yu Li's cooking talent is superb.

She could turn vinegar‑sautéed cabbage into something that tasted like stir‑fried potato strips, and turn a white‑flour steamed bun into a corn‑like steamed bun—a knack for altering the very nature of ingredients that is rare indeed.

"Honey, I've finally realized you're not cut out for cooking—from now on I'll handle all the cooking. You just stay home, behave yourself, and eat what I make. It's a shame to waste such good ingredients on your cooking."

Yu Li also knew her cooking was hard for others to stomach; she couldn't bear to see Shazhu choke down such unpleasant dishes, so she thought of taking the food back, eating it herself, and letting Shazhu have something else.

But upon hearing Shazhu's earnest declaration—'My wife's cooking is the best food in the world; I'll eat every last bite'—

Yu Li was moved to tears; her eyes instantly filled up as she looked at Shazhu.

"Women are made of water,"

"The ancients never lie."

The mood had come to this.

Neither could restrain themselves, and they clung together in a tight embrace.

Soon.

Yu Li's tears soaked the front of Shazhu's clothing.

"Head of the family, it's great to have you."

"Wife, you're even better."

"Being able to marry you is the blessing I cultivated in my past life."

"Being able to marry you is the blessing from my past life." In his mind, Shazhu recalled how in his past life he was variously drained by Qin Huairu, eventually kicked out of his home by Bangeng, and froze to death starving under a bridge; unable to help himself, he increased the strength of his embrace, holding her tighter, "Wife, I will definitely let you live a happy life without lack of food and drink."

"Mm!"

"Mm?"

"Head of the family, I have something to tell you."

Shazhu didn't even think; as if possessed, he steered the topic to the Jia family.

Inside the Siheyuan.

Besides the Jia family.

There was no one else.

The neighbors, whenever they mentioned the Jia family, were all fuming.

"Is it the Jia family?"

Yu Li shoved Shazhu away, her eyes disbelieving as she looked at him, thinking he couldn't possibly have figured out the answer so quickly.

"What are you looking at? I guessed it; in our Siheyuan, the Jia family are the most disliked."

"Head of the family, you're really smart."

Yu Li leaned back into Shazhu's embrace and began talking about the Jia family's affairs.

Strictly speaking.

Related to the Thief Saint Bangeng.

The Thief Saint Bangeng finally awakened his talent, setting his sights on Shazhu's home.

This afternoon.

Yu Li went to the toilet, thinking it would only take about ten minutes, but she felt that locking the door would be hard to explain to the neighbors.

So she didn't lock the door and went to the toilet.

She was gone for seven or eight minutes.

When she returned from the toilet, she had just reached the central courtyard.

She discovered the Jia family's Thief Saint Bangeng standing at Shazhu's doorstep, craning his neck to scrutinize Shazhu's home through the glass, waving his limbs about.

What made Yu Li even more speechless was that Xiao Dang was standing in the courtyard like a lookout; seeing Yu Li return, he shouted, "Someone's back!"

Bangeng grabbed Xiao Dang and ran toward the Jia family.

Midway.

No one knew what was going on; perhaps they felt guilty, or perhaps they were being punished by Heaven.

Both of them fell to the ground and burst into tears together.

Jia Zhangshi, who was chatting with Qin Huairu inside the Jia family home, heard the crying and rushed out from inside, not even putting on her shoes; she ignored Xiao Dang, directly grabbed the eight-year-old Bangeng from the ground, patted the dust off his clothes with her hands, and at the same time stepped hard on the ground that had tripped Bangeng, cursing the ground, saying it had tripped the Jia family's incense.

From beginning to end, she never paid attention to Xiao Dang, as if he didn't exist.

Xiao Dang realized no one was paying attention to him, and he got up from the ground by himself.

Through Bangeng and Xiao Dang's intermittent narration, Jia Zhangshi turned around and blamed Yu Li, saying that such a grown person actually frightened a child.

Angered, Yu Li on the spot wanted to have a proper talk with Jia Zhangshi.

As a result, because smoke was coming from inside the Jia family home, it made Qin Huairu cough repeatedly; Jia Zhangshi, feeling sorry for the child in Qin Huairu's belly, helped Qin Huairu go to Yi Zhonghai's home.

Through this incident, Yu Li finally saw the true nature of the Jia family members, and also understood Shazhu's warning to never associate with the Jia family.

All in all, the Jia family members are just a bunch of scoundrels.

That was Yu Li's thought.

Shazhu's thoughts were chaotic.

Bangeng sneakily peeked at Shazhu's home.

Xiao Dang was still keeping watch in the courtyard.

Damn.

All in all, Bangeng had taken a liking to Shazhu's home, wanting to repeat his old tricks and cause havoc to Shazhu's belongings.

In his past life, the peanuts, sesame candy, melon seeds, soybeans and other snacks that Shazhu brought back from the cafeteria—he himself hardly ate any of them, they all went into Bangeng's belly—just how familiar was Bangeng with Shazhu's home?

The peanuts, sesame candy, melon seeds, soybeans and other snacks were placed there; Bangeng knew them inside out—Shazhu would put them down, and Bangeng would steal them shortly after.

Damn it.

And he's back.

It's just unclear whether this is Bangeng's nature or due to Jia Zhangshi stirring things up behind the scenes.

Fuck his grandpa.

"Wife, I know about this. From now on, we'll be more careful. That person Jia Zhangshi, you can't win an argument with her; if Bangeng really steals something in our house and you catch him, and the neighbors happen to see, don't waste words—go straight to the street office."

"Go to the street office?"

"He's not even our child; why feel sorry for him?"

"I'm not feeling sorry for Bangeng! I just can't understand: petty thieves steal needles, grand thieves steal gold—I know that principle. Could Bangeng's grandmother not know? She knows, yet she doesn't care, saying Bangeng is a child, Xiao Dang is a little kid, saying I'm on par with two children in experience, saying I've lost my standing. I remember when I was young I stole a neighbor's cabbage—just one head—and my dad beat me badly; after that, I never dared to steal again."

Yu Li changed the subject.

"As for how Bangeng's grandmother treats Bangeng and Xiao Dang, frankly I don't see it as something a real grandmother should do—who deliberately teaches their own child to be bad?"

Her breathing grew ragged.

Yu Li was also frightened by her own words.

"Head of the household, do you think it will happen?"

"Why bother with all their nosy business? Isn't it fine for us to close the door and live our own little life, wife? A few days ago you asked me what to name a son if we had one; I thought about it—if we have a son we'll call him Hexiao Yu, and if we have a daughter we'll call her Yu Xiao He. What do you think?"

"Head of the household, your naming skills are truly terrible—you insist on using our surnames; can't you pick something distinctive? Other people's kids are either something like Jianguo or Hongxia, or Xianghong, Ailing, but you? You're just He and Yu again, so boring."

"If you want some vigor, wait until you've given me a child first."

"Annoying."

"Who's annoying?"

"You."

Their eyes met.

Flames ignited.

Just at this moment of dry tinder and raging fire.

The door was pushed open.

Two uninvited guests, accompanied by the night wind, barged into Shazhu's home.

The leader bore a typical big donkey face—none other than Xu Daming. The other had a round pancake face, and it was none other than Shazhu's wife from his previous life, the tie linking him and Xu Daming—Lou Xiaoe.

Xu Daming and Lou Xiaoe arrived.

Also, don't keep holding on.

Shazhu and Yu Li felt as if they'd been shocked, each pushing the other away—one put on a thick-skinned, forced calm, the other's face flushed with a shy red.

Damn Xu Daming.

You really aren't being a good person.

Shazhu glared at Xu Daming, gritting his teeth.

Xu Daming, however, wore a strange smile as he provoked Shazhu.

The two were locking horns again.

On the contrary, Yu Li and Lou Xiaoe quickly adapted to their respective roles.

Yu Li, having swallowed her blush and calmed her emotions, said frankly to Lou Xiaoe: "You must be Xu Daming's wife, Lou Xiaoe; I am He Yuzhu's wife, my name is Yu Li."

"Yu Li, hello, I am Lou Xiaoe; I've long heard from our family's Daming about how good, how good you are, how superb, how superb He Yuzhu's cooking is; today I finally get to see the real person."

Shazhu silently praised in his heart.

Lou Xiaoe truly lives up to being a young lady from a prominent family.

Look at how well she speaks.

He Yuzhu's cooking is how superb, how superb; given Xu Daming's personality and his relationship with Shazhu, it's really just shouting 'Shazhu' with every mouthful.

Calling Shazhu by his formal name He Yuzhu.

Xu Daming wouldn't do such a thing; he thinks calling He Yuzhu would distance him from Shazhu, whereas calling Shazhu feels more intimate.

Just as when Xu Daming meets Shazhu, Shazhu calling him Xu Daming is the same principle.

Xu Daming has already grown used to the nickname 'Shao Mao' that Shazhu gave him; when Shazhu calls him Xu Daming, in Xu Daming's mind, this is Shazhu looking down on him, possibly provoking his anger.

"Lou Xiaoe, as Xu Daming's wife you're a bit inadequate; Xu Daming could never call me He Yuzhu—he'd definitely call me Shazhu."

"Do you have to be so low? Aren't you happy enough just shouting your formal name?" Yu Li gave Shazhu a glare, then greeted Xu Daming and Lou Xiaoe to sit down: "Daming, Xiaoe, have a seat."