Chapter 175

It's all arrogance that brought disaster.

He thought he had the situation under control, could use this to manipulate Yi Zhonghai and let himself enjoy his old age with Long Laotaitai, never imagining he had only guessed half correctly.

That is, the relationship between Yi Zhonghai, the club, and Huaihua.

Something she didn't expect.

It was Jia Dongxu's death, which seemed accidental but was actually Yi Zhonghai's doing.

Before Yi Zhonghai, whose hands are already stained with a life, Long Laotaitai's threat is hardly worth mentioning; at worst he'll just repeat his old trick.

Can send Jia Dongxu away.

Likewise can send Long Laotaitai away.

"Zhonghai, however I came, I must leave the same way; my request is simple: with your level-eight worker's salary, you can easily take care of this lonely old woman of mine."

The tone shifted.

He played the emotion card.

"Given our families' relationship, there's no need to let things get this stiff; you know what kind of person my old lady is, Zhonghai—I'm just an old lady who likes to eat, a bit greedy; if you show me a little care, I wouldn't have to play this trick on you."

A slap then a sweet date.

After the emotional routine comes a threat.

"Zhonghai, I'm not afraid to lose face; at my age, death is just death, I don't regret it. But I feel sorry for the club and Huaihua—they're still just kids; how could you bear to see your two children grow up fatherless and motherless? Shazhu and Yushui are a warning."

Long Laotaitai mentioned Shazhu and Yushui.

She wants Yi Zhonghai to face reality.

Initially, Yi Zhonghai single-mindedly wanted to maintain his nice-guy image in the Siheyuan, devising a plan to deduct from He Daqing the living expenses mailed to Shazhu and his sister, preparing to appear as a savior when they could no longer bear the hunger.

Since Shazhu is no longer Shazhu, the plan ultimately came to nothing, and Yi Zhonghai's plan against Shazhu naturally became useless.

"Old lady, what are you saying? This is completely off-topic; I, Zhonghai, have always treated you like my own mother."

Long Laotaitai gave a cold snort.

She completely rejected Yi Zhonghai's statement.

Is there a son who sends his mother sorghum millet porridge and barley noodles every day?

Is there a son who takes his mother's white flour to help the neighbor's daughter-in-law?

"Old lady, you know what times these are; it's not that I, Zhonghai, won't give you meat—if I had the means, and if I didn't give you meat, you could scold or hit me, I'd accept it."

As soon as Yi Zhonghai spoke, he complained.

He used the current situation to excuse himself.

"We really have no choice; don't look at me being a level-eight worker—my level-eight worker's wage isn't worth half a catty of pork, and I know you like to eat."

The hypocrite's moral cultivation is high.

After experiencing the initial panic.

His thoughts gradually became calm.

He also had a concrete plan in mind.

"Why don't we do this? I'll try to let you eat meat as much as possible."

A smile appeared on Long Laotaitai's face.

She came just for the meat.

"Eating every day might not satisfy you, but letting you improve your life once or twice a week is still doable. If you think this works, we'll do it; if not, do as you wish. I, Zhonghai, can't be a skilled wife without rice—I'm human, not a god; I can't conjure meat for you, I also have to make do."

"Okay."

Seeing Long Laotaitai say the word "okay".

Yi Zhonghai then felt as if all his strength had been drained, his whole body went limp on the stool; the bargaining with Long Laotaitai had exhausted all his patience.

"Then take your leave slowly."

"Alright."

Long Laotaitai, having agreed to a sentence, as she stepped out of Yi Zhonghai's doorway, suddenly thought of something, turned and pulled her body back.

Looking at Yi Zhonghai, who was like mud.

She threw out a self-preserving trump card.

"Zhonghai, my old lady's demands aren't high—just two meat meals a week; you don't need to become mortal enemies over meat with my old lady, otherwise both our families will suffer."

The shrewd Yi Zhonghai couldn't fail to hear the warning in Long Laotaitai's words; he said nothing, just gave her a bitter smile.

Looking at it, it's like guessing a riddle.

……

In front of a widow's door, there are many disputes.

Especially since she's a beautiful widow with a job, she's like a super widow among widows.

Qin Huairu is such a super widow that makes people drool.

The old widow Jia Zhangshi naturally knows the ins and outs; to keep certain people from learning that Qin Huairu had an IUD, she specially took Qin Huairu to a place far from the Yagangchang to do this.

The mother-in-law brings the widowed daughter-in-law to get an IUD!

That's really not a good reputation.

It gets spread.

Only the Jia Family can lose face.

It's a bit like covering one's ears while stealing a bell.

On the way to the hospital with Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi was still doing ideological work on Qin Huairu.

"Mom knows you're angry, but being angry won't help; you have to endure it. After the IUD, your affairs—mom will turn a blind eye as long as no one dies. It can't be that Dong Xu died over a year ago and you're pregnant with a Jia child; getting the IUD is also for your Qin family."

For Jia Zhangshi, as long as there's no scandal about the child's father being the deceased Jia Dongxu, the Jia Family can retain a shred of face.

Going upstairs is the ultimate measure to ensure this does not happen.

To ensure absolute safety.

Even if Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu being pushed into the room with her own eyes, she still felt uneasy.

Under a heavy reward, brave men will appear.

The usually stingy Jia Zhangshi stuffed a nationwide five-jin grain ticket into that person's hand, and earnestly pleaded for a while until the person gave a reply.

Only then did the stone in Jia Zhangshi's heart finally settle.

Immediately afterward, a person sat on the stool, silently saying sorry to Jia Dongxu in their heart.

"Dongxu, don't blame Mom either; Mom has no choice. You're gone, Bangeng and they need to live. Letting your wife go upstairs is also for your sake—don't hold a grudge against Mom."

……

In the Yi family house, Yi Zhonghai lay among the corpses, thinking things over.

Through the glass, he caught a glimpse of Qin Huairu, whom he constantly missed.

It wasn't about doing something shady with Qin Huairu.

It was because Bangeng and Huaihua kept crying and fussing nonstop, while Xiao Dang was just a five- or six-year-old brat who didn't know how to look after his younger siblings.

Their own children.

Their own beloved.

Although Yi Zhonghai had never given birth, he also knew the children were hungry.

He wanted to go over and hug them, feed them milk.

Just thinking about his own identity,

he felt deflated again.

To Yi Zhonghai, the deaf old lady's threat actually amounted to a warning.

He certainly didn't want the neighbors to just find out his true relationship with Qin Huairu.

A sure-fire ending of infamy for ten thousand years.

This was not the outcome Yi Zhonghai wanted.

Even if exposed, Yi Zhonghai would have to make thorough preparations.

In his left hand a son, in his right hand a daughter.

Difficult.

Just when he was torn between left and right,

Qin Huairu appeared gracefully.

Aside from noticing that Qin Huairu's gait was a bit off, Yi Zhonghai didn't ponder anything else; the deaf old lady's matter already annoyed him enough.

Having meat twice a week is enough; you shouldn't turn into mortal enemies with my old lady over meat, or else both our families will suffer!

When the map is exhausted, the dagger appears!

……

Yagangchang.

Deputy Factory Director Li's office.

Shazhu and Deputy Factory Director Li whispered about something; now and then a worry appeared on Li's face, while Shazhu's face would appropriately show astonishment.

All these factors also constitute redemption.

In this life, the relationship between Shazhu and Deputy Factory Director Li is far less melodramatic than in the previous life.

From start to finish, Deputy Factory Director Li regarded Shazhu as an equal.

Having been reborn, Shazhu no longer had the former life's restraint.

Right or wrong, under those circumstances,

Their relationship was still okay.

Deputy Factory Director Li would sometimes give Shazhu things he didn't need, and Shazhu would sometimes stir-fry the big pot dish to taste like a small kitchen's fare, satisfying Li's small desire for face.

"Old Li."

Having lived two lifetimes as a person.

Just a pig.

They've mastered it all.

Shazhu has become much smoother; when facing the top two heads of Yagangchang, he will address Deputy Factory Director Li. When the top two are not present and there are various miscellaneous people around, Shazhu will drop the 'deputy' and call him Factory Director Li. With no outsiders, just the two of them, Shazhu will call Deputy Factory Director Li 'Old Li.'

He can hold his own against those from his past life who sold him out and then helped others count money.

He tricks people with his words.

"No way, things have come to this point?"

Deputy Factory Director Li nodded.

He called Shazhu over.

He just wanted to ask Shazhu if there was any way.

This left Shazhu feeling helpless; the reason he didn't accept the position of canteen chief back then was because he had already considered all these difficulties.

Materials are scarce.

Materials are hard to come by.

Even a clever woman finds it hard to cook without rice.

No materials.

Make semi-finished goods?

Meals also count as finished products; they require the chef to transform vegetable ingredients into edible food.

Thinking about becoming the cafeteria director and having to worry about all these messy things, Shazhu felt a headache and came up with an ostrich-like idea, volunteering himself to be the squad leader of the second cafeteria.

Cafeteria director.

Love whoever, whoever.

I won't do it.

Being the cafeteria squad leader would be great.

What's missing?

Just go find the cafeteria director.

None.

Then I can only stir-fry air and boil water to scald for the brothers to eat and drink.

Not a bad idea.

But he underestimated his standing in Deputy Factory Director Li's mind; clearly it was the cafeteria director's duty, yet Deputy Factory Director Li insisted on pushing it onto him, the cafeteria squad leader.

"Li bro, if you're talking about cooking, I can do it; handling supplies, I can't; something even a big leader like you can't worry about, I'm just a lowly cafeteria squad leader—I'm stuffed from eating too much."

"I actually wish I could be stuffed, but the key is there's no condition."

"Our supplies used to be pretty timely; why is this delay so long this time?"

"Everything is lacking; I'm the deputy factory director of a ten‑thousand‑person steel mill, and in front of those people I'm nothing. Anyway, I just asked the factory director and the secretary—they told me what the leadership said: at earliest it'll take a week, and our current reserves, at the usual ration standard, will only last three days."

A four‑day gap emerged.

"It's not that there's no way." Shazhu rubbed his chin, "The key is it's a bit unscrupulous."

"Speak quickly." Deputy Factory Director Li's gaze fell on Shazhu, his eyes bursting with endless expectation: "What exactly is the way?"

"Let's reduce the rations."

This proposal.

Strictly speaking.

It's simply a rotten idea.

Reduce one person's daily ration from one catty to half a catty, then from half a catty to three taels, thereby extending the supply's lifespan by cutting the amount.

Not let you eat your fill, nor let you starve to death; basically just keep you dangling.

Deputy Factory Director Li immediately felt Shazhu's proposal was inappropriate.

Jia Dongxu's accident happened only about forty days ago.

Recently, rumors have mysteriously spread.

They say Jia Dongxu's cause of death.

Stems from lack of nutrition!

This is a polished way of saying it; the literal meaning is something you can accept.

The truth is he was starving and swaying, in panic knocked over the shelves, and then kicked the bucket!

In order to quell this rumor.

The factory director and a few bigwigs made a decision by the seat of their pants, raised the workers' rations a bit, earned countless praise, but left Deputy Factory Director Li feeling uneasy.

After all, he is the deputy factory director in charge of logistics and security.

A problem arose.

The primary responsibility falls on him.

"No." Deputy Factory Director Li shook his head, "Many positions in our factory require physical labor; if you don't eat enough, you lack the strength to work, not to mention it could lead to another accident like Jia Dongxu's."

Even a short‑lived person doesn't die in vain.

He used his name to create a safety education model that everyone at the steel mill must learn.