Chapter 18: with translation of chapter title

He didn't mention going to class.

He Yushui's little face still wore a smile.

Just mentioning this going-to-class matter.

The little girl instantly became unhappy.

Others have this morning grumpiness, while the little girl has this aversion to going to class.

"What do you mean, you don't want to go to school?" Shazhu's face turned cold; He Yushui can do anything, but she cannot skip school, cannot skip homework. "He Yushui, I lay down the words: even if knives fall from the sky, you must go to school for me."

"Today is Sunday."

"Sunday?"

Shazhu glanced uneasily at the calendar.

Exactly.

It is Sunday.

"No school on Sunday, I can't control that, but you must do this homework."

"I know."

"Good that you know."

Shazhu reminded He Yushui, then placed the small iron pot on the stove, added a little cold water, and found another egg.

He thought.

Gritting his teeth, he found another one.

It was just a matter of adding an extra ladle of cold water.

Who let Shazhu treat everyone last night, causing Xu Damou to spend money.

We should comfort Xu Damou, who sacrificed himself to pay the bill for others.

Conditions are good.

There is a way to do it when conditions are good.

No conditions.

There are ways to eat with or without conditions.

After the water boiled, he dropped the two eggs into the boiling water, then used the spatula to stir the eggs, added some chopped scallions and purple laver, and finally added a little sesame oil.

A pot of steaming hot egg soup came out fresh.

Shazhu ladled a bowl for Yushui.

He divided the rest into three parts: one for himself, one for Xu Damou, and one for Yan Fugui. Shazhu felt he had wronged Xu Damou and wanted to compensate him. Giving egg soup to Yan Fugui was Shazhu's plan to discuss terms with him, hoping Yan Fugui would become Yushui's tutor.

"Don't want to go to school? I'll find you a tutor."

Shazhu thought he was being mischievously amused.

After reminding He Yushui, Shazhu carried the egg soup out the door and headed straight for the backyard.

Inside, Yi Zhonghai and his wife washing their faces instantly agreed, thinking the deaf old lady was right: this Shazhu boy is far more suitable to support them than Jia Family's Dong Xu.

Look.

Early this morning, he had already sent egg soup to the deaf old lady.

"I see you didn't bring any steamed buns; bring the old lady a steamed bun." Originally Yi Zhonghai wanted the eldest aunt to bring the steamed bun, but then he thought of doing it himself: "Forget it, I'll go."

Yi Zhonghai grabbed the steamed bun.

He also went to the backyard.

Mistakenly thinking Shazhu had already entered, Yi Zhonghai pushed the door and went straight into the deaf old lady's house.

He placed the steamed bun on the table.

Before he could speak,

Yi Zhonghai was stunned.

"Wasn't it said Shazhu gave egg soup to the deaf old lady?"

"Where is he?"

In his puzzlement,

Shazhu's voice came from the next room.

Yi Zhonghai's expression suddenly changed.

It turned out he had been mistaken.

Shazhu's egg soup was for Xu Damou.

The hypocrite was baffled: a few days ago, because He Daqing ran off with a widow, Xu Damou had been beaten by Shazhu; now, in just a blink, their relationship became this good.

With Shazhu on good terms with Xu Damou, how could Yi Zhonghai still use Xu Damou to instill this incorrect ideology into Shazhu?

"Zhonghai."

"Old lady, it's fine; eat the steamed bun first. I heard next door that Shazhu gave egg soup to Xu Damou; I'll have Shazhu bring you some later."

"That's good." The deaf old lady smiled happily; Yi Zhonghai's thoughts, she knew, were also her prompting of Yi Zhonghai: "Shazhu's cooking skills have even surpassed He Daqing."

"This is what they call the student surpassing the master."

Yi Zhonghai, having casually replied, leaned his ear to listen to the commotion next door.

As the saying goes,

"Be prepared, and there will be no trouble."

"Xu Damou, this egg soup I specially made for you; drink it while it's hot."

"Shazhu, I just realized I fell for your trick last night. Clearly you invited me to dinner, yet I, Xu Damou, ended up paying the bill—twenty-three thousand five hundred yuan. I didn't even eat anything; three plates of lamb, you and Yushui ate most of it. Return my money."

"I'm fine now; when I have time, I'll treat you to a meal, also costing twenty-three thousand five hundred yuan, so we'll be even."

I never said I would treat you to a meal; it was you who insisted on treating me.

Xu Damào, I'm doing this for your own good; why are you insisting on treating me to a meal?

Shazhu didn't know that two bad people next door were eavesdropping on his conversation with Xu Damào; he counted on his fingers and explained why Xu Damào had invited him to a meal.

You, Xu Damào, are someone who cares about face; I treat you to a meal, and if you don't return the treat, it shows you don't know how to behave. I've heard you're going to work at Yagangchang as a movie projectionist—what kind of reasoning is there for a projectionist to eat someone's meal and not return the treat?

Xu Damào looked at Shazhu doubtfully.

He felt that what Shazhu said made sense.

I'm about to learn how to project movies from others; how could I do something like not treating someone to a meal?

He lifted the egg soup to his lips and took a sip.

Don't say it.

Shazhu's cooking is still decent.

After Xu Damào had taken a few sips of egg soup, he realized the situation: now he, Xu Damào, was the one at a disadvantage, and Shazhu was his rival; it was clear that Shazhu was setting a trap for him.

Shazhu, you just said you would return the treat, yet you haven't said a word—just tonight, you will treat me to a meal.

Damào, shouldn't we take it easy? We went to Dong Lai Shun yesterday, and today we're going again—can we even keep living like this?

It's not a matter of whether we can get by; I'm worried you won't treat me to a meal. If you don't, I'll have wasted 23,500 yuan for nothing—this should be settled sooner rather than later, tonight exactly.

Xu Damào thought he had caught Shazhu in a weak spot.

Even if Shazhu were to spill the heavens.

He still had to make Shazhu treat him to a meal tonight.

Look at your petty appearance.

Shazhu wore a look of disdain.

Xu Damào's lungs were about to explode from anger.

Yesterday, the money was indeed paid by me, Xu Damào.

I'm being petty, so what? Just tell me whether you'll treat me tonight; if you don't, you're my grandfather.

Hey, grandson.

I misspoke—I'm your grandson.

You still have to call me grandfather.

Shazhu, if you don't treat me to a meal tonight, you're my grandson.

All right, all right, still impatient." Shazhu gave Xu Damào a white-eye, "Dong Lai Shun?"

Just mentioning Dong Lai Shun makes me angry; let's eat dumplings at Liu Bi Ju.

No problem.

Next door, Yi Zhonghai felt pleased in his heart; he hoped Shazhu and Xu Damào would eat out every day, and the money left by He Daqing would eventually be spent by Shazhu.

By then, Shazhu, with no money for meals or to support his sister, would surely obediently beg Yi Zhonghai for a hand.

This relationship grew closer.

Hearing that Shazhu had left Xu Damào's house,

The hypocrite said something to Long Laotaitai, went out to look for Shazhu, and hadn't forgotten to ask Shazhu to deliver egg soup to Long Laotaitai.