Chapter 180: Threatened Qin Huairu

When soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we dam it with earth.

Facing the threat.

Naturally, we also meet each move with a countermove.

Qin Huairu, having calmed her emotions, grabbed Zhao Hongxia's hand and pulled her to a corner not far from the Yagangchang gate.

This matter cannot be seen by people.

It will definitely have to be done secretly.

Seeing no one paying attention, Qin Huairu pulled ten yuan from her pocket and shoved it into Zhao Hongxia's hand.

Her face showed no reluctance; instead, she wore a full, ingratiating smile.

In Qin Huairu's mind, if ten yuan could settle Zhao Hongxia, it would already be a success from her burning high incense; she feared Zhao Hongxia had a big appetite, and those ten yuan wouldn't even register with her.

Whether there are dates or not, we strike three poles.

If ten yuan could settle the other party.

"Sister Hongxia, I mean no offense; take this money to buy some food and drink—it's also my sincerity."

Zhao Hongxia glanced at Qin Huairu and let out a slight, disdainful snort.

Ten yuan.

To pay off a beggar.

What she wants is not ten yuan.

"Qin Huairu, let's speak plainly—you know my purpose, I know your calculations; some things aren't worth ten yuan, but some secrets can't be bought for ten yuan. You're smart; you should understand what I mean by this number."

Two fingers were raised in front of Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat; she knew those two fingers meant not twenty yuan, but two hundred.

Even a skilled woman can't cook without rice.

Where am I supposed to find two hundred yuan for Zhao Hongxia?

I can't give it, yet I can't refuse.

They have leverage over me.

Clumsy oaf!

Back in the hospital, when she heard Jia Dongxu had died, Qin Huairu's first thought was that Yi Zhonghai had dealt a heavy hand; she knew what Yi Zhonghai cared about.

Incense.

So she had two plans in mind.

The first plan: if the child in her belly is a boy, then those later events won't happen, and there won't be a second plan.

Plan B.

That is Qin Huairu's second plan: if her belly bears a girl, she will beg certain people to help her find a newborn or recently born baby boy, to appear in the Siheyuan as twins or a dragon-and-phoenix pair.

Put simply.

It's nothing more than a scheme of substituting one for another.

It is a trap Qin Huairu set to bleed Yi Zhonghai dry.

The scheming woman had no such connections, so she found Zhao Hongxia, saying she had consulted someone, and if this pregnancy bore no son, the family would suffer, so she asked Zhao Hongxia to help her find a boy.

In times of scarce supplies.

Every household eats only half-full.

Families with many children cannot afford to raise them all.

Taking in a boy to raise is tantamount to saving the other's life.

Zhao Hongxia readily agreed to Qin Huairu's request and helped her find a baby boy who had already been born thirty days.

This is also why people think the two children are not unusually large.

In this matter, Qin Huairu's only miscalculation was being blackmailed by the other party, leading to the situation before us.

Two hundred yuan.

Her appetite is truly not ordinary.

Qin Huairu's complexion was somewhat poor.

She paused for a moment.

She used words to comfort Zhao Hongxia.

"Sister Hongxia, logically speaking, you've helped me so much; if your family runs into trouble, even if you don't speak up, I should still come to you—but you also know our situation is truly not ordinary; I really don't have two hundred yuan. How about this: I'll give you all the money I have, and I'll try to come up with the rest; if I can raise it, I'll give it to you; if I can't, even if you sold me, Qin Huairu, I still couldn't come up with this money."

Qin Huairu shoved all the money and tickets from her pocket into Zhao Hongxia's hand.

"Qin Huairu, don't try to fool me with words—you don't have it, but Yi Zhonghai does." Zhao Hongxia gave a mysterious smile, "Your relationship with Yi Zhonghai needs no spelling out—everyone in the Siheyuan is buzzing, saying Yi Zhonghai bought you a bicycle; he's quite fond of you."

A playful gaze fell upon Qin Huairu.

This woman.

She is pretty, indeed.

The key is she doesn't observe womanly virtue.

She's hanging out with her husband's master.

Fortunately they're hanging out together; otherwise she couldn't use this to blackmail Qin Huairu.

"Sister Hongxia, what nonsense are you spouting? Yi Zhonghai is my husband's master; my husband died, I took his place at Yagangchang—you can't just spout nonsense."

"Whether it's nonsense or not, I know this benefits me; guess what Yi Zhonghai would think if I told him you asked me to find a boy for you."

Her tone grew stern.

"Qin Huairu, before coming I already investigated: Yi Zhonghai is a Level 8 Technician at Yagangchang and the Head Steward of your Siheyuan; he's an extinct line, he constantly longs for his own son—guess what he'd do if he knew you'd tricked him? Two hundred yuan, I guarantee I'll forget this matter completely."

Qin Huairu found herself in a dilemma, caught between advancing and retreating.

Give.

Unwilling.

She knew human greed was endless; today they could come to her for two hundred, and the day after tomorrow they could come for three hundred—whenever they had no money, they would come to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu had become the other party's supply depot.

Not give.

Yet she didn't dare.

The other party's handling was just right.

If Yi Zhonghai ever learned that Qin Huairu had deceived him regarding the incense matter, then Jia Dongxu's misfortune would very likely befall Qin Huairu.

Someone who would even lay hands on their own disciple would hardly lay hands on her, Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu felt a wave of gooseflesh.

She looked at Zhao Hongxia miserably.

"How can I believe you?"

"You have no choice; I give you a month's task. In a month, I'll come to you for two hundred. If you have no money, the club matter will reach Yi Zhonghai's ears."

……

Siheyuan.

Jia Zhangshi earned a sliver of hope for Bangeng.

Holy Thief, taking advantage of the moment when Yu Li had attracted Jia Zhangshi's attention, slipped out from Shazhu's house and hurried toward the front courtyard.

Failed to steal the letter!

Seeing that Bangeng had not been caught.

Jia Zhangshi's heart, which had been suspended in midair, finally settled; she then casually made up a few lies and walked toward the front courtyard.

She wanted to warn Bangeng: under no circumstances should he ever go to Shazhu's house to steal letters.

That thing.

It's truly not something the Jia family can afford to play with.

Pull one hair and the whole body moves.

If things go badly, the Jia family will have to suffer misfortune together with Bangeng.

Jia Zhangshi left.

Yu Li, who had paused in place and hesitated for a moment, turned and went back home.

Just entered the house.

Yu Li then realized something was wrong.

Several chaotic footprints appeared on the ground; upon recalling Jia Zhangshi's abnormal behavior just moments before, Yu Li immediately understood the whole story.

Bangeng had been here.

And it was just just now.

The reason Jia Zhangshi blocked me and chatted aimlessly was to buy time for Bangeng.

Her heart jumped.

She thought of something.

She hurried toward the inner room.

A letter that had fallen to the ground clearly came into Yu Li's view; mistaking it for that letter, she hurriedly bent down and picked it up.

Seeing that the envelope was empty, she realized it was not that letter.

She didn't think much about it.

She placed the letter she had picked up together with the old person's reply letter to Shazhu in one spot, locked it in a small wooden box, then placed that box in a wooden cabinet and locked it securely.

The last will of Jia Dongxu, which Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai and others were concerned about, fell into Yu Li's hands through this melodramatic turn of events, and Yu Li put it away on a high shelf.

……

Hou Yuan.

Xu Damiao's home.

Lou Xiaoe lay alone on the bed.

Unbidden, the words Yu Li had just instructed her with came to mind.

Long Laotaitai is not a good person.

Guard against fire, guard against theft, guard against Long Laotaitai!

Lou Xiaoe couldn't understand why Yu Li would say Long Laotaitai is not a good person; looking over the entire Siheyuan, the only person she could chat with was Long Laotaitai.

That person is Long Laotaitai.

Whether in verbal communication or any other aspect of cognition, Lou Xiaoe's rapport with Long Laotaitai was very harmonious, and this harmony far surpassed even Lou Xiaoe's relationship with Yu Li.

In her mind.

Once again, Yu Li's warning surfaced.

That is a lazy, gluttonous old woman; all her motives are self-serving.

Is the truth really like that?

Amidst wandering thoughts.

Next door, Long Laotaitai, leaning on a cane, pushed open Lou Xiaoe's front door.

As she stepped inside, the sound from her mouth flew ahead into Lou Xiaoe's ears.

"Silly girl, didn't Yu Li, the wife of Shazhu, used to chat with you? Why isn't she here?"

Her gaze fell on Lou Xiaoe.

The wily old Long Laotaitai saw through Lou Xiaoe's nature at a glance, knowing what Lou Xiaoe was thinking.

Lou Xiaoe's heart suddenly felt a bit uplifted.

The young miss of a wealthy family, whose daydreams are usually of the Prince Charming and Cinderella love story, has always been waiting for her Prince Charming to appear, yet in the end she married the big‑donkey‑faced man Xu Damào.

The difference between them is easy to imagine.

Lou Xiaoe's heart inexplicably felt a bit uplifted.

"Sha ezi, do you have something on your mind? Tell it to this old lady; I can't help with anything else, but I can listen to you talk about your worries."

The kind‑hearted old‑good‑person persona now shines with endless radiance.

"Old lady, I'm fine."

Lou Xiaoe casually made up an excuse.

She is not someone who lies by nature.

This made‑up lie.

A completely self‑incriminating expression.

"We haven't seen each other in a while, Sha ezi, and you're acting distant toward this old lady—this doesn't look like 'nothing's wrong.' Surely Xu Damào made you angry; it's not that this old lady is maligning him for no reason, it's that Xu Damào himself is no good person. Marrying Xu Damào has wronged our Sha ezi."

Lou Xiaoe felt inexplicably a bit sad; comparing Long Laotaitai's words with Yu li's, it became instantly clear which was better and which worse.

Xu Damào is her man.

Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog.

Yet Long Laotaitai, to her face, repeatedly brought up Xu Damào's many faults—lice on a monk's head, an obvious fact.

Even more foolish.

She also knows some things cannot be said.

She simply went along with Long Laotaitai's lead and started talking about Xu Damào.

……

Yagangchang.

Ershitang.

Shazhu was busy giving cooking tips to Thus: Thus: Mahua, Pangzi and the others when Liu Lan, that loudspeaker, called him outside, saying Qin Huairu had come to find him.

Shazhu's heart was filled with boundless bewildered confusion.

Qin Huairu came to find him.

Although he didn't know what it was about, he also knew that Qin Huairu looking for him surely meant nothing good.

In his previous life.

Besides borrowing money, it was just getting Shazhu to snag some noodles from the Yagangchang cafeteria for her.

She never gave a thought to what concrete consequences Shazhu might face if caught.

She truly took selfishness to the extreme.

With doubts.

Shazhu arrived outside Ershitang.

At a glance he saw Qin Huairu wearing Yagangchang work clothes.

What a fetching Yagangchang widow.

Although the earth‑gray work clothes covered Qin Huairu from head to toe, the mature womanly charm exuding from the widow radiated a deadly, irresistible allure everywhere.

No wonder Qin Huairu is always surrounded by so many flies.

According to Thus: Thus: Mahua, the noon meals were still being paid for voluntarily by the coworkers for Qin Huairu.

This deal.

Absolute.

A hundred percent the Jia family's handiwork.

"Liu Lan said you were looking for me."

"Zhuzi, let's talk over there."

Qin Huairu wouldn't take no for an answer, reaching out with her claws to grab Shazhu's hand.

Shazhu dodged to the side.

A widow's gate invites gossip.

In broad daylight.

You, a widow, are tugging at me, the husband of Yu li—you aren't afraid of gossip, but I am.

Good deeds aren't done behind people's backs.

Doing things behind people's backs brings no good.

If you have something to say, say it to the neighbors' faces.

"Qin Huairu, enough—our two families aren't close, so don't call me Zhuzi; either call me He Yuzhu like everyone else, or call me Master He, or if worse comes to worst call me Shazhu, but under no circumstances call me Zhuzi."

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Qin Huairu's face; she realized she had gotten impatient.

"Master He, let's talk over there—I have something to discuss with you."

"If there's something, we can talk right here; elsewhere, sorry, I'm quite busy with work."

Qin Huairu knew this was Shazhu's excuse.

But there was nothing she could do.

She tried the hard approach.

She wasn't a match for Shazhu, and this was Shazhu's turf.

She tried the soft approach.

That also won't do; Shazhu has no interest in her, the pretty widow of Yagangchang.

Also not possible, Shazhu is not interested in her, this Yagangchang's pretty widow.

He thought for a moment.

He could only face reality.

He glanced at the Ershitang crowd sticking their heads out the door or pressing them against the glass, and Qin Huairu lowered her voice as much as possible.

"Master He, I came to you for nothing else; I want to borrow two hundred dollars from you."

Shazhu nearly choked to death on his own saliva.

He really dares to show his teeth.

As soon as he opens his mouth, it's to borrow two hundred.

He doesn't even consider the relationship between the Jia Family and the He Family.

Shazhu just wants to know who gave Qin Huairu the courage to ask him for two hundred dollars right off the bat.

Is it Liang Jingru?

Don't say there isn't.

There is.

He wouldn't lend it to Qin Huairu either.

"Qin Huairu, I'll point you to a clear path: turn around right where you are, go to the second workshop and find Yi Zhonghai; given your families' relationship, Yi Zhonghai will surely lend you money. As for me, sorry, I don't have it, and even if I did I wouldn't lend it to you."

Having said that.

He ignored Qin Huairu's pitiful appearance.

He just drove her away.

"Qin Huairu, from now on, even if you have something, don't come to Ershitang to find me; I don't have the energy—go find Yi Zhonghai."

Shazhu turned and went back to Ershitang, completely ignoring Qin Huairu behind him who still wanted to explain herself.

Really fucking vicious.

Open mouth and it's two hundred.

Who are you?

Do you really think you're an immortal?

You don't go to Yi Zhonghai to borrow money, you come to me, Shazhu; all in all, in your Qin Huairu's eyes, am I a sucker?