Chapter 181

Shazhu, who had refused Qin Huairu's request for money, returned to the back kitchen without giving it much thought, but as time passed he gradually felt that something was not quite right.

Either Qin Huairu or the Jia family.

Recently, taking advantage of being a dry relative of the Yi family, he had all his lunches and dinners taken care of at the Yi family's.

He truly embodied the term 'blood-sucking' to the fullest.

Inside the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai's food and drink.

Inside the steel mill.

Moreover, some idle workers who liked widows helped pay the meal tickets.

Whether it was Jia Zhangshi or Qin Huairu, their days were lived with gusto.

Under such circumstances.

Qin Huairu, however, suddenly ran into trouble, and as soon as she opened her mouth she asked for two hundred yuan.

What happened?

Or perhaps something major occurred, to the point that Qin Huairu actually had to ask for a loan?

Shazhu was quite certain.

Yi Zhonghai was unaware of this matter.

If Yi Zhonghai knew about it, he might have paid the money himself.

Could it be that Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu have fallen out?

The alliance of wolf and weasel has finally broken apart!

……

Six o'clock in the evening.

Shazhu returned to the siheyuan.

As soon as he entered the house, Yu Li had already prepared the meal; during the meal, Yu Li, whether unintentionally or intentionally, slipped a comment.

"Head of the household, I went to chat with Lou Xiaoe today; guess what I heard?"

Shazhu discovered that Yu Li actually had the potential to be a loudspeaker.

He habitually shook his head.

"I knew you wouldn't guess—it's Granny Long. Granny Long told Lou Xiaoe that Xu Daming is no good, that Xu Daming is a fickle troublemaker, that Xu Daming is rotten and oozing pus, that Lou Xiaoe marrying Xu Daming has wasted her Lou family young‑miss status."

Shazhu let out a cold snort in his heart.

Granny Long really lives up to her name as Granny Long.

Not the slightest bit of virtue for herself.

In her previous life.

Granny Long, to Lou Xiaoe's face, vilified Xu Daming in every way, while stepping on him and yet lifting herself up, intending to rely on the Lou family's wealth and her own cooking skills to secure a peaceful old age for herself.

Others would rather tear down ten temples than destroy a family bond.

Granny Long, however, does the opposite: she would rather destroy a family tie than tear down ten temples.

"What do you think Granny Long is thinking? There's no reason to say such things about someone's husband to their wife's face; I finally understand why you told me to stay away from Granny Long." Yu Li shifted her tone, "This is Lou Xiaoe; if it were me, and Granny Long slandered you like that, I'd give her a big slap."

Ah!

Shazhu let out another sigh in his heart.

Lou Xiaoe, such a shrewd person, could not possibly be unaware of Granny Long's malicious intentions, yet because of her background she had to feign confusion—including her previous life union with Shazhu—so that the outset was not love but to leverage Shazhu's three-generation hired-farmer status to find security for herself; it was Granny Long who found Shazhu, and if Granny Long had found someone else, even if that person were lame, crippled, cross‑eyed, crooked‑nosed, or crooked‑mouthed, as long as their background was clean, Lou Xiaoe would feel wronged about giving herself to that person.

The plot is repeating itself!

Granny Long is employing her old tricks again!

His relationship with Xu Daming was decent; it was impossible for him to just watch Xu Daming's backyard catch fire while Granny Long pushed his wife Lou Xiaoe onto someone else.

This is cruel for Lou Xiaoe.

Shazhu plans to find time to have a good talk with Biesun, lest Biesun return from showing a movie outside and discover his home has been robbed.

That would be a laughingstock.

……

The Jia family.

Qin Huairu spouted half‑true, half‑false nonsense, fabricating a lie about losing money in order to find an excuse for her thirty‑odd yuan.

Upon hearing that Qin Huairu had lost her money, Jia Zhangshi immediately became anxious.

Among the Jia family members, Jia Zhangshi is the one lacking the most sense of security; she places great importance on money, which stems from this consideration.

Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua are indeed of the Jia family bloodline, after all they crawled out of Qin Huairu's womb and call her Mom.

Even a fierce tiger does not eat its own cubs.

Much less so for humans.

Even if Qin Huairu remarried, she would not abandon Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua.

When it comes to oneself.

One must then put a big question mark on it.

Former mother‑in‑law.

The single word 'former' covers it all: others take your daughter‑in‑law, who brings her children when she marries in, already giving you great face; yet you still want to bring along your former mother‑in‑law when you remarry—are you treating yourself like an immortal?

Jia Zhangshi, clear‑minded about herself, knows that once Qin Huairu remarries, she will be tossed aside by Qin Huairu like trash.

Under such circumstances.

Jia Zhangshi values money, which is understandable; she needs to accumulate a certain amount of wealth to secure her old age's food and clothing, for even if people are gone, at least she will still have money.

Having money in hand keeps the heart calm.

Today is the day Yagangchang fires up and pays out money; according to the framework agreement originally established, Qin Huairu must give Jia Zhangshi three yuan as her pension money.

Just as a hand was stretched toward Qin Huairu's face, she said she had lost the money.

Jia Zhangshi now just wants to know one thing: whether the money was really lost, or Qin Huairu is using the lost money as an excuse to avoid giving her the three yuan pension.

A gaze fell on Qin Huairu, scrutinizing her like a knife.

"Really lost the money?"

"What else could I possibly cheat you?"

"How can I not believe it?" Jia Zhangshi said, her tone intensifying, "It couldn't be that you're pretending to have lost the money so you don't have to give me, the old woman, her pension."

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do; anyway, the money is lost."

"Even if what you say is true, a hemp rope breaks at its thinnest point." Jia Zhangshi looked pleadingly at Qin Huairu and urged, "You go find Yi Zhonghai later and borrow money from him."

Seeing that Qin Huairu didn't understand his meaning.

Jia Zhangshi explained briefly.

"Yi Zhonghai and his wife have no heirs, so their money naturally belongs to our Jia family." In order to bleed them dry, Jia Zhangshi also couldn't be bothered to pretend; she shifted the topic to the house: "Our family only has one room; I and you still live there, Bangeng will grow up, marry, and need a room—can't we have the two of us old widows crowding into one room with the young couple? Without a room, how will Bangeng ever get married? If Bangeng doesn't marry, the Jia line will be cut off."

Qin Huairu's face showed difficulty.

She had grown accustomed to Yi Zhonghai's benefits.

When encountering problems, she habitually thought of Yi Zhonghai.

Except that Yi Zhonghai's household still has one more person.

The eldest aunt!

Perhaps it's because like repels like, but every time Qin Huairu appears at Yi Zhonghai's home, she can feel the intense hostility from the eldest aunt.

"Are you worried about the eldest aunt?"

Qin Huairu nodded.

Character setting.

She needed to exploit the pretty widow's reputation for her own gain.

"Looks like this old woman will have to put on a show with you."

"Act?"

"At this point in time, we two women have to pretend to be pitiful." Jia Zhangshi's voice rose: "Qin Huairu, are you messing around in the workshop? I'll beat you to death, you shameless little hussy; I let you mess around, I let you give my son a green hat."

"Mom, I didn't."

"Still saying you didn't? I'll beat you to death, you shameless hussy."

They said it was acting.

But looking at Jia Zhangshi's expression and demeanor, it's clear she's really doing it.

Just thinking about her son being dead yet having to wear a green hat over a meter high.

Jia Zhangshi was furious and couldn't bear it.

She couldn't care about much else.

She swung a big slap at Qin Huairu's face.

If it were before.

Anyway, someone would have to step in to mediate between the two sides.

Nowadays.

There were only two adults at home; Qin Huairu had worked a day and felt guilty, so naturally she wasn't a match for Jia Zhangshi in a leisurely vs. laborious contest, and the two instantly grappled.

Fighting sounds.

Cursing sounds.

Soon it echoed throughout the siheyuan.

Residents who had finished dinner or were still eating, upon hearing there was something entertaining to watch, all rushed to the central courtyard.

"I can't go on living—just thirty-something yuan lost like that." Seeing the spectators appear, Jia Zhangshi didn't fear losing face; she simply sat cross-legged on the ground, one hand slapping her thigh, loudly lamenting the hardship of life: "How are we supposed to live from now on, Qin Huairu? You're such a big person, what else can you do? You can't even keep track of your own wages—thirty-something yuan, just lost, just like that."

Qin Huairu was clearly a bit smarter than Jia Zhangshi.

Tears spilled out of the frame.

The image of a pitiful, delicate young woman instantly appeared in everyone's minds.

"Mom, I know you're angry and upset, but am I not upset too? I didn't intentionally lose the money and the ticket, am I not having it easy?"

Qin Huairu's tears fell like rain.

It forced the onlooker Shazhu to have to praise the great acting.

This line really fucking whitewashes him.

They keep saying it's not their fault, but inside they're pushing the blame onto others—this is basically saying certain people deserve it.

Shazhu suddenly recalled Liu Lan's evaluation of Qin Huairu.

This woman.

She's truly toxic.

Being able to make Liu Lan say something toxic shows just how failed Qin Huairu's character is.

"Mom, Dong Xu is my man; my man died, I took over his position, I am just a rural woman married into the city, I don't understand anything, I can't read the drawings, I want to ask people, but when they see I'm a widow they keep their distance, so I can only figure things out on my own, yet even then I can't figure it out; my coworkers dislike me for holding them back, the supervisor dislikes me for giving the workshop a bad name, I'm having a hard time, I already lost the money and I'm unhappy, yet you still do this, saying I intentionally lost the money to keep you from spending it—am I really that kind of person, Qin Huairu?"

Qin Huairu changed her tone and began to speak of her own difficulties.

"As the old saying goes, better a miserable life than a noble death; if it weren't for the fact that I still have Bangeng to support and my mother-in-law you to serve, I truly would have wanted to go with Dong Xu; I'm suffering, I'm suffering terribly, my heart is bitter, I wish I could also go with Dong Xu, just to avoid being pointed at by people."

"Then you should die."

Qin Huairu was stunned.

I never expected Jia Zhangshi to respond like that.

The so-called talk of seeking death and life is merely Qin Huairu's decorative lies woven to whitewash herself; she does not want to die, nor does she wish to die.

Mom, what are you saying?

You don't want to die? Then die! If you die, I'll take Bangeng, Xiao Dang and the others to follow you; anyway you've lost money and tickets, our Jia Family will have to drink northwest wind for the next month.

Shazhu narrowed his eyes slightly; others might not have seen the clue, but he understood everything—Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were deliberately acting.

An oft-repeated topic.

The Jia Family can't even keep the pot boiling.

Will what follows be the classic scene of Yi Zhonghai forcing everyone to donate, a melodramatic event?

The old are just beasts.

The young are just heartless.

The two widows are again playing along.

One plays the red face.

One plays the white face.

"Mom, don't say that—Dong Xu is gone; I, Qin Huairu, am just begging, I have to support Bangeng and the others, I have to raise them to adulthood." Qin Huairu then lifted her tear‑stained, pitiful face toward the crowd and said, "Mom, I know you're angry, you resent me Qin Huairu for losing the money and tickets; it's not that I, Qin Huairu, lack responsibility—it's the children. If you're still angry, hit me; I promise not to fight back."

Qin Huairu lifted her head.

Her eyes also closed.

She presented herself as letting Jia Zhangshi do whatever she wanted.

The hypocrite Yi Zhonghai, who had been silently watching the show nearby, finally spoke.

"Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, I basically understand what you mean—Qin Huairu threw away the money and tickets she just received, causing your Jia Family to not know what to eat next month, so you're shouting that you don't want to live; I, Yi Zhonghai, ought to criticize you a few sentences. No matter how big the obstacle, there will come a day to get over it. As the old saying goes, 'Preserve a useful body, build the steel mill'—it's just a bit of money and tickets, not a big deal. Our Red Star Courtyard is famously a civilized courtyard; as the saying goes, 'When one side is in trouble, all sides help.' I think the neighbors won't stand by idly."

Shazhu silently exclaimed, 'High!'

Indeed a hypocrite.

With a few offhand remarks, he brought out the moral blackmail's magic treasure.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu had been acting so earnestly for so long.

The essence was just to suck blood.

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai say that.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law each stopped their crying.

Well, the neighbors are all here; let's hold a big courtyard meeting.

Yi Zhonghai's tricks.

Shazhu understood perfectly.

Still the same old trick—seeing Qin Huairu lose the money, Yi Zhonghai worried his two precious brats would starve, so he laid his calculations on everyone.

Shazhu couldn't be bothered to expose it.

Meet force with force, water with earth.

You, Yi Zhonghai, just say donate and we donate.

Don't forget.

Recently, the Jia family's freeloaders have been eating and drinking at Yi Zhonghai's place.

I'll start by saying a few words: we've been neighbors for years; the Jia family is in trouble, so those with money should contribute money, those without should contribute effort, and help as much as possible.

Big Brother, what help do they need? The Jia family isn't lacking food or drink—look at Jia Zhangshi, look at Bangeng, white and plump; they're definitely not short of mouths to feed; I reckon they could go a week without eating and be fine.

In the crowd.

Suddenly a teasing remark came.

It interrupted Yi Zhonghai's train of thought and also pushed the situation toward an unpredictable turn.

Quiet, let's start the big courtyard meeting!

Liu Haizhong took the opportunity to shout.

Let us donate money and goods to the Jia family, yet we're not allowed to speak? Looks like you few elders want to run a one-man show in the courtyard!

Yi Zhonghai's face changed.

Liu Haizhong's face also looked bad.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's faces looked even worse.

The cause of the matter was to donate money and goods to the Jia family, but looking at the neighbors' attitude, they clearly don't want to.

Those who gain the Way have little help.

Those who lose the Way have little help.

At present, in these times, every household can't even fill their stomachs; there's simply no surplus supplies to give to the Jia family.

In the past.

Some things dare not be said.

Nowadays.

Taking advantage of the night's cover, to speak their true thoughts, Yi Zhonghai and the others are of no help.