Chapter 185: The Miserable End of the Deaf Old Lady

Jia Zhangshi is also a person who follows the stick when beating a snake.

Taking advantage of this opportunity.

She ruthlessly steps on Long Laotaitai.

Within the Siheyuan, the only person who can suppress Jia Zhangshi is Long Laotaitai.

According to Jia Zhangshi's thinking, as long as she uses this opportunity to completely knock down Long Laotaitai, she, Jia Zhangshi, will become the new patriarch of the Dayuan in the Siheyuan.

Moreover, a resentful thought toward Long Laotaitai is at work.

Ultimately,

It's all because of gluttony causing trouble.

In these times of scarce and expensive supplies, a bowl with a few slices of meat dish, Jia Zhangshi wants to eat it, and Long Laotaitai also wants to eat it.

In the struggle over the meat dish, the defeated Long Laotaitai harbored a wicked thought; as soon as the dish was served, she deliberately sneezed out a mixture of saliva and spittle that fell straight onto it, instantly nauseating some people, and Jia Zhangshi was so angry her nose twisted.

Go ahead and eat.

The meat slices are covered with Long Laotaitai's saliva mixture; should one eat the meat, or eat Long Laotaitai's saliva mixture?

Don't eat.

Feeling resentful, she always feels Long Laotaitai is pressing down on her, a dead old woman unrelated to Yi Zhonghai competing with her for meat.

Jia Zhangshi also craves the meat dish.

Upon the first visit to the Jiēdào, Jia Zhangshi realized this was her only chance to drive away Long Laotaitai.

You have ruined someone else's marriage.

You are immoral.

"Director Wang, I, the old woman, am not speaking nonsense; Long Laotaitai is not a person; what does the matter of Xu Daming and his wife have to do with her? It's not me saying she is immoral and destroying their marriage; such an old woman has wasted our civilized Siheyuan."

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi's accusations, Long Laotaitai was furious beyond measure.

Inside the Siheyuan.

Anyone can criticize Long Laotaitai, except Jia Zhangshi; in some matters, Jia Zhangshi and Long Laotaitai are like a turtle and a soft-shelled turtle—both are despicable.

She wanted to retort, but upon thinking she had been reported, Long Laotaitai extinguished the idea of defending herself.

It's come to this.

Still making excuses like an eggplant.

She now just wants to know whether this matter was done by Yi Zhonghai.

"Director Wang, you don't know; Long Laotaitai not only speaks ill of Xu Daming in front of Lou Xiaoe, she also says Yu Li shouldn't marry Shazhu. I, the old woman, have heard this several times; I originally wanted to tell Shazhu and his wife, but thinking of their relation to our Jia Family, I couldn't be bothered. If you hadn't come today, I definitely wouldn't have said this; I've kept it bottled up. As the old saying goes, 'there can be a first and second time, but not a third or fourth'; Long Laotaitai has repeatedly destroyed marriages among our neighbors, and in my opinion, such an old woman should be locked up—she's utterly immoral."

Shazhu sucked in a breath of cold air.

Holy shit!

Originally the spectators, now they've become the spectacle.

At a loss for a moment, not knowing whether Jia Zhangshi's words are true or false; if false, Long Laotaitai indeed has such a record; if true, I have long had no dealings with Long Laotaitai.

His gaze involuntarily fell on Long Laotaitai.

Perhaps sensing Shazhu's gaze, feeling guilty toward him, Long Laotaitai drooped her head, making her look like a frost‑struck eggplant, wilted.

There is a witness.

Or there are many witnesses.

This matter is basically settled.

Long Laotaitai no longer bears the dignity of the former Dayuan patriarch; she doesn't speak, but stares at Yi Zhonghai with a questioning gaze.

She constantly suspects Xu Daming is taking the blame for Yi Zhonghai.

Shazhu, taking in Long Laotaitai's expression, snorted coldly in his heart: 'Just dogs biting dogs; Yi Zhonghai doesn't deserve sympathy, nor does Long Laotaitai—they're all beasts.'

His hand gripped Yu Li's hand tighter, fearful that if he let go she would run away.

Feeling the force from Shazhu's big hand, Yu Li leaned her body slightly toward his, and in a voice only they could hear, she whispered: 'No one can tear us apart; marrying you, I am very happy.'

Shazhu didn't speak, but solemnly nodded; marrying Yu Li, he too is very happy.

Yu Li is truly adept at managing household affairs; she arranges indoor and outdoor tasks in orderly fashion, and even the age‑old dilemmas between sister‑in‑law and younger sister‑in‑law she resolves cleverly.

After work, Shazhu returns home, eagerly enjoying Yu Li's care—tea and meals!

Such enjoyment is something Xu Daming in the rear courtyard cannot experience.

Lou Xiaoe, as the eldest daughter of the Lou Family, is inept at housework, let alone cooking.

Xu Daming sometimes returns from watching a movie and still has to brave wind and snow to tidy the house; after cleaning, he may be busy cooking, yet Lou Xiaoe still suffers from her 'young lady' ailment—either she dislikes his food as not to her taste, or she dislikes that his cooking isn't what she wants to eat.

Lou Family's parents look down on Xu Daming.

The marriage of Xu Daming and Lou Xiaoe is not harmonious; both entered it for profit—one coveting the Lou Family's estate, the other banking on Xu Daming's background.

Unless Lou Xiaoe can truly rid herself of her young‑lady habits.

Why does Long Laotaitai dare, in front of Lou Xiaoe, to speak ill of Xu Daming in every way?

The bottom line is that Xu Daming and Lou Xiaoe's marriage has hit a red light.

If Lou Xiaoe were replaced by Yu Li, whether Long Laotaitai would dare to speak is one matter; she said Yu Li would truly dare to slap Long Laotaitai with a big palm, unlike Lou Xiaoe—Long Laotaitai has already spoken ill of Xu Daming dozens of times in her presence, yet Lou Xiaoe neither confronts her nor reveals the truth to Xu Daming.

If Xu Daming hadn't inadvertently exposed Long Laotaitai's habit of speaking ill of him in front of Lou Xiaoe, who knows how long this would have remained hidden.

In the previous life.

Why does Xu Daming dare to sacrifice the Lou Xiaoe family?

It's nothing more than Lou Xiaoe's young‑lady temper plus Xu Daming's resentment from serving her daily needs; Lou Xiaoe's parents look down on Xu Daming, and Lou Xiaoe also looks down on Xu Daming's parents.

Under these circumstances.

Thus the former marital affection is gone; instead, Xu Daming's long‑suppressed anger finally erupts.

Thinking of these.

Shazhu felt that marrying Yu Li was truly the most correct thing he had done in his life, hesitating whether he should, through Yu Li, properly persuade Lou Xiaoe, whose young lady's temper remained unchanged, not improving relations with Xu Damiao's parents, Lou's father and mother continued to look down on Xu Damiao, and some tragedies might repeat.

Shazhu, who was thinking about Lou Xiaoe's family matters, never expected that, at this very moment, a pair of envious eyes fell upon him and his wife from afar.

The owner of that gaze was Qin Huairu.

Having become a widow and having tasted life's hardships, Qin Huairu finally realized that the Jia family was not easy to manage.

Yu Li's happiness contrasted with Qin Huairu's unhappiness.

Sometimes Qin Huairu also wondered, if she became Yu Li, or if she married Shazhu, she thought her current happiness would make her laugh out loud.

Too bad.

There are no 'ifs' in the world.

There's also no regret medicine.

Qin Huairu could only suppress her envy deep in her heart.

……

"Ah!" Old Wang sighed, then told his two subordinates, "Take them back to the Jiēdào and give them a proper education."

This seemed to be Old Wang's only feasible solution.

He also felt it was fucked up.

Even with one foot in the coffin, he still went and ruined someone's marriage, was caught red-handed, and moreover Jia Zhangshi was there serving as a witness.

The facts and evidence were right there.

He could only act according to the rules and regulations as much as possible.

This matter could only be handled through education; as for imprisonment, it seemed not yet considered.

"What are you looking at? Come on, what's the deal, or do you still want me to carry you?"

Seeing Long Laotaitai unwilling to leave, the younger fellow lost his patience and spoke a few harsh words.

The old man had been the pillar of the courtyard; he had seen too many elders like Long Laotaitai, each exerting their remaining strength, but Long Laotaitai was the exception, destroying others' marriages.

Better to tear down ten temples than destroy a family.

Such behavior, even described with the two words 'lacking virtue,' is an obscenity to the concept of lacking virtue.

He gave Long Laotaitai a hard push.

Long Laotaitai staggered, nearly sitting on the ground, and was genuinely panicked.

If she were taken away,

would she still be alive?

It was Sunday again.

Inside the Siheyuan, the place was packed with people, some being neighbors from nearby Dayuan; Long Laotaitai could imagine what fate awaited her—surely a baptism of rotten vegetable leaves and stinky eggs.

A feeling of grief and indignation welled up in her heart.

I am the ancestor of the Dayuan.

I'm just trying to get a bite to eat; do I really deserve to be cursed by countless people?

"I didn't."

Regret comes too late when the matter is at hand.

Long Laotaitai also stopped caring.

Anyway, she's a dead duck with a hard beak.

Her explanation gave Yi Zhonghai a chance to interject and smooth things over.

Yi Zhonghai, who had long wanted to chime in but found no opportunity, firmly seized this chance.

He presented his status as the Dayuan's steward and, seizing the gap, began to exonerate Long Laotaitai.

It was just an act.

With the neighbors present and outsiders around, Yi Zhonghai couldn't just stand by; even if acting, he had to play the role of a devoted filial son to Long Laotaitai.

"Director, the old lady is old; do you think this matter should be settled internally in our Dayuan, taking the old lady away for education—is that a bit too much? The old lady has no ill intentions; she's confused."

"Destroying someone's marriage—isn't that still a serious matter?"

In the crowd,

a sentence of righteous indignation was transmitted.

Yi Zhonghai naturally approved in his heart, but on his face he put on a troubled expression; the more Long Laotaitai's persona was denounced by everyone, the more Yi Zhonghai could profit from it.

One sentence.

Long Laotaitai's value had already been almost fully exploited by Yi Zhonghai; the hypocrite, by pretending to care for Long Laotaitai, successfully crafted the persona of a kind-hearted person who looks after the lonely elderly.

Thus,

Long Laotaitai, who constantly pondered eating meat and occasionally threatened Yi Zhonghai with a club and Huaihua, became a ball, kicked far away by Yi Zhonghai.

An old woman who ruins others' marriages is a lacking-virtue old woman; such an old woman's words naturally lack credibility.

Yi Zhonghai's confidence thus stems from this.

By tarnishing Long Laotaitai's reputation, her words naturally become nonsense.

Killing invisibly.

That is the key.

"The old lady truly is confused; sometimes she herself doesn't know what she said or did."

"Red Star Courtyard still claims to be a civilized courtyard? Is this what a civilized courtyard should do? Being confused is an excuse—too lacking in virtue; whether the old lady is truly or feigning confusion, don't the neighbors know?"

"Exactly, if she truly were confused, with dog feces on the ground, if the old lady dared to eat it, then she would be truly confused."

Yi Zhonghai's gaze fell upon Long Laotaitai.

His intention was nothing more than for you to eat a bit of dog feces; once you ate that feces, you would be considered confused, and there would be no need to take you away for education.

Feeling Yi Zhonghai's gaze, Long Laotaitai felt the urge to die.

Eat shit.

Is this what the Dayuan's ancestors should do?

I ate shit, and I'll still be laughed to death.

Don't want to eat.

But the situation on site won't let Long Laotaitai refuse to eat.

She steeled herself.

She stamped her foot.

She grabbed a handful of shit and gulped it down in two or three bites.

A hint of satisfaction appeared on her face.

This old lady dares to eat shit.

You dare?

「This old lady has gone mad; to avoid the charge of ruining someone's marriage, she started pretending to be crazy and foolish by eating shit. 」

「Yeah. 」

「This Siheyuan can't be stayed in; what the hell kind of old lady is this? 」

The voices of the crowd flew clearly into Long Laotaitai's ears, and she turned into a wooden puppet; this outcome was truly beyond her expectation.

It's not like eating shit makes me muddy; this affair has been blown up then downplayed.

So you're deceiving me.

「Old lady, do you think pretending to be crazy and foolish will let you get away with it? Take her away! 」

「Director, give me some face. 」

Yi Zhonghai now has only one thought.

Acting.

Act as much as possible.

「Yi Zhonghai, we understand your feelings; everyone knows you have a good relationship with the old lady, you've always taken care of her, you don't want her to end up like this, but some things, once done are done, once wrong are wrong; you must know your mistakes and change them. As you just saw, to avoid responsibility, she pretended to be crazy and foolish by eating shit—what kind of behavior is this? Essentially, she hasn't realized her mistake. 」

Long Laotaitai's heart.

A wave of chill.

Others may not know what Yi Zhonghai is plotting, but as his partner, how could she not know what he's plotting!

She felt some resentment toward herself, regretting her impatience that led to failure.

If only there had been a little delay.

If only she had avoided Xu Daming a little.

Then none of this would have happened.

Long Laotaitai is now certain that the so-called accusation letter from Xu Daming is actually Yi Zhonghai pulling strings behind the scenes; if she were in Yi Zhonghai's position, she would do the same.

Killing with a borrowed knife!

「Zhonghai, my old lady was wrong; people do things, heaven watches; some things, if not done, fine, but once done, the truth will eventually come to light. 」

Outsiders all thought Long Laotaitai was engaging in self-repentance.

Only Yi Zhonghai did not think so.

Long Laotaitai's words had hidden meaning; seemingly speaking about herself, she was actually warning Yi Zhonghai: the matters of the club and Huaihua are like a fire wrapped in paper; now it seems calm, but if even a slight breeze stirs, the paper wrapping the fire will burn away, and the truth will be revealed to the world.

The thought of killing Long Laotaitai in his heart grew ever stronger.

Yi Zhonghai suddenly realized.

To him, Long Laotaitai alive is always a disaster; merely tarnishing her reputation is far from enough—only a dead person won't speak!

After all, this matter cannot see the light; once exposed, it won't be just a criticism and demotion by the Yagangchang.

It will cost a life.

In Yi Zhonghai's heart, the Yi family's bloodline surpasses everything; the importance of the club and Huaihua cannot even be compared to that of a matriarch.

「Old lady, what you said, I, Yi Zhonghai, have noted down. 」

「Just note it down, just note it down. 」

Long Laotaitai was taken out of the Siheyuan.

What greeted her was countless people's curses.

Destroying someone's marriage.

You lack virtue!

Jia Zhangshi's heart also calmed completely; without Long Laotaitai, who would still compete with her for meat?