Chapter 186: Jia Zhangshi's Tricks: How Qin Huairu Can Be a Good Widow

In the struggle over meat dishes with the deaf old lady, Jia Zhangshi, believing she had secured the final victory, felt a faint smile of satisfaction. She spat at the deaf old lady's figure being led away by the street office, then even stepped on the spit several times with her foot, as if treating the deaf old lady as spit, utterly unconcerned.

The deaf old lady was taken away.

Jia Zhangshi is the new matriarch of the courtyard.

She wants to eat well.

She wants to dress well.

She also constantly argues with the neighbors in the courtyard.

She does not throw tantrums.

Can she still be called Jia Zhangshi?

She does not cause a fuss.

Qin Huairu could just remarry, couldn't she?

Jia Zhangshi wants to artificially create a series of obstacles for Qin Huairu's remarriage.

In life, she is a member of the Jia family.

In death, she is a ghost of the Jia family.

She wants to remarry.

Not even a chance.

"Huairu, do you see this? People shouldn't lack virtue, otherwise they'll have no good ending. A dying old lady still fighting over meat with our family's child deserves to be taken away."

Jia Zhangshi's shout.

It somewhat has the meaning of pointing at the mulberry while cursing the locust tree.

Her gaze remained fixed on Shazhu and his wife from beginning to end.

She lifted her bowl and ate.

She put down her bowl and cursed her mother.

Only I, Jia Zhangshi.

Shazhu pretended not to see, even deliberately putting on a smile; after being neighbors with Jia Zhangshi for so many years, he knew all too well what kind of person Laoqianpo was.

Generally speaking, when Laoqianpo throws a tantrum at you, you must give her the cold shoulder; only by making Jia Zhangshi bored can she secretly feel resentful from the depths of her heart. The more you argue with Jia Zhangshi, the more excited she gets, to the point that she dares to shed her restraints and shout insults at you.

As Shazhu's wife, Yu Li deeply understood the principle of husband leads, wife follows. Seeing Shazhu force a smile that made Jia Zhangshi's nose almost crooked with anger, she worried that truly angering Jia Zhangshi would bring disaster upon herself for no reason, so she hurriedly pulled Shazhu into the house, adopting an attitude of avoiding association with fools.

Being pulled indoors by his wife, Shazhu was not unhappy.

He knew what Yu Li was thinking: nothing more than worrying that if he argued with Jia Zhangshi, he'd gain a bad reputation for bullying an orphan and widow.

He secretly sighed.

Marry a virtuous wife.

The ancients never deceived me.

A sincere smile appeared on his face; he reached into his pocket, pulled out a stack of banknotes, and handed them to Yu Li, the Yagangchang factory's previous month's

A standard good man.

The wages were handed over in full.

Not a single ticket was kept back.

Yu Li counted a few banknotes, seeming to amount to four or five yuan, and handed them back to Shazhu.

"What are you doing?"

He naturally knew what she meant.

It was nothing more than pretending not to know while actually knowing.

He wanted to experience the feeling of being valued by his wife.

"As the man of the house, you can't possibly have no money at all; you should keep some for social expenses."

Shazhu didn't take it.

The reason he gave was very manly.

I am a man and a cook; even in years of famine, there's no reason a cook should starve. You should keep the money for yourself—use it to buy clothes, buy food and drink; no matter what, you must not shortchange the child in your belly. I don't want our son to curse me in the future.

"How do you know it's a son? What if it's a daughter?"

"If it's a son, we grandfather and I will dote on you together; if it's a daughter, I will dote on both of you together."

Shazhu's rustic love talk.

It made Yu Li's heart feel as sweet as honey; after thinking, she divided the banknotes into three parts.

Shazhu was quite confused; he never really understood the specific uses of the family's banknotes—just giving money each month was enough, and he truly didn't know how to use them specifically.

Only after Yu Li's explanation did he realize that one-third of it was prepared for He Yushui.

Ah.

A faint sigh of regret.

It flew out of Shazhu's mouth.

He constantly said he would compensate Yushui for her lifelong shortcomings, yet he completely forgot He Yushui; instead, Yu Li, who has no blood relation to He Yushui, took care of He Yushui for Shazhu.

He reached out his hand.

He pulled Yu Li into his embrace.

He rested his chin on Yu Li's forehead and whispered softly.

"Having you is really great!"

A heartfelt gratitude.

……

The Jia family.

Jia Zhangshi, who Shazhu had ignored, was so angry her gums itched.

In her heart, this was Shazhu refusing to give her face as the ancestor of the new Dayuan.

She wanted to throw a tantrum.

But she just thought of some things.

She put aside the idea of throwing a tantrum.

Inside the Siheyuan.

The only people who could make Jia Zhangshi wary were Xu Daming and Shazhu; these two had more than once spoken harshly to Jia Zhangshi, and if Jia Zhangshi really pushed them to the edge, they would go find trouble for Bangeng.

If Jia Zhangshi provokes me, I hit Bangeng; if she gets angry at me, I hit Bangeng; if she unreasonably quarrels with me, I hit Bangeng.

Jia Zhangshi, who worries about Bangeng's safety, can only choose to ignore Shazhu and his wife and Xu Daming and his wife.

Just now's pointing at the mulberry while cursing the locust.

Its purpose was nothing more than being strongly stimulated by the happiness of Shazhu and his wife.

She unnaturally thought of the early-deceased Jia Dongxu, and mused: If Jia Dongxu were alive, he would surely be as happy as Shazhu.

What is lacking?

But what is being asked for?

Dong Xu died; for the Jia family's benefit, Jia Zhangshi, as Qin Huairu's mother-in-law, actively brought Qin Huairu to Shanghuan, and after achieving the purpose of going to Shanghuan, Laoqianpo's thoughts still changed; now what she thinks about most is how to make Qin Huairu a satisfactory widow, which can profit the Jia family but cannot allow remarriage.

"Huairu."

"Mom."

"Tell me honestly, did you really lose the money and the tickets?"

Qin Huairu's heart trembled.

Just knew that Jia Zhangshi wasn't so easy to fool.

To outsiders, Jia Zhangshi is just a meddling old woman who knows nothing and specializes in screwing over her own teammates; but only Qin Huairu knows just how shrewd Jia Zhangshi really is.

Jia Dongxu has been dead for a little over three months.

Jia Zhangshi keeps Qin Huairu under her thumb everywhere.

Qin Huairu also saw the situation clearly; as long as Jia Zhangshi lives a day, she will not have a good day.

Some things simply cannot be hidden from Jia Zhangshi.

Since it can't be hidden, she also has to force herself to make up lies.

The relationship with Yi Zhonghai really cannot let Jia Zhangshi know.

If Jia Zhangshi were to learn of Qin Huairu's relationship with Yi Zhonghai, and learn that Huaihua is Yi Zhonghai's wife, she would naturally think of Jia Dongxu's death.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.

In the situation where Yi Zhonghai suffers a setback, Qin Huairu also cannot fare well.

Just consider it a deathbed struggle.

"Mom, why would I lie to you? I really lost it!" Qin Huairu, realizing she couldn't make up lies, boldly employed a retreat-to-advance tactic: "If you don't believe me, I have no other way; otherwise, you go to the Yagangchang to fill a post, and I'll stay home to look after the child."

Jia Zhangshi let out a cold snort in her heart.

I'll go to work, you stay home to look after the child, but I'm afraid you'll sit around with nothing to do and overthink; if you really figure things out and remarry without a care, the Jia family would have nothing left.

For the present plan.

Only if Qin Huairu goes to work at the Yagangchang can the Jia family's interests be maximized.

Qin Huairu has been working for over two months.

Rumors faintly reached Jia Zhangshi's ears.

The Yagangchang's pretty widow.

This nickname.

Though it seems mocking, it is also a real benefit; it's said that Qin Huairu sometimes at the Yagangchang doesn't need to spend her own meal tickets, and some people even help pay for her meals without her prompting.

Called.

Helping single widows.

If it were Jia Zhangshi instead, she's old and her looks have faded, it's disgusting to look at, so this help naturally wouldn't be discussed.

For Jia Zhangshi, the benefits already in hand are the greatest.

The food Qin Huairu can't eat, she can still bring back in the evening; Jia Zhangshi sometimes finds a slice or two of fatty pork in it, and eating it is incredibly sweet and tasty.

"Alright, just consider it lost."

A double-meaning answer, and it shows Jia Zhangshi's attitude of not wanting to pursue, and also clarifies Jia Zhangshi's shrewdness in seeing through Qin Huairu's tricks.

It carries a warning implication.

Moreover, there is a warning.

Qin Huairu is not stupid; she sensed Jia Zhangshi's warning, the stone in her heart can finally settle somewhat, considered as having brushed past it.

"Mom."

"Huairu, you shouldn't blame Mom either; it's hard for us orphaned widows, you lost the money, where will this month's supplement come from? We won't have enough to eat, we'll lack food; I, the old woman, don't care—if I die, I die, one death settles everything, to spare you Qin Huairu the burden."

Jia Zhangshi was saying pleasant-sounding platitudes.

"But the kids can't do that—Bangeng is nine, Xiao Dang is seven, exactly the age to grow their bodies; lacking nutrition won't do; Mom's meaning is that you still have to step up."

Qin Huairu widened her eyes.

I'll step up.

Even if I step up, it won't work.

The eldest matriarch seems to have noticed something; whenever Qin Huairu appears at the Yi household, the eldest matriarch's eyes always carry a hint of strong vigilance.

"Don't look at me, I didn't mention Yi Zhonghai; Yi Zhonghai isn't a good person, he's someone who cuts off the family line; seeing you become a widow, you have some thoughts." Jia Zhangshi suddenly said word by word: "Qin Huairu, some things must be done behind people's backs; I don't want to be stabbed in the back."

Mom, you keep bringing up where you went again—I have nothing to do with Old Master. In the workshop, Old Master sometimes still helps me carry the pot. It's just because I'm poorly educated and can't make good parts; I've been ostracized by countless people. If Old Master also worries about his reputation, I, Qin Huairu, really can't go on.

Alright, cut it out—I'm talking about Shazhu.

Qin Huairu froze.

Jia Zhangshi's words were truly shocking.

It genuinely frightened Qin Huairu.

Inside the Siheyuan.

The relationship between the He Family and the Jia Family.

They have had no contact until death.

Even when they speak, it's mixed with barbs—nothing but nasty remarks.

Yet Jia Zhangshi brought up Shazhu out of the blue.

Shazhu is a well‑to‑do household in the Siheyuan and also the cook at the Yagangchang. In any line of work there are rules that let you bring leftovers; the Yagangchang is a huge factory with tens of thousands of workers. When colleagues and superiors show up, they still need a special side dish prepared—and Shazhu's cooking is unmatched for that. Mom's point is: if we can get on good terms with Shazhu, our Jia Family will never have to worry about food or drink again.

Qin Huairu is still young and lacks experience as a widow; in that regard she tries to learn as much as possible from Jia Zhangshi, learning how to be a competent widow.

She wore a troubled expression.

She used the fact that the Jia and He families don't associate as an excuse.

Mom, Shazhu doesn't associate with our Jia Family.

What's the harm in not associating? I, the old woman, constantly try to curry favor with him—I don't believe he's so cold‑blooded as to shut us out. If I can't, there's still you, Qin Huairu. We're an orphan and a widow; if Shazhu won't associate with our family, he's just cold‑blooded. These days, a ruined reputation means you can't get anything done. And besides, there's also Yi Zhonghai.

Old Master?

Yi Zhonghai bears a grudge against Shazhu, Shazhu bears a grudge against our Jia Family, and our Jia Family are friends with Yi Zhonghai.

Qin Huairu was somewhat taken aback; she only knew that Yi Zhonghai and Shazhu also had no contact until death, but she didn't know how the two families came to bear a grudge.

Yi Zhonghai is a man destined to have no heirs; he once contracted a chronic illness that left Elder Ma unable to bear children, putting the Yi family on the brink of dying out. He then wanted Shazhu to help him in his old age, and even scared Shazhu's father, He Daqing, into fleeing. He had hoped to achieve two goals at once, but he didn't expect Shazhu to see through his plot, leap out of the Yagangchang's fire pit, and thus leave Yi Zhonghai with no recourse.

Qin Huairu's heart.

felt numb.

I never expected there to be so much gratitude and resentment involved.

Suddenly I felt a bit of sympathy for Shazhu.

Putting myself in his shoes, I fear I would have been trapped by Yi Zhonghai's scheme and yet still feel indebted to his kindness.

Several years ago.

Simply because Yi Zhonghai saw through my desire to marry into the city.

It let me complete the transformation from maiden to married woman.

Afterwards, to shift the blame, I introduced myself to Jia Dongxu.

And then I ended up in my present situation.

If it weren't for the current situation, I'd say Shazhu definitely wouldn't go back to the Yagangchang. Yi Zhonghai has schemed his whole life, suffered a setback because of Shazhu, and he can't swallow that. The old woman will go see Yi Zhonghai shortly, ask him to call a Dayuan meeting, and have the neighbors give us aid at that meeting. You've lost money—this is proof. We can't let the whole Jia Family starve to death, can we?

Will the neighbors agree?

They definitely won't. Jia Zhangshi's face broke into a conspiratorial grin. "So we two women need to put on a show for Yi Zhonghai and the neighbors."

Acting.

How to act.

Qin Huairu's gaze fell on Jia Zhangshi's face.

Huairu, we are women; a woman's tears are the greatest weapon. When I, the old woman, was young and beautiful, a single cry would soften the hearts of everyone in the Siheyuan—otherwise I couldn't have raised Dongxu. Remember, we're just acting: I will scold you, you say nothing, just cry. In the neighbors' eyes I'm the meddlesome, shrewish old woman, while you, Qin Huairu, are the devoted daughter‑in‑law who wholeheartedly looks after the family. Do you understand?

Qin Huairu nodded.

She also felt a sense of loss welling up inside.

She seemed to have found the gap between herself and Jia Zhangshi, and it was precisely this gap that let Jia Zhangshi successfully get a hold of Qin Huairu.

"I'm sure those neighbors won't willingly help our Jia Family; I'll argue with the neighbors, focusing on scolding Shazhu. When the time comes, you only need to do one thing: go door-to-door apologizing for me. When you get to Shazhu's house, while apologizing, you must be sure to close the door."

"Close the door?"

"A widow's door is always full of gossip; this is experience I, an old woman, have personally summed up. Once the door is shut, who knows what you're doing inside? When the time comes, you just tear your clothes—you can then use that to threaten Shazhu, make him give us money and tickets; otherwise you just say Shazhu is fooling around with you, messing about, doing nonsense. You're a widow, what's there to fear? The one to worry about is Shazhu. If you apologize to him every day, over time even nothing turns into something—our Jia Family can also live a good life."

Qin Huairu sighed.

Regretting not having done it earlier.