Chapter 213: Jia Zhangshi: The Letter Was Lost

Hospital.

Qin Huairu slowly woke up amidst intense pain.

Jia Zhangshi's wailing and pleading voice.

Through the crack in the door.

It seeped into Qin Huairu's ear.

"Doctor, the person lying inside is my daughter-in-law. I, an old woman, am uneducated and inexperienced; I don't know anything. I only know my daughter-in-law must come to no harm. Please, please save my daughter-in-law. If all else fails, let me trade my life for hers."

Following that came two "thump-thump" sounds.

Qin Huairu guessed.

It should have been the sound of Jia Zhangshi's head hitting the ground.

Her heart involuntarily turned cold.

Crashing into the pillar to seek death was Qin Huairu's plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Primary objective.

To survive.

To keep her job at the Yagangchang.

All of this required Yi Zhonghai to take the blame.

Qin Huairu could only shift all blame onto Yi Zhonghai in order to preserve her reputation, keep her right to work at the Yagangchang, and avoid ending up with nowhere to stand.

Like Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu also misinterpreted things, imagining that Yi Zhonghai being taken away by the comrades meant he was the murderer.

Anyway, they were both going to die.

One more or one less makes no difference.

With the thought of making use of waste, she bumped into the pillar.

She merely wanted to use the fact of bumping the pillar to prove her innocence.

From analyzing Jia Zhangshi's wailing voice,

Qin Huairu's plan should have succeeded; otherwise, at this moment Jia Zhangshi outside, wailing and begging, would not only not appear but would also be cursing.

Yet Jia Zhangshi's appearance also became Qin Huairu's inescapable nightmare.

The root of bumping the pillar was to create an impression of having difficulties for the neighbors, laying a small foundation for Qin Huairu's future plans.

The Dao rises a foot, the demon rises ten feet.

Jia Zhangshi actually went with the flow, performing a play of maternal kindness and filial piety before the neighbors and various people inside the hospital.

In outsiders' eyes, Jia Zhangshi, who would not hesitate to trade her own life for Qin Huairu's, is a good mother-in-law who treats Qin Huairu as her own birth daughter.

Such a good mother-in-law.

If you really abandon her without a care and go off alone to pursue a happy life, Qin Huairu will be drowned by people's spit.

Qin Huairu's plan to put a hat on Jia Zhangshi's head was thwarted by Jia Zhangshi.

A faint sense of desolation instantly welled up in her heart.

Could it be that she'll never be able to shake off Jia Zhangshi for the rest of her life?

Just now inside the siheyuan, Jia Zhangshi, without any regard for Qin Huairu's status as the Jia family's daughter-in-law, blatantly exposed in front of the neighbors the matter between Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai, and further pointed out that Huaihua bears the surname Yi.

Just now inside the Siheyuan, Jia Zhangshi showed no regard for Qin Huairu's status as a daughter-in-law of the Jia Family, and in front of the neighbors she bluntly exposed the matter between Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai, furthermore making it clear that Huaihua's surname is Yi.

Even if Qin Huairu had done something wrong to the Jia family, giving Jia Dongxu a green hat, Jia Zhangshi should not have publicly exposed the scandal.

Even if Qin Huairu had done something wrong to the Jia Family and given Jia Dongxu a green hat, Jia Zhangshi should not have exposed the scandal publicly.

Especially the meat dishes.

Most of it went into Jia Zhangshi's mouth.

She lifted the bowl to eat, then set it down and cursed her mother-in-law.

All the good things are yours, Jia Zhangshi, and all the bad things are mine, Qin Huairu.

All the good things are yours, Jia Zhangshi, and all the bad things are mine, Qin Huairu.

Just because you are my mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi?

Is it just because you, Jia Zhangshi, are my mother-in-law?

In the hallway.

Jia Zhangshi, completely unaware that Qin Huairu had already awakened, continued to energetically perform the bitter drama, kowtowing and lamenting.

Portraying the image of a good mother-in-law who worries anxiously about her daughter-in-law's safety.

It left a deep imprint on the hearts of some onlookers.

Until the comrades arrived.

Only then did Jia Zhangshi slightly restrain herself.

She lifted her face, covered with a mixture of snot, saliva, and tears.

She looked eagerly at the comrades.

Her heart rose to her throat.

She thought they had come to arrest her.

If Qin Huairu's pillar-bumping were to be thoroughly investigated, Jia Zhangshi would inevitably suffer some misfortune as well.

"My ill-fated daughter-in-law, why did you decide to bump into the pillar? If something happens to you, what am I to do? Bangeng and Xiao Dang—what will become of them? Huairu, my good daughter-in-law, you must not come to harm."

Who stipulated that acting unreasonably must involve cursing in the street?

Declaring one's stance, pretending to be noble, performing a bitter drama—these are likewise methods of causing a scene.

Jia Zhangshi used this means to alleviate her deep-seated fear of the comrades.

Jia Zhangshi used this means to alleviate her deep-seated fear of the comrades.

Doctor, I beg you, please save my poor daughter-in-law; my son is dead, and the whole family relies on her alone to hold things together. Our Jia Family cannot do without her. Doctor, if you can save my daughter-in-law Qin Huairu, our Jia Family will agree even if we have to smash our pots and sell our iron. I, this old woman, beg you.

You are Jia Zhangshi?

Jia Zhangshi's body trembled slightly.

She endured the fear.

She honestly nodded.

We came to find you to learn about the situation.

Jia Zhangshi's heart, hanging in midair,

It could barely settle.

What they said was that they came to find you to learn about the situation, not that you should go with us for a trip.

I, the old woman, will definitely say what I know.

The older comrade flashed his credentials at the doctor, leaned in close to the doctor's ear and whispered a few words; the doctor also whispered back a few words.

Although Jia Zhangshi didn't know what they were saying, she guessed it had something to do with Qin Huairu inside the room.

During the process of answering the comrade's questions, that doctor glanced several times toward the adjacent ward.

Could Qin Huairu have woken up?

Jia Zhangshi had no proof to dispel her doubt about whether Qin Huairu had woken up.

He was taken by the two older comrades to a nearby empty room that had been specially cleared out; the remaining two comrades, led by the doctor, entered Qin Huairu's ward.

……

Inside the room.

Jia Zhangshi looked honestly and eagerly at the two comrades before her.

Facing the comrades.

Her reliance on dominating the Siheyuan now had no place to be used.

Comrade, what do you want to know? This old woman will surely tell the truth.

One comrade opened a paper notebook.

Responsible for recording.

Another comrade then spoke up to ask.

"Don't panic, we're just here to get a simple understanding of the situation." The comrade who comforted Jia Zhangshi then shifted the topic to Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu, saying, "We have a general understanding of your Jia Family's affairs, of Yi Zhonghai's matters, of your son Jia Dongxu's affairs, and of Qin Huairu's affairs."

Jia Zhangshi, whose heart had completely calmed down.

She was somewhat startled.

How come Jia Dongxu's affairs are also involved here?

Jia Dongxu has been dead for almost a year.

Upon thinking it over.

After all, Qin Huairu is Jia Dongxu's daughter-in-law, Yi Zhonghai is Jia Dongxu's master; the two were carrying on behind Jia Dongxu's back and even caused a death, so naturally it concerns Jia Dongxu.

It is only natural that they would seek Jia Zhangshi to learn about Jia Dongxu's situation.

That makes logical sense.

Comrade, ask away; if it's something I, the old woman, know, I will definitely tell you.

Is Huaihua Yi Zhonghai's daughter?

Yes." Jia Zhangshi affirmed: "She is Yi Zhonghai's daughter."

Was she born of Qin Huairu?

Yes.

Is Qin Huairu Jia Dongxu's daughter-in-law? Is Jia Dongxu Yi Zhonghai's disciple?

That's the case.

Answer correctly or incorrectly.

Correct.

Did Qin Huairu crash into the pillar? Before she hit the pillar, did you, in front of the neighbors, say that Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai were carrying on, and did that happen?

A faint sense of helplessness rose in Jia Zhangshi; she realized she had fallen into Qin Huairu's trap and, no matter what, had to go along with Qin Huairu's wishes.

A dramatic pillar-crashing scene.

In an instant, it turned Qin Huairu's unfavorable situation around.

In the eyes of outsiders.

Qin Huairu was forced by Yi Zhonghai; for the sake of the Jia Family, she had no choice but to submit to Yi Zhonghai, and moreover she endured endless blame from the Jia Family members who were unaware of the truth.

Otherwise, why would she, with a death-seeking mindset, summon all her strength to crash into the pillar?

That collision.

Even to this day, it still makes some people dare not recall it.

Comrade, speaking frankly, I only learned the truth about this matter up to now; I, the old woman, knew nothing about Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai's affair; Yi Zhonghai gave our family things, and I always thought he was helping us out of pity for our widowed and orphaned household—who could have imagined he was such a beastly scoundrel; he deserves a bad death.

Don't even mention me.

The neighbors in our courtyard didn't know about this; they all thought Yi Zhonghai was helping our family out of respect for our son Dongxu, and some even made sarcastic remarks, saying how they hadn't encountered such a good master as Yi Zhonghai; if they had known the truth, I would rather starve than eat a single grain from the Yi family.

She caught her breath.

He shifted the topic to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu wasn't trying to whitewash her image, was she?

Then let's fulfill Qin Huairu's wish.

First, let's get past this immediate hurdle.

As for how not to let Qin Huairu remarry, that's a matter for later.

Take a step.

See how it goes.

I never expected my daughter-in-law Qin Huairu; for our Jia Family, she has endured Yi Zhonghai's bullying, yet I scolded her for not observing womanly virtues, I even wanted to drive her out of our Jia Family; for our Jia Family, she swallowed her anger, toiled uncomplainingly, not uttering a word of resentment—such a good daughter-in-law, hard to find even with a lantern—I.

Jia Zhangshi is also a ruthless person.

To cooperate with Qin Huairu.

In front of the two comrades.

He slapped himself hard twice.

I am unworthy to be someone's mother-in-law; I deserve to be beaten; I am sorry to my daughter-in-law; I want nothing now, I only want my daughter-in-law Qin Huairu to be well.

What else do you know about your son Jia Dongxu's affair?

The comrade asking the questions.

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi seemed not to quite grasp the meaning of his words.

He quickly added a sentence.

During the time your son Jia Dongxu met with misfortune, did he exhibit any abnormal behavior?

Jia Zhangshi thought seriously for five or six minutes.

Only then did she answer the comrade's question.

I really recalled something: two days before my son met with misfortune, he suddenly told me, saying that if he ever had an accident, I should go find Shazhu from our Dayuan; you tell me, does that count as abnormal behavior? Everyone in the Dayuan knows our Jia Family doesn't get along with Shazhu.

Shazhu?

At first hearing, it's obviously a nickname.

Looking at you two, it's clear you don't know who Shazhu is—the cook at Yagangchang, whose real name is He Yuzhu; his father He Daqing ran off with a widow, and his sister He Yushui is now in high school.

Why look for He Yuzhu, that is, the Shazhu you speak of?

I don't know; my son told me to find Shazhu and have him take me to the Jiēdào and police station; as for what comes after, I can't recall.

Jia Zhangshi shook her head.

Her chubby head looked as if it were shaking like a pig's head.

According to Yi Zhonghai's account, he designed Jia Dongxu's downfall.

But according to Jia Zhangshi's statement, Jia Dongxu had made preparations in advance before his misfortune.

Have Jia Zhangshi go look for Shazhu.

This is the evidence.

This corresponds with Yi Zhonghai's account of Jia Dongxu extorting him.

It appears.

Jia Dongxu also knew that his second extortion of Yi Zhonghai with an exorbitant demand would provoke Yi Zhonghai to kill him, so he made preparations in advance.

Shazhu!

The head cook of Yagangchang!

Jia Dongxu was Yi Zhonghai's apprentice at Yagangchang.

Yi Zhonghai is a Level 8 Technician at Yagangchang, and it's said he has always been at odds with Shazhu.

The Jia Family also doesn't get along with the He Family.

Why would Jia Dongxu hand the life-saving letter to Shazhu?

Right, I also recalled something: the day before my son met with misfortune, he wrote me a letter saying that if anything happened to him, I should take the letter to the Jiēdào and police station.

The comrade asking the questions.

If not for his throat blocking it, his heart...

could fly out of his chest from excitement.

Jia Dongxu foresaw that Yi Zhonghai would move against him, made preparations in advance, and wrote down the grievances between himself and Yi Zhonghai in this letter.

Find this letter.

Once Yi Zhonghai's murder of Jia Dongxu is settled, he can put a perfect end to it.

Where is the letter?

It's lost.

The comrades all thought they were hallucinating.

They asked again.

This time Jia Zhangshi did not answer 'lost,' but replied that she couldn't find it.

Is there any difference between losing it and not being able to find it?

No difference.

The two comrades' hearts— they couldn't describe how they felt.

This Jia Zhangshi before them.

She is practically a pig-brain.

She can forget everything her son entrusted to her completely.

Where did you lose it?

I don't know where I lost it; if I knew where, I would surely have retrieved the letter, and I also blame the fact that Yi Zhonghai's family was eating dumplings that day.

When it came to eating, Jia Zhangshi became spirited.

Her tone also became eager.

Yi Zhonghai bought two catties of fine noodles and half a catty of pork, saying he would eat meat-egg dumplings, but he put in cabbage and carrots instead; my old lady remembers clearly—Dong Xu gave me the letter first, then I put the letter under the mattress and went over to the Yi family to eat dumplings; if my old lady hadn't gone in time, the dumplings would have been eaten up by Long Laotaitai.

Rice bucket.

This is the only descriptive term the two comrades can think of.

Upon further thought.

It's not that there are no clues.

Inside the house.

"It's not inside the house either; my old lady has searched several times, I don't know where this letter got lost."

The two well-informed comrades.

At that time they pinned the clue of the lost letter on Jia Family's Bangeng.

I heard this child's nickname is Dao Sheng.

The neighbors' cabbages, carrots, eggs and such in the courtyard have often been patronized by this Dao Sheng.

Having a Dao Sheng at home, losing the letter is also possible.

……

Next door.

An identical scene is taking place.

It was merely that the person being questioned changed from Jia Zhangshi to Qin Huairu lying on the hospital bed.

Seeing the comrades come in.

Qin Huairu propped herself up with her arms, trying hard to sit up.

She wanted to leave a good impression on the comrades.

In the end, she fell short at the last moment.

The anesthetic's effect had just worn off.

She had no strength at all.

Seeing Qin Huairu trying to sit up, the comrades hurriedly urged her.

"Qin Huairu, just lie down; we want to ask you a few simple questions."