Chapter 223

Yu Li made great contributions for the He family, fulfilling Shazhu's dream of becoming a father, and gave birth to a big fat boy weighing five jin and eight liang for Shazhu.

His formal name is He Weiguo.

His nickname is Shitou.

The family has added a new member.

And it's a boy who carries on the family line.

According to the customs of the Capital City, we must let the neighbors in the courtyard share in the joy.

This is commonly known as exchanging joy for blessings.

Use your joy as a new father to take from the neighbors' blessings for the child's healthy growth.

It's the same principle as in some places where if you wet the bed or accidentally fall into the outhouse, you go door to door asking for rice to make congee.

If there are no conditions, that's how you do it without conditions.

If there are conditions, that's how you share with conditions.

Shazhu prepared to give each person a red-shelled egg.

The eggs were obtained by Yu Li's parents after great effort, bartering from various places.

When you give the egg to someone, they take it and, facing you, say a word of congratulations and the auspicious phrase for the child's long life.

That's it.

Starting from Yan Fugui's house in the front courtyard, continuing all the way to Liu Haizhong's house in the back courtyard, then spreading from the back courtyard to the middle courtyard, not even missing Daya Ma and Qin Huairu.

"Daya Ma, Yu Li gave birth to a boy, mother and child are safe, I offer you a red-shelled egg, so you may share in the joy."

Looking at the red-shelled egg Shazhu handed over.

Daya Ma felt a mix of emotions.

She bore no ill will toward Shazhu.

Even if she did.

It would only be to get Shazhu to support her in her old age.

"Shazhu, congratulations, this child will surely amount to something."

"Daya Ma, thank you for your kind words."

Shazhu, having responded, walked toward the Jia family, and at the Jia family's door, handed the last red-shelled egg in his hand to Qin Huairu, repeating exactly the auspicious words he had just said.

"Qin Huairu, I..."

"Master He, I heard Yu Li gave birth to a son for you?"

Qin Huairu's tone.

Carried a hint of conflicting emotion.

Shazhu, immersed in the joy of becoming a father, failed to notice and answered with a beaming brow.

"A big fat boy of five jin and eight liang, formal name He Weiguo, defending the nation, nickname Shitou, free from illness and disaster."

Qin Huairu felt dejected.

It was the scene she least wanted to see.

Namely, Shazhu having his own child.

Having eaten the benefits of Yi Zhonghai's three or four years of childless deprivation thanks to Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu had broadened her horizons; she knew all too well the suffering of those childless and deprived.

She did not want to be deprived by others.

To ensure someone would support them in old age and see them to their end, she would agree to any condition without hesitation.

Yi Zhonghai was a living example.

Shazhu in the middle courtyard.

Permade Mao in the back courtyard.

The two most prosperous households in the Siheyuan.

According to Jia Zhangshi's plan, Shazhu would be deprived, Permade Mao would be deprived, the two deprivations would support old age, and they would set their sights on Bangeng of the Jia family; by then, Shazhu's house, Permade Mao's house, the three turns and one response in the house, plus savings, would all belong to the Jia family.

The big and little widows, taking advantage of the late-night quiet, had secretly calculated the possibility of the Jia family's deprivation scheme, and finally reached a conclusion.

To deprive Shazhu and Permade Mao of their heirs.

The plan was divided into three steps.

First step.

Ease the relations between the two families.

Second step.

Having no children, they would have to recognize Bangeng as an adopted son.

Third step.

Take over Shazhu and Permade Mao's homes as their own.

Before the plan could even begin implementation, it was spoiled in advance.

Yu Li gave birth to a big fat boy for Shazhu.

Qin Huairu could figure out the general idea even with her toes: since they now had their own biological son, was there still a need to recognize Bangeng as an adopted son?

Certainly not.

Her gaze fell on Shazhu, and suddenly she understood.

She didn't see Yu Li.

She asked casually.

It would have been better not to ask.

But this question.

It made Qin Huairu lose her composure.

This is how Shazhu answered Qin Huairu: he said Yu Li wanted to be discharged from the hospital, but Shazhu considered that Yu Li had just given birth, her body was weak, and he was worried she might suffer some bad aftereffects, so he insisted she stay in the hospital for another two or three days, and only when the doctor confirmed she was fine would he allow her discharge.

Qin Huairu was stimulated.

She realized that compared to Yu Li, she herself was nothing.

When she was pregnant with Bangeng, Qin Huairu wanted to go to the hospital for a checkup, but Jia Zhangshi was reluctant to spend money and absolutely refused, continuing to make Qin Huairu work.

On the day Bangeng was born, Jia Zhangshi was studying at the street office, while Jia Dongxu didn't care whether Qin Huairu lived or died. If Qin Huairu hadn't gritted her teeth and gone to Yi Zhonghai's house, giving birth to Bangeng there, she very likely would have ended up with both mother and child dead.

They are all human.

Why is my life so miserable?

Yet Yu Li is so fortunate.

Tears welled up in Qin Huairu's eyes as she took the red-shelled egg from Shazhu's hand, turned her head, and entered the Jia family's home.

……

Eight o'clock in the evening.

The election of Liu Haizhong as the head of household elders was solemnly convened as the first grand courtyard meeting of the Siheyuan.

It was not that Liu Haizhong was sincerely showing off.

This was a unanimous demand from the neighbors in the courtyard, to celebrate Shazhu's promotion to cafeteria director in the form of a grand courtyard meeting.

When one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

For a long time.

The highest official in the Siheyuan, at most a workshop production team leader, had only a handful of three or four Miao people under him.

Like Shazhu, a management personnel appointed by the Yagangchang leadership.

Unique.

Especially since Shazhu's position was specifically responsible for the Yagangchang cafeteria as its director.

Many people had ideas.

In the current era of scarce and expensive supplies.

There is a cafeteria director in the courtyard.

It is a natural progression of being close to water and getting the first chance.

Everyone wanted to flatter Shazhu to gain some benefits; at the very least, they could ensure they got sufficient portions at lunchtime without having their food shaken.

Qin Huairu was no exception.

The scheming woman initially paid no attention, still immersed in the depression over Shazhu having a son, but when she heard the neighbors say that Shazhu had been directly promoted by Deputy Factory Director Li to become the head in charge of ten cafeterias, her depression turned into calculation.

The gloom on her face turned into scheming.

Qin Huairu, who entered the factory through a backdoor appointment, belonged to the kind of monk who took up the practice midway—she couldn't read blueprints, nor could she operate machinery skillfully, severely constraining the workshop's production progress and greatly increasing the rate of product scrap.

Yi Zhonghai was present.

Out of respect for Yi Zhonghai's status as a Level 8 Technician.

The coworkers were angry with Qin Huairu, but could only suppress their anger in their hearts.

Yi Zhonghai was not present.

Who would still give Qin Huairu face?

In the workshop, she would face a difficult situation.

That day.

Qin Huairu, resting indoors, kept thinking of strategies, but suffered from having no way.

Suddenly hearing that Shazhu had become the cafeteria director.

Her eyes lit up suddenly.

By leveraging Shazhu's connections, transferring from the workshop to the cafeteria, she could resolve her worries about being sabotaged in the workshop and also gain the means to support her family.

It is said that the cafeteria staff don't eat rice; they just taste the dishes and feel full.

Like some fatty pork, stewed chicken, stewed fish, and other meats, the cafeteria staff taste them first.

It is truly a comfortable position.

The more difficult matter.

Is how to speak up.

Qin Huairu clearly saw that the neighbors in the courtyard were all harboring the same idea as her.