Chapter 236: Jia Zhangshi Returns, Mistakenly Taken as a Good Thing

It concerns everyone's interests.

The neighbors naturally agreed.

Having a just cause is one thing, but nursing ulterior motives is another; making the Jia family live in the haunted house is worse than living in the deaf old lady's house and feeling nauseous every night.

Whether the house can be given to oneself aside, first drive the Jia family into the haunted house.

The neighbors who harbor thoughts of harming others without benefiting themselves.

After Yan Fugui raised his arm, they all raised their arms one by one; some, to show their sincerity, raised both arms.

"Old Liu, I'm just a side‑drum accompaniment; the general direction of our courtyard's affairs still needs you, the head steward, to decide."

Yan Fugui, who knows when to stop.

He kicked the ball to Liu Haizhong.

He certainly didn't want Jia Zhangshi to come back and cause him trouble.

Liu Haizhong hesitated for a few seconds, then, in his capacity as head steward, announced his opinion on how to handle the Jia family's non‑payment of rent.

"All the neighbors agree to move the Jia family into the deaf old lady's house in the rear courtyard; the motion passes unanimously."

"I object."

The objector was Qin Huairu.

Perhaps she didn't want to move into the haunted house and wished to keep her own home.

Qin Huairu, who usually pretended to be a weak woman in front of people, now unexpectedly displayed an unprecedented heroic spirit, her tone becoming much firmer.

She too had lived in the courtyard for over ten years; how could she not know what the neighbors were scheming?

When she angrily questioned the crowd, her body also trembled.

Some people's minds began to wander.

This woman.

Not a good person.

"Qin Huairu, on what grounds do you object?"

In the crowd.

A counter‑question came from the crowd.

It was like a signal.

One by one, they verbally besieged Qin Huairu.

Who put them on the moral high ground?

"The factory's rules, the street office's regulations—written in black and white—we act according to routine and regulations; are we wrong?"

Would Qin Huairu dare say a single wrong word?

That's a big hat.

If that label were stuck on the Jia family, not even Qin Huairu, let alone Jia Zhangshi and Bangeng, could withstand it.

"Or are you, Qin Huairu, openly questioning the factory's routine and the street office's regulations?"

Qin Huairu's heart turned cold.

She thought of Yi Zhonghai.

If the hypocrite were still alive, faced with this, there would be no need for Qin Huairu to step forward; Yi Zhonghai would have moved first to smooth things over, using moral blackmail on everyone.

Yi Zhonghai is dead.

Everything now requires Qin Huairu to face it personally.

The scheming woman suddenly wanted to cry.

When she first married into the courtyard, it was to enjoy blessings, but she ended up falling into a pit of fire; the day after her wedding she became the Jia family's matriarch, laboring over everything for them.

"I!"

"Qin Huairu, what do you want from me? Your family has lived rent‑free in the factory's housing for half a month and still aren't satisfied? You want to seize the house, as if all good things belong to your Jia family? We aren't trying to kick you out; we're helping you move to another place, out of the affection we've held for you neighbors for over ten years—otherwise we'd have thrown your Jia family out."

The neighbors all echoed in agreement.

Moreover, someone suggested helping with the move, claiming Qin Huairu felt unwell and couldn't do heavy work.

They're all thousand‑year‑old foxes.

What tricks are they playing?

Nothing more than worrying that Qin Huairu won't move.

It is also this time.

Jia Zhangshi, pulling Bangeng, appeared before everyone front and back.

Seeing the crowd surrounding Qin Huairu in the middle, Jia Zhangshi didn't think the worst; the old lady was busy pondering good things, mainly her gaze slipping through the crowd's gaps and instantly spotting Qin Huairu slumped on the ground, wearing a miserable expression as if her parents had died.

In the past.

The Jia family lived off a big act of crying poverty, sucking Yi Zhonghai dry, and with his help sucked blood from everyone several times, getting people to donate repeatedly.

Qin Huairu gave birth to Xiao Dang and made a donation; she gave birth to Huaihua and made another donation; she arranged Jia Dongxu's posthumous affairs and also organized a donation.

All three times added up to over a hundred, roughly equivalent to Qin Huairu's six or seven months' salary.

Human greed is never satisfied, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

Who would complain that the money is too little?

Especially a family like the Jia's, they would love for the courtyard's neighbors to donate every day and help them night after night.

Under such thinking.

The old widow Jia Zhangshi and the young widow Qin Huairu put on a red‑white face act, one putting on a red face, the other a white face.

Qin Huairu is the one feigning pity; she must establish an image opposite to Jia Zhangshi's, so as not to leave the neighbors with this vulgar impression.

In Jia Zhangshi's view, Qin Huairu's feigned pity is just to swindle money; as a mother‑in‑law, she should aid Qin Huairu.

Jia Zhangshi, who didn't even ask about the details of the matter, let out a dry howl.

"Hey, my daughter-in-law, what's wrong with you? Why are you sitting on the ground? I, as your mother-in-law, went to live outside for a few days, and the household fell into chaos; we can't even get a proper meal."

The neighbors hadn't expected Jia Zhangshi to return.

They were stunned in an instant.

At this critical juncture.

How did Laoqianpo come back?

And judging by Laoqianpo's tone, this is again a scheme to bleed them dry.

Serves you right.

Yi Zhonghai is dead; who will still organize donations for the Jia family?

Last time Qin Huairu bumped into the pillar, Liu Haizhong did organize a collection, but in the end only Liu Haizhong himself paid twenty yuan, and the neighbors didn't contribute a cent.

Nobody's a fool; there's no such thing as a poor household that gets fat and improves its life twice a week for free. If such a household really existed, the neighbors would all want to be in that situation.

Just treat it as watching a show.

They looked on with amusement as Jia Zhangshi wailed loudly without shedding a single tear.

Someone even considerately made way, seeing off Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu as they reconciled.

A scene of a kind mother-in-law and filial daughter-in-law unfolded before everyone.

Jia Zhangshi grabbed Qin Huairu in a hug and continued to wail dryly, sobbing.

Although Jia Zhangshi is disliked and annoying, she became Qin Huairu's mainstay; the heart that had been hanging in midair finally settled, and just as she was about to explain the situation, she heard Jia Zhangshi turn her accusations toward the two stewards.

Jia Zhangshi clearly remembered that last time Liu Haizhong donated twenty yuan to their Jia family; even if the neighbors didn't contribute, Liu Haizhong alone could let the Jia family live well.

"Hey, Liu Elder, you are now a senior figure in the Siheyuan; our Jia family is in trouble. When Yi Zhonghai was around, he helped our Jia family. Now that Yi Zhonghai is gone, will you help our Jia family? This kindness, we Jia family will keep in mind, and when we have the means, we will surely repay."

Clearly, she was crying out to Liu Haizhong.

But Jia Zhangshi's gaze kept scanning the crowd, starting from Shazhu, making a round, and finally settling on Xu Damao.

"Where is the wife of Yi Zhonghai? Elder Liu, you held a meeting in the Dayuan to raise funds for our Jia family, but why didn't Yi Zhonghai's wife come out? Isn't this looking down on Elder Liu?"

Jia Zhangshi sprang up with a jump and sat up.

She bared her teeth and yelled out the name of Yi Zhonghai's wife.

"Li girl, come out for this old woman."