Chapter 267

Bangeng is sticky-fingered.

This is what Qin Huiru knows.

She also knows why Bangeng is dishonest.

Jia Zhangshi's achievements are tremendous.

Jia Zhangshi daily instills in Bangeng the inhumane idea that taking things from others isn't stealing but rather them helping our family, and she shamelessly claims that the Jia family is giving those people a chance to do good, even saying their good reputation is thanks to the Jia family's support.

He has taken shamelessness to the extreme.

She resents the Jia family and Jia Dongxu, and despite knowing that Jia Zhangshi is teaching Bangeng to steal, Qin Huiru pretends not to have seen it.

Bangeng's good and bad traits.

It's not really Qin Huiru's responsibility; at worst, people will label her an incompetent mother.

The Jia family is the unlucky one.

Bangeng is the Jia family's mainstay.

Watching Jia Zhangshi's retreating back.

Qin Huiru wondered, "Could it be that the more Bangeng steals, the bolder he gets? He stole 1,500 from the Jia family, and Jia Zhangshi knows he took the money, yet she's taking the blame for him!"

Can't worry about much.

Striding forward.

He chased after them.

Money is important.

If Bangeng really stole 1,500, we must get that money back from him, no matter what.

As for whether to give it to Jia Zhangshi.

To be continued!

Halfway there, Qin Huiru suddenly thought of something, turned back to her hiding place, bent down, and picked up a half-soft willow branch from the ground.

For so many years.

She never could bring herself to educate Bangeng.

Better to pick a day than wait for an auspicious one.

Today we need to make up for everything for Bangeng.

While walking.

While waving the willow branch.

Practicing how to hit Bangeng.

…… -> No.

Shazhu's home.

Yu Li greeted Xu Daming, who had come in behind Shazhu.

"Is his godfather coming?"

Shazhu was taken aback.

The house held only the three of them plus Xu Daming; as the child's biological father, the godfather Yu Li mentioned must be Xu Daming.

It's a bit puzzling, hard to make sense of.

When will our child accept Xu Daming as godfather?

Even if he does.

You still need the father's consent.

"Honey, don't greet him yet; let me think it over."

Yu Li smiled.

She knew Shazhu would look clueless.

"Our son He Weiguo acknowledging Xu Daming as godfather? When did that happen? How come I didn't know?"

Xu Daming gave Shazhu a sideways glance.

"If we weren't the same age, I'd want to adopt you, Shazhu, as my foster son."

Shazhu furrowed his brow.

He angrily retorted at Xu Daming.

"Get lost, always taking advantage of me, and now you want to call me your foster son? If push comes to shove, I'll become sworn brothers with Xu Shu, and you'll have to call me 'Uncle Shazhu'."

"Uncle Shazhu."

A cry of "Uncle Shazhu".

Almost sent Shazhu packing.

After knowing Xu Daming for so many years, this is the first time I've seen him so shameless.

Everyone's calling him "Uncle Shazhu".

How is he still messing around?

He turned his head to the side.

Out of sight, out of mind.

"Look at you, all heart but no guts." Xu Daming pulled an unopened bottle of erguotou from his black bag and said, "Come on, let's go to the backyard for a drink."

"Xu Daming, I remember you got drunk last time and swore off alcohol."

Xu Daming scratched his head, feigning ignorance, and said, "Did I say I'd quit drinking? I said I'd start tomorrow; today's my last drink."

Shazhu's household is now run by Yu Li.

Drinking alcohol—this matter.

Still approved by Yu Li.

Xu Daming asked Yu Li for instructions.

"Yu Li, I'll have a drink with your husband, not much, just one bottle of baijiu."

"The liquor belongs to someone else, the body is your own—drink less, don't end up like last time, completely hammered."

"I guarantee one bottle."

Xu Daming tugged Shazhu toward his own little house.

Some things.

He wanted to have a good talk with Shazhu.

……

Jia Family.

Qin Huairu entered from outside holding a willow branch; her eyes first landed on the two children, and Huaihua was deliberately overlooked by her.

The little kid is only two, wearing open-crotch pants and playing in the urine-mud.

Some things just can't be done.

Mainly it's Bangeng, then Xiao Dang.

One is eleven, the other nine.

Exactly the mischievous age.

"I thought we had no firewood, so I snapped off a willow branch; we're swamped tonight, didn't have time to make you a meal—just have some steamed corn buns to get by."

Qin Huairu set down the willow branch, took out several half-and-half flour steamed corn buns from the cupboard, and gave Bangeng and Xiao Dang each a bowl of boiling water.

She wanted to judge from the children's eating manner whether they had stolen money.

Whether it's Bangeng or Xiao Dang.

The main purpose of stealing money is to improve their livelihood.

Counting from noon twelve, seven or eight hours without food, they're surely starving; when they eat, they naturally wolf it down.

Conversely.

Then it shows the two children aren't hungry; there's something in their stomachs.

Jia Zhangshi gave no money, Qin Huairu gave no tickets—where did this come from?

No neighbor in the courtyard cried out about lost money or belongings; there's no chance Bangeng brought disaster upon the neighbors.

That's why Qin Huairu would test with the steamed corn buns.

Jia Zhangshi standing aside.

Her heart rose to her throat.

She gazed at Bangeng with an optimistic look.

Bangeng taking the blame is preferable to Jia Zhangshi admitting it.

The latter.

Qin Huairu would certainly refuse to take the fall; even if she did, the Jia household would be a situation where Qin Huairu had the final say—this feeling of having one's life in someone else's hands is unpleasant; thereafter, however much money one wished to give Jia Zhangshi, one would give that amount, and Jia Zhangshi would have to act according to Qin Huairu's expression.

Jia Zhangshi is not the type who would willingly submit to others.

Bangeng taking the blame is the best choice.

Nothing more than getting a beating.

If Jia Zhangshi admitted it, she would be risking her life.

Better to live in disgrace than die heroically; I've doted on you as a grandmother for all these years—now it's your turn to repay me.

Jia Zhangshi not only didn't stop Qin Huairu's test, she even went along and lent a hand, telling Bangeng and Xiao Dang: "Good child, eat the steamed corn bun, but don't let yourself go hungry—you're growing; tomorrow let your mother think of a way to fix me a white-flour steamed bun for my good child."

Bangeng glanced at Jia Zhangshi, then at Qin Huairu, and snatched a steamed corn bun.

Seeing Xiao Dang not moving, he thoughtfully took a steamed corn bun for him as well.

"Brother, I can't eat much."

Xiao Dang's words.

It also made Bangeng shudder.

It also caused Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi to indulge in endless speculation.

Jia Zhangshi finally put her mind at ease; Xiao Dang's not eating inadvertently confirmed the neighbors' gossip—that Bangeng was taking Xiao Dang out to eat snacks on the street.

Qin Huairu's heart, however, was tumultuous; she even imagined tearing Bangeng apart: "You bastard, you dared to steal 1,500—today's beating, you won't get away."

"Seven or eight hours without food—how could you not be hungry?"

Qin Huairu's voice.

With a hint of indignation.

"What are you looking at? Eat!"

Xiao Dang and Bangeng slowly began eating the steamed corn buns.

Seeing the two children clutch their steamed corn buns and eat with visible distress, recalling how they usually gobble food down, and then adding Jia Zhangshi's words...

Qin Huairu had a rather conflicting premonition.