Chapter 3: then translation of title

In his past life, Shazhu hadn't given it much thought, and Xu Daming kept telling him that Shazhu's father had run off with a widow. Enraged and losing his composure, Shazhu took He Yushui to Baocheng to look for his father, and during those two days, the livelihood that He Daqing had arranged for him was claimed by Yi Zhonghai.

The names are Shazhu and Xu Daming.

Also mentioned are He Yushui, Baocheng, He Daqing, and Yi Zhonghai.

Thus we need to add Xu Daming.

The losses incurred.

You can't inherit eating.

Shazhu laughed and refused He Yushui's suggestion.

Little girl.

Do you really think Shazhu hasn't seen through her tricks?

To avoid going to school.

Insist on following Shazhu to Baocheng.

You're beautiful.

'Going to Baocheng is also my responsibility; you just go to school obediently, and in a few days we have the final exam—don't come back with a zero.'

After breakfast, He Yushui treated his schoolbag as an enemy.

His complexion looked bad again.

This time it's not about He Daqing running off with a widow.

It's for going to school.

'Give me 200 yuan; I want to buy an eraser.'

Shazhu is worried.

What kind of eraser is so expensive?

One piece actually costs 200.

He suddenly felt relieved.

The currency currently in use is the 1948 first edition, with denominations ranging from 100 yuan to 50,000 yuan. When the new currency was issued in 1955, the old notes were exchanged at a rate of 1 to 10,000, so an old 50,000‑yuan note was worth only 5 yuan then.

Even if we have to smash pots and sell iron, we must send He Yushui to college.

I vaguely recall that this girl's high‑school grades were good enough for college, but because Shazhu's aid to Qin Huairu left He Yushui struggling to get by, she never attended university; after graduating high school she took a job at a textile factory far from the courtyard.

Shazhu took 200 yuan from the money He Daqing had left, gave it to He Yushui, then decided she should be well‑provided for and added another 100 yuan, making it 300 in total.

Though it appears to be 300 yuan, its buying power amounts to no more than five fen after 1955.

Shazhu counted his holdings: twenty 50,000‑yuan notes, six 10,000‑yuan notes, twelve 5,000‑yuan notes, and over twenty 1,000‑yuan notes, totaling roughly two million yuan.

This was also something Shazhu didn't anticipate.

1951.

I, Shazhu, am a millionaire with two million yuan on hand.

'I'm going to school.'

He Yushui's greeting broke Shazhu's reverie; he kindly slipped the discarded schoolbag over He Yushui's neck.

Little brat.

Go up against me.

You're still too immature.

Push open the door.

He shoved He Yushui out.

Go to school.

The neighbor Jia Zhangshi called out.

'Shazhu, are you taking Yushui to school?'

Jia Zhangshi remains the same.

Her spitefulness and the courtyard's dislike apparently began after Jia Dongxu's death, when Shazhu, acting on Yi Zhonghai's orders, started to support Qin Huairu.

Rather than saying Jia Zhangshi is shameless...

It would be more accurate to say that Jia Zhangshi deliberately made herself a detestable nuisance that even dogs dislike, for the Jia family's sake.

'Yushui is nine; what's there to give? She can walk on her own.'

'Shazhu, I've noticed that since Daqing left, you've changed—you've grown up.'

'Everyone has to go through this, right? Jia dama, you're busy.'

Shazhu casually agreed.

He Yushui going to school is like a signal for the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, families were calling their children.

'Shitou, don't sleep—get up quickly; Yushui has already eaten breakfast, grabbed her schoolbag, and gone to school, and you're still asleep—you'll be late.'

'Er Lai Zi, why are you crying? I told you to do your homework last night, but you insisted on playing; now you have to go to school, you're panicking because you didn't do the homework—what's the point of writing it now? Hurry to school; if you don't do the homework, do you still want to be late?'

'Ni Ni, wait for our family's children; you're the older sister, he's the younger brother—look after him.'

'San Daye, please look after our family's children.'

A lively scene of chickens flying and dogs jumping as the courtyard urges its children to get up early.

Amidst this, the sounds of children crying and parents scolding them can be heard.

After sending He Yushui out of the courtyard, Shazhu took a quick bathroom break while few people were around; when he returned, he witnessed the courtyard's famous scene, giving the children a full childhood.

Old Ma in the front yard, barefoot on one foot and holding a shoe, lashed the children's buttocks with the shoe sole.

There were still plenty of onlookers around.

Its value lies in the lack of entertainment.

Mistakenly treating the beating of children as their main way to pass time and entertain themselves.

He analyzed through the people's intermittent voices.

This kid deserves a beating.

Young and not learning well.

Stole half a cabbage from the Yan Fugui family next door.

Pickpocket's needle.

Big thief gold.

The act of a child stealing things.

Unacceptable.

Little Ma getting beaten by Old Ma is understandable.

The only doubt that leaves Shazhu puzzled.

And yet Jia Zhangshi is among the onlookers.

At this time, Jia Zhangshi's three views are still relatively proper; she points at the beaten, loudly crying Little Ma and says: "Ma San, it's not your Aunt Jia saying you, you little kid, how old are you, how dare you steal the cabbage heart from Old Yan's family—I tell you, this is your father disciplining you; if it were someone else, they'd chop off your hand directly."

Shazhu just stared at Jia Zhangshi as if he had never seen her before, his gaze fixed.

If I'm not mistaken.

After Bangeng grows up.

All the stealing in the courtyard is either Shazhu's family's peanuts or Xu Damào's family's old hen, or else it's the cabbage or carrots of the neighbors in the courtyard.

Earned the notorious reputation of the Holy Thief.

Jia Zhangshi has just one attitude toward Bangeng's thieving behavior.

Our Bangeng is a good kid.

Even caught red-handed, they stubbornly insist Bangeng did nothing wrong, and even twist this stealing into a taking.

Shazhu now can't figure out whether Jia Zhangshi's views are still proper, or whether the person being beaten isn't actually her grandson.

Hard to fathom.

Grinning, he hesitates whether to say something.

Yi Zhonghai, who had been waiting anxiously for Shazhu at the side, spoke up.

"Zhuzi, where have you gone?"

In his tone,

showing a hint of deep concern.

his gaze is that kind of loving, kind look.

He looks very presentable.

Those unaware of the truth really think Yi Zhonghai is a good person; only Shazhu, who has suffered at Yi Zhonghai's hands, realizes this is the start of Yi Zhonghai's scheming against him.

A hypocrite never fights a battle he isn't sure of.

His primary goal for old-age support is Jia Zhangshi's son Jia Dongxu, who has already entered the Yagangchang factory and become an apprentice worker learning skills under Yi Zhonghai.

Shazhu is Yi Zhonghai's second-choice candidate for old-age support.

Basically a backup.

If Jia Dongxu hadn't died in an accident, Shazhu this backup wouldn't have been made permanent.