Chapter 302

Qin Huairu's time as a widow ultimately cannot compare to Jia Zhangshi's.

Discussing widow seniority.

Jia Zhangshi has about seventeen or eighteen years more than Qin Huairu.

Having also lived through the turbulent years of braids, shaved heads, and Japanese devils, her insight, cunning, and tactics far outstrip Qin Huairu's.

As a widow mother, Jia Zhangshi knows Qin Huairu's weak point.

She prescribes the right remedy.

She uses Bangeng and Xiao Dang and the other children as leverage, constantly working on Qin Huairu's thoughts.

"Huairu, you may not think for yourself, but you must consider Huaihua and the few children. Look at them—especially Huaihua, who just weaned, eats steamed cornmeal buns and sorghum rice, can barely stomach it; children are precious—if something happens to them, what then? Our Jia family is in this situation; for the children's sake, don't stubbornly hold on."

"An Jiahe, you've seen him—gentle and weak. If it were before, he'd be a pale-faced scholar. Marrying him helps him and also helps our Jia family. Women, it's not easy; a widow dragging a family is even harder. Finding someone who doesn't despise you is rare—just two words: hold on tight…."

Regardless of whether the three children bear the surname Jia or Yi, they are innocent; as a mother, Qin Huairu must ensure they grow up healthy.

It's not easy for the Jia family's orphans and widows; as mother-in-law, she won't stop Qin Huairu from remarrying, as long as the other party doesn't despise Qin Huairu and Bangeng and the others.

An Jiahe is a bachelor, fair and clean‑looking, appearing gentle and weak—someone easy to manipulate. If Qin Huairu marries him, she likely won't suffer loss, and Bangeng and the others won't be mistreated.

A situation where you're good, I'm good, everybody's good.

Living in a big compound, the front and rear courtyards are just a few steps apart.

This mother‑in‑law Jia Zhangshi won't ignore Qin Huairu just because she remarries; she will assist her from the sidelines.

With Jia Zhangshi's schemes, Qin Huairu should easily subdue An Jiahe, turning him into the Jia family's ox and horse, toiling for them all his life.

Jia Zhangshi, seeing that Qin Huairu is moved.

Strike while the iron is hot.

She played her trump card, the killer awl.

Money.

1,500 yuan for Huaihua's upkeep.

That money was swindled away by con artists.

The crucial point Qin Huairu doesn't know is that she still thinks Jia Zhangshi holds this sum.

For Jia Zhangshi, this is an opportunity.

"Mom knows why you're arguing with me—it's just for that 1,500, right? Today, in front of Dong Xu, I promise you: if you marry An Jiahe and let Bangeng and the others be well, I'll grant your wish."

Jia Zhangshi played a little trick.

She deliberately avoided saying she would give the money to Qin Huairu's hands, instead using the ambiguous reply 'Mom promises you' and 'Mom will fulfill your wish' to confuse Qin Huairu.

She believes Qin Huairu will let her imagination run wild and become self‑conceited.

As expected.

Qin Huairu, who had originally resolved never to remarry An Jiahe as Jia Zhangshi wished, instantly changed her true intention.

Since Jia Zhangshi said so.

She might as well go along with Jia Zhangshi's idea and do what she wants.

As a woman.

Especially as a widow with three children and a mother‑in‑law, Qin Huairu's hardship is known only to her; long ago she had wanted to find a man to share the family's burdens, but because Jia Zhangshi kept interfering, the idea of remarrying remained empty talk, still in the planning stage.

At last she waited for Jia Zhangshi's word.

Don't keep binding yourself.

Go ahead and remarry.

Moreover, Jia Zhangshi said that if Qin Huairu remarries, she will hand over the 1,500 yuan left by Yi Zhonghai for Huaihua.

She would both find a later‑life companion and get the money.

A case of killing two birds with one stone.

Only a fool would refuse.

Qin Huairu, immersed in joy, didn't think about anything else—for instance, Jia Zhangshi's tight‑fisted behavior with the money, which she had mentioned several times, saying she wouldn't take it out because it was the Jia family's basic capital.

Strictly speaking.

Qin Huairu was careless.

She only thought of the good, ignoring the bad that came with it.

So she stepped into a pit.

This pit also caused an uproar among the neighbors of the Siheyuan.

What the heck!

Qin Huairu is fooling around with the recently moved‑in An Jiahe and still intends to marry him.

Jia Zhangshi, who kept a close watch on Qin Huairu, not only didn't object but also helped An Jiahe tidy the house, saying it would be the new home for An and Qin after marriage.

Is this still Jia Zhangshi?

An Jiahe must have been duped!

Doesn't he know what kind of person Qin Huairu is?

There truly are kind‑hearted people in the Siheyuan; hearing that An Jiahe wanted to marry Qin Huairu, they took advantage of the night when no one was paying attention and secretly slipped a letter into the An family's home.

The letter at length described what sort of person Qin Huairu is, the reputation of the Yagangchang, Jia Zhangshi's standing in the compound, Bangeng's chicken‑stealing and dog‑snatching, etc., spelling everything out clearly, and directly stated that if An Jiahe married Qin Huairu he would become the Jia family's leech and would also wear a green hat.

Jia Dongxu died, and even had a green‑tinted hat placed on him.

Isn't that unjust?

The next day.

Having received the letter, An Jiahe read its contents, then in front of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu burned it, addressing the neighbors and saying he hoped never to see such a thing again, frankly stating that the neighbors were eyeing the Jia family's orphans and widows, lacking men, to devour them.

The neighbors felt a mixture of emotions.

Gazing at An Jiahe, his gaze also turned into the kind of look one gives a foolish goose.

He was even more envious of the Jia family, envious of Qin Huairu.

Really damn good luck.

Yi Zhonghai aided the Jia family, and in doing so lost his own life; he had thought the Jia family would thus decline, but he never expected they would find An Jiahe, this big-headed turtle.

Is there still the law?

Are there still rules?

Pure nonsense.

This incident is also referred to as the letter incident.

Who, out of goodwill, wrote that letter, exposing the Jia family's secret?

Opinions varied.

The neighbors in the Siheyuan were all suspects, and each had been suspected.

Without concrete evidence, the case was dropped.

Actually, besides the parties involved—that is, the letter writer—only An Jiahe and Liu Jianguo in the courtyard knew who wrote the letter informing on the Jia family. An Jiahe recognized the writer through handwriting. Liu Jianguo, by tailing An Jiahe, happened to see the whole process of the writer delivering the informant letter to the An family.

Both were too savvy to name that person.

After the incident, Jia Zhangshi seemed to let go of everything, and she also wanted to take advantage of this to extort money, collecting gift money from the neighbors.

To fatten her own wallet.

She would tell everyone how good An Jiahe was.

"Little An is a good person; this kid is fine, he doesn't despise Huairu for being a widow, he doesn't despise Bangeng and Xiao Dang, he showed his attitude to my old lady, saying he wants to marry Huairu, to put my mind at ease and let Huairu marry with peace of mind, giving my old lady three yuan each month as pension money."

"My old lady originally didn't want to agree, but out of respect for An Jiahe's filial piety she agreed; it wasn't for the money, but to let the two kids be together—Little An can't do housework, without our Huairu he'd surely end up starving; who made me soft-hearted."

He acted as if he were a benefactor.

Qin Huairu was not idle either; she personally admitted this matter and even announced the date of her remarriage to An Jiahe.

This Sunday.

Jia Zhangshi saw that Qin Huairu had it hard, and realized that her previous opposition to Qin Huairu's remarriage was wrong; now she put herself in Qin Huairu's shoes, viewed the matter, understood Qin Huairu's difficulties, wanted to compensate her, and agreed to Qin Huairu's remarriage.

Because Jia Zhangshi's son died, Qin Huairu regarded Jia Zhangshi as her mother, and Jia Zhangshi treated Qin Huairu as her daughter, marrying Qin Huairu to An Jiahe in the manner of marrying off a daughter, without asking for any betrothal gift.

The two widows of the Jia family.

These days.

They seemed as if they'd been shot up with chicken blood.

All over the Siheyuan, they were establishing personas.

Jia Zhangshi crafted personas for Qin Huairu and An Jiahe.

Qin Huairu gave Jia Zhangshi and An Jiahe "good person cards", meaning her reason for marrying An Jiahe was that she agreed to remarry because he is a good person.