Chapter 327

Shazhu remembered clearly that He Yushui's first boyfriend was named Zhou Jianjun, a coworker she met at the textile factory; they had originally planned to marry after the New Year.

Siheyuan witnessed the famous incident of Bangeng stealing a chicken.

Deputy Factory Director Li and his group had a special meal that day; Shazhu was the chief cook, thinking that He Yushui would return today, he wanted to give her a good nourishment, and took the opportunity to pilfer half a chicken from the cafeteria.

He also blamed Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi for being unreasonable; Shazhu had clearly already revealed the truth of the chicken theft, and even explicitly pointed out whose chicken Bangeng had stolen.

As long as he apologized to Xu Daming before the incident broke out, softened his attitude, and said a few nice words, the matter would be settled.

Who knows what Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were thinking.

He actually pretended not to have heard.

Seeing Xu Daming bring the matter up at the Dayuan meeting.

The Jia Family mother‑and‑daughter‑in‑law, being in the know, not only hid Bangeng and Xiao Dang indoors but also used wild verbal hints, implying that Shazhu and Xu Daming bore a grudge against each other.

Xu Daming insisted that Shazhu had stolen his family's old hen, and took the opportunity to demand five yuan in compensation.

They each took advantage of the situation.

After Shazhu had thought it through,

He chose the facts favorable to him, admitted that he had a grudge against Xu Daming, and, wanting to teach Xu Daming a lesson, secretly ate Xu Daming's old hen.

He paid five yuan.

He cleaned the courtyard's hygiene for a month.

That was the punishment.

This punishment was stricter than the Yagangchang reporting Shazhu for stealing Yagangchang property.

But he never expected that, by accident, he would implicate He Yushui; this guy named Zhou Jianjun, without a second thought, slapped the label of 'chicken thief's sister' on Yushui's head, saying he couldn't be the brother‑in‑law of a chicken thief, which made the relationship between Yushui and Shazhu grow ever more tense.

After that came Yushui's meeting Liu Jianguo, her sending herself off to marry, and so on.

Shazhu always thought that, by being reborn and taking care of He Yushui in every way, he could help her avoid some of the old paths from her previous life.

Truly, fate toys with people.

Even He Yushui, who had attended a tertiary college, still ended up entangled with Zhou Jianjun.

Even more unexpected to Shazhu was that Liu Jianguo, who originally would only have become involved with He Yushui after the chicken‑theft incident, this lifetime, because of Zhou Jianjun, met He Yushui several years earlier and the two forged a revolutionary friendship.

According to Liu Jianguo's account, while he was lending He Yushui his bicycle, he accidentally ran into an argument between Zhou Jianjun and He Yushui.

He Yushui took Liu Jianguo as her shield, telling Zhou Jianjun that Liu Jianguo was her boyfriend and asking him to stop pestering her.

Liu Jianguo revealed his identity.

Zhou Jianjun was frightened away.

He Yushui thought Liu Jianguo had helped her drive away the nasty ghost, and wanted to treat him to a meal to show her gratitude.

Liu Jianguo, in turn, thought that He Yushui had lent him her bicycle and also felt grateful.

Under various pretexts.

Their relationship developed from strangers to familiarity.

It was somewhat interesting.

But they had not yet pierced that layer of window paper.

This is the full story.

Shazhu is not the kind of person who disregards feelings; he treats Yushui like a raised daughter, but no matter how deep the feeling, Yushui ought to marry and will marry.

Liu Jianguo is not bad.

Marrying Liu Jianguo would also be a good match.

Some things.

Outsiders don't know, but Shazhu is very clear about it.

According to the memories of his previous life, Yushui went straight from high school graduation into the textile factory; because she already had a job, she did not meet the condition of going to the countryside.

Currently she is studying at a tertiary college.

Shazhu had helped Yushui decide on a career path, but since she was still studying, if she really received such a notice she would have to go, and Shazhu could not specially pull strings for her because of this.

An unmarried young woman.

She is not bad‑looking.

She is cultured.

All the conditions for being harassed by hooligans have been met.

Damn it, if things go badly, it's really a situation where one person goes out and two come back; anxiously, behind him trail two, three, or four kids.

They have reached the age of marriage.

If he really had the idea, Shazhu would be very willing to facilitate such a thing.

Even if they don't marry, an engagement would do.

If He Yushui receives the notice and has to go to the countryside for a while, Liu Jianguo can fully use the identity of He Yushui's fiancé to visit her in the countryside.

Leaving other things aside, just because of Liu Jianguo's public‑security identity, the rural folks would also give He Yushui some face, thereby invisibly reducing many of her troubles.

Thinking of these.

Shazhu let go of the stone in his heart.

His mood also became relieved.

Although he still harbored a bit of resentment toward Liu Jianguo for having 'grabbed' his own cabbage, his gaze softened somewhat.

The baijiu in the cup.

He drained it in one gulp.

Taking advantage of the drink, he expressed his stance toward Liu Jianguo.

"Jianguo, this girl Yushui, I entrust her to you. If you have time, talk with your parents and see when they're free. If Yushui agrees, I, as her older brother, will meet your parents and discuss our matters."

Liu Jianguo stared dumbfounded.

He stared intently at Shazhu.

His mouth opened wide enough to fit a child's fist.

His mind was filled with a single thought.

How could this be?

He originally just wanted to inquire about the Jia Family, but he accidentally ended up settling matters between himself and He Yushui.

"Brother."

"Jianguo, I'm annoyed with your kind—are you even a man?"

"Yes."

"Are you and Yushui dating?"

"Yes."

"Do you like Yushui or not?"

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"I like her."

"Do you want to marry Yushui? Do you want to take care of her for life?"

"I do."

"It's settled—don't use Yushui's schooling as an excuse; Yushui told me that among her classmates who study together, some have married, some have even had children; if you marry her, she can still study."

To eliminate the risk of Yushui going to the countryside.

Shazhu was almost possessed.

The idea of letting Yushui marry Liu Jianguo first surfaced.

The great stormy rain season.

At most it's just a year.

We must seize the opportunity.

"Brother, since you've said all this, if I hem and haw any further, I'll seem unmanly and indifferent to Yushui; as long as Yushui agrees, talking to my parents will be easy."

Liu Jianguo looked at Shazhu.

He suddenly became bashful.

Shazhu vaguely guessed his meaning.

"He Daqing!"

"In other families, when a daughter marries or a son takes a wife, the wedding feast and related rites are arranged by the parents; for Shazhu, as Yushui's brother, to intervene while his father is still alive seems hard to explain."

"As for our family's old man, I'll find time to write him a letter."

Shazhu recalled how he had taken Yushui to Baocheng to find He Daqing, while Yi Zhonghai and the White Widow had set a trap to prevent them from meeting.

He immediately changed his mind.

"Not writing a letter—I'll make a special trip to Baocheng to find the old man, ask what he means; if he's willing to come back, he'll come back; if not, we can't force him."

"I'll follow your lead."

"If you listen to me, then let's drink."