Chapter 38: Dameng's counter-threat to Shazhu

"Comrade Yi Zhonghai, does the deaf old lady in the rear courtyard currently need someone to look after her?"

Director Wang appeared just in time.

He could be called Shazhu's savior.

His appearance also temporarily quelled the argument that had arisen over caring for the deaf old lady.

"I think He Yuzhu is absolutely right—what are they? Young people! Energetic and motivated young people, in the prime of their lives for building the motherland—how can we waste this energy and time on looking after an old lady?"

Director Wang then turned the question back.

"If the old lady truly cannot move, our neighborhood will find a solution; besides, isn't your spouse unemployed? All these years it's been your spouse caring for the old lady. Suddenly switching caretakers—could it be that your spouse isn't doing a good job, making the old lady unhappy?"

Yi Zhonghai forced a smile.

He gave himself a way to step down.

"Director Wang, you're joking—the old lady likes liveliness; being with us as a couple, she dislikes quietness and says she'd rather follow Zhuzi for the hustle and bustle."

"This matter is settled then." Director Wang waved at Shazhu, saying, "He Yuzhu, come over."

Shazhu was a bit dazed.

He didn't know what Director Wang meant by calling him.

"You kid, I asked at the neighborhood office this noon whether there were any vacant rooms, saying you wanted to move out."

Yi Zhonghai, who had just put his heart at ease earlier.

His heart rose to his throat again.

What Director Wang revealed was far harder for Yi Zhonghai to accept than Shazhu's going to work at the recycling station.

Working at the recycling station.

At least the person is still in the siheyuan.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Given time, it's not impossible to let Shazhu support him in his old age, slowly doing some ideological work.

If he moves out.

That would completely cut off Yi Zhonghai's options, unless Yi Zhonghai moves along with him.

"Zhuzi, why do you want to move out? You're living just fine in the courtyard."

He must be anxious.

The tone of the hypocrite was full of urgency.

He couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore.

Basically, it amounted to showing his true colors.

"Elder Uncle, it's not that I want to move out; my current house belongs to the old man, and the old man lives in a house from the steel mill. Since I no longer work at the steel mill, I have no right to keep living in the mill's house. Rather than being kicked out later, I'd better move out voluntarily."

Shazhu's explanation.

It made sense.

Yi Zhonghai could find no fault with it.

He stood there frozen, neither able to cry nor not to cry.

"He Yuzhu, I came here just for the house matter. I looked up some relevant information: the house you now live in was bought by your grandfather thirty years ago, counting as your He family's ancestral property, which our country also recognizes. Even if you don't work at the steel mill, the mill can't evict you. He Daqing went to Baocheng, and you've cut ties with him—I've registered this house in your name."

Director Wang's following words completely extinguished Shazhu's little spark of moving out of the siheyuan.

"According to the Capital City Housing Management Regulations, for those who qualify to receive housing allocation from the neighborhood or collective, the following conditions must be met: there is no private housing within the capital city; the neighborhood or collective must have vacant rooms available for you to move into; only then can you be allocated housing, with rent payable monthly, quarterly, or yearly."

The preceding condition.

Shazhu does not meet it.

Unless he sells this house.

The problem is that this house appears to be non-transferable.

The later condition also has restrictions.

Your work unit or neighborhood just happens to have such a vacant room.

Both are indispensable.

Because a large number of personnel suddenly flooded into the capital city, housing conditions there have fallen into an unprecedented shortage—a situation of many wolves and little meat.

All these conditions restrict.

They have cut off the possibility of moving house at will.

Yi Zhonghai was satisfied.

Shazhu was dumbfounded.

One satisfied, he returned home.

One was pulled aside by Xu Daming.

"What the heck?"

"Why are you making a fuss?" Xu Daming struck a pose as if you, Shazhu, had taken a huge advantage from him, saying, "I'm giving you an opportunity—I usually don't bother with ordinary people."

"You'd better not bother me either; I'd rather treat you to two meals, paying for the food first."

Shazhu turned his head and walked away.

But Xu Daming grabbed him with one hand.

No idea who he learned that from.

Xu Daming sat on the ground cross-legged, hugging Shazhu's leg.

A rascal's appearance.

It truly left Shazhu helpless.

It's all because of food causing trouble.

The two meals Xu Damu paid for have left Shazhu in a bind, unable to advance or retreat.

"Brother Mao, please spare me."

"Brother Silly, please help me."

"This is really indecent!"

"How could it be indecent? This is all for the better." Xu Damu raised five fingers on his right hand, "It's not much, just fifty times. If you agree, you don't even have to treat me to a meal, and I won't hold you responsible for the two meals from yesterday and the day before."

"Make me cook fifty meals? I'm not that idle."

"You're a cook, yet you're not working at the Yagangchang cafeteria; if you forget your cooking skills, this is me giving you a chance to practice."

I've seen shameless people.

I've never seen someone so shameless.

The key is that the two of them are rivals.

You look like that.

Too suspicious.

"Shazhu, you just told Yi Zhonghai that I, Xu Damu, am your brother; since we're brothers, you must help me with this."

Just now, Yi Zhonghai's words, twisted by Xu Damu, became a magic tool he used to command Shazhu.

"At most ten times."

"Forty times."

"Twenty times."

"Thirty times."

"Just twenty times."

"Fine, fine, fine, twenty times it is—who let Xu Damu beg Shazhu to do this for him?"

"Xu Damu, hear me out: I can cook you twenty meals, but I also have a sister to support; cooks have the rule of bringing food for their own family when they cook for others. If you agree, I'll do it; if not, forget it."

"Bringing food is fine, but Shazhu, I also have to tell you bluntly: you must put your real skill into this meal; if you try to trick me, I won't let it go."

Shazhu sized Xu Damu up and down.

A real lecher.

He hasn't even reached marriageable age, yet Xu Damu is already lining up potential wives for himself—Statistics Department's Wang Yaling, Propaganda Department's Shi Hongmei, and so on.

Xu Damu, using the excuse that Shazhu tricked him out of two meals, insists on having Shazhu cook for him.

They say Shazhu is now a famous cook at Yagangchang, and many want to taste his cooking; to satisfy the pretty female coworkers' wishes, Xu Damu reluctantly lets Shazhu cook for him so he can bring those attractive female coworkers from Yagangchang to sample it.

They say it's to sample Shazhu's cooking.

It's pretty much like a cat in heat.

They all harbor ulterior motives.

Yesterday and the day before, the two meals together cost less than fifty thousand; having Shazhu cook fifty meals to cover that cost, after haggling, it was reduced to twenty.

No wonder in the original story he was repeatedly teased by Qin Huairu for his lechery.