Chapter 42: The Deaf Old Lady Is Unhappy

Yi Zhonghai and his wife adopted a child.

Long Laotaitai was unhappy, and moreover Yi Zhonghai and his wife still had to consider Long Laotaitai's opinion.

It's troublesome.

Shazhu quickly understood the reasoning.

Yi Zhonghai and Long Laotaitai both suffered from having no heirs; they shared this topic, the two families lived together, and the eldest aunt also had the energy and time to attend to Long Laotaitai's daily life.

If Yi Zhonghai and his wife had listened to Shazhu, they would have gone to the orphanage to adopt two children.

The couple's energy would definitely be focused on this child.

They would have no time to look after Long Laotaitai.

Long Laotaitai had a gluttonous habit; even in times of scarce supplies she still wanted to eat meat every day. After Yi Zhonghai adopted a child, that child would take away part of the family's finances, and over time the cornbread and steamed buns that Long Laotaitai disliked would become regular fare on her table.

Yi Zhonghai and his wife adopted a child.

For Long Laotaitai,

A hundred harms, no benefit!

Perhaps this is the reason Yi Zhonghai and his wife, despite knowing they have no children, choose not to adopt but instead, like Long Laotaitai, scheme to have others support them in old age.

It's Long Laotaitai's sin!

Worrying that if Yi Zhonghai adopted a child he would neglect her this old lady, not buy her meat, they did ideological work on Yi Zhonghai and his wife; Shazhu might be the key Long Laotaitai uses to persuade Yi Zhonghai and his wife not to adopt a child, Long Laotaitai touting Shazhu's honesty, simplicity, and kindness to get Yi Zhonghai to list Shazhu as a candidate for old-age support.

It's not that Shazhu is alarmist.

Long Laotaitai's gluttony is such that even Yi Zhonghai's salary plus Shazhu's salary cannot satisfy her; not even Quanjude, Fengzeyuan, or a landlord's wealth could let her eat meat every day.

"Elder Sir, Elder Madam, I wasn't going to the scrap yard to work today, right? Inside there was a cart-puller who said his village had relatives who also had no children; later they adopted two children—a boy named Baodi and a girl named Laimei—and the following year that family's daughter-in-law gave birth to a pair of dragon‑phoenix twins."

Long Laotaitai put down her chopsticks with a pa sound.

She stormed out of Yi Zhonghai's household gate.

Shazhu pretended not to know.

"Elder Sir, Elder Madam, what's wrong with the old lady? Did I say something wrong?"

"Zhuzi, it's fine."

"Elder Madam, really nothing?"

"Nothing!"

"That's fine, Elder Sir; my suggestion just now—you ought to take it to heart! I've already thought of names: the boy will be called Yi Feng, the girl Yi Fan."

Strike while the iron is hot.

Shazhu wanted to make use of this dumpling meal.

One move to settle the matter of Yi Zhonghai and his wife adopting a child.

Just as he was brewing his emotions, preparing to give a long-winded speech to brainwash Yi Zhonghai and his wife,

an unexpected event occurred.

The Jia family's big drama was staged again.

An age with little pastime or entertainment.

When the residents of the siheyuan heard the Jia family members quarreling, they all rushed out from their homes, and before long they had surrounded the two Jia family members who were arguing.

Through Jia Zhangshi's intermittent weeping and complaints.

Only then did everyone understand why the Jia family members were quarreling.

Women!

This is the crux of the quarrel between Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu.

Strictly speaking,

It was the effect of the vicious scheme of Xu Daming and Shazhu.

Yesterday afternoon, the Jia family mother and son, harboring ulterior motives, appeared on the street and reached an agreement with the street office regarding Jia Dongxu's marriage.

The agreement's content: the street office would give the Jia family a free bride, plus a dowry of ten catties of white flour, five catties of pork, five catties of an old hen, one eight‑catty large fat duck, and two quilts.

Jia Zhangshi thought it was good.

Jia Dongxu also thought it was not bad.

They discussed that in a few days they would settle this marriage.

Who knows who added a comment, or perhaps Jia Zhangshi felt something was off; inexplicably a pancake fell on the Jia family's head, and the overly cautious went out to inquire.

This inquiry.

Jia Zhangshi cries even more than his urine!

Because the pretty girl the Jia family mother and son liked had an improper background.

Even if Jia Zhangshi is good for nothing.

Also know what the Eight Great Alleys stand for!

A girl from the Eight Great Alleys wants to enter the Jia family's gate.

Fart!

In Jia Zhangshi's mind, the Jia family's daughter‑in‑law can only be a girl of clean background; someone like this person from the Eight Great Alleys lacks the qualification and suitability to become Jia Zhangshi's daughter‑in‑law.

To take such a daughter‑in‑law.

The Jia family still needs to save face?

Jia Zhangshi disagrees.

Jia Dongxu insists on marrying that woman.

Mother and daughter, because of this, quarrel loudly.

At first Jia Zhangshi thought family shame shouldn't be aired outside; later, getting anxious, she abandoned that idea and let people give her advice.

Jia Zhangshi forgot something.

This is a beastly siheyuan.

Can't stand seeing you well.

But happy to see you unlucky.

Everyone speaks without back pain, all taking the moral high ground to advise Jia Zhangshi to be magnanimous.

Basically it all comes down to the same meaning.

That girl is a reformed good girl from a poor family; we need this big-picture mindset; Jia Dongxu marrying her in is also part of a harmonious society.

If there were a way, she would go down Eight Great Alleys!

All are poor families, so don't make things difficult for each other; better pick a good day, and these siheyuan residents will help the Jia family with the wedding.

Liu Haizhong, as Second Steward, also stood up; he sees this as his chance to overthrow Yi Zhonghai, the First Steward, and become First Steward himself.

A prostitute remarries.

A difficult problem.

After I helped Director Wang solve this problem, Director Wang still can't stop thinking of me, Liu Haizhong.

Jia Zhangshi, what the neighbors say makes sense; now we are new people, new society, new atmosphere; you can't use those old-fashioned eyes to view problems; what's wrong with a poor background? This isn't without recourse; who has a way to still send themselves to that kind of place like Eight Great Alleys? If you can't make a living at home, you can only walk this road; Jia Zhangshi, you must not make this directional mistake.

Jia Zhangshi looked at Liu Haizhong.

Jia Zhangshi gave a cold smile.

Liu Haizhong, you still have the energy to lecture me, Jia Zhangshi; you think who your family Liu Guangqi is looking for? Just like our family Dong Xu, they both come from that place.

Jia Zhangshi, don't talk nonsense.

I'm talking nonsense, isn't it that we don't need betrothal gifts? Plus a dowry of ten catties of white flour, five catties of pork, five catties of old hen, one eight-catty big fat duck, plus two quilts.

Liu Haizhong nodded.

I'm telling you, Liu Haizhong, they are all...

Then everyone remembered.

Yesterday afternoon it seemed the Jia and Liu families went to the street office to inquire about marrying a wife and related matters.

Liu Haizhong, you just said new people, new society, new atmosphere; as long as you agree your family Liu Guangqi marries that woman into your Liu family, I, Jia Zhangshi, will also let Dong Xu marry that rural woman surnamed Qin.