Chapter 447: with translation of chapter title

Being in the Jia family, because Qin Huairu had been arrested, Jia Zhangshi, who was crying and tear-streaked, heard the neighbors' words plotting Qin Huairu's job.

The feelings inside could no longer be described in words; the sorrow in her heart grew stronger; she wanted to go out and vent to the neighbors, but dared not.

Afraid of going out and getting beaten.

So she could only curse the neighbors quietly indoors, bluntly saying the neighbors were all profiteers who forgot righteousness, bluntly saying the neighbors would die without a burial place.

Qin Huairu's livelihood was cleaning toilets at the Yagangchang.

That was Jia Zhangshi's fallback.

Bangeng returned to the city; in the situation where he truly could not find work, the thief sage would inherit his mother's business, taking over the dung scoop for cleaning toilets from Qin Huairu's hand, engaging in this extremely promising profession.

If the job were taken by the neighbors, and Bangeng returned unable to find other work, how would he live, how would he marry; presumably the widow currently living with Bangeng would also have to run off with someone.

Jia Zhangshi trembled with anger, she used even fiercer words to greet the neighbors' eight generations of ancestors, cursing that none of them would have a good end.

She kept cursing.

Jia Zhangshi turned into the familiar spirit summoner.

She sat cross-legged alone on the ground, looking at the portraits of Old Jia and Little Jia hanging on the wall, strongly demanding they manifest a spirit once, to take away all those neighbors plotting the Jia family's toilet-cleaning job in one go.

Since Shazhu neither lent money to Jia Zhangshi nor agreed to lend the house to the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi demanded that Old Jia and Little Jia take away the neighbors, and also take Shazhu's family along, saying if Shazhu died without heirs, his property would all become the Jia family's.

Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

At such a critical moment, Jia Zhangshi still thought of coveting Shazhu's property.

In the courtyard.

Unbeknownst to Jia Zhangshi, who was quietly cursing the neighbors, the discussion grew more enthusiastic; in the course of chatting, some neighbor somehow brought the topic to Shazhu, insisting that Shazhu would be reinstated to his former post and become the cafeteria director again.

They're all sharp people.

No wind, no waves.

Flies don't bite uncracked eggs.

Shazhu had a good relationship with Factory Director Yang, and when Factory Director Yang ran into trouble, Shazhu chatted with him heedless of personal safety for a while.

He truly lived up to the four words 'sending charcoal in the snow'.

With this familial connection, plus Shazhu's superb cooking skills, he had been renowned as the top chef at Yagangchang over a decade ago; countless colleagues and leaders who came to Yagangchang for inspection and study felt honored to eat his food.

Even if that neighbor didn't bring up Shazhu as cafeteria director, the neighbors all placed the cafeteria director's hat on Shazhu's head.

Except for Shazhu.

No one else would be suitable as cafeteria director.

A group of people.

Some sincere, some feigned.

They all gathered around Shazhu, with a congratulatory tone, flattering him; various fawning words kept flying from their mouths.

Shazhu hurriedly cleared himself of responsibility, saying he hadn't heard a whisper, telling the neighbors not to spread rumors; if it really got out and caused a commotion, resulting in the cafeteria director position going to someone else, Shazhu would lose face.

Not modest.

Otherwise, it's fine.

This politeness.

The neighbors became even more enthusiastic, their language grew increasingly unrestrained, presenting the posture that Shazhu was already the cafeteria director.

"Master He, the elders said that humility is a crime; your skill, others don't know, but can the neighbors in our courtyard not know?"

"Your cooking skill—if you say second, no one dares say first; if you don't take this cafeteria director post, whoever takes it would be unsuitable, and the coworkers wouldn't accept it unless his cooking surpassed yours; in our Yagangchang, is there a cook with better skill than yours? No! So this cafeteria director can only be you, Master He; if I were in Factory Director Yang's position, I would also let Master He be the cafeteria director at Yagangchang—this is letting professionals handle professional matters."

"Master He, tomorrow Yagangchang must announce your appointment as cafeteria director; this is not flattery, but the neighbors celebrating in advance. You may not realize your standing among Yagangchang coworkers, but you are absolutely the top figure; Master He, don't eat tonight, tomorrow wait to eat your meal."

Each of them was busy with their own little calculations.

If Shazhu really were reinstated and became cafeteria director.

As neighbors of the courtyard, they also wanted to be first to benefit from proximity.

Their own children, when unemployed, could use Shazhu's connections to possibly solve a job quota issue.

Stemming from such thinking.

They all lavishly praised Shazhu; faintly, a hint of competition appeared: you say Shazhu is a good person, I say he's a very good person; you say his cooking is Yagangchang's best, I say it's the Capital City's best.

Nothing more than a single thought.

Want to leave Shazhu a good impression.

Still others used words to hint to Shazhu.

"Master He, if you become cafeteria director, you must not forget these old neighbors of our courtyard."

"That's said correctly, but we must not look down on these neighbors of ours."

"What do you think Master He is? Master He is not the type who, upon gaining power, refuses to acknowledge people; he's just a neighbor of our courtyard; when something comes up, you ask Master He for help, and I'm sure he'd be very willing to help us with this, provided we don't make unreasonable demands."

"Master He, don't listen to them."

Shazhu, finding no other way after what they said, took advantage of the timely crying of the children inside and slipped away home.

Returned home.

Only then did he discover that it was Yu Li who had deliberately pinched their eldest son to make him cry.

Otherwise, Shazhu truly would have no way to escape.

It merely caused suffering to Shazhu's eldest son.

……

Six o'clock in the evening.

In the neighbors' minds, Qin Huairu should be serving a twenty-year sentence like Liu Haizhong, yet she appeared before everyone with a look of having survived a disaster.

The idle neighbors.

Immediately they turned to look at each other in dismay.

Not long.

Soon, whispers of private talk echoed throughout the courtyard.

Looking around.

Everywhere, people were whispering in pairs about Qin Huairu's safe return, and their voices filled the air.

None of them are blind.

Qin Huairu's expression of having survived a disaster was so obvious, and her steps were so light.

Such a situation.

This is not the situation the neighbors wanted to see.

Qin Huairu's return was like a basin of ice‑cold water poured over each neighbor, instantly shattering their designs on her job.

What's going on?

How was she released?

Shouldn't she have been locked up?

Question marks popped up in the neighbors' minds!

Even Jia Zhangshi wanted to know what had happened; why did Qin Huairu, whom she had thought would never return, come back? She blurted out a question.

Qin Huairu, you didn't run back, did you? Outside everyone's around; if you ran back you'd have nowhere to hide. All the neighbors in this Siheyuan would catch you before you could get far—soon they'd grab ropes to tie you up. Qin Huairu, what should we do?

Qin Huairu met Jia Zhangshi's frightened face, first calmed herself as best she could, then recounted the whole story to Jia Zhangshi in detail.

Mom, do I have that kind of ability? I didn't sneak back; they released me. Let me tell you: they took me to the Security Section, and honestly I panicked. Just thinking about Liu Haizhong's fate left me tongue‑tied. Guess what they said about me…

Qin Huairu's voice was loud.

Even those far away in the courtyard could hear her clearly.

After Qin Huairu's account, the neighbors finally learned the true reason she had been released.

Strictly speaking.

Qin Huairu also benefited from Liu Haizhong's influence.

During Liu Haizhong's over‑hundred‑day tenure as Team Captain, he turned the Yagangchang into a foul, panic‑ridden place; he dealt with many problematic people, and even more who were innocent.

Over three months.

Liu Haizhong drove the Yagangchang, with its tens of thousands of workers, to a state where no one could manage it.

The so‑called unmanageable state meant that the remaining workers at the Yagangchang were those who could withstand investigation.

As head of the mistake‑correction group, Qin Huairu had made mistakes but they were not capital offenses; moreover, no tragedy of deaths or ruined families had occurred. After interrogating her, the Security Section staff confirmed she had committed no greater fault, docked her two years' wages, and released her.

That is the essence of Qin Huairu's return to the Siheyuan.

The neighbors who learned the truth.

Instantly their defenses broke.

They truly didn't know how to describe Qin Huairu.

Just moments ago.

Many still harbored the idea of capturing Qin Huairu to turn her over to the Yagangchang for merit and reward, thinking she had sneaked out of the Security Section, and that if they seized her they would have earned merit and solved their children's job problems.

The maternity ward brought happy news.

Doing good deeds.

Qin Huairu was released by the Security Section.

Nothing at all.

For a moment.

The neighbors, in low spirits, trudged back home one by one.

Jia Zhangshi watched the neighbors' dejected figures through the glass, sighed, then switched tone to talk about the Jia Family house.

Qin Huairu is fine.

Now it's time to settle the Jia Family house matter.

We can't let Bangeng come back with nowhere to live.

Jia Zhangshi put her idea to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu, this is what I think: our family has no money, and the Jiēdào has introduced a policy where paying rent turns the house into private property; you heard the neighbors' voices just now, and our house has already been eyed by some scoundrels who care nothing for neighborly feelings.

This point.

Qin Huairu admitted it.

So she did not object.

Shazhu that damn bastard, he clearly has money but pretends he doesn't, refusing to lend to the Jia Family—though we'd pay him back. Without a house, where would we live? If Bangeng comes back, where would he live?

Mom. Qin Huairu urged impatiently, "Just tell me what to do."

Qin Huairu, Mom isn't just venting; if Shazhu lent money to the Jia Family, Mom wouldn't have to think up this scheme.

Jia Zhangshi looked at Qin Huairu and laid out her idea.

Let's write a letter to Bangeng, telling him our Jia Family's situation: we have no money, our house is about to be taken, and that woman—Qin Huairu—who married Bangeng just wants him to bring her back to the city. If our house is gone, how can Bangeng return? If he doesn't come back, that widow's scheme will come to nothing.

Bangeng initially slept with the widow; her parents‑in‑law found out and forced him to marry her, otherwise they'd report him to the police and have him jailed.

Bangeng also knew the price of casual sex.

Unless the widow changes her story.

The widow set a condition: marry her and Bangeng will be fine.

The widow's parents‑in‑law collected 500 yuan in compensation from Bangeng, and her own parents collected 500 yuan as bridal gifts.

Together that makes one thousand yuan.

Jia Zhangshi's plan is to let the widow know, by letter, that the Jia Family needs money; in the letter she will explain the situation, and if the widow mails back 1,500 yuan, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu will approve her marriage to Bangeng and bring the couple back to the city.

It's also a disaster caused by greed.

Jia Zhangshi not only wanted to get back the one thousand yuan, but also wanted to scheme to take five hundred yuan from the widow.

Qin Huairu heard it.

Although she thought this method wasn't very good, because there was no other way, she had no choice but to accept Jia Zhangshi's suggestion as a last resort.

The two widows quickly found paper and pen, and, exchanging sentences, began writing a letter to Bangeng.

In order to extort money from the widows.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu put considerable thought into it.

Early the next morning.

Jia Zhangshi then took the letter she had written to Bangeng to the post office; worried about losing the stationery, she spent an extra twenty cents to send it as registered mail.

……

Yagangchang.

Cleaning Section.

Qin Huairu, who was busy cleaning the toilets, suddenly heard over the loudspeaker an announcement that the people's Shazhu was being appointed cafeteria director.

"Attention all workers of Yagangchang, I am Yu Haitang, the announcer from the Publicity Section. Below I will read a personnel appointment notice for all Yagangchang workers. Ten years ago, someone reported He Yuzhu for abusing his position for personal gain and perverting justice, embezzlement, causing huge property loss to Yagangchang. After continuous investigation by Yagangchang's Security Section, it was proven that the report was a false accusation; the reporter was motivated by jealousy and resentment toward He Yuzhu. The Yagangchang Standing Committee researched and decided to restore He Yuzhu's reputation and, on a chosen date, restore his title of Cafeteria Director."

Qin Huairu was completely stunned.

A faint sense of balance flickered in her heart.

They were all neighbors from the Siheyuan.

Why can Shazhu be reinstated to his official post, while I still have to keep cleaning toilets?

Of course.

Qin Huairu also muttered to herself, not wanting to cause trouble; she had deliberately concealed part of the truth she had told Jia Zhangshi the night before.

That is to stay at the factory for observation.

In the next two years, Qin Huairu must not make any mistake, otherwise she won't be able to keep even this job of cleaning toilets at Yagangchang.

A middle-aged woman.

Her beauty is gone.

Leaving Yagangchang.

Where will she make a living?