Chapter 448: Marry Huaihua to Shazhu as his daughter-in-law

The second canteen, silent for ten years, today sprang back to life; whether assistant cooks or odd-job workers, their faces bore an expression both painful and happy.

Shazhu's return.

Obviously it became the top news at Yagangchang.

Once avoided by them, the second canteen is now a hot item for countless people; those lining up for meals stretch from the serving window all the way outside the canteen door.

Clearly, the formidable prestige of Shazhu's fame as a culinary god.

Perhaps it was to celebrate Shazhu's resumption of the canteen director post.

Also because current supplies are much richer than before.

Today at noon.

The second canteen serves only hearty dishes.

Pickled cabbage fish.

It has perfect color, fragrance, and flavor; red dried chili peppers float on top, and the snowy-white fish slices—just smelling the aroma makes one unable to bear it.

Braised pork, big chunks that exude an enticing aroma, stimulating people's taste buds to the fullest, whetting their appetites.

Countless people silently swallow their saliva, eagerly hoping the person ahead will speed up their meal-serving motion a bit.

The aroma of the food stimulated them so much that their craving almost surfaced.

Some also silently worried, fearing the people ahead would finish all the food.

Some workers who already had their food, using chopsticks swiftly, put a piece of fish and some pickled vegetables into their mouths; the first bite brings a nice spicy kick; chewing reveals the fish tender and smooth, the pickles crisp—just right, sour, fragrant, and spicy, utterly delicious.

Praises soon rang out.

"Not bad for Chef He; his cooking skill hasn't slipped at all—I haven't had such good dishes in ages, and the taste is excellent."

"Look at these potato shreds; we're all people, so why are Chef He's potato shreds different from anyone else's?"

"Er laizi, quit bragging—we shredded the potatoes, and Section Chief He just stir-fried them."

"Your shredding is average; it's mainly because Section Chief He's skill is good."

……

Several days later.

The Jia family received a registered letter written by Bangeng.

Because Jia Zhangshi is illiterate, she specially waited for Qin Huairu to get off work and come home before handing the letter to her.

As Qin Huairu was tearing open the envelope by hand,

Jia Zhangshi, full of expectation, began to boast to Qin Huairu.

"Huairu, hurry up and read it for me, old lady—has Bangeng agreed to mail the money back? It's not me, the old lady, boasting; this idea could only come from me, the old lady."

Although Qin Huairu hasn't yet read the letter's contents, Jia Zhangshi already imagined herself counting money, and even felt a faint regret.

She regretted that she would end up with less.

The widow should be punished.

That is, to return double the thousand dollars the Jia family gave Bangeng for marrying the widow.

Just thinking about getting a thousand dollars for nothing,

Jia Zhangshi felt elated.

She fixed her joyful gaze on Qin Huairu, who stared intently at the letter, and urged her.

"Huairu, go ahead and read it—see when Bangeng will mail the money back, and that widow too; no matter what, we have to give her a warning, but we can't let her, just because she mailed us fifteen hundred dollars, wag her tail to the sky; this includes our Jia family's one thousand; if the widow returns with Bangeng, she must serve me, Bangeng's grandmother, and you, Bangeng's mother; also, the widow's three illegitimate children must not come back with her, spending our Jia family's money to raise her illegitimate kids—what a beautiful dream!"

Qin Huairu looked expressionlessly at Jia Zhangshi, who was lost in her happy thoughts.

She paused for over thirty seconds.

She then told Jia Zhangshi the letter's contents.

"Mom, there's no mention of mailing money in the letter; Bangeng said the widow mistakenly thought this was a trap set by us two women, said she won't mail us money, said since there's no housing in the city, it's best not to let Bangeng return to the city, but let him stay with her in the countryside to farm."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi exploded.

Bangeng is the Jia family's hope.

The Jia family also hopes Bangeng will someday rise above others.

To stay in the countryside.

How then can we bring glory to the Jia family?

Jia Zhangshi cursed and ranted: on one hand scolding the widow as inhuman, on the other venting her depression over the Jia family's house being taken by the neighbors.

If we can't get money from Bangeng, the Jia family's house risks taking another surname.

She cursed on and on.

Jia Zhangshi's heart suddenly stirred.

Heaven leaves no one without a way.

Jia Zhangshi suddenly had an idea.

Bangeng is unreliable, Xiao Dang is unreliable, but Jia Zhangshi can be counted on; the crucial point is that no one wants her, and Qin Huairu has also lost her value.

After much thought,

Among the Jia family's current surviving members, the only ones truly able to help the family are Qin Huairu and the fruit of Yi Zhonghai's union—Huaihua.

The idea is simple.

Marry Huaihua to Shazhu's eldest son, He Weiguo.

Shazhu became the canteen director at Yagangchang, a fact Jia Zhangshi learned from Qin Huairu's mouth.

As long as Shazhu becomes in-laws with the Jia family, leveraging his position as Yagangchang canteen director, helping Bangeng find an easy, pleasant job would be a cinch; Bangeng wouldn't need to stay in the countryside farming, and could also use Shazhu's position to pressure the widow into divorcing him.

That's the first point.

The second point.

Huaihua inherited Qin Huairu's beauty; at thirteen or fourteen, she had already become a far‑and‑wide‑known beauty embryo.

What a good‑looking daughter‑in‑law.

Asking Shazhu for a thousand yuan as betrothal gift isn't excessive, is it?

At the wedding, they deliberately skipped the bowing ceremony, forcing Shazhu to give the Jia Family another room, and the problem of Bangeng needing a bridal chamber when he marries was also solved.

Jia Zhangshi called Qin Huairu to her side and said to her, "Huairu, we can't count on Bangeng's side; Mom has an idea, but it needs your consent."

"Mom, please speak."

"How about we engage Huaihua to Shazhu's eldest son as his wife? She's young and can't marry yet, but we can get engaged; with this relation, the Jia Family's crisis would be essentially eliminated."

Jia Zhangshi explained her reasoning for letting Huaihua marry Weiguo.

Why Shazhu?

Not someone else.

Mainly because Shazhu has money; according to Jia Zhangshi's guess, he still has three thousand yuan in savings, otherwise he couldn't have bought Er Da Ma's house without blinking.

Shazhu bought several people's houses in the Siheyuan in one go; as long as Huaihua marries Weiguo, he can make Shazhu give the Jia Family a room.

Qin Huairu was really startled.

Her tone became stammering.

"Mom… are you… smeared with gas lake… how could you think… to marry Huaihua… to Weiguo…? Huaihua is several years older than Weiguo… would Shazhu agree…?"