Chapter 450: Qin Huairu: I Want to Be a Godmother

No money to lend.

No rooms to lend.

Become in-laws.

Disagree.

Shazhu's attitude was like a basin of ice‑cold, bone‑piercing cold water, completely extinguishing the last shred of hope Jia Zhangshi had to keep the Jia family afloat.

Just thinking about being driven out and wandering the streets.

Just thinking about Bangeng coming back, there might be nowhere to live.

Jia Zhangshi was also anxious; she grabbed Shazhu's thigh and, mouth open, kept spouting nonsense at him.

Shazhu saw this.

He directly raised his right hand.

When friends come, there's wine and meat.

When jackals, wolves, tigers and leopards come, we have a hunting rifle.

Toward Jia Zhangshi.

Then we have to hit.

Qin Huairu, hiding inside, saw that Jia Zhangshi was about to be beaten and felt a bit pleased, but since Jia Zhangshi's actions affected whether she could have a place to live, she gave up watching the fight from the sidelines, hurriedly left the Jia household, and in a few quick steps arrived at the scene.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi clinging to Shazhu's thigh and insisting that Shazhu refuse the marriage alliance, otherwise she wouldn't let him leave, Qin Huairu tried to persuade her with a few words.

After that, there was no result.

He turned his gaze onto Shazhu.

She smiled.

She said: "Shazhu, my mother‑in‑law is elderly; don't take her to heart. You are now the canteen chief of Yagangchang, and my mother‑in‑law is also desperate, seeing that our family's house may not be kept, she came up with this not‑really‑a‑solution."

Then she changed the subject.

She began to talk about her family's difficulties.

She said: "We're all neighbors in the same courtyard; we see each other every day. You know our situation, Shazhu—we truly have not a penny to spare."

In the crowd,

I don't know who.

He made a joking remark.

He said: "Qin Huairu, that's not right—how could your family be penniless? If you had no money, how could you spend a thousand to buy Bangeng a widow with three kids? Your Jia family is the richest in this siheyuan!"

Everyone present recalled the incident years ago when the Jia family was found to have hidden three or four thousand.

This is a stain the Jia family can never wash away.

Because of the reputation of being the courtyard's richest, the neighbors don't believe the Jia family is penniless—how could they not blink and pull out a thousand to save Bangeng's life?

As for the matter of arranging a match for Xiao Dang, in the neighbors' eyes it was purely a smokescreen the Jia family let off to hide their wealth, and even Xiao Dang was kept in the dark.

You bastard, you have money.

What are you crying poor for?

Qin Huairu's face fell.

She silently cursed a few times.

That bastard's joke cut off Qin Huairu's train of thought about asking Shazhu for money.

Originally Qin Huairu wanted to use her family's poverty as an excuse, trying to ask Shazhu to borrow money from Jia Zhangshi; if not lent, it's because Jia Zhangshi is old and lacks actual repayment ability; Qin Huairu, after all, is a formal worker at Yagangchang and earns a wage, so there's no possibility of being unable to repay—just that the repayment period might be a bit longer.

But she didn't expect someone to bring up the meme of Bangeng spending a thousand to marry a widow.

This left Qin Huairu unsure how to continue the conversation.

She couldn't just say not to spend that thousand, or Bangeng would end up in jail.

She pursed her lips.

Then she suddenly had a bright idea for another solution.

She said: "Shazhu, according to your view, our two families won't become in‑laws, but we can become sworn kin."

Shazhu was so frightened he almost kicked Jia Zhangshi away.

What the heck.

Form a sworn kinship.

What a Jia Zhangshi!

What a Qin Huairu!

Really, their unwillingness to give up—seeing Shazhu refuse the childhood engagement between Huaihua and Weiguo, they started thinking about becoming his adoptive father and mother.

The surrounding neighbors were also speechless.

I've seen shameless people, but never anyone as shameless as Qin Huairu—Shazhu clearly said he'd have nothing to do with the Jia family, yet he keeps rushing to curry favor.

To speak frankly.

They all envied how shameless Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi could be, thinking maybe they too could become like the Jia family widow and become sworn kin or in‑laws with Shazhu.

If this comes to pass.

Not saying anything else.

At the very least, the children's jobs and housing would be settled; as the canteen chief, Shazhu owes a debt of gratitude to Factory Director Yang of Yagangchang for helping him in a time of need—based on that connection, asking for a factory job quota would be easy; with so many houses bought in the courtyard, when it comes time to marry, could he bear to see his adopted son or son‑in‑law homeless?

He wouldn't even need to speak up.

The neighbors, each harboring ulterior motives, spoke up one after another, acting as the vanguard attacking Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi, loudly denouncing them.

He said: "Qin Huairu, do you yourself believe that?"

He said: "Anyway, we don't believe it."

Just a moment ago we were about to become in‑laws, and now we're becoming sworn kin; whatever the affair, everything must go exactly as you, the Jia family, wish.

"Saying it nicely, saying you've liked Wei Guo since childhood, that you like this child— isn't it just because you think Shazhu's family is well-off, you want to get some benefit? Why do you have to praise yourself so highly?"

They're all neighbors from the courtyard.

Everyone knows what kind of disposition the other person has.

Qin Huairu ignored those jealous neighbors, she said to Shazhu: "Shazhu, not mentioning Bangeng and Xiao Dang, just talking about Huaihua— this child has also grown up under your watch since childhood. I, Qin Huairu, am not boasting; Huaihua has inherited all my virtues, and when she grows up she will surely be a famous beauty for miles around. I originally intended for her to be childhood sweethearts with Wei Guo, innocent and unaware, to have the water flow not to outsiders' fields, but I never expected you to oppose this marriage."

He took a deep breath.

He sorted out his thoughts.

"Shazhu, I won't hide it from you—I, Qin Huairu, truly like this child Wei Guo; I want to take him as my adopted son."

Jia Zhangshi clinging to Shazhu's thigh.

In the eyes.

A bright light flickered.

This plan is not bad.

Qin Huairu is Wei Guo's adoptive mother; I, as Qin Huairu's mother-in-law, am thus Wei Guo's adoptive grandmother. With this adoptive mother and adoptive grandmother relationship, Shazhu couldn't possibly refuse to help the Jia Family.

If we further work on Wei Guo's thinking, maybe Shazhu's property could end up in his hands and become the Jia Family's.

He muttered something under his breath.

Then I am Wei Guo's adoptive grandmother; Shazhu, you have to call me aunt.

Shazhu looked speechlessly at Jia Zhangshi, who was always thinking up good deeds.

Suddenly he noticed that Jia Zhangshi had loosened her grip on his thigh.

He hurriedly took the opportunity when Jia Zhangshi was distracted to free his leg from her five-pronged fiery fork.

Jia Zhangshi, lost in her dream of becoming Shazhu's aunt, saw that Shazhu had broken free of her restraints, and therefore did not go too far.

Worried that she had annoyed Shazhu, Shazhu did not agree to let Wei Guo take Qin Huairu as his adoptive mother.

If you can't bear small hardships, you'll ruin big plans.

For the Jia Family's interests.

Jia Zhangshi showed rare shrewdness.

"Qin Huairu, what joke are you kidding? Taking my son as your adoptive mother? You're really daydreaming. Are you waiting for my son to call you adoptive mother, then through Wei Guo, calculate my family's house and money?"