Chapter 472

Jia Zhangshi's words.

It refreshed the neighbors' understanding of the three words "shameless."

"Shazhu, you lent money to my old woman to buy a house, and Yan Fugui will repay it for me."

If she were Yan Fugui's daughter-in-law.

Or perhaps a concubine.

There's nothing wrong with that statement.

It's not the key at all, and moreover the relationship between the two families is still extremely bad.

Yet Jia Zhangshi could say, without blushing or her heart racing, that she had lent money for Yan Fugui to repay.

The atmosphere on the scene.

For a moment it became somewhat tense.

Just as everyone was pondering how to wrap things up.

Third Aunt's voice broke this eerie silence.

"What are you, Jia Zhangshi, that you dare ask our Old Yan to repay your debt? I didn't know our Old Yan was keeping you as a concubine!"

The people present.

There was one.

Counted as one.

All were stunned by Third Aunt's harsh tone.

Is this still the Third Aunt they knew, who always followed the lead of the Third Elder?

When did she become so shrewish?

Think about it.

They felt relieved.

Jia Zhangshi shamelessly put on an air of having Yan Fugui under her thumb; in this situation, if Third Aunt continued to be meek and obedient, the Yan family would have no choice but to be bullied by Jia Zhangshi.

That was a matter of several hundred dollars.

Not just a few dollars.

"Yan Liu Shi, what's your relation to me?"

He said.

Jia Zhangshi, feeling it improper.

Quickly changed her tone.

"Old Yan is the Head Steward of the siheyuan, I am a resident of the siheyuan; when I encounter a problem, I go to the head steward for help—this isn't a complicated matter, after all, it's a good thing for neighbors to help each other; how could you make it sound so unpleasant?"

"From now on, I won't serve as head steward anymore; your Jia family's messy affairs, you can go to whoever you like, just don't bother our Yan family."

"Right, I'm quitting."

Yan Fugui put on an expression of being unable to help.

He glanced around at the people nearby.

"Neighbors, you probably don't know yet, but the system of head steward in the siheyuan was abolished some time ago; I originally wanted to tell you about this, but then this matter came up."

"I don't care whether you remain head steward or not; you must resolve our family's housing issue."

"Jia Zhangshi, come on, come on, give me a breakdown—why should our Yan family help your Jia family solve the housing issue?" Third Aunt questioned Jia Zhangshi: "Back when Yi Zhonghai was alive, your Jia family relied on his position as chief steward to bleed the neighbors in the compound—either donating money or donating goods. After Yi Zhonghai died, your Jia family immediately cozied up to someone else. I'm not saying this about you; if Jia Zhangshi had even a bit of self-awareness and wasn't so lazy and gluttonous, the Jia family wouldn't have fallen to this state. Do you dare say your Jia family has no money? If you have no money, how could you give Bangeng a thousand dollars to marry a widow?"

Jia Zhangshi was momentarily at a loss for words.

Initially, Bangeng fell for the widow's scheme, not knowing whether he had brought disaster upon her, but because they were lying together, he was caught on the spot by the widow's natal family.

In the end, he was forced to admit it.

The Jia family members living in the capital.

Considering Bangeng's reputation.

The explanation they gave to outsiders was not that Bangeng had been tricked into marrying the widow, but that Bangeng, seeing the widow alone with several children, felt compassion.

In short, they tried to beautify the motive behind Bangeng marrying the widow as much as possible.

The neighbors in the compound clearly sensed there was more to it, but not knowing the truth, they could only speculate wildly.

What kind of decent person could the children taught by Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu be?

One thousand dollars.

That amounts to a heartbreaking loss for the Jia family.

Having no money yet able to spend a thousand dollars to marry a widow with children.

This shows your Jia family has money.

Adding to that, the fundraising and donation drives organized by Yi Zhonghai for the Jia family made the Jia members become like rats crossing the street—no one believed they were penniless, thinking the Jia family was deliberately feigning poverty.

Many young men and women of marriageable age in the compound need housing.

They all eagerly await housing.

Even if the Jia family has no money.

They will still treat it as if they have money.

After all, the Jia family was driven out, and their house can be handled internally within the siheyuan.

This has already become an unwritten rule.

It concerns one's own interests.

Naturally, one cannot remain a bystander.

They spoke up in support of Third Aunt.

"Bangeng could spend a thousand dollars to marry a widow with children; your Jia family's excuse was that Bangeng felt sorry for the widow and wanted to help her raise the kids. Now your family needs money to buy a house—simply write to Bangeng and have his wife send the money back, solving the Jia family's problem of having no place to live."

"Jia Zhangshi, the words of Three Mysteries Lake are reasonable. Your family's Bangeng marrying a widow has only been a little over a year. Even if you could spend money, this one thousand dollars would still have to leave a few hundred. Transferring money from the post office is very convenient, it only takes a few days. After receiving the money, go to the street office to pay the money. Wouldn't your Jia family's house be saved then?" Yan Fugui said to Jia Zhangshi: "Looking for me is useless. My third son wants to get married, my fourth son wants to find a bride's family. We certainly can't, for the sake of your Jia family, delay our third and fourth sons' lifelong important matters."

Jia Zhangshi truly had bitterness that could not be spoken.

Do you really think she hasn't considered the widow's money?

Two telegrams were sent.

Three registered letters were mailed.

He explained the situation clearly.

How could it be that the widow wouldn't part with a single penny, refusing absolutely to mail the money back, and even threatened Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu in return, saying that if the Jia family's house in the capital were confiscated, Bangeng could farm in the northeast and never come back for the rest of his life.

Jia Zhangshi's teeth chattered from anger.

Qin Huairu also wet the bed several times at night because of this.

Every family has its own difficulties.

An embarrassing matter.

It cannot be said.

After saying "I!", Jia Zhangshi truly didn't know what to say, foolishly looking at the people around her, suddenly wanting to cry.

"Neighbors, don't you still not understand? The Jia family people have money, yet they deliberately say they have none; this is again treating us as suckers. Too bad, Yi Zhonghai is dead."

"Jia Zhangshi, release my man's leg."

Jia Zhangshi not only did not release,

but held on even tighter.

Release Yan Fugui's leg—who will help the Jia family resolve the housing matter?

"Jia Zhangshi, haven't I given you face? I'm going to go all out with you."

Third Aunt also saw the situation was bad, let out a loud shout, and lunged at Jia Zhangshi.

The two women.

Instantly they got into a scuffle.

Yan Fugui, as a teacher, should set an example, yet he also had his own selfish motives; while shouting slogans against fighting, he secretly pulled the biased party, grabbing Jia Zhangshi's arm to let his own wife beat Jia Zhangshi as much as possible.

Several women around.

also raised the banner of breaking up the fight.

and started doing the thing of kicking someone when they're down.

In any case, the attitude toward Shazhu showed that Third Aunt had the upper hand.

They fought for about three or four minutes.

The neighbors who were mediating separated the scuffling Third Aunt and Jia Zhangshi.

Each one looked disheveled.

It was obvious Jia Zhangshi had come off worse: the corner of her mouth split and bled, her cheeks showed a purplish bruise, and two bloody strands of mucus dangled from beneath her nostrils.