Chapter 48

After seeing off Yi Zhonghai, he gave a few words to He Yushui; Shazhu paid no heed to the Siheyuan crowd that had become upset over his buying a bicycle, rode his bicycle, and in a flash arrived at the scrap yard.

He was one of the earlier arrivals.

Inside the scrap yard were only Shitou and Wen San.

Not seen for a day.

Shazhu swapped his bird gun for a cannon.

He arrived riding a new bicycle.

Wen San's eyes couldn't leave the bicycle; he jumped down from the tricycle cart and examined Shazhu's new bike from all sides.

Don't even mention it—the wheel axle, the handlebars, the bell, the seat—how could it be so to Master Wen's liking!

Our country's domestically produced bicycle—how could you find it ugly?

also. Wen San nodded, his mouth suddenly had nothing to say, then he began boasting, "Your mood right now, Master Wen knows; five years ago, Master Wen also bought a new car, a Dongfeng Star, that feeling—just one word: exhilarating."

Shitou gave Shazhu a speechless glance.

Although his contact with Wen San was brief, having only seen him once, Shazhu still knew what kind of person Wen San was: a miserable soul living at society's bottom, making a living by pulling a rickshaw, now by pedaling a tricycle cart; people say Wen San is the one in the capital who gets slapped the most, and there's a saying that he gets slapped for no reason; don't look at him being called 'Master Wen' left and right, deep down he's more cowardly than anyone.

Yuzhu, Master Wen says, the other day Master Wen was delivering something and ran into a ghostly thing; its appearance—if you saw him in broad daylight you'd think you'd seen a ghost.

Master Wen, does the world really have someone that ugly?

Shitou suddenly thought of Jia Gui and interjected.

Shitou proves Master Wen I'm not lying; we chatted and chatted, we got to talking about this little devil, Master Wen told him, the thing Master Wen has done the most in his life is slapping little devils' big mouths; you guess how that living ghost said it—he said he also slaps little devils' big mouths, saying he's in Anqiu, every day eating the donkey meat fire bao from Dingxianglou; when his mood is good, he slaps the big mouth of that called Yejing Zhengchuan lame old devil; when his mood is bad, he slaps the big mouth of that called He Teng Gui San blind devil; if he doesn't slap a devil's big mouth for a day, he feels terribly uncomfortable all over.

He's called Jia Gui? Before that there was also a person surnamed Gui?

Before that there was no one surnamed Gui, just Jia Gui; Jia Gui and I, Master Wen, compare who slaps little devils' big mouths more—he says he's slapped little devils over eight thousand times, I, Master Wen, say I've slapped them over nine thousand times.

Yuzhu, don't go, this is all true, Master Wen really slapped little devils over ten thousand times!

True my ass, I've seen how you behave when you get slapped.

Master Shi, don't spoil the fun now that we've bought a car—we must celebrate, with Tan family dishes.

Wen San turned his head to greet the newly arrived station chief; the general idea was that Shazhu's purchase of a bicycle made it the scrap yard's first bicycle, so they should celebrate.

Better to hit the day than to pick an auspicious one.

The celebration was thus decided.

Unlike the Siheyuan.

In the scrap yard, the celebration involved everyone chipping in money—those who could afford gave more, those who couldn't gave less—letting Shazhu be the head cook.

Shazhu didn't decline, made a few of his signature dishes, and also stewed a big pot of Northeastern stew.

A group of people had a meal together.

Each person got a share of the leftovers.

Shazhu brought a lunch box of stew and two white flour mantou.

At home there was still Yushui.

The mistakes made in the previous life must not be repeated in this life.

Riding his bicycle, he had just entered the Siheyuan.

Shazhu then discovered that everyone in the Siheyuan had rushed to the central courtyard.

Looking at this situation.

They were holding a big courtyard meeting.

This seems to have become a retained item of the Siheyuan.

For any big or small matter, they want to hold a big courtyard meeting to show off.

Seeing Shazhu return.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Yi Zhonghai's face.

Because his scheme with the deaf old lady inexplicably fell through—it had been agreed that Yi Zhonghai would return the pork to Shazhu and the deaf old lady would have dinner at Shazhu's house in the evening; the deaf old lady waited over an hour, by which time the Siheyuan neighbors had all eaten, but Shazhu still hadn't returned, so in anger she went to Yi Zhonghai's house and ate a steamed bun and drank a bowl of sorghum porridge; as for He Yushui, the deaf old lady paid no attention to her, and instead Yan Fugui called He Yushui to his house for a meal.

Zhuzi, why are you coming back so late?

Yi Zhonghai, feeling angry inside.

His tone was unusually calm.

I bought a bicycle, some people at the station chipped in to celebrate, and I came back late. Shazhu parked his bicycle, handed the small pouch on it to He Yushui, "Yushui, brother brought you this meal, it's still hot—hurry back to your room and eat; you are the future flower of our motherland, you must not let yourself go hungry."

Destroying the future flower of the motherland.

That big hat.

Even ten Yi Zhonghais couldn't bear it.

All they could do was watch helplessly as He Yushui took Shazhu's lunch box.

Brother, I already ate at Third Uncle's house.

Then let's give this lunch box to Third Uncle, okay?

He Yushui handed the lunch box in her hand to Yan Jie Di.

Shazhu, it's just a meal.

Third Uncle, don't decline—let Yan Jie Di take it home, and later return the lunch box to me.

Third Aunt led Yan Jie Di away.

Shazhu, you little rascal! In just a day without seeing you, you've managed to bring back a bicycle.

Xu Damu couldn't hold back.

He spoke first.

Shazhu really gave him an unexpected big show, producing a new bicycle.

Xu Damu, what business is it of yours? Jia Dongxu retorted at Xu Damu, "What does Shazhu's bringing back a bicycle have to do with you, Xu Damu?"

"Shazhu is my brother Xu Daming, I'm just showing concern, what's wrong?" Xu Daming countered Jia Dongxu with a tit-for-tat retort, "Are you just jealous?"

Shazhu then noticed that Xu Daming's leather shoes were missing, his clothes looked torn, as if he had been beaten.

Wasn't it to go to Qin Family Village to intercept Qin Huairu?

How did he become a beggar?

Later, after everyone explained.

Only then did Shazhu understand the concrete truth.

Enemies always meet.

Xu Daming, acting on Jia Zhangshi's orders to intercept Qin Huairu, unexpectedly ran into Jia Dongxu, who had arrived at Qin Family Village a step ahead of Xu Daming.

The hatred of stealing a wife.

Irreconcilable enemies.

Xu Daming and Jia Dongxu started fighting in front of Qin Huairu; Xu Daming's miserable state now is due to the fight. Qin Huairu also helped Jia Dongxu beat Xu Daming, saying that a big donkey face is not a good person, and that it would even alert the militia. Xu Daming got beaten, felt humiliated, lost money, lost face, and came back clamoring for Jia Zhangshi to compensate him.

Seeing that Xu Daming had failed to accomplish the task and even messed it up, and because of this matter, the relationship between Jia Dongxu and Jia Zhangshi sank to its lowest point, Jia Zhangshi refused to admit that she was responsible for this.