Chapter 532: with translation of chapter title

Original:...

Break down:...

We need to convey meaning without adding. Perhaps: "Jia Zhangshi, who loved to brainstorm good deeds," but that's adding.

Better to translate literally:...

Next clause:...

Next:...

Next:...

Next:...

Combine into one sentence? We need to keep as one line but can have commas.

Thus translation: "【1】 Jia Zhangshi, with her mind wide open, exhaustively pondering good things, her voice unnaturally rose considerably; probably because she was shameless, the insults she hurled at Shazhu and Yu Li went from whispered gossip to loud shouting, her foul words pierced the glass, tore through the void, and flew into the ears of everyone in the Siheyuan."

Check we didn't add extra info. Seems okay.

Now 【2】:...

Translate: "Some neighbors thought Jia Zhangshi had gone too far, scolding Shazhu and Yu Li in front of Shazhu's five children, clearly intending to forge a deadly feud, saying Jia Zhangshi was simply brainless."

We need to keep...

Some neighbors, however, think Jia Zhangshi did the right thing—who let Silly Zhu make such a principled mistake? He'll soon be dead and gone; now scolding Zhu is just a way for them to wash their hands of responsibility. If they weren't swallowing their pride, they might even do the same as Jia Zhangshi.

Translate: "Some neighbors, however, felt Jia Zhangshi was right, for who let Shazhu commit this principled mistake? He would soon die and vanish; now scolding Shazhu is tantamount to clearing their own responsibility; if they hadn't lowered their faces, they might well have done the same as Jia Zhangshi."

Some neighbors thought Jia Zhangshi had gone too far, scolding Shazhu and his wife in front of Shazhu's five children, clearly intending to form a deadly feud, saying Jia Zhangshi was just a brainless person.

Some neighbors, however, felt Jia Zhangshi was right; who let Shazhu commit this principled mistake, soon to face death and disappearance; now scolding Shazhu is equivalent to clearing their own responsibility; if they weren't saving face, they might also have done as Jia Zhangshi did.

Translate: "Among Shazhu's five children remaining in the courtyard, the eldest, Weiguo, seeing Jia Zhangshi curse his parents, suddenly felt he ought to step forward."

Translate: "His father He Yuzhu and mother Yu Li had gone off to enjoy their own world."

Translate: "Only the five siblings remained in the courtyard."

Translate: "Moreover, Jia Zhangshi's foul mouth was heard by many neighbors; if she hadn't named names, He Weiguo and the others wouldn't have bothered to confront her."

Translate: "The problem was Jia Zhangshi's foul mouth, which explicitly named Shazhu and Yu Li: talk of taking a camera to snap deathbed photos, riding a bicycle to go die, shops already shut, King Yama on his way over, and the notion that one day there would be no next, able to eat one's fill, able to play one's fill."

Translate: "Just as he was about to speak, the He family's youngest snatched the initiative."

Translate: "The youngest, Lao Mo."

Translate: "She is a girl."

Translate: "Her name is He Xiaoli; she carries the meaning of her parents' names He Yuzhu and Yu Li, she is the most beloved of Shazhu and his wife and several older siblings, and she knows Jia Zhangshi is cursing her parents."

We need to use He Xiaoli (glossary). Also He Yuzhu and Yu Li. So: "Her name is He Xiaoli; she carries the meaning of her parents' names He Yuzhu and Yu Li, she is the most beloved of Shazhu and his wife and several older siblings, and she knows Jia Zhangshi is cursing her parents."

Translate: "She did not talk back."

Translate: "Instead, she did it in front of all the neighbors in the courtyard."

Translate: "She cried."

Translate: '"Wuu wuu wuu."' (sound). We'll keep quotes.

Translate: "The little girl, raised by Shazhu and his wife, was plump like a little dumpling, with red lips and white teeth; many neighbors in the courtyard liked this little girl."

Translate: "Only Jia Zhangshi did not take kindly to her."

Translate: "It had been going on for days."

Translate: "Shazhu's daughter, who neither ate the Jia family's rice, nor drank their water, nor spent their money, and had no dealings with the Jia family, yet Jia Zhangshi insisted on viewing the matter from the Jia family's angle, privately calling He Xiaoli a money-losing good, saying Shazhu spent so much money raising a daughter-in-law who would be a loss, and that it would be better to help the Jia family instead, claiming Shazhu was a cold-blooded scoundrel, and that Yu Li was no prize either."

Translate: "He Xiaoli also could not stand Jia Zhangshi."

Translate: "Hearing that Jia Zhangshi was scolding people, she, small in stature but big in spirit, deliberately cried."

Translate: "She is the youngest."

Translate: "No one could do anything to her."

Translate: "Moreover, she gave her older siblings the chance to oppose Jia Zhangshi."

Translate: "The eldest daughter, He Xianghong, grabbed He Xiaoli in a hug and said comfortingly: 'Xiaoli, big sister is here, don't cry, with big sister here we fear nothing.'"

Translate: '"Sister, Grandma Jia just scared me, she also cursed our dad, cursed our mom, sister, I'm afraid."'

Translate: "Some idle neighbors around."

Translate: "They found it hard to watch."

Translate: "The superiority between the Jia family and the He family."

Translate: "It was immediately clear."

Translate: "Even the youngest, He Xiaoli, had already put the Jia family at a disadvantage, showing that the Jia family's quality was truly lacking; they cursed people and drove away their own younger sister. Looking at the He family's children, there's no comparison; if He Weiguo and the others weren't so young, a matchmaker might already have come knocking."

Laoqianpo stared wide-eyed at the neighbors before her, suddenly not knowing what to do.

Suddenly something came to mind, and she shuddered all over.

Translate: "This shows how sought-after the He family's children are."

Oh no.

Translate: '"Grandma Bangeng, how old are you, that you would stoop to argue with a five- or six-year-old girl? You really bring face to the Jia family, you really bring face to us elders; if word got out, you'd look mighty."'

Translate: '"Our Siheyuan, it's really you, Jia Zhangshi, who's ruined the feng shui—what have Shazhu and his wife done to offend the Jia family that you treat them like this? It's hard to watch; we confront you face to face, and we also look up to the Jia family a bit more—with Shazhu and his wife around, we fear being beaten, we dare not cause trouble; taking advantage of their absence, you bully Shazhu's children—no wonder Xiao Dang and Huaihua left."'

Translate: "There were neighbors who spoke out to blame Jia Zhangshi."

Translate: "There were also neighbors who kindly tried to console He Xiaoli."

Translate: '"Xiaoli, don't be afraid, with Grandma here, Jia Zhangshi dare not do anything to you; if she tries to scare you, Grandma will stand up for you, Grandma will beat her for you."'

All right, stop crying, smile a bit, Xiao Li—you're a good child, you shouldn't be sniveling; we don't hang out with people who have no manners.

Translate: '"All right, stop crying, smile a little, Xiaoli, you're a good child—you mustn't cry; we don't associate with people lacking quality."'

Translate: '"Xiaoli, Grandma gives you a milk candy."'

Translate: '"Grandma, Xiaoli doesn't eat candy; give it to the little brother."'

Translate: '"What a good child."'

Translate: "A scene of fervent public sentiment."

Translate: "It left Jia Zhangshi stunned."

Translate: "Laoqianpo stared wide-eyed at the neighbors before her, suddenly not knowing what to do."

Translate: "Suddenly a thought struck her mind, and her whole body shivered."

Translate: "Oh no."

I need to re-evaluate: I mis-copied. Let's re-list lines from 48 onward as given:

He also stood in front of several sisters and brothers.

There were neighbors around.

Seeing this scene.

He instantly praised it in his heart.

Regardless of the final outcome, whether Jia Zhangshi wins or He Weiguo wins, at the very least He Weiguo has formally established his authority in the Siheyuan.

From now on.

The Siheyuan now has a figure like He Weiguo.

Some elderly people.

One could faintly see the shadow of Shazhu in He Weiguo.

I don't know if it's because my eyes are playing tricks, but I always feel that the youthful-cheeked He Weiguo before me is none other than He Yuzhu back then.

He Daqing, for some reason, followed the white widow to Baocheng, leaving the sixteen-year-old He Yuzhu and the six-year-old He Yushui in the Siheyuan. Many people watching this brother-sister pair thought they would be wiped out, and the Dayuan patriarch Long Laotaitai, the Moral Heavenly Venerable Yi Zhonghai and his wife, the unreasonable Jia Zhangshi, and other neighbors—who didn't have designs on Shazhu's house or his money?

The final result was that Shazhu, with a single strong appearance, formally established his prestige in the Siheyuan, upheld the He family's gate, brought He Yushui up together, raised her, and lived his own life prosperously.

Fortune turns like a wheel.

Now it's Shazhu's son He Weiguo's turn to establish himself as the head of the household in the Siheyuan.

He is also sixteen years old.

He also protects his sister and brother behind him.

The people he faces.

They are all members of the Jia family as well.

The detestable Jia Zhangshi, who back then schemed for Jia Dongxu's marriage, calculating Shazhu's house, was given a show of force by Shazhu taking advantage of the situation; now, still because of Shazhu's house, she has been given a show of force by Shazhu's son.

It's also hard on Jia Zhangshi.

Laoqianpo probably didn't expect He Weiguo to talk back to her face; her expression turned odd, she pondered for a moment, then roared at He Weiguo.

"You little brat, how dare you speak to me like that? I may be an old woman, but I'm still your elder—have you stuffed all your learning into a dog's belly?"

"Our He family doesn't have elders like you; whose elder are you, who would bring eight lifetimes of bad luck? As for schooling, our teacher said, when facing kind elders, be filial and respectful; when facing shameless old fogies who lean on their age, you must bravely raise your fists."

"Shazhu is no plaything, and neither are his children."

"The Jia family is a plaything."

"You sharp-tongued brat, did I misspeak? Is Shazhu going to get shot, is Yu Li going to jail? Though I'm illiterate, I've heard people say that your parents' affair blew up, and they've pinned three charges on Shazhu; by then you'll be orphans, but I'm kindly helping you out, letting you live off the Jia family."

"You want to seize our house, don't you?"

Jia Zhangshi paused.

I didn't expect her tricks to be called out in one breath by sixteen-year-old He Weiguo.

A hint of displeasure flickered across her face.

"Who has seized your house?"

"You dare say you haven't had designs on our house? Without a house, how will Bangeng marry? After marrying, will you and this grandma squeeze into one room? Last night the Jia family already split up; you and Bangeng sleep in the inner room—I understand, you definitely want to go back to your rural hometown."

Go back to the rural hometown.

This is Jia Zhangshi's berserk button.

Laoqianpo didn't want to suffer by returning to her rural hometown, ignoring Qin Huairu's plain words and Bangeng's hints; she meant only one thing: even in death she would stay in the Siheyuan.

Her thoughts had been seen through.

She became angry out of embarrassment.

She waved a big slap, swinging it at He Weiguo, while also cursing him with a phrase she deemed just.

"Since Shazhu and his wife didn't teach you to respect elders, I'll educate you properly in their stead, so you learn what respecting elders means, lest you suffer later."

Too big for her boots.

She overestimated herself.

She also underestimated He Weiguo, thinking he wouldn't dare do anything to her.

But she didn't expect that He Weiguo had inherited Shazhu's true teachings and was also a maverick; seeing Jia Zhangshi cursing and moving to beat him, he retorted with a curse of his own.

"What are you even, to have the right to educate me in place of my parents? You can't even educate your own Jia family members, yet you have the nerve to lecture me."

He Weiguo sidestepped to dodge Jia Zhangshi's big slap, meanwhile his right hand had already swung round, and he landed a hard smack on her face.

The crisp slap sound was like a frozen signal, instantly stunning the surrounding neighbors.

His mouth opened involuntarily.

His eyes widened involuntarily.

He stared in disbelief at the scene before him.

What a fellow.

A true fellow.

Shazhu's eldest son He Weiguo actually slapped Jia Zhangshi.

They were all dumbfounded.

Not to mention them, even Jia Zhangshi, who had been slapped by He Weiguo, was staring blankly at He Weiguo moving his wrists, her face full of shock.

Some thought it all was an illusory dream.

But the pain on her face clearly conveyed an answer Jia Zhangshi couldn't deny—she had been struck by He Weiguo, slapped in front of the whole courtyard's neighbors.

"You dare hit me?"

"You cursed my parents, damned my parents—am I not allowed to hit you? Not just one slap; I'll keep hitting as long as you keep insulting my parents, to see whose mouth is tougher, yours or my palm."

"I'll headbutt you to death, you damned dog."

The scene turned into a chaotic battleground.

Jia Zhangshi charged with her head at He Weiguo; while he dodged, he also responded with fists and palms.

Let's produce a smooth translation: "Jia Zhangshi took a few blows, yet she unexpectedly thought of striking He Xiaoli—but just as she lunged at He Xiaoli, Shazhu's eldest daughter, the two-year-old He Xianghong, bared her teeth and claws, grabbed a stick, and swung it at Jia Zhangshi."

Given the difficulty, I'll translate as: "Shazhu's eldest daughter, the two-year-old He Xianghong, the little one of He Weiguo". This retains the elements.

But maybe better: "Shazhu's eldest daughter, the two-year-old He Xianghong, the little He Weiguo". I'll go with that.

We'll translate: "Seeing she couldn't win, Jia Zhangshi cursed Shazhu and his wife while shouting at Bangeng, saying she had been beaten by Shazhu's children, that the siblings were teaming up against her, and telling Bangeng to come help her."

The Jia Family has become a laughingstock of the Siheyuan!