Chapter 537: with translation of chapter title

Jia Zhangshi, worried about being beaten, faced with You Fengxia blocking the door demanding justice, simply did not dare to go out.

She could only put on the airs of an elder, and through the glass blame You Fengxia for not respecting the elderly, recklessly slapping labels on the Jia family.

This kind of tactic of using seniority to suppress people.

It was also the usual tactic of the former Moral Heavenly Venerable Yi Zhonghai of the siheyuan.

It rather made Shazhu, standing in the crowd, feel as if he were facing Yi Zhonghai.

"Dang Xianghong, how are you speaking? I'm about the same age as your grandmother, so I count as one of your elders; speaking to me like this, who hasn't taught you manners?"

"Who are you an elder to? Ask the neighbors in the siheyuan who acknowledges you, Jia Zhangshi, as their elder; having an elder like you is nothing but terrible luck for eight generations. Don't bother me with useless talk; I just want to ask you one thing: on what grounds do you fight with Weiguo and them?"

"Who fought with them? They were in the wrong; I'm educating them on behalf of Shazhu and his wife—am I wrong?"

Jia Zhangshi retorted sharply.

She simply refused to admit her mistake.

Her words even turned the siheyuan into a classic scene of leaning on old age to sell oneself.

Many people were left speechless.

Yet they also looked up at You Fengxia with admiration.

All along.

The neighbors in the courtyard imagined You Fengxia as a delicate white lotus that could not withstand wind, relying on her pretty face to captivate countless young men.

Now it seems.

You Fengxia turned out to be a real tomboy.

Just this act of openly talking back to Jia Zhangshi and engaging in a verbal duel with her deeply won over the neighbors present.

Speaking fairly.

Looking down on Jia Zhangshi, too lazy to bother with her, their true thoughts might well be a kind of Ah Q–style self‑hypnosis, using so‑called magnanimity to excuse their own cowardice and fear.

You Fengxia obviously had no such reservations.

This is a scene that made the neighbors admire You Fengxia.

Hands on hips.

Quite the imposing presence of one man holding the pass against ten thousand.

"Just you, Jia Zhangshi, still trying to educate children—what a huge joke! You can't even educate your own grandchildren properly, yet you want to teach the neighbors' kids in the courtyard; do the neighbors actually let you educate them? Don't let their good children turn into thieves and petty crooks under your tutelage."

"Good intentions treated as dog's lungs and liver."

"Come out here."

"I'm not coming out."

"You dare to act but not to take responsibility—what kind of cowardly turtle are you hiding as?"

Shazhu furrowed his brows.

You Fengxia is also utterly indifferent to her own reputation.

With so many people around.

If word gets out about You Fengxia's bad side, how will she ever find a partner?

In the neighboring courtyard there was a girl who, being short, stepped on a stool while cooking, and thereafter rumors spread that she had mental problems.

She eventually married a widower as a concubine.

Others may not need to consider You Fengxia.

But Shazhu cannot.

He gave You Fengxia a word of advice.

Then he hurled a few harsh words at Jia Zhangshi, who was hiding inside the house.

"Grandma Bangeng, I, He Yuzhu, am not someone who fears trouble, and I never have; when my old man followed the white widow to Baocheng, at sixteen I faced your scheming and felt no fear, let alone now—I stay silent not because I want to gain a reputation for bullying with power, but because I don't want to be seen as a tyrant; you should at least think about Bangeng too—surely your family's Bangeng must marry? Or do you, Jia Zhangshi, think your Jia family is now so mighty that you can ignore us old neighbors?"

In the crowd.

The sound of the neighbors raising a clamor came through.

"Master He, you probably don't know yet, but the Jia family is now very impressive; Bangeng seeks work and will only take a leadership position."

"You're full of it; when did our Jia family ever say such a thing?"

"Jia Zhangshi, you yourself said that, with many people present back then; what now? You won't admit it? It's as if your Jia family's words are just farts."

"A fine Jia family, ruined just because you, Jia Zhangshi, lack moral speech, dragging the Jia family down—Bangeng is ruined, Xiao Dang ran off, Huaihua also ran off."

"What does it have to do with you?" Jia Zhangshi, fuming inside, glared with her scarlet triangular eyes and shouted at the neighbors outside causing a ruckus: "What are you all shouting about? Whether our Jia family is good or not, what's it to you? Did you eat our food? Or drink our water?"

The neighbors' clamor.

It did not quiet down because of Jia Zhangshi's tantrum.

On the contrary, it became even more intense.

The words also turned into fierce, tiger‑wolf rhetoric.

"What does it have to do with you? Let me tell you, Jia Zhangshi, the relation is huge—your Jia family has affected the reputation of our Red Star Courtyard, causing our neighbors to be stabbed in the back when they go out."

"Jia Zhangshi, you just said you didn't eat our food or drink our water—saying that, aren't you lacking conscience? Back when Yi Zhonghai was around, he would every few days organize the neighbors to donate money and goods to your Jia family; starting from Jia Dongxu's wedding, if I recall correctly, your original words were that the Jia family worried Qin Huairu would be wronged, wanted to hold a big wedding for her, but lacking funds, wanted the neighbors to donate to pay for Jia Dongxu's marriage."

This is one of the Jia family's embarrassing incidents.

Remember Xu Daming also let out a complaint, saying we raised money for Jia Dongxu to marry—does that mean we also have to chip in when they… do their business at night?

The next day.

Some bad talk spread—anyway, on the happy day of Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu's wedding, a male comrade from the siheyuan went into their house.

That person was Yi Zhonghai.

Qin Huairu was obviously pregnant.

Jia Zhangshi used a scheme, deliberately causing Qin Huairu to miscarry.

……

Shazhu's home.

The feather duster in Yu Li's hand.

She fiercely struck the table in front.

A staggered sound.

It made all five sons of the He family feel uneasy.

Feather duster.

There are a few kids who aren't afraid.

"Mom."

The youngest, He Xiaoli, still wanting to rely on her cuteness, acted coquettishly toward her mother Yu Li.

Not a bad idea.

But the person whose face she is trying to save is Yu Li, not He Yuzhu; Yu Li won't put up with this little girl's act.

"I'm not your mom."

"Aunt."

"He Xiaoli, I feel you're just asking for a beating."

"Mom, it has nothing to do with Niu Niu; it's my fault."

"It's also my fault."

He Weiguo and He Xianghong, the two of them.

Turned around.

Stuck out their buttocks.

Angry Yu Li whipped each of their buttocks twice with the feather duster.

Then she began an earnest lecture.

"Eldest, second, how did I tell you? Study hard, get into college; I and your father lack education, your aunt graduated high school and attended a technical college; our He family hopes on you few, one is the brother, one is the sister, you should be role models, that is, lead the fighting?"

"I know you're standing up for Mom and Dad, but think back: two adults, five kids, the fifth and sixth are six years old, the fourth is eight, the third is eleven; if a fight broke out, fists and feet have no eyes, if the fifth or fourth got hurt, what then? Even if we don't assign blame, would they suffer flesh wounds? If worse, they could lose an eye or a hand—wouldn't that ruin their lives?"

"I don't resent you for standing up for Mom and Dad; it's gratifying that you have such thoughts and actions, but as your mother I must consider your safety; you are my and your father's heart's treasure, apples of our eye; if you ever fell ill, we'd be half-dead with worry; if a big scandal erupted, not mentioning you, just speaking of me and your father, how miserable would we be?"

"Mom, I was wrong; I shouldn't have fought with Bangeng's grandmother; I'll go apologize to her shortly."

"We'll go apologize too."

"What I want isn't your apology, but for you to recognize your mistake in this matter; as long as you gain something and don't repeat this error, my education today will have been effective—understand?"