Chapter 564

Seeing Qin Jingru spill the truth, saying it was all her own idea and she was innocent, Qin Huairu's mind went blank instantly.

Originally Lou Xiao'e looked down on Qin Huairu and had no goodwill toward the Jia family; she was still thinking how to make a bit of remedy, to gain a little benefit from Lou Xiao'e.

At this critical juncture, Qin Jingru related the past facts.

This is intolerable.

Definitely adding fuel to the fire.

In her eyes.

Instantly a grudge toward Qin Jingru welled up: I painstakingly matched you with Xu Damao, letting you go from a country woman to a city dweller; without me, you Qin Jingru would still be tilling the earth—this kindness, you not only fail to repay, but you drag Qin Huairu down; what on earth are you trying to do?

No time to worry about much.

They hurriedly spoke up in their own defense.

"Qin Jingru, what nonsense are you spouting? What does this have to do with me, Qin Huairu? I warn you, don't try to pin this shit on my head—Xiao'e won't fall for your tricks."

Qin Huairu played a little trick.

She deliberately called out Xiao'e's name to show her closeness to Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Xiao'e glanced at Qin Huairu without expression, too lazy to expose her little scheme; with Qin Jingru present, there was no need for her to act herself.

Dogs biting dogs.

Everything turned out as Lou Xiao'e had anticipated: Qin Huairu is a white-eyed wolf, Qin Jingru naturally is also an ungrateful lot—both are scumbags who forget righteousness for profit.

Seeing this scene, since it was not in their interest, they dropped many scruples, all thinking to shift blame as much as possible and let the other side bear the blame.

Thus.

They also disregarded so-called family ties.

Each believed they were in the right and that the other had done them wrong.

"How dare you call Xiao'e like that?" Qin Jingru exposed Qin Huairu's deceit: "What relation do you have with them, yet you keep calling them Xiao'e? If you really were related, when you just had them go to your Jia family to catch up, they would have gone."

"Qin Jingru, I am your sister."

Seeing the situation turn bad, Qin Huairu brought up her status, hoping to overawe with it, but she mistakenly overestimated her standing in Qin Huairu's heart.

In Qin Jingru's eyes, Qin Huairu amounted to nothing—just a leech who failed to suck her dry and ended up resenting her, a bastard.

She gave a cold laugh.

She conveniently blamed the past events on Qin Huairu.

"I never denied you're my sister; if you weren't my sister, I wouldn't have listened to you and married Xu Damao as his wife. You said Xu Damao is a film projectionist at Yagangchang, with high pay and perks; if I marry him, I become the wife of a Yagangchang film projectionist."

Grievances have a source.

Debts have an owner.

Whoever ruined your marriage to Xu Damao, Lou Xiao'e, you'll go after them; I too am a poor wretch used by Qin Huairu.

Qin Jingru harbored this idea; having lived in the city for over a decade and undergone Xu Damao's training, she was no longer the ignorant girl who would have sacrificed anything to marry into the city, knowing nothing.

Her horizons had broadened considerably.

She had learned to think.

From the enthusiasm Director Wang showed in currying favor with Lou Xiao'e, one could tell Lou Xiao'e was no longer what she used to be.

It was utterly beyond what a helpless village woman like herself could contend with.

Although I don't know what happened to turn the once tail‑tucked Lou Xiao'e into such a sudden spotlight, I know whether I can stay in the Siheyuan depends on Lou Xiao'e's expression.

The house before us is nowhere near worth a thousand.

Yet Lou Xiao'e spent a thousand on it, showing how wealthy she is.

It was probably for her own sake.

Moreover, Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi had said plenty about Qin Jingru's ingratitude.

Back then Qin Jingru still despised the Jia widows for ruining her reputation; now it seems she turned misfortune into blessing, indirectly confirming that Qin Huairu had used her.

"You say the Jia family orphans and widows have it hard; earlier there was Yi Zhonghai, the eldest uncle, helping your Jia family. After Yi Zhonghai died, Qin Huairu's reputation also stank, and Jia Zhangshi became synonymous with laziness and gluttony, claiming the Siheyuan neighbors all despise the Jia family, saying the Jia family can barely keep the pot boiling, saying Bangeng is a Jia family male, frail and unable to eat coarse grain, and that Jia Zhangshi also needs good food."

Qin Jingru's words.

The more she spoke, the smoother it became.

The neighbors' expressions grew ever more filled with the excitement of watching a show.

Lou Xiao'e's expression remained unchanged, giving no hint of good or ill.

Not far off, Shazhu was shaking his head slightly, as everyone said Qin Huairu was no good, while Qin Jingru was the real thing.

In the previous life.

Clearly she was on a blind date with Shazhu, yet she instead went with Xu Damao for hot pot, changed clothes with him, and then, in a daze, gave herself away.

It cannot be ruled out that Qin Jingru had the idea of turning raw rice into cooked rice.

The problem is you, you're courting Shazhu on one side and getting cozy with Xu Damao on the other.

Her character is lacking.

Shazhu was happy to see this scene.

Sometimes he would also turn his gaze toward Qin Huairu.

With Qin Jingru blaming Qin Huairu like this, what would Qin Huairu think?

Qin Huairu's face turned ashen, her eyes flashing with incredulous shock—perhaps she never expected Qin Jingru to say such a thing in front of the neighbors.

She wanted to explain, but didn't know how to start, after all Qin Jingru's words were exactly the complaints Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi, the two widows, had once shouted at the neighbors.

The neighbors all heard it.

They would not tolerate the Jia widows pretending.

"Ah!"

A sigh rose in Qin Huairu's heart.

If I had known today, why bother in the first place?

This is exactly picking up a stone to smash one's own foot.

There's simply no way to defend oneself.

Qin Jingru, who had noticed the changing expression on Qin Huairu's face, grew even more excited.

「You Qin Huairu said there was a way to let me marry Xu Daming, making me swear that as long as I listened to you and married Xu Daming, after marriage I would compensate you Qin Huairu in all aspects, material being one aspect, money being another. Before the matter is settled, I will give you how much money; after the matter is settled, I will give you again how much money. I remember clearly that I gave you the five yuan I had painstakingly saved. 」

"You're full of shit, it's you who shamelessly seduced Xu Damai, ruining Xu Damai and Lou Xiaoe's marriage, and now you want to pin the blame on me, Qin Huairu—don't even think about it."

Qin Huairu's counterattack.

It was so powerless.

Her words carried quite a bit of Jia Zhangshi's bearing.

She finally became the person she despised.

"I'm shameless? Then let me ask you: who called me to the city for a matchmaking? Who deliberately brought me to where Xu Damai was showing a film? Who told Xu Damai that I, Qin Jingru, am your sister, Qin Huairu, that I came to the city just to find a partner and become just like you, Qin Huairu, a city dweller? Who helped me cover up a thing or two with Xu Damai, letting him take me out shopping and eating? Qin Huairu, you say—explain yourself."

Qin Huairu was left at a loss by the questioning.

Among the onlookers watching the excitement, some were elderly residents of the Siheyuan; perhaps they didn't recall those past events, but upon Qin Jingru's words, they immediately remembered that scene.

Indeed, it was Qin Huairu who brought Qin Jingru up to Xu Damai.

"I remember now: Qin Huairu led Qin Jingru to sit in the leader's spot, Xu Damai saw it and told Qin Huairu to sit elsewhere, but Qin Huairu refused, instead using Qin Jingru as an excuse."

"They had gone to the movies many times, and Qin Huairu had always behaved properly, but that day she suddenly acted out of character, insisting on sitting in the seat Xu Damai had reserved."

"Qin Huairu, listen: am I talking nonsense, or are you? The neighbors' eyes are sharp; they all know what kind of person you are."

The tone shifted.

She began to speak to Lou Xiaoe.

"Lou Xiaoe, let me tell you: after I married Xu Damai, Qin Huairu kept borrowing things from me every day, which I found strange. Today she borrowed white flour, saying her children needed fine grains; tomorrow she borrowed money, saying her children lacked nutrition and needed meat; the day after she borrowed meat, saying her children smelled the meat aroma and were dying for it. I lent her a few times, then stopped, and everyone in the Dayuan said I, Qin Jingru, was ungrateful, claiming that without Qin Huairu I couldn't have married Xu Damai—if you don't believe me, ask the neighbors."

"You're full of shit."

"I'm full of shit—I think it's you who's shameless. Is it because you saw Lou Xiaoe has money and want to cozy up to her, take advantage? We're both from Qin Family Village; I still don't know you? You're clearly living like crap, yet you insist on showing off in the village that you're doing great—aren't you exhausted? When my uncle and aunt ran into trouble and came to the city to rely on you, Qin Huairu, you didn't even let them through the gate; your mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, directly scolded them away. If it were me, Qin Jingru, I'd have killed myself long ago, yet you shamelessly keep living."

To kill a person, you must first destroy their heart.

Qin Jingru's words were tantamount to tearing away Qin Huairu's last pretense, because of that incident, all the Siheyuan residents saw Jia Zhangshi with hands on hips, cursing Qin Huairu's parents as bastards, which finally drove Qin Huairu's parents away in shame, never to return.

Perhaps it was due to anger from embarrassment.

It could also be that Qin Huairu was thrown into confusion by the provocation.

She shouted, lunged at Qin Jingru, and the two women instantly grappled—Qin Huairu grabbed Qin Jingru's hair, while Qin Jingru clawed at Qin Huairu's face.

Really, they were about to encounter a talented person.

The fight was incredibly heated.

The onlookers chatted and laughed, and this was also because Director Wang wasn't present; some even feared the situation wouldn't blow up enough, shouting slogans to strip the clothes off.

There really were people who responded to the call.

Who?

Qin Jingru!

At the moment this brother finished shouting to strip Qin Huairu's clothes, Qin Jingru's hands lunged to grab her, expressing with action her support for the suggestion to strip Qin Huairu's clothes.

Also blaming Qin Huairu for being too scheming, even while tangled with Qin Jingru, she still tried to maintain her image of a weak woman, putting on a clueless act of joy in front of Lou Xiaoe, which put her at a disadvantage.

I didn't expect that a neighbor would suggest stripping her clothes.

I didn't expect Qin Jingru would actually heed the villagers' advice and pull off her clothes.

Caught off guard.

Qin Huairu really suffered a big loss, her whole body pinned under Qin Jingru.

The onlookers could see it with their own eyes.

Qin Jingru was really stripping Qin Huairu's clothes.

Shazhu thought it had nothing to do with him, yet he widened his eyes, staring intently at the exciting battle before him, his heart pounding violently.

He suddenly furrowed his brow, and his complexion worsened.

Damn it.

Someone actually blocked Shazhu's view.

As soon as anyone heard someone wanted to strip Qin Huairu's clothes, even the uninterested came out to watch, thus standing in front of Shazhu's eyes, making him so angry he wanted to slap that person—all just rubberneckers, you kid, you're blocking my vision, do you even know?

Had no choice.

Shazhu could only tiptoe to keep an eye on the fight.

They were all sisters-in-law.

Why make things difficult for one's own?

Jia Zhangshi, this old widow, having fallen out with Qin Huairu recently, watched the scene before her and had no intention of intervening.

When Qin Huairu faced the danger of being stripped by Qin Jingru, what came to mind was not helping but a sense of revenge, as if the Qin Huairu pressed beneath Qin Jingru were not her daughter-in-law but an enemy, and she even began to wail hysterically, spouting nonsense.

"Qin Jingru, Qin Huairu is your sister; even if she did something wrong to you, you shouldn't strip her clothes—if it weren't for Qin Huairu, could you, Qin Jingru, have married Xu Damai?"

This statement implicitly corroborated Qin Jingru's earlier accusations against Qin Huairu.

Pressed to the ground.

Qin Huairu, struggling desperately against Qin Jingru.

She even felt like killing Jia Zhangshi.

This Laoqianpo, in this situation, is dragging Qin Huairu down.

Regretting not having acted earlier.

Back then, I should have sent Jia Zhangshi to the countryside; to show supposed filial piety, I deliberately kept this good-for-nothing, which also ruined Qin Huairu's whole life.

She hates it so much.

Qin Huairu felt as if her heart were being cut by a knife, thinking of Jia Zhangshi's cold-bloodedness and Qin Jingru's ingratitude, feeling she must strike back and could not continue like this.

She bit her tongue hard, and intense pain spread through Qin Huairu's entire body.

Under the pain's stimulation, Qin Huairu suddenly found strength, shoved Qin Jingru aside with a backhand, and slapped Qin Jingru twice.

Damn Qin Jingru, you made me fight you and even tried to strip my clothes—I'll give you two slaps.

After slapping Qin Jingru, Qin Huairu saw Jia Zhangshi dazed, slapped her again, and kicked Jia Zhangshi to the ground with one foot.

She covered her face.

She rushed out of the crowd.

She ran back to the Jia Family.

This sudden turn of events truly exceeded the neighbors' expectations; they had been wanting to watch the show, but the drama ended abruptly, and they resented Qin Jingru's incompetence for letting Qin Huairu escape.

Some people were still secretly looking at Lou Xiao'e.

They found Lou Xiao'e still wearing that calm, unruffled expression.

They began to wonder what Lou Xiao'e was thinking.

In their astonishment.

Lou Xiao'e walked up to Shazhu, muttered a few words at him, regardless of his agreement, and shoved Qin Jingru onto Shazhu.

Shazhu didn't know what to say.

Women.

Truly holds a grudge.

Just because she wanted Qin Jingru to regret it and reclaim Xu Daming's house, Lou Xiao'e had Shazhu rent Yushui's house to Qin Jingru.

Helplessly.

Shazhu could only agree.

Lou Xiao'e threatened Shazhu with Shazhu and her child.