Chapter 575

Shazhu's words.

It can be said to be utterly unsparing.

Like a sharp needle, it pierced the illusory facade of Yang Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi's so‑called Head Steward and Second Matron.

He laid the truth before the neighbors.

Unlike these people in the siheyuan, who hoped Yang Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi would seek benefits for them.

Shazhu never hoped Yang Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi could help him; for these two, not dragging him down or scheming against him was already the result of burning high incense.

It's not worth giving Yang Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi face.

In dealing with these two, you can only show a tough stance; otherwise they'll really treat you as a soft persimmon to squeeze.

Hearing Shazhu say he was holding a chicken feather as a command arrow, or stuffing scallions in a pig's nose to pretend to be an elephant, Yang Qianjin grew displeased, glanced at Shazhu with a bad expression, and let out a cold snort.

He Yuzhu, your words are over the top. Although I, as Head Steward, wasn't appointed by Jiēdào, I was elected by the neighbors themselves, for the sake of the neighbors' interests. I originally didn't care about such an empty title, but the neighbors' interests are most important.

Yang Qianjin with a dark face.

Again he raised the big flag of deceiving the neighbors.

Seeing that he alone was somewhat unable to outtalk Shazhu.

Jia Zhangshi is like mud that can't be helped onto a wall.

He just wanted to incite the neighbors to jointly deal with Shazhu.

Today's Dayuan assembly was Yang Qianjin's official debut as Head Steward, with great fanfare scheming against Shazhu and Lou Xiao'e; if the assembly ended without result, the neighbors would look down on Yang Qianjin, thinking this Head Steward of his had no use at all, far inferior to the long‑deceased Yi Zhonghai.

Such a result.

This is not what Yang Qianjin wanted to see.

He wanted to pull a 'no blame to many' trick on Shazhu, having over a hundred households say Shazhu had a problem, and even if Shazhu had no problem it would become a problem.

Quite a vicious move.

But he didn't expect Shazhu to strike back.

Elected by the neighbors? I'm also a member of the siheyuan; how could I not know this? I have no impression of electing you, Yang Qianjin, as Head Steward, and Jia Zhangshi as Second Matron—I have a grudge with Liu Haizhong, so I could never let her be Second Matron.

"Shazhu, you're full of shit." Seeing Shazhu again lumping himself together with Liu Haizhong, Jia Zhangshi screamed, "When did this old woman hook up with Liu Haizhong?"

Yang Qianjin glanced at Jia Zhangshi.

Laoqianpo still has some use.

At least the timing of this shrewish outburst was not bad; it amounted to assisting Yang Qianjin, helping him smooth things over.

Shazhu, pretending not to hear Jia Zhangshi's scream, continued to rebut Yang Qianjin, "Catch the bandit by catching the leader first; topple Yang Qianjin, and Jia Zhangshi is worthless."

Yang Qianjin, when did I elect you as Head Steward?

If you weren't there, it counts as an abstention.

Yang Qianjin came up with a reason.

He responded to Shazhu with an abstention.

"Huh." Shazhu grunted, then muttered, "I want to ask, who still doesn't know that Yang Qianjin is Head Steward and Jia Zhangshi is Second Matron? Please raise your hand."

Shazhu was the first to raise his arm.

You Fengxia, as Shazhu's sister, naturally wouldn't let him fight alone; she was the second to raise her arm.

Thus: Thus: Mahua, as Shazhu's disciple, was the third to respond to Shazhu.

We've always lived in the siheyuan; why don't we know about the selection of the Head Steward? Are we just going to keep using abstention as an excuse to fool us?

You Fengxia pressed Yang Qianjin for an answer.

Thus: Thus: Mahua echoed a sentence.

I feel the same way; I haven't heard anyone at home mention this.

You're one He Yuzhu's sister, the other his disciple, and you work at Bai Xu, so naturally you side with He Yuzhu.

Thus: Thus: Mahua and them don't count." Shazhu pointed at Yan Fugui and the butcher's family who had just raised their arms, and said to Yang Qianjin, "Those Third Master and Zhao Jiahao raised their arms—how do you respond?"

Shazhu, Yan Fugui is not the siheyuan's Third Master Steward; now the siheyuan only has me as Second Matron and you as Head Steward.

Jia Zhangshi's indignant voice.

It earned Shazhu's reprimand.

Yan Fugui's Third Master Steward is appointed by Jiēdào, while your Second Matron and Head Steward are self‑appointed; I don't recognize them.

He Yuzhu, let's talk about repairing the house again—can you stop changing the subject?

Realizing they were a makeshift troupe.

Yang Qianjin didn't want to get overly entangled with Shazhu over the Head Steward's appointment, knowing that continuing would only bring him misfortune.

Twenty‑seven or twenty‑eight households, already five have raised doubts about their status.

And if more neighbors follow suit.

Could this still be the Dayuan that Yang Qianjin hoped for?

Interests move hearts.

He hurriedly shifted the topic to something the neighbors could profit from, thinking that seeing the benefits would make them of one mind with him.

But he didn't expect this to give Shazhu an opportunity.

Seeing Yang Qianjin once again use the renovation of the siheyuan to rally the neighbors.

He hurriedly retorted sharply.

Yang Qianjin, you are the siheyuan's Head Steward, and you yourself said you would seek welfare for the neighbors—your family isn't short of money, is it? Lou Xiao'e has money, and you want her to pay for renovating the siheyuan. You're widely recognized as the siheyuan's richest person; why don't you set an example and donate money for the renovation?

Shazhu directly tore apart Yang Qianjin's facade.

He gave a vicious slap to the face of a hypocrite even more shameless than Yi Zhonghai.

These bastards only know how to make others pay; why don't they lead by donating themselves? Do they want to get something for nothing? What good thing are they dreaming of!

To thoroughly attack Yang Qianjin, Shazhu even started setting up a stall.

- Names: Yang Qianjin (Yang Qianjin? Actually Yang Qianjin? The name is Yang Qianjin? The characters: Yang Qianjin, likely Yang Qianjin). Not in glossary but appears. Should we include? The instruction: list every character (including the protagonist and minor ones), place, sect/clan/faction/people, official and sect rank/title, technique, item/artifact, beast, and realm that appears in these lines. So we need to include Yang Qianjin as a character. Also Shazhu is in the glossary.

Yang Qianjin, among the residents now living here, your family is the richest—you should chip in seven or eight thousand. Yi Zhonghai was our former elder; when he was alive, he wouldn't blink at seven or eight thousand, let alone ten thousand—he'd just pull it out.

Old Yi has been dead for over ten years; he was a good person, enthusiastic about neighborhood affairs, always the first to take the lead. Yan Fugui echoed Shazhu's suggestion: "If he were still alive, the renovation crew would probably have already entered the Dayuan; it's just because he had no children that he became obsessed."

Shazhu and Yan Fugui played off each other.

Made Qianjin's head hurt.

He would pay.

On what basis?

He hesitated for over ten seconds.

He responded to Shazhu and Yan Fugui's apportionment by saying he had no money.

"Seven or eight thousand—where would I get that much money? If I had it, I'd just pull it out."

Looking at Shazhu, he suddenly realized.

Shazhu has money, I heard—he lives in a private Siheyuan and commutes by motorcycle.

He thought to himself.

You, Shazhu, have finally fallen into my hands, Qianjin.

"He Yuzhu, what you just said is wrong—I'm not the richest person in the Siheyuan; the rich ones are you, He Yuzhu, and Lou Xiao'e. According to your own logic, whoever has money should pay, so this sum should come from you, He Yuzhu, and Lou Xiao'e."

Jia Zhangshi excitedly echoed Qianjin's words.

She shouted a line.

"The elder is right, Shazhu—you said it, you can't just take it back, can you?"

In a tone as if they had Shazhu figured out.

Even in his mind rose the image of himself not leaving home to use the toilet.

The Jia Family's good days are coming.

But they didn't expect Shazhu to laugh and reply with a line that left Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi stunned.

"What did I say? I said that among the residents living in the Siheyuan, you, Qianjin, are the richest; I don't live in the Siheyuan, nor does Lou Xiao'e. This house is just a thought—if it collapses, it collapses. Anyway, I'm not lacking a place to live, and Lou Xiao'e is even less lacking."

Qianjin was at a loss for words.

Jia Zhangshi was at a loss for words.

So you, Shazhu, don't actually live in the Siheyuan, huh.

Qianjin could only keep pleading poverty, saying he had no money, couldn't help the neighbors realize their wish to renovate the Siheyuan, and that this elder of his was useless.

Shazhu basically figured Qianjin out: his moral blackmail is on a higher level than Yi Zhonghai's, yet he's stingier than Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai would call on the neighbors to donate money and goods to the Jia Family, always being the first to chip in; sometimes, to show his fairness, he'd also give appropriate consolation to other struggling households, and that money came from Yi Zhonghai himself—otherwise, the neighbors would have reported him long ago.

Qianjin is the type who only talks a good game but never spends a penny, yet keeps insisting his family has no money.

Shazhu laughed and exposed Qianjin's lie.

"Qianjin, you say you have no money—do you feel guilty? Which household in the Siheyuan could have three bicycles? When you moved in, the neighbors saw it all: the furniture was the latest style, those big and small packages included a radio, and yes, a TV. You, who own a TV, claim you have no money—who would believe that?"

After Shazhu said that,

the neighbors finally realized.

Qianjin was just lying.

Every day after work, three bicycles were parked outside Qianjin's home.

This motherfucker's broke?

It's obvious he doesn't want to spend money on the neighbors.

"What did your wife tell the neighbors? That marrying off the eldest son cost five hundred, and each of the second, third, and fourth sons also needed five hundred, while each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh daughters required eight hundred for their dowries, all prepared at home—this is what you call having no money? You're all talk and no action, a fake!"

The neighbors' whispered chatter.

It rose up at just the right moment.

"What Master He said, I actually recall now—the last time the elder's old daughter was eating those English biscuits."

"The elder is rich."

"What kind of person? Has money but won't spend it on the neighbors!"

"Exactly, someone like that still has the nerve to be an elder."

Qianjin felt awful.

His expression carried a hint of anguish.

"Qianjin, you just said Song Jiang earned everyone's loyalty by being righteous and generous, and many bowed to him. If you were to pour all your savings out for the neighbors, they'd surely call you the Siheyuan's Song Jiang; when any family's daughter came of age, they'd send her straight to your home to be your daughter-in-law—what a great thing, you'd better seize this chance."

Shazhu took Qianjin's earlier lines that he'd used to rope him in,

and threw them back at him unchanged.

Trying to curry favor.

Making you look good.

Jia Zhangshi also felt bad, because after Shazhu finished dressing down Qianjin, he turned his apportionment toward her.

"Jia Zhangshi, as the Siheyuan's managing second matriarch, you should take the lead—chip in one or two thousand; added together that's ten thousand, and if the other households each kick in a bit, won't we have the money to renovate the Siheyuan?"

"Shazhu, we have no money." Jia Zhangshi urgently stated her position: "In the Siheyuan, who doesn't know our Jia Family's life is the hardest?"

"You won't even spend money on your own homes, yet you want me—or Lou Xiao'e—to pay to fix them? Am I your father?"

Shazhu's voice.

It made the onlookers snap—once they heard they had to pay, they instantly turned into mute dumbfounded.

Hypocritical.

When they earlier tried to rope Shazhu in, getting Lou Xiao'e to pay, their voices rose one over the other—those who didn't know might have thought they were competing to see who could shout louder.

Each of them had been speaking loudly, but now that Shazhu had them pool money to renovate the Siheyuan, they all shut up and said nothing.

They want a nice house, they want to split one room into two households, they want to use the toilet without going outside, they themselves don't want to spend money, and they hope someone else will foot the bill.

How could there be such a good thing in the world!

He glanced at Yang Qianjin, Jia Zhangshi, and other shameless people.

Shazhu started cursing.

Long speech by Shazhu. Contains: Shazhu, Siheyuan, Lou Xiao'e (a name). Also possibly "Head Steward" appears? Actually the line includes "Head Steward" as part of speech: "Again Head Steward, again Head Steward's wife". So we have Head Steward and Head Steward's wife (maybe). Also "Fengxia" appears later but not in this line. Also "Thus: Thus: Mahua" appears later. Also "Yan Fugui". Also "butcher" is generic, not a name. Also "beasts" generic. So we need to extract names: Shazhu, Siheyuan, Lou Xiao'e, Head Steward, Head Steward's wife (though not in the glossary but appears), maybe also "Head Steward's wife" is a title; we should include as a name? The instruction: list official & sect rank/title that appears. So yes include Head Steward and Head Steward's wife as titles. Also "Fengxia" not in this line. Also "Thus: Thus: Mahua" not in this line. Also "Yan Fugui" not in this line.

A remark.

He cursed them until they were drenched in dog blood.

They also stayed silent.

What are you saying?

Are you saying I'm selfish?

Because Shazhu is absolutely right!

These people are utterly shameless, just fantasizing!

Shazhu also couldn't be bothered with these people; after scolding them, he walked over to his ancestral home across the way, unlocked the door, took a look inside, saw a layer of dust, fetched a broom and swept it clean, then turned and greeted Yu Fengxia, Thus: Thus: Mahua, and the others, nodded at Yan Fugui and the butcher, and walked past the motionless beasts standing there like wooden statues.

A puttering sound echoed.

Shazhu rode his motorcycle to the secluded courtyard.

Why does he dare to antagonize so many people in the courtyard all at once?

There's a very important reason.

The situation now is different from before; those so-called nasty rules have disappeared.

Yang Qianjin and Jia Zhangshi tried their old tactics on Shazhu, but they naturally had no effect.

"……" No names.

The venue of the grand assembly.

This Shazhu is becoming more and more lawless; he left before the grand assembly even ended—what kind of person is he?

Jia Zhangshi grumbled dissatisfiedly.

She suggested to Yang Qianjin, who was similarly standing there in a daze.

His eldest uncle, we need to think of a way to deal with Shazhu, otherwise Dayuan will have no good days to live.