Chapter 602: with translation of chapter title

The matter of joining Bai Xu.

It has already reached the point of being urgent.

Originally, Xiao Dang still had some hesitation in her heart, but after hearing Qin Huairu's description of the wages for Bai Xu service staff, she had no hesitation left.

A job that earns thirty or forty yuan a month.

Where can I find it?

Don't look at Qin Huairu having worked at Yagangchang for about twenty years; even now, at most, she earns only thirty yuan a month.

The sentence Xiao Dang just said to Jia Zhangshi is her heartfelt words; she must find a job, cannot just live off savings, and if she has no money, it will be troublesome.

Knowing the impression of her own family in Shazhu's heart is not good, that kind of person who is worse than a scoundrel, she rashly went to Shazhu and said to him, 'I want to join Bai Xu for work; give me a favor,' Shazhu would definitely not agree.

Since Xiao Dang can remember, the Jia Family has been the biggest destabilizing factor in the Siheyuan.

Otherwise, they would not have earned the formidable reputation of 'whoever controls the Siheyuan, the Jia Family decides.'

Smart people are all trying to stay away from the Jia Family.

Xiao Dang thought this was the reason Shazhu avoids the Jia Family, so she could only adopt a roundabout tactic, trying to find a way through You Fengxia.

Taking You Fengxia as a breakthrough, people surnamed Dang are definitely good people.

After leaving her home, she walked a few steps toward You Fengxia's house; halfway there, Xiao Dang suddenly stopped.

She thought it over.

She turned around and went back.

Rashly showing up at the door would be a bit abrupt. The relationship between the Jia Family and the He Family is not good, and based on Xiao Dang's understanding of Shazhu, Shazhu would certainly tell You Fengxia the doctrine of avoiding the Jia Family and keeping distance from them.

Directly showing up at the door would be a bit embarrassing and might get her blocked outside.

This afternoon, Xiao Dang had already been turned away by You Fengxia.

She didn't want to suffer the same setback twice in the same place.

Thinking of bringing something along, You Fengxia would not be able to push her out the door.

It's only proper to be courteous.

She returned home.

She walked around the house, and nothing in sight was presentable; the Jia Family's most valuable thing was just that dining table.

It is said that when Lao Jia married Jia Zhangshi, he stole it from the neighbor next door.

This thing.

Xiao Dang cannot move it by herself.

Moreover, no one would give a dining table as a gift; upon entering someone's home, saying 'our family really has nothing to offer, this dining table we've used for decades, please don't despise it'.

That would truly be a joke.

In the end, she could only grit her teeth and go to You Fengxia's door empty-handed.

She shouted at the doorway.

"Xianghong, I'm Xiao Dang from the Jia Family, I've come in."

By addressing Xianghong this way, she tried to show closeness with You Fengxia as much as possible; this is also a kind of moral coercion, as the neighbors all think we have a good relationship, so you must maintain a good relationship with me, and since we're on good terms, you can't refuse to find me a job.

She exerted a little force with her hands, pushed open the door, stepped over the threshold, appeared before You Fengxia, and smiled at her.

"I saw your lights on, so I guessed you must be home."

You Fengxia, who was busy with her work.

She was also somewhat taken aback by Xiao Dang's unexpected arrival, her mind went blank for a moment, and her gaze foolishly fell on Xiao Dang.

She paused for about thirty seconds.

She replied to Xiao Dang: "Who are you?"

Xiao Dang felt a bit disappointed, realizing that You Fengxia didn't regard her at all and didn't even recognize her.

By now.

She had to ask for help.

She could only continue the act of a warm face pressing against a cold butt.

After many attempts, she couldn't believe her butt was still cold.

She replied with feigned enthusiasm.

"Xianghong, I'm Xiao Dang from the Jia Family; we spoke earlier today in the courtyard, didn't you forget?"

You Fengxia recognized the other party as Xiao Dang.

However, she had always kept Shazhu's teachings in mind.

Having lived in the Siheyuan for just over a year, she had become accustomed to its ups and downs and a series of melodramatic incidents, most of which involved the Jia Family.

Not the old widow scolding the young widow for being unfilial, but a beast. It's the young widow retaliating by scolding the old widow as not a good thing, blaming the Jia Family for destroying the family.

Some go to jail, some run away from home.

Given the many events happening before their eyes, even if Shazhu didn't warn her, You Fengxia would not try to get close to the Jia Family; back when Bangeng returned to the Siheyuan, Jia Zhangshi disgustingly wanted to scheme against You Fengxia, hoping to ruin her reputation and force her to marry Bangeng, becoming a daughter-in-law of the Jia Family.

Qin Huairu is a living example; You Fengxia naturally wouldn't follow in her footsteps, and she truly has no thoughts about the Jia Family.

The shrewd You Fengxia guessed the reason Xiao Dang appeared before her.

In the Siheyuan, the Jia Family is notorious for never getting up early unless there's profit.

How hard it is to find a job nowadays.

You Fengxia knows.

Previously looked down upon by the neighbors, Bai Xu has now become a hot commodity; as soon as they hear someone works at Bai Xu, they all rush to cozy up.

Male and female comrades working at Bai Xu are currently the most sought-after, eagerly pursued by matchmakers. Men working at Bai Xu who marry do not require a dowry from the bride's side. Women working at Bai Xu who marry receive a dowry twice the usual amount.

As the specific person in charge of the second floor at Bai Xu, You Fengxia has also benefited from the rising tide; moreover, she is beautiful, and her external identity as a distant relative of Shazhu has attracted much attention. Her attitude toward pleasing the Jia Family is quite clear. She knows that Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, and Xiao Dang have been arguing for a while over the job issue of widows remarrying.

When he entered the Siheyuan at that time, Yan Fugui kindly stopped You Fengxia and told her about the Jia Family's affairs.

Based on these matters, aside from work issues, there was no other explanation.

"Sorry, we're not acquainted, I have things to attend to, please go out."

You Fengxia's hand.

pointed toward the door.

an attitude indicating you should leave.

A scene of playing out of turn left Xiao Dang stunned.

As Qin Huairu's daughter, she was also quite scheming and adaptable; on the way here she had considered many scenarios, thinking about how she would respond, but she never expected to be directly ordered to leave.

She moved her lips, wanting to say something.

She was unwilling to just be driven out like that; without saying a word or discussing anything, she was outright kicked out, which would make the neighbors in the courtyard laugh at her.

The loud voice just now.

Now she's facing retribution.

"Xianghong."

"I'm not acquainted with you, and I'm not particularly interested in your family's affairs; I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble just because we live in the same Zhong Yuan, which would be bad for everyone, so please leave, okay?"

Seeing Xiao Dang still having the attitude of not wanting to leave.

You Fengxia's tone turned cold.

"You wouldn't be trying to get me to call the police, would you?"

Upon hearing that the other party wanted to call the public security.

Xiao Dang instinctively felt a bit guilty.

From childhood onward, under Jia Zhangshi's education and Bangeng's example, Xiao Dang also did many bad things; just like this time when he returned home, he abandoned the child and brought back all of the husband's family's savings of two years without leaving a penny behind—if the public security noticed any flaw, he'd end up just like Bangeng, which would be terrible.

He hurriedly pleaded to make a detour.

"I'm leaving now, Xianghong; I truly mean no harm, I just thought that as neighbors, close relations are better than distant relatives, so if anything happens, it's good to have someone to help."

Seeing You Fengxia casually pick up a broom.

Xiao Dang's complexion.

finally changed.

"I'm leaving now; if you have any matters or run into difficulties, come find me—I'll definitely help you. If I encounter something, I'll also come to you, and you can help me then."

The instant he was pushed out the door.

Xiao Dang finally managed to express his purpose.

That is, the latter sentence.

However, the response to Xiao Dang's words was the door being shut forcefully.

With a "bang," You Fengxia inside the house shoved the door shut with great force; due to the strong effort, the door trembled.

Looking at the trembling door before him, Xiao Dang felt a bit down.

He threw out the line, "I'll come find you tomorrow; get some rest," turned around, and prepared to head home.

Just as she turned her body, she saw Thus: Thus: Mahua rushing over from behind, panting.

Hearing that Jia Family's Xiao Dang had come to You Fengxia's house to cause trouble, Thus: Thus: Mahua grabbed a rolling pin and ran over.

You Fengxia is a distant relative of Shazhu; Shazhu is also Thus: Thus: Mahua's teacher and benefactor. When Shazhu originally moved out of the Siheyuan, he entrusted You Fengxia to Thus: Thus: Mahua, so that Thus: Thus: Mahua and his wife could have time to help look after her. Damn, if word got out that You Fengxia was bullied by the Jia Family widow, that would be terrible.

Thus: Thus: Mahua was really anxious.

He ran at full speed to the Zhong Yuan, came face‑to‑face with Xiao Dang, didn't bother with him, and ran straight to the doorstep, shouting inside.

"Xianghong, I'm Thus: Thus: Mahua; are you alright?"

"Thus: Thus: Mahua Brother, how did you come over?" You Fengxia opened the door, invited Thus: Thus: Mahua in, and said, "I'm fine, come in and sit for a while."

Seeing that You Fengxia was unharmed.

That's good.

Only then did Thus: Thus: Mahua let out a heavy sigh.

As long as she's okay, that's fine.

Otherwise, he couldn't explain things to Shazhu.

You Fengxia is an unmarried young woman currently courting someone, and it's already past nine, nearing ten at night; as a man, Thus: Thus: Mahua really shouldn't go in for idle chatter, so he made an excuse.

"I won't go in; just now I heard your sister‑in‑law say that someone is loitering at your place and refusing to leave, she asked me to come check—so long as you're fine."

"A stranger I don't know, insisting on waving the neighbor's banner to disgust me, really thinks I can't see what scheme she's hatching."

You Fengxia is also a tough person; she stood on this side of the door, Thus: Thus: Mahua stood on the other side holding his ground, and Xiao Dang stood two meters behind Thus: Thus: Mahua, staring straight at You Fengxia.

Those words.

Though it seemed to be a reply to Thus: Thus: Mahua, it was actually also directed at Xiao Dang, merely expressing that she didn't want to have any dealings with the Jia Family.

Xiao Dang, who had originally wanted to take the chance to say something, felt his face burn with pain, turned his head and walked toward the Jia Family, while behind him came the voices of Thus: Thus: Mahua and You Fengxia cautioning each other.

"Anyone from that family who gets involved with them ends up unlucky; just stay away from them."

"Thus: Thus: Mahua Brother, I think the same."

"You should rest."

"Okay."

"Put the bolt on the door, don't let those riffraff in."

"Got it."

Standing at the Jia Family gate, Xiao Dang naturally knew who Thus: Thus: Mahua meant by "those riffraff"—aside from the detestable Jia Family members, there was no one else.

Inside the Siheyuan, every household was trying to make a good living; even Yan Fugui, who was always stingy and calculating, had started a slaughterhouse with the butcher.

Only the Jia family are an exception.

When everyone was looking at money, the Jia family widows were still scheming against each other.

Let them scheme.

They also kept tripping each other up, so that even if Xiao Dang warmly approached others, he couldn't find a cold shoulder and was driven back.

He let out a sigh.

He pulled open the door.

He walked inside.

The Jia family widows were all awake, not sure if they had planned it, but they all silently watched Xiao Dang as he entered.

「Grandma has told you how many times, yet you still don't believe it—Shazhu is a cold-blooded bastard, a tightwad, what kind of good person could Shazhu's relatives be? You insist on going over to try, you've probably hit a snag, you've probably been taken in by them. 」

「It's not thanks to Jia Zhangshi's efforts—Bangeng just came back, and you're already scheming to have Dang Xianghong from across the way be Bangeng's wife, saying Bangeng is an urban resident while Dang Xianghong is a country girl, that marrying into the Jia family is the Jia family honoring her, demanding she bring a dowry of a house, plus one hundred dollars, and also want her to work at Bai Xu. 」

「Qin Huairu, I'm talking to Xiao Dang, not to you—what's it to you? 」

「I wasn't talking to you either—I'm just complaining, what's wrong with that? 」

Xiao Dang really wanted to pry open Jia Zhangshi's head with a hammer to see if her brains were waterlogged; the very day she came back, she already wanted You Fengxia to marry Bangeng, and she also proposed so many conditions—a house, money, a job—while You Fengxia already has all those things, she could marry anyone decent, yet she insists on marrying Bangeng and keeps saying You Fengxia is riding the Jia family's coattails, truly believing Bangeng has inherited the Jia family's throne?

I scoff.

No wonder, when I just faced You Fengxia, I saw her face was icy cold from start to finish, and I thought it was because of my Jia surname.

Only now do I understand.

It's that You Fengxia was scared by Jia Zhangshi's scheming and doesn't want any involvement with the Jia family at all.

Put yourself in others' shoes.

Consider this: if Xiao Dang were in You Fengxia's position, after being schemed against by Jia Zhangshi, he too would have to be 120% wary of the Jia family.

The matter of work.

Difficult.

The idea of finding work through You Fengxia via a roundabout way has fallen through.

Xiao Dang frowned, sat silently on the stool, and the previously silent Jia family widows, as if receiving a signal, started arguing again.

「Qin Huairu, Xiao Dang can't find work—give him your job at the steel mill, I still say the same thing: Xiao Dang will give you one-third of his monthly salary, your food and drink will be taken care of by the family—wouldn't it be nice for you to stay with us in the Jia family and enjoy ease? 」

「Do I still have to give Xiao Dang's wages one-third to you? 」 Qin Huairu retorted, 「I don't have your thick-skinned shamelessness like you, Jia Zhangshi, to loaf around for life; you've turned the fine Jia family into a mess—I'm still young, I can still work. By the way, I want to ask you, how do you manage to be guilt-free after thirty-five, just spouting nonsense? 」