Chapter 621

He Yushui was heard to have intervened in the case of Shazhu's death.

Jia Zhangshi began cursing and swearing.

With the passage of years, Jia Zhangshi had come to know a little legal knowledge.

The county magistrate is no match for the local administrator.

Liu Jianguo is the deputy head of the district, and a single word from him.

Those people will surely investigate the Jia family until it is turned upside down, and the wicked deeds the Jia family did to Shazhu cannot withstand any scrutiny; by then, several of them will inevitably be taken in.

Cursing He Yushui.

It is to vent the depression in her heart.

Laoqianpo trembled all over with anger.

Worried that if this matter were strictly investigated, her beloved grandson Bangeng would be taken in.

The incident of sending Shazhu away last night was done by Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua together; if Bangeng is taken in, can Xiao Dang and Huaihua escape?

They are all people who have established families and careers.

If they are taken in, the other halves of Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua will surely be delighted to death.

As the old saying goes, people die for wealth, birds die for food, and riches move the heart.

For money.

What cannot people do for money?

Back then, the Jia family widow, for profit and for money, relentlessly clung to Shazhu, prevented him from marrying, sabotaged his matchmaking, and when Shazhu's biological son came to seek him, deliberately stirred up father-son relations, causing Shazhu and He Xiaolao to have no further contact, ultimately making Shazhu become the Jia family's old yellow ox.

The wicked deeds done by the Jia family in the past will bring retribution upon the Jia family, and it will be the turn of Bangeng's wife, Xiao Dang's husband, and Huaihua's husband to team up and scheme against the Jia family's property.

Upon thinking of these things.

Jia Zhangshi's head ached.

These years.

The Jia family has been able to remain peaceful and stable, all thanks to Shazhu holding them down.

Without Shazhu, with Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua also taken in, the Jia family is merely waiting to be schemed against.

A bitter smile.

Appeared on Jia Zhangshi's face, as she glanced at Qin Huairu.

Truly having no other recourse, she could only seek Qin Huairu's help to devise a plan, to see how this matter should be resolved.

What could Qin Huairu do? Upon hearing that Shazhu had died and He Yushui had intervened, she too was thrown into disarray; seeing Jia Zhangshi turn to her for advice, she retorted sharply in displeasure.

"What are you looking at me for? Shazhu is dead—isn't that exactly what you wished for? Isn't this the result you wanted to see?"

Seeing Qin Huairu lose her temper at her, Jia Zhangshi, feeling displeased, opened her mouth, which had only a few teeth left, and retorted.

"So it's my fault as an old woman?"

"It's not your fault, then whose fault is it?" Qin Huairu's chatterbox opened as well: "During the days Shazhu was ill, who was constantly shouting in Bangeng's ears, saying Shazhu is not a Jia family member, has no right to enjoy the Jia family's care, saying it would be better for Shazhu to die well than to live poorly in a vegetative state, and that death would settle everything once and for all?"

"I was also considering Shazhu's welfare—what meaning is there in living with feces and urine all over one's body?"

"Exactly, exactly, you were considering Shazhu, considering sending Bangeng and them away—Bangeng taken in, Xiao Dang and Huaihua also taken in, and our Jia family would collapse; by then, family destroyed and people dead, would you be satisfied? If you think this is fine, then in the future we will treat you the same way."

"Bangeng is my grandson, Xiao Dang and Huaihua are my granddaughters—if they are taken in, can I be satisfied?"

"I think you are already satisfied."

"Where am I satisfied?"

Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi began to argue.

Their voices grew louder and louder.

Just then, Bangeng and the other two, already anxious as fire, upon seeing Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi fall into internal conflict, felt a natural unease rise in their hearts.

At this critical juncture.

Still having the mood to quarrel.

Finally unable to bear it.

They shouted loudly in unison.

"Quarreling, quarreling, quarreling—until the neighbors all know the truth, we will be taken in and die miserably, leaving you two widows to guard the Jia family and get by."

As if a pause button had been pressed.

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu froze instantly on the spot, mouths wide open, yet no sound came out; it was as if an invisible giant hand had covered their mouths, rendering them unable to utter a word.

"Why aren't you quarreling? Keep quarreling!" Bangeng said angrily: "Even if excrement is at the doorstep, you still have the mind to quarrel—people are dead, think of a way! Can quarreling produce a solution? You quarrel, and I, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua will keep quarreling too."

"Bangeng, it's not that Grandma and your mother are quarreling; it's that your mother said unpleasant things, Shazhu died, and she put the blame on my head, thinking I am old and easy to bully."

Jia Zhangshi shifted her blame, beginning to speak of Qin Huairu's attitude during Shazhu's paralysis.

Fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps.

Both are racking their brains to clear themselves of responsibility, trying to push the blame for Shazhu's death onto the other.

Neither are human beings.

After Shazhu became paralyzed.

Jia Zhangshi instantly began to despise him, feeling Shazhu unworthy of staying in their Jia family, even though the family property was earned by Shazhu, she still regarded him as a burden; she muttered a few complaints, saying it would be better if Shazhu did not live in the siheyuan, saying their ears had finally become peaceful.

Regarding the matter of Bangeng driving Shazhu away, she adopted an attitude of tacit approval, and when necessary, even offered a few suggestions, saying that only by driving Shazhu out could the siheyuan's property truly belong to the Jia family; she chose a dark, windy night, secretly sending Shazhu away without the neighbors knowing, so that even if discovered later and Shazhu found dead outside, they could use the excuse that Shazhu did not drag down the Jia family and had ended his own life to absolve themselves—Bangeng and them not only bore no responsibility, but even fulfilled Shazhu's righteousness.

Qin Huairu also felt Shazhu was no longer of use, unable to bring profit to the Jia family.

Unlike Jia Zhangshi.

Qin Huairu's heart was filled more with worry.

Having dealt with Shazhu's right and wrong for so many years, she knew Shazhu was a simpleton, a person capable of doing anything.

Relying on her old age, if she truly wanted to do something like stabbing with a white blade and coming out with a red one.

Qin Huairu had nothing left but to cry.

Last night.

When Bangeng and the others carried Shazhu out of the Jia family dog kennel, Qin Huairu stood by the glass, not far away, watching Shazhu covered in feces and urine being lifted onto the minivan by Bangeng and the others, driving away from the siheyuan.

At the moment the minivan left the gate.

Qin Huairu knew Shazhu wouldn't survive.

In her heart there was not a trace of reluctance; instead, it felt as if she had shed a thousand-jin burden, her whole body much lighter.

This lifetime.

She had lived only for Bangeng and the others.

Since she could remember, she had thought about how to let Bangeng eat well, how to let Jia Zhangshi not despise Xiao Dang and Huaihua for being girls. After Jia Dongxu died, to support Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua, she schemed against Shazhu, doing things to ruin his matchmaking, using his underwear as an excuse.

She had also despised herself, ultimately defeated by reality, thinking that once Bangeng and the others grew up, she would return Shazhu's freedom and find him a wife.

Unexpectedly, as the children grew up, the pressure increased—Bangeng's house and wedding, Xiao Dang and Huaihua's dowries and jobs—let Qin Huairu go back on her word, so she could only keep stringing Shazhu along until the moment he was driven out of the house.

Then!

Qin Huairu murmured in her heart.

Shazhu, in my next life I will surely marry you and bear you children.

This is Qin Huairu's ideal.

Her ideal was defeated again by reality.

Because Shazhu died, the Jia family's three white-eyed wolves combination faces the threat of utter annihilation, and Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu are about to enact the tragedy of white-haired people sending off black-haired ones.

This amounts to taking Qin Huairu's life.

Qin Huairu has the heart to die.

The situation is somewhat difficult to handle.

Suddenly she had no heart left to argue with Jia Zhangshi.

Saving Bangeng and the others is urgent.

She does not want to watch Bangeng and the others die helplessly before her eyes.

She said.

"For now, the only way is to push the matter aside."

"How to push? Who's foolish? Clearly knowing it's a head-chopping matter, yet still stubbornly wanting to help bear the blame."

Bangeng and the three exchanged a glance, and in front of Qin Huairu, they fixed their gaze on Jia Zhangshi.

Feeling the strange looks from Bangeng and the three, Jia Zhangshi was instantly seized by a bad feeling.

Like a bristled old mouse.

They were about to go mad.

You damned bastard, you're being unfilial.

Shazhu was made to die helplessly by you, now the matter has come to light, you want me, an old woman, to take the blame for you—what good thing are you thinking?

Don't even think about it.

I, the old woman, will not agree.

Based on the idea of striking first to gain advantage, striking later to suffer.

Jia Zhangshi took the chance while Bangeng and the others hadn't yet spoken of letting her take the blame, and first pushed Qin Huairu out.

"Bangeng, Xiao Dang, Huaihua, this matter is also easy to handle—you let your mother Qin Huairu firmly insist that she drove Shazhu away; no matter how capable He Yushui's man is, he can't do anything to you."

Qin Huairu was so angry she truly wanted to give Jia Zhangshi a few big slaps.

You're an eighty-year-old old woman.

Still not wanting to die, still thinking of letting Qin Huairu take the blame.

Bastard.

With hateful eyes, she stared at Jia Zhangshi—this lifetime, she truly lived in Jia Zhangshi's hands; on the second day of marriage, Jia Zhangshi, dissatisfied with Qin Huairu's background, forced Qin Huairu to work, while she herself looked on like an old Buddha as Qin Huairu worked. After Jia Dongxu died, Qin Huairu truly thought of remarrying, and someone had done ideological work for her remarriage, but because she was manipulated by Jia Zhangshi, she spent her lifetime as a widow, and again because Jia Zhangshi watched Qin Huairu, for the children's sake, she could only scheme against Shazhu.

Shazhu died, and eighty-year-old Jia Zhangshi let under-sixty Qin Huairu die in her place.

Truly lacking in virtue.

"Mother, I really don't want to hear this—how could it be me, Qin Huairu, who drove Shazhu away? You just can't drive Shazhu away yourself? How old are you, how old am I? You bear to let me go? According to my opinion, you are the best choice—you're eighty-something, with not many days left; just consider it a good deed."

"Grandma, my mother is right—this matter must be taken up by you."

"Bangeng, I am your biological grandmother."

Seeing Bangeng openly reveal his thought of letting her take the blame.

Jia Zhangshi was slightly startled.

Again and again, she asserted her identity.

"I am still Bangeng's biological mother."

"Qin Huairu, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Settling the matter."

"I say I drove Shazhu away, and those outsiders will believe it—I don't even know how to drive, and besides, how old am I? Saying it out loud, no one would believe me. Qin Huairu, you're different—you say you drove Shazhu away, and the neighbors will believe it a hundred percent." She looked toward the surrounding people and asked: "What do you mean?"

"Grandma, our opinion is the same as my brother's—this matter, you are the best choice."

"My sister is right—this matter, besides you, no one is suitable."

Looking at Xiao Dang and Huaihua singing in harmony before her.

Jia Zhangshi truly didn't know what to say.

Finally, her attitude made clear her meaning—she wanted Jia Zhangshi to come forward and take the blame, and she didn't want to even think about it.

To survive.

Jia Zhangshi also helped out by offering a few ideas.

She is truly a person of exceptional intelligence, and in front of Qin Huairu and her four family members, she came up with the idea of having Tang Yanling and the others step forward to resist the thunder.

"Bangeng, Xiao Dang, Huaihua, it's not that Grandma doesn't want to help you, but as I just said, even if Grandma admits it, they won't believe her, and later they will still investigate the truth; it's better to do it this way..."

He Yushui didn't sleep.

She felt no drowsiness; every time she closed her eyes, scenes from the past would appear in her mind—Shazhu and Yushui depending on each other for survival.

There were sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors.

There was the bitterness of Shazhu taking Yushui to scavenge for scraps to exchange for food, and also the heartache of Shazhu starving himself yet handing over the hard-won steamed buns he had made to He Yushui.

Six-year-old Yushui remembered most clearly that she had regarded Shazhu as her only reliance.

When sleeping, she had to clutch Shazhu's clothes, fearing that upon waking she would be abandoned; she was the person in the siheyuan with the least sense of security.

During the time she depended on Shazhu for survival, it could be said that Yushui experienced her happiest period.

Until Qin Huairu became a widow.

Shazhu's life then changed.

Yushui's life also changed.

Over these years, although it seemed she didn't care about Shazhu, that was not the case; her absence was because she didn't want Shazhu to be blamed by the Jia family widow in every aspect.

Unexpectedly.

Shazhu died.

His death was miserable—his body was covered in feces and urine, and he was frozen to death alive.

He Yushui's hatred was aroused; I can ignore Shazhu, but the Jia family cannot fail to treat him as human.

She turned her gaze toward the telephone.

After Liu Jianguo sent He Yushui home, he drove to the sub-bureau.

Shazhu is his brother-in-law; the matter of his freezing to death miserably should be inquired into both emotionally and rationally.

Yushui was waiting for Liu Jianguo's phone call.

"Ding ling ling"

The telephone in front of Yushui suddenly rang with a clear sound.

It was as if she had seen something bad.

She was startled.

Her hand, at the fastest speed, reached for the telephone.

"Hello."

From the other end came Liu Jianguo's low and somewhat heavy voice.

"The results are out, and they are not good."

"I know; you tell me, I can bear it."

"I had a comrade work overtime; according to the test, there was not a single grain of rice or water in his abdominal cavity... his skin showed signs of abuse; in conclusion, his death was a premeditated murder. I assure you, the Jia family will not have a good outcome. Rest assured, the truth will eventually come to light..."

He Yushui's telephone.

It drooped to the ground.

Although Liu Jianguo's voice repeatedly came from the other end urging He Yushui to stay strong, because of Shazhu's affairs, He Yushui no longer wanted to hear such words.