Chapter 622: The Collapse of Yi Zhonghai, Has Shazhu Died?

The next day.

The Jia family members, each with dark circles under their eyes, gathered together.

Their constant yawning showed that the Jia family members, who harbored ulterior motives, had not slept well the previous night.

Jia Zhangshi was no different.

Qin Huairu was no different.

Bangeng was no different.

Every time they closed their eyes, they dreamed of the scene where Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua were shot.

On the forehead of the three white-eyed wolves, a bloody hole appeared, continuously spraying a mixture of bright red blood plasma and white brain fluid.

Jia Zhangshi was frightened awake.

Qin Huairu broke out in a cold sweat from fright.

Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua trembled with fear.

They did not look for the cause within themselves.

Instead, they blamed everything on Shazhu.

Upon meeting, the Jia family members immediately began cursing Shazhu's eight generations of ancestors, bluntly saying that even if Shazhu died, he would not let the Jia family find peace.

The person reacting most strongly was Jia Zhangshi.

Just thinking that Qin Huairu and her four family members wanted to push Jia Zhangshi out to bear the lightning, to let her help withstand matters, Jia Zhangshi's heart felt as if it were burning with pain.

They considered Bangeng and his ilk to be ungrateful white-eyed wolves.

If it weren't for Jia Zhangshi clinging desperately to Qin Huairu, preventing the widow from remarrying, could Bangeng and his ilk have such a respectable life now? Could they have afforded such a large estate as the siheyuan?

All of this is Jia Zhangshi's merit.

Seeing the situation escalate, they pushed the Jia family's greatest contributor out to be a scapegoat.

This is typical beastly conduct.

They are white-eyed wolves.

Don't look at Jia Zhangshi already being in her eighties; she still does not want to die, she wishes to live healthily past a hundred, like a turtle.

As for being a scapegoat,

Whoever loves, let them.

Anyway, Jia Zhangshi would not do such a thing.

To make her stance clear, the yawning Jia Zhangshi, after stopping her curses at Shazhu's eight generations of ancestors, hurled a few harsh words at Qin Huairu and the others.

"Last night you said that matter; after thinking it over, I still think it's inappropriate. It's not that I don't consider your three children; it's that this matter is utterly baseless. An eighty-year-old woman dragging Shazhu out to throw him off the overpass—who would believe that? Do you really think He Yushui's husband is someone who lives on dry rice? According to my view, if Qin Huairu, your mother, could watch you die without blinking, then let you handle it yourselves; otherwise, Qin Huairu should step forward."

Seeing Qin Huairu look at him with disdain.

Jia Zhangshi repeated her reasoning once more.

"Shazhu's whole life has been in your hands, Qin Huairu—alive, he never escaped your palm; dead, he must still be clutched by you. Whether alive or dead, Shazhu is the monkey in your hand, Qin Huairu. While alive, you two are entangled endlessly; when dead, you will continue to entangle with him in the underworld."

"Ay, when I remarried, I objected tooth and nail, saying that Qin Huairu, alive, belongs to your Jia family, dead, is a ghost of your Jia family. Later, seeing Bangeng need a house for marriage, seeing Xiao Dang and Huaihua need money for dowries, I reluctantly agreed. Now you want Qin Huairu to follow Shazhu down to the underworld to continue entangling—aren't you worried Dong Xu will come looking for you at night?"

"As for Dong Xu, I, the old lady, will go myself to talk to him."

"You, you're so double-standard; you mean let me die in place of Bangeng and them, right?"

Qin Huairu changed her tone.

She began to retort defiantly.

"Could it be that I, Qin Huairu, truly owed your Jia family in a past life? I've been manipulated by you, Jia Zhangshi, all my life? You say whatever, and it's law."

"Say a few less words; why all this early-morning quarreling? Seeing Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu arguing again, Bangeng interjected, "Mom.""

"Don't call me Mom; I'm not your mother now." Seeing Bangeng not turn toward her, Qin Huairu angrily replied, "If you have something, go ask your grandmother."

The Jia family: two widows plus the three white-eyed wolves.

Altogether, five beasts.

They spoke such beastly words openly and blatantly.

Seeing this, Tang Yanling and the others present truly didn't know what to say.

I never expected the Jia family to be so beastly.

They killed their benefactor Shazhu, and now, for their own petty lives, they are stabbing each other in the back.

She felt that marrying into the Jia family was an utter mistake from start to finish.

This was Tang Yanling's thought.

Wen Jianjun and Li Aiguo, however, were not surprised.

As Xiao Dang's husband and Huaihua's man, Wen Jianjun and Li Aiguo had already investigated the Jia family's situation before confirming their romantic relationships with the Jia family daughters.

They also knew a bit about the past of the three little white-eyed wolves.

Fish seek fish.

Shrimp seek shrimp.

The turtle took a liking to the big turtle.

They could be husband and wife with Xiao Dang and Huaihua.

In terms of temperament and nature, they were evenly matched, and neither was anything good.

Last night, Wen Jianjun and Li Aiguo also didn't sleep well, not because they feared death or spiritual annihilation, but because they were calculating the Jia family's assets.

When they first married, their motivation was that the Jia family had money, enough to satisfy their desire to eat white rice.

They knew the Jia family was propped up by Qin Huairu's scheming against Shazhu.

Since Qin Huairu could scheme against Shazhu, Wen Jianjun could naturally scheme against Xiao Dang, and Li Aiguo could plot against Huaihua; they wanted both wealth and beautiful women.

With Xiao Dang and Huaihua around, some things are inconvenient to do.

When Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo heard that Shazhu had died, and after He Yushui got involved in the matter, they felt their opportunity had arrived.

It's a very simple principle.

Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi were the masterminds who drove Shazhu to death, while Xiao Dang, Huaihua, and Bangeng—three white-eyed wolves—were the executors.

The Jia Family's five animals all went in.

Based on Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo's discussion, some people would take a bullet, some would spend decades in prison.

People went in.

Their proposing divorce was also understandable.

As for property division, it also leaned toward them.

Last night, Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo were thinking about how to divide the Jia Family's property; not knowing if it was a tacit understanding, they subconsciously excluded Tang Yanling, thinking that Bangeng's wife was unworthy of taking the Jia Family's property, which should be controlled by the two Jia Family sons-in-law.

With these houses, selling them casually would yield a lot of money, enough to buy a big house and a small car; with cars for coming and going, many beautiful women would throw themselves into their arms.

They wished the Jia Family would all die out.

They were quite happy to see the situation blow up, otherwise how would the neighbors know that the Jia Family had forced their great benefactor Shazhu to death?

With a mindset of watching from the wall, they watched the Jia Family's five animals' show.

Yet they didn't expect Tang Yanling to pop up halfway and stir things up; seeing Qin Huairu and the others speaking increasingly incoherently, Tang Yanling interjected, pulling the topic onto Yi Zhonghai.

"Let's calm down for a moment; we won't talk about Shazhu's matter now, just talk about Yi Zhonghai."

Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu's gazes all fell on the speaking Tang Yanling; they were probably also drawn in by the three words 'Yi Zhonghai'.

Shazhu died.

The Moral Heavenly Venerable is still here.

"I have an idea; we can put the chamber pot on Yi Zhonghai's head."

Jia Zhangshi, who had been pondering the matter.

He was also an old crafty ghost.

He could actually conceive the idea of letting Yi Zhonghai help resist the thunder.

Completely disregarding Yi Zhonghai's ninety years of age.

It truly proved the old saying: good people don't live long, bad people live to a hundred.

Shazhu died before sixty, while Yi Zhonghai, in his nineties, is still hale and hearty.

"Yi Zhonghai, half a month ago, after eating a meal of meat, suffered diarrhea and was sent to the hospital by Shazhu, where he has stayed; how could we drive Shazhu away?"

"I'm thinking of a solution; a living person can't be killed by holding in urine, after all." Jia Zhangshi muttered a few sentences, then thought of something and asked Tang Yanling, "Bangeng's wife, what did you just say about Yi Zhonghai?"

"Nothing much; I was just asking how to pay Yi Zhonghai's lodging fees."

The quarreling Jia Family members.

No more arguing.

When it comes to money, they always push outward.

Even Shazhu, who had helped the Jia Family for decades, could be mercilessly driven out by them, let alone Yi Zhonghai.

In the Jia Family's hearts, Shazhu's assistance was not due to Yi Zhonghai's instructions, but because of the charm of the widow Qin Huairu.

They refuse to acknowledge any favor Yi Zhonghai has done for the Jia Family.

Jia Zhangshi waved her hand.

"What does Yi Zhonghai's matter have to do with our Jia Family? The one who said he'd support him in old age is Shazhu; let Yi Zhonghai go find Shazhu, not come to our Jia Family. If Yi Zhonghai returns, you needn't fear—my old woman will curse him to death, a dog's death; he has made no contribution yet still wants to show off, thinking he's somebody."

Seeing Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo completely adopting a bystander's attitude.

Jia Zhangshi issued a few warnings.

"Jianguo, as Xiao Dang's husband, and Aiguo, as Huaihua's man, this is a life-or-death moment for our Jia Family; put away your petty thoughts—my old woman will lay it out: our Jia Family cannot prosper, and you will share in the misfortune."

Upon realizing that Jia Zhangshi was merely warning them, not presenting solid evidence, the hearts of Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo, which had been hanging in midair, finally settled, and they let out a deep sigh of relief.

That brief moment just now.

Wen Jianguo and Li Aiguo really felt as if Jia Zhangshi had caught them red-handed.

No matter how much wealth.

Only when it's in hand does it count as wealth.

Otherwise it's just an illusory number.

"Grandma, look at what you're saying—I've married Xiao Dang for these years; you know what kind of person I am. Right now I'm definitely on our Jia Family's side." Wen Jianguo furrowed his brow, changed the subject, "For now, we mustn't throw ourselves into chaos; if they have no evidence and decide Shazhu committed suicide, yet because our Jia Family says Shazhu did this and that, sometimes they'll make you take the blame, sometimes they'll send Mother out to resist the thunder—amounting to giving them a heads‑up."

"Your brother-in-law's words make sense." Li Aiguo quickly expressed his stance, "Speech should be suited to the occasion; frankly, at home we speak of family people."

"Jianguo and Aiguo, I understand your meaning; it's just stubbornness." Tang Yanling interjected again: "Let's not talk about other things; now there are two matters: one is Yi Zhonghai's affair—when Shazhu was alive, Yi Zhonghai also lived in our Siheyuan; regardless of money, let's just say when Yi Zhonghai returns, where will he live?"

Everyone remained silent.

It's not a matter of reasoning.

But the facts lie before their eyes.

Shazhu promised to support Yi Zhonghai in his old age, so Yi Zhonghai could live in the Siheyuan; but Shazhu is dead—what right does Yi Zhonghai still have to reside there?

All the rooms in the Siheyuan belong to the Jia Family; what right does an outsider surnamed Yi have to reside there?

"I'll deal with Yi Zhonghai." Jia Zhangshi said, "You handle Shazhu's affairs."

"Who will take care of Shazhu's aftermath?"

Everyone fell silent once again.

Who will break Shazhu's fire basin?

That's something only a biological son can do.

Their gazes fell on Bangeng.

Feeling everyone's attention, Bangeng felt weak all over.

Speaking fairly.

He really didn't want Shazhu to break a basin.

Starting from the year Jia Dongxu died, Bangeng looked down on Shazhu, thinking Shazhu was a big idiot, unworthy to marry Qin Huairu, and opposed in every way the widowed Qin Huairu remarrying Shazhu.

He even refused to speak to Shazhu.

Also thanks to Xu Damao's efforts, this mess involved finding people to hang several pairs of worn-out shoes on Bangeng's neck, making the young Bangeng bear a heavy psychological burden.

Until Bangeng returned from the countryside, the harsh employment reality crushed his proud heart.

There was nothing to be done.

For work, for housing, for a partner, Bangeng reluctantly agreed to let Qin Huairu live together with Shazhu.

Because at that time Qin Huairu no longer had the possibility of bearing a child for Shazhu.

Knowing that everything of Shazhu would someday be his own.

Over these years.

Bangeng always kept in mind Jia Zhangshi's advice: "That's good."

You bear the surname Jia, you are Jia Dongxu's son; no matter how kindly Shazhu treats you, he is still your stepfather.

He doesn't even do elder care.

He scorns even the matter of breaking the fire basin.

He thought it over.

He gave a reason.

"Why are you looking at me? Shazhu has his own biological son; the matter of breaking the basin could never fall to me, his stepson."

"Ay yoyo, how could I have forgotten Lou Xiaoe? Lou Xiaoe is quite wealthy." Jia Zhangshi, who was always pondering good matters, slapped his own thigh and said: "Bangeng is Shazhu's stepson; although not biological, based on Qin Huairu's side, he is also Shazhu's son, and his son and Lou Xiaoe's son would be brothers."

Wen Jian Jun's eyes lit up.

Xiao Dang is also Hexiao's older sister.

Li Ai Guo's confidence soared even higher.

Huaihua is Hexiao's only younger sister.

Not as strong as their scheming over the Jia Family's assets.

Watching the Jia family members' expressions gradually change, Tang Yanling sighed inwardly, greeted Qin Huairu, turned and left the Jia family.

……

Hospital.

Yi Zhonghai lazily sat on the stool.

According to his wishes.

Stay for a few days.

But because the hospital fees were exhausted and he had no money, he could only go through discharge procedures.

He felt somewhat displeased.

Thinking over these days, Shazhu neither came to see him nor paid to extend his hospital stay; thinking that when he eventually saw Shazhu, he would give him a good scolding to let Shazhu know what respecting elders means.

He is old in age.

Couldn't walk anymore, the road.

Waiting for Shazhu to carry him back.

After a long wait, he gradually became anxious.

Just as Yi Zhonghai grew impatient waiting, an old lady sitting beside him suddenly complained.

"Such a shame about Shazhu; he just died, what a sin."