Chapter 636: Liu Lan Delivers News, Thus: Thus: Mahua Collapses

Liu Lan said Shazhu died.

Thus: Thus: Mahua didn't care what outsiders felt, wasn't interested in knowing, anyway he was quite angry, his face immediately showed a ferocious expression as if he wanted to devour Liu Lan alive.

In Thus: Thus: Mahua's heart, Shazhu's place was equivalent to Thus: Thus: Mahua's father who had died many years ago.

Whoever spoke ill of Shazhu, Thus: Thus: Mahua would turn against them, not caring at all about the relationship.

A bit straightforward, couldn't keep things bottled up inside.

Extremely loyal to Shazhu.

Originally, because of Qin Huairu's beastly behavior of stringing Shazhu along, as Shazhu's disciple Thus: Thus: Mahua had completely disregarded the taboo that Shazhu was his master.

Many times he kindly reminded Shazhu.

He said he saw Qin Huairu publicly flirting and arguing with Damazhu, said Damazhu paid for Qin Huairu's five white flour steamed buns and two portions of meat dishes, afterward he also saw Qin Huairu following Damazhu into the abandoned warehouse of the steel mill in a sordid scene, reminding Shazhu, saying Qin Huairu had no feelings for Shazhu, purely wanting Shazhu to help raise the child, treating Shazhu as a fool.

Shazhu had several disciples, Thus: Thus: Mahua, Fatty, Simpleton Two, Simpleton Three, etc., daring to say such things about Qin Huairu in front of Shazhu, only Thus: Thus: Mahua did so. He inwardly looked down on Qin Huairu, thought Qin Huairu would ruin Shazhu, and reminded Shazhu regardless.

Unexpectedly, Shazhu not only didn't listen to Thus: Thus: Mahua's words, but continued to firmly believe and support Qin Huairu, and told Thus: Thus: Mahua about Qin Huairu's various hardships as a widow.

This made Thus: Thus: Mahua quite depressed.

Several times he wanted to drag Shazhu to see Qin Huairu flirting and arguing with Damazhu, but ultimately couldn't make it happen.

Shazhu treated Thus: Thus: Mahua really well, not knowing if it was because their tempers matched or for other reasons, among the several dozen disciples, they felt Thus: Thus: Mahua was pleasing to the eye, and under the affection that extended to the crow, they didn't hold Thus: Thus: Mahua's remarks about Qin Huairu against him, and even wholeheartedly taught Thus: Thus: Mahua more than twenty family-secret signature dishes, allowing Thus: Thus: Mahua to rely on these dishes to firmly establish himself in the Capital City's culinary world and gain some renown.

He truly regarded Shazhu as his benefactor.

Thinking of repaying Shazhu well in the future, even if Bangeng and the others would be unfilial to Shazhu later, as Shazhu's disciple Thus: Thus: Mahua also had to do the dirty work for Shazhu.

This was his thought toward Shazhu.

Thus: Thus: Mahua also knew Shazhu was unwell, wanted to go see him, but because the restaurant's business was really too booming, he truly couldn't get away.

Moreover, the chef profession is different from other professions: others get off work, chefs start work; others go to sleep, chefs only finish their kitchen business and get off work.

He thought Shazhu's body was so robust that even if he got sick, it would be a trivial minor illness, resting at home for a few days would cure it, thinking after he finished this busy period, he would buy some gifts to go see Shazhu.

He had even already planned the time to visit Shazhu, just these one or two days.

As a result, Liu Lan ran over, shouted loudly at Thus: Thus: Mahua saying Shazhu died, then adopted a dazed demeanor, motionlessly sitting on the stool.

Thus: Thus: Mahua naturally wouldn't give Liu Lan a pleasant look.

He simply didn't believe Shazhu would just die like that.

Not only Thus: Thus: Mahua didn't believe, but the other people in the back kitchen also didn't believe.

Shazhu had been separated from them for just a few days, and on the day of separation, he still lifted a sack of over fifty jin of rice with one hand.

Such a strong and powerful person, bearing the nickname of War God of the Siheyuan on his head, how could he possibly just casually die and vanish? Surely Liu Lan was joking with them.

He silently cursed in his heart a few sentences, blaming Liu Lan for being somewhat ungrateful, even if he had a good relationship with Thus: Thus: Mahua, Shazhu and them, he shouldn't dare to joke about anything.

Everyone knows Thus: Thus: Mahua regards Shazhu as his own father, if you say to Thus: Thus: Mahua that Shazhu died, Thus: Thus: Mahua naturally would turn against you, this is still Thus: Thus: Mahua giving Liu Lan some face considering their years of working together.

If it were someone else saying Shazhu died in front of Thus: Thus: Mahua, Thus: Thus: Mahua's big slap would probably have already landed on the face of the person saying Shazhu died.

This is the matter between Thus: Thus: Mahua, Liu Lan, and Shazhu three people.

Has nothing to do with them.

At most they'd just come to watch the excitement.

Many people sensibly stayed silent, using their eyes to watch everything before them, watching how Liu Lan would respond to Thus: Thus: Mahua's duty.

But unexpectedly, Liu Lan didn't take Thus: Thus: Mahua's words to heart at all, still remained a wooden person, she foolishly sat on the stool in a daze.

Until several minutes passed.

Liu Lan, immersed in her thoughts, slowly lifted her head, a pained expression, looking at Thus: Thus: Mahua's ferocious face that didn't believe Shazhu had died.

"Thus: Thus: Mahua, do you think I'm joking with you nonsense?"

Thus: Thus: Mahua stepped back a step.

Looking at Liu Lan.

His expression became even more astonished.

Having worked with Liu Lan for so many years, Thus: Thus: Mahua knew very well her temperament and personality, this person is somewhat talkative, but some things she knows the bounds of, won't casually spout nonsense, just like those things between Liu Lan and Deputy Factory Director Li, Thus: Thus: Mahua had no idea about, or after they separated for many years, learned this matter from Shazhu's mouth.

The matter of Shazhu's death.

Seeing Liu Lan's expression, it didn't look like she was joking, it was real.

How could this be possible.

Shazhu died.

Shazhu's so strong body, how did he just die.

"I know you don't believe, but this matter is true, Shazhu died."

"It's from a sudden illness." Someone interjected, "Illness comes like a collapsing mountain, alas, a good person, just like that, suddenly gone."

Could only use sudden illness as the reason to explain.

Otherwise it couldn't be explained at all.

"Still thinking of going to see Shazhu in a few days, result Shazhu died."

"Who says it's not, right, Liu Lan, what sudden illness did Shazhu get, how in just a few days did he torment himself to death."

People's gazes.

Gathered on Liu Lan.

Liu Lan began to narrate the entire process of the matter.

"Heard Yi Zhonghai was greedy, stole and ate half a jin of braised pork, got diarrhea, had Shazhu take him to the hospital, found the bumpy ride unpleasant, had Shazhu carry him, Shazhu was also honest, whatever Yi Zhonghai said was what he did, carrying Yi Zhonghai from the Siheyuan to the hospital, after returning to the Siheyuan, he just collapsed, his limbs felt as if they weren't his own, couldn't control bowel and bladder, eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, sleeping all done in bed, suffering while alive..."

On the way to the restaurant for work just now, Liu Lan unexpectedly encountered Qin Huairu.

She saw Qin Huairu with a face of deathly ash, as if a heaven-shattering, earth-splitting great event had occurred, and her steps were hurried, looking as if she were fleeing a burning house.

For a moment she felt curious, pressed Qin Huairu for what happened.

Qin Huairu saw Liu Lan, thought about it a little, and then burst into tears with a wah.

The commotion made Liu Lan think Qin Huairu had run into a hooligan and been bullied, so she comforted Qin Huairu with a few words, only later learning that Qin Huairu was crying over Shazhu's death.

Qin Huairu haltingly and tearfully recounted to Liu Lan the matter of Shazhu kicking the bucket, the widow's account mixing some facts with pure fabrication.

The cause of Shazhu's illness was that he carried Yi Zhonghai to the hospital, wore himself out, and upon returning felt unwell; Qin Huairu did not lie about this, but told the whole truth straight.

Paralysis on one side, incontinence requiring bedpans—these facts were not concealed either; whatever there was, she said.

As for what happened after Shazhu became paralyzed, Qin Huairu not only chose to conceal it but also appropriately beautified herself, claiming in her words that Shazhu's illness was due to Yi Zhonghai, that Yi Zhonghai made Shazhu carry him to the hospital, and that it was because of the half bowl of red-braised pork Yi Zhonghai ate.

All mistakes, myriad errors, were the fault of Yi Zhonghai's gluttony for red-braised pork.

She put the chamber pot on Yi Zhonghai's head, then began beautifying the Jia family in various ways.

In Qin Huairu's words, the Jia family became those who never left Shazhu's side, bringing him chamber pots and bedpans.

Saying the Jia family attended to the immobile Shazhu three times a day, that when Shazhu lost control of his bowels the Jia family changed his clothes, and that they did not mind the filth on the removed garments, with Qin Huairu vying to wash them, Xiao Dang, Huaihua, and Tang Yanling also vying to wash, saying that if Jia Zhangshi were not old, she too would have vied to wash Shazhu's clothes, Bangeng, Xiao Dang's man, and Huaihua's man every night unfailingly washing Shazhu's body, wiping clean the body stained with feces and urine, making it as clean as a son's, even more like a son than a biological son.

The neighbors in the courtyard all praised the Jia family as not bad.

Saying Shazhu once helped the Jia family, and now the Jia family attends to Shazhu.

This is one good turn deserving another.

Precisely because the Jia family cared for Shazhu without omission, Shazhu felt that the most correct thing he had done in this life was to bring help to the Jia family.

Later he felt he had become a burden, and if he were to go on living, the ones suffering besides himself would be those Jia family members attending to him.

He began deliberately making a racket, shouting at the Jia family all day long.

Qin Huairu worried someone might hear Shazhu angrily cursing the Jia family as beasts, so she linked Shazhu's death to the Jia family's cold-bloodedness.

She used Liu Lan to begin her whitewashing.

She stubbornly claimed that Shazhu's anger at scolding the Jia family was a response to their meticulous care, openly saying Shazhu wanted to use this method to force the Jia family to abandon him.

Without the Jia family's consent, Shazhu did not want to burden them further, so on a dark and windy night he alone climbed out of the Siheyuan, went under the overpass, and ended his own life.

"After Qin Huairu told me these things, she went to find He Yushui, saying she wanted to discuss Shazhu's aftermath with Yushui, saying the Jia family had borne Shazhu's immense kindness all their lives, Qin Huairu is Shazhu's man, Bangeng and the others are Shazhu's stepsons, Shazhu did not want to burden the Jia family and ended himself, making the Jia family feel especially distressed, not eating for a day, feeling that with Shazhu dead they should arrange his aftermath, saying Bangeng and the others should wear mourning for Shazhu and also break a basin for him."

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

Thus: Thus: Mahua's remarks.

Representing his view on this matter.

Not only does Thus: Thus: Mahua not believe it.

Liu Lan also does not believe it.

What kind of person is Qin Huairu, does Liu Lan really not know?

Back when Liu Lan and Deputy Factory Director Li were fooling around, they could have seen Qin Huairu discussing work with Deputy Factory Director Li; afterward Shazhu returned from the workshop to the canteen.

Liu Lan can also roughly guess what price Qin Huairu paid.

Woman.

Widow with an IUD.

Facing the lascivious Deputy Factory Director Li.

Just think, what else could there be?

Shazhu is dead, that is a fact, but Qin Huairu tearfully saying Shazhu's death was to avoid burdening the Jia family is just bullshit.

Looking at Thus: Thus: Mahua furious to the extreme.

Liu Lan sighed.

Then she comforted Thus: Thus: Mahua with a few words.

Now is not the time for them to make a fuss; Shazhu still has a biological sister, her husband is the deputy head of the district, and if Shazhu's death truly had another hidden truth, He Yushui would likely have acted by now.

Now they can only wait.

Wait and see what the aftermath is.

Hope things turn out as they wish.

On this matter, Thus: Thus: Mahua and Liu Lan are relatively contradictory.

They do not want Shazhu's death to be, as they imagined, due to some conduct of the Jia family leading to a miserable death, which would mean Shazhu's good intentions went unrewarded.

If it truly were as Qin Huairu said—that he ended himself—then it could also be counted as Shazhu having fulfilled his proper destiny.

……

After He Yushui finished her call with Xu Daming.

A person then fell into contemplation.

Not knowing how long she had thought.

Until a voice of anxious shouting came from outside.

Immersed in thought, He Yushui only then returned her soul to her body.

Hearing that familiar yet slightly strange voice, He Yushui couldn't help but slightly furrow her brows, as if it were Qin Huairu's voice.

She stood up and stepped toward the outside.

The place where He Yushui now lives is a detached villa, three stories high, four to five hundred square meters, with a small courtyard of seventy to eighty square meters.

Qin Huairu was shouting He Yushui's name at the gate of the small courtyard.

There is a doorbell beside it.

But Qin Huairu does not know how to use it.

She can only shout.

Looking at the villa before her, Qin Huairu's heart held only endless regret.

If not for Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu might have eased things with Louxiaoe; after all, it's just Shazhu—he can earn money, so why not just give him to Louxiaoe?

Blaming herself for lacking discernment, worried that if Shazhu left, the Jia family would have nothing.

If I had known that befriending Louxiaoe could make big money, I wouldn't have done those foolish things, and then I wouldn't have caused the current big trouble that put the Jia family in a passive position.

It's possible that Qin Huairu also ended up living in this villa.

She knew that the villa in front of her was earned entirely by He Yushui alone, because after He Yushui listened to Louxiaoe's advice and followed her in buying stocks several times, he turned a thousand yuan into ten thousand, and then from ten thousand into a million yuan—creating a myth.

Huaihua didn't get into university, attended a secondary vocational college, studied finance-related knowledge, and after graduation, Shazhu used his connections to get Huaihua a job at a bank.

According to Huaihua's account, He Yushui was considered a key person to look after in their area, so seeing that he had several million yuan deposited idle in the bank, her superiors would bring gifts to visit him during holidays; upon hearing that Huaihua was the stepdaughter of He Yushui's older brother, they promptly promoted her to team leader.