Chapter 655: Proposing Marriage to Jia Zhangshi, Yi Zhonghai Was Driven Out of His Home

Yi Zhonghai also heard the intent to drive him away in Qin Huairu's words.

He felt a myriad of emotions.

He glanced unnoticeably at the former Yi family house, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, resenting himself for having thought it too natural back then, believing that as long as Shazhu remained, his own old age would be secure; to prevent Shazhu from following Lou Xiaoe, Yi Zhonghai transferred his house into Shazhu's name, thereby demonstrating the so-called kindness of raising him.

He had thought he would have food and clothing without worry.

He never expected Shazhu to die before him, and even on his deathbed Shazhu transferred the house entirely to the Jia Family in one go.

This proved that saying.

Shazhu fell, and the Jia Family had their fill.

On the way here, Yi Zhonghai inadvertently heard that the Jia Family seemed to have handed over the He Family's house to He Yushui, though it was unclear whether money was involved.

It seemed no money was given.

According to rumors, He Yushui had paid the money, but the Jia Family people led by Qin Huairu refused to accept it.

This remark was said to have come directly from the mouths of the Jia Family members.

This amounted to giving the He Family's ancestral home to He Yushui for free.

Yi Zhonghai began to think that if He Yushui could reclaim the He Family's ancestral home, he himself could also get his own house back.

He came to the Siheyuan.

There were two matters in total.

The first matter was to propose marriage to Jia Zhangshi, taking her into the Yi household, making Qin Huairu Yi Zhonghai's daughter-in-law, and Bangeng, Xiao Dang, and Huaihua would become Yi Zhonghai's grandsons and granddaughter.

They would certainly have to support Yi Zhonghai in his old age.

If Yi Zhonghai died, they would also have to dress in mourning for him.

For the purpose of supporting his old age.

Yi Zhonghai also prepared two plans: the first plan was to marry Jia Zhangshi; the second plan was to become a son-in-law living in the Jia Family.

The second matter: Jia Zhangshi refused to marry Yi Zhonghai and also refused to let him become a son-in-law in the Jia Family, so Yi Zhonghai, following He Yushui's example, tried to reclaim the Yi family house.

Both matters failed; how could he leave?

Yi Zhonghai would not leave.

These past few days.

He had been staying in a guesthouse, hard-pressed for money—every expense reduced his funds—so he could only persistently contend with the Jia Family.

He looked at Qin Huairu.

He spoke solemnly: "Huairu, don't rush me; I still have something unsaid."

Qin Huairu looked at Yi Zhonghai and, regarding what he said, formed a rough idea; aside from the matter of supporting his old age, there seemed to be nothing else.

To support him in his old age.

That is impossible.

He Yushui blamed Shazhu's death entirely on Yi Zhonghai's mind, while Qin Huairu still thought of using He Yushui to ease relations with Lou Xiaoe so the Jia Family could make a fortune; it was impossible to offend He Yushui or make him unhappy.

Naturally, the idea of supporting Yi Zhonghai in his old age also became baseless talk.

He glanced at the people present, not knowing how to begin refusing Yi Zhonghai.

The Jia Family now has aroused envy among many; today at the Yagangchang, Qin Huairu heard rumors that the Jia Family truly had money and would give Shazhu a lavish funeral.

In reputation, there cannot be any further slip-ups.

He retorted with a question.

"Elder Uncle, let's go inside to talk."

Yi Zhonghai knew Qin Huairu too well.

Go inside to talk.

That is, he did not want outsiders to see the Jia Family's gossip.

The neighbors present were all Yi Zhonghai's leverage over the Jia Family; once inside, how could he still use these people to pressure the Jia Family?

He shook his head.

He refused Qin Huairu's suggestion.

"Huairu, let's just talk here; it's not a big deal, merely a small matter, with the neighbors present, they can serve as witnesses for me."

Qin Huairu's gaze.

fell upon Yi Zhonghai.

She stared at Yi Zhonghai with focused attention.

"Our country now advocates late-life romance and supports the elderly in pursuing their own happiness." Yi Zhonghai smiled and said: "Since Eldest Aunt passed away, I have lived alone for these years, toiling hard and suffering various sorrows; back when Shazhu was around, I felt nothing, but now that Shazhu is gone, I think I cannot continue living alone."

Jia Zhangshi's train of thought.

It really differs from ordinary people.

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, she still thought he intended to marry Qin Huairu.

The anger in her heart surged up, thump-thump-thump.

When Qin Huairu was newly widowed, Yi Zhonghai always secretly met her at night; each time Qin Huairu would bring something back, mostly white flour.

In those years of scarce supplies, Yi Zhonghai gave the white flour to Qin Huairu, making it hard for Jia Zhangshi not to imagine things going awry.

Her anger flared from all sides.

She pointed at Yi Zhonghai's nose and began to scold.

"You shameless Yi Zhonghai, you really get more and more like a grave-robber as you age; Shazhu died, yet you dare to set your sights on our Huairu—Shazhu hasn't even passed the seventh day, and you already want to marry our Huairu; you are truly shameless, Huairu is Dong Xu's wife, and Dong Xu is your disciple; Shazhu treated you well, Qin Huairu is his woman, Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai, all these years I've felt you were not right, and indeed you have revealed your fox's tail—you want to marry Qin Huairu, but there's no way; this old woman disagrees."

Some people around who take rumors as truth.

looked at Yi Zhonghai with ill intent.

This old thing.

Really enough.

Still want to marry a widow.

Seeing Jia Zhangshi making a fuss, saying he wants to marry Qin Huairu, disagreeing each time, Yi Zhonghai felt his head buzzing; this really is the Jia Zhangshi he remembers.

Speak the truth.

Yi Zhonghai truly looks down on Jia Zhangshi, but now for old-age support he has to partner with the Jia Zhangshi he looks down on, and even needs to seek her opinion.

He let out a breath.

"Grandma Bangeng, what nonsense are you talking? When did I say I'd marry Qin Huairu?"

"Just now, what you just said, what you just said about the state advocating sunset love, supporting the elderly in pursuing their own happy life, saying you can't go on alone, isn't that marrying our family's Huairu? That's disrespecting the elderly, shameless."

"Grandma Bangeng, you've got me wrong. My meaning isn't to marry Huairu; Huairu is my disciple Dong Xu's wife and also Shazhu's woman. I know this, I can't do anything that would let down Dong Xu or Shazhu. My words were actually directed at you, Jia Zhangshi."

"You mean directed at me?" Jia Zhangshi looked at Yi Zhonghai, "What do you mean?"

"I'm single, you're a widow, we two know each other's backgrounds, we could live together. My meaning is: I, Yi Zhonghai, want to marry you, Jia Zhangshi; if you disagree, I can become a son-in-law of your Jia family, we'll become one household. I asked Huairu because now the Jia family is run by Huairu; I ask her what she thinks about my marrying you Jia Zhangshi or becoming a son-in-law of your Jia family. If she has no opinion, we'll settle this today, and I'll move in tonight to live with you, Jia Zhangshi."

Shi Potian was startled.

The neighbors around watching the excitement.

There was one.

Count as one.

All became senseless wooden people.

Some even thought they were hallucinating; Yi Zhonghai, to their faces, said he wanted to marry Jia Zhangshi and even offered a backup plan of becoming a son-in-law of the Jia family—were they crazy, or was Jia Zhangshi crazy?

The neighbors became idiots.

The Jia family were no exception; Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu, Xiao Dang, Bangeng, and others all stood there foolishly, silent, staring at Yi Zhonghai.

Good fellow.

Yi Zhonghai changed tactics, turning old-age support into marrying Jia Zhangshi or becoming a son-in-law.

Speaking fairly.

If Jia Dongxu had just died then, Yi Zhonghai proposing to marry Jia Zhangshi, all the Jia family including Jia Zhangshi would likely have agreed outright.

The conditions aren't good.

Need to eat.

Now the Jia family has what it needs; just shed the burden of Shazhu, yet you, Yi Zhonghai, rush to say you want to marry Jia Zhangshi; if she won't marry, you'll become a son-in-law of the Jia family.

What do you think the Jia family is?

Yi Zhonghai's little thoughts—don't think the Jia family haven't noticed; they all have, knowing Yi Zhonghai is scheming for the Jia family.

This matter.

It depends on what Jia Zhangshi decides.

In Bangeng's and their hearts, becoming a son-in-law is impossible, but they could marry Jia Zhangshi off; after experiencing Shazhu's death, they think Jia Zhangshi is unreliable.

Marrying Yi Zhonghai and moving out of the Siheyuan, the Jia family would be rid of a burden.

It's not impossible.

Holding various thoughts.

You look at me, I look at you, then we focus our gazes on Jia Zhangshi.

Seeing everyone looking at her, Jia Zhangshi seems not yet to have reacted, giving a foolish impression.

"Grandma Bangeng, what do you mean?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you agree to our matter, I'll move in to live with you; we'll also keep up with the times and try the flavor of sunset love."

"Get lost."

Jia Zhangshi finally came to her senses.

She was angry.

I've been a widow since Jia Dongxu was seven or eight, guarding until now; decades have passed, and the hardest times I've already endured.

You, Yi Zhonghai, say you want to marry me.

What a joke?

I, Jia Zhangshi, can't afford to lose this person.

And what do you, Yi Zhonghai, have to marry me with?

No house, no job, not enough pension.

So-called marrying me is purely to let the Jia family support you in old age.

The cane in hand.

Pointed at Yi Zhonghai.

"Don't make me turn against you, day after day it's just trouble; I'm fine, why should I marry you and let you become a son-in-law of our Jia family? Who told you I, Jia Zhangshi, want to remarry? Yi Zhonghai, if you hadn't done this, the Jia family would support you in old age and see you off; now you've caused this, do I still have face to live? Just from your words just now, the Jia family couldn't possibly support you in old age. Using me as a joke, Bangeng, Huairu—if the Jia family has you Yi Zhonghai, it doesn't have me; if it has me, it doesn't have you Yi Zhonghai."

Qin Huairu couldn't find an excuse to refuse Yi Zhonghai.

The stone in her heart finally fell.

Jia Zhangshi's outburst lifted the siege on Qin Huairu.

The widow deliberately made things difficult, glanced at Yi Zhonghai, then shouted 'Mom' at Jia Zhangshi.

Yi Zhonghai saw things not going as he expected; he was also muddle-headed. Those people said Jia Zhangshi wanted to remarry, they all went to matchmakers, yet when he came to the door, it turned out like this.

Spread abroad.

How could he still meet people?

Made a fuss about marrying Qin Huairu, failed, then ended up marrying Qin Huairu's mother-in-law.

Nonsense.

Jia Zhangshi, don't stare and spout nonsense; I can take you—it's also your fortune—I just don't believe that besides me, Yi Zhonghai, there's a better old man.

"Elder Uncle, who said that?" Qin Huairu sensed the situation was amiss, and asked Yi Zhonghai, "It's not that I'm speaking against my mother; I've lived under the same roof with my mother for so many years, and I truly never heard her mention remarriage. Everyone in the neighborhood is here—think about it properly: how old is my mother? If she really wanted to remarry, she wouldn't have waited until now. Elder Uncle, you can't joke like that; it could cause a tragedy."

Yi Zhonghai, explain yourself—when did I say I would remarry? I'm an old woman who also cares about face.

I heard people say that you, Jia Zhangshi, summoned a whole bunch of matchmakers to your Jia family yesterday, offering money and gifts, making all sorts of promises—how is that not about remarrying? If it's not about remarrying, why summon so many matchmakers? It can't be that Qin Huairu is rushing to remarry after Shazhu's death, can it?

Yi Zhonghai was also angry.

He uttered a few angry words.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi glared at Yi Zhonghai and, without thinking, blurted out the matter of Bangeng taking a concubine.

I'm looking for a matchmaker—does that mean I, Jia Zhangshi, am remarrying, or that Qin Huairu is remarrying? We have plenty of children in the Jia family; why can't we look for a matchmaker? My Bangeng divorced Tang Yanling, and I'm finding him a partner—what's wrong with that? Who said our Bangeng can't take a wife? I'm having those matchmakers keep an eye out for someone educated, cultured, well-read and reasonable, preferably an unmarried young woman.

If I'm not mistaken, Bangeng only divorced Tang Yanling the day before yesterday, and the very next day you, Jia Zhangshi, as his grandmother, went to find him a partner—you're quite something.

I dote on my eldest grandson, okay? Yi Zhonghai, get lost or not? If you don't get lost, this old woman will turn against you.

Jia Zhangshi waved her crutch about in a fuss.

Yi Zhonghai worried the crutch would fall on his head and hurt him, so he hurriedly shifted his body back, but ultimately Jia Zhangshi struck him with the crutch and drove him out of the Siheyuan.

Just thinking about the snacks he had bought, yet he hadn't accomplished anything.

The feeling of losing the wife and losing the troops.

It welled up in Yi Zhonghai's heart.

Jia Zhangshi didn't get married, and she didn't mention the house matter either.

While wondering whether to discuss the house, Yi Zhonghai felt a packet thrown at him; he dodged a bit, but the packet ultimately landed at his feet.

He took a close look.

It turned out to be the snacks Yi Zhonghai had bought for the betrothal.

It had been tossed out of the Siheyuan by the Jia family.

He felt a pang of bitterness, recalling how the Jia family used to see these snacks—like flies to dung—but now they've started to despise them.

It's all Yi Zhonghai's fault; if he hadn't matched Shazhu, the Jia family wouldn't be so smug now.

He bent down to pick up the fallen snacks, brushed off the dust with his hand, turned, and walked toward the nearby guesthouse.

Shazhu is dead.

He is still alive.

Returning to the guesthouse, he carefully considered his future path.

The Yagangchang is no longer what it used to be; Yi Zhonghai is no longer a worker there, and his affiliation now seems to have been transferred to the Jiēdào.