Chapter 66: Borrowing Money

Not long after Xu Daming left, Shazhu learned from Yushui that the Spring Wind Pavilion was to be demolished, and he went to Yi Zhonghai's house.

Regarding Shazhu's sudden visit.

Yi Zhonghai felt a hint of surprise.

But he still greeted him.

Shazhu laughed and let out a ha, then the two chatted on and off; when the atmosphere had become lively enough, Shazhu shifted his tone and stated his purpose.

"Head Steward, you really hit the nail on the head—I only come when I need something. I know you're a veteran worker at Yagangchang and the Head Steward of our Siheyuan; if I have trouble, coming to you is sure to be right."

Yi Zhonghai inexplicably felt a bit nervous.

Shazhu's tall hat.

It made Yi Zhonghai suffer several secret losses.

The hypocrite instinctively heightened his vigilance a bit.

"Zhuzi, just tell me what's up."

"With the New Year approaching, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Although he didn't mention borrowing money.

But the meaning of borrowing money was conveyed perfectly.

"Since Daqing left, Zhuzi has become distant from us." The hypocrite chuckled, said to Head Madam, then turned his face and asked Shazhu, "How much?"

"Not much." Shazhu held up one finger: "One million—I reckon only you, Head Steward, can come up with that much money in our Siheyuan."

Yi Zhonghai was a little worried.

It wasn't that he couldn't come up with the money himself.

but rather he thought Shazhu was a bit extravagant—after two months on the job he'd earned eight hundred thousand, yet hadn't saved a penny, and still came to borrow money.

The Deaf Old Lady had told Yi Zhonghai more than once that whenever Shazhu had money, he'd take Yushui out to eat, treating the Siheyuan's ancestors as nothing.

First, he doesn't take the Deaf Old Lady out to improve her life.

Second, he doesn't pack up takeout food for the Deaf Old Lady.

If this continues,

how can Yi Zhonghai still push the Deaf Old Lady onto Shazhu to have Shazhu support her?

The hypocrite didn't want to openly raise this matter; he wanted to keep his reputation for caring for the Deaf Old Lady while also wanting Shazhu to support her.

"Zhuzi, I see you've already prepared the New Year supplies—why are you borrowing money again?"

"I want to buy a camera; the funds are short, so I thought I'd turn to you, Head Steward, for a little help—one million. I'll pay it off in five months, twenty thousand a month. If you think splitting the repayments sounds awkward, I could pay the whole million back next June. What do you think?"

Buy a camera!

This reason is also a reason.

After Daqing ran off with the widow, the subsequent plans didn't go as Yi Zhonghai had expected, and Shazhu was like a bird that had escaped its cage.

He went from the Yagangchang cafeteria to the Red Star Waste Recycling Station, becoming a second‑level waste recycling worker, earning several thousand less than Yi Zhonghai.

Although the person has left,

but throughout Yagangchang the reputation of Shazhu as a culinary god spreads.

On one hand, the new cook's dishes lack the color, aroma, and taste of Shazhu's, which upset the inspecting leaders who had once enjoyed Shazhu's hospitality meals; as a result, the cafeteria chief was also reprimanded, and Yi Zhonghai was scolded by the cafeteria chief, turning from friend to enemy.

On the other hand, Xu Daming vigorously promoted Shazhu's cooking skills at Yagangchang, and the publicity section chief who had eaten Shazhu's meals ended up taking the blame.

Shazhu became a deity living in the hearts of tens of thousands of Yagangchang workers.

His fame goes without saying.

He also bought a bicycle.

A new bicycle.

Now he wants to buy a camera again!

He thought it over.

This money.

He must borrow it.

Yi Zhonghai doesn't fight a battle he's unsure of; his focus is on Jia Dongxu, but having multiple backups is good, and besides, Shazhu never said he wouldn't repay the money.

Furthermore.

By taking the opportunity to lend money to Shazhu, he could also grow closer to him, increasing the chance of pushing the Deaf Old Lady onto Shazhu.

Yi Zhonghai had Head Madam count out twenty big bills for Shazhu, each worth fifty thousand.

Shazhu happily took the money from Head Madam and straight away slipped it into his pocket.

"Zhuzi, count it."

"Why bother counting? Head Madam and Head Steward have watched me grow up since I was little—they couldn't cheat me. I don't trust others, but I can't not trust Head Steward and Head Madam."

"Zhuzi, Head Steward isn't urging you to repay this money; he just can't stand your extravagance. You should save a bit—you spend everything each month, and even the old lady in the rear courtyard feels sorry for you."

Shazhu thought to himself.

What the Deaf Old Lady feels sorry for isn't Shazhu's money; she's upset that she hasn't gotten to spend Shazhu's money, and angry that all of Shazhu's money has gone to Yushui.

She really thinks Shazhu knows nothing!

In his previous life, if the Deaf Old Lady hadn't enlightened Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't have gone so far as to scheme against Shazhu for his old age.

Shazhu is four years younger than Jia Dongxu; Jia Dongxu died at age eight when Bangeng was eight, meaning Shazhu was then about twenty‑four or twenty‑five—a young man of that age who couldn't find a wife.

If Yi Zhonghai hadn't been meddling, even if beaten to death Shazhu wouldn't believe it.

Shazhu guessed that from the day the Deaf Old Lady enlightened Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai had been plotting to introduce someone to Shazhu who would obey Yi Zhonghai's words and follow his plans.

After Jia Dongxu's death, Yi Zhonghai settled on Qin Huairu as that person.

"Money—you can't bring it into life, you can't take it out of death; if you don't spend it, what's the point?"

「Zhuzi is still young after all. 」

Yi Zhonghai laughed and said a sentence; he now hesitates whether to utter Long Laotaitai's words. Long Laotaitai believes that He Yushui, being in the Siheyuan, will make Shazhu reluctantly take care of her, and thinks of sending He Yushui away so that Shazhu only needs to give some living expenses each month; if Shazhu refuses to send He Yushui away, then let Long Laotaitai keep Shazhu's wages.

He made a decision in his heart.

He just had an idea.

He was preparing to speak.

Then he heard someone arguing inside the courtyard.

「Director Wang, you've brought people? 」

Director Wang's arrival surely means something, perhaps a big matter.

As Head Steward, Yi Zhonghai must go out.

Shazhu also went out, he mistakenly thought Long Laotaitai had returned safely, still thinking Long Laotaitai is awesome, his front foot was being taken, his hind foot was being let go.

Wait until they went out.

Only then did they realize they had made a mistake.

Long Laotaitai's matter seems to have grown bigger; besides not being sent back by Director Wang, Director Wang also brought the public security, saying someone saw Long Laotaitai trading supplies.

Long Laotaitai is a three-no person with no income, no labor, and no living relatives; all her food, drink, excretion, etc., are uniformly borne by the state.

Anyone can trade supplies, only Long Laotaitai cannot do this; living expenses are collectively borne, and funeral arrangements after death are collectively borne.

The act of trading supplies, once proven, is equivalent to giving the collective a harsh slap.

To verify.

Director Wang brought the public security to the Siheyuan.

Under the gaze of everyone in the Siheyuan, they entered Long Laotaitai's room in the Hou Yuan; in less than ten minutes, the public security searched out items from her room.

Fifty catties of white flour.

Fifty catties of rice.

It startled the neighbors in the courtyard; it was too unbelievable!