Chapter 661: Qin Huairu and He Daqing clash

Just as Jia Zhangshi was lost in reverie, thinking she could accept that He Daqing would marry Qin Huairu, the few sentences He Daqing said next were like a basin of ice‑cold, bone‑piercing water, instantly dousing Jia Zhangshi with a chill to the heart.

Coarse grain pancakes, cabbage soup — truly a good daughter‑in‑law for me, He Daqing, and also a good wife for my son Shazhu; very good, not bad, not bad.

"Dad!" Seeing He Daqing's tone carry a hint of displeasure, Qin Huairu hurriedly began her performance: "If I have done anything wrong, point it out; hit me, scold me — anything goes, since I am your junior."

"He Daqing, what are you doing?" Seeing that He Daqing had no intention of marrying Qin Huairu and was still mocking her, Jia Zhangshi, as Qin Huairu's mother‑in‑law, felt she had to speak up for fairness, otherwise she'd look incapable: "How have we offended you, He Daqing? As soon as you returned you started talking down to our Jia family. Everyone from the neighborhood is listening — make your words clear; our Jia family can't bear this false accusation."

"False accusation? How did my son die — you couldn't possibly not know? I've already sent my black‑haired son off ahead of my white‑haired self, and you Jia family still have the nerve to accuse me of false charges?"

Qin Huairu's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Her gaze carried a hint of fear.

It fell upon He Daqing.

Jia Zhangshi was much the same, only her reaction was even worse; if someone behind her hadn't been propping her up, she might have collapsed in fright onto the ground.

The widows of the Jia family all focused their gazes on He Daqing.

They couldn't figure it out.

How did He Daqing come to know that Shazhu had died?

No wonder he wore a hostile expression.

Was he here to seek justice for Shazhu?

Precisely this was what the Jia family widows feared most.

Troublesome.

The matter seemed to be blowing up.

"He Daqing, don't try to pin a chamber pot of feces on our Jia family — Shazhu's dead, and we're suffering too."

"Your Jia family will certainly suffer — Shazhu's dead, you've lost the cart‑pulling beast and your money‑making livestock; of course you'd be miserable."

"You still have the nerve to say Shazhu pulled carts for our Jia family — aren't you also pulling carts for other widows? You were driven out by a widow, left with nowhere to go, wanted to return to the siheyuan and have Shazhu support you in your old age, but Shazhu died and you're venting your anger on our Jia family. He Daqing, old lady speaking: you've got it twisted. Our Jia family isn't afraid of trouble; don't even think about dumping your waste on our heads."

The furious Jia Zhangshi.

While speaking defiantly to He Daqing, she also didn't forget to point him toward a clear path.

"Shazhu's dead, but you still have a daughter — go have her support you in your old age. Why come to our Jia family? Could it be you're ashamed to face your daughter?"

The neighbors sized up He Daqing's expression.

They wondered whether He Daqing was too ashamed to see He Yushui, or whether He Yushui simply refused to see him.

What sin.

A six‑year‑old daughter, cast aside just like that.

That's not something a person would do.

"I'm not looking for He Yushui; I've only got a few years left, and I just want to see what the widow who schemed my son's death really looks like. Now that I've seen her, I can go — Qin Huairu, you're that woman."

He Daqing's thumb.

He gestured toward Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu felt a mix of emotions; seeing He Daqing turn to leave, she had no intention of stopping him.

On the contrary, Yan Fugui, standing nearby, tried to detain He Daqing.

"Daqing, Shazhu transferred the He family house to Huairu, and Yushui bought it back from her. If you really have nowhere to go, look for Yushui — after all, you're his father; you couldn't possibly just watch yourself end up on the streets."

"No thanks, I don't intend to stay; I just came back to have a look. As soon as I entered the alley, people started telling me how Shazhu supposedly pulled carts for the Jia family, was done in by a widow, buried away, and the Jia family gave him a lavish funeral. I suddenly got curious — what kind of widow could so bewitch my son that he ignored his own sister, nearly starved her to death, and even ruined her marriage?"

He Daqing enumerated the Jia family widows' scheming against Shazhu.

His gaze fell once more on the Jia family widows.

He gave a meaningful smile.

Jia Zhangshi suddenly felt a creepy sensation.

She thought of He Daqing's profession.

Cook.

He must have killed plenty of ingredients.

What if!

Not daring to imagine what comes next, she shouted at He Daqing.

"He Daqing, Shazhu pulled carts for our Jia family — don't blame our Jia family people. Life is hard for us widows and orphans; if it weren't for Yi Zhonghai arranging for Shazhu to support us, our Huairu would have remarried long ago. Yi Zhonghai, to secure her old age, threatened our Huairu with his position as an eighth‑grade worker at the steel plant, saying she couldn't remarry; if she did, she couldn't stay at the plant. We had no choice but to follow Yi Zhonghai's wishes."

The old witch wanted to draw the trouble eastward.

These words.

She pondered them carefully.

They also made sense.

Within the siheyuan, which household hasn't been manipulated by Yi Zhonghai?

"Yi Zhonghai is no good — he schemed to have Shazhu support him in his old age, and even after Shazhu's death he still tries to manipulate our Jia family, putting a hat on our heads. That's not enough; on the day we gave Shazhu a lavish funeral, Yi Zhonghai specially came to cause trouble. Even though Shazhu was a junior, the dead are supreme — how could he torment Shazhu's funeral like this? It's a betrayal of Shazhu's care for her. Don't believe me? Ask the neighbors; they can all testify."

Some people echoed Jia Zhangshi's words, saying it was truly the case — Yi Zhonghai really caused a ruckus at Shazhu's spirit hall.

Hearing these remarks, He Daqing stood where he was, hesitated for over ten seconds, then stepped toward the alley's exit, never turning back.

Watching He Daqing's forlorn figure.

Yan Fugui also felt a myriad of emotions.

Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Fugui, He Daqing, and Xu Fugui — once the leading figures of the siheyuan — who would have thought that after all these years, each would be more down on his luck than the last?

Liu Haizhong had sons, but none of his three paid him any attention; Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu still occasionally beat him up, venting the anger from the beatings Liu Haizhong once gave them.

Yi Zhonghai had no son; to provide for his old age, he schemed throughout the compound, set up a moral standard of respecting the elderly, and even entrapped Shazhu — yet he never imagined Shazhu would die before him. The house and savings ended up in the Jia family's hands. When he went to the Jia family to demand justice, Bangeng beat him up, and now nobody knows where he is staying; someone has seen him wandering the streets.

Yan Fugui's children weren't as beastly as Liu Haizhong's, but because Yan Fugui once charged them for meals, electricity, water, rent, and TV wear‑and‑tear, the kids started charging him back for elder‑care fees and companionship fees, leaving Yan Fugui feeling rather helpless.

He Daqing, because he once ran off with a widow, has two children who ignore him; his son Shazhu died ahead of him, leaving He Daqing to send his black‑haired son off before his own white‑haired self.

That kind of taste.

It goes without saying.

Xu Fugui was Xu Damiao's father, a man who had spent his whole life scheming, yet he never imagined he would die by his own schemes. Had he not been greedy for the Lou family's estate, none of the subsequent events would have occurred—Lou Xiaoe and Xu Damiao would not have become enemies, Lou Xiaoe would not have sought revenge on Xu Damiao, and Xu Fugui would not have collapsed and died from shock when Xu Damiao was cheated out of all his possessions.

"Ah!"

A heavy sigh.

It flew out of Yan Fugui's mouth.

Helpless.

Also speechless.

He waved at He Daqing's retreating back, glanced at Jia Zhangshi, ignored her, and went straight inside.

Seeing Yan Fugui ignore her, Jia Zhangshi took Qin Huiru's hand and returned to the Jia household.

Some things must be said.

He Daqing's appearance caught the Jia family widow off guard.

That proves the saying: if you don't do wrong in daylight, you need not fear ghosts knocking at night.

The Jia family happens to be guilty‑conscience type; it's because Zhuzi's death is full of unspeakable secrets.

We need to think long term.

Jia Zhangshi's final words to He Daqing, trying to divert the disaster eastward, were really meant to let He Daqing vent his revenge on Zhonghai Yi; once his anger was spent, the Jia family would have nothing to worry about.

If Zhonghai Yi and He Daqing both ended up in a lose‑lose situation and died, the Jia family would no longer face He Daqing's revenge nor have to worry about Zhonghai Yi tripping them up.

That would be a permanent solution.

Before these matters are settled.

The Jia family still needs to come up with some countermeasures.

Jia Zhangshi worries about Xiaocong, the Jia family's sole three‑generation heir; if anything happened to him, she would be heart‑broken to death.

Looking at Qin Huiru before her, Jia Zhangshi slowly conveyed her meaning to Qin Huiru.

"Huiru, we have to guard against He Daqing."

"How do we guard against him?"

Qin Huiru looked at Jia Zhangshi.

She felt utterly helpless.

She also knew she had to guard against He Daqing, given how clearly he had just spoken, as if he were coming straight for the Jia family.

The problem is, even though they know He Daqing will seek revenge on the Jia family, they have no way to stop it.

They can only defend passively.

With so many people in the Jia family, how can they defend?

Qin Huiru truly has no recourse; He Daqing is not Zhuzi, so the tactics that worked on Zhuzi are useless against him.

The matter is somewhat difficult.

Jia Zhangshi said, "Mom knows this isn't easy, but we can't not do it, given our Jia family." She glanced outside, quickly changed her tone: "You saw how He Daqing looked just now—he's down on his luck, and He Shui doesn't look after her; if we really let things go to ruin, the Jia family can't bear the responsibility, this child Xiaocong."

She hurriedly ran to the inner room and saw Xiaocong lying asleep on the bed.

Only then did Jia Zhangshi settle her heart.

She turned and walked up to Qin Huiru.

She didn't notice Xiaocong, who had been sleeping behind her, secretly open his eyes and prick up his ears toward her and Qin Huiru.

He had a secret that Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huiru didn't know.

Just after being beaten by Bangeng, Xiaocong thought staying in the Jia family offered no future—Jia Zhangshi didn't dote on him, Bangeng didn't love him, and Qin Huiru ignored him—so he decided to go find his mother, Tang Yanling.

The outer room.

Unaware that Xiaocong had been eavesdropping, Jia Zhangshi kept worrying about He Daqing's return, taking precautions and further exchanging ideas with Qin Huiru.

"Huiru, our Jia family's present situation is all thanks to you. Now that He Daqing has returned, we face a huge crisis—you can't ignore it; you must devote yourself to this matter, Mom, I'm willing but unable."

"I know; the problem is I don't know how to say it."

"Think of a way!"

"I know I should think of a way; isn't it just that I can't come up with a good one?"

"Why are you yelling at me? I'm also doing this for the Jia family—keep your voice down; Xiaocong is sleeping in the inner room, and Bangeng gave him a beating today, bruising his butt."

"Why? Where is Bangeng?"

"Bangeng is disciplining Xiaocong; as I, the old woman, see it, this is also good—if someday Bangeng's wife, that is, Xiaocong's future stepmother, doesn't take to him, it would let Xiaocong experience what a stepmother is like ahead of time."

"Since Bangeng lost his job, I'm even more determined to find him a match; I won't let outsiders see the Jia family as a joke. This time we must vet carefully, lest Xiaocong fall into the hands of a stepmother—otherwise he'll have no good days. As the old saying goes, better to beg on the street than to serve an official's father; that's true, and I'm worried."

It's precisely because Bangeng lost his job that I must now find him a partner; no matter what, we cannot let outsiders laugh at our Jia Family; this time we must make sure of it, and we cannot let Xiao Geng fall into the hands of a stepmother, otherwise Xiao Geng will have no good days— as the old saying goes, 'Better to follow a street‑walking mother than an official father,' and that saying is absolutely right; I'm worried.

His resolve to find his birth mother grew stronger.

She certainly didn't want to end up under a stepmother's control, being bossed around all day.

The voices of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huiru kept flying into his ears.

"Huiru, He Daqing said he didn't go see He Shui, but I feel something's off. You said Zhuzi's death—could it be that He Shui told He Daqing, and He Daqing deliberately said he didn't see her to keep her hidden?"

Huairu, He Daqing just said he didn't go see He Yushui, but I keep feeling something's wrong; you said Shazhu's death— was it He Yushui who told He Daqing, and He Daqing deliberately told us he didn't go see He Yushui so as not to expose He Yushui.

"Who knows whether He Daqing is telling the truth or lying? The neighbors couldn't possibly have such long tongues."

"You know what kind of people and morals our courtyard neighbors have—everyone's the type who can't stand to see you do well. Back when Zhuzi helped our Jia family with lunch boxes, the neighbors gossiped all day, even wrote a report, and the security office investigated once."

Those neighbors in our courtyard, what kind of people, what kind of morals— you know this well; every one of them is the type who can't stand seeing you do well; back then, when Shazhu helped our Jia Family with lunch boxes, the neighbors spent all day gossiping, even wrote a special report letter, and the Security Section even investigated once.

"Whether it's true or false doesn't matter anymore; I'll go look for He Shui, sound her out, and then decide based on the situation."

Truth and lies no longer matter; I'll go find He Yushui, gauge her attitude, then decide based on the situation.

What excuse are you using? If the secret gets out, it'll be even more troublesome.

Last time, the money He Yushui used to buy the Siheyuan house—give it to me, and I'll go see her under the guise of giving her money.