Chapter 666

Without a son, Shazhu became someone who acted like Yi Zhonghai despite not being Yi Zhonghai, placing his hope for old age on the Jia family, trying every way to curry favor with the Jia family. After hearing Qin Huairu's words, he gave his two ancestral houses to the Jia family, with Bangeng and Tang Yanling living in the big house, and Xiao Dang and Huaihua living in the small house.

Shazhu sleeps in Long Laotaitai's room in the Hou Yuan.

Now that he has his own biological son, can Shazhu still treat Bangeng and Qin Huairu as treasures?

This house must definitely be taken back!

Just thinking that Bangeng would have to move out of Shazhu's ancestral house,

Jia Zhangshi felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Bangeng and his wife, Xiao Dang and Huaihua as two adults, plus Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu—if they all crowd into the Jia family, what would the Jia family become? How could they continue the family line?

He felt that this matter must be discussed with Qin Huairu.

The Jia family cannot be without Shazhu's house.

Shazhu could follow Lou Xiaoe, or he could reunite with Lou Xiaoe's family, but Shazhu's house and Long Laotaitai's house must stay in the Jia family no matter what.

Hexiao's appearance was like a big slap, fiercely striking Jia Zhangshi's face. For the Jia family to obtain these houses, they must not let Shazhu recognize his son; if Shazhu acknowledges his son, this house will have no relation to the Jia family.

He specifically sought out Yi Zhonghai, recounting in full how Lou Xiaoe brought her son Hexiao back to recognize Shazhu.

Hearing that Jia Zhangshi had run to the Yagangchang to find Yi Zhonghai, He Daqing could not restrain himself and let out a sigh, his voice carrying a sense of desolation.

Worries rose up.

He lifted the cup before him and drank a glass of dull wine.

Fortunately Yi Zhonghai wasn't present; if Yi Zhonghai were there, no matter what, he would have to be given two hard slaps—an old undying thing, himself cutting off his lineage, yet unable to bear seeing others' families reunite, truly a great bastard.

"Old He, are you alright?"

Seeing He Daqing drinking his dull wine,

Yan Fugui and Liu Haizhong asked in unison,

It's fine, what could happen to me? I just think Yi Zhonghai is inhuman. Speaking of which, even if Yi Zhonghai schemes a thousand ways, there are things he cannot scheme, like Shazhu and Lou Xiaoe's affair—who would have thought Lou Xiaoe would give Shazhu a son?

We didn't expect it either; really, one can only say that worldly affairs are unpredictable.

Old Yan, Old Liu, you continue—tell us how that bastard Yi Zhonghai schemed against Shazhu, making him not even acknowledge his own son.

Liu Haizhong glanced at Yan Fugui.

This matter.

He didn't know.

He also didn't participate, but Yan Fugui, who guards the gate all day, should know something inside.

Let me say it.

Seeing Liu Haizhong looking at him, Yan Fugui guessed what Liu Haizhong was thinking, took over the conversation, and began to narrate slowly.

Yi Zhonghai first met with Qin Huairu; I don't know what they said, but I guess they were discussing Lou Xiaoe returning with her son to acknowledge kin. Qin Huairu, facing Lou Xiaoe, had no advantage—she hadn't borne Shazhu a son or daughter, so how could she compete with Lou Xiaoe?

Qin Huairu must have had an IUD, right?

He Daqing blurted out a sentence without thinking.

In his tone.

With a touch of self-mockery.

In the white widow's heart, He Daqing is the one who ropes people into partnerships; after so many years of living together, she never bore He Daqing a child, fearing that if she bore his child he would treat her other children differently, so she could only wrong He Daqing.

Both are widows as well.

Both also have children.

Even He Daqing, thinking with his butt, could figure out what Qin Huairu would do.

Old He, in this matter you should know better than us." Yan Fugui said: "Back then, Yushui, because of this, specifically asked Qin Huairu whether she had an IUD, and Qin Huairu made up an excuse about being old.

He Daqing's heart.

Felt a little better.

He Yushui's attitude toward Shazhu's affair wasn't as indifferent as it seemed; the reason she later stopped dealing with Shazhu is surely because Shazhu got deeply involved, refused He Yushui's persuasion, and seeing Shazhu stubbornly clinging to his own ideas, He Yushui stopped advising him!

He opened his mouth and let out another heavy sigh.

Ah!

Old He.

I'm fine; let's continue talking about Yi Zhonghai not letting Shazhu see his son—I really want to know what excuse Yi Zhonghai gave.

Yan Fugui and Liu Haizhong both seemed a bit strange.

This matter.

They had also discussed it before, bluntly saying Shazhu was poisoned by Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai together—he abandoned his good son for a widow and her three children plus mother-in-law.

I originally didn't want to say it.

But He Daqing brought up this topic and even treated them to a meal.

Not saying it would be a bit sorry for He Daqing's meal.

After thinking it over.

I'll still say it.

We aren't entirely clear either, but hearing Jia Zhangshi's quarrel, from her words we guessed a rough outline: the matter is roughly like this….

……

After learning the truth from Jia Zhangshi, Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu both felt a looming catastrophe—one for his old-age support, the other for the family business.

The two, sharing the same thought, unconsciously quickened their steps and hurried into Zhong Yuan.

Seeing Shazhu still pulling He Xia to show off his cooking, pointing at the He family's old house, saying some nostalgic words—'This is my father's home,' 'This is the root of our He family in the Siheyuan.'

Their hearts exploded in an instant.

Yi Zhonghai was numb, I intended to cut off the line—I originally wanted to make Shazhu also cut off his line, but I never expected Shazhu to silently father a son.

Qin Huairu's heart was even more filled with a look of bitterness; from Hexiao's appearance she concluded that this was Shazhu's son.

At that time in the steel mill, Yi Zhonghai still told Qin Huairu not to overthink, saying it might just be a complete misunderstanding; Lou Xiaoe had only stayed with Shazhu for a few days, how could she give birth to a son for Shazhu, impossible to be true.

Anyway, Yi Zhonghai didn't think so.

Yi Zhonghai thought Lou Xiaoe, in order to anger the neighbors of the siheyuan, casually found a child and deliberately returned to the siheyuan.

As a result, Hexiao resembled Shazhu's appearance, breaking through Qin Huairu's defenses; they were practically two people carved from the same mold, and yet still saying what?

The two exchanged a glance, subtly understanding the worry in each other's eyes.

In an extremely short time, the two both adjusted their postures, putting on a relaxed expression as they walked toward Shazhu, who kept nonstop talking while pulling Hexiao.

"Zhuzi, just as I reached the street corner, I heard someone arguing, saying you silently popped out a son—is this true?"

Yi Zhonghai spoke first.

He wore a smile, doing his best to spread a kind expression from his brows; unaware people, seeing this, would surely think Yi Zhonghai genuinely felt happy for Shazhu to have his own son.

Actually, not so.

Yi Zhonghai inwardly wished Shazhu would slap Hexiao right then with a big palm.

Hexiao's appearance made Yi Zhonghai think his stable retirement plan had encountered a huge mishap, which he must nip in the bud.

He also saw Hexiao's appearance, his heart skipped a beat, just like Qin Huairu, and from Hexiao's looks he likewise concluded that this was Shazhu's son.

This should have been a good time for Shazhu and his son to reunite.

But Yi Zhonghai continually felt a pain as if his heart had been stabbed.

"Heaven, he is blind."

"How could Shazhu have a son."

"Elder Yi also knows you want to have your own son, but you must see clearly, don't let yourself be deceived—take the lesson from what happened to Erliuzi of the neighboring Dayuan."

"Elder Yi, I don't want to hear this—how could I not know whether it's my son, as a father?" Shazhu, while teasing his son, said to Yi Zhonghai: "This is my son, I He Yuzhu's son; I just had He Daming take a look, and the turtle grandson said I, like him, am an extinct line—I want to see who really is the extinct line."

The conversation turned.

"Elder Yi, tonight I'll cook a few dishes; you must properly accompany me for a drink, to celebrate my having a son."

"Good good good."

Yi Zhonghai said the word "good" three times.

Being scolded by Shazhu.

Around, many neighbors were still watching the show.

Some words.

Yi Zhonghai really couldn't say it, smilingly responding to Shazhu, but secretly he glanced toward Qin Huairu beside him.

For the present plan.

He could only secretly give Qin Huairu eye signals, letting Qin Huairu continue charging forward.

Qin Huairu stepping forward—on one hand Shazhu just goes along with Qin Huairu's tactics; on the other, if Qin Huairu's fire‑stoking skill isn't up to par and she angers Shazhu, Yi Zhonghai can still mediate from the middle, turning big things small and small things into nothing.

Having received Yi Zhonghai's signal, Qin Huairu calmed herself a bit and said to Shazhu: "Shazhu, congratulations!"

First she feigned congratulations, then shifted the topic to herself, saying a few lines of advancing by retreating.

"You've been entangled with me for so many years, and you've contributed so much to our Jia Family; I really can't give you a child, I feel stifled—but now that you have a child, my heart no longer bears guilt; Lou Xiaoe bringing your son back, I can't keep occupying you—I must let your family reunite. Tomorrow we'll go to the civil affairs bureau to handle the divorce, then hand you completely over to Lou Xiaoe and your son."

"Huairu, what nonsense are you spouting? What kind of person is Zhuzi, what's his temperament—you aren't unaware. You two have weathered wind and rain for so many years, gone through hardships, finally gotten together—how can you just say split and split?"

Yi Zhonghai's words seemed to be advising Qin Huairu.

But the inner meaning was, without a trace, pointing a sword at Shazhu, implying Shazhu must not become Chen Shimei.

Immersed in joy, Shazhu probably didn't grasp Yi Zhonghai's meaning; he actually had Hexiao call Yi Zhonghai grandfather, then went to cook for Hexiao.

Evening.

The Jia family ate the hardest-to-swallow meal after Jia Dongxu's death.

They specifically singled out Qin Huairu, Jia Zhangshi, and Bangeng and took them aside.

Then the problem became big.

They didn't even say they'd prepared dishes to bring over to the Jia family; they just outright said, "Let Qin Huairu take care of the Jia family's food and drink."

Before Hexiao appeared, any tasty food in Shazhu's house would always go first to Bangeng and the others; after Hexiao appeared, faced with delicious dishes, he actually didn't think about the few children, and toward Qin Huairu he was even more indifferent.

This shows Hexiao has pulled Shazhu's whole heart over.

Time is short.

It doesn't matter.

Given enough time, how will Shazhu's property end up in the Jia family's hands, and how will Yi Zhonghai still get Shazhu to support him in his old age and see him to the end?

Shazhu has changed his heart.

He is no longer subject to them.

That night.

Qin Huairu pulled out all stops, Yi Zhonghai also worked on Shazhu's thoughts, putting various hats on him, employing many tactics; Shazhu believed Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu's words, thus he no longer paid attention to Lou Xiaoe, also distanced himself from Hexiao, and still claimed, in name, that Lou Xiaoe had money and a son, wanted whatever she wanted, while Qin Huairu, besides Shazhu, had nothing—she said she couldn't be a profit‑forgetting‑righteous scoundrel, and must be responsible to Qin Huairu.

Seeing Shazhu poisoned by Qin Huairu, Lou Xiaoe, heartbroken and disillusioned that even her own biological son could be ignored, took Hexiao back to Gang Island, and has not appeared since.

……

Next day.

He Daqing, spirited, squatted up to Yi Zhonghai.

After learning about Hexiao's matter from Yan Fugui and Liu Haizhong yesterday, He Daqing's mood—whether good or bad—was uncertain.

The good thing.

That the He family is not extinct.

He has a grandson.

Bad things.

Yi Zhonghai really isn't human; a perfectly good Shazhu was schemed by Yi Zhonghai into being nothing— not even as good as dog shit.

No matter what, I have to see Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai perhaps knew that He Daqing would be waiting for him; seeing He Daqing, he didn't run, and his clothes were different from yesterday's.

Yesterday he wore tattered clothes, looking exactly like a trash collector.

Today his clothes, though not new, were clean and without patches; he wore a pair of black leather shoes on his feet and a hat on his head.

The outfit of a retired old cadre.

He Daqing let out a cold snort.

"Yi Zhonghai, you're dog meat that can't sit at the main table; even if you put on a dragon robe, you're still not a prince. Aren't you running today? Go on, run! Keep running."

"Daqing." Yi Zhonghai had just shouted a name when he saw He Daqing wave his hand and say, "Just call me the cook; the name Daqing, when it comes from your mouth, Yi Zhonghai, is an insult to me."

Yi Zhonghai heard that.

His heart gave a sudden jolt.

He stared straight at He Daqing.

"Old He, that's not right."

"You know?"

"I know some things can't be hidden from you, and I know some things will eventually come to light; I'm sorry, He Daqing."

"You owe He Daqing, but you owe Shazhu even more— how has Shazhu treated you? Let's ask the neighbors Yan Fugui and Liu Haizhong: they think well of you, they listen and obey, whatever you say goes, whatever you do is done— how can you live up to Shazhu's wholehearted devotion? You deserve to have your line cut off; you've done too many wicked deeds, Yi Zhonghai— you actually arranged for an unmarried man to support a widow with three children— what were you thinking?"

Yi Zhonghai froze for a moment.

What else could he be thinking?

It's obviously to make Shazhu cut off his line; if Shazhu didn't cut off his line, how could he appreciate Yi Zhonghai's painstaking effort to willingly support him in his old age?

This cannot be said.

We have to put it tactfully.

"Daqing, I'm sorry to the Old He family."