Chapter 76: Pressuring the Jia Family

Xu Daming helped Yi Zhonghai and his wife adopt a child; the key is that Yi Zhonghai and his wife didn't know about this; they learned of it from Shazhu.

This is kinda fucked up.

The people around felt like they were hearing heavenly script.

"He's the elder uncle; everyone in our Siheyuan knows what kind of person Xu Daming is. I'm not saying this to badmouth Xu Daming, but I've seen that child since he was little and he doesn't seem like a good person."

The matter of Yi Zhonghai adopting a child became a heavy stone pressing on Jia Zhangshi, making her really unable to sit still, and she brought it up in a sarcastic tone.

Shazhu heard this and smiled slightly.

Just now Xu Daming helped me speak up.

Xu Daming is busy doing good deeds.

Now it's Shazhu's turn to speak up for Xu Daming.

"Jia Madam, you, just stop worrying about this for nothing. Xu Daming—what kind of person is he? You really don't know. At the very least, I think helping the elder uncle and his wife adopt a child, Xu Daming is doing it out of goodwill. Saying bad things about Xu Daming isn't that just opposing the elder uncle and his wife adopting a child? Could it be that the elder uncle and his wife adopting a child has made you unhappy?"

In a few words.

He turned the spearhead toward Jia Zhangshi.

Everyone, upon hearing this,

That's exactly what it means.

Yi Zhonghai, who has no children, why can't he adopt a child?

Jia Zhangshi, what gives you the right to be unhappy?

"Who knows what kind of person Xu Daming will find; if he brings in a rural person, poor relatives will show up every few days and could empty the elder uncle's savings."

Jia Zhangshi forgot that she herself is from the countryside; in a few days she will have a daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, also from the countryside; these neighbors in the Siheyuan, going back over ten years, are also from the countryside.

"Jia Madam, I don't like hearing you say that; the elder is still a rural person, and you saying this seems to look down on the elder."

Shazhu really didn't give Jia Zhangshi any face.

He put a big hat on her.

She was so frightened she almost pissed herself.

He looked at Jia Zhangshi with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

This old woman, indeed is an ungrateful old white-eyed wolf; in her previous life she ate so much of my stuff, yet never uttered a word of thanks.

"Shazhu, is that how you speak to your elders?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Jia Zhangshi didn't want to continue that heavy topic; she could only put on the airs of an elder and blame Shazhu for not knowing how to respect the elderly.

"That's not right; if you were my elder, just now you were kowtowing to me, and I gave you a hundred bucks."

Everyone thought it was funny.

How did this Shazhu kid become so sharp-tongued.

And he does things decisively.

He reached out and snatched back the hundred bucks he had just thrown at Jia Zhangshi.

He used a hundred bucks to humiliate Jia Zhangshi, then took that hundred back into his hand, so both face and substance went to Shazhu.

The Jia family and Shazhu have already openly broken ties; might as well stop pretending. Although money in this era isn't worth much, it's still our hard-earned cash, and we want it back.

"Shazhu, Jia Zhangshi is after all of the same generation as your father." Yi Zhonghai changed his tone, "Shazhu, you said Xu Daming helped the elder uncle adopt a child, you weren't talking nonsense, were you?"

Yi Zhonghai's brows and eyes radiated the kindness of a good old man; those unaware of the situation, seeing this, would certainly think Yi Zhonghai is a good person.

In fact, it's not so.

The hypocrite's cultivation is quite high.

His thoughts are deeply hidden.

In the original story, it was also Yi Zhonghai who spoke up first, and only then did Liu Haizhong learn that Yi Zhonghai had begun preparing for his old age ten or even twenty years earlier, and had decided that Shazhu could support him in his old age.

"Of course it's true, can I still deceive you?" Shazhu answered Yi Zhonghai with hollow sincerity, "In a moment Xu Daming will bring the person back, and you, Elder Uncle, will know; I'm not afraid of offending you, Elder Uncle, you have no children, and upon seeing this child you will surely be delighted from the bottom of your heart."

"How could Xu Daming think of this step?"

Yi Zhonghai gazed at Shazhu with bright, spirited eyes.

What was he thinking?

Shazhu understood clearly.

Nothing more than suspecting that Shazhu was behind this mischief.

At a dumpling banquet two months earlier, Shazhu brought up the matter of adopting a child in front of Yi Zhonghai and his wife, which made Deaf Granny unhappy.

"Elder Uncle, don't even mention you; I myself can't figure out how Xu Daming could have such an idea! Let's not wild-guess; let's just wait for your good news."

Shazhu spoke offhandedly, in a tone as if he were considering Yi Zhonghai's interests.

"I've never been convinced by Xu Daming, but on this matter I am convinced; you and Elder Aunt, once you have a child, life will surely be beautiful, and you don't need to thank Xu Daming—this is what Xu Daming should do."

"Shazhu."

"Elder Uncle, Elder Aunt, this matter is settled like this; the day you two adopt a child will be a happy day for our Dayuan; I'll be the head chef, and I'll invite the neighbors to come over for some meat dishes, just to have fun together."

The Jia family mother and son wore grim faces.

The sewing machines were all given by Yi Zhonghai; although they are now Shazhu's sewing machines, after all they were given by Yi Zhonghai—if Yi Zhonghai had his own child, could he still give sewing machines to the Jia family?

These days.

The Jia family mother and son have been scheming, figuring out how to make Yi Zhonghai bleed money to give them things; they no longer want the sewing machine, they want a radio, so that someday they'll envy those bastards in the Siheyuan, and help Shazhu seize the Jia family's sewing machines.

Adopting a child extinguished the Jia family mother and son's idea of sucking Yi Zhonghai dry.

"Jia Dongxu, what are you looking at?"

From the Jia family mother and son's ugly faces, Shazhu guessed why they were unhappy, and again employed his murderous-heart scheme.

"Elder Uncle is your master; on the day you got engaged, Elder Uncle, in the name of master, gave your Jia family a sewing machine. Today Elder Uncle has adopted a child and has his own home; as his disciple, you should certainly be happy, and you don't need to make the Jia family bleed much—bring the ten jin of pork you've cut, and I'll help Elder Uncle make a pork stew, so the neighbors can all enjoy themselves."

A few sentences.

It made everyone in the Siheyuan worry incessantly.

A free meal.

Why not eat it?

Moreover, everyone in the Siheyuan wants to try Shazhu's cooking.

Yi Zhonghai gazed at Shazhu with mixed feelings, feeling happy yet conflicted.

Happy.

It stems from Shazhu's enthusiasm; he is an honest child who cannot see through the essence of things, truly belonging to that sort of person who is hard to pin down.

Conflict.

It is that Yi Zhonghai does not want to adopt a child; what Granny Long said is correct—adopted children are just like his disciples, none of them are blood-related to Yi Zhonghai.

"Shazhu, this is the pork we prepared for Dong Xu's wedding banquet in a few days; we've used it now—how will Dong Xu's wedding proceed?"

"We'll talk about it when the time comes." Shazhu was buttoning his cap again, "Or perhaps it's not important that Elder Yi wants to adopt a child; it's just making your Jia family unhappy."

"Shazhu, you're talking nonsense."