Chapter 92: Yi Zhonghai Takes the Blame

Family patriarch style!

This reason.

The neighbors had already guessed it.

In fact, the siheyuan has always had two annoying people.

Initially, the deaf old lady, leaning on the prestige of the big courtyard's ancestors, ran roughshod over the siheyuan; her left side was the moral blackmail expert Yi Zhonghai, and her right side was the siheyuan's war god, Shazhu.

In times of material shortage, everyone thinks about this family's eating and drinking, that family's improving their livelihood; if you don't give the deaf old lady something, you're disrespecting the elders.

The neighbors have long suffered from the deaf old lady.

After Jia Dongxu's death, leaving behind a beautiful widow, Jia Zhangshi underwent a qualitative change, began to cause trouble throughout the siheyuan; by contrast, people deliberately forgot the first annoying person, the deaf old lady.

Everyone was pondering.

They also thought that.

Reporting the deaf old lady might be the doing of some brother in the siheyuan who couldn't stand it any longer, driven to desperation, and exposed her.

Who is this person?

Everyone, letting their imaginations run wild, thought they themselves were the ones who exposed the deaf old lady.

Shazhu's gaze slowly swept over the crowd; when their bewildered, clueless yet slightly delighted looks entered his view.

Shazhu overturned his own speculation.

These people in the siheyuan all like to have others take the lead while they hide in the back and reap the rewards.

You handle the danger.

I'll take the benefits.

Given their nature, it's impossible for them to report the deaf old lady; they all pin their hopes of reporting her on others, and after someone else does so, they put on a feigned look of 'How could you report the deaf old lady?' while secretly feeling pleased.

Shazhu suddenly turned his suspicion to Yi Zhonghai; just now, Director Wang said the deaf old lady had been reported for acting like a family patriarch in the siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai's face clearly flickered with a strange expression, his question was also interesting—'How is the old lady again?'—that 'again' is worth pondering; Shazhu's mind turned, this time the deaf old lady was exposed—could it not be Yi Zhonghai's doing?

Starting from his gluttonous cravings, Yi Zhonghai has a motive to expose the deaf old lady.

With twenty-eight famous restaurants, 108 snack shops, plus assorted distinctive roadside stalls, if the deaf old lady really went on an eating tour.

Yi Zhonghai reckoned that even several years' salary wouldn't be enough.

Dark under the lamp!

Everyone in the siheyuan knows Yi Zhonghai has the best relationship with the deaf old lady; her daily life has always been taken care of by Yi Zhonghai and his wife.

In other words.

In the neighbors' minds, anyone in the siheyuan could report the deaf old lady, except Yi Zhonghai and his wife, who would not and could not do so.

Conversely.

This precisely also constitutes evidence that Yi Zhonghai reported the deaf old lady.

Strike the unprepared by attacking unexpectedly.

No one expected this; on the contrary, it became the key evidence proving Yi Zhonghai reported the deaf old lady.

Old bastard.

Really ruthless.

The hypocrite can still put on a calm, unconcerned face, and afterwards even organized the neighbors to hold a brief meeting.

Under the pretense of strengthening mutual aid among the neighbors.

Shazhu's feeling.

No silver here, three hundred taels.

Constantly saying the siheyuan must be harmonious.

Look at these people in the siheyuan—what kind of people are they?

The big courtyard's ancestors—deaf old lady, the trouble‑making shameless Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu who hasn't turned into a scheming white lotus, Liu Haizhong the professional son‑beater, Yi Zhonghai who morally blackmails while claiming to act for the public good, Yan Fugui the miserly accountant guarding the gate, and Xu Daming the pure scoundrel.

Think it over.

Not even a door.

Even a simple big courtyard meeting can be colorful, everyone with their own thoughts, and yet they claim to be a civilized, advanced siheyuan—purely just wanting to eat for free.

Try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice.

At this big courtyard meeting, Yi Zhonghai regretted holding it; some of the remarks he emphasized unexpectedly reminded those who had never suspected him.

For example, Yan Fugui.

"Yi Zhonghai repeatedly stressed that the siheyuan must stay harmonious—he must have ulterior motives!"

Yan Fugui, glancing at Yi Zhonghai from the corner of his eye, his eyes behind the glasses radiated a wise gaze.

On the surface.

Yi Zhonghai wanted to use this matter to show that the deaf old lady's family‑patriarch attitude had nothing to do with him; in fact, it's not that simple.

Some things, the more you ponder them, the more mysteries arise within.

In the siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai, having no offspring due to cutting off his lineage, voluntarily took over the daily care of the deaf old lady's life in the rear courtyard to demonstrate his benevolence and morality.

Back then, Yan Fugui also regretted it.

A little‑footed old lady, up in years—just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks.

Unexpectedly.

But the deaf old lady is a typical glutton.

Although Yi Zhonghai never said these things, Yan Fugui still clearly perceived that the deaf old lady brought great pressure to Yi Zhonghai and his wife; otherwise they wouldn't have morally blackmailed the whole siheyuan, urging every household to improve their livelihood and rush to attend to the deaf old lady.

This time the deaf old lady being caught could very well be Yi Zhonghai's doing.

Yan Fugui gradually came to understand the situation.

The deaf old lady was reported; everyone in the siheyuan is suspect, the only one without suspicion is Yi Zhonghai—but sometimes the more impossible something seems, the more possible it becomes.

As everyone knows, the biggest beneficiary behind a matter is often the one who pushes it the most. After Long Laotaitai was arrested, Yi Zhonghai and his wife could enjoy a period of peace; when Long Laotaitai is released later, Yi Zhonghai and his wife will also use this matter to remind Long Laotaitai.

Yi Zhonghai really played the dark-under-the-lamp trick.

He played it to perfection.

Just thinking about it is utterly terrifying!

Such a Yi Zhonghai is simply the opposite extreme.

Liu Haizhong, that idiot, still echoes Yi Zhonghai.

You've been sold out by Yi Zhonghai.

Brain-dead.

Yan Fugui made up his mind to stay out of Siheyuan affairs as much as possible.

On the contrary, Shazhu made Yan Fugui look at him with new eyes; while He Daqing was around, Shazhu stayed close to Long Laotaitai in the back courtyard, but the moment He Daqing left, Shazhu immediately distanced himself from his relationship with Long Laotaitai and the Yi Zhonghai couple.

And there's Xu Damao.

That's also strange.

The two of them used to fight whenever they met.

Now they've become thick as thieves; that sewing machine in Shazhu's home was still obtained by Xu Damao from the Jia family for Shazhu, and nowadays Xu Damao feels to Yan Fugui like Shazhu's enforcer—when Shazhu runs into trouble, he doesn't even need to speak before Xu Damao swings his fists and rushes out.

Some changes inside the Siheyuan left Yan Fugui unable to see through them.

Watching the crowd disperse after the meeting, Yan Fugui shook his head and sighed.

"San Daye, what are you thinking about?"

Yan Fugui gave a faint smile.

"Shazhu, San Daye now finds you a bit hard to figure out; this change of yours is too big, isn't it?"

"San Daye, people do change!" Shazhu said with a smile, "When the old man was around, I was just a kid, and he handled all the big and small affairs at home; now that the old man is gone, I am the gatekeeper of the He family—if I still acted as before, people would gossip."

"This is reality forcing you to grow up." Yan Fugui said, "If you can understand this, I'm truly relieved; I only hope you can walk the talk, and not reveal your true colors after just a few days."

"No way." Shazhu lowered his voice, "San Daye, tonight's matter is kind of interesting, isn't it?"

Pick the tallest among the short.

Compared to the office-obsessed Liu Haizhong and the hypocrite Yi Zhonghai, Yan Fugui's petty stinginess and scheming are hardly a big issue—he earns little and has many children, and without scheming he really couldn't get by.

Yan Fugui has some schemes, but others lay theirs out openly.

For example, when helping people write spring couplets for the New Year, others state their prices plainly—how much per pair—and if you have no money, you can barter goods instead.

Unlike Yi Zhonghai, who, when he doesn't want to do something, still puts on a willing face; even though he clearly wants you to take the pot, he insists on coaxing you with a roundabout approach, bombarding you with all kinds of excuses he's reluctant to give up.

Yan Fugui's flaw is that he schemes too much, developing a miserly trait, and ends up being schemed against by his own children.

In his previous life, Shazhu truly looked down on Lao Kou, having suffered the misery of being paralyzed on one side and driven out of the Jia family; Shazhu can understand Yan Fugui's difficulties.

Yushui is still young, needing Yan Fugui's help to get to and from school; for these reasons, Shazhu feels good about Yan Fugui, and Yan Fugui also senses Shazhu's goodwill.

Inside the Siheyuan.

Who has eaten Shazhu's treat?

Xu Damao, on the other hand, got tricked by Shazhu twice.

"Shazhu, you've come to test your San Daye, and you seem to understand it quite well, don't you?"

That said.

But Yan Fugui still gave a glance toward the Yi Zhonghai household.

"As expected of San Daye, I'm convinced."

"San Daye won't buy that; if you're coming, bring something substantial."

"Want a drink?"

"San Daye, bring the liquor."

"I don't want water mixed with liquor."

I don't know if Yan Fugui heard it, but I guess he did—perfectly good water, and Lao Kou insists on mixing in wine, calling it 'good wine' as an excuse.

Not long after.

Yan Fugui came carrying the liquor.

It wasn't water mixed with liquor, nor liquor diluted with water—it was an unopened bottle of erguotou.

The two had just squared off.

The turtle grandson Xu Damao came uninvited.

"Looks like I, Xu Damao, get to enjoy the good fortune."

Having said that.

Without waiting for Shazhu's permission, Xu Damao fetched a small stool and sat opposite him.

Xu Damao made a contribution today.

Shazhu didn't bother to argue with Xu Damao over it.

He twisted open the bottle and poured Xu Damao a cup of liquor.

Yan Fugui then proactively passed the chopsticks to Xu Damao.

At the Dayuan meeting, Xu Damao made Yi Zhonghai look as if he'd taken stimulants, almost unable to stay on stage after being talked down.

Next door to the Yi Zhonghai household.

Yi Zhonghai, who had hit a snag at the Dayuan meeting, returned home with a heavy heart, saying nothing, and upon entering sat motionless on a stool, appearing lost in thought.

The biggest change.

Xu Damao served as the vanguard in the attack on Yi Zhonghai.

Ah.

A sigh came from Yi Zhonghai's mouth.

The hypocrite soon became dazed and remained motionless.

The eldest aunt noticed something was off, waved her hand in front of Yi Zhonghai, worriedly asking, "Old man, are you alright? Don't scare me."

Hearing the eldest aunt's shout, Yi Zhonghai gradually came to his senses, his eyes vacant as he glanced at the eldest aunt, "How did this turn out like this? How could Xu Daming say that? And Zhuzi, how could he just watch Xu Daming embarrass me without helping?"

Regarding this.

The eldest aunt just said twelve words.

If I had known it would come to this, why did I do it in the first place? I brought it upon myself.

Unable to bear children, the eldest aunt cannot decide even the small matters at home.

Yi Zhonghai, perhaps being in the situation, does not see things so clearly.

But the eldest aunt understood the essence of the matter.

Yi Zhonghai thought his scheme against Long Laotaitai was foolproof, but it was actually a leaky fart.

Even Xu Daming can see this; can the neighbors in the siheyuan not see it?

Others don't step forward.

It's just that they don't want to touch Yi Zhonghai's bad luck.

Moreover, Shazhu's relationship with Yi Zhonghai and his wife, as well as with Long Laotaitai, is growing increasingly distant.

People.

One really shouldn't scheme too much.

Originally intending to control Shazhu, deliberately blocking him from becoming an apprentice, but Shazhu shrugged and quit, leaving the steel plant; yet the steel plant spread Shazhu's reputation as a culinary god, hearing that the steel plant, to get Shazhu back to its cafeteria, prepared to give him a cafeteria director position.

Such a person.

Indeed, such a person is not something Yi Zhonghai can control.

Before He Daqing left, everything had been arranged: Shazhu would become an apprentice step by step, then be made permanent, but Yi Zhonghai interfered, insisting on giving Shazhu timely help.

It was messed up.

Then there was no expectation.

Paper can't contain fire; Shazhu went to Baocheng, talked with He Daqing, and Yi Zhonghai's scheme turned out to be a ridiculous fart.

Unless He Daqing died.

Such a thing cannot be hidden at all.

A long silence followed.

The eldest aunt felt she had to step forward herself, explain to Shazhu how Yi Zhonghai had once tried to control him, even if it meant losing face, in order to let Shazhu forgive Yi Zhonghai.

At this time, Yi Zhonghai, completely unaware that the eldest aunt was going to find Shazhu to explain the truth, was still thinking about how to make the former cafeteria chief keep quiet.

Today daytime.

Yi Zhonghai personally saw the former cafeteria chief being taken to the Security Section.

This matter gave Yi Zhonghai great pressure.

Otherwise, relying on Yi Zhonghai's cleverness, it would be impossible for him to make such a mistake at the Dayuan gathering that even the neighbor second never stole, without clearing his name, and furthermore letting Long Laotaitai's being reported become even more solid evidence.

The entire siheyuan, front, middle, and rear courtyards, everyone thought Yi Zhonghai, annoyed by Long Laotaitai constantly craving meat and mountain delicacies, had reported her.

The eldest aunt also thought so.

"Old man, I'm not saying this to blame you, but you shouldn't have reported the old lady; the people in the courtyard aren't foolish."

Yi Zhonghai raised his head.

He stared blankly at the eldest aunt.

The Long Laotaitai I reported.

How could this be possible?

"Wasn't the old lady reported by you?"

Only now did Yi Zhonghai understand why the neighbors at the Dayuan meeting had those teasing looks, thinking he had reported Long Laotaitai.

After a whole fuss.

He ended up taking the blame for someone else.

Who.

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth in hatred; the person he suspected most was not Shazhu, but the woman from the Jia family across the way.

"I'm at my wit's end and wouldn't do such a thing as reporting the old lady; I'm just taking the blame for someone else, forget it, I won't say more, it's troublesome."

Yi Zhonghai lay down in his clothes, and only when the neighboring Qin Huairu's voice sounded did his wandering soul return to his body.

Qin Huairu went to Shazhu's house late at night!