Chapter 94

As the old saying goes.

You learn what you learn from whoever you follow.

Shazhu spends every day messing around with Xu Daming.

No good!

Yi Zhonghai decided to set aside time to have a proper talk with Shazhu, to keep Shazhu from learning bad habits, and no matter what, make Shazhu become the previous honest and earnest youth who was enthusiastic toward Long Laotaitai and toward Yi Zhonghai and his wife.

The eldest aunt, however, didn't ponder it as much as Yi Zhonghai did.

Regarding the two incidents where Shazhu, drunk, beat Yi Zhonghai, the eldest aunt thought that Shazhu surely had a grudge against Yi Zhonghai in his heart, and was using the alcohol to vent that anger toward Yi Zhonghai.

Paper can never wrap up fire.

It's bound to leak, and Shazhu will find out the truth.

Then he thought to set aside a day or two to have a proper talk with Shazhu, discussing the truth of He Daqing's going to Baocheng back then, and discussing why Yi Zhonghai didn't let Shazhu mention taking on an apprentice.

In shock.

The eldest aunt suddenly thought of Long Laotaitai.

If it weren't for Long Laotaitai meddling in the middle, the Yi family wouldn't be in this state now.

That old lady.

Deserved to be taken away.

All day long thinking about eating mountain delicacies and seafood, calling himself the ancestor of the Dayuan, but in reality just a useless big fart; if it weren't for Long Laotaitai forcing him, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't have schemed against Shazhu to that extent, and then been beaten twice by Shazhu.

According to the eldest aunt's idea, have an upfront talk with Long Laotaitai, laying out this difficulty openly. It's equivalent to laying it bare to Long Laotaitai: if you want to live together with our couple, then whatever we eat, you also eat. If Long Laotaitai insists on eating big fish and meat, then the two families will no longer live together; Long Laotaitai will live her own life alone, and Yi Zhonghai and his wife will live their own life.

The hypocrite disagreed, feeling that his face and reputation had been harmed.

A typical case of saving face while suffering.

Long Laotaitai probably saw this point, and therefore repeatedly pressured Yi Zhonghai, daily shouting for meat.

Taken away.

Surely there will be no good outcome.

The eldest aunt suddenly thought of going out to have a look, thought it over, and finally gave up the idea.

……

The next day.

Shazhu woke from sleep.

He felt nothing else.

He just felt awful, his whole body uncomfortable, dry mouth and tongue not to mention, his body also became weak, especially his stomach, which seemed to be rebelling, making Shazhu really unable to exert himself.

Fortunately he's young.

His body can take it.

He gritted his teeth.

He made himself a big pot of egg soup.

Called egg soup, it was actually just a big pot of boiling water with one egg added, clear enough to serve as a mirror. Not caring about the heat, Shazhu drank three big bowls of steaming egg soup by himself; the hot soup entered his stomach, and his body felt a bit better, but that lasted less than a minute before his stomach started churning again. Shazhu instantly turned into a ruminating cow or sheep; the egg soup he had just swallowed, mixed with stomach acid, surged up from his stomach through his throat into his mouth, making his cheeks bulge. Shazhu immediately clenched his teeth, rushed out of the house without even putting on his shoes.

No sooner said.

No sooner done.

At the instant he rushed out of the house, his mouth was like the sluice gate of a reservoir releasing floodwater; the egg soup and such inside sprayed out like a fountain, taking his mouth as the origin, speeding rapidly in all directions.

It was also bad luck for Jia Zhangshi.

Just thinking about last night's gloom, and also thinking Shazhu is a drunkard, he decided to take advantage of Shazhu's sobriety this morning to have a good talk with him.

The sewing machine was compensated to Shazhu, but the neighbors could also borrow Shazhu's sewing machine. Qin Huairu is Jia Dongxu's new wife, Shazhu is an unmarried bachelor, and using the sewing machine in Shazhu's house looks bad for Shazhu's reputation, and also for Qin Huairu's.

Laoqianpo, having spent a sleepless night thinking, came up with a method she considered a win-win.

That is, to move the sewing machine to the Jia Family.

To move it to the Jia Family under the pretense of borrowing.

In other words.

This sewing machine, while nominally still belonging to Shazhu, actually has its usage rights transferred to the Jia Family, thus achieving the goal of using and occupying the sewing machine, and also resolving the matter of Jia Dongxu losing Shazhu's bicycle.

Two birds with one stone.

Why not do it?

Jia Zhangshi just thinking about it gets excited.

Fearing that Shazhu would go to work and prevent the Jia Family from using the sewing machine, Jia Zhangshi got up especially early, heard some movement from inside Shazhu's house, and waited a little while.

No matter how anxious, she had to wait for Shazhu to get dressed and empty his chamber pot; feeling that Shazhu had finished those things, Jia Zhangshi then approached Shazhu's door with the utmost haste.

After all the calculations.

Yet he still missed a detail.

Shazhu had drunk too much, his stomach felt awful, and just as Jia Zhangshi arrived at his door, it happened to be the moment his stomach was churning and he was about to vomit.

Right on target.

A bloody, melodramatic scene unfolded before the eyes of the Siheyuan neighbors.

Both those who were at work and those who weren't stood frozen, feeling as if Jia Zhangshi had come specially to make him vomit.

"Shazhu."

In response to Jia Zhangshi's shout.

Still it was Shazhu's vomiting.

He didn't care about much, nor did he mind whether the person in front of him was Jia Zhangshi; the contents of his stomach kept gushing out from his mouth in successive bursts.

At first it was egg, then saliva, and finally stomach acid.

Yi Zhonghai and his wife lived next door to Shazhu; seeing Shazhu vomiting nonstop, they knew the beating he'd taken last night was for nothing.

"Shazhu, I'm telling you, this can't just end like this—look, you've made my old woman vomit egg soup all over her head, face, mouth, and clothes."

There's no exaggeration at all.

Jia Zhangshi really is in this state of having been vomited all over.

Shazhu didn't even have the strength to speak to Jia Zhangshi; his stomach was still churning, he braced himself on the door threshold, weakly watching Jia Zhangshi chatter on nonstop.

"Aunt Jia, Zhuzi drank too much; just go home and wash up."

The eldest aunt still wanted to act as a mediator for the misunderstanding between Yi Zhonghai and Shazhu.

Seeing Shazhu vomit all over Jia Zhangshi, she hurried out from inside to smooth things over, with Yi Zhonghai standing behind her, confident that Jia Zhangshi would give her this face.

However, Jia Zhangshi's thoughts were all on the sewing machine; beneath her seemingly angry face lay a hidden malicious intent.

Originally she was still worrying how to bring up this topic, how to seize Shazhu's sewing machine; but when the incident of Shazhu vomiting on her happened, in Jia Zhangshi's mind this was Shazhu rushing to put the knife handle in her hand.

"Eldest aunt, you speak nicely, but go wash up—this is a cotton jacket, taking it apart to wash would be a hassle; what am I supposed to wear, just a thin garment?"

The eldest aunt looked at Shazhu squatting at the door, feeling a bit distressed; toward Shazhu she had an attitude like treating her own child.

"Aunt Jia, speak directly, don't be so hesitant."

"Our Dong Xu lost Shazhu's bicycle; we admit it, we also admit we compensated Shazhu with the sewing machine—but Shazhu is a man, the only female in our household is a primary school kid, putting the sewing machine in Shazhu's home is wasteful; I recall someone saying waste is crime, and as someone who has watched Shazhu grow up, I can't let him walk down a criminal path."

The fox's tail showed.

"My old woman's opinion: Shazhu's home is locked in the daytime, the sewing machine sits idle; at night Shazhu comes back and sleeps, the neighbors also feel awkward using it—this sewing machine is still Shazhu's, but it's placed in our Jia family; we have my old woman and my daughter-in-law Qin Huairu here, so the neighbors can all use it; Shazhu, what do you think?"

People's gazes fell on Shazhu.

Jia Zhangshi's proposal.

It made most of the Siheyuan residents swayed.

No need for the sewing machine.

He's not like that either.

Shazhu weakly pointed at Jia Zhangshi; if it weren't for being sick from drinking too much, he'd definitely give Jia Zhangshi a slap—who gave you the nerve to scheme against my sewing machine!

"Is this agreement?"

"Disagree."

A small figure that no one expected stood between Shazhu and Jia Zhangshi; her chubby build and round cheeks silently conveyed an ironclad fact: after He Daqing left, He Yushui was truly raised by Shazhu like a piglet, visibly plumping up.

The little girl pointed at Jia Zhangshi without hesitation.

"Our sewing machine—what right do you have to move it to your Jia family? Our teacher said, this is banditry."

It seemed as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Jia Zhangshi's face instantly turned ferocious.

To an old woman who daily calls her own granddaughter a money-losing commodity, He Yushui is also a money-losing commodity.

A money-losing commodity.

Dare to question me in front of all these neighbors.

Who gave you the nerve?

Raised her hand.

Was about to give He Yushui a big slap.

Even though Shazhu felt awful, he couldn't just watch Jia Zhangshi give He Yushui a big slap; he gritted his teeth, stood up, and grabbed a small stool.

The neighbors' hearts.

Another surprise.

Everyone knows that after He Daqing ran off with the widow, Shazhu alone struggled to make a living with his sister; as for He Yushui, she's really doing well.

In the entire Siheyuan, only He Yushui has been fattened up by Shazhu into a little pig.

If Jia Zhangshi dared to harm even a hair of He Yushui, the little stool in Shazhu's hand would surely be thrown at her.

Even Jia Zhangshi herself thought the same; seeing Shazhu pick up the little stool and stand, glaring at her hostilely, she felt like she was riding a tiger, unable to get down—someone who even dares to hit Yi Zhonghai, how could she not dare to strike her?

Hand.

Frozen in mid-air.

Slapping He Yushui is wrong; not slapping her is also wrong.

"Jia old woman, what are you doing? You're an elderly person, yet you're arguing with a little kid like He Yushui; if it gets out, you won't even fear losing face."

The eldest aunt's persuasion.

Gave Jia Zhangshi a way out.

She thus took the chance to back down, lowered the big slap she had meant for He Yushui, and instead brought up the incident where Shazhu had vomited all over her.

"I, an old woman, can't just let Shazhu vomit on me for nothing." Jia Zhangshi felt that this matter still needed Yi Zhonghai to step forward: "As the Head Steward, you must uphold justice for our Jia Family; you are Dong Xu's master."

Yi Zhonghai came out of the room.

The instant the hypocrite's cheek came into Shazhu's sight.

Shazhu's brain buzzed and exploded.

Alright.

He's practically a super national treasure, with dark circles under both eyes.

Who hit him?

Daring to hit the Siheyuan's Head Steward, and even beating Yi Zhonghai into this state.

Shazhu looked at Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai also looked at Shazhu; the hypocrite now believed that Shazhu had really drunk too much last night, and in his drunken state had mistakenly hit himself—otherwise he couldn't explain this scene of drunken vomiting before him.

He felt utterly helpless inside.

Shazhu hit him Yi Zhonghai, he Yi Zhonghai still helped Shazhu wipe his broken thigh.

The ownership issue of the sewing machine had already been settled back then, in front of the Siheyuan neighbors—it was Shazhu's sewing machine.

Jia Zhangshi repeatedly meddled and caused trouble; she really didn't take this eldest uncle to heart. If you use it, you are Jia Dongxu's master; if you don't use it, you are just a bastard scheming for Jia Dongxu's old-age support.

Last night, because of the sewing machine, Yi Zhonghai got beaten; today, again because of the sewing machine, he's being tossed about—what's the point?

"The sewing machine compensated for Zhuzi's bicycle; you, Jia Zhangshi, moved the sewing machine to your home to do what? Still doing needlework?" Yi Zhonghai took the opportunity to counter-educate Jia Zhangshi: "Before Jia Dongxu got married, you, Jia Zhangshi, barely scraped a living on the street selling lake matchboxes; after Dong Xu got married, you, Jia Zhangshi, do nothing all day, just waiting to enjoy Qin Huairu's service."

Qin Huairu across from him.

Wanting to cry.

After marrying into the Siheyuan for a month, she had in fact only been a new daughter-in-law for a day; the rest of those days, Qin Huairu looked just like a servant of the Jia Family.

"He's the eldest uncle."

"Don't explain, nobody's stupid." Yi Zhonghai glared at Jia Zhangshi, turned and said to those watching the excitement, forgetting to go to work: "Everybody's not going to work today?"

Being reminded by Yi Zhonghai.

Only then did everyone realize they were running late.

They shouted greetings to their companions one by one, heading to their respective workplaces.

Shazhu because he drank too much.

Uncomfortable.

He was the slowest one walking.

The eldest aunt called out to Shazhu.

Rather go early than late.

As much as possible, tell Shazhu about this matter, so as not to be at a disadvantage; the eldest aunt also knows the principle that long nights bring many dreams. If one waits for Shazhu to figure out who is preventing him from mentioning the apprentice worker matter, the eldest aunt, anxiously rushing to explain the situation to Shazhu, will surely have the opposite effect.

Yi Zhonghai is just concerned about face.

The previous week.

The eldest aunt reminded Yi Zhonghai to quickly, while Shazhu still doesn't know the truth, while Li Jianshe hasn't found the real culprit, tell Shazhu the real situation.

Yi Zhonghai, who cares about face, didn't listen; instead, he repeatedly tried to shift the blame onto Shazhu, hoping to get Shazhu to help support Long Laotaitai.

The eldest aunt then decided to help her own old man, proactively telling Shazhu the real situation.

The matter is taboo for people.

They called Shazhu into the house.

"Eldest aunt, please speak."

"Zhuzi, eldest aunt really doesn't know how to open this mouth."

Looking at Shazhu's honest and simple appearance, the eldest aunt's heart felt like being cut by a knife; she blamed her own old man for scheming against Shazhu, and also worried that by speaking up, the relationship between Shazhu and Yi Zhonghai as a couple would break, making it impossible to return to the previous state.

In a moment.

The eldest aunt hesitated.

"Eldest aunt, if there's something you can't say, just speak boldly."

Shazhu's words.

It seemed to give the eldest aunt a reassurance.

The eldest aunt let out a breath.

"Zhuzi, eldest aunt has said it, you must not be angry with the eldest uncle."

Shazhu pulled himself together; at first he really didn't think about Yi Zhonghai, and just thought the eldest aunt was telling him some family matters, like not spending recklessly, to be thrifty, etc.

He didn't expect there to be something about Yi Zhonghai in this.

What about Yi Zhonghai?

Why can't we be angry with Yi Zhonghai?

Think back.

The matters related to Shazhu are limited to a few. First, He Daqing ran away; in his previous life, he took Yushui to see He Daqing but didn't see He Daqing's face. Second, the Yagangchang apprentice worker matter. Lastly, shifting the blame onto Long Laotaitai.

Shazhu thought the second possibility was somewhat more likely.

That is, Yi Zhonghai tampered with the matter of Shazhu mentioning the apprentice worker.

According to He Daqing's nature, even if he ran off with a widow, Shazhu and Yushui, surnamed He, are his son and daughter; as the saying goes, a tiger does not eat its own cub. Following this logic, He Daqing would certainly have arranged Shazhu before leaving, making the matter of Shazhu becoming an apprentice worker a natural progression.

The problem is.

Shazhu did not become an apprentice worker.

He had no conflict of interest with those in the cafeteria.

After thinking it over.

It was just Yi Zhonghai.

Because of various factors, he had never suspected Yi Zhonghai, mainly because Yi Zhonghai's official choice for old-age support, Jia Dongxu, is still alive.

As a backup, Shazhu could not possibly be made official by Yi Zhonghai so quickly.

Hearing the eldest aunt say that.

Shazhu felt relieved, and also realized he had misjudged many people, such as the eldest aunt before him, and also Yi Zhonghai.

From the day He Daqing ran off with a widow until now, over five months, almost six months, why didn't the eldest aunt confide in me earlier, but instead chose to speak the truth at this critical juncture?

Nothing more than wanting to create a time lag.

Speaking proactively versus passively, the two sides have a world of difference.

No wonder she is Yi Zhonghai's wife; she also counts as deeply involved in Yi Zhonghai's scheming.

Choosing to reveal the truth at this time.

Virtue.

Eldest Aunt, I may be angry at whoever, but I can't be angry at you and Eldest Uncle. Old Master went to Baocheng, leaving only me and Yushui to make a living in the Siheyuan. As the old saying goes, a child without a mother has a long story to tell. Our family affairs still need to rely on you two elders to help manage.

Just formalities.

If you really believed it.

You're just an idiot.

Zhuzi, hey, Eldest Aunt, let me be frank with you: the matter of you bringing up the apprentice worker is your Eldest Uncle's doing.

Shazhu had already guessed the answer.

He deliberately squeezed an expression of disbelief onto his face.

Eldest Aunt, you don't have any mud, right?

No teeth.

How can you spout nonsense? Eldest Uncle and Old Master were on such good terms; now that Old Master is gone, Eldest Uncle barely has time to look after us two youngsters, how could he deliberately trip us up? I don't believe it.