Chapter 14: with translation of chapter title

It was past five in the morning, He Yuzhu had already gotten ready; the grocery shop hadn't opened last night, so this morning he needed to go a bit earlier, just in case some family was short on soy sauce or vinegar while cooking.

His breakfast was quite simple: big steamed buns in the pot, each stuffed with a bit of meat and soybean paste, looking plain but actually delicious.

Wisps of aroma rose with the steam, the whole Courtyard House smelled it; some people muttered a couple of sentences, while others had their stomachs stirred by craving.

Among them, Jia Zhangshi was the greediest; she felt her saliva constantly welling up, as if it would flow out the moment she opened her mouth.

"Qin Huairu, we'll have this for breakfast too; hurry up and get ready."

"What are you thinking? Do you have white flour or meat at home?" Qin Huairu glanced at Jia Zhangshi, "Coarse corn flour steamed buns with old pickled vegetables—eat it or go hungry."

Jia Zhangshi jumped up from the kang in a panic, lamenting her lifetime savings; when she had been really craving before, she could still sneak a bite to eat, but now with no money she eats only coarse corn flour all day.

How could she possibly bear that?

"Qin Huairu, I just want to eat white-flour steamed buns and meat," Jia Zhangshi shouted, "My pension money I've already given away, yet you won't support me in my old age—see if the police will arrest you."

Qin Huairu found this new excuse a bit far-fetched; she ignored Jia Zhangshi, and after finishing her meal she hurried off to work.

After pacing around the house twice, she ignored her crying, hungry granddaughter, took a few steps to Yi Daye to lodge a complaint—he couldn't manage He Yuzhu, so could he not manage Qin Huairu either?

If that were the case, there'd be no point in his being Yi Daye.

"Yi Daye, how did that thing we talked about last time turn out?" Jia Zhangshi asked, "When can my Bang Geng get out?"

Yi Daye really took this to heart, he specially went to inquire, but the result wasn't good, so he never told Qin Huairu.

"Alas, Bang Geng has been sentenced to one month in the Juvenile Detention Center," Yi Daye said quietly, "and the school and street office have been notified."

Jia Zhangshi was dumbfounded; after waiting about half a minute, she suddenly burst out yelling at Yi Daye, accusing him of bullying orphans and widows, leaving her without burial funds and her grandson without a future.

She lunged at Yi Daye, crying for him to get the money back, otherwise she couldn't possibly survive.

"Get up, get up." Yi Daye called for the eldest madam to help; early in the morning, isn't this embarrassing himself? If that were to happen, it would truly be humiliating.

"It's fine, don't cry yet. I've already greeted San Daye; the school side won't expel him for now."

Hearing that, Jia Zhangshi finally stopped crying, but she still demanded that Yi Daye keep an eye on Qin Huairu, who was becoming increasingly unfilial.

"Don't worry, in our Courtyard House, if the younger generation is unfilial, I'll be the first to object."

After a tiring day, Qin Huairu dragged her weary body home; there was nothing to eat in the pot, which was actually commonplace—her mother-in-law either lay corpse-like at home or went out gossiping.

Although her mother-in-law's money was in her hands, in fact she had barely repaid what she owed He Yuzhu; being able to buy back coarse corn flour made her quite happy.

At least it would last until payday.

"Hey, you're finally back." Jia Zhangshi rushed in from outside, "Did you go to the market to buy meat?"

As she entered, her eyes scanned the room; seeing no trace of meat, her big meat-loving face immediately fell.

"Why didn't you buy meat? Eating steamed corn buns all day has already upset my stomach." Jia Zhangshi shoved Qin Huairu out the door, "Hurry up and buy some back; we'll make big meat buns to eat, to starve that heartless He Yuzhu."

"All you think about is eating." Qin Huairu shoved her away, "Go to whichever household is eating meat."

Jia Zhangshi loudly called for Yi Daye, saying Qin Huairu was unfilial, wouldn't let her eat her fill, and even shoved her; she urged him to come over quickly to intervene, promising that if they could eat meat buns that night she'd give him two big white ones to try.

"Qin Huairu, I know your family is having a hard time, but your mother-in-law is of advanced age—every bite counts; why can't you bring back some meat, even if the youngsters don't eat a bite, you still have to make it for your mother-in-law."

"Alas, Yi Daye, do you think I don't want to eat meat? But I have no money, no coupons—where am I supposed to get meat?"

Hearing that, Yi Daye already imagined the Jia family's hard life—surely they lacked food and clothing.

"You're young; you should think of a way."

Qin Huairu hemmed and hawed, saying she really had no good ideas; she also wanted to feed the elders and children until they were white and plump, even if she herself didn't eat a bite.

In fact she had searched for days but still hadn't found a substitute for He Yuzhu, so she still wanted He Yuzhu to subsidize her family, but she certainly didn't have the face to ask for it.

So she used the tactic of luring to capture, having Yi Daye step forward.

"Go get the money back, get it back!" Jia Zhangshi shouted excitedly, "If you don't get it back, Yi Daye, I'll just camp out at your place and not leave."

The eldest madam kindly persuaded her, finally getting Jia Zhangshi back home.

Qin Huairu said softly, "Yi Daye, I actually know that money definitely won't be recovered, but as the saying goes, easy to borrow, easy to repay, borrowing again isn't hard."

Her meaning was simple: borrow another sum from He Yuzhu's hands, so that not only could her mother-in-law eat meat, but the several children could also get a share.

This plan was something only she could figure out; once there's a first time, there will be a second—if Yi Daye can lend the money this time, she'll be able to borrow it next time as well.

Seeing Qin Huairu tear up, Yi Daye was genuinely moved; a young widow still having to support her mother-in-law and children—her life must be extremely hard.

As Yi Daye of the Courtyard House, such a family certainly deserved help. He and Qin Huairu patted their chests in promise, this time he would risk his own reputation and help lend the money.

As for his own money, that was reserved for important uses; otherwise he wouldn't be so reluctant to spend it ordinarily.

"Yi Daye, you've done a great favor," Qin Huairu finally broke into a smile, "I'll apologize to my mother-in-law's side; if there's any commotion tonight, you don't need to come out."

Yi Daye knew what that meant: when the mother-in-law hit her, he wouldn't need to get up to break it up.

How could that be!

"Just go back in peace; I see that Wang Da Li's family in the front courtyard is also stewing meat—I'll go over and ask for two chunks for you; I still have this bit of face."

Back at home, Qin Huairu showed a smile; she felt that the old days were returning.