Chapter 58

However, Yi Daye overestimated his own prestige; San Daye wouldn't buy a single account, directly asking him whether the Courtyard House had no place for reasoning, doubting he'd go cause a scene at the street office.

"You also know my reputation in the Courtyard House; besides me, who could settle this well." Yi Daye spoke in a low voice, "You need to think about the Jia family's difficult life."

"What reputation, you morally corrupt scoundrel!" San Daye shouted, "Don't try to fool me like He Yuzhu; besides you, there's… there's also the old lady in the courtyard."

Alright, Yi Daye agreed to the suggestion, pushing the matter before the old lady for her to handle.

That afternoon, the atmosphere in the Courtyard House grew somewhat solemn; nearly everyone from the courtyard gathered in the central yard, with the deaf old lady sitting in the middle, and Yi Daye beside her.

To her left and right were San Daye and Jia Zhangshi.

"You people, why must I, this old woman, get involved in everything? I don't understand anything." The deaf old lady paused, gripping her cane.

"Old lady, at your age, what haven't you seen, what haven't you heard?" San Daye said flatteringly, "You've eaten more salt than we've eaten rice."

"That's also true." The deaf old lady nodded, "Speaking of a woman climbing over the wall, the woman should be drowned in a pig basket, and the man should have his legs broken."

The deaf old lady glanced at Yi Daye and Qin Huairu.

Yi Daye hurriedly told her, it wasn't about a woman climbing over the wall; there was a thief in the Courtyard House, and the compensation issue wasn't settled.

"Go on."

San Daye stood up, recounting the incident in detail, especially emphasizing that when Jia Zhangshi was caught by He Yuzhu at night, Liu Haizhong was extremely flustered.

He didn't even dare show his face.

"That does sound suspicious." The deaf old lady nodded, "Jia Zhangshi, you say you weren't with Liu Haizhong, so what were you doing near Zhuzi's place at night?"

"I… I." Jia Zhangshi rubbed her arm, not daring to speak the truth, "I just found a spot to look at the moon."

Everyone unanimously booed, saying even someone like Jia Zhangshi looking at the moon could at most see a pancake hanging in the sky.

"Liar." The deaf old lady said firmly, "You were caught at Zhuzi's door; you looked at the moon and saw his door? I think you were eavesdropping at the wall base."

An old widow doing this sort of thing, she's not even embarrassed.

Jia Zhangshi quickly denied it; she had already seen Character's hostile look, afraid of getting another beating.

San Daye glanced at Jia Zhangshi with some smugness, feeling the opportunity had arrived, and said, "Then tell me, are you keeping watch or listening at someone's wall? Speak quickly."

Jia Zhangshi flustered for a moment, then told everyone that at first she had indeed been keeping watch for the Second Elder, but after being beaten by He Yuzhu, she went home to lie down.

As for the Second Elder stealing San Daye's car, she didn't know about it.

This excuse is good; the first time she kept watch, she got beaten, and she had already been detained, so no one could say anything. Since she didn't participate in later events, why should she pay?

Moreover, Qin Huairu can testify for her, and she hasn't gone out since.

Jia Zhangshi's suspicions were completely cleared.

"Old lady, my Old Liu must also have been framed; he doesn't have the guts for that."

The deaf old lady asked her, "Did Old Liu go out at night?"

"I don't know."

Second Elder's wife also wanted to testify, but there were steel balls and oil stains at her doorstep; she didn't know how to explain it, so she could only say she didn't know.

"You, in our Courtyard House you're the second one like this—you don't even know someone sleeping on the kang, and you sleep too soundly."

Yi Daye didn't want to get involved in other matters, and asked how this car should be compensated.

"Liu Haizhong has lost his job, but he must still have some savings, right?"

"It's all because Zhuzi acted too hastily; we didn't even discuss this with us elders, and he also deserves criticism." Yi Daye glanced at He Yuzhu and spoke.

"My grandson did the right thing!"

He Yuzhu didn't speak, took out a notebook from his pocket, and scribbled on it, as if there were something important to note down.

"Zhuzi, what are you writing?" a neighbor asked.

"Writing about Yi Daye's thoughts and movements; I feel he's about to relapse into his old ways these days, perhaps because the factory has been too lenient with him." He Yuzhu said calmly, "I'll report this to the leadership tomorrow."

"This is retaliation."

The deaf old lady told Yi Daye not to talk about irrelevant matters, to directly state his opinion, and not to idle away his days provoking He Yuzhu.

"The money definitely has to be paid, but..."

"No buts, the money must be paid, and as soon as possible." The deaf old lady said, "Jia Zhangshi doesn't have to pay money, but she still participated, so she should also be punished."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately sat on the ground and started shouting, saying she wasn't the mastermind, why should she be punished, is it because she's a widow that they're bullying her?

"You don't even dare to bully me; I've been through it all—tiger benches, chili water, I've seen them all, and I've made a bunch of friends. If you don't want bad luck later, don't provoke me."

Now everyone in the Courtyard House was furious, saying Jia Zhangshi was such a rascal and still dared to speak to the deaf old lady like that; they definitely wanted to give her a good beating.

"If this were before, she would have already been dragged out for a beating; nowadays that's not in fashion. Zhuzi, give her a few slaps for me to knock some sense into her."

"Shazu, you dare!"

Character kicked her in the chest, He Yuzhu went up and gave her two big slaps—those were for the old lady—and then another two big slaps, those were for himself.

"I can't go on, son—look, they're all bullying your mother; hurry up and come take care of them." Jia Zhangshi threw herself to the ground, "I really can't keep living."

"Zhuzi, what do you think the punishment should be?"

This old woman has sucked our blood before; this time we need to think of a good way to deal with her.

"Usually our punishment is just cleaning toilets and tidying up—really too simple. I think this time we should change our approach and have Jia Zhangshi go pick up trash."

Everyone found it a bit puzzling; this seems about right, doesn't it?

"My meaning is that Jia Zhangshi can pick up trash for money, handing over one yuan each day to the Courtyard House for the old lady to keep. That way we'll also have some public funds."

"Jia Zhangshi's labor will be supervised by San Daye; if she doesn't hand in enough, San Daye will make up the difference."

With San Daye being so stingy, Jia Zhangshi can expect to leave early and return late every day.

"I..." San Daye wanted to haggle.

He Yuzhu said the Courtyard House would no longer bother with his messy affairs, afraid he'd hold his tongue.

"Ding, host, you've got something there—Jia Zhangshi is going to be worked hard from now on. Reward: fifty catties of white flour, five catties of sheep scorpion, and one vegetable seafood bun."