Chapter 197: Schemes in the Dark

Sha Zhu feels like a clay Buddha statue in a temple—his body molded, but a fire burns in his heart, roasted by Xu Damao's rumors. He holds back a surge of force, determined to set up this match and shut everyone up, especially Xu Damao's blabbermouth!

Just as he is about to lose patience and rush to Wang Meipo's house to get answers, Wang Meipo arrives.

That afternoon, Wang Meipo actually stomped with her small feet, wobbling over to the Siheyuan. She didn't go straight to Sha Zhu, but first hurried to the Xi Kua Yuan.

"Li Chief, Dr. Lin, are you busy?" Wang Meipo's face wore a smile, but her eyes shrewdly scanned the tidy little courtyard, and she nodded inwardly.

Li Ping'an invited her in, and Lin Xueqing poured a glass of water.

"Any news on Zhuzi's matter?" Li Ping'an got straight to the point.

Wang Meipo took a sip, sighed: "Well, there was a girl from the Textile Factory who thought Zhuzi's job was stable and the pay decent, so she was interested. But somehow, these past two days she's become vague, saying… I heard Zhuzi's temper isn't great, his reputation in the courtyard… tsk tsk." She didn't state it outright, but the meaning was clear: the courtyard gossip had spread.

Sha Zhu eavesdropped outside; his heart sank to the bottom of a valley, his fists cracking shut. Sure enough, it was Xu Damao's grandson's doing!

Li Ping'an's expression stayed unchanged: "Aunt Wang, Zhuzi is a bit blunt, but he has no ill intentions and is sincere. Could you keep looking for a girl who doesn't care about fame and values true character?"

Wang Meipo pondered briefly, lowered her voice: "To be honest, Li Chief, for your sake I'll certainly try harder. I have an alternative—a logistics employee at Hongxing Primary School named Ma Dongmei. She's from the countryside, not well‑educated, but very plain‑spoken, capable, and straightforward. The only thing is… her looks aren't striking, and her family background is average. What do you think…"

Outside, Sha Zhu heard "from the countryside", "uneducated", "not striking", and his heart went half‑cold. After all, Sha Zhu is the Siheyuan's self‑proclaimed "Golden Bachelor", how could he settle for someone like that?

Li Ping'an nodded: "Poverty without roots, wealth without heirs. As long as a person is decent and willing to work, that's better than anything. Aunt Wang, arrange a meeting; whether it works depends on their own fate."

"Got it! Your words are enough! I'll arrange it right away and push for it within these few days!" Wang Meipo, having received the go‑ahead, left with a smiling face.

【4】 Sha Zhu shuffled in, looking dejected, and said reluctantly: "Brother Ping'an, these… these conditions are too poor, right? From the countryside, no education…"

Sha Zhu walked in listlessly, wearing an unwilling expression: "Brother Ping'an, this... this condition is too bad, huh? Rural, and still uneducated..."

Li Ping'an glanced at him: "Disdainful? If you're picky, stay single and wait for swan meat to fall into your mouth. What's wrong with Ma Dongmei? She earns her living with her own hands, doesn't steal or rob. Do you think your own conditions are that great? Your name is known, you're just a cook—do you really think you're some kind of fragrant roast?"

Sha Zhu was choked into silence, his throat stuck, his heart warring between heaven and earth.

Meanwhile, in the Central Courtyard's Jia family, a silent tragedy was unfolding.

Qin Huairu's morning sickness not only didn't ease but worsened due to malnutrition and a depressed mood. Her complexion was wax‑yellow, eyes sunken, and the laundry basin she held swayed.

Jia Zhangshi showed not the slightest sympathy, but grew harsher. She thought Qin Huairu was feigning weakness to shirk chores. "Bang!" a hollow noodle bowl was slammed heavily in front of Qin Huairu.

"Can't even wash a bowl clean! What good are you? All you do is live off others!" Jia Zhangshi, hands on hips, spat almost onto Qin Huairu's face. "I'm telling you, don't think being pregnant lets you slack off! Our old Jia family doesn't support idlers! Hurry up, wash that work uniform from Dongxu, you'll have to wear it tomorrow!"

Qin Huairu stared at the greasy work uniform, her stomach churning. She forced back nausea and whispered, "Mom… I… I feel a bit unwell, can…?"

"No!" Jia Zhangshi said firmly. "Feeling unwell? Who hasn't been pregnant? You think you're precious? I think you need a good scolding!" Her murky eyes were full of malice. "Hurry up! If you don't finish washing, don't even think about eating!"

Qin Huairu bit her pale lips, tears swirling in her eyes but she dared not let them fall. She silently lifted the basin and staggered toward the sink. The icy water prickled her fingers numb, and the heavy smell of machine oil mixed with sweat from the uniform hit her face; she could no longer hold back, clinging to the sink's edge she violently dry‑vomited, but nothing came up—only sour bile scorching her throat.

She lifted her head, and through her blurry, tear‑filled eyes she happened to see at the Xi Kua Yuan entrance Lin Xueqing returning with a vegetable basket. Lin Xueqing wore a clean blue cotton top, her hair neatly brushed, her complexion rosy, eyes calm. She seemed to glance this way, her gaze briefly meeting Qin Huairu's.

At that moment, Qin Huairu felt an indescribable sourness and despair rise within her. Both women, why was fate so unfair? Lin Xueqing was cared for by her husband, living a stable, clean life. She, however, felt as if she had fallen into a mire, struggling under her mother‑in‑law's tyrannical pressure, unable even to catch a breath. She touched her still‑unborn belly, which had already subjected her to endless torment, and an unprecedented sense of bewilderment and terror seized her.

Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu staring blankly and scolded again: "What are you standing there for? Waiting for lightning to strike? Hurry up and wash! You really are a Sangmen Star!"

Qin Huairu snapped her head down, swallowing all grievance and tears, and scrubbed the heavy work uniform with force. The coarse fabric bruised her knuckles, but that pain was a fraction of a percent of what she felt inside.

In the back courtyard, Xu Damao wasn't idle either. He heard Wang Meipo had returned and apparently had a new target, and his mind churned like a cat's claws. His eyes flicked, and a scheme formed.

Early the next morning, Xu Damao tucked a pack of cigarettes, strolled out of the courtyard, and headed straight for Hongxing Primary School. He didn't go directly to Ma Dongmei; instead, he approached the gate‑keeper old man, offered a cigarette, and subtly probed for information.

"Ma Dongmei? Oh, the chubby logistics girl? She's honest, a hard‑working hand, but… heh, she has a loud voice, a hot temper; not long ago she argued with the cafeteria master chef over dish‑prepping and almost threw a ladle at his face!" the gate‑keeper old man said, puffing on his cigarette, opening up.

Xu Damao's heart blossomed with joy; this was exactly the effect he wanted! He embellished the story, preparing to find a suitable moment to add another obstacle to Sha Zhu's matchmaking venture. He seemed already to see Sha Zhu's grim, dust‑covered face.

In the Xi Kua Yuan, Li Ping'an was getting ready for work. Lin Xueqing adjusted his collar and whispered, "I saw Qin Huairu yesterday; her complexion was terrible, she was vomiting badly by the sink. With the Jia family's way… she'll probably suffer a grave misfortune during her pregnancy."

Li Ping'an's hand paused while fastening a button, his gaze turning toward the Central Courtyard, his eyes cold: "One chooses one's own path, and must bear one's own sins. We can help for a moment, but not for a lifetime. The courtyard's water is too murky."

He pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard gate, the morning sun bathing him, casting a long shadow. Behind him lay the slowly waking Siheyuan, full of scheming and sorrow; ahead stood the orderly Steel Rolling Mill, where one speaks by merit.

Will Sha Zhu ever meet that girl named Ma Dongmei? Will Xu Damao's underhanded scheme succeed again? When will Qin Huairu's miserable days in the Jia family end? This string of questions, like clumps of fog, hangs over the Siheyuan, awaiting clarification in the days to come.

The only clear thing is the crabapple branch that has grown over the wall in the Xi Kua Yuan, gently swaying in the morning breeze, silently speaking of a tranquility and vitality that clash with its surroundings.