Chapter 8: Shazhu: I'm Feeling Very Hot-Blooded

After finishing her meal, Yushui looked at He Yuzhu, who was sleeping with his head covered, and felt speechless.

"Brother, if you have money, why don't you help Sister Qin? She's so good to us, isn't she?" After clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, He Yushui walked to the bedside and gave He Yuzhu a few shoves.

"Hey, I'm telling you, silly sister, don't you worry about this matter. Also, when there's a chance, have your boyfriend come over; I'll have a drink with him."

"Alright, then I'll go tell him tomorrow, and I'll bring him over tomorrow night, okay?"

"Alright, go on, take your new cotton-padded quilt and go back." Watching his sister lingering by his bed, He Yuzhu waved his hand.

A Down Suit had indeed closed the distance between the two; thinking about it, Shazhu was truly foolish—he had money but didn't hurry to find a partner for himself or subsidize his own sister, instead acting like a big-tailed wolf all day long to help Qin Huairu.

"Wash your feet before you sleep, then I'm leaving, brother." He Yushui washed her hands, wiped them dry, muttered a few words, and then happily walked out clutching that big pile of things.

"I washed them last week. Hey, did I grow a tail or something? Close the door for me." He Yuzhu climbed out of bed speechlessly, pulled the door shut, and then lay back down on the bed.

As soon as He Yushui stepped outside, she saw Qin Huairu squatting under the steps, crying and sobbing, and her footsteps faltered.

"Sister Qin, my brother is inside. You go in; I'll go put these things away first."

"You go back first, Yushui. I'll chat with your brother alone in a moment."

"Then... alright."

He Yushui hugged the Down Jacket and Down Quilt, hurried back to her room, sighed, and began to happily tidy up the quilt.

She would sleep with it tonight, then take it to the dormitory to make those sisters of hers envious. She hadn't expected this silly brother to finally get a clue; usually, these things would have all gone to Qin Huairu's side. Thinking about it this way, not helping Qin Huairu seemed pretty good too, hehe.

For He Yushui, she should be able to have a wonderful night's sleep tonight.

Qin Huairu wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open to enter He Yuzhu's room.

If she could, she really didn't want to come to He Yuzhu's place to borrow money. After all, the feeling He Yuzhu gave her today was too strange, and that look in his eyes—she was far too familiar with it.

But of everyone in the Courtyard who could produce such a sum of money, only He Yuzhu could. For the sake of Bang Geng, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk in.

As soon as she entered, Qin Huairu saw He Yuzhu lying leisurely on the bed with his hands behind his head, and her heart immediately flared with anger. Usually, he was all "Sister this, Sister that," but when something happened, she finally saw through him. This shameless villain, Qin Huairu hated him secretly in her heart.

"Zhuzi, please help your sister, I beg you." Sitting on a chair, Qin Huairu wiped her tears without looking back and said in a soft, gentle voice.

"Sure, how much is still missing?" He Yuzhu swung his legs, took out paper and a pen from the desk, walked to the table, and poured her a glass of water.

"Still missing one hundred and forty-three..." Qin Huairu's heart sank when she saw the paper and pen He Yuzhu brought; this was not at all what she had imagined.

"Alright, Sister Qin, we're all in the same Courtyard; when there's trouble, one has to help. Write the IOU, and pay it back before my sister gets married at the end of the year. I won't count the interest for you."

"This... but you know the situation in my family, Sister really can't pay it back by the end of the year. Can you..." Qin Huairu looked troubled. Every month after the wages came in, the whole family had all sorts of expenses, and they could only eat coarse grains and drink thin porridge; where would she have the money to pay him back?

"That won't do. I only have this one sister. You decide for yourself whether you want to borrow it or not. If you borrow it, write the note; if you don't write it, don't blame me for not helping."

He Yuzhu finished the tea in his cup, got up and walked to the head of the bed, took out the roll of money, and looked at Qin Huairu. The meaning was clear: one thing is one thing, another is another. If she wanted him to give it away for free like before, that was impossible.

With this money, he could do something else instead.

"Zhuzi, Sister begs you, Sister really has no other way. Bang Geng is so young, you can't ruin him, wuwu." Qin Huairu cried with a chaotic heart, but she kept her mouth shut about writing the IOU.

He Yuzhu smiled slightly. Before borrowing money, one is a grandson; after borrowing, one is a grandfather. He had experienced this kind of thing too many times. He didn't speak, just made up his mind: no IOU, no loan.

Looking at the unmoved He Yuzhu, Qin Huairu wiped away her tears, thought for a moment, and suddenly her eyes lit up.

"That's right, Shazhu, how about this: you help Sister this time, and tomorrow after I bring Bang Geng back, I'll introduce a partner to you. My cousin Qin Jingru, she's especially bright and pretty. Really, this way we'll be one family, how about it?"

Qin Huairu came to He Yuzhu's side, looking full of hope.

"Who wants to be one family with you? Besides, I'm feeling very hot-blooded right now, Sister Qin." He Yuzhu revealed a strange smile.

"No, Sister really isn't that kind of person. I beg you, help Sister."

He Yuzhu shook his head: "I can help, but write the IOU. Otherwise, hehe."

"But... but it's not convenient today." Seeing He Yuzhu's firm attitude, Qin Huairu finally stammered out these words, still refusing to mention writing the IOU. After all, she had already prepared herself before coming.

"It's fine, come here."

What followed happened as naturally as water flowing.

The sound of rustling came.

"Hiss!"

"You sharp-tongued Qin Huairu." He Yuzhu frowned.

Qin Huairu muttered something indistinctly and slapped He Yuzhu hard a few times with her hand: "You just keep abusing your sister, wu."

In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed.

"Ugh!"

"Phew, take the money, but the IOU must still be written. Don't forget to introduce your sister Qin Jingru to me tomorrow." He Yuzhu closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Ptui! What? Still have to write an IOU?" Qin Huairu wiped her mouth, spat out a glob of thick phlegm, and widened her eyes.

"Are you borrowing it or not?" He Yuzhu rubbed his head, lay back on the bed, lit a Cigar gifted by the system, and took a blissful puff.

"Give it here! Hmph, here's your IOU!" Qin Huairu angrily threw the IOU onto He Yuzhu's bed, then grabbed the roll of money from the head of the bed and walked out without looking back.

Qin Huairu walked out of the room with the money, then her legs went weak and she leaned against a pillar.

One hand kept rubbing her sore and numb jaw: This Shazhu, what a bad guy! He even wanted her to pay him back? In his dreams!

Recalling everything that had just happened, Qin Huairu couldn't help but feel her face burning.

While thinking, she even measured her own arm—how could it be so big!

Having gotten what he wanted, He Yuzhu put the half-smoked Cigar aside. This body hadn't been baptized by a Cigar, so he felt a bit dizzy. He let out a huge yawn, put away the IOU, and fell completely asleep.

He didn't necessarily need this money, but Qin Huairu couldn't get away with not paying it back. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. If he didn't want it, that was his kindness, but she couldn't take it for granted that she didn't have to pay it back!

After recovering for a good while, Qin Huairu happily took the money to the First Elder's house, brought him to the Public Security Station, and redeemed the terrified Bang Geng overnight.

As soon as they left the Public Security Station, Qin Huairu gave Bang Geng a beating: "Do you dare to do it again? Do you dare to do it again? Wuwu, do you know what a huge disaster you've caused! Wuwu, do you know what Mom had to pay to save you! Mom almost didn't want to live anymore! Wuwu."

Bang Geng was beaten until he wailed, shouting loudly that he wouldn't dare again, never again, and then the two of them hugged each other and cried.

For Bang Geng, today had truly scared the wits out of him.

Looking at it this way, if this could change his habit of petty theft, then it could be considered a good thing.

The First Elder sighed to the side; with Shazhu's performance today, his own retirement prospects really seemed a bit uncertain.

Bang Geng cried while secretly harboring resentment toward He Yuzhu in his heart; it was all his fault for not taking the blame for him, and for even suggesting he stick his fingers down his throat, otherwise how could he be in such a miserable state! It was all his fault!