Chapter 203: Here to Borrow Money Again?

In the dead of night, Qin Huairu couldn't sleep, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Jia Zhangshi also couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, sighing softly from time to time.

Qin Huairu was upset, having said so much to Jia Zhangshi, but Jia Zhangshi remained unmoved.

No matter what she said, Jia Zhangshi was convinced she wanted to marry Shazhu.

As for Jia Zhangshi.

She couldn't sleep naturally because she was worried Qin Huairu would marry Shazhu.

Suddenly.

A knocking sound came from outside the window.

Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but frown.

Qin Huairu took a deep breath and asked, "Who is it?"

Soon, Shazhu's voice came from outside: "Qin Huairu, it's me."

Hearing that, Jia Zhangshi immediately sat up.

Qin Huairu blinked, then asked softly, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Jia Zhangshi snorted coldly, speaking irritably: "You just want me to sleep so you can go out and fool around with Shazhu, right?"

Qin Huairu patiently said, "Mom, why won't you listen to what I say?"

"I really don't want to marry Shazhu."

Jia Zhangshi: "Only a fool would believe your words."

At that moment, Shazhu's voice came from outside:

"Qin Huairu, open the door, I went out to cook today."

"I came back late, so I couldn't eat dumplings with you."

"I brought something for you guys."

Hearing that, Jia Zhangshi got excited and was about to get off the heated brick bed.

Qin Huairu raised her voice and said, "No need, we've already gone to sleep."

"You should go back."

Shazhu thought for a moment and said, "Not like this."

"Let's not worry about your mother-in-law."

"Isn't she just set up some sort of memorial shrine?"

After waiting a while, seeing no response from Qin Huairu, Shazhu let out a long sigh and turned to leave.

That turn almost scared him to death.

It turned out Jia Zhangshi had somehow already stood behind him without him noticing.

"No, no, you, you want to scare me to death, you?"

Jia Zhangshi, with a grim face, asked: "Knocking on a widow's window in the middle of the night, what are you up to, you?"

Shazhu put on an apologetic smile and said: "No, you, you opened the door without making a sound?"

Jia Zhangshi said in a low voice: "Stop the nonsense, I'm just asking you, what do you want to do?"

Shazhu: "Okay, okay, I was wrong, I'm leaving, just let me go, alright?"

Upon hearing that, Jia Zhangshi couldn't help but lower her head to look at what Shazhu was holding.

Shazhu hurriedly handed over what he was holding and said:

"Right, this is the snack I brought for you and the kids."

"I went out to cook for someone today, and this is what they gave me."

"That's also why I knocked on your window just now."

Jia Zhangshi really wanted it.

But she still had to pretend:

"Don't, you keep it for yourself to eat."

Shazhu patiently said: "Auntie, let's put it this way: from now on, I won't be angry with you."

"I think your thoughts are correct, and you've done well."

"You should have your own ideas."

"If I were in your position, I'd do the same, right?"

Having said that, Shazhu bent over and, with both hands, passed the snack over.

"Do you still want it?"

"If you don't want it, I'm leaving."

Having said that, Shazhu walked toward his own home.

Jia Zhangshi frowned and said:

"Wait a moment."

Upon hearing that, Shazhu hurriedly stopped his steps.

Jia Zhangshi turned around, looked at Shazhu, and asked:

"You said that if you stood in my position, you would do the same as me?"

Shazhu nodded.

Jia Zhangshi then asked: "And you say you're still the same as before?"

Shazhu: "Of course I'm the same; don't you know me yet?"

"'I'm just a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted person; I have a mouth but no heart.'"

You, just don't try to compare with me, okay?

You, as a great person, don't keep a small person's mistakes in mind.

A prime minister's belly can support a boat.

Jia Zhangshi asked again: "You, are you still the Shazhu from before?"

Shazhu nodded and said, "I'm still the Shazhu from before."

Jia Zhangshi: "Then, then…"

She really wanted to ask for a snack, but couldn't set aside that expression, so she was too embarrassed to speak.

Shazhu had already seen that she wanted it yet didn't want to ask for it outright.

He chuckled softly and said, "If you don't want it, then I'm leaving."

Jia Zhangshi hurriedly said, "This, I, I want it."

Shazhu held back his laugh and said, "That's right, enjoy it."

"Go back and sleep, okay?"

Jia Zhangshi took the snack over, glanced at it, and headed toward home.

Three days later.

Qin Huairu was out of money again, and the family couldn't even lift the pot.

She went again to ask Shazhu for a loan.

This time, Shazhu refused to lend no matter what.

"Shazhu, sister pleads with you, we really can't lift the pot at home."

Shazhu: "You, you, why don't you be more frugal?"

"When a family is in trouble, they can just eat simple steamed buns, but your family, on the contrary, often eats white‑flour mantou."

Qin Huairu: "You think I'd be willing?"

"Without white mantou, Bang Geng and Xiao Dang won't eat."

"The children are at the stage of growing; can I let them starve?"

"I have no other way either."

Shazhu thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "That's true, but we can't wrong the children."

Qin Huairu: "So, you have to lend me some money."

Shazhu: "I only have sixty yuan left now."

Qin Huairu: "That's still a lot, lend me twenty."

Shazhu, with a gloomy face, said, "I, I… it's not that, I've already told you."

"I mortgaged my house to Lin Shengli, then borrowed a hundred yuan from him; after three months, if I can't repay, I'll give him the house."

"Then I'll have no home."

"Besides, you already borrowed twenty from me."

Qin Huairu let out a long sigh and said, "Isn't this too difficult for me?"

"I know it's hard for you, but I really have no other way now."

Shazhu thought for a moment and asked, "Last time I heard you say that since you replaced Dong Xu at the factory, you give your mother‑in‑law one yuan each month; is that true?"

Qin Huairu nodded and said, "Of course it's true, but she has never bought anything."

Shazhu: "Then there's money, right?"

"She can at least save a few dozen yuan."

"Maybe even more; back then Jia Dongxu might have also given her money."

Qin Huairu: "You, you want me to ask her to take the money out?"

Shazhu: "Yes."

Qin Huairu shook her head and said, "Impossible."

Shazhu furrowed his brows and asked, "What, what does that mean?"

Qin Huairu: "Oh, I mean she can't take the money out; she's worried I'm unreliable, saying it's her future pension money."

Shazhu: "Fine, if she refuses to give it, then from today on, you tell her that from today forward, each of you lives your own life."

"What kind of talk is this? Your family is already so troubled, yet she has money and doesn't want to help."

"Only taking without giving back—there's no such cheap thing in the world."