Chapter 108: Bang Geng gets his foot caught while stealing

Qin Huairu was so frightened that her face changed color. She really hadn't expected He Yuzhu to use this move to summon Director Wang from the Street Office.

However, Qin Huairu wouldn't regret it; she would only think she had been careless and that He Yuzhu was too unappreciative. What was the big deal about eating a bowl of your egg noodles? Was it worth making such a scene?

Qin Huairu now missed Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai immensely. If Jia Zhangshi were here, she could directly shift the blame onto her; anyway, Jia Zhangshi was used to being unreasonable and didn't care.

If Yi Zhonghai were here, he would keep the matter under control within the Siheyuan and would also use moral kidnapping on He Yuzhu. Even if He Yuzhu made a scene at the Street Office, Yi Zhonghai would be the one standing at the front.

It was just a pity that Yi Zhonghai was completely gone, and Jia Zhangshi wouldn't be back for nearly five months. Qin Huairu couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Using Bang Geng to get He Yuzhu to provide for her family wasn't working. It seemed she would have to wait until she finished her confinement and go out herself.

However, she had to deal with Director Wang, who was right in front of her.

Qin Huairu's method for dealing with Director Wang was to sell her misery.

Qin Huairu first had Qin Mu welcome Director Wang into the house, then said sorrowfully, "Director Wang, it's not that I don't want to manage him, it's really that Bang Geng is too hungry. I wanted to buy Bang Geng some eggs, but you know what the times are like now. Even if I have money, I can't buy any."

Director Wang's brow furrowed even tighter. What Qin Huairu said was a fact. In these times, even if you had money, you couldn't buy eggs unless you had coupons, and even if you had coupons, it wasn't certain it would be your turn.

If you wanted to buy eggs, you could only go to the Black Market, but the Black Market in this area had suffered a devastating blow. To this day, let alone finding the culprit, not even a trace could be found. After such a long time, it had surely become a cold case.

Even if the Black Market still existed normally, Qin Huairu couldn't go, and Qin Mu alone couldn't go either.

"Even so, you can't let Bang Geng go and snatch things," Director Wang said.

Director Wang knew that there was no way to punish Qin Huairu right now. Once she punished Qin Huairu, no matter how much in the right she was, the reputation of bullying a widow would be inescapable, and she was a pregnant woman in confinement at that.

The current Qin Huairu was invincible, and Director Wang could only focus on criticism and education.

"I didn't let Bang Geng go and snatch things. Bang Geng is still a child. He was used to being familiar with Silly Zhu before, so going to Silly Zhu's house was like going to his own house. He's just used to it," Qin Huairu said shamelessly.

"Enough, Qin Huairu, spare me that act. I already know the whole story. Taking without asking is stealing; taking without being given is snatching. You need to discipline Bang Geng more."

"Considering Bang Geng is still young, this matter ends here. This is the only time; don't let it happen again. If there's a next time, I will report it to the Rolling Mill, have the factory directly deduct your wages, and at the same time, I will have someone send Bang Geng to the Juvenile Detention Center."

"If you can't teach him, there are plenty of people there who will teach him!" After saying this, Director Wang turned and left.

Director Wang saw through Qin Huairu's essence at a glance. Neither of them were good people, it was just that Qin Huairu hid it deep and knew how to sell her misery, making her even harder to deal with than Jia Zhangshi.

After leaving Qin Huairu's house, Director Wang found He Yuzhu and explained the situation.

"Qin Huairu is currently in confinement, so I have no way to punish her; I can only criticize and educate her. Bang Geng is just a child, so even if he went to the police station, they would only criticize him a couple of times and let him back," Director Wang explained.

"Aunt Wang, I understand. As long as everyone knows what kind of people the Qin Huairu family are, everyone will definitely be on guard," He Yuzhu said indifferently.

He Yuzhu hadn't expected Director Wang to rush over after getting the news, because He Yuzhu understood that "the shameless are invincible." Director Wang had no way to specifically punish Qin Huairu and could only criticize and educate her.

If criticism and education were effective, then Qin Huairu wouldn't be Qin Huairu.

After watching Director Wang leave, He Yuzhu couldn't help but chuckle, "Qin Huairu, do you really think this is over? Let me tell you, no way. This matter has only just begun."

He Yuzhu then went to Yan Bugui's house in the front courtyard and called out Yan Jiedi and Yan Jiekuaung.

"I'll give you each an egg. Tomorrow morning, after you get to school, spread the word about Bang Geng snatching things throughout the whole school, and also spread the word about Bang Geng's previous petty thefts. Can you do it?" He Yuzhu asked.

"No problem!" Yan Jiekuaung said, patting his chest.

This kind of thing was a piece of cake for Yan Jiekuaung. As long as he told the big-mouths in the class about Bang Geng's affairs, he guaranteed it wouldn't take long for it to spread throughout the whole school.

Even if He Yuzhu hadn't asked Yan Jiekuaung to talk about Bang Geng, Yan Jiekuaung had been planning to spread the word about Bang Geng anyway.

He Yuzhu immediately gave Yan Jiekuaung and Yan Jiedi an egg each, then went home. Before entering his house, He Yuzhu looked at Qin Huairu's house with a cold sneer.

At this time, Qin Huairu was lying at home with a smug look on her face. In front of her mother, Qin Huairu didn't hide her emotions, while Qin Mu shook her head helplessly.

Although Qin Mu was an old country woman, she had her own survival experience. The countryside was much harder than the city, and those who could hold on and live until now—how could they be fools?

"Daughter, these are all small tricks of yours; they won't last long. If you want to last, you have to walk the righteous path," Qin Mu said.

"Mom, I want to walk the righteous path too, but I have no money now. Even if I start working, my meager wages can only ensure that Bang Geng and the others don't starve to death. If I want Bang Geng and the others to eat well, I must find someone to provide for us. Unless you return all my money to me," Qin Huairu said.

"Don't even think about that money. Your father used most of the money to buy grain on the Black Market. The people in the village are ungrateful wretches who don't recognize you after eating, but most people still have a conscience. We helped them this time, and they will help us at critical moments," Qin Mu said.

Qin Huairu scoffed at this. Having lived in the countryside for so long, how could she not know the filth of the countryside?

This was a generation gap; neither could convince the other. Besides, the money was all gone, so talking was useless.

"Actually, your father still left quite a bit of money, prepared for your brother to use. After you enter the Rolling Mill and get to know some leaders, see if you can buy a work position. That way, your brother can also become a city person and eat the emperor's grain," Qin Mu said.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu was stunned and thought carefully about Qin Mu's words. If this matter succeeded, although she couldn't take advantage of her brother's family, she could help out with other things. At the very least, she wouldn't have to worry about Bang Geng being bullied.

"Alright, after I start working and get familiar with the people in the factory, I'll ask how to operate this matter," Qin Huairu said.

Qin Huairu naturally knew that one could buy work positions. Even if she hadn't eaten pork, hadn't she seen pigs run? Qin Huairu had heard Jia Dongxu talk about buying work positions in the factory more than once, but it was limited to hearsay; the specifics would have to wait until Qin Huairu entered the factory to inquire.

"Huairu, have you considered remarrying? With your looks, remarrying is no problem. You can inquire about where there are leaders who can't have children. It doesn't matter if they are missing arms or legs, as long as they treat you well," Qin Mu said.

Qin Huairu's heart stirred immediately. Qin Huairu understood that her mother's ultimate goal was still for the family. The so-called "treating you well" wasn't important; what was important was the leader, preferably a leader who couldn't have children.

Qin Huairu suddenly realized, wasn't this still providing for the family? It was just that this kind of provision was more sophisticated.

"Then what about Jia Zhangshi? If we don't care about her, she will make a scene," Qin Huairu asked.

Qin Mu immediately understood that Qin Huairu was tempted; otherwise, Qin Huairu wouldn't have called her mother-in-law "Jia Zhangshi."

"You know what life in the countryside is like. The countryside now is harder and more bitter than before. Let alone whether your mother-in-law can come back, even if she could, so what? She makes a scene—what does she have to make a scene about? The law is written clearly and plainly. At worst, we just return what she is entitled to."

"Besides, if you really remarry into a leader's house, would you even need to take action for this kind of thing? They would handle it for you. A leader is always a leader; no matter how much your mother-in-law makes a scene, she is just a commoner," Qin Mu said earnestly. Qin Huairu was indeed tempted, but where to find such a person? Qin Huairu could only take it one step at a time.

Early the next morning, after He Yuzhu finished breakfast, he went to work happily. Before leaving the house, He Yuzhu saw Bang Geng's eyes full of hatred.

"You've got guts!" He Yuzhu gave Bang Geng a thumbs-up, then locked his house door tight. At the same time, He Yuzhu created three animal traps in his Consciousness Space and placed them silently in his house.

He Yuzhu felt that Bang Geng really had guts. He had beaten him so badly last night, yet he wasn't afraid at all, but instead looked at him full of hatred, wanting to take revenge at any moment.

He Yuzhu really didn't know where Bang Geng got his courage from.

He Yuzhu shook his head and went to work. Seeing He Yuzhu leave, Bang Geng spat hatefully at He Yuzhu's back and also followed him to school.

Once He Yuzhu arrived at the Kitchen, he couldn't wait to pull Liu Lan into his office.

"Don't! People are all around," Liu Lan said with a blushing face.

"What are you thinking? You haven't had breakfast yet, right? I brought you breakfast," He Yuzhu said, grabbing a handful of Liu Lan's "granary heights" fiercely, then took four warm eggs out of his pocket.

"Are these for me?" Liu Lan asked with wide, incredulous eyes.

Liu Lan swore that this was absolutely the most luxurious breakfast of her life. Eating four eggs in one meal—she wouldn't even dare to imagine such a life; even when she got married, she hadn't eaten this well.

"I'll take them home to eat," Liu Lan said without thinking.

"Spare me that. If you take them home, will you still be able to eat them? Just eat them here. I've said it before, if you're short of things, just ask me. I'm a chef, and a pretty good one at that. I have plenty of ways to get food, you don't need to worry about eating at all," He Yuzhu said boastfully.

Liu Lan couldn't resist He Yuzhu, so she had to peel the eggshells and start eating the eggs. However, Liu Lan only ate one; she wouldn't eat the other three no matter what, insisting on taking them home.

He Yuzhu didn't say anything more and gave the remaining three eggs to Liu Lan, letting her arrange them herself, which moved Liu Lan to no end.

Although He Yuzhu's office had a bed, He Yuzhu didn't use it, but instead had Liu Lan lean over the table to engage in the battle of the Kun Character Technique.

"You're really an animal! How am I supposed to go out and see people? And you won't even fetch me some water to wash my face and tidy up," Liu Lan said with a flushed face half an hour later.

He Yuzhu smiled smugly, picked up the kettle, and went out. Before long, he brought back a kettle of water for Liu Lan, and also gave Liu Lan a towel, a bar of soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a box of Hundred Birds Cream.

"Where did you get these?" Liu Lan said in shock.

"Don't worry about that. Just remember, you can't even imagine the capabilities of a leader," He Yuzhu said after grabbing a handful of Liu Lan's "granary heights" fiercely.

"Disgusting!" Liu Lan said with a flushed face, then shamelessly stuffed everything into her pocket, washed her face, tidied up, and left.

However, no matter how she tidied up, she couldn't hide the exuberant spring mood.

He Yuzhu, on the other hand, smoked a cigarette happily, then went to the Kitchen with a pretentious air to instruct Ma Hua, Pangzi, and Liu Lan on their knife skills. In this area, He Yuzhu was quite strict; even with Liu Lan, he criticized severely when criticism was due.

He Yuzhu couldn't guarantee what would happen in the future, but he could guarantee that he was currently teaching them his skills with all his heart.

Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. No matter when, having a skill to rely on is never wrong.

Liu Lan clearly understood this principle as well and didn't become arrogant because of her intimate contact with He Yuzhu, but instead studied the skills earnestly. Liu Lan knew that such an opportunity was too rare.

Next was cooking the big-pot meals, with Ma Hua, Pangzi, and Liu Lan taking turns at the stove, while He Yuzhu stood to the side watching, offering pointers from time to time.

The big bone soup had long been simmering. Now, because every factory knew the benefits of simmering big bone soup, they were all asking the Meat Processing Plant for big bones.

The supply of big bones at the Rolling Mill wasn't as plentiful as before, but the leaders were still drinking the original soup. As for the workers, they could only add a bit more water to it.

After finishing the work at noon, He Yuzhu pulled Liu Lan into the office and first had Liu Lan practice the Bite Technique. This was the reason He Yuzhu had given Liu Lan toothpaste and a toothbrush.

"Animal! You're really an animal!" Liu Lan cursed for a full hour, stuttering and stammering, before it ended.

He Yuzhu, on the other hand, lay on the bed happily afterward to sleep, sleeping until it was time to get off work. After confirming there was no special meal in the evening, he prepared to leave work.

"Ma Hua, Pangzi, come with me," He Yuzhu said.

"Since Liu Lan isn't living well, presumably Ma Hua and Pangzi aren't living much better. I'll help where I can," He Yuzhu thought to himself.

As for whether Pangzi would betray him in the future, He Yuzhu wasn't worried at all. As long as he was stronger than Pangzi and could keep suppressing him, let alone betraying him, Pangzi wouldn't even have the chance to betray him.

Just as He Yuzhu arrived at the entrance of the Siheyuan with Ma Hua and Pangzi, he heard Bang Geng's heart-rending cries from inside the Siheyuan: "Help! Help! Save me quickly!"

He Yuzhu could guess with his toes that it must be Bang Geng who went to his house to steal things and then got caught by the animal trap. To let Bang Geng enter his room, He Yuzhu hadn't closed the window tightly; to confirm Bang Geng was stealing, He Yuzhu had deliberately placed two raw eggs on the table.

He Yuzhu couldn't wait to run into the Siheyuan with Ma Hua and Pangzi and arrived in front of his house door. Sure enough, Bang Geng's voice came from inside the room.

He Yuzhu saw his window was open; it was obvious Bang Geng had climbed in through the window. He Yuzhu looked inside through the glass on the door and found Bang Geng sitting on the ground, with an animal trap clamped onto his right lower leg.

At this time, Qin Huairu, enduring her physical discomfort, came to the courtyard with Qin Mu's support. Fortunately, it was already the turn of spring and summer, otherwise, Qin Huairu would definitely have been left with sequelae from such a struggle.

Qin Huairu's face changed color after seeing Bang Geng's miserable state. She just wanted to instinctively bite back at He Yuzhu, making He Yuzhu send Bang Geng to the hospital first, and then Ma Kehe Yuzhu take the blame and pay money.

He Yuzhu spoke first, not giving Qin Huairu any chance to bite back at him.

"A thief! A thief! A thief has entered our Siheyuan! Ma Hua, hurry to the Street Office and find Director Wang. Pangzi, go to the Security Section and report the case at the fastest speed. Yan Jiekuaung, here's two mao, go to the police station and report the case," He Yuzhu shouted at the top of his lungs.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 109 =====