Chapter 48: Continuing to Ruin People Without Weariness

Just as Yi Dama was shedding tears, the Deaf Old Lady slowly arrived by her side.

"Xiao Yi, did you get into an argument with Zhuzi again?" After sighing, the Deaf Old Lady sat by the edge of Yi Zhonghai's bed and spoke.

"Old Lady, it's not that I insist on arguing with Shazhu; just listen to what he says—is that human language? The moment we entered the guesthouse, he was blustering and calling us fools, showing no manners, no respect for seniority, and absolutely no respect for us!" Yi Zhonghai, who had been on the verge of death from his illness, sat up with a start, his face twisted and ferocious as he roared.

"Xiao Yi, you also know that adding the word 'Sha' (fool) when addressing someone is calling them a fool. The Zhuzi of today is no longer the Foolish Zhuzi of the past. The old Foolish Zhuzi didn't care, but the current Zhuzi cares deeply. You've all been calling him that for so many years, so why don't you allow him to call it back?" the Deaf Old Lady said, unhurriedly.

"I'm just used to calling him that! Besides, Shazhu was the one who started the trouble today," Yi Zhonghai said, still in a savage tone.

"Sigh! Come to think of it, this isn't Zhuzi's fault. Anyone in our courtyard with eyes can see that Zhuzi has some thoughts about Qin Huairu. If Xu Damao even looks at Qin Huairu a few extra times, Zhuzi has to beat him up."

"It shows just how much Zhuzi cares about Qin Huairu. Now that this matter has come up, if Zhuzi didn't get angry and come looking for trouble, he wouldn't be Zhuzi."

"You know what kind of temper Zhuzi has. On the surface, he looks carefree, but in reality, he is extremely petty, especially when it involves Qin Huairu. It would be strange if Zhuzi didn't have fire in his heart!"

"Things are different now. In the past, when Zhuzi hadn't 'woken up' and was still Foolish Zhuzi, you could fool him with a few words and the matter would pass. Now, if you don't let Zhuzi vent his anger, this matter won't be put to rest," the Deaf Old Lady said.

"Damn it! Which damned bastard spread those rumors! If I find out, I'll peel his skin, pull his tendons, smash his bones, and gouge out his heart!" Yi Zhonghai said viciously.

Yi Zhonghai was somewhat swayed by the Deaf Old Lady, but it was only a slight swaying. In Yi Zhonghai's view, He Yuzhu should still be obedient to him as before, and he should be able to fool He Yuzhu with just a few words.

Now, as soon as the Deaf Old Lady mentioned the booklet, Yi Zhonghai couldn't even care about He Yuzhu anymore; he truly wanted to know who was so malicious.

"Old Lady, is there still no word from Factory Director Yang?" Yi Zhonghai asked in a deep voice.

"No! Xiao Yang said they are still investigating," the Deaf Old Lady said, her face equally gloomy.

The opponent's move could be said to have completely shattered the situation that Yi Zhonghai and the Deaf Old Lady had spent over ten years building with all their heart and soul.

In the past, Yi Zhonghai was a local emperor in the Siheyuan, able to cover the sky with one hand;

The Deaf Old Lady was the one holding the fort for Yi Zhonghai, equivalent to ruling from behind the curtain. Everyone in the Siheyuan had to show her immense respect; even if it was faked, it had to be faked.

Now, this excellent situation was gone, and the Deaf Old Lady was also very angry. However, the Deaf Old Lady was a sensible person who understood the principle that favors are used up the more they are spent, so she dared not and was unwilling to urge Factory Director Yang.

"How much longer must they investigate?" Yi Zhonghai said, slamming his fist against the edge of the bed.

"Xiao Yi, I know you are anxious, but don't be anxious yet. At a time like this, you must not be anxious, lest you lose your footing. You are anxious, but Factory Director Yang is even more anxious than you."

"We are only suffering damage to our personal reputations, but Factory Director Yang is worried about the factory's reputation. Not only is Factory Director Yang worried, but all the leaders in the factory will be worried, so they will definitely go all out and won't be perfunctory."

"This is the same logic as everyone in our Siheyuan working together to maintain the reputation of a Civilized and Advanced Siheyuan," the Deaf Old Lady said.

Yi Zhonghai suddenly realized that Factory Director Yang and the leaders must be even more anxious than he was, and would do their utmost to investigate this matter and protect the factory's reputation.

In the end, it was still about protecting their own interests.

If the Rolling Mill's reputation stinks, how could the factory leaders fare any better?

"Wait, we can only wait now. And take this time to recover from your injuries, then think carefully about how to turn Zhuzi back into Foolish Zhuzi," the Deaf Old Lady said. Yi Zhonghai nodded.

After the Deaf Old Lady's persuasion, Yi Zhonghai's mood improved a lot. Once the burden in his heart lightened, Yi Zhonghai fell into a deep sleep.

"Let's go, go to my room. Xiao Yi has been physically and mentally exhausted during this time, so let him have a good sleep," the Deaf Old Lady said, then had Yi Dama help her back to her own room.

After He Yuzhu and Liu Lan left the guesthouse, Liu Lan couldn't help but ask: "Zhuzi, does Yi Zhonghai really have an affair with Qin Huairu? Is Jia Dongxu's child really Yi Zhonghai's? And Liu Haizhong, is his child also Yi Zhonghai's?"

"Liu Haizhong's child is definitely not. You haven't seen Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu; those two poor kids are clearly Liu Haizhong's seed at a glance, they look just like him."

"As for Jia Dongxu's child, Bang Geng, it's hard to say. Judging by his appearance, Bang Geng looks neither like Jia Dongxu nor Qin Huairu, but he looks quite like Yi Zhonghai."

"As the saying goes, 'Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son digs holes.' In terms of this saying, Bang Geng looks even more like Yi Zhonghai. Both of them have curly hair, while Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu both have straight hair, and even Jia Zhangshi and Lao Jia have straight hair."

"Looking at the timeline, it's also hard to say. Bang Geng was a premature baby, yet this premature baby was full-weight. If we push back eight or nine months, I vaguely remember that at that time, the Rolling Mill seemed to have sent people to support rural construction, and Yi Zhonghai went too. The place he went to is also very interesting—it was exactly Qin Family Village," He Yuzhu said meaningfully.

Liu Lan's eyes grew brighter and brighter; she couldn't wait to find her little sisters to share this news.

"Liu Lan, you'd better be steady lately. The factory is investigating the booklet matter, so don't run into the muzzle of a gun." Although He Yuzhu hoped Liu Lan would spread this, he didn't want her to be implicated, so he specifically warned her.

"Don't worry, I won't spread it randomly," Liu Lan said, her eyes rolling constantly.

"Liu Lan, I'm not fear-mongering to scare you, but if you spread it randomly, something will really happen. If—and I mean if—Bang Geng is really Yi Zhonghai's child, then Jia Dongxu's death is suspicious."

"Think about it, the hardest person to guard against in this world is the one sleeping beside you. This applies to women, and it also applies to men. What if Jia Dongxu discovered something was wrong and was silenced by Yi Zhonghai?"

"As an outsider, I can think of the fact that Yi Zhonghai and Bang Geng both have curly hair just by recalling it carefully; couldn't Jia Dongxu think of it? Even if Jia Dongxu couldn't think of it, one must fear the 'what if.' What if Jia Dongxu thought of it because of some small matter?"

"The water here is very deep; you can't handle it," He Yuzhu said.

Liu Lan wasn't involved with Li Huaide yet. If they were involved, He Yuzhu naturally wouldn't worry about Liu Lan, as Li Huaide would cover for everything.

Since they weren't involved, Li Huaide naturally wouldn't cover for Liu Lan.

He Yuzhu knew that the moment Liu Lan asked that question after leaving the guesthouse, she was prepared to spread the rumors about Yi Zhonghai. She couldn't help but spread them; it was her nature.

He Yuzhu only hoped Liu Lan would be smarter and not let anyone catch her tail, thereby bringing disaster upon herself.

"It's fine! There are plenty of people in our factory who wag their tongues, and no one has ever been punished for this kind of thing," Liu Lan said dismissively.

He Yuzhu thought about it and realized it was true. As long as Liu Lan was a little smarter and didn't speak in a tone of certainty, but rather used reasoning and an ambiguous tone, nothing would happen.

"By the way, Liu Lan, is there enough food at home?" He Yuzhu asked on a whim.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 49 =====