Chapter 316: An Uninvited Guest

Inside the Jia family home, Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu sat facing each other on the edge of the kang, counting on their fingers the relatives coming from their hometown to attend the wedding.

The more Jia Dongxu calculated, the more panicked he became, and he couldn't help but say, "Mother, between my uncle's family and my father's side of the relatives, there are over twenty people in total. Plus the people from the factory and the courtyard, you've only prepared ten jin of meat and that little bit of frozen tofu—how could that possibly be enough to eat?"

Jia Zhangshi sighed heavily: "I would like to put on eight dishes and eight bowls, something decent, but where is there any spare money left in the house?"

Jia Dongxu said with some hesitation: "My father's pension..."

"How many years has it been since your father passed?" Jia Zhangshi became angry as soon as she heard this. "That bit of money was spent on household expenses years ago!"

Although Jia Dongxu didn't believe it, he couldn't argue: "Yingzi said that she would let the people in the courtyard choose; they can go to whichever side they want to eat."

Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up: "That's perfect! Why don't we just have our relatives go to their side to eat the wedding feast!"

Jia Dongxu was stunned: "Mother, what are you saying? When our family is taking in a bride, how can we go to the groom's side to eat the feast?"

Jia Zhangshi curled her lips, then asked reluctantly: "Then how many tables is her family planning to set?"

"Yingzi said about thirty tables."

"What? How can her family be so extravagant?" Jia Zhangshi was shocked.

"It's the money from her godfather," Jia Dongxu explained. "I heard her father also asked He Yuzhu to help organize it, and the banquet will be held in the East Cross Courtyard."

"Something's not right... this whole thing is not right!" Jia Zhangshi grabbed her son's sleeve. "When we asked the He family for help, they wouldn't help us. The Zhao family has only been here for a year at most, why is the He family so enthusiastic?"

Jia Dongxu was taken aback by the question and said offhandedly: "Zhao Yingzi is quite good at handling things; it seems she gets along well with He Daqing's wife. I guess she's the one who promised it."

"I suddenly feel uneasy about this... tell me, could it be that there is something... unclear between Zhao Yingzi and He Yuzhu?"

"Mother! What are you saying!" Jia Dongxu became anxious as soon as he heard this. "How many days has He Yuzhu been back? He and Yingzi haven't even met a few times!"

In a rural courtyard in Nancheng, there were over thirty rooms including the main rooms and side rooms.

Every room was burning a charcoal brazier, and the warm air was filled with a strange, cloying sweetness.

Those smoking opium lay lazily on the kang, and as they puffed away, their eyes were all unfocused, their faces wearing expressions of drunken dreams and death.

Zhao Si knocked on the gate, and the gatekeeper, seeing it was him, asked familiarly: "Fourth Master, how much are you taking this time?"

"Two liang of top-grade Foreign Paste," Zhao Si handed over the money and asked in passing, "Is Master Li in?"

"He is, I'll go invite him now."

Before long, Li Hua paced out: "Fourth Master, what wind blew you here? Is something the matter?"

Zhao Si piled on a smile: "My daughter, who is also Hu Ye's goddaughter, is getting married on the third day of the lunar new year. I've come specifically to ask if Master Li could do us the honor of showing up to support the event?"

Li Hua pondered for a moment and declined: "I will send a gift of fifty thousand; you take it back, consider it my small gesture. As for me, I won't go join the bustle."

Zhao Si was prepared and lowered his voice: "Master Li, there are a few big clients at the banquet who used to operate in Tianjin and have now come to Beijing. Hu Ye's intention is to have you meet them..."

Upon hearing this, Li Hua's attitude changed instantly: "Good! Then I will definitely be there on the third. What is the address?"

"Nanluoguxiang No. 95 Courtyard."

Hearing this address, Li Hua's eyes flickered imperceptibly: "Rest assured, I will definitely be there."

As soon as Zhao Si left, Li Hua's expression darkened, and he immediately whispered to his subordinate beside him: "Quick, go send a message to Officer You and tell him to come over immediately!"

Officer You pushed the door open and entered, asking straight to the point: "Why did you call me over so urgently? What happened?"

Li Hua hurriedly stood up and said: "Officer, Zhao Si from Nanluoguxiang No. 95 Courtyard came to see me today—the one who often gets goods from me. He said his daughter is getting married on the third and invited me to the wedding feast."

Officer You frowned: "What's the problem with that?"

"Have you forgotten about the matter of Kuang Jiaming?" Li Hua leaned in closer. "The one who went to watch the 95 Courtyard and suddenly disappeared. I suspect he might have been caught and confessed my name. Now that Zhao Si has suddenly come to invite me, it might be a trap set by He Yuzhu, just waiting to catch me at the wedding banquet."

Officer You pondered for a moment and said: "That is possible. If so, we might as well use their own strategy against them..."

"Absolutely not! That is clearly a dragon's pool and a tiger's den; if I go, I fear it will be more ominous than auspicious," Li Hua said urgently.

"But if you don't go, when will we find an opportunity to eliminate He Yuzhu?" Officer You's gaze was as sharp as a knife.

On the third day of the first lunar month, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the Siheyuan had already woken up.

He Yuzhu had been hosting guests for the past two days and was so tired his whole body felt weak. He had wanted to sleep in this morning, but who knew his door would be pounded with a "bang bang." Dazed, he threw on his pajamas and pulled open the door, only to be stunned—Zhao Yingzi was standing outside the door in a bright red wedding dress.

"You've got the wrong door, bride? This isn't your bridal chamber," He Yuzhu muttered, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Damn you! I've handled everything you asked me to do, and Li Hua will definitely arrive today. And you? You haven't even started the stove yet?" Zhao Yingzi scolded urgently.

"You didn't say you wanted me to handle breakfast?" He Yuzhu looked innocent.

"Not breakfast, the main banquet at noon! If you don't prepare anything now, how will you have time?"

"Don't worry, I've already made it into pre-prepared dishes; I just need to heat them up to serve."

"Don't give me that stuff I don't understand!" Zhao Yingzi was truly anxious and stamped her feet, ready to rush into the kitchen.

"It just means I made the dishes ahead of time and froze them; I just need to steam them after thawing. I'll just stir-fry a few dishes right before the banquet starts! You're a bride, why are you worrying about this instead of getting yourself properly dressed and made up?"

Zhao Yingzi calmed down a bit, her tone softening: "I'm sorry, I was too anxious. But my father and those people from the Jia family are all the type who can't even let out a fart after three strikes; if I don't worry, who will?"

"Go back. I'll get up at nine; I won't mess up your affairs."

"No! I have to see you start working with my own eyes to feel at ease!" Zhao Yingzi blocked the doorway stubbornly.

"I have to say, with your personality, you really might be able to get the Jia family going."

Zhao Yingzi left in a flurry.

Yi Zhonghai paced over with his hands behind his back: "Zhuzi, you wouldn't agree to help the Dongxu family, so why did you agree to help Zhao Si?"

"Isn't it just because Jia Zhangshi has a good temper and is easy to bully!" He Yuzhu replied, raising an eyebrow.

Yi Zhonghai gave a bitter smile: "Then the wedding gift... which side are you giving it to?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed: "Dongxu hasn't had it easy. If your family is giving a gift to the Zhao family, I reckon most of the families in the courtyard will follow suit and give their gifts to the Zhao family. How will that make the Jia family's relatives feel?"

"Be content. They dared to hold a wedding after only buying ten jin of meat? If the whole courtyard went to their house, they'd be cursed to death."

Seeing he couldn't persuade him, Yi Zhonghai changed the subject: "What dishes are you preparing on your side?"

"Boiled Fish, Kung Pao Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms, Steamed Pork with Preserved Vegetables, Sweet and Sour Crispy Pork, Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce, Four Joy Meatballs, Fried Tofu, Crispy Meatballs, Stir-fried Liver Tips, Boiled Tripe, Vinegar-dressed Cabbage, Stewed Mutton with Radish, Pickled Cabbage with Pork..."

Before He Yuzhu could finish listing them, Yi Zhonghai had already flicked his sleeves in anger and left.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Yan Bugui and Qin Huairu each set up a table and held brushes to record the gifts.

Qin Huairu was helping Zhao Yingzi record them.

Yan Bugui drew out his voice to announce the gifts:

"The Yi family—fifty thousand!"

"The Liu family—fifty thousand!"

After that, no one else came to his table.

Qin Huairu imitated him and raised her voice: "Hu Yunbin—five million!"

"Li Hua—fifty thousand!"

"Xu Damao—fifty thousand!"

"Cui Dazhi—fifty thousand!"

"Wang Hua—fifty thousand!"

As each voice fell, the courtyard entrance suddenly fell into silence; even the running and playing children stopped and looked in unison at Hu Yunbin and his group.

This was too extravagant; this group of people started their offerings at fifty thousand.

Yan Jiecheng ran all the way into Jia Dongxu's room: "Brother Dongxu, your family has struck it rich!"

"What are you talking about?" Jia Dongxu was baffled.

"Someone on your wife's side gave a gift of five million, and everyone else gave fifty thousand!"

Jia Dongxu was also stunned: "Really?"

"Of course!" Yan Jiecheng said.

He Yushui also ran panting to He Yuzhu: "Brother, someone gave a gift of five million! And there are many others giving fifty thousand. How are these people so rich?"

He Yuzhu knew the uninvited guests had arrived, and he said sternly: "Yushui, what did I tell you yesterday? You are not allowed to leave the East Cross Courtyard, do you hear me?"

He Yushui pursed her lips: "Then you have to give me something good to eat first."

"Fine."

He Yuzhu turned his head to instruct Tian Dan, who was dressed as a chef: "Sister, you all help me watch this place; quite a few people are coming, I'm going out to take a look around."

Tian Dan said in a low voice: "How about I go instead?"

"You can't handle so many people. I'll take a lap and be right back; you help me keep a close eye on Yushui."

After saying this, He Yuzhu flipped over and nimbly climbed out over the courtyard wall.

He activated the Scanning Function and took a look; there were actually more than twenty strange figures around the courtyard, each carrying weapons, and there were even snipers on the rooftops in the distance.