Chapter 14: Yi Zhonghai's Selfishness

"Zhuzi, a person shouldn't be too selfish; other families just set up a shed outside to cook, you used to cook like that before, didn't you? It's a waste to use a good house for cooking. Just help your brother Dongxu's family; they won't forget your kindness." Yi Zhonghai continued to morally blackmail He Yuzhu.

"Elder Uncle, Zhuzi is also seventeen this year; in two or three years he should be looking for a partner to get married, and when he has children, where will you let his child live?" Li Qiang asked Yi Zhonghai.

"There are still several years left; we'll talk about it then." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand indifferently.

"Why go through all this trouble moving back and forth? You and Elder Aunt live in two rooms, your family has no kids and Dongxu is your apprentice; you might as well swap houses with them. Everyone knows you plan to let Dongxu support you in your old age—you don't want to contribute anything, you just take advantage of others' generosity to fulfill your own wishes. Where in the world is there such a good deal?" Li Qiang directly exposed Yi Zhonghai's little scheme.

"Li Qiang, don't speak nonsense; how could I possibly want Dongxu to support me in my old age?" Yi Zhonghai, hearing Li Qiang say that, also got angry. Letting He Yuzhu lend a room to the Jia family poses no problem at all—it doesn't concern me, and if it works out, I not only suffer no loss but the Jia family will still remember my kindness. But if I were to let him swap houses with the Jia family, that's impossible; therefore Yi Zhonghai is a complete hypocrite.

"Alright, Yi Zhonghai, your little thoughts can't be hidden from people; you think everyone in the siheyuan is stupid and can't see your little thoughts, but they just don't want to say it out loud." Li Qiang gave Yi Zhonghai no face at all, directly pulling off his fig leaf.

"You're just being unreasonable; I won't stoop to your level." After saying that, Yi Zhonghai flicked his sleeves and left He Yuzhu's house. He could only take this chance to escape; if Jia Zhangshi really wanted to swap houses with him, he wouldn't want to end up gaining nothing while losing something—like trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to bait it.

"Old Yi, I think Li Qiang makes sense; anyway, you two just live in two rooms, which is indeed a bit wasteful. Let's swap houses, our two families." Jia Zhangshi also realized this and chased after Yi Zhonghai, shouting.

Upon hearing Jia Zhangshi say that, Yi Zhonghai quickened his steps, not daring to look back or make a sound.

"Dongxu, I think the Li family kid makes sense; Yi Zhonghai and his wife only need one room, and since he wants you to support him in his old age, he should contribute something for you. Empty talk won't do—just saying nice things while unwilling to give anything, yet expecting you to support him in his old age. Where in the world is there such a good deal? Even if he had a son, he'd have to prepare a house for him and spend money to get him a wife. Now he doesn't want to do anything, just wants to enjoy the ready-made benefits—where could there be so many good things?" Jia Zhangshi returned home and, the more she thought about it, the more she felt Li Qiang was right.

"Mom, just say a couple less." Although Dongxu also thought Li Qiang made sense, he couldn't now make things too ugly with Yi Zhonghai, since at the Yagangchang he still relied on Yi Zhonghai to teach him technique.

"Anyway, once Huairu gives birth, Yi Zhonghai must find us a room to live in; otherwise I'll just stay at their place and refuse to leave." Jia Zhangshi had Yi Zhonghai figured out.

"What's wrong with you?" Elder Aunt saw Yi Zhonghai return angry and asked kindly.

"It's not because of Zhuzi and Li Qiang—Zhuzi's side clearly has an empty room, yet he refuses to lend it to the Jia family, and Li Qiang is beside him fanning the flames." Yi Zhonghai said through gritted teeth.

"Don't blame Zhuzi for not lending; think about it—how little has the Jia family borrowed over the years in this courtyard? And when have you ever seen them return anything? Besides, the Zhuzi siblings have it hard enough; not helping would be one thing, but you're making him lend his house to the Jia family—isn't that bullying those two kids? If word gets out, how will people view you?" Elder Aunt also felt Yi Zhonghai was too partial toward the Jia family.

"What do you know? Neighbors should help each other; people shouldn't be too selfish." Yi Zhonghai still insisted he was right.

"You just think Zhuzi is easy to bully—Li Qiang alone still lives in three rooms, and now he's built two more; why don't you let Li Qiang lend his house to the Jia family?" Elder Aunt retorted.

"What side are you on, anyway?" Yi Zhonghai, unable to rebut Elder Aunt's words, indeed was a bit bullying He Yuzhu, thinking that since they had no adults, just two kids were easy for him to push around; having him ask Li Qiang to borrow a room, he wouldn't dare open his mouth even if he had the courage.

"I stand on the side of fairness; no matter what, as soon as it involves the Jia family, you lose your principles." Elder Aunt said.

"Do you think I want that? If you could give me a son and a daughter, would I need to favor the Jia family so much? I'm not doing this for our future considerations." Yi Zhonghai said angrily. In fact, this remark hurt Elder Aunt the most—she labors tirelessly to keep this household running; even if Yi Zhonghai said he would take care of the deaf old lady, Elder Aunt wouldn't object and would still help wash the deaf old lady's clothes. Who would want to look after someone totally unrelated to themselves? Elder Aunt just feels she hasn't borne a child for the Yi family, feels indebted to them, and that's why she does all this to compensate Yi Zhonghai—but Yi Zhonghai simply doesn't understand any of this.

"Why don't we adopt a child? We're not that old; after adopting and raising one to adulthood, we'd still be only in our fifties or sixties." Elder Aunt said.

"Let's talk about that later." Yi Zhonghai really didn't want to go through with adoption. Adopting a child would require so much effort; besides, if after adoption the child grew up unfilial, where would he even cry? For now, as long as he regularly helps the Jia family, making them dependent on him is enough—Dongxu is already in his twenties, and I know his character well. That's also why Yi Zhonghai would rather have Dongxu support him in his old age than go through adoption.

Actually, he doesn't think about it either—with Jia Zhangshi around, what basis do people have to just support him in his old age? Is it just because he says nice things once in a while or occasionally gives some cornmeal? They say gratitude outweighs the debt of birth; if Yi Zhonghai really adopted a young child, with Aunt educating him, the child would surely turn out fine—Yi Zhonghai just wants to enjoy the ready-made benefits, so he's an envious, selfish person.

"Xiao Yi, how can you say that about your wife? Do you think she doesn't want to have a child?" The deaf old lady happened to come to Yi Zhonghai's house; hearing him say that, she immediately spoke up for Elder Aunt.

"Old lady, how did you come here? I wasn't just rambling on to this point, was I?" Yi Zhonghai immediately changed his expression, smiling as he spoke to the deaf old lady.

"You can't say that either—have you thought about how hurt your wife would feel inside?" The deaf old lady glared at Yi Zhonghai and said, usually it's Elder Aunt who takes care of her, so the deaf old lady would certainly favor Elder Aunt, expecting Yi Zhonghai to look after her; she'd probably starve to death, while Yi Zhonghai lives a life of having clothes handed to him and food brought to his mouth—he can't even take care of himself, let alone expect him to look after her, and the deaf old lady is well aware of that.

"Old lady, I was wrong; I will absolutely never say that again." Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.

"Watch your speech from now on; you still haven't told me what you two were arguing about." The deaf old lady asked Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to tell the deaf old lady the whole story of the Jia family asking He Yuzhu to borrow a room.

"Xiao Yi, it's not that I'm saying you—Zhuzi is honest, but being honest doesn't mean he's stupid; you're clearly bullying Zhuzi, aren't you?" The deaf old lady pointed at Yi Zhonghai and said.

"Old lady, I was just thinking that Zhuzi's house being empty is still empty; lending it to the Jia family isn't that helping them get through a tough spot?" Yi Zhonghai was still there making excuses for the Jia family.

"What kind of character does the Jia family have that you don't know? It's a house, not pots and pans—you let Zhuzi lend his house to the Jia family; what if they don't return it later, then what will you do to Zhuzi?"

"How could I possibly make him return it?" Yi Zhonghai said; as long as He Yuzhu lends the room to the Jia family, that's enough—whether the Jia family returns it or not is none of my business, and having me repay them for the Jia family? Yi Zhonghai isn't that stupid; he knows exactly what kind of person Jia Zhangshi is.

"That's exactly it, Xiao Yi—you've changed, you can't tell right from wrong anymore." The deaf old lady shook her head and said.