Chapter 38: Qin Huairu is Pregnant (Part 1)

On the other side, that dark shadow who had snatched the vegetable leaves snuck back to the Front Courtyard, ripped the rag off his face, and panted, "Luckily, the vegetable leaves were salvaged today. I didn't expect to take such a huge risk; otherwise, I, your Third Uncle, would have been disgraced tomorrow..."

"That brat Bang Geng is the same; I don't know who he learned to bite people from, it really hurts!"

Third Uncle Yan Bugui clutched his lower leg, limping his way home in the dark. With five or six people in the family, a basket of rotten vegetable leaves this size would last at most a day or two before running out.

When that time comes, he might have to go look in front of Zhao Gangzi and the others. After all, this is scavenging, not stealing, nor is it any illegal or criminal act.

Waiting until the next morning.

Yan Bugui was limping toward the Middle Courtyard to use the toilet when he happened to be seen by Zhao Gangzi, who was sitting in front of his door drying cured meat. He hurriedly joked with a smile, "Isn't this Third Uncle? What's wrong with this leg? Why are you walking with a limp?"

"Sigh, it's nothing major. I was bitten by a green-haired dog last night," Yan Bugui said with a forced smile.

At the same time, his eyes stared straight at the strings of cured meat beside Zhao Gangzi. Looking at the entire Siheyuan, perhaps only Zhao Gangzi's family had this kind of economic condition.

The saliva in his mouth could barely be contained. He still remembered the last time he ate this stuff; that was when he was hosting guests for his own wedding.

Ever since these few children were born, let alone this cured meat, he couldn't even manage to eat a few chicken butts.

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, Qin Huairu returned from outside leading Bang Geng. Looking at the house she originally lived in, Qin Huairu felt a bitter taste in her heart.

She only hated herself for marrying the wrong person. If she had known earlier that Zhao Gangzi's madness could be cured, it would have been better to marry him back then.

Otherwise, she could be eating well and living comfortably now; where would she need to go to someone's doorstep in the middle of the night to pick up rotten vegetable leaves?

"Third Uncle, look, does this look like the green-haired dog you mentioned?"

Zhao Gangzi couldn't help but laugh, pointing at Bang Geng, whom Qin Huairu was leading beside her.

At this moment, Bang Geng was still wearing that green coat, half his face was covered with white gauze, and there were even bloodstains oozing from his mouth.

They didn't dare go to the Hospital for this minor ailment; after all, the costs at the Hospital were too expensive. Qin Huairu took him to a small clinic, but it still cost more than one yuan and fifty cents.

And as soon as Bang Geng saw Third Uncle, he immediately started baring his teeth and snarling. Smelling this scent, it was especially like the person who kicked him last night.

Yan Bugui didn't dare expose the matter, so he had to smile awkwardly: "What kind of joke is that? Look at how cute Bang Geng is; he really looks like Dongxu when he was a child."

And Qin Huairu seemed to have recognized him too.

That guy from yesterday seemed to be this old dog.

However, she didn't say much, just dragged Bang Geng home directly. As she left, she didn't forget to take one more look at her original house.

She didn't know if there would be a chance to move back in this lifetime.

Moreover, from this day on, Zhao Gangzi no longer threw rotten vegetable leaves outside. Firstly, it was to prevent these people from affecting his sleep, and secondly, he was afraid of others gossiping about him wasting food or something.

Just that cellar full of Chinese cabbage didn't know how many people's eyes it had made red with envy; the Hatred Value kept climbing up and up.

There was even Hatred Value from the neighboring Siheyuan.

A few more days passed. The wages at the Rolling Mill wouldn't be paid for another half a month, and the Jia Family already had no food reserves left.

They didn't even have rotten vegetable leaves to eat. Every day it was just those few rotten bones boiled in water, which even made Jia Dongxu unable to help but chew them to pieces and eat them.

At this time, everyone was living very difficultly; everyone was tightening their belts to get by. Even when First Uncle stepped forward, no one was willing to take things to help the Jia Family.

"Sister Qin, my younger sister is coming home in a few days. Take this half bag of cornmeal!"

In the middle of the night, at the entrance of the Jia Family in the Back Courtyard, Shazhu handed half a bag of cornmeal to Qin Huairu.

Ever since he was reported for bringing food back last time, he had to be searched every time he walked out of the Rolling Mill gate. However, for the sake of the Sister Qin he kept in his heart, he still squeezed out half a bag of flour from his own mouth.

Looking at this half bag of flour, Qin Huairu was truly moved. With teary eyes, she looked at the Shazhu in front of her and said:

"Thank you so much, Pillar. You really are a good person. If there is a next life, I will definitely find someone like you!"

Hearing this, Shazhu almost soared into the sky.

He just loved this feeling; after doing so much, he had finally received a reward.

It seems there is a chance to be the successor for Qin Huairu in the future!

Even after Qin Huairu finished speaking and turned to leave, this idiot was still standing on the spot, secretly savoring it.

After Shazhu left, the Jia Family's door was knocked on again. This time it wasn't Shazhu, but First Uncle Yi Zhonghai.

During this period, besides the half bag of cornmeal from Shazhu, the one who helped the most was First Uncle Yi Zhonghai. He would send some rice, flour, or Chinese cabbage to Qin Huairu whenever he had the chance.

It was just that the time chosen was very eerie; he always came to deliver in the middle of the night, terrified of letting others know.

"Bang Geng's mother, your family hasn't had it easy lately. We still have some things in our cellar, and the two of us old folks can't finish it all."

"It just so happens I have time now; come with me to get some now."

Yi Zhonghai walked with his hands behind his back. If one were to talk about manipulating women, it still had to be First Uncle. Compared to his godfather Yi Zhonghai, Shazhu was still far too inferior.

Shazhu spent all day fawning over Qin Huairu, yet in her heart, he didn't even count as a backup option.

While Old Yi occasionally helped with some things, he was already regarded by Qin Huairu as a great benefactor, and she had even developed an extremely strong dependency.

It could be said that now, in Qin Huairu's heart, as long as Yi Zhonghai didn't fall for a day, the few people in their Jia Family wouldn't starve to death.

It was also thanks to Jia Zhangshi still being in prison; otherwise, this little bit of relief wouldn't be enough for her to eat alone.

"Thank you so much, First Uncle. You are our family's savior. Your great kindness and virtue are impossible to repay!"

As she spoke, Qin Huairu's tears fell.

Yi Zhonghai couldn't stand this the most; he couldn't help but shiver, and hurriedly gestured for her to walk toward his cellar.

And this scene was exactly seen by Zhao Gangzi, who was using the toilet in the middle of the night. It couldn't be called a coincidence, but rather that there was an arrangement in the dark.

It was just that coincidental; he encountered everything.

"Yi Zhonghai, this old guy, is going to give away vegetables again? He always picks this middle-of-the-night time. I wonder if First Aunt knows," Zhao Gangzi felt a bit of injustice for First Aunt.

In this courtyard, the only one who still had a bit of conscience was First Aunt, but it was a pity she didn't marry the right person and still didn't have a child to this day.

The reason Zhao Gangzi could see it was because the cellar of Yi Zhonghai's family was built in the Middle Courtyard, and it wasn't far from the toilet. Following the moonlight, one could see it clearly.

Vaguely, he could see two figures in the cellar constantly swaying. He didn't know if they were moving Chinese cabbage or doing other things.

It was also possible that the Chinese cabbage was piled on the ground and they had to squat to pick it up.

However, Zhao Gangzi didn't have the leisure to watch this kind of thing. It was just moving Chinese cabbage; it wasn't some exciting scene of romance, so he really had no energy to pay attention.

Soon, about two or three minutes later, Qin Huairu left with two heads of Chinese cabbage in her arms...