Chapter 1265: Toad

Nanluoguxiang

Song Yuzhu couldn't wait to change into her new clothes: black trousers, a blue cardigan sweater, and brand-new little leather shoes. She flew back and forth happily like a lark: "Brother-in-law, Sister, do I look good!"

Cao Weiguo smiled and said: "Good, it fits quite well, you have good taste."

Song Yulan poked Song Yuzhu on the forehead: "Alright, stop being so vain. You've been spinning around until I'm dizzy."

Song Yuzhu pouted: "Sister, I have new clothes and new shoes, can't you let me be a little happy?"

Song Yulan: "Can happiness be eaten as a meal? It's already high noon, aren't you hungry?"

Song Yuzhu: "Sister, it's all your fault. Brother-in-law said he'd take us out to eat, but you insisted on coming back to eat."

Song Yulan scolded: "Doesn't eating out cost money? Do you know how much white flour and how many eggs you could buy with the cost of one meal out? Look at you, you don't even have a job yet, but you're so spendthrift. I don't know who you take after."

Cao Weiguo smiled and said: "Alright, Yuzhu is still young. Besides, I was the one who suggested eating out, so why are you scolding Yuzhu?"

"You just spoil her!"

Song Yulan glared at Cao Weiguo with annoyance: "Wait until she gets married in the future, see who will spoil her then."

Cao Weiguo smiled and said: "Yuzhu is so pretty and diligent, she won't have to worry about finding a good man."

Song Yuzhu said happily: "Brother-in-law, when I look for a partner in the future, I'll look for someone like you—capable, family-oriented, and with a great temper. Everyone in the village says my sister married well."

Cao Weiguo raised his head proudly: "Good men like me aren't easy to find, you'd better keep your eyes peeled."

Song Yulan said with annoyance: "The nerve of you, you start puffing up the moment you're praised. You watch the child, I'm going to cook."

Cao Weiguo held his chubby son and said with a grin: "Son, tell me, is your old man a peerless good man?"

Song Yuzhu also wanted to tease little Ping'an, but was forcibly pulled away by Song Yulan.

"Sister! Wait for me to change my clothes, these are new clothes, don't get them dirty."

"You're the one with all the fuss, changing clothes eight times a day."

"Where did I change that many times!"

"Hurry up and change, then come help me pick the vegetables."

"Sister! You only know how to boss me around, you don't love me at all. I'm going to tell Brother-in-law you're bullying me."

"Go ahead and tell him, see if he backs you up."

"Sister! You're bullying me!"

"I am bullying you, hurry up and change your clothes then come over to help me cook!"

"What are we having for lunch?"

"Shiitake mushrooms with bok choy, and stir-fried tomatoes with eggs."

"Can't we stir-fry a meat dish?"

"Meat, meat, meat! Look at how many pounds you've gained!"

"Where am I fat? Brother-in-law even said I was thin yesterday and told me to eat more."

"You believe his nonsense too? If you listen to him, you'll be a big fatty sooner or later, and you won't be able to get married when the time comes."

"I don't believe it! You're lying! Brother-in-law loves me the most! I only believe Brother-in-law! I want to eat meat!"

"I didn't buy meat today, if you want meat, go ask your brother-in-law... why are you so greedy!"

Listening to his wife and sister-in-law bickering, Cao Weiguo smiled foolishly and picked up a rattle-drum to play with his son.

Little Ping'an lay on the bed, giggling as he reached out to grab the rattle-drum.

Red Star Sihe Academy

Out of a desire for revenge, Yan Jiecheng spread the news that Shazhu had taken a fancy to Cao Weiguo's sister-in-law, making sure everyone in the courtyard knew so they could laugh at him. Shazhu was so embarrassed he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground, and he wanted nothing more than to hammer Yan Jiecheng, that blabbermouth, flat, roll him into a ball, and throw him into a cesspit.

When Qin Huairu heard that Shazhu had taken a fancy to Cao Weiguo's sister-in-law, she felt very uncomfortable and unhappy. The feeling was as if the dog she had raised had run off with someone else; she felt betrayed.

Jia Zhangshi mocked: "Shazhu is blind too, actually taking a fancy to a dark and thin stick of a girl. In my opinion, he might as well gouge those eyeballs out and step on them like bubbles."

The Third Uncle said in the alley: "This Shazhu is ugly, but his thoughts are quite beautiful. He doesn't even look at what kind of goods he is. A disgraceful thing, he's truly a toad jumping into a scale pan, not knowing how much he weighs."

Shazhu had called him a 'human abacus' in public, which made the Third Uncle harbor a grudge; naturally, he found Shazhu an eyesore in every possible way.

The residents also chimed in one after another, criticizing Shazhu in a cacophony of voices.

Stealing things, hitting people, having an affair with a widow... they poured it all out at once.

It was fortunate that Shazhu was cooking in the Deaf Old Lady's room; if he had heard this, it would have turned the world upside down.

Yi Zhonghai and the First Aunt heard about it and sat in their room discussing it.

The First Aunt was kind-hearted: "Old Yi, this Shazhu isn't young anymore, he should have married a wife long ago. Why don't we arrange something for him? We can't just let him stay single forever."

The First Aunt had no children, and Yi Zhonghai relied on Shazhu for his old age; she naturally treated Shazhu like an adopted son and cared for him from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing Shazhu getting older and still living all by himself, she couldn't bear it in her heart.

Yi Zhonghai pulled a long face and said: "You think I haven't arranged anything for him? I've introduced so many partners to him, all with good conditions. Take Liu Chen's daughter, Liu Yuhua, from our factory's workshop—city household registration, a formal job, knows how to manage a household. What great conditions! You couldn't find a better girl even if you searched with a lantern. But this Shazhu actually dislikes her for being fat, calling her the Second Aunt of Zhu Bajie. You tell me, does this Shazhu have any sense?"

The First Aunt said: "Men, they all like those who are good-looking. This Zhuzi is a man too."

Yi Zhonghai pulled a long face: "Can being good-looking be eaten as a meal? Marrying a wife is for living a life. This brat Shazhu is going to be the death of me."

Yi Zhonghai was criticizing Shazhu, but in reality, he didn't want to arrange partners for Shazhu, didn't want Shazhu to get married, or rather, didn't want Shazhu to marry any woman other than Qin Huairu.

He was currently working on Qin Huairu, hoping she would agree to him.

When the time came for Shazhu and Qin Huairu to live together, what a great thing that would be.

Qin Huairu had looks, was someone he knew inside and out, was diligent and filial, had experience, and knew how to care for people—wasn't she better than women from the outside?

This Shazhu wasn't putting enough effort into Qin Huairu, instead being fickle all day long. A disappointing thing, he needed to be taught a lesson.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Yi Zhonghai got up and headed straight for the Deaf Old Lady's room to give Shazhu some ideological guidance.

"Zhuzi! I heard in the courtyard that you've taken a fancy to Cao Weiguo's sister-in-law?"

"Have you eaten too much lard? Has lard blinded your heart?"

"What kind of person is Cao Weiguo? He's a profit-seeking, selfish, sinister, and despicable villain. As the saying goes, people of the same family don't enter the same door. Cao Weiguo is so bad, what kind of good person could his sister-in-law be? You mustn't be foolish."

"Besides, Cao Weiguo's sister-in-law is still young, and she has a city household registration but no job... And you? You're simple, kind, and capable. You should marry a woman who is filial, kind-hearted, and knows how to manage a household. I've mentioned it to you before, you and Huairu..."

Shazhu lowered his head shyly: "First Uncle, Qin Jie is quite good, but, but Qin Jie's mother-in-law, that Jia Zhangshi..."

Yi Zhonghai: "Jia Zhangshi? As long as you and Huairu have the heart, I'll help you deal with Jia Zhangshi."

Shazhu: "Really? Then First Uncle, please put in the effort." ===== CHAPTER 1267 =====