Chapter 164: Paintings and siblings

Sihe Academy.

After dinner, He He Yushui followed Song Song Yulan to learn how to use the sewing machine.

Cao Cao Weiguo was preparing to go to the study when he ran into Xu Xu Damao just outside.

Xu Xu Damao said unhappily: "Cao Weiguo, why did you help that dog Seeing Shazhu? He should have been locked up for ten days or half a month."

Hearing that Seeing Shazhu had been released, Xu Xu Damao was very disappointed.

After asking around, he realized that Cao Cao Weiguo had been involved.

Cao Cao Weiguo denied it flatly: "Don't talk nonsense. Whether Seeing Shazhu is released or not is the factory leaders' decision; it has nothing to do with me."

Deputy Factory Director Li was using Seeing Shazhu to strike at Factory Director Yang.

He didn't want to be pushed out to take the bullet for Factory Director Yang.

Xu Xu Damao snorted: "Keep pretending. You definitely played a part in getting Seeing Shazhu out."

Cao Cao Weiguo said with a serious expression: "Brother Xu, you must not talk nonsense about this. I only took He He Yushui to visit Seeing Shazhu; I didn't do anything else."

Xu Xu Damao laughed: "Is that so? Why don't I believe you?"

Cao Cao Weiguo said: "Brother Xu, I'm not joking with you. Spreading rumors like this will cause problems."

Looking at Cao Cao Weiguo's serious expression, Xu Xu Damao couldn't help but chuckle: "I know, I know, I won't talk nonsense."

Cao Cao Weiguo sighed: "That's good. I have things to attend to, so I won't chat with you anymore."

After saying this, Cao Cao Weiguo went straight to the study.

Xu Xu Damao stood in the courtyard and spat in annoyance.

He was convinced that Cao Cao Weiguo had helped, which was why Seeing Shazhu was released.

If not for Cao Cao Weiguo's meddling, Seeing Shazhu would have definitely suffered for a few more days.

Xu Xu Damao returned home and felt even more depressed and irritable looking at the empty room.

Lou Lou Xiaoe went back to her parents' house every few days, basically treating this place like a guesthouse.

Even when she occasionally came back to stay for two days, she didn't do a single thing at home.

He hadn't married a wife; he had married a princess.

Not only did she have the temper of a young lady, but she hadn't even given him a child yet.

Not wanting to spend the night alone, Xu Xu Damao took some money from the cabinet.

He closed the door and left the Sihe Academy to go find one of his lovers.

Lou Lou Xiaoe was the daughter of a capitalist, but he wasn't a good bird either.

When he went to the countryside to show movies, he had flirted with many young girls and married women.

He also had lovers in the city, though none of them were decent people either.

If he wanted to relieve his loneliness, he couldn't just rely on his mouth; he had to rely on money.

In the study, Cao Cao Weiguo was browsing the *Guangming Daily*.

Lü Jinpeng came to the door carrying a bulging bag: "Is Brother Cao Weiguo in?"

"Come in!"

Hearing Cao Cao Weiguo's response, Lü Jinpeng carried the sack and pushed the door open.

"Brother Cao Weiguo, these are the old items I collected recently."

"Thank you for your hard work!"

"Brother Cao Weiguo, why are you being so polite with me? Without your help, my mother and children wouldn't have enough to eat."

Lü Jinpeng was genuinely grateful to Cao Cao Weiguo and cherished this opportunity.

He simply collected some old items for Cao Cao Weiguo while he was working.

Just like that, he received a "hardship fee" from Cao Cao Weiguo every month.

And the hardship fee was higher than his salary, allowing his whole family to stop worrying about food and drink.

Lü Jinpeng took the items out of the sack one by one.

These items were wrapped in either newspapers or tattered cotton cloth.

"This is a nice piece."

Opening a small package, Cao Cao Weiguo asked curiously: "It must have cost a lot to collect this, right?"

Lü Jinpeng replied: "I collected it from an old man's house. Because it's jade, it cost seven Brother Yuan."

"That's not much; this is a good item."

"When you have time, go back to that old man's house and ask if he has any other old items."

This was a Brother Yuan Dynasty jade dragon hook, relatively wide, pipa-shaped, with the hook button made into a rectangular ring hole...

Placing the jade dragon hook gently on the table, Cao Cao Weiguo began to examine the other items.

A Ming Dynasty Chenghua doucai scholar's cup, a late Ming Dynasty Xuande censer...

There was even a Sui Dynasty *Travel in Spring* by Zhan Ziqian, which made Cao Cao Weiguo widen his eyes in surprise.

Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Cao Cao Weiguo organized all the items.

Then, he reached into his pocket and pretended to pull out five ten-Brother Yuan notes.

"Brother Lü, you've worked hard during this time."

Lü Jinpeng quickly declined: "Cao Weiguo, there's still a lot of the money you gave me last time left."

Half a month ago, Cao Cao Weiguo had given him another hundred Brother Yuan in funds.

He had only used forty-some Brother Yuan to this day, and the remaining money would easily last him more than half a month.

After all, old items weren't found everywhere, and many were collected as scrap.

Cao Cao Weiguo didn't hide it: "That painting is a good item and worth a lot of money. This isn't funds; it's my reward. You must accept it."

Hearing it was a reward, Lü Jinpeng wanted it even less.

He received a hardship fee every month; how could he be embarrassed to take an extra reward?

Lü Jinpeng insisted on not accepting it, so Cao Cao Weiguo couldn't force it on him:

"Since you don't want the money, come to my house for a drink tomorrow. Call Mother Du, your sister-in-law, and little Fei."

"Let's have a meal together and liven things up. That's no problem, right?"

Lü Jinpeng smiled: "Deal. Then we won't cook at my place tomorrow night."

After Lü Jinpeng left, Cao Cao Weiguo transferred all the old items to the farm.

Middle Courtyard.

As soon as He He Yushui returned home, Seeing Shazhu rushed in angrily to question her:

"Did you go to Cao Cao Weiguo's house just now!"

He He Yushui frowned: "Yes, I even had dinner at Brother Cao Weiguo's house. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Shazhu raised his eyebrows and shouted: "Cao Cao Weiguo is my enemy! I wish I could beat him to death! And you're eating with him!"

If not for Cao Cao Weiguo getting in the way, he wouldn't have ended up in this state.

Therefore, Seeing Shazhu viewed Cao Cao Weiguo as an enemy!

His own sister was actually sitting and eating with his enemy, which made Seeing Shazhu both angry and furious.

He He Yushui said angrily: "Brother, are you really stupid or just pretending? How is Brother Cao Weiguo your enemy?"

"If not for Brother Cao Weiguo's help this time, would we have been able to see you?"

"Would you have been able to get out so quickly?"

"You don't thank Brother Cao Weiguo, and yet you treat him as an enemy."

"You are returning kindness with enmity!"

Seeing Shazhu was so angry his face turned blue, and he pointed angrily in the direction of the Cao house:

"I'm returning kindness with enmity?"

"Bullshit!"

"If not for that villain Cao Cao Weiguo snatching my position as head chef."

"If not for that villain Cao Cao Weiguo squeezing me out."

"Would I be on a downward slope?"

"Would I have been caught for taking a little meat?"

"Before Cao Cao Weiguo became deputy director, I had been taking things from the cafeteria for years."

"When was I ever caught? When was I ever this humiliated?"

"Tell me, isn't that villain Cao Cao Weiguo my enemy!"

"Just you wait! Sooner or later, I'll finish off this despicable villain and take back everything that belongs to me!"

Looking at her brother, who seemed somewhat deranged, He He Yushui was completely stunned.

She truly couldn't imagine that her brother could be so unable to distinguish right from wrong.

Cao Cao Weiguo becoming deputy director was due to his own ability.

You were caught because you stole things.

How could you blame the cause on Cao Cao Weiguo?