Chapter 79

After dealing with San Da Ye, Yang Qing returned home.

Today, because time was tight, he didn't catch any snakes or frogs.

If he hadn't found a tree stump and pried it open, Yang Qing wouldn't have been able to catch those dozen or so beetle larvae delicacies.

However, perhaps due to the weather, it instead let Yang Qing discover many centipedes.

He poured the centipedes into a bucket, then added some water, and then poured in a little liquor.

He quietly waited for the centipedes to marinate and absorb flavor.

Afterwards he took some bamboo strips and began using scissors to make bamboo skewers to hold the centipedes.

By the time Yang Qing finished handling the centipedes, Chen Hong had not yet returned.

Yang Qing knew she had gone to the military compound.

So he didn't wait for her anymore; coincidentally, today's big white worm, Chen Hong also couldn't accept.

Then he just took it himself with a smile.

It wasn't that Yang Qing liked eating these things; it was simply that he currently had no other source of protein.

Now wild vegetables are everywhere, but the meat ration is only two taels a month—what can that do?

If he doesn't eat these things, Yang Qing's physical condition will never improve.

After he finished roasting the worms, Xu Damao arrived on time holding a plate of peanuts.

However, upon seeing the pile of worms on the stove, Xu Damao lost all appetite.

He could still eat some snake meat and frog meat, but these worms—

He respectfully declines.

Xu Damao put down the peanuts and left.

"Yang Qing, brother brought you some peanuts."

"You eat them, I'm heading back."

Seeing Xu Damao's embarrassed appearance, Yang Qing wanted to laugh.

He came over to mooch a meal, but ended up bringing a plate of peanuts.

Yang Qing arranged the worms and peanuts, then took out the steamed broom vegetable bun, and happily began to eat.

While he was eating, a sneaky person also walked in.

He Yuzhu tiptoed, looked around everywhere, confirmed no one else was there, then entered through the Moon Gate.

As soon as he saw He Yuzhu, Yang Qing knew what he had come to do.

Yang Qing said irritably.

"Didn't we agree to use a scheme against a scheme?"

He Yuzhu looked bewildered and angrily said.

"You should explain it clearly to me."

"Using a scheme against a scheme—how to scheme, how to calculate?"

Seeing He Yuzhu a bit agitated, Yang Qing raised his finger.

"Shhh……"

"This matter can't be spoken of in the compound; wait until tomorrow, I'll come over early and we'll discuss it in detail."

"Hurry up and leave—haven't you noticed that no one came today?"

"It's just you being conspicuous, yet you still came over."

He Yuzhu also noticed the abnormality; indeed, today not a single person came—the adults didn't mention it, what about those children?

Yesterday Yang Qing had given them benefits; in this era, with food available, shouldn't they be proactive?

He thought of a possibility, feeling a bit uneasy.

Fortunately the old lady was in the backyard; otherwise his secret affair with Yang Qing would have been exposed.

He Yuzhu nodded, then sneaked away like a thief.

After Yang Qing finished his meal, he brought a flashlight to the toilet area to check the current progress.

In another seven or eight days it should be about done.

The courtyard wall had also been built up; it looks much sturdier than before, and Yang Qing is very satisfied.

He didn't know that it was Elder Liang from behind who had instructed Master Lei to do it this way.

Because there weren't enough bricks, the wall that had been built at the toilet was missing a large section.

The remaining part probably won't be built even after the toilet is finished.

Unless Yi Zhonghai spends more money to buy bricks.

But building the courtyard wall is Liang Jin Bao's responsibility; how could Yi Zhonghai possibly suffer such a loss?

Therefore, it's foreseeable that in the end the two sides will still have to wrangle.

Yang Qing looked around and pried out a brick from one wall of the toilet.

He took out a handful of silver coins from his pocket, stuffed them in, then filled in some lime mortar (in the past, when building houses they didn't use cement, but used sanhe soil: clay, gypsum, sand.).

Then he found a half-brick, applied mortar, inserted it, finished it off, until from the outside it looked exactly like the other walls.

Yang Qing looked it over several times and nodded in satisfaction.

His earth-digging rat attribute activated again.

Just in case, he still hid some extra as insurance.

After hiding the money, he returned home and fell asleep with his head covered.

Yi Zhonghai didn't realize that his own exclusion plan had resulted in no one coming to the backyard, which made it convenient for Yang Qing to hide things.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai was sitting in Sha Zhu's house.

"Zhuzi, I think you're being too kind today."

"When dealing with someone like Yang Qing, you have to be ruthless; only by making him fear you will he obey."

"Think back—did he ever dare to speak loudly before?"

"We haven't disciplined him for two days, and now he thinks he's gotten away with it."

"Does he really think being a Martyr's Family means everything will go smoothly?"

"He's being overly presumptuous."

"The Martyr's Family is Chen Hong, not him."

"Besides, we're not bullying him to his face; we set him up while he was working. Even if Chen Hong finds out, what can she do?"

He Yuzhu suppressed his anger, listening to Yi Zhonghai's endless chatter.

After a while, He Yuzhu finally grew impatient.

"All right, Elder, I know what to do."

"He still has to stay in the cafeteria for half a month, taking it slow—why are you in a hurry?"

"If you scare him off, how are we supposed to play with him?"

"By then, in such a big Jingcheng, you can't possibly have connections everywhere."

Yi Zhonghai thought, and what He Yuzhu said made sense.

However, Sha Zhu's tone made him uncomfortable.

Moreover, he could see that Sha Zhu still held a grudge about past events.

He didn't dare press too hard, lest he overreach.

Sha Zhu can be gradually trained.

"Zhuzi, you're right—I was too hasty."

"But I'm doing this for your sake; that couple is outrageous, bullying you like this."

"Just thinking about your miserable state the other day makes my heart ache."

Upon hearing that, He Yuzhu's anger flared even more, his veins bulging from straining his neck.

Yi Zhonghai still believed he had succeeded in sowing discord, secretly pleased.

He didn't realize that He Yuzhu's anger was directed at him.

He didn't even want to mention that day's incident, yet Yi Zhonghai kept bringing it up, reopening his wound—how could he not be angry?

He suppressed his anger, squeezing out a few words between his teeth.

"All right, Elder, it's getting late."

"You should go rest."

Yi Zhonghai achieved the effect he wanted and no longer wished to continue stirring trouble.

"All right then, Zhuzi, I'm going to rest."

"See you tomorrow."

After Yi Zhonghai left, He Yuzhu punched and kicked the air.

"Damn it, I'll kill you, I'll kill you………"

After venting for a while, He Yuzhu finally stopped.

Now his opinion of Yi Zhonghai is even worse.

What used to feel warm now feels like swords constantly stabbing him.

This isn't kindness—it's clearly treating him like a fool to play with.

All night, He Yuzhu was so angry he couldn't sleep well.

So he came to the steel mill early the next morning.

Yang Qing arrived not long after He Yuzhu got there.

Seeing Sha Zhu's face with dark circles, Yang Qing was stunned.

"No way, Sha Zhu—just this little thing keeps you up?"

"What else can you hold in your heart?"

He Yuzhu angrily repeated to Yang Qing exactly what Yi Zhonghai had told him the day before.

Upon hearing it, Yang Qing's fury exploded.

"That damn old bastard, truly vicious."