[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-73":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314123,4526,"Chapter 73: The Master of Undermining","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-73",73,"\u003Cp>Hearing Xu Damao’s shout, Qin Huaiju and her sister turned around together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing it was Xu Damao, Qin Huaiju asked: “Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao, upon first seeing Qin Jingru, was stunned—this girl was so radiant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at her figure and clearly froze for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far surpassing Lou Xiaoe, not inferior to Qin Huaiju.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Damao had seen plenty—he’d met countless country girls and young brides—and quickly recovered, laughing it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao stood up, sat warmly across from the sisters, and grinned: “Sister Qin, who did I think it was?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qin Huaiju sitting with this girl, clearly a relative, and since Qin Huaiju had just spoken, how could he miss this chance to flirt?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao leered at Qin Jingru, praising: “Who’s this girl? So radiant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju saw Xu Damao’s lustful gaze and feared her cousin, inexperienced, would be bewitched by this lecher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She warned: “Radiant? Even if she is, it has nothing to do with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if remembering something, Qin Huaiju shouted at Xu Damao again: “And don’t you dare try to get close to me—I haven’t even confronted you yet! Didn’t you make Banggeng dump the ash for you? How did you threaten him? If he didn’t dump it, you’d dump it in the courtyard, right? How cruel! Now even Third Elder’s copying you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao paid no mind to Qin Huaiju’s warning and scolding, grinning: “I was just joking with Banggeng—who knew Third Elder would join in? Sister Qin, our relationship needs no words—I’ll dump the ash myself tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju glared at Xu Damao: “If you’re so considerate, why not skip feeding the chickens too? Morning and evening, Banggeng gets up ten minutes earlier—he yawns in class, and his homework gets delayed at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao wouldn’t let such a good laborer go, teasing: “Sister Qin, Banggeng’s grades can’t get any worse, and this rule was set by Comrade Li—he’s the one who decided it. I wouldn’t dare change it on my own. Why don’t you go talk to Comrade Li?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this, Xu Damao nodded toward Li Xuewu’s direction, winking at Qin Huaiju.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju had no reply—Li Xuewu had publicly imposed this punishment. Though she’d thought the child should learn responsibility and correct his mistakes, seeing Banggeng run to the back courtyard every morning and evening to feed chickens, then sweep the yard after school, broke her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of pity for Banggeng, Qin Huaiju and her daughter-in-law swept too, and the whole courtyard said Banggeng had improved—but no one offered to let the Jia family stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, fine—if you can’t even handle this little thing, don’t talk about good relations. Go back to your side and stay away from us. I’m warning you: my sister’s being introduced to He Yuzhu. If you open your mouth, he’ll beat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju herself was slightly surprised she’d spoken the truth—everyone knew He Yuzhu and Xu Damao were sworn enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By saying this, she knew Xu Damao would sabotage the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she’d blurted it out unconsciously—she truly wanted to introduce her sister to He Yuzhu, to form a kinship—but for some reason, a part of her didn’t want her sister marrying He Yuzhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Qin Huaiju was lost in thought,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao’s mind shifted—he thought: He Yuzhu, you’ve finally fallen into my hands. Beat me? If I let you succeed in this match, I’m the fool—I’ll call myself Foolish Mao, not Foolish He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao feigned ignorance to Qin Huaiju: “He Yuzhu? That name sounds familiar—is he from our steel plant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju sneered, exposing his act: “Playing dumb with me? Should I go to the canteen and call him out so you can meet him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao dared not openly confront He Yuzhu, but seized the opening: “Foolish He, right? Oh, so that’s who! Why say his full name? Afraid the girl will find out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pouted, gesturing around with a look of regret to Qin Jingru: “Sister, see these people? All from our plant. Ask anyone—anyone who knows He Yuzhu, the camera you see there? I’ll give it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru was dumbfounded—what? Give me a camera? That’s too precious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qin Jingru turn her head as he spoke, Xu Damao knew this girl was a country bumpkin, easy to fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued: “Ask another person—anyone who doesn’t know Foolish He? Same deal—I’ll give you one too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru hadn’t processed it yet—why was he giving her a camera again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was so powerful—he just gave away cameras? How rich he must be!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rich people’s words must be true—if he lied, he’d have to give her the camera. But why was this different from what her sister wrote?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her sister stunned, Qin Huaiju realized she’d been fooled—what a fool to bet on something so valuable, exactly the kind of trick that worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her foolish sister had never seen a camera in a year—of course she believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju cut in quickly: “Go film your movie somewhere else. Don’t sabotage us here—watch out, He Yuzhu will come beat you tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Qin Huaiju threatened Xu Damao, the more energized he became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao put on a look of pity for Qin Jingru, blaming Qin Huaiju: “Sister Qin, you said it yourself—Foolish He beats people constantly, even neighbors. How much worse for such a radiant girl? You’d marry her to a dumb cook? If she’s beaten daily, how heartbreaking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Devour\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju was furious at the accusation, cursing her sister inwardly for being naive, and retorted: “Who’s the fool? Haven’t you had enough beatings? Only you’ve been beaten in the courtyard—so you want me to give my sister to you so you’ll feel sorry? Afraid Lou Xiaoe will tear your mouth off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Xu Damao dramatically describe the match as a fool, and now seeing her sister wildly rebutting, Qin Jingru was clearly panicked—she didn’t know who to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Jingru asked uncertainly: “Sister, is he telling the truth? I don’t want to be beaten like Mama.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju looked at her foolish sister, utterly powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she believe anyone who spoke? Even her own sister didn’t trust her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this match was her doing—her cousin—she couldn’t abandon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju stressed: “Don’t listen to him—he’s no good. Didn’t you see? He even bullies Banggeng. He can’t stand anyone else’s good fortune, and he’s always chasing after every girl. Stay away from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d started this mess—she had to see it through, even if her sister was foolish, she still had to guide her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood not far away; Xu Damao’s group spoke loudly enough for him to hear clearly—he knew Xu Damao was scheming to sabotage He Yuzhu, but he didn’t intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did it have to do with him? Just mind his own business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just a junior section chief—could he manage everyone’s gossip?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tightened his coat, pushed through the crowd, and headed toward the canteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Li Xuewu entered the canteen, he saw He Yuzhu sprawled out, supervising his apprentice chopping vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yuzhu had been temporarily assigned to prepare special meals and had no idea Xu Damao had just sabotaged him on the square outside.\u003C\u002Fp>",1202,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7e89ed15eaee581c2ccdbf0e5bef3d45a5667ea1ef62c4e5ddb322aee207c585","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-74","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-72",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]