Just like in the original story, Sha Zhu went to the workshop again and found the toughest old ladies in the entire factory. Unfortunately, this time when he went to the warehouse to arrest Xu Damao, he came up empty-handed.

Sister Hua and Aunt Chen looked at Sha Zhu with impatience: "Sha Zhu, didn't you say someone was taking advantage of us female workers? Where is that person? I haven't seen them. Are you playing us?"

Sha Zhu was also completely bewildered: "I really don't know! It was supposed to be this time, this place, how come it's not here?"

"You're asking me? We're asking you too, tsk," Sister Hua and the others glared at Sha Zhu, thinking, "Good grief, you're messing with us." Only after Sha Zhu groveled and apologized profusely did they finally leave with unpleasant expressions.

After Sha Zhu and the others left, Qin Huairu and Xu Damao came out from around the corner. Qin Huairu looked at Xu Damao with a smug expression: "How about that? Do you believe me now? I saved you this time."

"Fine, you really are something. You want to mess with me, Xu Damao? Very well," Xu Damao said with a gloomy face as he cursed at the departing figures of Sha Zhu and the others. Then, he impatiently took out a dollar from his pocket and handed it to Qin Huairu.

"Alright, Sister Qin, I'll thank you for today."

"Alright, we're practically family." Qin Huairu's eyes lit up when she saw the money in Xu Damao's hand. She wanted Xu Damao's money, and she also wanted Sha Zhu's money. She was such a genius, managing to eat from both sides.

"But Qin Huairu, how did Sha Zhu find out about this? Could it be..."

Xu Damao sized Qin Huairu up and down. Although Sha Zhu and the others hadn't succeeded this time, it still gave Xu Damao a fright. If Qin Huairu hadn't warned him, he would definitely have been caught red-handed, and his reputation would have been completely ruined.

"What's wrong? You don't believe me? I've already done 'that' with you, what's one more time?" Qin Huairu deliberately put on a disdainful tone.

"Hmm." Xu Damao nodded after listening. That made sense. He had traded with Qin Huairu more than once, and this was the first time something had gone wrong.

“However, Xu Damao, let’s call it a day for now. I don’t want to live in constant fear. My mother-in-law is starting to suspect me.” Qin Huairu said impatiently, not believing that Xu Damao could hold back.

"Don't do this! This was an accident, Sister Qin, you can't do this!" Xu Damao immediately became anxious, greedily eyeing Qin Huairu's voluptuous figure. He couldn't let Qin Huairu stop now; this woman was much more voluptuous than the widows in the countryside, and he hadn't had enough fun yet.

"Let's talk about it later. Even if you give me more money now, I won't dare. If we get arrested, we're both finished. Besides, my mother-in-law is already suspicious."

Qin Huairu explained to Xu Damao slowly and deliberately.

Xu Damao nodded in understanding, but when he heard the last sentence, he lewdly grabbed a handful of cornmeal from Qin Huairu's granary: "I still have ten catties of cornmeal at home. Can't I have Lou Xiao'e deliver it to you? Look at you!"

"Alright, thank you, Uncle Xu," Qin Huairu said with a smile, not annoyed at all, and left. She got ten pounds of cornmeal for free, and didn't offend either side. She was such a clever little devil.

The deaf old woman on the other side was in a much worse situation. She had thought that by taking all the blame upon herself, the neighborhood committee wouldn't be able to do anything to an old woman like her.

Anyway, she's already so old, she doesn't have many years left to live. Being locked up in the neighborhood office is a good opportunity for her to freeload. Unfortunately, she underestimated the neighborhood office's determination.

When the neighborhood committee staff gave a moral education lesson to a deaf elderly woman, she simply pretended to be deaf and mute.

Did you hear that?

"What, you mean you want to eat? I'm not hungry yet."

"I'm telling you, you need to correct this bad habit of yours from now on."

"Oh, I don't eat chicken legs, porridge is fine with me."

Fortunately, the old lady wasn't named Ma Dongmei. Even so, the neighborhood committee staff were so angry they slammed the door and left. The old lady, seeing this, flashed a hint of disdain in her eyes. "What storms haven't I weathered over the years?" she thought.

The matter quickly reached the ears of Director Wang of the neighborhood office. Upon seeing this, Director Wang also felt it was a difficult situation. Normally, verbal reprimands wouldn't work; corporal punishment might be necessary.

This old lady is so old, what if she dies at the neighborhood committee office doing this? If we don't use a stick, she'll pretend to be deaf and dumb. Damn it, this old woman is just asking for trouble.

The old lady's actions were particularly egregious, and he couldn't let her go unpunished! "Fine, old lady, you brought this on yourself," Director Wang quickly instructed his subordinates. "Alright, take the old lady back to her courtyard house. We'll hold a criticism meeting right here in the alley this weekend."

Since this old lady is so stubbornly clinging to outdated ideas and doesn't want to progress, then let the people educate her. I refuse to believe we can't get rid of her.

Also, check if she used her status as a family member of a martyr to defraud others of money or valuables in the courtyard house. If so, make her honestly return them and stop taking advantage of her age.

As soon as the deaf old lady returned to the courtyard house, an older woman warmly greeted her, believing that the old lady was innocent and should be released without charge.

Seeing that the older woman was still so respectful and enthusiastic towards her, the old lady finally felt relieved: "By the way, isn't Xiao'e in the courtyard? Why didn't anyone answer when I knocked on the door earlier?"

"Grandma, I don't know," the older woman said, somewhat surprised. Why was the old lady looking for Lou Xiao'e?

"Alright," the deaf old woman sighed upon hearing this. She had to hurry and implement it; she didn't know how many more days her old bones could hold on. She had also heard about the neighborhood committee's punishment of her.

It must have been unbearable to be publicly criticized in such cold weather in the alley. The old lady is now filled with regret; she shouldn't have pretended to be deaf and dumb at the neighborhood committee office.

But now that things have come to this, there's no going back. My top priority is to quickly bring Zhu Zi and Lou Xiao'e together.