When Jia Zhangshi heard that she could get three hundred yuan, her triangular eyes immediately lit up with a glint of light. But then Qin Huairu spoke up.
"Mom, let's leave it at that. Don't take any money from Uncle Yi. We're innocent."
“Shut up, you bitch. Three hundred it is. If you’re short even a cent, I’ll go to the neighborhood office and tell everyone. Then you, Yi Zhonghai, won’t be able to show your face in public.”
Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened, and then she pounced on Qin Huairu, slapping her hard across the face. "You traitor! I told you I'd deal with you when we get home."
Qin Huairu covered her face, biting her lip and remaining silent.
Yi Zhonghai glanced gratefully at Qin Huairu, then turned back to get the money.
Things have escalated to this point, and it's clear that they can't be easily resolved peacefully.
Paying money to avoid trouble is the best way to minimize the damage, and Yi Zhonghai understands this very well.
Once the excitement was over and most residents had to go to work the next day, they dispersed.
Only a few people remained at the scene: three stewards, Wang Dabao, Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangtian, Shazhu, Jia Zhangshi, and Qin Huairu.
Soon, Yi Zhonghai returned with three hundred yuan. After handing it over to Jia Zhangshi, he seemed to have lost his soul.
He knew his reputation had been severely damaged, and he feared he would find it difficult to maintain his position in the compound, and that he could no longer even think about becoming a mediator.
Thinking about how he had devoted himself to the compound for so many years, only to end up like this, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness. But since it had already happened, he could only slowly look for opportunities to salvage his image.
Jia Zhangshi clutched the three hundred yuan in her hand, her joy evident. Turning her head, she saw Qin Huairu wiping away tears, and immediately flew into a rage. She strode over and reached out to hit her.
Sha Zhu couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to pull Jia Zhangshi away, saying, "Enough, Aunt Jia, aren't you ashamed of yourself if you keep making such a scene?"
Pulled by Sha Zhu, Jia Zhangshi seemed to have found a new outlet for her anger. "Sha Zhu, you're still protecting her. Are you two having an affair too?"
Sha Zhu was so angry that his face turned red.
"Stop it, all of you! What kind of behavior is this?!"
Liu Haizhong looked at everyone with a serious expression. "This matter ends here. If anyone causes trouble again, don't blame me for being impolite. From now on, everyone should restrain their behavior. I will never allow such immoral things to happen in the compound."
Madam Jia snorted coldly, clutching three hundred yuan as she walked toward her west wing.
Qin Huairu was too ashamed to stay in the courtyard, so she went home with Jia Zhangshi.
It must be said that Jia Zhangshi's extortionate behavior caused Qin Huairu a great deal of suffering.
She didn't even consider that Qin Huairu would eventually be transferred back to the workshop. Without Yi Zhonghai's protection, the situation of a female apprentice like Qin Huairu would be unimaginable.
Of course, Qin Huairu had already betrayed Yi Zhonghai once in order to get away from the situation.
She and her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, were considered the eldest and shouldn't look down on the second; neither of them could criticize the other.
Yi Zhonghai is considered to be quite shrewd; he cut his losses and quickly resolved the problem.
"Old Yi, what's wrong with you? How can anyone in our compound hold their head high after you've acted like this!"
Liu Haizhong sighed and came to Yi Zhonghai's side, his face serious. He put a hand on Yi Zhonghai's shoulder and said, "No matter what, even if you meant well, you shouldn't have invited Qin Huairu to the vegetable cellar to talk about things!"
“Yeah, Lao Yi, look at the mess this has made. What will the residents of the compound think of you now?”
Yan Bugui chimed in from the side.
Xu Damao cleared his throat, "Old Yi..."
"Xu Damao, shut up! If you hadn't blocked the cellar door without asking any questions, would this have happened today?" Yi Zhonghai saw Xu Damao strolling over and his temper flared up. "You can't escape responsibility for causing such a commotion."
Upon hearing this, Xu Damao was so angry he almost blew smoke from his nose.
"You, Yi Zhonghai, are still blaming me even now. I think Jia Zhangshi should have taken you to the police station and charged you with hooliganism."
"You don't even deserve to be called a human being! You're always acting all high and mighty in the yard, but I didn't realize you were eyeing your apprentice's wife. Heh, yeah, Qin Huairu is pretty, after all. Maybe if you get things done, she can even give you a son."
Once Xu Damao starts spouting nonsense, he can't stop.
"So when you went to the old man to suggest kicking Sha Zhu out of the compound, you were actually after Qin Huairu. Sha Zhu has only been gone for a few days, and you're already so impatient that you took Qin Huairu directly to the vegetable cellar."
"Yi Zhonghai, tell me, how many times have you and Qin Huairu gone to the vegetable cellar on business?"
Xu Damao's words surprised the people present. It seemed he was planning to completely break off relations and never speak to them again!
The moment the words "drive away Sha Zhu," "how many times to the vegetable cellar," and "run errands" were uttered, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and the others turned pale.
Especially when Sha Zhu heard the word "doing things," his old face turned completely black.
He, Sha Zhu, had waited for Qin Huairu for so many years and had even provided her with a lot of financial support. He finally waited for Jia Dongxu to die, but what happened in the end?!
He just touched her hand, and occasionally Qin Huairu would hug his arm and rub against him.
On the other hand, Yi Zhonghai and the other two have been sneaking into the vegetable cellar countless times, and it goes without saying what they did in there.
You can't exactly go to the cellar to talk about the weather, can you?
Why can't we talk about this during the day? Even if we're busy at work during the day, can't we talk about it in the yard at night? Why do we have to wait until everyone is asleep to talk in the cellar?!
Even a fool would know that these two definitely don't know.
"Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao just said that Yi Zhonghai suggested that I leave?" Sha Zhu couldn't hold back any longer and questioned Liu Haizhong as if he had become a different person.
Liu Haizhong felt his heart pounding as Sha Zhu stared at him. He had never seen Sha Zhu act like this before; it was as if someone had raped his wife.
"This...it was indeed Lao Yi who brought it up first..."
Sha Zhu took a deep breath and cursed Yi Zhonghai with a classic Chinese phrase: "Yi Zhonghai, you son of a bitch, tell me honestly, when did you and Qin Huairu start dating?!"
Yi Zhonghai was also stunned; no one had ever scolded him like that in decades.
After recovering, he pointed at Sha Zhu and said, "Zhu Zi, you... how could you insult me..."
"Insult you? I'd hit you instead!"
As he spoke, Sha Zhu rushed forward and delivered a powerful punch to Yi Zhonghai's face.
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