Chu Yu put down the apples and oranges in her hands and asked in confusion, "Second Uncle, why is Aunt Cao's son here to change our light bulbs?"
Shu Aiguo was stunned when he heard this. "I don't know. I saw him changing the light bulb just now, and I said I could do it myself, but he wouldn't let me. He said that your family has helped them a lot, and we are all neighbors, so there is no need to make such distinctions."
Chu Yu frowned, racking her brains for a long time but still couldn't think of anything she had done to help Aunt Cao.
The neighbors next door are all locals, and no matter what their living conditions are like, they are still somewhat prejudiced against outsiders.
Shu Hui and her two daughters settled here, living in a traditional courtyard house with a grand interior. As a result, many neighbors came to inquire about their background.
Upon learning that the three were from rural Deyang who came to Beijing to do small business, some neighbors' attitudes became subtle, their words not only strange but also tinged with sarcasm.
“In recent years, individual business owners have made some money and can afford to buy courtyard houses. One day, these out-of-towners will take over all the land in Beijing.”
A few days later, Chu Yu learned that the person who made the sarcastic remarks was Aunt Cao.
Aunt Cao had a mean-looking face and her slanted eyes often secretly sized up others. Her gaze towards Chu Yu was always scrutinizing. Chu Yu had never offended her, but she always put on an arrogant and condescending attitude.
Chu Yu ignored her.
But there are also good neighbors. Aunt Chen and Aunt Qiao next door are nice people. They are close to Chu Yu's family. They often bring over vegetables that they can't finish eating to Shu Hui, and Shu Hui will also bring over some fresh fruits and vegetables.
But she wasn't really familiar with Aunt Cao's family.
Chu Yu frowned and said, "Second Uncle, could you help me deliver the money for the light bulbs to Aunt Cao's house? It would be best to give her a generous amount, and let the neighbors know when you do so, so they don't think we're taking advantage of her."
Shu Aiguo knew that Aunt Cao was no good. Shu Hui told others that she was a widow who had come to the capital with her three daughters to make a living. As the saying goes, there is always gossip around a widow's door, not to mention that she didn't have a son.
If it really causes trouble, it will be a disaster.
Shu Aiguo was also a cautious person, so he immediately put on his clothes and went to help Chu Yu.
"Second Uncle is coming over right now. It's your fault for being so naive. You really thought she was a good neighbor. You said your family did her a big favor, and she's just coming over to change a light bulb to repay you." Shu Aiguo went over and knocked on the door, deliberately making a lot of noise so that the neighbors would peek out.
Shu Aiguo laughed and said, "The Cao family's son helped my sister change the light bulb on her door. We told him we didn't want it, but he insisted on doing it. He's really very hospitable. Our family isn't the type to take advantage of others, so we've come over to return the money."
He was shouting loud enough that all the neighbors heard him, so Aunt Cao couldn't just lock herself in the house and pretend to be dead.
She had always looked down on these outsiders the most.
She led the gossip about Shu Hui behind her back, saying that Shu Hui had a rosy complexion and didn't look like a widow at all. She said that Shu Hui must have been kept by a rich man, otherwise how could a woman like her afford a courtyard house and raise three daughters?
Now that they're trying to get on her good side, Aunt Cao felt a little embarrassed and smiled awkwardly.
“We’re all neighbors, and my son is always happy to help others. This little thing is nothing.”
“That won’t do, Auntie. My sister is new here and a junior. If we’re really going to be neighbors, she should be the one running around helping you out. There’s no way we should let you suffer.”
A light bulb costs at most a few cents. Shu Aiguo didn't know the prices in Beijing, so he stuffed in a whole dollar and left without giving Aunt Cao any chance to refuse.
Aunt Qiao happened to return from grocery shopping. Seeing Aunt Cao's expression, she pulled Chu Yu aside and asked in a low voice:
"What is she planning?"
“Who knows? I wasn’t home at the time. My uncle thought I was close to Aunt Cao, and since we were all good neighbors, he didn’t refuse.”
Aunt Qiao shook her head. "That Cao woman is no good. I heard she's put all her savings into the mutual aid society. Could she be after your family?"
Chu Yu was taken aback. "What ideas does my family have for him to use?"
"Silly child, you're too young to understand the intricacies of this situation. You and your second sister are rarely home, and your youngest sister is still quite young. There's no man in the family, yet you live in such a large house. Isn't it obvious that someone is after your family? Have you ever heard of taking advantage of someone who has no descendants? Your family only has daughters. In the eyes of some wicked people, taking advantage of someone who has no descendants is far easier than taking advantage of someone else's family!"
Chu Yu pondered, how did she look like a fool?
Although her family owns many houses, she is not stupid, and neither are Shu Hui and her sister. How could anyone think that a family without a son is easily robbed of its property?
"You mean, Aunt Cao is after my mother?"
Aunt Qiao smiled:
"Isn't that exactly the case? Your mother has been widowed for many years and is very beautiful. Aunt Cao's daughter-in-law has been dead for several years. Everyone can see what she's up to. Even my relatives in Bao'an County can see through her scheme."
Chu Yu was a little disgusted by this kind of man. He was so old, yet so slovenly. There was no mirror in his house, but surely he needed to pee?
They don't even know to take a piss and look at themselves in the mirror.
Aunt Qiao was a kind-hearted woman and quite liked Chu Yu, so she gave him some advice:
"You and your three daughters live here, so safety is the most important thing. The walls of this courtyard can be climbed over, so be careful in everything you do."
Chu Yu agreed. Shu Aiguo was also quite worried about Shu Hui. Even if a woman of Shu Hui's age could live on her own, a wealthy woman with three daughters was a hot commodity in the eyes of outsiders. If she encountered someone with ill intentions, she would inevitably suffer.
Shu Aiguo regretted that he couldn't afford to buy a house in Beijing. Otherwise, he would have also thought of coming to Beijing and buying a house near his sister's house so that the two of them could live together and take care of each other.
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