Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1004 Qin Huairu's Treacherous Thoughts

He Yuzhu swallowed the rice in his mouth, a few grains still clinging to the corner of his lips. He waved his hand with a smile: "Aunt Tan, didn't you really see what a scene was just now? Those people in the yard were interrogating Xu Damao. To be honest, this matter also involves Gu Nan, but he's now the deputy director of the steel rolling mill. Everyone in the yard knows that. Even if they had their opinions, no one dared to say anything, so in the end, they took all their anger out on Xu Damao. They were arguing back and forth, making a scene like a bustling market."

Aunt Tan paused, holding the rough blue-rimmed porcelain bowl. The pickled vegetables on her chopsticks hung suspended in mid-air. She muttered to herself, thinking back to when Gu Nan first moved to the central courtyard. He seemed unremarkable. If only she had been more attentive then, spoken to him more often, and brought him a bowl of hot soup during holidays, she might now have a respectable relative, making things easier for him. But it was too late now. She could only sigh softly, put the pickled vegetables in her mouth, and mumble, "Yes, in the end, it's Xu Damao's own restlessness that caused all this trouble. He has only himself to blame; he can't blame anyone else."

He Yuzhu nodded, took a bite of rice, and said calmly, "What you said is indeed right. Xu Damao is mostly to blame for this. But then again, it has little to do with us neighbors, so there's no need for us to worry about it. We should just focus on living our own lives."

Aunt Tan looked at He Yuzhu with a hint of relief in her eyes. This young man used to be straightforward and nosy, but now he's much more composed and knows how to prioritize, which is the only way he can live a peaceful life. She smiled and put another piece of pickled radish into He Yuzhu's bowl: "You're right, when it comes to life, stability is the most important thing."

The two chatted idly, neither noticing that around the corner not far away, Qin Huairu was pulling her coat tighter and hurrying towards Yi Zhonghai's house. Her face was filled with worry, her brows furrowed in distress—ever since Jia Dongxu injured his leg, the family had lost its breadwinner, and life had become increasingly difficult. The rations from their food ration book weren't enough, and the children were at a crucial stage of growth; they couldn't let them go hungry. These days, if it weren't for Yi Zhonghai's occasional assistance with food coupons and odd jobs, the family would have long since collapsed. Today, she had to beg Uncle Yi again, to see if he could think of another solution; otherwise, she truly didn't know how the family would survive the harsh winter.

Qin Huairu walked quickly across the courtyard, her shoes making rapid footsteps on the cement floor. Looking at the lit windows of Yi Zhonghai's house, she felt a weight on her heart and silently prayed: "I hope Uncle Yi can help me out again, even if it's just a few more grain coupons or a few more feet of cloth coupons, so that Banggeng and the others can have a few more meals of thin porridge, and I can get a decent coat."

As she passed He Yuzhu's house, a few words drifted from the crack in the half-open door, piercing her ears like needles—"What? Lu Jia is pregnant? That's not good news..."

Qin Huairu abruptly stopped, cold sweat instantly beading on her back. She had been scheming: if Lu Jia couldn't conceive, He Yuzhu would inevitably harbor resentment, and she could then subtly influence him, perhaps making him obedient to her like she had with Yi Zhonghai. But now that Lu Jia was pregnant, and the He family had a child, He Yuzhu's heart would only be drawn closer to her family. What use were her schemes now?

She steadied herself, gritted her teeth, and walked towards Yi Zhonghai's house. As soon as she pushed open the slightly ajar door, she saw Yi Zhonghai venting his anger on an empty chair, slamming his hand on the table with a loud bang: "A bunch of good-for-nothings! You all look so dignified, but when it comes to actually doing something, not one of you dares to step up! What's so scary about that kid Gu Nan? He's still getting beaten down by me..."

Seeing Qin Huairu enter, Yi Zhonghai calmed down and asked with a stern face, "What are you doing here at this time?"

Qin Huairu moved further into the room, deliberately feigning a worried expression: "Uncle Yi, this can't go on..." She knew perfectly well that although Yi Zhonghai and He Yuzhu had a grudge, they were still master and disciple. If he knew Lu Jia was pregnant, he might consider their "grand-disciple" relationship and side with the He family, ruining all her plans. She absolutely couldn't let him know about this.

She wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with tears, "Uncle Yi, look at our family. Banggeng is at the age where he's growing, how can he possibly survive on thin porridge every meal? Huaihua and Xiaodang are so thin, they look like kittens. As their mother, I'm so worried. How are we supposed to get by like this..."

Seeing her like this, Yi Zhonghai's tone softened. He reached out and grabbed her hand, the roughness of his palm making her skin tighten: "Qin Huairu, what are you saying? We live in the same courtyard, so we're family. Have you forgotten what I told you? With me here, I will never let you and your children suffer any grievances. If you need anything, just tell me."

Qin Huairu nodded quickly and steered the conversation elsewhere: "Uncle Yi, there's something else I don't understand—why did Aunt Tan go to He Yuzhu's house again? When I came over just now, I saw her carrying a cloth bag into the He family's house. I wonder what she brought this time."

Mentioning this matter ignited Yi Zhonghai's anger again. He shook off Qin Huairu's hand and paced around the room, saying, "It makes me so angry! That old woman, she could have lived a perfectly good life, but she insisted on clinging to He Yuzhu! Haven't I helped him enough, Yi Zhonghai? If I hadn't guided him back then, would he have become an eighth-grade fitter? But now? Does he even respect me as his mentor? He's forgotten his mother after marrying a wife, no, he's forgotten me, his guide!" He became more and more agitated as he spoke, completely forgetting how he had schemed to get He Yuzhu to support Qin Huairu all these years, and how he had tripped up He Yuzhu during the performance evaluation.

Seeing that he had taken the bait, Qin Huairu quickly added fuel to the fire: "Uncle Yi, you don't know, He Yuzhu and Lu Jia are now very much in love. I heard that Lu Jia... oh no, I mean, they've been married for so long, who knows when they might have a child. Once they have a child, He Yuzhu's heart will be entirely focused on his own child, and he might not even remember you anymore."

Yi Zhonghai stopped abruptly, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He had no children and had been relying on He Yuzhu to take care of him in his old age. If this young man was really tied up with family matters and forgot about him, what would he do when he got old?

"Qin Huairu, do you have any ideas?" he asked urgently, his tone unusually earnest.

Qin Huairu lowered her head, looking troubled. "Uncle Yi, you think too highly of me. I'm just a woman from the countryside, not very well-educated. What good ideas do I have? This matter... you'll have to make the decision yourself."