Siheyuan's Journey Through the Ages

Chapter 75 The Lover Before My Eyes

Ma Qing took the water cup and drank it slowly. When Xu Damao was about to lose his temper, he continued, "You help Qin Huairu share the burden of raising the child, which means you are helping her. What will your status in the family be like in the future?"

"You can't have children, but you will have three more children in the future. So many neighbors have watched them grow up. If they have any dignity, will they dare to be unfilial to you in the future?"

"Finally, think about it. Can you accept lying in the same bed with Qin Huairu?"

After asking three questions in a row, Ma Qing patted Xu Damao on the shoulder and said, "Brother Damao, your beloved is right in front of you, cherish him."

Xu Damao nodded as he listened, especially at the end, his eyes were shining with a cunning light, there was a lewd smile on the corners of his mouth, and his hands kept patting his thighs.

"Brother, you are my real brother. You have awakened me with your words. With what you said, Qin Huairu and I are really the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl - a match made in heaven."

Ma Qing thought to himself, I'm afraid it's just a lame donkey paired with a broken mill.

"But, will Qin Huairu agree? My situation seems..." After Xu Damao's excitement, inferiority complex surged up again.

It seems that the blow just now was too strong, Ma Qingxin thought. "If you trust me, leave it to me. Things can always be worked out through negotiation."

"Ma Qing, from today on, you are not my brother, you are my elder brother. Brother Ma, you helped me this time, and I will follow your lead in the future." Xu Damao patted his chest. He couldn't resist the free flattery.

Ma Qing waved his hand and said, "Don't say that. Leave it to me. I will give you a bright future within a month."

Why does it take so long? Because Ma Qing is willing to keep Xu Damao hanging for a month. This kind of anxious and fearful mood must torment him.

The days that followed were somewhat dull. Apart from going to Liang Huandi to deliver grain once or twice a week, Ma Qing spent the Spring Festival of 1963 without any worries. His life had entered its nineteenth year.

On the first weekend before school started, Ma Qing couldn't stand Xu Damao's annoyance anymore, so he took a few eggs and half a bag of flour from Xu Damao's house and knocked on the door of Jia's house.

"Aunt Jia, Sister Qin, Happy New Year to you. It's the beginning of the new year, so come and see us." Ma Qing handed over the gift with both hands.

"Just come, what else do you need?" Qin Huairu declined.

The two of them pushed and shoved it for a while, but finally Lady Jia gave the order to accept it.

"Huairu, go boil some water and make some tea. I want to talk to Ma Qing for a while," Grandmother Jia instructed Qin Huairu.

Ma Qing found a stool and faced Jia Mu diagonally. Seeing Huai Ru walk aside, he whispered, "Aunt Jia, on the day when Xu Damao got into trouble, I saw that you looked thoughtful. I came here because of what you were thinking about."

"Oh, you little clever boy, what's wrong with my expression? What am I thinking? Tell me." Grandmother Jia is quite smart. Indeed, anyone who came here before liberation and was able to keep the right to live in the west wing of the central courtyard of Nanluoguxiang was not an ordinary person.

"Ah, I couldn't say this at first, but thinking back to your expression that day, I feel it's possible. Xu Damao asked me to do this, and I can't refuse. Anyway, I'm young, and if I say something wrong, you have to be tolerant."

Ma Qing seemed a little embarrassed. He was not 100% sure about this matter. If he was scolded by this old woman, it would be a waste of time.

"Don't play tricks on me. Tell me first and I'll see if I should scold you or not." Grandmother Jia was in a good position.

"I'm here to talk about bringing Xu Damao and Qin Jie together. Xu Damao is a toad wanting to eat swan meat, but we are all neighbors, and I think this is not a bad thing for the Jia family, so I'll give it a try." Sure enough, Jia's mother didn't curse him, but sneered, "Xu Damao, that mule, is worthy of having his eyes on my Jia family."

"Mules are good. They only work but don't give birth to babies. If it weren't for this reason, I wouldn't visit them. I think this is Xu Damao's only advantage."

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she laughed and said, "Xu Damao came to you to negotiate, does he have any brains?"

"I don't know whether Xu Damao has a brain or not, but I, Ma Qing, never underestimate other people's brains. Xu Damao and I are not of the same mind. I just think this is a good thing for the Jia family. I stand on your side, that's why I'm here." Ma Qing quickly made his position clear.

But Jia's mother obviously didn't buy it. "Then tell me, what benefits will it bring to my Jia family?"

"First of all, Xu Damao cannot have children. The Jia family will always be the Jia family. It was the Jia family that ate up his Xu family, not the Xu family that ate up the Jia family. Am I right?"

Grandmother Jia looked at Ma Qing and said nothing.

"Secondly, Xu Damao has a workstation, which is a projectionist's workstation at the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. Who will own this workstation in the future? It will definitely belong to Bang Genger. It will be great if the Jia family has an extra workstation in the future."

Ma Qing made the final suggestion, "Brother Dongxu passed away at a young age. Perhaps being a worker was too tiring. In the future, Banggeng'er will be a film projectionist. That will be much easier and his body won't have to be so tired." The subtext is that Banggeng'er doesn't have to follow his father's old path.

Grandmother Jia's expression changed.

"Finally, Xu Damao has a house in the backyard. Old lady, this means the Jia family will have one more house in the future. I'm tempted. In addition..." Ma Qing stopped talking. Grandmother Jia held back from speaking, but it could be seen that she was holding back with great difficulty.

"In addition, Xu Damao is the only son of the Xu family. A hundred years from now, when Xu Damao's parents are gone, who do you think should own the house in the Cultural Palace?" Ma Qing continued to add to the pressure. If his mother didn't agree, he would have to overturn the table.

Grandmother Jia finally spoke, but she sighed first, "Ma Qing, you are so young, but you analyze things based on profit. What do you think of our Jia family? You think that if you ask us like this, our Jia family will definitely agree. You underestimate us too much. How can I respond to you when you are so straightforward?"

"Hehe, I understand what you mean, Aunt Jia. This is what I think. Let's not agree directly. Let's try him out for two years. Brother Dongxu just passed away last year. It's only natural for him to observe mourning for three years. Don't you think so?"

Ma Qing thought to himself, this Lao Deng, it is obvious that he agrees very much in his heart, but he still pretends to be nice, negotiating conditions, and trying to find a way out. He is as shrewd as a devil. But anyway, it’s not me who is paying, and I wish I could sell Xu Damao out even more thoroughly.

"I don't agree." Qin Huairu stood aside at some point, with tears in her eyes and a stubborn look.

Grandmother Jia looked at her daughter-in-law and then at Ma Qing, meaning that you have to take care of my daughter-in-law.

Ma Qing looked at the woman in front of him and didn't feel any pity in his heart. God is my witness, Xu Damao is really a good choice. It depends on how you use him. If you use the method you used to deal with Sha Zhu in the plot, Xu Damao will be drained dry.

"Sister Qin, I just want to say a few words. You are still so young, do you really want to be alone? You still have a long life ahead of you. I understand the relationship between you and Brother Dongxu, but the reality is that you have to work alone to support a family of five. Think about the child. That is your child with Brother Dongxu, and no one can change that."

Ma Qing paused for a moment and said, "Besides, Xu Damao is also a tall and handsome young man. It shouldn't be that hard to accept."

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(End of this chapter)