Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 117 Infamy

Jia Zhangshi started working at the steel rolling mill, reassigned as a cleaner. Her job involved sweeping the floors and wiping the office stairs every day, leaving her covered in dust by the end of the day. Her salary was the standard for a first-class general worker, twenty-eight yuan per month.

Jia Zhangshi only has this much money each month, and she absolutely cannot touch her son's pension, as it is her retirement money.

Before going to work each day, she would scoop out her allotted amount of grain from the cupboard and place it on the stove. She would eat lunch at the factory and then have a bowl of dry food when she got home in the evening.

Qin Huairu and the children wanted to eat their fill, but that was impossible.

Liu Guangtian also entered the factory, a few days later than Jia Zhangshi.

Liu Haizhong has been working diligently in the workshop for the past few years, mentoring many apprentices. He may not be good at much else, but he's incredibly dedicated to teaching his apprentices. A level six forging worker, he was promoted to team leader last year.

He secretly gave gifts to the workshop director and spent money to buy a job for a retired old forging worker in the workshop, and directly hired Guangtian with a monthly salary of 27.5 yuan.

Liu Haizhong personally taught his son, and his apprentices helped him with any chores his son couldn't finish.

Liu Guangtian was quick-witted, tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He walked in and out of the yard in his new work clothes, his back ramrod straight, exuding a flamboyant air.

Qin Huairu didn't notice him at first. Every day, she went in and out of the courtyard with her head down, breastfeeding Huaihua, squatting at the door to wash clothes, her eyes blank. Apart from Tian Xinghua occasionally saying a few words to her, none of the women in the courtyard paid any attention to her.

No one in the courtyard spread the story of Widow Qin. The neighborhood committee suppressed the matter; anyone who went around gossiping about it was disrespecting the neighborhood committee.

Moreover, everyone in the courtyard knew that if word got out of Nanluoguxiang, the reputation of No. 95 Courtyard would be ruined. Every family had children, and with a widow who had cheated on her husband living in the courtyard, it would be difficult for their children to find partners.

Everyone tacitly agreed to the situation, whispering amongst themselves behind closed doors, but falling silent once they stepped outside the courtyard.

He Yuzhu saw that the matter had been suppressed by the street and covered up in the courtyard. Did Widow Qin think she could live a peaceful life like this? It wouldn't be that easy.

When Ma Qiang heard his master calling him, he quickly ran over.

"Master, what is it?"

"Go to Hongxing Elementary School these afternoons and chat with a few students." He Yuzhu lit a cigarette and leaned against the pomegranate tree. "Just tell them that Banggeng's mother gave birth to three children, all illegitimate, and their blood types don't match. The steel mill director personally led the investigation. Not a single word more, not a single word less."

Ma Qiang nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Master, I'm good at this."

A few days later, Banggeng came home from school with several tears in his clothes, bruises all over his face, and dried bloodstains hanging under his nose.

Yang Ruihua was watering the flowers and plants at the door when she saw the stalks like this and sighed, saying, "What a pity."

Banggeng threw his schoolbag on the ground when he got home, then collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and burst into tears. Qin Huairu, who was breastfeeding Huaihua, quickly put Huaihua down on the kang, went over, and pulled Banggeng up. Seeing the bruises on his face, she gasped, "What happened? Who hit you?!"

"My classmates beat me up! They called you a slut, called me a bastard! They said the factory manager had people check my blood type, and that I'm not my father's child!" Banggeng cried, gasping for breath. "I couldn't fight them off. They chased me all the way here, and my clothes are all torn! Mother, is it really true?!"

Qin Huairu's hand froze on Bang Geng's shoulder. She pulled Bang Geng into her arms, her lips trembling for a long time, unable to utter a single coherent word.

The courtyard was now quiet under the weight of the street, and she thought the matter was over. But no one could control what people said outside the courtyard. Her child was being pointed at and gossiped about at school, and this was just the beginning; the days to come would be even harder.

When He Yuzhu returned from get off work at the supply and marketing cooperative, he listened to Ma Qiang's report, praised him with a smile, and even taught him two new dishes.

Qin Huairu didn't sleep all night. She lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring at the roof beams. Huaihua was asleep beside her, while Banggeng and Xiaodang slept on her left. From the inner room came Jia Zhangshi's snoring.

She calculated the meager amount of cornmeal that Jia Zhangshi scooped out each day, and the shortfall was undeniable. Three children needed to grow up; Jia Zhangshi's meager rations wouldn't suffice. The famine wasn't over yet, and rations were still tight. Even if she starved herself to death, she couldn't feed three mouths.

She had to find another man. She sifted through the men in the yard. He Yuzhu was out of the question, Xu Damao was on He Yuzhu's side, and the other families were dirt poor. Finally, her gaze fell on the second son of the Liu family in the backyard. Twenty years old, a full-time employee, earning twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents a month, and unmarried. Young, strong, and energetic.

In early April, the weather warmed up. Every day after get off work, Liu Guangtian would walk through the middle courtyard to the backyard. He wore his navy blue work uniform, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.

Qin Huairu noticed that he would always glance at the west wing door when he passed through the central courtyard. He would casually slow his pace and glance in her direction. At first, she thought she was just imagining things, but after observing him for several days, she realized he passed by at the same time every day and glanced in her direction every single day. A chord in her heart stirred.

That evening, Liu Guang returned home from work and, as usual, passed by the central courtyard. Qin Huairu was squatting at the door washing clothes, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her neckline open. Hearing footsteps, she didn't look up, but leaned forward slightly, causing her neckline to drop a bit, revealing a patch of her fair breasts.

Liu Guangtian paused for a moment.

She sensed it, her lips twitched slightly, and she looked up to see Liu Guangtian's gaze lingering on her collar for a long time before moving away, then quickly walking towards the backyard.

A few days later, Qin Huairu was collecting clothes. She tiptoed and removed the clips from the rope, causing the hem of her clothes to slide up, revealing a section of her snow-white waist.

Liu Guangtian returned through the passageway and saw her back, slowing his pace. He stood by the passageway, pretending to brush dust off his trousers, his eyes constantly glancing in her direction.

Qin Huairu took down the dried clothes, turned around, and was face to face with him. Liu Guangtian lowered his head and quickly walked towards the backyard.

Qin Huairu bent down, picked up the wooden basin, and turned to go inside. She knew what was going on.

He Yuzhu brought some fruit candies for Lao Li's son after getting off work at the supply and marketing cooperative. When he passed by the Central Court, his spatial perception system saw this scene.

Liu Guangtian walked quickly from the main hall to the backyard, his steps a little hurried, his expression still somewhat composed. He glanced at the door of the west wing; the curtain had just fallen and was still swaying gently.

He Yuzhu lit a cigarette. Qin Huairu had her eye on Liu Guangtian. This kid was more flamboyant than his father and bolder than his brother. Being targeted by a widow, he was bound to fall sooner or later.

This is going to be interesting. I wonder if Liu Haizhong will end up becoming a grandfather figure. That seems a bit difficult; I'll have to lend them a hand.

The medicine Xiao'e used last time worked well.

Hehe, if Liu Guangtian plugs this hole, the Liu family will definitely be in chaos.

Courtyard No. 95 is guaranteed to be infamous. If anyone in the courtyard is still hoping to find a good partner, they can forget about it and go to sleep. They'll only dream about it.