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

Chapter 66 Unexpected Surprise

A week later, Chen Xiangqian arrived. He was carrying two bottles of Moutai and stood at the gate of the courtyard. He Yuzhu was taken aback when he opened the door, then took the Moutai and ushered him into the main room. "Uncle Chen, it's not right for you to bring me wine."

Chen Xiangqian sat down in the armchair, and He Yuzhu poured him a cup of tea and asked if there was any result.

Chen Xiangqian picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

"The case is closed. This guy's real name is Gu, a major general in the Military Intelligence Bureau. In 1947, he infiltrated our army under the secret orders of Mao Renfeng, codenamed 'Broken Arrow.' There were four people in that line, two of whom are already dead, leaving him and his lover."

Chen Xiangqian offered him a cigarette. "You guessed right, that copy of 'Journey to the West' was their code index. These two enemy agents had been lying low for almost ten years without being exposed, but you finally managed to expose them."

He Yuzhu took a drag of his cigarette, not expecting it to actually be a codebook.

"He received a second-class merit award and was promoted one rank. Now he's the director of the Municipal Finance Commission and concurrently the director of the Tax Bureau. Uncle Chen is really fortunate to have you."

Chen Xiangqian leaned back in his chair. "Also, there's a follow-up to Yang Honglin's case. His former boss was Vice Minister Bi of the Ministry of Industry. After Yang Honglin broke his leg, he was recuperating at home when Vice Minister Bi visited him and asked how he injured his leg. Yang Honglin told him the truth."

Vice Minister Bi scolded him, saying he had forgotten his roots and was abusing his power to oppress the working class. Then Vice Minister Bi called me, saying that his subordinates had made a mistake and caused me trouble, and apologized.

He Yuzhu paused in his smoking, realizing he was a high-ranking leader.

In his past life, Yang Honglin took him to Vice Minister Bi's house to cook. He was so clueless that he caught Vice Minister Bi's attention. He loved the food he cooked, and the two gradually became acquainted.

The high-ranking leader played chess with him, talked about history with him, and sometimes invited him to stay in the study for tea. The two gradually became close friends despite their age difference, along with his wife, who was also an older woman.

Later, during the storm, Lou Bancheng and his wife were arrested, and it was he who took Lou Xiao'e to see the high-ranking leader.

The old deaf man locked him and Lou Xiao'e in a room, only to expose their relationship. Before the Lou family fled, Xiao'e stayed with him for one night, which led to He Xiao's birth.

In truth, the big boss was the real matchmaker between him and Xiao'e.

"Vice Minister Bi said that once Yang Honglin has recovered, he will personally visit you to apologize. It will be about three months from now, and I will make the arrangements then."

He Yuzhu flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray. "No need to come over. I'll go to his place."

Chen Xiangqian glanced at him. "Are you going to Vice Minister Bi's house?"

"Hmm. Vice Minister Bi is a high-ranking leader, and he's so considerate of me. I'll go and cook him a meal to express my gratitude." He Yuzhu thought this was a good excuse. "Uncle Chen, please tell Vice Minister Bi that I'll bring the groceries over in three months."

Chen Xiangqian smiled. "Alright. I'll tell him that our culinary master, Comrade He Yuzhu, will personally cook to resolve the conflict." He stood up and picked up the Moutai. "Keep these two bottles. Drink them when you get back from Vice Minister Bi's place."

He Yuzhu escorted him to the gate of the courtyard, and Chen Xiangqian waved goodbye, got on his bicycle, and left.

The sounds of neighbors greeting each other drifted through the alley. He Yuzhu turned and went back into the main room to light a cigarette, gazing absently at the pomegranate tree outside the window. Three months later, he brought groceries to the door, and he would get to know his benefactor all over again.

Yan Bugui spent the entire morning moving goods in the department store warehouse. After the public-private partnership was established, the accountant was replaced by a public accountant sent from above.

Yan Bugui was transferred to manage the warehouse, where he was responsible for registering incoming and outgoing goods, moving boxes, sweeping the floor, and wiping the shelves every day.

He was squatting at the warehouse entrance eating a steamed bun when the company accountant walked over with his notebook. "Old Yan, take inventory of the warehouse this afternoon; a new batch of soap has arrived."

Yan Bugui stood up and responded, but the accountant had already walked away. He squatted back down and continued eating his steamed bun. Several sales clerks came in and were sorting out defective products, but no one called him.

Now, nobody in the joint-venture department store takes him seriously.

It's all Sha Zhu's fault. He lowered his head and continued to eat his steamed bun. After finishing, he picked up the crumbs that had fallen on his knees and stuffed them into his mouth.

Liu Haizhong now avoids He Yuzhu whenever he sees him; he's completely terrified.

Jia Dongxu received his Level 2 fitter certificate, slammed it on the table, and his face turned ashen.

Madam Jia was still very happy, and put her hands together, saying, "May Old Jia bless me."

After reading it, Qin Huairu said softly to Dongxu, "Level 2 is not bad. You can take Level 3 in the future."

Jia Dongxu pulled his right hand out of his pocket and placed it on the table, his index finger showing only a knuckle scar.

Jia Zhangshi said that Yi Zhonghai, that childless man, had brought ruin to our family. Jia Dongxu didn't reply, lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) staring at the roof beam.

Jia Zhangshi paced around the room twice, then turned to look at Qin Huairu. "Huairu, why isn't your belly showing any signs of pregnancy? Banggeng is already four years old, why don't you get pregnant again? Dongxu is a level two fitter now, earning over thirty yuan. With Old Jia's blessing, he might even pass the level three exam. How can we manage with only one child?"

Qin Huairu sat by the stove, picking vegetables, her head down and silent. Jia Zhangshi raised her voice. "Tell me, in the years since you married into this family, what have you done besides giving birth to Banggeng? Giving birth is like going to the execution ground. Four years have passed, and there's still no sign of pregnancy."

Qin Huairu stopped what she was doing and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Banggeng climbed off the kang (a heated brick bed), hugged her leg, and called out, "Mom."

Qin Huairu picked him up and buried her face in his small shoulder. That day, the people in the courtyard heard Jia Zhangshi scolding her daughter-in-law from the west wing again, intermittently, until dark.

No one tried to stop them. Yang Ruihua was washing clothes by the sink when she heard the cursing. She glanced up at the west wing, then lowered her head and continued washing. Wu Guilan was kneading dough by the window when she heard the cursing and sighed.

In the evening, He Yuzhu was drinking tea under the pomegranate tree when Old Li came over with his son, telling him about what had happened in the yard the past two days. He Yuzhu listened with a smile and poured Uncle Li a cup of tea.

He recalled that in his previous life, Qin Huairu couldn't conceive a second child, and Jia Zhangshi scolded her in the same way, only to conceive the following year.

In 1961, Jia Dongxu died. Qin Huairu was widowed, raising Banggeng, Xiaodang, and their posthumous daughter Huaihua, all of whom were raised by this fool.

Banggeng stole his money, Xiaodang wore the clothes he bought, and Huaihua called him "Silly Dad." He gave all his wages to Widow Qin, and in the end, he froze to death feeding dogs under a bridge.

Who should be chosen for this death? Let them taste the bitterness too.

He Yuzhu picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Jia Dongxu's right hand is crippled; he's a level-two fitter, earning a little over thirty yuan a month. Jia Zhangshi is still cursing, Qin Huairu is still enduring it, and Banggeng is only four years old.

In his past life, he stood at the door of the west wing trying to persuade Jia Zhangshi to stop cursing, but Jia Zhangshi spat at him and said, "What's it to you?"

Now he's sitting in the courtyard drinking tea, listening to Uncle Li recount the story, and it's fucking awesome.

Old Li sat beside him, holding his son, while the little guy licked the small cake that He Yuzhu had given him.

Old Li said, "Zhu Zi, do you think Qin Huairu's belly is a bit strange? She hasn't gotten pregnant again in four years since giving birth to her first child."

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. The stalk of a stick grows up to be curly-haired, but neither Lao Jia nor Jia Dongxu are.

There's something seriously wrong here. What kind of person did I marry in my past life?