The entire courtyard is full of villains

At this moment, Banggeng sniffed hard, unable to resist any longer. He moved closer to Qin Huairu, tugged at her clothes, and whispered, "Mom! I smell meat! I want dumplings! I want them now!"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Qin Huairu's face as she coaxed softly, "Bang Geng, be good, we have to wait for the elders to start eating..."

"Mom! Hurry up and let them eat!" Banggeng ignored her completely and raised his voice.

"Hmph," Old Madam Long chuckled softly, her words piercing like needles, "Disorderly things...like father, like son."

After saying that, she slowly picked up a dumpling and put it in her mouth.

Her chopsticks were like a starting gun. Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng's chopsticks shot out like lightning. Seeing this, He Yushui, not wanting to be outdone, also started shoveling dumplings into her own bowl. By the time Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu finished their polite drinks and picked up their chopsticks again, there were hardly any dumplings left in the bowl in the middle of the table.

Tan Saihua reacted quickly and scooped a few pieces from Yi Zhonghai's bowl.

Sha Zhu held his chopsticks, looking at the mostly empty bowl, his face full of embarrassment.

“Brother…” He Yushui felt sorry for her brother and picked up two dumplings from her own bowl for him. “Have some.”

Grandma Long squinted and slowly finished her first dumpling. Just as she was about to pick up another one, she found that there was nothing left on the table.

"Okay, okay, okay." Her cloudy gaze swept across the dining table—Jia Zhangshi's bowl across from her was overflowing, with more than half a bowl of corn stalks, while He Yushui's bowl still had six or seven left, having just given two to Sha Zhu. Even Tan Saihua's bowl still had four or five left. Only she, after finishing one, said nothing more.

"Sigh...it seems that when people get old, they become useless and disliked." Grandma Long said, standing up shakily and walking out with her cane. She ate this New Year's Eve dinner with great resentment.

"Grandma! Don't go!" Yi Zhonghai panicked and instinctively wanted to go to the street to buy her something, but then he suddenly remembered that it was New Year's Eve and all the shops were closed. He swallowed his words and could only worry anxiously.

Grandma Long didn't turn her head and went straight back to the backyard.

By this time, Jia Zhangshi had already finished most of the dumplings in her bowl, letting out a loud, satisfied burp. She then asked Yi Zhonghai, "Old Yi, do you still want some of that stir-fried shredded pork? If not, pass it over. To be honest, these dumplings tasted pretty good, but there weren't enough. I'm still hungry!"

"Exactly!" Banggeng wolfed down the dumplings in his bowl, grabbed the plate of stir-fried shredded pork, and stuffed a handful into his mouth! Then his eyes lit up, "Grandma, eat this! Shazhu's stir-fried pork smells so good!"

Chapter 91 is self-evident

roll!!!"

Yi Zhonghai suddenly roared and slammed his hand hard on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump. His eyes were bloodshot, as if they were about to spit fire, and he stared intently at Jia Zhangshi.

"Jia Zhangshi! Get the hell out of here! Don't even think about setting foot in my house again! If you dare come back, I'll break your legs!"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes were so fierce they looked like he wanted to devour someone. Yes, he wanted Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu to support him in his old age, but not in this way! Jia Zhangshi was clearly bringing her whole family to eat his childless heir! He tolerated their lack of flour and meat, after all, it was for the long term.

But Old Lady Long was different; she was his "treasure of virtue" and his anchor, the foundation of his authority in the courtyard and his moral authority over others! He never expected that this fool, Jia Zhangshi, wouldn't even bother with pretense and would directly drive Old Lady Long away in anger. If word got out, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't even be able to keep his reputation for "respecting the elderly." Who would trust him then? When he got old, would Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu listen to him, this humiliated "old man," or to Jia Zhangshi?

"Master, I..." Qin Huairu wanted to say something more.

"Huai Ru!" Yi Zhonghai interrupted her abruptly, his chest heaving. "It's the New Year, and I don't want to fall out with your family. Now! Immediately! Take your mother-in-law and Bang Geng and get back to your own home!"

Qin Huairu looked to Tan Saihua for help, hoping her "teacher's wife" could say a word for her. But Tan Saihua just kept her head down, focused on picking up the long-cold dumpling from her bowl, as if all the arguing around her had nothing to do with her.

This meticulously planned New Year's Eve dinner, intended to strengthen relationships, ended in discord amidst Yi Zhonghai's rage and the Jia family's disarray.

As soon as He Yushui returned to her house, she buried herself in the blankets, covered her mouth and giggled, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Brother, did you see Yi Zhonghai's face? And Aunt Jia too, how come I never realized she could be so infuriating!" She finally stopped laughing, poked her head out from under the covers, her eyes sparkling, "I'm really afraid that if we keep eating this meal, Yi Zhonghai will be so angry that he'll faint on the spot!"

Sha Zhu grinned from ear to ear, poured himself a glass of wine, and took a sip with relish: "Serves him right! That old bastard Yi Zhonghai is always trying to morally blackmail me! Yu Shui, hurry up and bring up the dumplings we saved!"

"Coming!" He Yushui replied cheerfully, quickly bringing out a plate of steaming white dumplings from the kitchen. "Brother, you're really something! How did you manage to make two ounces of meat look like half a pound?"

"Hehe," Sha Zhu proudly raised his chin, "that's what we cooks are good at. I slice the meat, soak it in water to rehydrate it, and it looks like there's more meat, doesn't it? I'm the one who does the slicing, and when I squeeze out the water, the weight goes back. How could Yi Zhonghai and his wife know this trick?"

"Brother, you're amazing!" He Yushui said admiringly. "It's just a pity about that pound of flour."

"What's a pity?" Sha Zhu waved his hand dismissively. "They didn't eat well either. Didn't it all end up in the bellies of Jia Zhangshi and Bang Geng, those two starving ghosts?"

"Brother, is it okay to eat the meat that's been soaked in water?"

"It's okay, a little bit won't hurt. If you eat too much..." Sha Zhu chuckled, "At most you'll just get diarrhea, but it's not us who's suffering from it."

The brother and sister exchanged a glance and chuckled knowingly.

On the other side, after venting his anger at home, Yi Zhonghai secretly went to the backyard with the pastries he had bought.

He stood in front of Old Madam Long's door and called out in a low, humble voice, "Old Madam? Old Madam?"

There was no sound from inside the house. Yi Zhonghai knew the old lady was truly angry, so he lowered his voice even further: "Grandma, I was wrong about what happened today, and I'm sorry you had to suffer. After the New Year, when all the restaurants are open, I'll take you to eat roast duck, how about that?"

After waiting for a while, Old Lady Long's slow voice finally came from inside the house: "Is that Zhonghai? Come in."

Yi Zhonghai quickly pushed open the door and handed over the pastries: "Grandma, you didn't eat well tonight, have some to tide you over."

Grandma Long didn't take the pastries. Instead, she looked at him meaningfully and said, "Zhonghai, I'm not angry. On the contrary, I'm quite happy. One meal has shown you the true colors of the Jia family. Do you really think you can expect them to take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days?"

She sighed, "I'm not afraid because I have you and Saihua to look after me. But what will you two do when you get old?"

These words struck Yi Zhonghai like a hammer blow, leaving him speechless for a long time. After a long while, he finally sighed heavily: "Grandma, I really have no other choice. Besides Dongxu and Huairu, who else can I count on?"

"We're counting on Zhu Zi!" Old Mrs. Long said bluntly. "That silly Zhu Zi is such a reliable kid!"

“Zhu Zi…” Yi Zhonghai hesitated, “He has too bad a temper, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control him.”

"What are you worried about?" Grandma Long said dismissively. "Zhu Zi may have a bad temper, but he has a kind heart! Look how filial he is to me."

Yi Zhonghai still shook his head: "Grandma, I think Zhuzi... is still not quite right."

Grandma Long narrowed her eyes, staring at him sharply: "Zhonghai, you wouldn't... be hiding something from me, would you?"

"No!" Yi Zhonghai panicked and quickly retorted, "Grandma, it was you who gave me the idea to get rid of He Daqing back then. How could I dare to hide anything from you?"

Grandma Long glanced at Yi Zhonghai with some suspicion, then switched to her exasperated tone: "So what are you afraid of? Don't you know Zhu Zi's personality? Back then, you sent a telegram asking Widow Bai to find a way to get him back, and he obediently came back, didn't he? In all these years, have you seen him go to Baoding even once? No, right?"

She leaned forward, lowered her voice, and spoke with the certainty of someone who had been through it all: "I told you to be good to Zhuzi because I know he's a sentimental and grateful boy! Listen to me, after the New Year, I'll have Saihua find a reliable matchmaker to find Zhuzi a virtuous and good wife. As long as he's committed to the family, settled down, and established, he'll treat you and Saihua like his own parents! Do you understand?"

"Hmm... I understand, Grandma." Yi Zhonghai replied with his head down, "After the New Year, I'll have Saihua make arrangements for Zhuzi."

"That's right!" Old Mrs. Long nodded in satisfaction, her tone carrying a warning, "Zhonghai, get rid of those Jia family people as soon as possible! Let me tell you, if you keep letting them drag you along, trouble will come sooner or later! Don't forget how you and Zhang Erhe started your feud. Wasn't it because Jia Zhangshi was greedy and had her eye on their house!"

"Yes, I understand, ma'am," Yi Zhonghai replied.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Yi Zhonghai left Old Lady Long's room.

The moment the door closed, the submissive look on his face vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression. He had just concealed the most crucial matter from Old Lady Long—for years, He Daqing had sent a letter almost every month, along with ten yuan, from Baoding. The letters were addressed to Yi Zhonghai, pleading with him to pass the money on to Sha Zhu and He Yushui.

Yi Zhonghai secretly opened and read every single letter. In the letter, He Daqing repeatedly explained that he had no choice but to go to Baoding, and that his relationship with the widow Bai was only nominal. He said that once he got old, he would sell his job and definitely come back to find his children. He also begged Yi Zhonghai to put in a good word for him with his children.

Can we tell Grandma Long about this?

Yi Zhonghai quickly calculated in his mind that the amount of money he had intercepted from He Daqing over the years was no small sum. Although he always lied to He Daqing in his replies, saying that Shazhu and Yushui were ashamed of him and refused to acknowledge him, telling him to give up on the idea, He Daqing seemed to have gradually resigned himself to his fate in his recent letters and no longer mentioned returning.

But... what if? What if He Daqing suddenly changes his mind and comes back regardless of everything? In that case, will Sha Zhu support him, this "old man," or his own father, He Daqing? The answer is self-evident.

Therefore, we can't place all our hopes for old age on Sha Zhu; we still have to look within the courtyard. The Jia family… if we really can't find a better candidate, and it has to be the Jia family, then we must teach them a lesson as soon as possible, so they fully understand: in this courtyard, without Yi Zhonghai's protection, the Jia family is nothing but a pile of stinking dog excrement that everyone despises, something even a dog would step on!

Chapter 92 Vomiting and Diarrhea

In the west wing of the central courtyard, Qin Huairu returned from outside, her brow furrowed with worry. She had inadvertently angered Yi Zhonghai today, something she hadn't anticipated. But Jia Zhangshi seemed oblivious, heading straight to the cupboard upon entering, taking out homemade meat dumplings, and sharing them with Banggeng.

Fortunately, Jia Zhangshi had some conscience; before eating, she put four pieces into Qin Huairu's bowl. After finishing their meal, the old woman and the child went to rest on the kang (a heated brick bed). Around ten o'clock, Banggeng was already fast asleep, and Jia Zhangshi was sitting on the edge of the kang, her head nodding off. In the end, she couldn't stay awake any longer and collapsed onto the kang with a "thud," her face directly against Banggeng's buttocks.

Banggeng's stomach clenched violently from the impact, and he suddenly let out a blast of gas. Jia Zhangshi, who had been half-asleep, first sniffed, then abruptly opened her eyes, yelled "Wah!" and quickly covered her mouth and nose, fanning herself vigorously. "Banggeng, what are you doing? Letting out such a stinky fart!" she shouted angrily, raising her hand to slap Banggeng's bottom.

When she slapped the stick, the already uncomfortable stomach couldn't hold back any longer, and with a "bang," the stick's pants were instantly stained yellow.

Qin Huairu heard the commotion from the outer room and rushed in. Seeing the scene, her face turned green. "Bang Geng, what...what's wrong with you? It's New Year's Eve, what are you doing?"

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi was the first to give in and vomited all over the floor. Then she also felt something was wrong with her stomach. "Qin Huairu, hurry up and clean up, I... I feel unwell too. Bring me some toilet paper later!" After saying that, she clutched her stomach and rushed out the door, running all the way to the toilet.

She had just squatted down and pulled down her pants when she suddenly "pooped" out. Mrs. Jia wiped away a cold sweat, relieved she hadn't soiled her pants, and muttered to herself, "What's wrong with me today? Is it because my stomach is so weak, unable to hold this little bit of oil? A perfectly good meal of white dumplings, and now..."

Her legs were numb from squatting, but Qin Huairu still hadn't brought any paper. She was getting anxious and annoyed: "That bitch, that little whore, what are you dawdling for? It's so cold, and you're making me wait here with my bare bottom exposed!"

Little did she know, Qin Huairu inside was completely oblivious to her—Bang Geng had begun vomiting and having diarrhea, and was limp on the kang (heated brick bed) unable to move. Qin Huairu frantically tidied up while asking, "Bang Geng, how are you? Say something!"

Bang Geng was speechless. He was young and didn't have a big belly, but he ate quite a lot of dumplings. Even Jia Zhangshi, an adult, couldn't handle it; how could a child like him?

The stench was so strong that it quickly spread, even reaching the two neighboring households and the neighbors in the connecting room.

"Qin Huairu, what are you doing at your house?" someone shouted, pinching their nose. "Did you poop in the house during the New Year? It stinks so bad!"

Qin Huairu hurriedly came out and bowed to everyone, saying, "I'm so sorry, everyone! My son Banggeng seems to have eaten something bad and is feeling unwell. I'm really sorry!"

"If you get food poisoning, go to the hospital right away! What's the point of just staying at home?" A neighbor's words woke Qin Huairu up.

She then realized what was happening, but her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, was gone and hadn't returned. Having no other choice, she braced herself and ran to the main house to find Sha Zhu.

He Yushui saw Qin Huairu coming in through the window and quickly turned back to shout into the house, "Silly brother! Qin Huairu is here! You better pretend to be drunk! Let me tell you, that kid Banggeng pooped all over the bed. If you go over now, you might end up covered in poop. You made this new outfit for the blind date; if it gets tainted with bad luck, see how you'll react..."

"No, no, no! Rain, stop yelling!" Sha Zhu hurriedly downed the last mouthful of wine, slumped onto the table, and pretended to be unconscious.

"Zhu Zi! Zhu Zi!" Qin Huairu arrived at the door.

He Yushui opened the door: "Sister Qin, what's wrong?"

"Rain, where's your brother?"

"My brother is drunk. Look, he's lying over there."

"Oh dear, this Zhu Zi is really something, how could he get drunk so late at night..." Qin Huairu blurted out in her anxiety.

He Yushui was the first to get upset: "Sister Qin, it's Chinese New Year today, what's wrong with my brother having a couple of drinks?"

Qin Huairu realized she had spoken out of turn, and without saying another word, she turned around and ran towards Yi Zhonghai's house in the east wing.

"master!"

Inside the house, Tan Saihua grabbed Yi Zhonghai, saying, "Don't go! Who knows what kind of trouble the Jia family is up to this time?"

Yi Zhonghai hesitated, but Qin Huairu outside the door was truly anxious. Apart from Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, no one else in the courtyard ever treated the Jia family with respect. She steeled herself and knelt down at Yi Zhonghai's door with a thud.

"Master, I know my mother offended you tonight! But now Banggeng is in trouble, please, please come with me to take him to the hospital! I beg you!" He then began to kowtow.

"Sigh..." Yi Zhonghai sighed from inside the room. Tan Saihua knew she couldn't stop her now, so she turned around to face inwards and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt.

Yi Zhonghai got out of bed, put on his shoes, walked to the door, opened it, and pretended to have just been woken up: "Huai Ru, what's going on...?"

"Uncle, I don't know what's wrong with Banggeng, he's been vomiting and having diarrhea, he's almost dying!"

"Okay, let's hurry up and get ready to take you to the hospital."

When Yi Zhonghai entered the house, he barely managed to hold back from vomiting—the house was a complete mess. "Where's your mother-in-law?" he asked, frowning.

"My mother-in-law... I don't know, maybe she went to the toilet." Qin Huairu was also flustered.

"Huai Ru, how can we take him to the hospital like this?" Yi Zhonghai pointed at Bang Geng. Qin Huai Ru looked and agreed; the child was covered in filth. She steeled herself, stripped Bang Geng of all his dirty clothes, and wrapped him tightly in a blanket.