Chapter Thirty-Four: Silly Zhu Gets Scolded

As soon as Shazhu stepped out of the Chen family courtyard, he caught sight of the charming widow Qin standing at the entrance of his own yard next door.

Having made up his mind, Shazhu didn’t even feel like greeting her this time. Shouldering his toolbox, he lowered his head and headed home to fetch some things before heading to the bathhouse for a soak.

This left Widow Qin utterly bewildered—what on earth was wrong with her loyal admirer now?

Now, Widow Qin truly feared Shazhu might awaken to reality. If she lost his support, her family really wouldn’t be able to get by. Especially those two days when Shazhu stopped bringing lunchboxes—the Jia family endured two days of watery porridge and salty pickled vegetables with coarse cornbread. Worse yet, even the cornbread was rationed, one piece per person, and they could afford no more.

After two days of not having enough to eat, Jia Zhang erupted, directly pointing at Widow Qin’s nose and unleashing a tirade of veiled insults. The three children below grumbled and made trouble in all sorts of ways.

Originally hoping to maintain her saintly persona, Widow Qin finally had no choice but to seek out Shazhu and offer him some perks.

She clung to Shazhu’s arm, pestering him until her own patience wore thin and her arm ached, but eventually managed to soothe the wounded heart of her devoted admirer.

Yet after only a few days of peaceful life, the loyal dog had once again dropped the ball!

Widow Qin, gripped by fear, no longer cared about appearances—she rushed to grab Shazhu’s arm, intent on doling out further benefits.

But as soon as she caught his hand, he shook her off. “Hey! Widow Qin, if you’ve got something to say, just say it. We don’t need to be pulling and tugging, do we?” This time Shazhu was serious—not even calling her Sister Qin!

Widow Qin was stunned by his rejection. Her loyal admirer was now refusing even the perks? Was her enticement no longer appealing?

Finally, stammering under Shazhu’s questioning, Widow Qin said, “Well, Shazhu, we haven’t eaten yet. Banggen and the others are waiting for the lunchbox you bring home!”

Whenever Shazhu cooked for others, he’d bring home a lunchbox, and the Jia family always waited for him to return, so they too could enjoy a rare feast.

Shazhu knew this well, but when it came to choosing between the fairy-like wife he dreamed of and another family’s widow, he had no hesitation—he picked the former.

Shazhu wasn’t truly foolish. Such a simple choice didn’t require deliberation.

“It’s over. I won’t bring lunchboxes anymore, Widow Qin, so don’t bother waiting!” Deep down, Shazhu harbored resentment.

Whenever he recalled the recent courtyard assembly—the aggressive Jia Zhang and the meekly posturing Widow Qin—a feeling of indignation rose within him, making him utterly uneasy.

Previously, Shazhu had been swayed by Widow Qin’s perks, so he’d brought lunchboxes home for two more days. But now? Ha! Just thinking about the fact that he was soon to meet a girl as beautiful as Chen Liang’s wife, what need had he for Widow Qin’s paltry benefits? Who cared!

It had to be said—once Shazhu had pulled up his trousers, his words became much firmer.

“What? No lunchbox? What will my family do?” Widow Qin, thrown off balance by Shazhu’s words, couldn’t help but voice her inner fears.

“Deal with it yourself. What does your family have to do with me? I’ve got things to do!” With that, he strode into the yard.

His harsh words left Widow Qin standing dazed at the courtyard gate, her heart chilled.

No one knew how long Shazhu could hold out. If Widow Qin truly abandoned all shame and tried to force herself on him, who could say whether he’d withstand it? It seemed doubtful.

Widow Qin, lost and forlorn, returned home. Jia Zhang, already starving and anxious, saw her come back empty-handed and immediately started scolding again.

This time, Jia Zhang’s voice was loud enough that even Shazhu, passing by on his way to the bathhouse, could hear it outside. Listening for a moment by the wall, Shazhu coldly snorted and left.

Being a good person was truly a thankless task. Over the years, even if he’d been feeding a dog, it would have grown loyal; but with the Jia family? Hmph! A pack of ingrates!

Yet this time, Widow Qin pondered for a long while. She realized she couldn’t treat Shazhu as before, or else her long-term meal ticket might really fly away.

So, as Jia Zhang cursed, Widow Qin began to fight back. “Mother, if you want to scold, I won’t stop you. But from now on, the family will have nothing but watery soup. As long as you can accept it, that’s fine!”

“And just now, Shazhu said he won’t bring lunchboxes anymore. If things get truly unbearable, I’m a widow—remarriage is always an option for me.”

Widow Qin truly lived up to her reputation as the most cunning schemer. With a single sentence, she struck at Jia Zhang’s weak spot, making her too afraid to raise her voice.

“Qin Huairu, you dare remarry? Are you abandoning your son?” Jia Zhang’s face was full of disbelief. She hadn’t done anything—was their family really heading for disaster?

“What do I care? I can barely support myself, let alone anyone else. Besides, this job is yours, the Jia family’s. If I remarry, I’ll return it to you!”

Widow Qin’s words were resolute, immediately silencing Jia Zhang. But she forgot about the children—Banggen was shocked by his mother’s words, and his resentment toward Shazhu, the root of all their woes, only deepened.

After a good soak and making himself look presentable, Shazhu hummed a tune as he headed home. The old man Yi Zhonghai, who’d been conspiring with Widow Qin all afternoon, had been waiting for him at his place for ages.

No one knew what they discussed, but in the end, a dejected Shazhu sought out Chen Liang, who’d spent the afternoon cuddling his wife Xiaoyu.

“Brother, I’m sorry. Let’s forget about the matchmaking—it won’t work between me and that girl.”

I knew you’d turn out to be unreliable. “What’s the matter now, Shazhu? Let me tell you, she’s my sister-in-law’s best friend, Liu Siyuan! Haven’t you heard? She’s the belle of the department store! If it weren’t for wanting to see how the Jia family would fare without you, do you really think you’re a match for her?”

The more Shazhu heard, the more tempted he was. But in the end, he could only sigh deeply. “No, brother. We’re not meant to be. Forget it.”

If only you’d wipe away those drooling tears, your words would be more convincing.

Chen Liang shot Shazhu a disdainful look. “Alright, tell me what’s going on. Everything was ready, and you suddenly backed out. Is there something you can’t talk about?”

With that, Chen Liang glanced pointedly at Shazhu’s nether regions.