Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 692 The Jia Family Takes Control and Changes its Fortune
Easy home.

At this moment, Qin Huairu was confiding to an older woman about the unfair treatment Jia Zhangshi had given her this month.

They complained about unfair treatment of children, such as not taking care of the locust flowers, not doing housework, and treating children differently.

"It's all in the past, it's all in the past," the older woman said softly, almost driven mad by Jia Zhangshi's actions.

What kind of mother-in-law does that, not caring about anything?

Qin Huairu's job at the steel rolling mill was tiring enough. She would come home at noon to breastfeed, and after get off work she would still have to do housework.

Qin Huairu talked with the old lady for a while before Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi returned.

Upon seeing Jia Zhangshi, Qin Huairu's face darkened. She wiped away her tears and stared coldly at Jia Zhangshi.

When Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu, she, who had come to apologize, suddenly found it difficult to speak.

"Ahem~" Yi Zhonghai glanced at it twice.

Madam Jia immediately took small steps to Qin Huairu and said, "Qin Huairu, Mom knows she was wrong. Mom is sorry, I said the wrong thing."

"Our home can't be without you, please come back."

As she said this, Jia Zhangshi could not hide her embarrassment.

However, Qin Huairu's reaction was beyond Jia Zhangshi's expectations.

She listened quietly, her face expressionless, and simply shook her head slightly: "This is your Jia family, not my family. I've already decided not to go back."

Leaving the Jia family was not a spur-of-the-moment decision for Qin Huairu, but rather something she had thought about for a long time.

However, several difficult problems are now facing her, making Qin Huairu hesitant to make a complete decision.

First, they couldn't find a house.

Secondly, the money wasn't much. With his salary, Yi Zhonghai's subsidy, and the 5 yuan given by Guo Dapizi, the total was only around 35 yuan.

Third, the expenses are high. Once you move, you need to buy a lot of household items and you need receipts. 35 yuan in savings is not enough.

For these and other reasons, Qin Huairu hesitated to make a decision.

Qin Huairu originally planned to work for a few more months, save up a hundred or two hundred yuan, and then move.

Madam Jia's expression changed drastically, and her voice suddenly rose: "What do you mean? Where can a woman like you with three children go?"

Qin Huairu sneered: "I have a job, 18 yuan a month, enough to support three children and one adult!"

“I have my own money. If I go out and find a place to rent, it will only cost me 4 yuan a month at most. I am also an employee of the steel rolling mill, so I can get 2 yuan reimbursed.”

Madam Jia panicked. She hadn't expected Qin Huairu to be so resolute this time. Her voice was sharp: "No! You can't leave!"

"This is not up to you." Qin Huairu's words were firm and calm; she had already done the math.

Although the 18 yuan salary was barely enough to live on, and life was tough, it was still better than being verbally abused by Jia Zhangshi every day.

"No! If you leave, what will happen to Bang Geng? Who will take care of him?"

Qin Huairu said calmly, "I can take care of it myself. Who said I'm going to give you the stalks?"

Madam Jia became anxious: "No, you're a widow, living outside with your child. What will the neighbors think of you?"

Qin Huairu finally exploded: "How do you see me in this family? You call me a jinx every day, complain that I'm a freeloader, and that I gave birth to two money-losing children. Now you're afraid of what others will say?"

"Pooh!"

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai stepped forward, attempting to ease the tension.

He glanced at Jia Zhangshi, then at Qin Huairu, and sighed, "We're all family, what kind of nonsense is this?"

Madam Jia immediately cried out, "Uncle Yi, you be the judge! She insists on leaving; isn't she trying to force me to my death?"

"Xiao Qin, it's not easy for you to raise a child alone. You also have to go to work every day. There are so many things to do every day. How can you possibly manage?"

Yi Zhonghai pondered for a moment and said, "It's not easy for Huai Ru to take care of the child alone. It's always good to have someone at home to help."

Qin Huairu sneered: "Take care of her? You mean I have to serve her?"

Yi Zhonghai was somewhat embarrassed, but he still managed to shamelessly say:

“I have already taught Jia Zhangshi a lesson. From now on, she has to be self-reliant. Starting tomorrow, she will paste matchboxes to supplement the family income, so that she won’t cause trouble for herself.”

“She has to do housework, take care of the children, and cook. How about this? If that’s not enough, just tell me what else you need.”

Hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Zhangshi felt very uncomfortable, but she had no choice but to bow her head, as she had no better option.

Upon hearing this condition, Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhangshi in surprise, not expecting her to actually agree.

She was overjoyed, but immediately realized that there must be some reason she didn't know.

Beware of scams!

Qin Huairu felt a sense of unease and remained silent, deep in thought.

When Qin Huairu remained silent, Jia Zhangshi became nervous.

Yi Zhonghai was also a little nervous. He looked around at Banggeng and waved.

"Banggeng, come here! Come to Grandpa!"

Banggeng looked at Qin Huairu, and seeing that she did not object, he cautiously came over, avoiding Jia Zhangshi.

Yi Zhonghai squatted down, looked Banggeng straight in the eye, and patted his head: "Banggeng, if your mother and grandmother are going to separate, who do you plan to live with?"

Upon hearing this, Banggeng looked up at Qin Huairu, then at Jia Zhangshi.

The two looked at Bang-geung with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, desperately hoping that Bang-geung would choose them.

Jia Zhangshi's voice was ingratiating: "Banggeng, how about you live with Grandma?"

Banggeng kept his head down and didn't say anything.

Madam Jia became anxious: "Grandma has been so good to you, why don't you say anything?"

Hearing Jia Zhangshi's reprimanding words, Bang Geng immediately made a decision and said firmly:

"Me and my mom!"

Jia Zhangshi was stunned.

"Great job!" Qin Huairu was overjoyed and excitedly hugged her beloved son.

Banggeng was held tightly, a sly glint in his eyes.

Although Banggeng was only 6 or 7 years old, he wasn't stupid. He vaguely knew why the two of them were fighting over him—it was all for the sake of taking care of him in his old age.

Although Qin Huairu was bullied by Jia Zhangshi every day, and even by herself from time to time.

But Jia Zhangshi is already old, and in a few years she will need someone to take care of her. Who else but him can take care of Jia Zhangshi?

Although Qin Huairu doesn't have a large amount of savings, she has a job that allows her to earn a steady income, and she's young enough to support her family.

If she could only choose one, she would undoubtedly choose her mother.

"My God! Old Jia, Dongxu, your son doesn't want me anymore!" Jia Zhangshi wailed from the side.

"Bang Geng, Mom loves you!" Qin Huairu glanced at Jia Zhangshi with a smug look on her face.

Ice and Fire.

Qin Huairu was no longer in a hurry to move out. Since Banggeng had chosen to stay with her, she naturally didn't need to worry about him leaving her.

The task at hand is, of course, to earn money to rent a place.

Do not!
Now that Jia Zhangshi has made a mistake, there's no faster way to make money than to ask for it.

"Bang Geng, shall we move out?"

"As long as I'm with Mom, I can go anywhere," Banggeng said.

These words broke Jia Zhangshi's heart and made her panic even more. She quickly grabbed Qin Huairu's hand and said, "You can't leave, Qin Huairu, you can't leave!"

Qin Huairu flung her hand away: "Why can't I leave? Banggeng is sticking with me, you can't just say no." "You can't leave! You, Qin Huairu, are a member of the Jia family, you'll be a part of the Jia family in life and in death, and you're still Dongxu's wife! You can't leave!"

Qin Huairu added fuel to the fire: "Dongxu is dead. I am a widow now. Even if I leave or remarry, you can't control me."

Qin Huairu turned hostile without hesitation, completely overturning what Jia Zhangshi had said a month ago when she had her IUD inserted.

These words made Jia Zhangshi even more flustered and at a loss.

"Qin Huairu, you can't remarry! You can't leave! Have you forgotten what you promised?!"

Qin Huairu sneered, "What is it? What did I agree to? If you hadn't threatened me back then, I would have agreed. But things are different now."

"How you treated me back then, this is how I'll treat you now! How about that? Feeling powerless, huh? That's how I felt back then, and now I'll let you feel that too!"

"Hahaha~"

After venting her pent-up grievances, Qin Huairu now felt only joy and no trace of depression.

Yi Zhonghai and the old woman, listening to the two men's ambiguous words, both understood that there must be something hidden behind this.

"Qin Huairu, you can't leave! What will I do without you? I'm so old, what will I do without you? Please don't leave."

Jia Zhangshi knelt down, holding Qin Huairu's hand.

This kneeling was a genuine expression of Jia Zhangshi's heart.

"Now you know you regret it? Too late? What were you doing before!" Qin Huairu sneered.

Now the tables have turned.

Seeing that Qin Huairu had gained the upper hand, Yi Zhonghai was afraid that she would really leave, which would be a big problem, so he quickly advised her:

"Little Qin, if you want to leave, even I can't persuade you. But are you really sure?"

"Have you found a place to live? There's no one to look after the child, how are you going to take care of him? These are all problems."

"How about this, you and the child should stay? Let's give Jia Zhangshi a chance to reform. What do you think?"

Qin Huairu wanted Yi Zhonghai's advice. She didn't plan to leave now; the power and influence were in her hands, and leaving wouldn't be the best option.

"Want me to stay? It's not impossible."

"Just tell me your conditions."

Seeing that things had taken a turn for the better, Yi Zhonghai quickly seized the opportunity and Jia Zhangshi looked up at him expectantly.

Qin Huairu calmly raised one finger: "First, you must do exactly what the old man said, or I'll leave immediately."

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Jia Zhangshi and agreed on her behalf: "No problem, I'll supervise for you."

"Secondly, it was agreed that I would get 300 yuan when I started working at the factory, but now I want it back, and I need an extra 100 yuan!"

"No"

"can!"

Upon hearing that her retirement savings were to be touched, Jia Zhangshi refused without a second thought, but Yi Zhonghai loudly agreed.

Yi Zhonghai looked down at Jia Zhangshi with wide eyes: "Jia Zhangshi! What? You didn't pay me back then? You went back on your word after we agreed on something to your face!"

"What do you take my reputation, Yi Zhonghai, for! The extra 100 yuan is what Xiao Qin deserves, you should get it!"

"What? Even now, you're willing to give up even the best rice for money! Do you want to die?!"

Yi Zhonghai's words immediately chopped off one of the two fighting devils in Jia Zhangshi's mind—the money devil and the old man devil.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Jia Zhangshi reluctantly agreed.

Hearing such an easy agreement, Qin Huairu was incredulous.

But he wouldn't let this golden opportunity slip away.

I need the money right now!

"Go and get it!"

Jia Zhangshi trembled under Yi Zhonghai's glare and immediately got up to go home to get the money. She had originally planned to use delaying tactics, but now that wouldn't work.

When Jia Zhangshi returned home, she pulled out an oil paper package from somewhere, containing 800 yuan wrapped in three layers of cloth.

Jia Zhangshi took out 40 large black ten bills with a heavy heart. Looking at the money, her heart was bleeding.

He counted the bills one by one, repeating the count three or four times, before heartbrokenly hiding the remaining money away.

When Jia Zhangshi returned to the Yi family with the money, her fingers were white as she handed it to her, saying, "You have to keep the money!"

Qin Huairu snatched them away and checked them one by one to make sure nothing was missing.

Yi Zhonghai then said, "That's about enough, Xiao Qin."

Qin Huairu added, "Don't rush, there's more. You'll have to pay me 2 yuan for food expenses from now on, or I'll immediately remarry with Banggeng!"

Jia Zhangshi said aggrievedly, "I still have to pay. I've already given 400 yuan and I don't have much left. How am I supposed to live when I'm old if I give you the money back?"

"No money? If you don't have money, why don't you make money by pasting matchboxes? Pasting 10,000 matchboxes costs 1.8 yuan, and you can finish them in 10 days. You can paste a thousand or two more and you can finish them all."

"It will only take half a month or twenty days at most, so you won't have nothing to do all day."

"What?" Jia Zhangshi looked at Yi Zhonghai expectantly, wanting her to put in a good word for her. She really didn't want to paste matchboxes; it was just too tiring.

Yi Zhonghai coldly replied, "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Didn't you promise me before? Why do you want to go back on your word? Then why don't you let Xiao Qin move out?"

“No, I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” Jia Zhangshi quickly agreed.

"Xiao Qin, is that enough this time?"

"The last bit?"

"Anything else?" Madam Jia was on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to do any work. You can't steal or hide the 400 yuan I have, and you absolutely can't touch my money. If I find a single bill on that 400 yuan, I'll move out immediately!"

Qin Huairu wanted to be on the safe side in case Jia Zhangshi secretly hid her money, so that the money would eventually end up in Jia Zhangshi's hands.

Otherwise, all the money you worked so hard to earn will eventually be gone, wouldn't that be a waste of effort?
"Jia Zhangshi, did you hear me?"

Qin Huairu's words made Jia Zhangshi want to die.

She had originally planned to sneak it away when Qin Huairu wasn't looking, but now that's not an option.

"heard it."

"Don't worry, Xiao Qin, if even one bill is missing, I'll make it up to you," Yi Zhonghai assured him.

Qin Huairu merely glanced at him indifferently, which made Yi Zhonghai somewhat embarrassed.

Yi Zhonghai has already learned a lesson from this: no matter how nicely he speaks, it will all be useless in the end!

"Alright, that's all the requirements. We can discuss anything else later," Qin Huairu finally said.

These words instantly relieved Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi.

Qin Huairu scolded Jia Zhangshi: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go back to cook! Do you want me to cook for you?!"

"I'm going right now!" Jia Zhangshi said and hurriedly ran home to cook.

This made Qin Huairu feel very comfortable.

Finally, we can turn the tables and take control again.

"Let's go home."

Qin Huairu held a locust flower in her arms, held a stick in one hand, and the stick held a small hand in the other, as they walked home with brisk steps.

With the matter resolved, he immediately instructed Jia Zhangshi to prepare the meal, and that they would begin pasting the matchboxes the next day.

(End of this chapter)