Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 233 Always eager for a good show, launching a head-on attack.
"So, you're planning to extort money from me today with this meat?"

Sha Zhu, who was still arguing with Wang Guihua and Qin Huairu, couldn't help but sneer when Bang Geng brought the topic back to the pot of roe deer meat.

"Silly Zhu, how can you take what a little kid like Bang Geng says seriously?"

"I didn't want your flesh, but you just insulted me, you can't deny that, can you?"

"Many people in the courtyard are listening. Even if you want to deny it, it's too late now."

"If you don't give me an explanation for this, it won't be over so easily."

"If all else fails, I'll have to go to the Women's Federation and tell them that you not only bullied the child, but also insulted the reputation and innocence of women..."

"..."

As soon as Qin Huairu said these words, before Sha Zhu could even get angry, Bang Geng, who was standing to the side, became anxious.

Seeing this, Qin Huairu, who had been keeping an eye on Banggeng, preemptively snapped before Banggeng could even speak, "Banggeng, be good! If you don't, I won't buy you candied hawthorns tomorrow."

"Candied haws?"

Hearing Qin Huairu's witty remark, he was taken aback and looked up at her with some confusion.

When did she promise to buy me candied hawthorns tomorrow?
Seeing Banggeng looking over, Qin Huairu quickly gave him a look. Banggeng, who was already quite perceptive at such a young age, seemed to understand Qin Huairu's meaning and immediately said to Shazhu, "Shazhu, I don't want your family's meat anymore. You can keep it and eat it slowly! I don't care for it!"

Bang Geng's completely opposite behavior surprised many people, but Qin Huairu showed a satisfied expression on her face.

Despite his young age, Banggeng is incredibly shrewd. When it comes to the temptation of candied hawthorns versus the pot of roe deer meat right now, the latter is naturally more appealing to him. Logically, it's impossible for him to give up and compromise so quickly.

If Bang Geng were truly so obedient and easy to coax, he wouldn't have caused so much trouble and become a naughty child disliked or even hated by most residents in the compound.

Actually.

This was simply because Bang Geng understood Qin Huairu's coded message, and the two of them teamed up to perform a charade for the others.

It seems quite unbelievable, but it's thanks to the fact that Bang Geng has caused a lot of trouble in the past few years. Every time he was about to get into trouble, it was Qin Huairu who stepped in to save him, often allowing him to escape punishment or just put on a show for others.

In front of outsiders, the mother and son have developed their own unique set of tacit understanding.

Banggeng may seem to be giving up, but in reality he is handing the initiative over to Qin Huairu and even getting a candied hawthorn as a bonus.

“Shazhu, Banggeng asked you for meat earlier. Banggeng was being unreasonable, and I've already disciplined him.”

Using a single sentence to gloss over the earlier incident, Qin Huairu's gaze fell on Sha Zhu, and she said in an unfriendly tone, "You said those things in public, especially in front of me. Shouldn't you give me an explanation? Give all the women in the world an explanation?"

"I apologize! I apologize, okay? I'm an adult, I really shouldn't have argued with a kid like Bang Geng. I admit defeat!"

Shazhu felt a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't continue bringing up the stick joke, so he could only accept his bad luck.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Qin Huairu not only had no intention of letting him off the hook, but instead seized the opportunity to say, "Shazhu, are you now admitting that you just insulted a woman?"

"fart!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu immediately exploded, angrily retorting, "Qin Huairu, don't make false accusations! When have I ever done such a thing?"

"You've just……"

"You just said..."

"Silly Zhu, are you doing this on purpose?"

"You know I can't say it, so you're deliberately trying to embarrass me, aren't you?"

"You...you're really going too far..."

"Don't think that just because I'm a lesbian you can do whatever you want..."

"me……"

"..."

Seeing Qin Huairu's performance, Sha Zhu's face immediately changed, turning a deep liver color. He said angrily, "Nonsense! When did I mean that? I...I..."

Seeing Qin Huairu fixate on this matter and keep steer the conversation in that direction, Sha Zhu also began to get a little uneasy.

Anyone with a normal mind would know that he absolutely did not mean that; it was just a few lines of traditional Chinese culture spoken unconsciously, and they were the kind that contained a lot of nuance. He had no real intentions.

Even if he did, he wouldn't say it in front of so many people in the courtyard.

"Shazhu, you really went too far just now. How could you say such things to Huairu, a female comrade?"

"Exactly, you don't even consider the occasion when you say things, especially with Huai Ru right here!"

You must apologize for this!

"Apologize!"

"Silly Zhu, with that foul mouth of yours, I've told you to watch your mouth all the time, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened!"

"Serves you right! You deserve to learn a lesson!"

"Shazhu, I advise you to apologize to Huairu and soften your stance to let this matter go. Don't let it escalate to the point where it becomes a serious issue, or you'll have a lot of headaches to deal with!"

"..."

Just as Sha Zhu was feeling frustrated and angry, the other women in the courtyard spoke up one after another.

Most people spoke up for Qin Huairu.

Even though everyone knew what was going on, they were all women, so they were naturally on the same side as Qin Huairu.

and.

Sha Zhu has a sharp tongue that has offended many people, so they wanted to take this opportunity to teach him a lesson.

Of course.

Some kind-hearted people sincerely advised Sha Zhu to let the matter rest and avoid making a big fuss.

If this matter gets taken to the authorities and becomes serious, Sha Zhu will definitely be in big trouble.

No matter what.

Their persuasion only made Sha Zhu, who was already somewhat unsure, even angrier.

Sha Zhu spat on the ground and then retorted defiantly, "Why should I? I did nothing wrong, I'm not apologizing!"

Sha Zhu's personality dictates that he's not someone who easily backs down; the more others make things difficult for him, the more determined he is to fight to the end. The key is...

Sha Zhu already believed he was right, and if he apologized, he would be wrong instead of right, and then the other party would have a handle on him, leaving him at their mercy.

Once someone is accused of insulting women, their reputation is ruined.

He's had enough of the pain of a damaged reputation these past few years.

If it weren't for that inappropriate remark he made on his blind date, which later got out and was spread around by Xu Damao and Yi Zhonghai, damaging his reputation and image, his blind date journey over the past few years wouldn't have been so bumpy.

With Xu Damao, his mortal enemy, in the courtyard, once he finds out about this, he'll inevitably start spreading rumors and ruining his reputation everywhere.

Even if they caught Xu Damao in the act later and gave him a good beating, it wouldn't help and wouldn't quell their anger at all.

In the end, he was the one who suffered the loss.

The experiences of the past few years have proven this point.

Qin Huairu never expected Sha Zhu to be so stubborn, refusing to yield even after all this. She could only bite the bullet and say, "Sha Zhu, since that's the case, I have no choice but to go to Fudan and ask the comrades there to judge the matter and help me."

"Qin Huairu, hurry up and go, or you'll be... do you really think I'm stupid and afraid of your threats?"

He almost blurted out another vulgar, offensive remark, but remembering how that last sentence had landed him in this predicament, Sha Zhu quickly swallowed it back and retorted firmly, refusing to back down an inch:

"Anyway, I didn't mean anything by that. If you insist on throwing mud at me, there's nothing I can do. I believe that the people of Fudan won't just listen to your side of the story. Justice will prevail!"

Seeing how reckless Sha Zhu was, Qin Huairu, who was now in a difficult situation, began to regret her actions.

This was not the outcome she wanted.

In fact, Qin Huairu did not intend to fight to the death with Sha Zhu and completely offend him. She just wanted to use Sha Zhu's "handle" to make him back down, apologize, and make "appropriate" compensation.

Regardless of whether they have money or not, they can't miss that pot of meat, since it's something Banggeng has been longing to eat.

Unfortunately, Qin Huairu overlooked one thing.

He Daqing is no longer in this courtyard.

Given Sha Zhu's stubborn nature, someone who would listen to gentle persuasion but not force would have needed to step in and keep him in check at that moment, just like Yi Zhonghai before the conspiracy was exposed, or He Daqing before he went to prison.

If someone had stepped in and managed to get Sha Zhu to back down and receive the "compensation" he wanted, Qin Huairu would certainly not have wanted to dwell on the matter. She would have simply downplayed the issue and resolved it peacefully, with both parties reaching a settlement.

If He Daqing were still around, her goal might have been achieved.

If He Daqing were really here, Qin Huairu would never be so blind as to use this incident to target Sha Zhu and try to help Bang Geng extort meat.

A top-notch cook, the head chef of Emei Restaurant, and a renowned chef of Tan Family Cuisine in Beijing...

Such a person, let alone Qin Huairu, even Jia Dongxu wouldn't dare to do this.

Even before his downfall, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't have so blatantly harassed Sha Zhu unless it was a fight to the death.

But today is different from the past.

to be honest.

They are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, thinking that Sha Zhu or the He family are no longer viable, either now or in the future.

In rural areas, this kind of thing is all too common.

Actually, it's the same in the city. This kind of thing doesn't distinguish between urban and rural areas; it just depends on whether people are good or bad.

"Aunt Wang, could you please take care of Banggeng for me? I'm going to the Women's Federation to ask someone to come over."

Even though she regretted it in her heart, she had already made those harsh words. If she backed down now, she wouldn't be able to hold her head up in the courtyard anymore. So Qin Huairu had no choice but to go with the flow.

The relationship between the two families was already bad, even hostile. Now that He Daqing has been imprisoned, only Sha Zhu is left to support the He family. Qin Huairu is really not afraid of Sha Zhu.

"Huai Ru, is it really going to come to this?"

Seeing that Qin Huairu didn't really want to make a big deal out of this, Wang Guihua quickly advised Qin Huairu as she handed her the stick, "We're all neighbors in the same courtyard, we see each other all the time. Why don't you and Shazhu each take a step back, what do you think?"

Wang Guihua's words immediately relieved Qin Huairu, who softened her tone and said, "Aunt Wang, it's not that I'm insisting on bringing this up, it's just that with Shazhu's attitude, how can I back down?"

With a way out provided, Qin Huairu naturally accepted it, but she would have to wait and see how Sha Zhu reacted next.

Fortunately, Wang Guihua also knew this, and immediately said to Shazhu, "Shazhu, I know you have a problem with me, but I really want what's best for you and Huairu. I don't want to make things worse, as it won't do either of you any good."

I hope you can calm down. Even if not for your own sake, you need to think about your sister, Yushui. Your father is already in jail. If something happens to you, how will Yushui survive?

Originally, Sha Zhu didn't intend to pay any attention to Wang Guihua, but when Wang Guihua mentioned rainwater, he hesitated.

It would be impossible for Sha Zhu to say that he wasn't afraid of Fu Cong at all.

Even though Sha Zhu insisted that he had no intention of insulting Qin Huairu or women, the Women's Federation was, after all, a women's organization. If Qin Huairu were to file a complaint, the other party might not necessarily side with him.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Sha Zhu looked at Wang Guihua, already considering backing down, but still emphasized, "However, I will definitely not admit to this mistake!"

Admitting his mistake would not only damage his reputation, but would also give Qin Huairu leverage over him. Sha Zhu must stick to this bottom line.

"Silly Zhu, I already told you the solution, but you're prejudiced against me and can't hear me!"

Looking at Sha Zhu, Wang Guihua sighed and said somewhat "helplessly," "If you had listened to me just now and hadn't taken Bang Geng so seriously, and had just served him a bowl of meat to taste, then Huai Ru wouldn't be an unreasonable person, and none of this would have happened..."

Things have returned to the way they were before. This time, Sha Zhu didn't refuse outright, but hesitated.

Roe deer meat is delicious, but if it can solve the immediate problem, even if I feel uncomfortable, I'll give it a bowl of meat.

The problem is that he specially prepared this roe deer meat for Li Hongbing, but before Li Hongbing could even eat it, that little rascal Banggeng got to enjoy it instead. He has no way to explain this to Li Hongbing.

This not only concerns Sha Zhu's reputation, but Sha Zhu is also afraid that Li Hongbing will overthink things and have opinions if he finds out.

"Silly Zhu, you stingy little devil! If you had given me meat earlier, my mom definitely wouldn't have been so mean to you..."

Just as Shazhu was about to make a move, Banggeng, who had been quiet for a while, couldn't help but speak up triumphantly when he saw that his meat was about to be in the works.

Upon hearing Bang Geng's words, not only did Sha Zhu's face instantly darken, but Qin Huairu and Wang Guihua, who were standing to the side, also changed their expressions slightly.

at the same time.

Li Hongbing, who had come from the front yard long ago and had been silently munching on sunflower seeds for a while, suddenly spoke up with a smile:
"Silly Zhu, haven't you realized yet that three generations of people, old and young, have teamed up to cheat you out of your pot of meat!"

(End of this chapter)