Courtyard House: Drunk and barging into the Xu family's house, I woke up numb.

Not long after, there was a knock on Xu Damao's door, and then Banggeng pushed the door open and came in.

"Uncle Da Mao, my aunt went out to use the restroom."

Xu Damao's face lit up with joy. He put on his coat and went out, locking the door behind him.

He was afraid that if he didn't lock the door, something would be missing when he came back.

Banggeng looked at the lock hanging on the door with a disdainful expression.

"If I want to get into your house, what good will locking it do?"

After saying that, Banggeng took a stroll and went home. He was going to Xu Damao's house to get something, but he didn't dare to go yet...

His grandmother was just arrested today, and he didn't want to go in and keep her company. With Xu Damao's seven yuan, he could live on it for a while.

............................................................

Outside the courtyard, Xu Damao chased after Qin Jingru, who hadn't even come out of the toilet yet, and he hid at the entrance of the alley.

A short while later, Qin Jingru came out of the restroom, and Xu Damao pretended to bump into her by chance.

"Qin Jingru!"

Qin Jingru was startled by the sudden voice, and only realized what it was after she saw who it was.

"I remember you! You were the projectionist who went to our commune to show movies!"

"Oh right, I remember we met at noon too, during the midday feast."

Xu Damao was secretly delighted to see that Qin Jingru actually remembered him.

“Jingru, you have such a good memory. You remembered me after only two meetings.”

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Xu Damao. I live in the same courtyard as your sister. My home is in the west wing of the backyard where the banquet is held."

Qin Jingru nodded.

"Oh, you just got off work?"

Xu Damao said.

"Just got back. I heard your sister invited you over to go on a blind date with Sha Zhu, right?"

Qin Jingru said.

"That's right, we just met this afternoon, and he's cooking at my sister's house right now."

Xu Damao said.

"Little sister, listen to your brother, you shouldn't go on this marriage."

Qin Jingru was puzzled upon hearing this. What was wrong with it? She thought that Sha Zhu was a pretty good match.

"Projectionist Xu, what do you mean? Why can't this kind of blind date be arranged?"

“We talked this afternoon. I think Sha Zhu is a good person. He is honest, upright, and capable.”

“My sister also said that he is a good person, rich and owns a house. After his father passes away and his sister gets married, that house will all be ours in the future.”

Xu Damao waved his hand.

"Oh dear, my silly sister, how could you be so easily fooled?"

"I'm telling you, your sister is lying to you. I'm really fed up with her. Qin Huairu is really something else."

"For a pittance of profit, you're being pushed into a fire pit."

Qin Jingru shook her head.

"I won't allow you to talk about my sister like that. My sister is so good to me."

"She married into the capital, where she receives government-subsidized grain rations and lives in a big house. It's much better than living in the countryside. Everyone in our village envies her."

"The idiot she introduced me to lives in two main rooms, which are much bigger than my sister's house. How could she be trying to scam me?"

Xu Damao put on a heartbroken expression.

“Jingru, you’re too naive.”

"Fine, since you don't believe me, there's no point in me saying anything more. You can just jump into the fire yourself."

"We'll be living in the same courtyard then, so you'll see each other all the time. Just don't complain about me."

After he finished speaking, Xu Damao made a move to leave. Qin Jingru didn't believe him at first, but seeing his manner made her suspicious.

She stepped forward and stretched out her arms to block Xu Damao's way.

"Hey, don't leave things unsaid. Explain yourself before you leave."

Xu Damao sighed.

"What's there to be clear or unclear about? You don't believe me, so what's the point of me saying anything?"

"I'm leaving now. If you want to know, go ask your sister on April 4.6th, ask Sha Zhu yourself."

When Qin Jingru saw that Xu Damao was really going to leave, she panicked a little.

How could she possibly ask Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu? If they were deliberately keeping it from him, why would they tell her so easily?

"Don't go. Tell me. Only if you tell me will I know whether or not to believe you."

The fish has taken the bait; he's used this tactic of feigning indifference to lure the prey in—it's a piece of cake for Xu Damao to deal with a country girl like her.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's go over there and talk."

Xu Damao asked Qin Jingru at a small pavilion a few hundred meters away.

“Jingru, let me ask you, did your sister tell you about Shazhu being fired?”

Qin Jingru nodded.

“I know, my sister told me that even though he lost his job, Sha Zhu is a good cook.”

"Shazhu also said that people in this area would come to him for weddings, funerals, or factory-sponsored events."

"I only work half a month a month, but I can still earn a little over thirty yuan."

Xu Damao pursed his lips.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. This might have been possible in the past, but now he's dreaming."

"The neighborhood just issued a notice today that large-scale weddings and funerals are not allowed after the Lantern Festival. Do you know what this means?"

Qin Jingru naturally understood what she meant.

"If we don't allow large-scale events, fewer and fewer people will ask him to cook, and his income will naturally decrease."

Xu Damao has a way.

"Also, do you know why Sha Zhu was fired?"

Qin Jingru said.

"Wasn't it said that he tried to help but lost control and injured someone, which is why the factory had to fire him?"

Xu Damao snorted.

"Nonsense, he had already been fired before this, and was even subjected to a factory-wide criticism meeting."

Qin Jingru was stunned when she heard this, and Xu Damao's next words shocked her even more.

"Most importantly, Sha Zhu is having an affair with your sister!"

Chapter 122 Turning Black into White, Yi Zhonghai's Scheme! [Please Subscribe]

Qin Jingru's expression naturally caught Xu Damao's eye.

Do you know why Sha Zhu was fired?

Qin Jingru shook her head, and Xu Damao continued.

"That's because he stole public property and smuggled canteen supplies. The security department found 1,300 yuan of it."

"He was scheduled to be fired by the factory and fined 2,600 yuan. His savings had already been emptied."

"If he can pull out a hundred dollars right now, then I'll consider my words to be true!"

"But do you know who he spent that 1,300 yuan on?"

"It was all spent on the Jia family, which to put it bluntly is on your sister and her three children."

"I didn't want to tell you these things, but I just couldn't help it."

“Although I, Xu Damao, am not a good person, I absolutely cannot stand by and watch you be deceived by them.”

“Let me tell you, ever since your brother-in-law left, Sha Zhu has been taking every opportunity to be with your sister.”

"If you don't believe me, you can go ask around our department. Anyone there knows that if I'm not trustworthy, it's impossible for everyone in the department to be untrustworthy, right?"

"Shazhu has taken care of your sister for so many years. If you're saying they weren't having an affair, would you give so much money to someone else to raise their child?"

The number 1,300 yuan shocked Qin Jingru.

Recalling the expressions and actions of her sister and Sha Zhu while she was cooking, she thought they looked more like a couple.