Chapter 27: Burn the Ledger, Dead Men Tell No Tales

"Mom, don't talk nonsense. I borrowed this from Xu Damao's house; our family is truly unable to make ends meet!" Qin Huairu defended herself. "If you think it's unclean, I'll return it right now."

Mrs. Jia let out a cold snort, her face full of suspicion. "What do we have that would make him think of us?"

"Qin Huairu, I’m telling you, as long as my son is alive, don't even think about remarrying. Don't think that just because you’re close with Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, I’ll let you off the hook! You were a member of the Jia family in life, and you will be a ghost of the Jia family in death. If you dare to wrong Dongxu, just watch how I deal with you!"

"Mom, it’s not like that. I exchanged our family's meat for this!" Qin Huairu explained, feeling wronged. "Yesterday, when the Second Uncle hosted the wedding banquet for Su Jianshe, I brought over a bowl of meat, and I used that bowl of meat to exchange for this flour."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Jia flew into a rage! She glared at Qin Huairu, her eyes like those of a greedy wolf, as if she were about to devour her alive.

"You wretch, do you know what you’re saying? That was a bowl of meat, and you just gave it to Xu Damao like that? And you still have the nerve to say you have nothing to do with him?"

As she spoke, Mrs. Jia raised her fist, intending to strike Qin Huairu. Thinking of the hardship she had endured at the police station, only to come home and find not even a scrap of meat, all because this wretch had taken it to trade for some coarse flour, Mrs. Jia’s fury burned even brighter.

"Mom, that’s not it. Our family is so poor, where would we get the money to buy meat?"

Mrs. Jia, who was about to strike, paused slightly at these words, but she still stared at Qin Huairu suspiciously, as if guarding against a thief. "Where did the meat come from?"

"If you don't tell me, see how I handle you today!"

Mrs. Jia’s reaction was so intense because the Jia family was truly destitute. Ever since Jia Dongxu had become bedridden, the household expenses had rested entirely on Qin Huairu’s shoulders. If Qin Huairu had done something to betray the family, Mrs. Jia wasn't sure if she would actually drive her out. After all, caring for Jia Dongxu’s daily needs had already exhausted her.

"That meat... actually, I brought a bowl of pickled vegetables and had the Second Uncle write it down as meat in the ledger!" Qin Huairu explained through tears.

What? That could work?

After a long moment, Mrs. Jia looked at Qin Huairu with suspicion. "You mean to say that the ledger at Liu Haizhong’s house records that we still owe him a bowl of meat?"

"Yes, but it was actually just a bowl of pickled vegetables!"

How could Qin Huairu not understand the implication of Mrs. Jia’s question?

"It’s not pickled vegetables anymore. I’m going to go get that meat back right now. If you can’t get it back, you’ll see what happens to you!"

With that, Mrs. Jia glared fiercely at Qin Huairu, seemingly blaming her for not telling her about this sooner. Watching her overbearing mother-in-law leave, Qin Huairu felt a complex mix of emotions.

Bang Geng quietly tucked the candy into his pocket. "Mom, don't worry. When I grow up, I will definitely teach them a lesson!"

"Especially that old hag and Sha Zhu; if they dare to bully you again, I will never forgive them."

Qin Huairu felt a sense of relief upon hearing this. She gently stroked her son's head, a flicker of hatred passing through her eyes. "Good, Mom will wait for you to grow up!"

Qin Huairu did not ask why her son harbored such resentment toward Sha Zhu. In her heart, Sha Zhu was not worth a fraction of her son.

"Go inside, Mom will make you something good!"

Qin Huairu was worried that her son would clash with that old hag, Mrs. Jia, again. Last time Mrs. Jia took Bang Geng to Su Jianshe’s house to cause trouble, she had three fingers broken. If they went to the Second Uncle’s house this time, what would happen if something went wrong?

...

"Liu Haizhong, get out here!"

At that moment, Liu Haizhong, having not gone to work, was crouching in his home, his face full of sorrow as he stared at the ledger. Liu Guangfu, seeing his father like this, couldn't help but advise: "Dad, why don't we just burn this ledger? With no evidence, no one can do anything to you!"

Liu Haizhong retorted angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting! I am the Second Uncle of this courtyard; if I really did that, who in the courtyard would still respect me?"

Seeing his father still maintaining his "Second Uncle" persona, Liu Guangfu was speechless. Although he usually used his father’s status to throw his weight around, the figures in this ledger were simply unrecognizable. More than four hundred pounds of pork! What kind of wedding banquet could consume so much? Moreover, their family was already poor. If they really had to pay for four hundred pounds of pork at market price, they would probably have to tear down the house to pay the debt and wouldn't even have a pair of underpants left!

"Mom, you should persuade Dad. Calculating for so long, four hundred pounds of pork—this ledger clearly has problems!"

"The beginning of the ledger is clear enough, noting who took bowls and chopsticks, dried fruits and vegetables, even the pickled vegetables are recorded clearly."

"Who would have thought the end would be so different? That family supposedly took fifteen pounds of pork! We haven't even eaten that much in all these years!"

The Second Aunt remained silent upon hearing this.

"This can’t be blamed entirely on your father; it’s all that brat Su Qingyang’s fault for refusing to reimburse the wedding banquet expenses. Their family clearly has the money to cover all the accounts, but he just refuses. Who can we blame for that?" The Second Aunt’s eyes were full of bitterness. "If we really have to pay out of our own pockets, this family is ruined. It’s all that brat’s fault!"

Liu Guangfu had no reply and wanted to go for a walk. Before he could open the door, a loud noise erupted from outside.

Bang, bang, bang...

"Liu Haizhong, get your butt out here!"

"I know you're at home, don't pretend to be dead!"

Mrs. Jia shouted while kicking the door, as if she intended to tear it down.

"It’s early in the morning, are you attending a funeral? What’s all the noise!" Liu Guangfu couldn't help but curse as he opened the door, only to see Mrs. Jia looking like a shrew.

"You little brat, you dare to curse me? Believe it or not, I’ll sit at your door and curse all night, and your father won't even dare to make a sound!"

Hearing Mrs. Jia’s shouting, Liu Haizhong felt a splitting headache. Everyone in the courtyard found the Jia family troublesome. Qin Huairu was like a leech, sucking blood wherever she found it, and Mrs. Jia would throw herself on the ground and throw a tantrum the moment she saw someone.

"Old sister-in-law, what brings you here?" Liu Haizhong, knowing he couldn't hide, hurried out with a smile on his face to greet her. But if one looked closely, one could see the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Liu Haizhong, I don't deserve to be called 'old sister-in-law.' If you don't return the meat you owe us, you can call me whatever you want, it won't work!" Mrs. Jia sneered, mocking Liu Haizhong to his face.

"When people host a wedding banquet, why are you meddling? Do you have that kind of spare cash?"

"Everyone in the courtyard knows how hard up our family is. In the end, you didn't even leave us any leftovers, and Su Jianshe wouldn't reimburse you—that serves you right!"

Liu Haizhong was furious, but he tried his best to restrain himself and spoke in a conciliatory tone. "Old sister-in-law, I am indeed the Second Uncle of this courtyard, that’s no lie! When the banquet was held, everyone had good intentions and wanted to help Su Jianshe. How did it become my fault?"

"Liu Haizhong, stop putting on an act in front of me. You organized this wedding; you have to get the things back for me!"

"You said it nicely back then: as long as we put in the money and effort, everything would be reimbursed. Now that the goods are in your hands, where is the money? Where is the reimbursement money?"

Having said that, Mrs. Jia threw herself onto the ground and began to wail. "Is there no justice left? You took my family’s meat, and now you want to walk away? Where is the logic in that!"

"Old Jia, open your eyes and see! This kind of person is allowed to be the Second Uncle—isn't this a disgrace to our courtyard!"

Liu Haizhong’s face turned livid with anger. Everyone knew he had an almost obsessive pursuit of power. Mrs. Jia’s words were undoubtedly a slap in his face.

"Mrs. Jia! As the Second Uncle, I order you to leave my house immediately!"

"Liu Haizhong, I wasn't born yesterday. If you don't return the meat you owe my family today, this is not over!"

...

"Hurry up, I heard the Second Uncle and Mrs. Jia are arguing! They say she’s here to collect a debt!"

"What debt? Didn't they say Mrs. Jia just got out of the police station? Since when did the Second Uncle owe her money?"

"Who knows? Let’s go see, there’s a good show to watch!"

"Right, right, that Mrs. Jia is like a shaman, always lying on the ground and calling out her late husband’s name."

After Su Jianshe and Chu Yan finished washing the dishes by the well, he gently brushed a stray lock of hair from his wife’s face and tucked it behind her ear. Chu Yan felt a sense of sweetness, but she couldn't help but blush, fearing her husband might show more affection in broad daylight, so she quickly changed the subject: "Brother Jianshe, shall we go take a look too?"

The dishes were cleaned, and Su Jianshe readily agreed. He took the dishes home, grabbed a few pieces of candy, stuffed them into Chu Yan’s hand, and affectionately patted her head. "Eat some candy. Let’s watch while we eat."

Chu Yan shyly tucked her head away; even though they were a long-married couple, she still couldn't overcome her shyness. Su Jianshe didn't mind, smiling as he took her hand. "Let’s go, if we’re late, there won't be any spots left."

Along the way, Su Jianshe hummed a little tune, and before long, they arrived at their destination. Meanwhile, a heated argument was raging in front of Liu Haizhong’s house.

"Mrs. Jia, I’m telling you, you want the meat back? In your dreams! What your family recorded was just a bowl of pickled vegetables!" Liu Haizhong shouted, disregarding his image.

Mrs. Jia, on the ground, wouldn't easily admit defeat and bit back: "Liu Haizhong, stop talking nonsense here! If it wasn't meat, why would you write down that our family brought meat in the ledger?"

She pressed him aggressively: "Or are you saying you, the Second Uncle, took bribes and received benefits from our family, which is why you wrote it down as meat? Tell me then, what benefits did you receive, and why do we know nothing about it?"

Mrs. Jia didn't give Liu Haizhong a chance to breathe, continuing to shout: "That meat was bought by my daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, at a high price from the market! How did it become worthless in your mouth? Old Jia, open your eyes and look!"

...

"Old lady, are you not feeling well? Or were you injured while at the police station?" Yi Zhonghai frowned as he heard the commotion in the front courtyard. "This courtyard is getting worse by the day, how are there arguments every single day!"

The deaf old lady didn't answer, but glared toward the outside of the courtyard. "Su Jianshe, you little beast, I won't let you off. If I don't destroy you, I am no longer the matriarch of this courtyard!"

"Old lady, please tell me, if there’s a problem, we’ll go to the hospital right now! At your age, if something happens, what will we do?"

Just as Yi Zhonghai was filled with anxiety, the old lady finally spoke. "Zhonghai, I’m fine. Go to the front courtyard and see what they are arguing about!"

Yi Zhonghai responded and hurried toward the front courtyard. As the First Uncle of the courtyard, if something went wrong, he couldn't escape responsibility. Moreover, since Su Jianshe’s wedding banquet, he had already felt pressure from the Second Uncle, Liu Haizhong. He wanted to see what kind of mess had been stirred up in the courtyard again!

At this moment, Su Jianshe was all smiles, handing candy to Chu Yan. "Little Yan, eat another piece. Milk candy is sweet and delicious!"

"Oh, Brother Jianshe, I don't dare eat anymore. If I eat more, I’ll get fat, and what will you do if you don't like me then?"

Su Jianshe laughed at this and quickly comforted her. "No matter what you look like, I will love you. I love you for who you are, not for your appearance."

"Besides, our Little Yan is naturally beautiful, how could she get fat just from a piece or two of candy!" As he spoke, Su Jianshe helped Chu Yan tidy the loose hair at her temples. "Look, our Little Yan is still so beautiful, prettier than anyone else in the courtyard!"

Chu Yan blushed at his words and quickly said, "Oh, Brother Jianshe, it’s broad daylight and there are people around, what are you saying!"

Su Jianshe and Chu Yan stood side by side watching the show, casually spreading sweetness. Even though everyone felt the atmosphere was subtle, the drama was so gripping that no one wanted to leave. Chu Yan’s cheeks were flushed, but in her heart, she was more convinced of what Brother Jianshe had said—there were no good people in the whole courtyard.

"Brother Jianshe is right. If there were really good people in this courtyard, they would have stepped in to stop it long ago."

Just as Chu Yan decided not to associate with these people in the future, a voice suddenly came from the crowd:

"Mrs. Jia, what era is this? You still want to engage in feudal superstition?"

Yi Zhonghai, the First Uncle of the courtyard, appeared, as dignified as ever. The crowd stepped back, making way for him.

"Yi Zhonghai, you finally came. You must make the decision for me!"

"Liu Haizhong took my family’s meat and refuses to admit it even now. It’s clearly written in the ledger, yet he pretends not to know. You must demand justice for us!"

Once the words "feudal superstition" were uttered, Mrs. Jia no longer dared to mention "Old Jia, wake up quickly." The crackdown on feudal superstition was quite severe, and if she really dared to shout that, she might provoke Liu Haizhong or even bring trouble from the police station.

"Stop arguing!"

Yi Zhonghai had already grasped the situation, inwardly rejoicing that he had been busy with other matters and hadn't been dragged into it.