Yi Zhonghai's personality was the complete opposite of Sha Zhu's.
Sha Zhu had always considered himself very smart, but in reality, he was only smart in his own mind, incredibly foolish.
In contrast, Yi Zhonghai always maintained a benevolent facade, making others believe he was a kind and honest man.
But in reality, Yi Zhonghai was a cunning old fox.
Madam Qin could easily bleed Sha Zhu dry with just a few empty promises.
Yi Zhonghai had played Madam Qin so many times, only to give her some cheap cornmeal.
This was the difference.
Now, with just two yuan, he could mend the rift between them.
For Yi Zhonghai, this money was worth spending.
The key was to achieve the desired outcome after spending it.
With this thought, Yi Zhonghai forcefully suppressed his anger, making his demeanor as gentle as possible.
"Sha Zhu, I understand that you're not doing well financially right now!"
"But you must also realize that I'm in a tight spot myself!"
"And look, I've injured my leg and am now permanently disabled!"
"My life is also very difficult at the moment!"
"You should be taking care of me more. When I pass away, I'll still leave you an inheritance!"
Yi Zhonghai subtly conveyed to Sha Zhu that the inheritance of the house would be his.
Unfortunately, Sha Zhu had no mood to discuss future matters with Yi Zhonghai at the moment.
After all, Sha Zhu was desperate for money.
"I really don't have money to buy you meat right now!"
Sha Zhu replied with a wry face, "I can only buy you meat after I get paid next month!"
"First Uncle, you rest at home. I'll come visit you again when I have time!"
With that, Sha Zhu got up to leave.
Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai quickly called out, "Sha Zhu, don't rush off!"
"How about this, I'll have to trouble you one last time. Take this yuan!"
"This yuan is enough for both of us to have a meat dish. Don't think it's too little; First Uncle is truly struggling now!"
"Alas!"
Yi Zhonghai finally produced a yuan, which delighted Sha Zhu.
A yuan was still money. He had to find a way to overcome the immediate difficulty.
Once he received his salary next month, he would have money to pursue Qin Jingru.
"First Uncle, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll definitely make you a delicious braised pork, enough to satisfy you!"
After receiving the money, Sha Zhu's attitude towards Yi Zhonghai became noticeably more amiable.
He called him "First Uncle" affectionately, sounding so close.
Sha Zhu's servile demeanor pleased Yi Zhonghai immensely.
Time seemed to have turned back. Yi Zhonghai felt that this yuan was well spent.
Yi Zhonghai could never have imagined that Sha Zhu would use this money to buy meat for Qin Jingru.
...
The next morning, during breakfast, Zhao Feiyan complained to Liu Kai Xuan.
"Husband, my right eyelid has been twitching non-stop since yesterday!"
"I heard that a twitching right eyelid means losing money. I wonder if it's true!"
"Of course, it's false!"
Liu Kai Xuan chuckled and shook his head. "Our family is making a fortune every day!"
"You have so much money you can't spend it all. How could we lose money!"
Zhao Feiyan stubbornly replied, "Regardless, we should still be careful!"
"Alright, you always like to scare yourself!"
Liu Kai Xuan said solemnly, "Others fear ghosts knocking on their doors only when they've done something wrong!"
"We, as a couple, have always acted with integrity. What is there to fear?"
Zhao Feiyan nodded in agreement, "That's true!"
"But even if we don't provoke others, it doesn't mean others won't provoke us!"
"You know what kind of people live in our courtyard!"
"If you put it that way..."
Liu Kai Xuan frowned slightly, as if recalling something.
Zhao Feiyan pressed, "Husband, if you have something to say, say it all at once!"
"Stopping halfway like this is so frustrating!"
Liu Kai Xuan then continued, "I wanted to remind you to keep a close eye on the two chickens in the coop!"
"Bang Geng hasn't caused any trouble for a while now. Who knows when he'll strike again!"
"Ah..."
Zhao Feiyan's expression changed drastically. "Now that you mention it, I remember!"
"Didn't that brat steal our salted fish and eggs back then?"
"Yes, yes!"
Liu Xiao Yue chimed in, "I remember that!"
"Bang Geng was even sent to juvenile detention for a long time because of that!"
"Is that bad guy going to steal our things again?"
Liu Kai Xuan shook his head and smiled. "Forget it, I was just casually mentioning it!"
"Bang Geng has learned his lesson once already!"
"Even if he hasn't kicked his kleptomaniac habit, he probably wouldn't dare to cause trouble at our place now!"
Jia family.
Sha Zhu happily arrived with half a bowl of braised pork.
From a distance, Sha Zhu joyfully shouted, "Jing Ru, I've brought you something delicious!"
Bang Geng, with his keen nose, smelled the aroma of meat and immediately grabbed his chopsticks, ready to snatch some.
However, he was sternly rebuked by Sha Zhu. "Bang Geng, you want to eat meat?"
"This is for Jing Ru. There's none for you!"
"You..."
Bang Geng was instantly furious. "Mom, I want to eat meat!"
Qin Huai Ru was displeased. "Sha Zhu, have you gone mad?"
"Why can't the child have a bite of meat?"
"Even if we adults eat a little less, we can't deny the child!"
Sha Zhu said righteously, "This bit of meat is for Jing Ru!"
"If Bang Geng wants to eat meat, he should at least get Jing Ru's permission first!"
"Eating someone else's things without their permission is very impolite!"
Jia Zhang Shi grinned and replied, "Sha Zhu, you're quite eloquent!"
"Jing Ru and we are family. Family should share hardships and joys!"
"Jing Ru, don't be difficult. Hurry up and share half of the meat with Bang Geng. I..."
"Who do you think you are?"
Before Zhang Cui Hua could finish speaking, Qin Jing Ru interrupted her. "Sha Zhu already said this bowl of braised pork is for me!"
"It's generous of me to give Bang Geng a bite. You think I'm a fool to share half of it with him?"