A while later, when no one came to offer congratulations, Mrs. Jia couldn't help but go to each house to call people.
Just then, a group of people suddenly came back from outside.
Leading the way were He Daqing and Sha Zhu, followed by a group of aunties from the courtyard, each carrying large and small packages, either on their backs or in their hands.
“Oh, I said why I didn’t see anyone this morning, you guys are here to give me a surprise for the Jia family.
You came, and you even brought so many things, it's too much!”
Mrs. Jia was so happy that she almost jumped up. She thought she would only be able to earn money from congratulatory gifts, but she didn't expect there to be an unexpected gain. This was a windfall!
Yi Zhonghai suddenly stood up, feeling his blood rush to his head. He was not as clueless as Mrs. Jia. Who would bring meat and vegetables when offering congratulations?
“I say, Mrs. Jia, that's really too much.”
Sha Zhu laughed. Last time, Mrs. Jia tried to extort money from him and spread rumors about him and his father having an affair, like how they met at the cinema on a rainy day. Now she would get what she deserved.
“Sha Zhu, today is Dongxu's big day, auntie doesn't blame you for your jokes.”
Mrs. Jia greeted him with a smile. She was about to receive money and gifts, so it was inauspicious to scold anyone.
“Who's joking with you, you said it's too much, we went to my Qin Jie's house in the backyard to hold a banquet.”
Sha Zhu revealed the truth with one sentence. If it were anyone else, it would be difficult to say this. Therefore, both He Daqing and the aunties in the group let Sha Zhu have his way.
“What did you say?”
Mrs. Jia was stunned. Yi Zhonghai, standing beside her, suddenly realized that Li Wuwei was up to something. He was holding a banquet and even invited people from the courtyard.
“You're hard of hearing, I said we went to my Qin Jie's in the backyard, I won't say more to you, I have to be busy, we have to prepare for more than ten tables at noon.”
Sha Zhu was proud of himself. Although he wasn’t hosting the banquet, he was making the dishes for Qin Jie. What an auspicious occasion!
The aunties felt that this wasn’t quite right, and they took their things and went to the backyard without a word, disappearing in a flash.
He Daqing also ran, Sha Zhu followed closely behind, and suddenly they were all gone.
“Hey, come back, let’s get things straight.”
Mrs. Jia hurriedly chased after them. She had to go, those aunties represented many households, if they didn’t come to her house, she would lose a lot of money.
Yi Zhonghai didn’t move, but his face was filled with dejection, he murmured: “It's over, the Jia family has been tricked by that bad boy. Something’s not right, why would people from the courtyard help Li Wuwei.”
“Oh, what are you doing, that boy Li Wuwei is a big scammer, he won’t hold a banquet, he wants to cheat you out of your congratulations gifts…”
Mrs. Jia chased all the way to the backyard. She couldn’t let this go, those aunties represented many households, if they didn’t come to her house, she would lose a lot of money.
“Mrs. Jia, stop making a scene, our courtyard is celebrating a big happy event today, we’re having a banquet in the backyard.”
One of the aunties couldn’t help but retort. Although what they were doing was not quite right, the Jia family was the one who acted immorally first.
“Chen Dasa, you’re from the middle courtyard, why did you come to the backyard?
Li Wuwei's family is poor, they don’t have money to hold a banquet, don’t be tricked by him.”
Mrs. Jia didn’t care about anything else, she had to bring back as many people as possible.
“Why can’t I come, shouldn’t I have a meal after I offer my congratulations at your house.”
“Mrs. Jia, please leave, don’t delay our banquet.”
“We came to Li’s house today to offer congratulations, we’re not going to your Jia’s anymore.”
The aunties all spoke up, who was afraid of Mrs. Jia anymore, it wasn’t just one household that had skipped her party, they had the upper hand.
At this time, Yan Bugui came forward and said: “Mrs. Jia, today is Li Wuwei and Qin Huai’s big day, if you dare to make trouble, I will call the people from the neighborhood committee and the police station.
Old Liu, the backyard is your domain, come quickly!”
“Coming, coming.”
Liu Haizhong came running over. Although he didn’t like Li Wuwei, he was glad for the opportunity to strike a blow against the Jia family in the middle courtyard, and indirectly against Yi Zhonghai.
“Mrs. Jia, I am Second Uncle, the backyard is under my charge, go back to your middle courtyard.
Today Jia Dongxu and Li Wuwei are both holding banquets, each of them is busy with their own things, don't interfere with each other.”
Mrs. Jia was stunned, she muttered: “This can’t be right, I invited people first, you can’t be tricked by Li Wuwei, he really has no money to hold a banquet.”
“Mrs. Jia, open your eyes and look carefully, so much meat and vegetables have been bought, can Li Wuwei take them away? Go now, we’re about to start the banquet.”
Yan Bugui didn’t care about her, he followed and shouted: “All the households in the backyard, bring your stoves over here, we’ll have several stoves working at the same time so we can keep up.
The Xu family’s door panel is new, and it hasn’t been painted, take it down and use it as a chopping board.
Tell the husbands from each house to bring their tables over, remember to bring your own bowls and chopsticks, we’re setting up fifteen tables for noon, this is a grand affair, all the dishes are top-notch...
Everyone hurry up, the auspicious time is coming soon, listen to me and Second Uncle’s instructions and go to the front gate to welcome the bride and groom, and then we’ll serve peanuts, melon seeds and candy.”
“Listen to our instructions, the workers from the steel mill will also be coming later, we can’t lose face for our courtyard.”
Liu Haizhong was thinking about this matter, he could show off in front of dozens of workers, and make this banquet a success, wouldn’t that give him a good reputation in the factory?
“Okay, I’ll call Old Chen to carry the table over.”
“Sun Erjie, bring a kitchen knife when you go back, more people can chop vegetables, so the dishes can be cooked earlier.”
“Er Dama, tell Guangqi to wait at the front gate, he can inform us when the bride and groom arrive.”
“Hey, Xu Damao, what are you hiding for, hurry up, take down your door panel, we need a chopping board.”
The aunties were now full of energy, they didn’t feel like they were holding a banquet for Li Wuwei, they felt like they were all pooling their money together for a big meal, they were doing it for themselves, how could they not be enthusiastic?
The courtyard had never been so united before, the aunties were no longer scheming against each other, and their children could play together.
Mrs. Jia stood at the entrance to the backyard, watching the husbands from each house happily carry the tables into the backyard, and their children holding bowls and chopsticks.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of people gathered in the backyard, more than ten tables were set up, and residents from the middle and front courtyards had all arrived.
“Oh, this can’t be right, you’ve all come to the backyard, what about my Dongxu’s banquet today, I already bought meat and vegetables, I spent a lot of money, sniff… sniff…”
Mrs. Jia was dumbfounded, she couldn't help but burst into tears, but she didn't dare to enter the backyard, Liu Haizhong was guarding the entrance, preventing her from going in.