Sure enough, it was the familiar taste. Yi Zhong Hai was always willing to boast about his generosity, all to gain a good reputation for himself!
Hearing Yi Zhong Hai suggest that He Yu Zhu should help the Jia family, Qin Huai Ru thought for a moment and said, "Yi Da Ye, our family really can't make ends meet anymore. Could you give me some money? You promised me to marry Jia Dong Xu so he could cover for us. But the Jia family is a bottomless pit! Dong Xu has no backbone and listens to my mother-in-law. You know what she's like – lazy, troublemaking, and notorious. I come from the countryside, I'm used to hardship, it doesn't bother me too much. But I can't let my children suffer! Bang Geng is your son, Xiao Dang is probably your child too, and the one in my belly – you can't just ignore them."
Good heavens, Qin Huai Ru and Yi Zhong Hai were playing a game of smoke and mirrors. Yi Zhong Hai was really playing it sly, using a feint to draw attention away from his real intentions!
Using his mental powers, He Yu Cheng sensed that Qin Huai Ru was hiding something from Yi Zhong Hai as well. With a little probe using Professor X's abilities, he learned that Qin Huai Ru wasn't a pushover either.
Back in the countryside, in the dark of night, she didn't know who she was with when she lost her virginity. Then she happened to meet Yi Zhong Hai, a skilled machinist. He was eager to take advantage, she was looking for a way out – it was like dry tinder meeting a spark, and the fire was ignited.
Qin Huai Ru knew that Yi Zhong Hai was the father when she got pregnant. Instead of asking for a commitment, she wanted to secretly get an abortion and get money from him.
But Yi Zhong Hai, who had dreamt of having children his whole life, would never let Qin Huai Ru get an abortion. Besides, he was already 50 years old, and he had spent his entire life cultivating a good reputation in the courtyard and the factory. He wouldn't throw that away for Qin Huai Ru. After careful consideration, he came up with the idea of introducing her to his apprentice.
On the surface, they had nothing to do with each other, but in secret, they had been sneaking around a lot!
He Yu Cheng sneered. He decided to play along for now, and not expose these two beasts. It was the 1960s, resources were scarce, there wasn't much to do for entertainment. He would have his fun with these two, slowly.
Hearing Qin Huai Ru's plea for the sake of her children, Yi Zhong Hai put on a show of concern and said, "Huai Ru, what are you talking about? How could I not care? Like you said, Bang Geng is my son, I can't let him suffer. But you also said, you know what your mother-in-law is like. Even if I give you money, you won't be able to improve your life, and you'll still be struggling. Besides, even if you had money now, you wouldn't be able to buy anything. He Yu Zhu is a chef, he can help you, and I can rest easy."
Qin Huai Ru cursed Yi Zhong Hai in her heart, calling him an old fox who only wanted the benefits without the cost. She feigned pitifulness and said, "Yi Da Ye, even if He Yu Zhu is silly, he won't let his brother and sister starve, then turn around and help us out, will he?"
Yi Zhong Hai smugly replied, "That's why they call him a fool, he does whatever I say. He already agreed, your family will never lack for food or oil from now on."
Hearing this, Qin Huai Ru knew it was impossible to get any real benefit from Yi Zhong Hai. Since he promised He Yu Zhu would help her family, their life would at least be a little better. She said, "Alright, Yi Da Ye, I'll do as you say. I'll go back now."
Yi Zhong Hai grabbed her hand and leered, "Huai Ru, there's still time, we haven't been out together for a long time. I'm about to burst. Let's have some fun."
Qin Huai Ru rolled her eyes and said softly, "You're old but your heart's still young. I'm pregnant now, maybe it's Yi family blood. You wouldn't want to play too hard, wouldn't you? Okay, let's talk about this after the baby is born."
She looked out from the cellar to make sure no one was around, then turned back and went into the courtyard.
Did Qin Huai Ru want to get rid of Yi Zhong Hai? It wasn't true if she said she didn't. In those days, a woman's reputation was everything. If anyone found out about her relationship with Yi Zhong Hai, she'd be paraded through the streets and publicly criticized. But she couldn't shake him off. The man she married was useless, he'd been working at the factory for seven or eight years and was still just a level-one machinist!
Jia Dong Xu was a fool, Jia Zhang Shi was stupid, but Qin Huai Ru could navigate the situation between Yi Zhong Hai and Jia Dong Xu with ease. How could she not understand the dynamics?
Yi Zhong Hai never intended to really teach Jia Dong Xu any skills, he wanted him to just coast along at the factory. When things got tough, he'd throw in a few yuan and let the factory and the courtyard know that he had done his duty as a master towards his apprentice. Wouldn't the Jia family owe him gratitude in the future?
Except for He Yu Zhu, no one was a fool. On the surface, Qin Huai Ru appeared to be a delicate little rabbit, but she was a greedy fox at heart. She couldn't change anything now, but she would surely manipulate everyone around her if she had the chance!
She decided to make the best of the situation. He Yu Zhu hadn't done anything wrong to her or her sister yet. If he needed help, she'd lend a hand. The old saying goes, "Good advice can't save a doomed man, mercy can't save someone who wants to die."
She had been reborn into this world to live freely. If He Yu Zhu was unaware and blindly listened to Yi Zhong Hai and Qin Huai Ru, that was his own fault. He chose his path, he had to face the consequences.
Did he think she would pay the price for his actions? He was dreaming. She wouldn't be so foolish.
He Yu Cheng had been in this world for seven years, he had prepared himself for what might come. He was able to gradually calm down thanks to Professor X's mental control abilities. He drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, He Yu Cheng got up early, went into his secret space, and stretched his muscles. The grain he had planted with all his savings in the backyard was already ripe. Looking at the several acres of crops, He Yu Cheng simply thought, "Wheat and rice, all turn into white flour and rice," and the grain was stored in his secret space warehouse. There were several jars of honey from the peach orchard.
He had over a thousand pounds of grain. This was just one day's harvest. Even in the worst natural disasters, he and He Yu Shui would never have to worry about their quality of life.
He went out to wash up, He Yu Cheng felt hopeful about the future.
In the courtyard, the largest room belonged to He Yu Zhu. It was a day off at the steel factory, and He Yu Zhu was home.
Looking at He Yu Zhu, who seemed older than his years, He Yu Cheng felt a pang of regret. He and He Yu Shui should have followed their mother. If they looked like He Yu Zhu, like they were in their thirties when they were only twenty years old, how depressing would that be.