Siheyuan's Silly Pillar has been replaced by someone else

"I want to eat something delicious."

The deaf old lady's wish was actually not complicated; it was a thought that most people had.

This thought, however, put Yi Zhonghai in a difficult position.

With his income, it would be easy for him to take good care of the deaf elderly woman.

The difficult part is deciding whether to give the deaf old lady good food or not to give the Jia family the same food.

The Jia family has five members, each with a huge appetite; he can't afford to feed them all.

"Grandma, besides Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, who in our courtyard can afford to eat well? You're putting me in a really difficult position."

Qin Huairu also tried to persuade the deaf old lady to change her request.

Yi Zhonghai's money was her money. Naturally, she wouldn't be willing to spend it on the deaf old lady.

She couldn't wait for the deaf old lady to die so she could give up the house and let the stick hold onto it.

The deaf old lady knew, of course, that Yi Zhonghai would not agree. But she was absolutely determined not to change her mind.

"Don't tell me so much. How many more days do I have left to live? Even if I eat every day, how much more can I eat?"

I'm not forcing you to pay; you can find someone else to pay.

This is a favor for Yan Bugui; go and get him to pay for it.

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, and she thought this was a great idea. She didn't have to pay anything and could still enjoy the good food—she was getting a great deal.

Yi Zhonghai smiled wryly: "Aren't you making things difficult for me? Old Yan only eats meat twice a year, and at most half a catty each time."

He himself is reluctant to part with it, how could he be willing to take out the money...

The deaf old woman said calmly, "If he doesn't want to pay, then so be it. I didn't force him to pay."

How could it possibly be calculated?

If the deaf old lady doesn't help, Yan Bugui will pester him every day.

But no one was willing to pay, and the deaf old lady wouldn't agree.

Having no other choice, Yi Zhonghai had to ask Qin Huairu to invite Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong over.

When he explained the matter, Yan Bugui immediately refused: "It's not that I don't want to agree. With my meager income, even if I gave it all, it wouldn't be enough."

In our compound, only Sha Zhu has this ability.

I've calculated it; his current rank is at least section chief, and he only earns a little over a hundred a month. Our whole family combined doesn't earn as much as he does.

A greedy glint appeared in Qin Huairu's eyes. She knew He Yuzhu earned a lot, but she hadn't expected it to be this much. His salary alone was equivalent to two of Yi Zhonghai's.

If He Yuzhu could pull the millstone for her family, they could live a life of luxury every day.

At that moment, she began to seriously consider how to get He Yuzhu to put the noose on him.

The deaf old lady was looking at Yi Zhonghai, meaning, "Go talk to Yan Bugui." If the talks didn't go well, she wouldn't help.

What could Yi Zhonghai do? He could only reason with Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong and appeal to their emotions.

He knew very well that getting Yan Bugui to pay for it all by himself was an impossible task.

If Liu Haizhong were to share some of the burden with him, the chances would be much higher.

This time, however, Liu Haizhong didn't fall for it. It wasn't that he was suddenly clever; rather, he was shaken by Liu Guangqi's situation.

"Old Yi, this has nothing to do with me. Why are you dragging me into this?"

Yi Zhonghai looked at him in confusion: "How can it not be related? We can use this to take control of the courtyard house, and you can still be the second uncle in the future."

This temptation failed to sway Liu Hai's heart.

No matter how successful Uncle Er was, he couldn't compare to Liu Guangqi's father-in-law.

He wanted to become an official, and he wanted to be an official even higher than Liu Guangqi's father-in-law. Only then could he bring Liu Guangqi back.

"Let's forget about it. Even the steward is no match for Sha Zhu."

Yi Zhonghai glared at him angrily, then gave Yan Bugui a meaningful look, signaling him to step in and persuade him.

Yan Bugui wouldn't fall for that. If he helped persuade her, it would mean he agreed to buy her treats.

Helpless, Yi Zhonghai angrily said, "Just wait and see, the younger generation in the courtyard will be taking advantage of you in the future."

I'm not going to care anymore.

Yan Bugui was displeased: "You can't just ignore this. You're the one who made me write the complaint letter."

I listened to you and wrote a letter of complaint, which is why Sha Zhu retaliated against me.

"If you don't take this seriously, I'll go to your steel rolling mill and make things clear."

"Old Yan, you..." Just as a fight was about to break out, Qin Huairu came up with a solution. This happened while she was buying meat.

"I have an idea."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui immediately asked, "What method?"

Yi Zhonghai also looked over.

Qin Huairu said smugly, "When I went to buy meat for the deaf old lady today, I ran into Sha Zhu and Duan Zicong."

The deaf old lady curled her lip and said, "What do you mean by buying meat for her? Don't you even look at the food we brought her? There are only a few pieces of meat in it."

She didn't stop him, wanting to see what Qin Huairu's idea was.

Qin Huairu is a smart woman; she might have some good ideas.

Qin Huairu continued, "Grandma Duan is a martyr's family member, and so is the deaf grandma."

"If we just point out the deaf old lady's status as a martyr's family member, I don't believe Sha Zhu would dare refuse."

This idea did not receive any support.

Others may not know, but Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady know very well that the claim of being a martyr's family member is just a way to fool others.

Since Yan Bugui exposed their scheme, they haven't dared to use it often.

Qin Huairu looked puzzled: "Uncle, is my method not going to work?"
This isn't right.

You don't know, Sha Zhu gave Duan Zicong three catties of meat today, just to celebrate Duan's grandmother's birthday.

The deaf old lady is also a family member of a martyr; how can he treat her differently?

Once his status as a family member of a martyr is established, he can do whatever you want him to do.

If he dares to disagree and makes a scene, he'll lose his job.

While the others were still pondering, Liu Haizhong was intrigued. His purpose in going to Liu Guangqi was to ask how he could get He Yuzhu to speak on his behalf.

Having the identity of a deaf old lady isn't so bad, actually.

He Yuzhu would definitely listen to what the family of a martyr had to say.

Then his chances of becoming a leader would be much greater.

"This is a good idea. Let's do it this way."

Yi Zhonghai said, "Huai Ru, Lao Liu, the old lady doesn't want to make a fuss. Let's just forget about this suggestion."

He kept his eyes fixed on Yan Bugui as he spoke. He and the deaf old woman certainly wouldn't reveal the secret, but he was afraid that Yan Bugui would.

Yan Bugui noticed Yi Zhonghai's gaze and began to ponder the matter.

He felt that he was the only smart person in the hospital who could see through the rumors spread by the families of martyrs; no one else had that ability.

Since others can't tell, then the deaf old lady's identity must be real.

Using the deaf old woman's identity to force everyone to submit is not out of the question. At worst, a gag order can be issued in the end.

"This idea is good, but I'm afraid Old Yi's wife will cause trouble."

Liu Haizhong said, "What right does she have to cause trouble?"

Yi Zhonghai understood Yan Bugui's meaning, and to be honest, he was somewhat tempted.

The purpose of fabricating this rumor was to punish the people in the courtyard.

If Yan Bugui hadn't noticed the problem, he would have used it long ago.

Now that Yan Bugui has clearly stated that he will not reveal it, he no longer needs to worry about being exposed.

Since it won't be exposed, it can be used to gain benefits.

As for the older woman, Yi Zhonghai didn't care. The couple had lived together for decades and knew each other too well.

He was confident he could shut up the old lady.

"Grandma, what do you think?"

The deaf old lady naturally understood Yi Zhonghai's meaning. She was equally moved.

If this trick works, she can look forward to a life of luxury. If it doesn't, it's not a big deal. At her age, what has she to be afraid of?

"If you think it's okay, then let's do it this way."

Yi Zhonghai understood, and then looked at Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui understood and gave Yi Zhonghai a reassuring look.

Seeing their flirtatious exchanges, Liu Haizhong said impatiently, "Do you agree or not? Give me a straight answer, okay?" (End of Chapter)