Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

"Pregnant?" Qin Huairu's heart skipped a beat, as if she had been branded with a red-hot iron, her internal organs clenching tightly. The smile on her face almost froze, her lips stiff as a frozen dough. If it weren't for her years of cultivated composure, she probably would have turned pale on the spot.

She never expected that Qin Jingru would get pregnant so quickly after only being in the family for a short time! He Yuzhu had always doted on her, treating her like a precious gem. Now that she was pregnant, wouldn't he have to treat her like royalty? How could her family expect any benefit from He Yuzhu in the future? Banggeng was at the age of rapid growth and needed meat at every meal. She couldn't just stand by and watch the He family stew meat and make dumplings while her own pot only had thin porridge that was so watery you could see your reflection in it, and the child had to steal other people's cornbread in public because he was so hungry.

Qin Huairu took a deep breath, suppressing the surging bitterness and anxiety in her heart, and forced out a smile ten times warmer than before, her voice rising several decibels, revealing a deliberate festive joy: "Oh my! This is truly wonderful news! Jingru, congratulations! When Zhuzi finds out, he'll definitely jump for joy!" She stepped forward and took Qin Jingru's hand, patting it affectionately, "If you don't understand anything or need any help in the future, just tell me! I've been through it all, I suffered all kinds of hardships when I was pregnant with Banggeng, I know all the ins and outs, I'll make sure to guide you and make sure everything goes smoothly for you."

While speaking warmly, her eyes involuntarily drifted to He Yuzhu's window—a string of freshly cured pork sat on the windowsill, glistening with oil, the fat tinged with amber, clearly well-seasoned. A half-empty sack of flour lay in the corner, its opening gleaming white. The He family's life was truly getting better and better.

She had a plan in mind: she had to find a way to go in and sit down, have a heart-to-heart talk with Jingru, mention how much weight Banggeng had lost recently, and tell her about her family's difficulties. Maybe she could get some meat or flour to take back. Even just a small piece of meat, chopped into minced meat and used to make dumplings, would help Banggeng recover and stop the child from crying for food at night, which pained her heart.

But Qin Jingru wasn't stupid. She had already noticed the underlying tension in Qin Huairu's shifty eyes and the superficial warmth in her words. She subtly withdrew her hand, her face displaying just the right amount of weariness: "Sister, thank you for your kindness. I just found out, and I'm quite anxious. I'm planning to go to the hospital for another checkup. After all, it's been a while, and I'll feel more at ease after a thorough examination, won't I?" The implication of her dismissing her was crystal clear.

Qin Huairu wanted to say something more to smooth things over, but footsteps in the courtyard grew closer. Yi Zhonghai came out of his house carrying an enamel mug. He saw the two of them standing in the courtyard talking and frowned. "Qin Huairu, aren't you in a hurry to get to work? What are you talking about here? The factory's attendance system isn't just for show."

Qin Huairu quickly turned around, her face beaming with a smile, her tone revealing a hint of eagerness to claim credit: "Uncle Yi, you don't know yet, do you? Jingru... she's pregnant! She's planning to go to the hospital for a checkup!"

After saying that, she turned to Yi Zhonghai, her tone very earnest: "Uncle Yi, how about I skip work today and take a day off? Jingru doesn't have any relatives in this courtyard. As her older sister, I'm one of her few relatives. It's only right that I accompany her to the hospital. Shouldn't neighbors help each other out?" She was calculating in her mind—going to the hospital would firstly earn her a good reputation for being "thoughtful" in front of He Yuzhu, and secondly, she could subtly try to get some information out of Qin Jingru along the way. If all else failed, she could mention her hard work when He Yuzhu returned, which would surely bring some benefits.

Yi Zhonghai stroked his beard, glanced at Qin Jingru's flushed cheeks, then at Qin Huairu's "helpful" demeanor, and nodded: "That's right, this matter is important. Go ahead, and tell your team leader later that I said so."

Qin Huairu was secretly delighted and quickly replied, "Oh! Thank you, Uncle Yi!" Turning to Qin Jingru, her smile became more matter-of-fact, "Jingru, shall we go now?"

Yi Zhonghai initially didn't grasp the deeper meaning behind Qin Huairu's words, and was momentarily stunned. But after a moment's thought, he understood completely—He Feng's family's status in the bureau had risen significantly, and He Yuzhu, as his relative, had naturally become someone the court wanted to win over. At this critical juncture, using the child's matter to get closer was indeed a clever idea.

He looked at Qin Huairu with a hint of approval in his voice: "You're right, the child's matter is indeed of utmost importance. Don't go to the steel mill today. I'll talk to them and tell them you have an emergency at home and need to take a day off."

Qin Huairu nodded quickly, her face showing gratitude. But Qin Jingru, standing beside her, was extremely displeased, knowing perfectly well what Qin Huairu was up to. If Qin Huairu went to He Yuzhu's house with her, she would inevitably try to get some food and supplies from her. But Qin Jingru didn't want her family to have anything to do with the Jia family. She had been kept in the dark about the Jia family's dirty deeds before, but now she knew perfectly well, and she certainly didn't want to be involved.

Qin Jingru was about to speak up and offer some advice when Qin Huairu turned to Yi Zhonghai and said, "Thank you very much, Uncle Yi. We'll head over now."

"Sister," Qin Jingru hurriedly grabbed her, "You should go to work. I can handle this little thing myself. Don't bother me."

Qin Huairu didn't expect Qin Jingru to expose her in public. Her heart skipped a beat, and her anger flared up instantly, but she still had to put on a smile: "Jingru, what are you saying? We're from the same village. You're new here and don't know the area well. If I don't help you, who will? Besides, it's easier to take care of a child with two people helping each other."

Qin Jingru was speechless, knowing that arguing further was pointless, so she could only lower her head and say, "Then... then I'll trouble you, sister."

Qin Huairu nodded in satisfaction: "Why are you being so polite with me? Let's go."

Qin Jingru turned around, went back into the house to get the money, and took out her key before leaving, locking the door with a "click".

Qin Huairu saw this and couldn't help but grumble, "Why are you locking the door too? We live in a courtyard house where all the residents are old neighbors. There are no thieves. Everyone leaves their doors open when they go out. Locking the door makes you seem like a stranger. Don't do this again."

Qin Jingru merely nodded perfunctorily, offering no reply. Inwardly, however, she sneered—no thieves in the courtyard? Hasn't that Banggeng boy been stealing chickens and dogs enough? Although he hasn't been in the courtyard lately, Qin Jingru herself isn't exactly a thief; she's always been eyeing other people's belongings. Locking the door now is both to prevent Banggeng from returning and causing trouble, and also to keep an eye on this "helpful" cousin, so that she wouldn't be left without recourse if something went missing.