Silly Zhu's Moving: The Old Neighbor's Nightmare

"What local tyrant? He thinks he can control everything? Sha Zhu, don't talk nonsense, you might get your Uncle Yan killed!"

Yan Bugui was startled by what Sha Zhu said.

"Don't you know what the situation is like now? Look at those landowners and capitalists."

They were all overthrown; those who oppressed the common people were all given a peanut as a reward.

"Watch your mouth, or you'll end up in jail if you keep spouting nonsense."

Sha Zhu found Yan Bugui's serious expression amusing and chuckled, "Just kidding, don't take it so seriously."

Yan Bugui was furious that Sha Zhu didn't take it seriously. "If you want to joke around, go find someone else. Don't come here and make fun of your Uncle Yan."

"I'm not joking with you. Don't say things like this again. Don't bring trouble to your family. I'm doing this for your own good."

"Yes, yes, Teacher Yan, you're right. I won't say it again." Sha Zhu quickly admitted his mistake.

"Teacher Yan, Uncle Yi is in the hospital. How come you didn't know? Didn't you go home at noon?" Sha Zhu asked in confusion.

“The teacher on duty today had something come up. That’s why he asked me to help him out and cover his shift,” Yan Bugui said.

"Teacher Yan, you're so kind, but your little schemes are written all over your face. You must have gotten a lot of benefits from it."

Sha Zhu looked at Yan Bugui with disdain.

"Silly Zhu, what's wrong with your eyes? I gave up my precious lunch break to go home."

I should get some benefits for helping my colleague with their shift, shouldn't I?

Besides, this colleague is incredibly stingy; he only gave me a pound of meat and a pound of cheap liquor.

He wouldn't even give me the bottled Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) in his office drawer.

Yan Bugui said angrily, as if he had suffered a great loss.

"Come on, Teacher Yan, this is almost seven or eight cents, which is about a day's wages for you."

If you ask me, colleagues should help each other; why accept gifts?

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to receive this gift, he gave it to me on his own initiative."

"Look, Teacher Yan, you're not being fair. You're saying that the person gave it to you voluntarily."

And you're calling them stingy! Teacher Yan, I utterly admit defeat when it comes to your attitude!"

Yan Bugui blushed slightly, a rare occurrence for him.

"Alright, my affairs are none of your business. Um, Sha Zhu, I heard from my husband Jiefang that..."

You fed the children in the courtyard breakfast for several days, including large meat buns.

What's going on? Teacher Yan's mouth is watering too.

"What do you mean several days? I only stayed in the yard for two days. How could it be several days?"

What's wrong, Teacher Yan? Are you envious of your son and want to eat big meat buns too?

Look at yourself, you've fattened your child up so much that there's not an ounce of flesh on him.

"You can be stingy yourself, but you can't let the child go hungry." Sha Zhu looked at Yan Bugui with disdain.

"No, Zhu Zi, I'm pregnant at home. If we don't save money, we can manage."

Zhu Zi, look, you've bought this bicycle and moved house.

You've gone from being an apprentice to a factory worker.

This is a triple celebration! We have to come over to celebrate your housewarming and congratulate you.

"When the time comes, Zhu Zi, you should set up two tables and make everyone happy." Yan Bugui's true nature was revealed.

"Don't be so happy, Teacher Yan. We don't even know when we'll be able to move into our new house yet."

I went to see it; it's still in ruins. If you don't believe me, Teacher Yan, you can go and see for yourself.

The nearest collapsed house is right near the military control commission.

"Wait until my dad finishes building the house, then you can come over and have some fun, Teacher Yan."

"Besides, Teacher Yan, it's just a few meat buns for a few kids."

You're just greedy. Don't you cultured people always talk about accepting charity?

"What do you mean by 'food offered with contempt'? That's called 'a man of principle will not drink water from a polluted spring, and a man of integrity will not accept food offered with contempt.' You're uncultured, don't talk nonsense."

That'll teach you a lesson for not studying hard since you were little.

"I may be uneducated, but isn't accepting charity simply refusing food given to you by others?"

You're just trying to take advantage of the situation because you see some kids having meat buns to eat.

So you're a cultured person, where's your integrity? Or are you a gardener of the school?

The children in this school are like budding flowers, the hope for the future of our country.

If you were given scissors to trim and shave, and they fixed it up like this...

What hope is there for the country? The country's hope has been ruined by intellectuals like you.

I wonder if the teachers at your school are ashamed to be associated with you. Hey, Teacher Yan, don't go!

Sha Zhu grabbed Teacher Yan, who was trying to leave.

Teacher Yan's face turned bright red with anger. It was hard to tell whether she still had any sense of shame, or if she was simply furious with Sha Zhu.

"Silly Zhu, let me go right now, I don't want to talk to you."

"Look at you, Teacher Yan. You're still not thick-skinned enough. You don't even know how to be a cultured person."

How can you act like this, running away just because someone says a few words to you?

How are you going to resolve the conflicts in the courtyard? You've become such a big shot.

I'll be standing guard at the compound gate, helping people carry cars and move things.

How can you accept the local specialties that the people in the courtyard give you as a token of respect?

"Shameless! Eat your fill! Just look at that shameless face you showed when you asked me for a big meat bun—I think it's pretty good."

"Shazhu, let me go! Let me go right now!"

But how could Teacher Yan, with her small frame, possibly break free from Sha Zhu's restraints?

"Alright, Teacher Yan, I apologize. I was just joking with you. Why are you still angry?"

"If you do me a favor, I'll let go of you; if you don't, I won't."

Teacher Yan was so angry at Sha Zhu's shameless attitude that she almost cried. But there was nothing she could do.

I have no idea what this kid ate to grow up like this.

The kid's arms were as strong as steel; he couldn't move them at all and had no choice but to give up.

He refused to admit defeat and said angrily,

"Tell me what it is. I won't do it if there's no benefit in it."

"Isn't Uncle Yi from our neighborhood in the hospital? We've been neighbors for ages."

We can't just not go and see, but my sister and I also need to go to my master's house on Qianmen Street.

I really don't have time to visit Uncle Yi and Uncle Yan in the hospital. Since you're going anyway, could you make the trip for me?

This is 1.3 yuan. An egg costs 6 cents. Could you buy 20 eggs for me and deliver them to me?

There are extra errand fees, I know the rules, and maybe Teacher Yan can get a discount if you buy more.

They gave you an extra egg so you could keep it for yourself. Teacher Yan, you've hit the jackpot!

Teacher Yan did the math in his head and figured he could earn about three eggs, which was fine, since it was free.

"What do you mean you've made a fortune? If I go buy eggs for you, wouldn't that be running errands?"

"Doesn't it take any effort for me to carry eggs to the hospital?"

Yan Bugui took the money that Sha Zhu handed him and counted it carefully.

"Brother, I'm hungry," Yu Shui said impatiently, watching the two chatter on. He shook Sha Zhu's arm vigorously.

Well, my younger sister is more important; Teacher Yan has to step aside.

"Teacher Yan, please apologize to Uncle Yi for me. I really don't have time to go over there."

"I won't take up any more of your time, Teacher Yan. I have to go now; I still need to cook at my master's house. My sister is starving."

After saying that, Sha Zhu got on his bicycle and sped away, leaving the rain in his wake.

"Rain, when you go back, learn martial arts properly from Uncle Li. I'll cook you something delicious, okay?"

On the way, Shazhu rode his bicycle while talking to Yushui.

"Brother, I'll eat rice and braised pork." Yu Shui turned to look at her brother.

Sha Zhu listened to Yu Shui's words and thought to himself, "If I let you eat braised pork every day, let's see how long you can eat it."

"Okay, no problem, you can eat it every day. But, Rain, you'd better keep your mouth shut at school."