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

Sha Zhu listened for a long time, and a surge of excitement welled up in his heart.

He secretly pondered that if he could get involved and skillfully manipulate the situation to its climax, the old beasts in the compound would surely become famous.

The incident originated with the Jia family in the Intermediate People's Court. Jia Dongxu had only been married a short time when his family fell into financial difficulties, and their food reserves were gradually running out.

Therefore, he decided to ask Zhang Qiang, who also worked at the steel rolling mill in the front yard, for help in the hope of borrowing some money for an emergency.

However, Zhang Qiang knew that his own family was also struggling financially, with elderly parents to support and young children waiting to go to school, so he dared not easily lend money to others.

Moreover, the people in the front yard are always cautious about borrowing money from the residents in the middle and back yards. Even the old man in charge is unwilling to get involved, so Zhang Qiang naturally hesitates to do so.

The matter was thus shelved, but as time went on, it gradually became the focus of the conflict.

At first, the Jia family was able to barely make a living, and Jia Dongxu was occasionally able to bring back some food from outside.

But the Jia family had three adults, and Jia Zhangshi was known for her enormous appetite.

In addition, Jia Dongxu's master was also rendered useless at home and could only obtain some food from the factory and the neighborhood office.

However, it was always just a drop in the ocean, barely enough for the two of them to make ends meet, and they were powerless to help the Jia family.

Left with no other option, Jia Zhangshi had to find another way out. She had considered persuading her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu, to steal some grain and vegetables from the yard, but Qin Huairu resolutely refused.

Enraged, Jia Zhangshi struck her daughter-in-law twice, but still failed to achieve her goal.

In the end, she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands and rely on herself to solve the problem of food and clothing for her family.

A while ago, every household in the courtyard was busy storing vegetables for the winter, especially Chinese cabbage, which is difficult to preserve properly if it is not dried for two or three days.

At this moment, Jia Zhangshi seized the opportunity and saw that Zhang Qiang's wife in the front yard had just turned the cabbage over and was planning to dry it for another day or two before taking it in.

While Zhang Qiang's wife was back in the house, Jia Zhangshi quietly slipped over and casually stole two large cabbages.

This scene was witnessed by Zhang Qiang's neighbor through his window.

This neighbor knew Jia Zhangshi's temper well; she was an unreasonable and domineering person. She was afraid that if she stepped in to stop her, she would get into trouble and might even be extorted by her.

So, after Jia Zhangshi left, the neighbor secretly slipped into Zhang Qiang's house and told Zhang Qiang's wife about it, repeatedly telling her not to reveal that it was he who told her.

Zhang Qiang's wife was angry after hearing this, but because of her weak personality and her understanding of Jia Zhangshi's shrewishness, she knew that even if she went to her door, she would be helpless if the other party denied it.

So she decided to wait for her husband, Zhang Qiang, to come back before making a decision.

When Zhang Qiang got home, he hadn't even sat down properly when his wife told him about it, and he immediately flew into a rage.

He immediately rushed to the Jia family to argue, but the result was predictable: Jia Zhangshi naturally wouldn't admit it, and Zhang Qiang had no solid evidence.

With Yi Zhonghai's meddling causing trouble, Zhang Qiang had no choice but to retreat and go home.

The incident, which was caused by two large cabbages, ended with Zhang Qiang's forbearance, while Jia Zhangshi's unreasonable and domineering behavior once again spread throughout the courtyard.

A few days later, the two large cabbages had already become food for the Jia family. They did not cherish them at all, squandering them one a day.

Feeling unbearably hungry again, Jia Zhangshi set her sights on Zhang Qiang's house once more.

She muttered to herself, "I told you not to lend me money, and you even accused me of stealing. Now I'll show you what I'm made of."

Taking advantage of Zhang Qiang's wife going to the toilet, Jia Zhangshi quietly slipped into Zhang Qiang's kitchen.

He carried two large cabbages and about ten kilograms of cornmeal from the kitchen back to his own home.

It wasn't until evening, when Zhang Qiang's wife was preparing to cook, that she discovered their grains and vegetables had vanished.

She immediately sat down in the kitchen and started crying loudly. The two children heard the crying and ran out of their room. When they learned that the food was gone, they also started crying and shouting in the kitchen.

The crying startled the neighbors in the yard, and happened to run into the men from various families who were returning home from get off work.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiang was so angry that he immediately went to the Jia family's house and caused a scene.

Ignoring Jia Zhangshi's obstruction, he searched the Jia family's kitchen and found his family's grain bag and two large cabbages.

If it weren't for the timely intervention of the stewards Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai, the two families would have almost come to blows.

Jia Zhangshi was still sitting on the ground calling out to Old Jia, claiming that her family had been bullied and could not survive.

She accused them of stealing the vegetables and grains that her son had painstakingly bought from outside.

Jia Dongxu listened with his face turning red, but he was powerless to do anything about it. His family was so poor that they were almost unable to survive, and his mother had an enormous appetite.

Jia Dongxu dared not admit that he had stolen Zhang Qiang's things, and could only let Jia Zhangshi make a fuss.

The two sides each held their own version of events and refused to yield.

It wasn't until Zhang Qiang insisted on going to the street office leaders to seek justice that Jia Zhangshi, persuaded by Yi Zhonghai, allowed Zhang Qiang to take the things back.

In order to quell the situation, Yi Zhonghai reluctantly took some of his own meager food supplies and gave it to Jia Zhangshi, which stopped her from making a further fuss.

Afterwards, the two old men took turns lecturing Zhang Qiang, saying that matters in the courtyard should be resolved within the courtyard, and that if they were to escalate to the outside world, the entire courtyard would lose face.

They emphasized that everyone was having a hard time, bombarding Zhang Qiang with a barrage of grand principles, statements about the loss of collective interests, and threats and oppression, which finally made him back down and give in.

After returning home, Zhang Qiang became increasingly angry.

He went to Yan Bugui, the manager of the front yard, to reason with him, but little did he know that Yan Bugui was a shrewd man who was unwilling to get involved in things that didn't benefit him.

Furthermore, now that the people in the middle and back courtyards have to borrow money from all over the place to buy vegetables and grains, he dares not approach them.

So Yan Bugui offered Zhang Qiang a few perfunctory words of advice and then left it at that.

After learning the whole story, Sha Zhu secretly began to make his own plans.

He just moved back today, and the people in the compound don't know about it yet.

Once they find out I'm back, they'll definitely come looking for me.

After all, the residents in the compound are going through the most difficult time right now, and given their tendency to take advantage of others, it would be strange if they didn't take the opportunity to ask him for help.

Although they dared not cause trouble openly, since this place was too close to the neighborhood office, even a slightly loud noise could be heard there.

But they will definitely try to make things difficult for themselves, such as borrowing money or food.

If we don't help them, they'll definitely hold a grudge and come back to cause trouble.

They have no other tricks up their sleeves except to ruin their own reputation.

Sha Zhu thought to himself, "I have to teach them a lesson before they come knocking on my door."

By further tarnishing their reputation, I can distance myself from them and avoid dealing with them.

If the neighbors knew about their shameful deeds, they wouldn't say anything hurtful even if they didn't help them.

Having made up his mind, Sha Zhu said to Xu Damao, who was about to light a cigarette, "Damao, come on, let's go to the yard to smoke."

I just moved back, and I haven't even smoked a cigarette in the house yet.

After dinner, my sister will go back to her room. You can smoke however you want in your room; I won't interfere.

As he spoke, Sha Zhu pulled Xu Damao into the yard, and then said, "Wait a moment, I'll go cook. You can go back after we eat."