Chapter Thirty: The Deaf Old Madam Takes Action

Seeing that no one in the Jia household responded, the Second Master, Liu Haizhong, kicked open the door.

The force of the kick gave Mrs. Jia such a start that she tumbled right off her stool. The scene inside left the residents of the courtyard dumbfounded, and the three Masters—Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui—were visibly terrified. Liu Haizhong’s calves were shaking uncontrollably, his mind gone completely blank with fear. Yan Bugui, while his heart raced, maintained his usual air of detached indifference. Only Yi Zhonghai stepped forward, covering the distance in two quick strides.

"Sister-in-law Jia, what are you doing?"

Upon hearing Yi Zhonghai’s voice, tears immediately streamed down Mrs. Jia’s face. "Wuwuwu, First Master, how am I supposed to go on living? Old Jia is dead, Dongxu has been branded an enemy spy, and that little harlot Qin Min has run off somewhere overnight. I’m just an old woman left all alone—tell me, how am I supposed to survive?"

Mrs. Jia’s wailing was enough to break anyone’s heart. She grabbed hold of Yi Zhonghai’s leg, refusing to let go. Yi Zhonghai looked awkward, not daring to kick her off. He was worried about damaging his prestige in the courtyard, and furthermore, Mrs. Jia had been a beauty in her youth; back when he was young and handsome, they had shared a brief, illicit affair. Now, however, looking at her bloated, pig-like face made him want to retch. If not for the fear that she might spill their secrets, he would have kicked her aside long ago.

"Sister-in-law, please, let go. We’re all neighbors here; we certainly won’t stand by and watch you starve."

Hearing this, Mrs. Jia stopped crying. She looked up, staring at Yi Zhonghai with her teary, triangular eyes, clearly signaling that if he didn’t agree to help, she would start wailing again.

"Everyone has seen how difficult things are for the Jia family. As neighbors, we should all pitch in a little. I’ll start us off with twenty yuan." With that, Yi Zhonghai shot a look at Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui.

Receiving the signal, Liu Haizhong finally regained his composure, still terrified that Mrs. Jia might actually commit suicide. Glancing at the white silk hanging from the rafters, he felt a lingering chill. If she really did kill herself, it would become a massive scandal, and the three of them would surely be stripped of their positions as Masters.

"The First Master is right. I’ll donate twenty yuan as well," Liu Haizhong said, then turned to console Mrs. Jia. "Don't do anything foolish. If you have any difficulties, come to us three Masters. We’ll find a way to help."

Yan Bugui’s expression soured. His monthly salary was low, and with a family of six to support, he truly had no spare money. "You know how it is, Mrs. Jia. My family doesn't have much, so I'll just contribute one yuan as a gesture." He placed the money on the table.

Seeing the Third Master donate, the rest of the neighbors felt compelled to follow suit, though most only gave a few cents. As the money piled up, Qin Min suddenly appeared, staring at the table with undisguised greed.

"Make way, let me through, thank you!" After much struggling, she finally squeezed into the room. Mrs. Jia tried to reach for the money, but Qin Min was faster, snatching the pile up immediately. She then turned her large, watery eyes toward Wang Lin, looking pitiable. She had noticed clearly that out of everyone, only Wang Lin had refused to donate.

"Brother Wang Lin, can’t you see how hard things are for my family? Could you donate a little, too?"

Yi Zhonghai’s eyes lit up. He had been looking for a chance to cause trouble for Wang Lin, and what better opportunity than this?

"Are you stupid, or do you think I am? You want me to donate to the family of an enemy spy? Are you an enemy spy yourself?"

"You, you..." Yi Zhonghai didn't know how to retort. Jia Dongxu’s status as a spy was a settled fact. Mrs. Jia was his mother and Qin Min his wife; although Qin Min had been identified as a spy the very day she married Jia Dongxu, her status was already cemented.

"Don't spout nonsense! Jia Dongxu was a spy, but my mother and I knew nothing about it, right, Mom?" Qin Min realized she couldn't handle Wang Lin alone and pulled Mrs. Jia into it. Even though Mrs. Jia held a grudge against Qin Min, she cared more about money—after all, it was easy to find someone to support her if she had cash.

"That's right! Qin Min and I had no idea that bastard was an enemy spy, otherwise, we would have turned him in to the police station ourselves!" Mrs. Jia declared with righteous indignation, acting as if she were a paragon of virtue.

"You lot are subsidizing the family of an enemy spy—be careful, someone might report you. As for me, it’s impossible," Wang Lin said, then turned and left. Yi Zhonghai didn't dare stop him, fearing that Wang Lin might actually call the police and expose the irregularity of their "fundraising."

"How stingy! He’s so rich, what would it have cost him to give us a little?" Mrs. Jia grumbled under her breath, but everyone heard her clearly. The donors suddenly regretted their generosity; if you help others, they might be grateful, but Mrs. Jia took everything as her due.

"Alright, everyone, disperse," Yi Zhonghai said.

***

Yi Zhonghai comforted Mrs. Jia until she promised not to attempt suicide again, then finally left. He stood in the middle courtyard, deep in thought, before heading to the back courtyard to see the Deaf Old Lady.

"Knock, knock. It’s me, Yi Zhonghai."

"What is it?" The Deaf Old Lady feigned ignorance, though she knew perfectly well why he had come. His primary candidate for elderly care had been exposed as a spy, leaving him to pin all his hopes on his second choice, Shazhu. Now that Shazhu had been taken to the police station, it would surely impact his future—something neither Yi Zhonghai nor the old lady wanted to see. But she held her ground; she had to wait for Yi Zhonghai to beg her before she would intervene.

"Old Lady, Shazhu has been taken by the police." Yi Zhonghai cursed the old fox silently, but knowing she was the only one who could get Shazhu out, he swallowed his pride.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll go to the steel mill with you," she said calmly, as if the matter were trivial. "It’s late. I’m going to rest."

"Alright, you get some rest. I’ll carry you to the steel mill tomorrow morning." Having secured her promise, Yi Zhonghai felt relieved and headed home.

***

In the Shadow Realm, Wang Lin, Qin Huairu, and Lou Xiao'e were watching a water screen that displayed the events of the No. 95 Courtyard.

"Getting Shazhu out won't be that simple," Wang Lin muttered with a smile.

Qin Huairu laughed softly. "You really are something. I don't know what Shazhu did to offend you to make you torment him like this."

Wang Lin replied naturally, "I can't help it. Who told Shazhu and Xu Damao to harbor such wicked intentions toward my two lovely wives? Tell me, Xiao'e, am I right to deal with them this way?"

Lou Xiao'e didn't answer, simply burying her head against Wang Lin’s chest. Both she and Qin Huairu felt content and secure.