Chapter 47: Shazhu, get in there!

The deaf old lady had recovered her composure by now.

Supported by Jia Dongxu, she staggered toward Zhou Ke: "Young comrade, I am the deaf old lady. Back in the day, I used to weave straw sandals for the soldiers. I have very good relationships with the street committee and leaders like Zhang and Wang in the Public Security Bureau. Please, for my sake..."

"What deaf old lady? What leaders in the Public Security Bureau? I don't know any of them. All I know is that no one who hits people on the railway gets away with it."

Zhou Ke was truly not intimidated by the leaders the old lady mentioned.

The railway and the police were two different systems. Even if those people held great power, their reach did not extend into the railway police station.

The deaf old lady had always been domineering and overbearing. She hadn't expected Zhou Ke to give her no face at all. Her breath hitched, her vision blurred, and she nearly fainted.

However, she knew she absolutely could not collapse now. If she fell, her grandson would be lost.

Enduring her discomfort, the old lady turned to look at Li Aiguo and forced a thin smile

"Li boy, your methods are ruthless this time. This old woman admits defeat. Tell me, what do you want in order to let Shazhu go?"

"Money? I can give you a thousand yuan!"

"An apology? I'll make Shazhu kowtow and apologize right now!"

"Whatever else you want, just say it."

A thousand yuan... As soon as these words were spoken, not only the residents and the police officers, but even Zhou Ke couldn't help but gasp.

Cornmeal cost ten cents a jin; a thousand yuan could buy ten thousand jin of cornmeal. It was enough to feed a family of three with full bellies for several years. The deaf old lady was indeed generous.

Jia Dongxu was consumed with jealousy. Had he known, he would have let Shazhu beat him up back then. Taking a beating in exchange for a thousand yuan—it would have been worth it!

What? The person being beaten had to be a railway worker? Then never mind.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Aiguo clasped his hands and gave a faint smile: "Old lady, you should save that money for your retirement. I don't care for it. Today, Shazhu must go in. That is my decision, Li Aiguo."

"Fine, fine! You really won't give me any face at all!" The old lady's vision went dark and her body began to tremble. If Jia Dongxu hadn't been holding her, she would have collapsed right then.

Li Aiguo didn't bother wasting words with her. He turned to Zhou Ke: "Officer, can we take Shazhu away now?"

"Of course!" As Zhou Ke spoke, he prepared to lead Shazhu away.

Realizing his doom was imminent, Shazhu said in a panic, "Comrade, I've been framed! I was pushed forward to take the fall! The real mastermind is..."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale with fear, and he hurriedly cut him off: "Shazhu, have you forgotten what I told you?"

"A person shouldn't just think of themselves; you must consider the big picture."

"It's only good if everyone is good!"

Shazhu's face was a mask of misery: "I know all that, but I'm the one who's going to prison!"

He could barely stand being inside for a few days; if he were stuck there for years, it would be the death of him.

Seeing Shazhu's pathetic state, Yi Zhonghai realized his moral kidnapping wasn't working, so he could only cast a meaningful glance at Qin Huairu.

The only person who could subdue Shazhu now was this young daughter-in-law of the Jia family.

Qin Huairu did not step forward immediately. Instead, she stood to the side with a troubled expression, motionless.

She was not toilet paper—something to be used or discarded at will. If they wanted her help, they had to beg!

Sensing Qin Huairu's intent, Yi Zhonghai raised an eyebrow and cursed inwardly: *This girl is so senseless. The house is on fire, and she's standing here acting all high and mighty.*

However, they truly couldn't do without Qin Huairu right now.

Left with no choice, Yi Zhonghai looked toward Mother Jia: "Sister, you go and persuade her."

"Qin Huairu, are you trying to rebel?" Mother Jia didn't indulge her; she opened her mouth to scold her immediately.

Qin Huairu clutched her chest, her brows furrowed as she feigned discomfort: "Mother, I can't. I helped you clean the latrine this morning, and I think I overexerted myself. I feel unwell and need to go home and lie down for a bit."

Seeing Qin Huairu about to leave, Mother Jia was stunned. If Shazhu backed out, Jia Dongxu would be the first to go in, as he was one of the masterminds.

Mother Jia hurriedly put on a smiling face: "Daughter-in-law, my way of speaking is sometimes a bit blunt. Don't take it to heart."

"Mother, you are an elder; how could I hold a grudge against you?" Qin Huairu said with a triumphant smile, "But I really am unwell."

*You're all old foxes, stop pretending. What exactly do you want?*

"Starting tomorrow, I won't be cleaning the latrine for you."

"Fine!"

Mother Jia agreed without any hesitation. As long as Qin Huairu helped the Jia family escape this disaster, she would agree to anything. She had ten thousand ways to deal with Qin Huairu later anyway.

"Brother Shazhu."

Hearing Qin Huairu's coquettish call, Jia Dongxu turned his face away. He felt a chill running down his spine.

Qin Huairu walked up to Shazhu, biting her lip: "Brother Shazhu, I know you are a good man. Since you are a good man, you must be one to the end. Otherwise, people will look down on you."

"But if you go in this time, I might really never see you again."

Shazhu was torn. He didn't want to disappoint Qin Huairu, but he also didn't want to suffer in prison.

Qin Huairu's eyes flickered as she leaned into Shazhu's ear and began to whisper.

"Even if you drag us down with you now, you'll still have to go in. It's better if you just take the brunt of it; we can still save you from the outside."

Qin Huairu was wearing a floral shirt today, with the collar buttons left undone. As she drew closer, the scent unique to a mature woman—a mix of sweat and a milky aroma—wafted into Shazhu's nostrils.

Shazhu looked down at the expanse of white skin, and he felt as if he were drunk; his face flushed, and his head began to swim.

"Okay, okay, I promise, I'll..."

Seeing Shazhu about to agree, a triumphant smile curled at the corners of Qin Huairu's mouth.

From a distance came He Yushui's roar: "Brother, you can't agree!"

Li Aiguo saw that Wang Zhenshan had just been instructing He Yushui about something, which had caused her sudden change in attitude. He was amused.

He Yushui had joined the drama. *Heh, this is getting interesting.*

He Yushui ran up to Shazhu and pulled Qin Huairu away: "Get away, you wicked woman!"

"You little girl..." Qin Huairu was about to scold her, but then she realized something and smiled. "The little girl certainly has a temper."

Because Shazhu frequently brought things to the Jia family, He Yushui's relationship with Qin Huairu was currently poor.

He Yushui stared at Shazhu with wide eyes: "Brother, if you admit to this, you might actually end up in prison."

"Let me go then. Even if I go in, I'll still be a hero when I come out in a few years," Shazhu said, feeling quite noble.

"But have you thought about me?" He Yushui's eyes reddened, and she was on the verge of tears.

"You?" Shazhu was somewhat bewildered. "Are you talking about living arrangements? Don't worry, Great Uncle and the others will definitely make arrangements."

As he spoke, he looked toward Yi Zhonghai: "Great Uncle, right?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded: "Yushui, don't worry. Our courtyard has always emphasized unity. Regarding your living situation, we, the managing elders, will help you solve it."

As long as Shazhu took the fall for them, having one more mouth to feed in the family was nothing. Besides, how much could a young girl eat?

"It's not that! If you go to prison and get a criminal record, it will cause trouble for my schooling, my job, and even my future marriage!"

Seeing Shazhu's stubbornness, He Yushui stamped her feet in anger. She had already been disappointed in him. Even if he went to prison, she wouldn't pity him. But Uncle Wang had told her certain things.

Shazhu froze upon hearing this. He truly hadn't considered this problem. If it were just him, it wouldn't matter. But now it involved He Yushui. No matter how bad the relationship between siblings was, they were still blood. They were the kind who had weathered hard times together.

Shazhu could not bear to let He Yushui suffer. But then, there was Qin Huairu...

Seeing Shazhu's hesitation, Qin Huairu brushed her hair back and smiled: "Shazhu, He Yushui is just one person, but we are many!"

"Besides, He Yushui will only be slightly affected in her work and life, whereas those people will be stuck in prison for years."

Yi Zhonghai chimed in from the side: "Shazhu, a person must have a sense of the big picture."

The deaf old lady tried to step forward to persuade Shazhu, but was held back by Jia Dongxu. In her fury, she picked up her cane and whacked Jia Dongxu on the backside.

Zhou Ke watched the scene in stunned silence. He leaned toward Li Aiguo and whispered, "Shazhu can't be that stupid, can he?"

"That's hard to say."

Li Aiguo crossed his arms and said slowly, "There are only wrong names, never wrong nicknames."

Zhou Ke: "So, you're saying Shazhu really is a fool?"

"He isn't a fool; he's just being manipulated." Li Aiguo looked at the struggling, hesitant Shazhu and said with a smile, "Shazhu has lacked paternal love since childhood; he has an Oedipus complex. He respects Yi Zhonghai immensely. At the same time, to gain praise from others, he is willing to make any sacrifice—and he even views such sacrifice as a form of happiness, finding joy in it."

"You mean Shazhu will actually take the fall for them? This concerns his sister's entire future," Zhou Ke marveled.

In the midst of the conversation, Shazhu had made his decision.

He lifted his face toward the brilliant morning sun on the horizon, a look of heroic martyrdom appearing on his face: "Sister, stop talking! Great Uncle has taught us since we were young to sacrifice the small family for the greater good. By sacrificing just me, He Yuzhu, I can bring happiness to thousands of families. This is something I would seek out if I could!"

He Yushui shuddered at his words. She stumbled back two steps, looking at Shazhu in disbelief.

She felt as if her world had gone dark.