Siheyuan: Silly Pillar is Kind

Uncle Yi Zhonghai looked at everyone's high spirits and continued, "It seems that everyone agrees with this matter. We uncles will come up with a charter and let Uncle Three tell everyone about it! Does everyone have any difficulties now? Let's talk about it while everyone is here!"

Seeing that no one was talking, the old man waved his hand to adjourn the meeting, and then said, "Don't cause any trouble for me during this period of time. If you delay everyone, don't say that I asked you to leave our compound! Then adjourn the meeting!"

Jia Zhang and Jia Dongxu, who have returned home, are plotting...

Jia Zhang said: "Son, did you see Yi Zhonghai's majesty today? I think Yi Zhonghai is the only one who has the say in this courtyard. Liu Haizhong and Yan Fugui are both useless!"

Jia Dongxu said: "That's not true, those two are no match for Yi Zhonghai."

Jia Zhang suddenly said, "Son, what do you think if you become Yi Zhonghai's apprentice?"

Jia Dongxu was puzzled: "Mom, Yi Zhonghai doesn't even have many disciples. In this respect, he is not as good as Liu Haizhong!"

Jia Zhang smiled sinisterly and said, "Don't worry about this. Just tell me whether you want to be Yi Zhonghai's apprentice!"

Seeing that Jia Zhang was serious, Jia Dongxu also became interested: "Mom, can you make me Yi Zhonghai's apprentice? What method do you use?"

What could Jia Zhang say as she watched her son trying to get to the bottom of the matter? Should she say that when she was young, she had seduced Yi Zhonghai to help her?

"Then don't worry about it. Now Yi Zhonghai, the old man with no family background, has the final say in this courtyard. If you become his apprentice, all the money and house that Yi Zhonghai has saved will be yours. But now, if you become Yi Zhonghai's apprentice, the house of Shazhu's family..." As she said this, Jia Zhang gave Jia Dongxu a look that said, "You know what I mean."

Jia Dongxu's blood boiled at what his mother said, and he couldn't help but imagine his good days in the future.

Jia Dongxu looked at Jia Zhang with warm eyes: "Mom, this matter depends on you. Whether my son will have a good life in the future depends on you!"

"Okay, you wait here for mom!" Jia Zhang said and went out.

After knocking on the door, the lady who opened it looked at Jia Zhang's face and her face immediately fell.

The lady asked unhappily, "What are you doing here so late?"

Jia Zhang smiled and said, "I'll go find Lao Yi for that!"

"Let's talk about it tomorrow!" After saying that, the lady wanted to close the door.

Jia Zhang quickly dragged her fat body and slipped in through the crack in the door.

"You..."

The lady was about to curse, but Yi Zhonghai stopped her and said, "Come on, Jia Zhang, what are you doing here so late?"

"Old Yi, isn't this a good thing for both of our families? Hehe." Jia Zhang looked at Yi Zhonghai who continued to drink water with a blank expression and said, "You know my Dongxu, he is smart and capable. He wants to worship you as his master! The kind of respect for the elders. I wonder if you agree, Old Yi!"

After hearing this, the old lady also understood what it meant for the older generation to become apprentices, and she couldn't help but look at Yi Zhonghai!

Jia Zhang gritted her teeth and said, "Old Yi, if you agree to accept Dong Xu, I can let him change his surname to Yi!"

Yi Zhonghai was also shocked when he heard this. If he agreed, he would have gotten a son for free. But when he thought about Jia Dongxu being seventeen and still having an old mother...

Yi Zhonghai thought for a moment and said, "I agree to this! But it's not popular to become a disciple now, but I should tell everyone about it!"

Jia Zhang said with a big smile on her face: "Yes, yes, I'll do as you say!"

Yi Zhonghai also smiled at this time: "Sister-in-law, now we are finally a family!"

Jia Zhang smiled so hard that her eyes could not be seen and said, "Of course not. Dongxu is your child from now on. You should take care of him and scold him!"

"Okay, sister-in-law, it's settled. I'll figure out how to tell everyone!" Yi Zhonghai said.

"Okay! Take your time to think about it, I'll go back!" Jia Zhang nodded to the lady as she left.

The lady waited until Jia Zhang walked away, then said to Yi Zhonghai unhappily: "Old Yi, how could you look for Jia Dongxu! Everyone knows what his mother is like, and you dare to contact his family!" Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was still indifferent, she reached out and pushed Yi Zhonghai.

"Jia Dongxu's mother is not good, but you know how much Jia Dongxu listens to the elderly. For this reason, he is good enough. Besides, it is not certain who Jia Dongxu will listen to in the future!" Yi Zhonghai said.

The lady said, "How can Jia Dongxu listen to you and not his mother?"

Yi Zhonghai said: "Jia Dongxu is easily influenced, so I plan to bring him to my side to teach him by example..."

Seeing that Old Yi had an idea, the lady kept silent. She was still quite confident in Yi Zhonghai's plan...

"Where are you going?" the old lady asked in confusion when she saw Yi Zhonghai stand up.

Yi Zhonghai said, "I'll go find Lao Liu and Lao Yan and finalize the rules of the quadrangle. From what Director Liu said, the selection process will be very quick! We must win this honor for our quadrangle!"

Jia Zhang went back and reported the good news to Jia Dongxu...

When Jia Dongxu saw Jia Zhang coming back, he quickly got down and asked, "Mom, did Yi Zhonghai agree?"

Jia Zhang said proudly, "How could my mother's attack fail?"

Jia Dongxu hugged Jia Zhang excitedly and said, "That's great!"

Jia Zhang straightened Jia Dongxu's hair and said, "After you become my disciple, Dongxu, you will be able to have a proper job!"

Jia Dongxu became even more excited: "Mom, do you think Yi Zhonghai can get me a job in the steel mill?"

"Of course, Yi Zhonghai wants to provide for his retirement. How can you provide for his retirement without an income? It's easy for Yi Zhonghai to get you into the steel mill!"

"Does Yi Zhonghai have such great ability?"

"Don't underestimate Yi Zhonghai. He is just low-key in this courtyard. When Yi Zhonghai was young..." Jia Zhang suddenly stopped talking.

"Mom, keep talking!"

Jia Zhang said unnaturally: "It's okay, it's all in the past. Now you just need to know that Yi Zhonghai's monthly salary is more than 80!"

Jia Dongxu exclaimed in disbelief: "Over eighty years old, and Yi Zhonghai can't tell at all! He eats the same cornmeal porridge as us every day!"

"Tsk, this old guy is really good at hiding his wealth! He is a well-known seventh-level worker, and everyone knows how much he earns! His family just doesn't want to show off their wealth, otherwise how many neighbors would be in trouble?"

Jia Dongxu nodded thoughtfully, and then said happily: "Mom, this time we don't have to go hungry anymore!"

Jia Zhang was also a little moved. She didn't expect things to go so smoothly, and she also underestimated Yi Zhonghai's determination to have others support him in his old age.

Jia Zhang said something that made Jia Dongxu happy: "Dongxu, according to the etiquette of the older generation, the master has to worry about the marriage of his apprentice. When you become a disciple and enter the steel mill as a worker, you can choose your wife at will, right?"

Jia Dongxu said excitedly: "Haha...Yes, yes, yes! I want to marry someone good-looking!"

Seeing her son's excitement, Jia Zhang smiled grimly again: "Finally, it's the house where you get married..." After saying that, she looked through the window at the main house in the middle courtyard. Isn't this the best house...

"But mom, will Shazhu agree?"

"It doesn't matter whether he agrees or not. Can't you tell who has the most influence and who is the most cunning in this courtyard? It's you, my cheap master!" Jia Zhang pointed at Jia Dongxu's head in disappointment.

Jia Dongxu said uncertainly: "But Shazhu's house is a private property! Unlike ours which are owned by the steel mill..."

Jia Zhang thought about it and realized that what Jia Dongxu said made sense. She rolled her eyes and came up with an idea: "Hey, when the time comes, we can just rent his house and not have to pay rent! Who knows what will happen in a few years? We can just say it's our own house!"

Jia Dongxu cheered loudly for his mother: "Mom, I'm so lucky to have you!"

Jia Zhang's eyes also turned red as she said, "Dongxu, you are the only one I will live with in this life. You should get married and have children as soon as possible to expand our Jia family!"

Jia Dongxu said affectionately to Jia Zhang: "Mom, I still want to look good!"

Jia Zhang said generously: "Okay, okay, okay, mom promises you that I will find you a good-looking one! But you must behave well in front of Yi Zhonghai and make Yi Zhonghai willing to pay you!"

"I understand! By the way, Mom, do I need a gift to become your disciple?" Jia Dongxu asked, understanding a little bit.

Jia Zhang had never really thought about this issue. If the gift of becoming a disciple was too little, would Yi Zhonghai be unhappy?

This put Jia Zhang in a difficult situation. She had only been allocated land in her hometown in the past two years, and the annual output was just enough for the food of herself and Jia Dongxu. Before, she had been living off her savings, which she had accumulated when she was young, but now she only had a little over a hundred dollars left!

Jia Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Shazhu's father left a lot of money when he passed away! Dongxu, why don't you go and borrow some from him?"

Jia Dongxu quickly shook his head: "Mom, I'm afraid that Sha Zhu will beat me, I dare not!"

Jia Zhang scolded, "You coward! You are two years older than Sha Zhu! You still can't beat him! How can I rely on you to support my family in the future?"

Seeing her son's aggrieved look, Jia Zhang knew that it was a habit she had developed in her son since he was a child, that he always had to take the lead in everything.

Jia Zhang said helplessly: "Dongxu, our family really doesn't have much money. If your mother pays for the apprenticeship gift, you will still have three years of apprenticeship even if you enter the factory! By then, we will starve to death. You and Shazhu are of the same age. If you go and borrow money, and say a few good words, Shazhu may lend you money!"

Jia Dongxu hesitated for a long time, but finally nodded and said, "Mom, I'll go to Sha Zhu to borrow it, but what if he doesn't lend it to me?"