Volume 1, Chapter 29: Cooking the Books

Closest to the old lady, Yi Zhonghai’s face shifted repeatedly—from initial confusion to anger, then finally to helpless bewilderment. Though he usually cared for the old lady as if she were his own mother, the undeniable fact was that she had truly... lost control.

Eldest Uncle Liu Haizhong and Third Uncle Yan Bugui, who had originally intended to help, quickly withdrew their hands and retreated to the edges. Even Xu Damao was preparing to slip away.

Immediately, everyone cast disdainful and alienating glances at the deaf old lady. Feeling those rejecting stares and...

“Su Jianshe, I will kill you!”

Sensing the easing pain in her abdomen and the dampness in her trousers, the old lady instantly understood what had happened.

“Yi Zhonghai, take me away quickly!”

She struggled to wave her cane, calling out to Yi Zhonghai, her face pale and bloodless where it had once held a faint flush.

“Everyone, disperse! What are you all gathering around for?”

Eldest Uncle Liu Haizhong snapped out of it and hurriedly dispersed the residents gathered in the courtyard.

Third Uncle Yan Bugui, though wanting to stay out of the matter, knew he could not escape responsibility and joined in to maintain order.

Xu Damao, sensing something was wrong, had already slipped away.

Seeing no one come to help, Yi Zhonghai’s face darkened like iron.

He clearly saw the yellow liquid dripping from the old lady’s trouser leg, the stench overwhelming his senses, and all he wanted was to flee.

Yet, thinking of his carefully cultivated reputation and the protection afforded by the courtyard’s elders, he gritted his teeth.

“Old lady, I’ll take you home right now!”

With a twisted expression, Yi Zhonghai lifted the old lady onto his back and hurried home, yellow drops falling faintly behind him.

At that moment, Chu Yan finally understood the meaning behind Su Jianshe’s earlier cryptic words.

“Brother Jianshe, how did you manage that?”

Chu Yan fanned the air near her nose with surprise.

“It’s just a little trick,” Su Jianshe said with a slight smile, speaking lightly. With his mastery of Bajiquan, it was not difficult.

“Amazing...” she breathed.

...

“Su Jianshe, you scoundrel! How could you beat the old lady like this!”

Before Chu Yan could finish, Eldest Uncle Liu Haizhong stormed over with a group, anger blazing in their eyes.

Behind them, many onlookers glared fiercely at Su Jianshe, as if ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

“What exactly did I do wrong?” Su Jianshe faced them head-on, refusing to back down.

These people from the courtyard claimed they held the banquet for his own good, yet he, the host, had no idea such a thing had been held—he neither attended nor tasted a morsel.

Now, they not only ignored the old lady’s attempt to attack him but seemed intent on making trouble for him.

“Su Jianshe, the old lady is advanced in years. So what if she bit you? You beat her like this!”

“You must take responsibility!”

Liu Haizhong’s voice deepened, sending a chill crashing through his mind.

He regretted deeply, fearing the consequences of crossing Su Jianshe.

“Old lady? I only see an old beast—an old beast who tried to hurt me and my sister!” Su Jianshe retorted fiercely.

“She attacked first! Even if the constables come, I’ll say the same. When she lunged to bite me, where were you all? Was I too harsh in defending myself?”

Hearing this, Liu Haizhong grew anxious.

This was no mere self-defense—it was practically a beating of the old lady. Although she seemed unharmed, this matter could not be ignored.

As he prepared to speak further, Xu Damao stepped forward from the crowd with a sarcastic tone toward Su Jianshe:

“Su Jianshe, let’s not talk facts. Just the matter of beating an old lady—is that right? She bit you once; so what? Just a bit of blood. What man hasn’t suffered a scratch or two?”

In Xu Damao’s eyes, it seemed he only saw Su Jianshe kicking the old lady, ignoring her initial attack.

“Xu Damao, if you’ve got the nerve, come stand up and let me hit you—you’re not allowed to fight back!” Su Jianshe laughed scornfully.

Typical petty behavior!

Beside him, Chu Yan glared fiercely at them as well.

“How can you be like this? It was the old lady who charged at my brother first; he was just defending himself!”

Liu Haizhong watched the growing crowd and Su Jianshe’s refusal to take responsibility, his brow furrowed deeply.

In this era, the elderly held no special privileges.

No matter who was right or wrong, once taken to the constable’s office, one would be punished.

If this escalated, the old lady would gain no advantage, since she had tried to bite Su Jianshe first.

“Enough! Su Jianshe, don’t forget the real purpose of our meeting!”

...

“You will immediately pay back the banquet expenses you promised to cover, and this matter will be dropped. As for the old lady, we’ll discuss that later!”

At these words, the courtyard residents who had been focused on the old lady’s condition turned their attention to Su Jianshe.

“That’s right, Su Jianshe, we put up all this for your family’s wedding banquet.”

“You and Eldest Uncle should share the compensation!”

“Exactly. How could you be like this? We did it for your own good. Why won’t you admit it?”

“Even if you didn’t eat a bite, it was held for you all. You just came back too late.”

“Su Jianshe, to be fair, if you pay, we’ll drop this. If your family ever needs help, we’ll be there.”

Ha!

Looking at these people, still fixated on getting reimbursed for the banquet, Chu Yan recalled how furious they had made her that day.

“What do you mean? We never planned a banquet. You wanted to hold one yourselves—what does that have to do with us?”

Madam, hearing this, instantly displeased.

These people knew full well Eldest Uncle’s family lacked the funds; moreover, the ledger was fake.

If they pressured Eldest Uncle too much and the ledger scandal came out, no one would get a cent.

Better to pressure Su Jianshe.

She heard he had pocketed thousands from the eldest uncle.

“Chu Yan, Madam doesn’t like to hear that. What do you mean you weren’t planning a banquet?”

“We held it for your benefit. You must pay today, or we’ll make a big fuss.”

“I don’t believe you two young ones can stop us!”

“You…”

Chu Yan was no match for them.

For a few thousand yuan, they had lost all shame.

“You’re going too far…”

Chu Yan stomped her foot in anger.

At that moment, a large hand gently touched her head.

Su Jianshe pulled Chu Yan behind him.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Hearing this, Chu Yan took a deep breath, calming herself.

“Brother Jianshe, I’m fine.”

With Chu Yan reassured, Su Jianshe’s eyes turned icy as he stared at the crowd, thinking how to deal with them.

Meanwhile, Jia Dongxu, seated in his wheelchair, couldn’t help but watch the quarrel.

“Mom, shouldn’t we check it out? If that kid agrees to pay for the meat, our family will lose out.”

Jia Zhangshi sneered.

“That kid never planned to pay. It’s all Liu Haizhong’s fault for listing so much meat. Otherwise, he might have paid!”

“I just heard—nearly five hundred jin of meat on the ledger.”

Jia Dongxu panicked.

Their family’s ledger only recorded a bowl of meat.

“Does that mean we’ll never get our meat back?”

“What’s there to fear? Liu Haizhong keeps our ledger. If he doesn’t pay, I’ll camp outside their door and not leave.”

Jia Zhangshi said firmly.

In truth, she trembled inside when Su Jianshe kicked the old lady so harshly.

If that kick had landed on her, her pride would be utterly shattered.

Just then, a shout erupted from the crowd:

“You little beast!”

“I’m telling you, you’ll pay today whether you want to or not. If you don’t, we won’t forgive you!”

“We held that banquet for your family. Now you want to back out?”

“Don’t forget, when your mother was alive, she called me brother. If you don’t pay today, consider our neighborly ties severed!”

Su Jianshe sneered.

Ridiculous!

Severed?

He could not wish for better.

“Let me repeat: there was no banquet. It was just a makeshift gathering you arranged yourselves, which has nothing to do with us.”

“I didn’t eat a bite, wasn’t in the courtyard, didn’t participate at all!”

“Do as you please, but don’t drag me into it. Otherwise, see you at the constable’s office!”

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Tension was about to rise again when Liu Haizhong quickly stepped forward to calm the situation.

“Everyone, quiet down and hear me out!”

Seeing Eldest Uncle take charge, the crowd breathed easier.

Su Jianshe was stubborn and difficult to deal with.

More importantly, though they outnumbered him, they dared not act rashly because his fighting skills were formidable.

Liu Haizhong’s intervention offered a way out.

Being respected in the courtyard, he could likely recover the money.

If he failed, he’d have to pay himself.

“Jianshe, we’re neighbors; don’t ruin things.”

“My suggestion: you pay two-thirds, I’ll cover the rest.”

“This all started with me. I, as Eldest Uncle, should pay too.”

At these words, murmurs rose among the crowd, while Liu Guangfu and his three brothers scowled.

If this money was paid, who knew how much they’d be shortchanged in the future.

Seeing this, many felt hesitant.

“Two-thirds it is. Even if Eldest Uncle doesn’t pay, our meat will have been wasted.”

...

“Su Jianshe, this should be acceptable, right? After all, it started with your family’s wedding. You don’t want things to get messy.”

“If you have no objections, that settles it. We’re neighbors after all—no need to make this bitter.”

Hearing Liu Haizhong’s seemingly considerate words, Su Jianshe could only sneer repeatedly.

This old man was shameless!

Mentioning two-thirds as if he were dealing fairly.

Did they think Su Jianshe was a fool?

They had done nothing—not even sent a notice.

They had held the banquet without consent.

In the end, he hadn’t even received a blessing.

Instead, they twisted the facts to make him pay.

Where in the world was such logic?

“Forget two-thirds—I won’t pay a single cent!”

“This has nothing to do with my family!”

“If you keep demanding money, see you at the constable’s office. I refuse to believe the law can be as blatant as you!”

The moment he spoke, faces darkened, expressions sour.

Liu Haizhong thought he had made many concessions and that, given the momentum, Su Jianshe would pay no matter what.

He did not expect outright rejection.

Liu Haizhong’s fury flared.

As Eldest Uncle of the courtyard, he had humbled himself today, yet Su Jianshe showed no gratitude—it was an insult!

“Su Jianshe, don’t take us for fools!”

...

Liu Haizhong was angry, but Su Jianshe was even more furious.

He only wanted a quiet wedding and a few peaceful days.

But these people refused to let him be.

They gave him no choice, determined to trap him.

First, they held an unauthorized banquet; now they pressured him for money.

They were shameless beyond words!

“You’re the one who’s shameless, trying to scam me? Dream on!”

“If you want to try again, just look back at the big locust tree in the front yard.”

As the crowd’s anger peaked, these words hit them like a cold splash, causing a shiver.

Under the big locust tree in the front yard, people came and went, but the punch marks on that tree were terrifying—always sending chills down one’s spine.

“Ahem…”

“Maybe… we should just drop this?”

“But that was all our meat!”

“I don’t care; someone has to pay for that meat. Eldest Uncle, you initiated this—so you should pay!”

“Exactly, Eldest Uncle, you called on everyone to contribute meat. I remember you said, ‘If you have meat, contribute meat; if not, contribute effort.’”

“Eldest Uncle, pay up quickly. If you do, we remain good neighbors. If not, this won’t be acceptable.”

...