Chapter 6: Starvation and Forsaken Hopes, the Foreshadowing of the Sturdy Cane

“Brother Zhu…” Qin Huairu’s voice trembled with tears, carrying her usual fragile helplessness. “Bang Geng… he has a fever again today, burning hot and babbling nonsense… we really… we really can’t make ends meet at home, there’s not even money for medicine…” She lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears as she looked at He Yuzhu, nervously twisting the edge of her clothes with her fingers. “Could you… maybe lend me five more yuan? I’ll pay you back once I get my salary…”

“Sister Qin,” He Yuzhu interrupted her, “Didn’t you just get paid yesterday? You already took twenty-seven and a half yuan, right? Five yuan should be enough for Bang Geng’s medicine, shouldn’t it?”

Qin Huairu felt as if pricked by a needle. She hadn’t expected He Yuzhu to be so exact, nor did she anticipate his blunt questioning. The words to ask for money suddenly stuck in her throat, leaving her embarrassed and speechless.

“I… I…” Qin Huairu stammered, flustered, lowering her head. “The household expenses are heavy… and my mother-in-law… she’s not well either…”

“Oh?” He Yuzhu’s lips curled into a cold, indifferent smile. “That’s perfect. I remember last month and the month before, you borrowed eight yuan from me, saying it was an emergency. You’ve been paid now; it’s time to repay, isn’t it? My blind date this month fell through again, so I need to save up for a wife. Not much, just eight yuan—pay me back by the end of the month.”

Qin Huairu suddenly looked up, staring at He Yuzhu as if he were a stranger. Debt collection?! Silly Zhu was actually demanding repayment from her?!

“Brother Zhu… how can you be like this…” Her voice trembled with despair. “We’re just an orphan and a widow… how can you be so heartless…”

“I’m struggling too,” He Yuzhu’s tone remained calm but carried an unyielding hardness. “Sister Qin, helping others is a favor, not an obligation. Over the years, I’ve supported your family enough, haven’t I? Lunchboxes, money, ration tickets… and what did I get in return? Bang Geng stealing my peanuts, Aunt Jia calling me ungrateful. I’m not running a charity here.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the empty lunchbox in Qin Huairu’s hands. “Is medicine more important? How about I talk to Aunt Jia and get her to dig out the emergency money she’s stashing? We can’t just watch her grandson get sick, can we?”

His words struck like a searing iron branding Qin Huairu’s most secret pain. Aunt Jia’s bit of savings was more precious to her than life itself—how could she possibly give it up? Qin Huairu’s face flushed deep red, a mix of shame and anger.

“No… it’s not necessary!” she almost shouted, clutching the empty lunchbox and turning to run away.

Watching Qin Huairu’s disheveled retreat, He Yuzhu’s eyes grew cold. Soft taps? This time, it’s a hard tap! If a leech wants to suck blood, it must be pulled out root and branch!

He pushed his bicycle to the entrance of the courtyard just as Aunt Jia’s familiar shrill and sharp scolding echoed from the middle courtyard, piercing the dusk:

“Damn you, Silly Zhu! Rotten to the core! Bullying my widowed daughter-in-law! Withholding my grandson’s lunchbox! And now demanding debts! Shameless to the extreme! Everyone, have a say!”

Aunt Jia sat on her doorstep, slapping her thigh, her triangular eyes bloodshot, spitting curses as if she wanted the whole courtyard to hear.

Neighbors poked their heads out, whispering among themselves.

Yi Zhonghai frowned, wanting to intervene but unsure how. Liu Haizhong stood with arms behind his back, appearing to enjoy the spectacle. Yan Bugui hid behind his window, his small eyes gleaming with calculation.

He Yuzhu pushed his bike into the middle courtyard expressionless. Seeing him, Aunt Jia grew even more spirited, jumping up to point at his nose while cursing, “Silly Zhu! Ungrateful bastard! If it weren’t for our family’s Dongxu back then…”

“Mrs. Jia!” He Yuzhu suddenly shouted sharply. Though not loud, his voice instantly drowned out her shrieks. His eyes locked onto Aunt Jia. “Try shouting one more time! If you dare spew another word of slander against me, I’ll go to the street office, the factory security department right now! I’ll expose every single dirty thing you’ve taken advantage of, every curse you’ve thrown, and how you’ve incited Bang Geng to steal! Then we’ll see who’s truly shameless!”

Aunt Jia froze under He Yuzhu’s sudden sternness and icy gaze, her hand pausing mid-thigh slap, mouth agape like a hen strangled by the neck.

Go to the street office? To the security department? Silly Zhu really dares?!

“Don’t scare people like that!” Aunt Jia’s fierce front faltered, her voice noticeably weaker.

“Scare?” He Yuzhu sneered, stepping closer with his bicycle. “Want to try? Let’s go to Director Wang at the street office right now. Tell him about your Bang Geng stealing my peanuts, stealing chickens from Xu Damao’s place, stealing salted vegetables from Second Uncle’s house.”

“Tell him how you always defend your grandson by cursing others! Count up all the lunchboxes, money, and ration tickets you’ve taken from me over the years — enough to send you to re-education for a while!”

Every word hit like a dagger! Aunt Jia’s face shifted from red to white, then to a bluish hue, her finger trembling as she pointed at He Yuzhu. Her lips moved, but no curse came out.

Her greatest weakness was Bang Geng and her own shameful schemes! Silly Zhu was about to overturn the table!

The neighbors were stunned. Silly Zhu today… was fierce! Every sentence hit Aunt Jia’s sore spot directly!

“He Yuzhu! How can you talk to an elder like that!” Yi Zhonghai couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward with a stern face, trying to mediate. “Aunt Jia is an elder, even if she’s wrong, you can’t—”

“Uncle Yi,” He Yuzhu turned to him, eyes cold as ever, “I understand respecting the old and loving the young. But what about disrespecting the old, abusing their age for advantage, teaching their grandson to steal, and then slandering the person who’s helped them? Does that kind of ‘elder’ deserve respect?”

“If you think she’s right, fine. The three of us can go to the street office now and let Director Wang decide who’s being unreasonable!” He Yuzhu threw the challenge back at Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai’s face turned ashen, stammering, “You… you…” but couldn’t form a coherent reply. He Yuzhu was unyielding today, prickly all over, impervious to the usual talk of “unity and mutual aid.”

“Hmph!” He Yuzhu ignored them and pushed his bike straight into his own house, slamming the door shut with a bang.

The action was crisp and decisive, shutting out all curses, accusations, and shock.

Outside, silence hung for a few seconds before Aunt Jia’s suppressed, unwilling sobs and curses faintly resumed, much quieter now.

Leaning against the door, He Yuzhu listened to the sounds outside and exhaled a long, foul breath. To deal with the unreasonable, one must be tougher and harsher! The pus of this courtyard must be squeezed out bit by bit!

After quickly boiling a bowl of noodles and taking a few bites, he heard hurried footsteps and Aunt Jia’s changed, shrill cries outside:

“Bang Geng! My dear grandson! Where have you run off to? It’s getting dark!”

Then Qin Huairu’s tearful calls: “Bang Geng! Bang Geng, come home quickly!”

He Yuzhu’s eyes flickered. Bang Geng? Where had that boy gone wild again? He walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain.

The dusk settled over the courtyard, now in utter chaos.

Aunt Jia and Qin Huairu were running around like headless flies searching everywhere. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong had also been disturbed and were helping call out. In the backyard, faint suppressed barking and sounds of something being knocked over could be heard.

He Yuzhu frowned. From what he remembered, Bang Geng was always up to petty theft and mischief. To still be out past dark… He thought of Qin Huairu’s excuse about his fever earlier. It was most likely a pretext. That boy was probably up to no good again, or… he might have already gotten away with something.

He walked to the bed and pulled out a small cloth bag from under the mattress. Inside were the tens of yuan and some ration tickets he had saved. He checked carefully—nothing was missing. Then he went to the cupboard where the grain was kept. It was locked tight.

For now, everything was safe. But He Yuzhu knew well that with Bang Geng’s lawless, spoiled nature—ruined by Aunt Jia’s indulgence—and the Jia family’s current hardship without outside support, that boy would sooner or later set his sights on He Yuzhu himself.

He blew out the oil lamp, dressed lightly, and lay down. Outside the window, the clamor gradually faded, and the courtyard sank into the night.

In the darkness, He Yuzhu’s senses were unusually sharp. From the backyard came faint, deliberately quiet footsteps, and… a few muffled sounds like someone prying open a small wooden box?

He Yuzhu sat up quietly, moving silently toward the door.

[Ping! Suitable location detected: Courtyard home. Would you like to check in?]

“Check in,” He Yuzhu silently affirmed.

[Check-in successful! Acquired: Lightly energized state. Duration: 12 hours. Effect activated.]

A refreshing coolness instantly dispelled his fatigue, sharpening his mind and senses. He Yuzhu’s eyes narrowed as he gently slid open the door latch.