"Xu Damao, shut your mouth!"
Upon hearing Xu Damao’s words, Shazhu grew anxious. While he was indeed infatuated with Qin Huairu, he dared not admit it in front of everyone. Hearing Xu Damao put it so bluntly made him panic.
"Ha! You want me to shut up? Why, am I wrong? Look at your eyes—they’ve been glued to Qin Huairu the whole time. Look at your mouth—you’re practically drooling." Xu Damao laughed.
"Xu Damao, you're looking to die."
Shazhu lunged forward, wanting to give Xu Damao a good thrashing. This guy really had no filter. He was truly asking for it.
Nearby, Mrs. Jia had been pleased to see people donating earlier, but her expression shifted at Xu Damao’s remarks. She glared at Shazhu. "Shazhu, listen here: if you dare harbor any designs on my daughter-in-law, I won’t forgive you even from beyond the grave!"
Her son wasn't even cold in his grave yet, and this man was already eyeing his widow? He was looking for trouble.
"Enough! Everyone, be quiet!"
Seeing the chaos erupting, First Uncle Yi Zhonghai bellowed from the front. The crowd fell silent at his command.
Yi Zhonghai continued, "We are here for a donation meeting, not to listen to your bickering. Everyone, settle down."
Shazhu and the others quieted down; after all, Yi Zhonghai’s words still carried some weight in the courtyard.
"Good. Now, everyone, please continue with the donations," Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.
The people in the courtyard frowned. They didn't want to donate; they had already given so much over the years. Plus, many of them were not wealthy—some were even struggling to put food on the table. They turned their gazes toward Li Jianjun, who was calmly cracking melon seeds. They wanted to see if he would donate.
"Why are you all staring at me? I’m not donating. I’m just here to watch the show. Carry on," Li Jianjun said, rejecting them outright.
Yi Zhonghai frowned. "Li Jianjun, the Jia family is in dire straits. Do you really have no compassion at all?"
"That's right! You're so rich, you should donate more," Shazhu seized the opportunity to shout.
Li Jianjun sneered. "Humph! Even if I am rich, why would I donate to the Jia family? You all don't seem to realize the truth. Actually, the Jia family is quite wealthy. You just haven't thought about it."
Confused, the crowd looked at Li Jianjun, wondering what he meant.
"They are indeed rich," Li Jianjun explained, smiling. "As you know, ever since Jia Dongxu became Yi Zhonghai’s apprentice, he has been receiving constant support. And what about Jia Dongxu’s own wages? When have they ever been spent? Most importantly, they own a sewing machine worth at least 150 yuan, not to mention Mrs. Jia’s gold jewelry. You say they’re poor? They’re wealthier than most of you."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. When they thought about it, Li Jianjun was right. The Jia family was surprisingly well-off.
"Everyone, I think Li Jianjun has a point," Xu Damao chimed in. "The Jia family is so well-off—why should we be donating to them? What kind of sense does that make?"
"Xu Damao, Li Jianjun, shut your mouths, or I'll beat you both!" Shazhu snapped. He was frantic—this was his chance to impress Qin Huairu, and he wouldn't let these two ruin it.
"Shazhu, want to try?" Li Jianjun looked at him coolly. Shazhu thought he was the toughest guy around, but Li Jianjun had ignored his arrogance long enough.
Shazhu rolled up his sleeves, ready to rush forward, but Yi Zhonghai stepped in.
"Alright, enough! Shazhu, pull yourself together. This is a donation meeting," Yi Zhonghai shouted. Why was Shazhu acting so impulsively tonight? Still, he cursed Li Jianjun and Xu Damao for being so loudmouthed and exposing the truth about the Jia family. Mrs. Jia felt the same, shooting them both a hateful glare.
"Everyone, let us continue. I will donate twenty yuan," Yi Zhonghai said, standing up and dropping the money into the box.
But when he returned to his seat, he noticed no one else was moving. His face darkened. He looked toward Second Uncle Liu Haizhong and Third Uncle Yan Bugui. "You two should show some leadership, shouldn't you?"
"We'll wait a bit," they replied, ignoring him and returning to their tea.
"You... have you both lost your sense of compassion?" Yi Zhonghai asked, deeply dissatisfied. He turned back to Li Jianjun. "Li Jianjun, why don't you take the lead?" He believed that if Li Jianjun donated, the rest would follow.
"Donate? Don't make me laugh. With you and Shazhu supporting them, they have enough. Why bother us? Carry on, I'm going to bed."
Li Jianjun walked away, and the rest of the crowd immediately followed suit.
"Li Jianjun is right! First Uncle and Shazhu can handle it, they have plenty of money."
"Exactly, I'm worried about tomorrow's meal, how can I donate?"
"No money to give!"
Within moments, the courtyard was empty. People had moved faster than rabbits, terrified that if they lingered, they would be pressured into donating.
Yi Zhonghai’s face turned black. They hadn't even given him the courtesy of staying. "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, how could you..." He turned to find the two old men had vanished as well.
"Bastards!" Yi Zhonghai cursed. Had they lost their sense of compassion too?
"First Uncle... what do we do now?"