Yan Bugui's Suspicion of a Neighbor, Qin Huairu Casts a Long Line

Bang Geng's left eye was swollen, and he was missing a front tooth.

He was covered in dirt, and his shoes were nowhere to be found.

He just cried and cried.

Silly Zhu was furious, feeling that since Jia family had lost Jia Dongxu, it was his turn to protect Bang Geng.

Lin Guo, Lin Jia, Lin Dong, and Lin Liang followed behind with righteous indignation.

Third Master's family also came out to watch the commotion.

Lin Zhen asked with a stern face, "Lin Guo, what happened?"

Lin Guo replied calmly, "Dad, Silly Uncle told Bang Geng and me to have a wrestling match. Bang Geng couldn't beat me, so he bit me. I knocked out his tooth. Look, he even bit my finger until it bled!"

Lin Guo held up his small hand. His right thumb was scraped, and it wasn't bleeding much.

"Then what's this about Bang Geng saying the four of you ganged up on him?"

"He's lying. It was one-on-one. If it had been the four of us, Bang Geng would have lost four teeth!"

"But you still shouldn't have hit him so hard. How do I usually teach you?"

Although Lin Zhen inwardly thought it was a good beating, he still had to discipline his son verbally.

Lin Guo lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Lin Jia immediately stepped forward and said, "It was Silly Uncle who told Bang Geng to bite. He said if he couldn't pry my brother's hand off, he should bite. Bang Geng cheated!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? I was just joking!" Silly Zhu said with an awkward laugh.

Lin Zhen frowned, thinking Silly Zhu was asking for trouble today.

"Xiao'e, go clean up our son's wounds."

Lou Xiao'e quickly led the four sons into the house.

Lin Zhen beckoned Silly Zhu over with two fingers. "Come here, let's spar."

Silly Zhu quickly took a step back and chuckled, "Is it that serious? Lin Guo only got a scrape on his hand, but Bang Geng lost a tooth and can barely open his eye. Your son really went hard!"

Lin Zhen wasn't joking with him.

"Silly Zhu, you're something else, teaching Bang Geng to bite and then coming to our doorstep."

"Lin Zhen, don't come any closer! I was careless last time I lost to you. This time, I'm serious and won't lose again."

Slap!

Before Lin Zhen could make a move.

Qin Huairu ran over from behind and smacked Silly Zhu hard on the back.

"Silly Zhu, you're being foolish again! Go home!"

Qin Huairu's shout silenced Silly Zhu.

If there were people in the courtyard whom Silly Zhu feared, there were only three: the Deaf Old Lady, Qin Huairu, and Lin Zhen.

Silly Zhu, who came with high spirits, left dejected. He had intended to intimidate Lin Zhen but was rebuffed.

He wanted to stand up for Bang Geng but was slapped back by Qin Huairu.

Lin Zhen was a little displeased; his sparring partner was gone again.

"Bang Geng, apologize to Uncle Lin!"

After sending Silly Zhu away, Qin Huairu generously and sensibly told Bang Geng to apologize.

This truly surprised Lin Zhen.

"Lin Zhen, don't take it to heart. Silly Zhu is just a scoundrel who never does anything productive."

Lin Zhen smiled, "It's fine. I was just joking with Silly Zhu earlier, I wouldn't really hit him. Kids play together, bumps and bruises are inevitable. Is Bang Geng's tooth okay?"

Qin Huairu smiled, "It's a baby tooth, it was due to fall out anyway. Lin Guo actually helped him."

After Bang Geng bowed his head and admitted his mistake, Qin Huairu took him away.

Yu Li exclaimed in surprise, "This is new, Grandma Jia didn't come out to scold."

Lou Xiao'e laughed, "Maybe she was thirsty and is drinking water inside."

Yu Li shook her head and chuckled, "I doubt it."

Yan Jiecheng said, "Silly Zhu is quite a scoundrel, teaching Bang Geng to bite."

Lin Zhen chuckled, "Silly Zhu is probably still upset about us criticizing him at the last meeting."

As the four of them chatted and laughed, Third Master Yan Bugui felt uneasy.

Thinking that he wouldn't be able to get back Yan Jiecheng's wages in the future, he pursed his lips and slunk back into his house.

Once home, he said to Third Mistress, "Old woman, do you think Lin Zhen taught Jiecheng and his wife to be so cunning?"

Third Mistress frowned, "Are you sure? Don't accuse without evidence!"

Yan Bugui shook his head, "It's hard to say. Look how friendly Jiecheng and Yu Li were with Lin Zhen and Lou Xiao'e just now. I feel like these young people planned it. And the way Yu Li acted today, it was as if she was waiting for me to bring up the wages!"

Third Mistress felt a bit puzzled after her husband said that.

"Logically, Jiecheng is quite honest, and Yu Li was very sensible in the first few days after they got married. Could it really be Lin Zhen and Lou Xiao'e who taught them?"

Yan Bugui sighed, "Even if you ask Jiecheng privately about this, he won't say anything. I think we shouldn't try to get close to Lin Zhen. If we can't get any real benefits, it's best to keep our distance!" Yan Bugui had lost control of his son's wages and was feeling dejected, his suspicion growing like a neighbor's fence.

He kept suspecting Lin Zhen.

He had originally wanted to get along with Lin Zhen, but now he realized that no one in his family worked at the steel rolling mill, so there was no need to interact much.

Silly Zhu returned home feeling extremely depressed.

He felt that Bang Geng was pitiful enough without his father in the courtyard, and even more pitiful being bullied by the four Lin Guo brothers.

So he incited Bang Geng to lose a match on purpose to boost his confidence.

He had thought that with Lin Zhen not around, he could rig the game a little and help Bang Geng by making a biased call.

He never expected that Bang Geng was no match for Lin Guo at all.

Silly Zhu instantly put himself in Bang Geng's shoes, imagining himself facing Lin Zhen, and the Bang Geng pinned to the ground was himself, while Lin Guo was the Lin Zhen who made him submit.

In his haste, Silly Zhu shouted, "Use your mouth, bite! Bite his hand!"

The consequence was that Bang Geng took two heavy punches.

He had gone to take Bang Geng to find Lin Zhen, but Qin Huairu had chased him away.

Silly Zhu felt more and more indignant the more he thought about it.

He got up and was about to go to the Jia family to ask what was going on.

When he arrived at the Jia family, he saw Jia Zhangshi angrily wiping Bang Geng's face, while Qin Huairu was perfunctorily coaxing Huai Hua to sleep.

"Qin Huairu, what's wrong with you today? You're not even heartbroken that Bang Geng was beaten like this? Lin Guo only got a superficial scratch on his finger, and you apologized to him?"

Jia Zhangshi snorted and led Bang Geng into the inner room. It was evident that she was also quite angry.

Qin Huairu, however, smiled and said, "Silly Zhu, don't mess around anymore. You're teaching a child to bite people when kids are just playing!"

Silly Zhu was completely bewildered. "Hey, you're even smiling!"

Qin Huairu replied with a smile, "Should I cry then!"

"You... Sigh! You don't even care, why did I come here? It was completely unnecessary. I'm leaving!"

After Silly Zhu left, Jia Zhangshi came out and muttered, "If you ask me, that Lin fellow must have taught his son to be ruthless. He was just waiting for an opportunity to beat Bang Geng!"

Qin Huairu said, "Mom, from now on, say such things when the children aren't around. If Bang Geng and Xiao Dang overhear it and tell Lin Guo and the Lin family, and then they tell their parents, we'll offend Lin Zhen again, and we won't be able to borrow anything from him in the future."

Jia Zhangshi was dismissive, "I don't believe you can take advantage of him!"

Qin Huairu sighed, "Whether we can or not, we have to plan. Now First Elder is so angry with you that he doesn't dare to come to our house, and Second Elder doesn't dare to talk to me. If we only target Silly Zhu, won't the entire alley point their fingers at us?"

Jia Zhangshi pouted, "That's because Silly Zhu is willing!"