bookbashuk Chapter 243: Sowing discord!
Chapter 243: Sowing discord!
Sha Zhu glanced at Xu Damao, his eyes full of disdain and disgust, and snorted coldly: "No need for you to pretend to be kind, I can take care of my own affairs, I don't need you to meddle here."
How could he not know what Xu Damao was thinking? He had already seen through the hypocritical mask, so he naturally would not go along with his wishes.
Sha Zhu's eyes were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Xu Damao's heart, exposing the ugly and evil thoughts hidden deep in his heart. Xu Damao couldn't help but be startled. A trace of embarrassment and anger flashed across his face, but it was quickly covered up by his hypocritical smile.
Seeing this, Cao Wei hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "Shazhu, Damao has good intentions, don't worry. We are here to help you find a solution. If you really don't want to find an uncle, then we can think of other ways."
Cao Wei paused slightly, his eyes slowly fell on Sha Zhu's slightly honest face, carefully observing his expression changes, and then continued softly: "Besides, why are you embarrassed to talk about this matter? In fact, the first uncle is so thoughtful and hardworking to help you, even including the people in our entire courtyard, that is not without purpose! Think about it, he has been married for so many years, but he still has no children, he is simply a complete "extinct family"! So, the reason why he is so kind-hearted to help is nothing more than to find someone who can take care of him and provide for his old age in his later years. You know, before this, the person that the first uncle originally chose to provide for his old age was Jia Dongxu. It's a pity that Jia Dongxu is now disabled and can no longer bear this responsibility. So, the first uncle naturally shifted his target to you."
Hearing this, Sha Zhu initially subconsciously wanted to refute and deny, but his face instantly turned red like a ripe apple, and even the blue veins on his neck bulged, just like a completely enraged bull.
Then, he opened his voice and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Nonsense! Uncle Yi is definitely not the kind of person you say he is! Usually, Uncle Yi treats others with enthusiasm. As long as he sees someone in trouble, he will lend a hand without saying a word, especially for those elderly, weak or disabled people in our yard, he is even more caring. In my heart, he has always been a kind-hearted and amiable elder. How can I allow you to slander him here and describe him in such a disgusting way?"
Cao Wei was somewhat disdainful, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and said with a hint of contempt: "Then why doesn't he help me and Xu Damao? Why is he so good to you? Because we two don't buy his account. Look at how the uncle treats your sister. His attitude is not good to you, right? He is not really kind. He just helps whoever he sees is useful to him. He just thinks you are honest and easy to control, so he chooses you to take care of him in his old age. I won't say more. You figure it out yourself."
Xu Damao also added fuel to the fire: "Yes, Shazhu, I had an argument with you in the yard before, and it was the old man who took sides. That's why I argued with you so fiercely and was always against you. It was this old man who caused our relationship to become so bad."
Sha Zhu's eyes were wide open, and it seemed as if fire was about to burst out of his eyes. The flames of anger were enough to burn everything in front of him. He shouted loudly: "Shut up!"
The voice was as loud as a bell, revealing his inner anger and dissatisfaction. It echoed in the ward as if it would break people's eardrums and make the entire ward tremble.
Cao Wei and Xu Damao stopped immediately. They knew they had already achieved their goal, and they just wanted to plant a thorn in Sha Zhu's heart and stab it at the critical moment.
They knew that Sha Zhu was a man of loyalty and righteousness, and that his respect for the old man was accumulated over the years. Now these words were like seeds of doubt planted in Sha Zhu's heart, waiting for the right time to take root and sprout, and then grow into a towering tree, completely destroying Sha Zhu's trust in the old man.
Then, Sha Zhu said, "Okay, stop talking. I'll figure this out myself later."
Cao Wei and Xu Damao nodded and changed the subject.
Cao Wei said casually, "Silly Zhu, did your father never come back after he went to Baocheng?"
His tone was very gentle, as if he was afraid of angering Sha Zhu again, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
When talking about Sha Zhu's father, Sha Zhu felt a little dissatisfied.
After his father went to Baocheng, he abandoned him and his sister in Sijiucheng when they were young and never cared about them since then. Whenever he thought of his father, Sha Zhu felt a surge of resentment in his heart. This resentment rolled in his heart like a tide, hitting the fragile emotional defense line deep in his heart again and again.
Sha Zhu just shook his head slightly without saying anything. That silence seemed to be a cover-up for past pains, or like he was trying to suppress the torrent of emotions that was about to burst out from his heart.
Cao Wei asked again: "Has he not even sent a letter back in all these years?"
This time there was a bit more curiosity in his voice and he sat up a little straighter, as if he had discovered some new world and couldn't wait to explore it in depth.
Sha Zhu nodded and said, "I did send a few letters, but they were just some irrelevant words, asking if my sister and I were okay, and then telling about my recent situation. There was nothing else. After a few years, there were no more letters."
Cao Wei pretended to be very surprised, his eyes slightly widened, and he raised his voice and said: "Then he hasn't sent any money in all these years?"
Sha Zhu still shook his head and said no.
Cao Wei was very puzzled. He stroked his chin, as if he was thinking about an extremely difficult puzzle, and muttered, "That shouldn't be the case. I remember that Uncle He was very responsible back then. He wouldn't have not sent you any money for so many years."
When talking about Sha Zhu's father, Sha Zhu sighed repeatedly, recalling the sad things of the past. His eyes became somewhat empty and melancholy, as if he was trapped in a deep vortex of memories.
Those vague memories of his father were like sharp blades, piercing his heart.
Cao Wei asked again: "Was Uncle He's letter sent directly to you?"
Sha Zhu came to his senses and replied, "No, I sent it to an old man, who then gave it to me."
Cao Wei opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back.
He hesitated for a moment, a look of indecision on his face, and then he slowly said: "I say... Is there a possibility that Uncle He has already sent you money, but..."
However, he suddenly stopped talking, as if realizing that what he was about to say next was not appropriate.
At this moment, Sha Zhu's face suddenly turned gloomy. He certainly knew the meaning of Cao Wei's unfinished words - it was nothing more than a hint that the money might have been secretly swallowed up by Yi Zhonghai.
A nameless anger surged in Sha Zhu's heart, and he glared at Cao Wei fiercely.
Seeing this, Cao Wei quickly waved his hands and explained: "Oh, I dare not say anything! I just mentioned it casually, don't take it seriously. But speaking of it, now that you have encountered such a difficult situation, don't you plan to discuss it with Uncle He? Or just tell him about your difficulties, maybe he can send you some more money for emergency."
After hearing this, Sha Zhu angrily shook his head and raised his voice unconsciously: "No need! Ever since he left me and walked away, there is no relationship between him and me anymore!"
After that, he seemed unwilling to continue this topic, closed his eyes, and muttered: "I'm tired, I need to take a nap."
Seeing Sha Zhu's firm attitude, Cao Wei knew that it was useless to say more, so he turned to Xu Damao and said, "Okay, we have talked enough today, let's go back first so that Sha Zhu can rest in peace."
Xu Damao nodded in agreement. Then the two stood up, said goodbye to Sha Zhu, and left the ward.
Sha Zhu lay alone on the hospital bed, but he couldn't calm down for a long time.
First, Cao Wei and Xu Damao's slanderous remarks against the old man stirred up waves in his heart.
He didn't want to believe that the old man was a sinister person as they said, but those words hung over his heart like a shadow that could not be shaken off.
Sha Zhu kept recalling in his mind how good the old man had been to him, trying to use these beautiful memories to dispel the gloom, but the seeds of doubt seemed to have taken root in his heart, stinging him from time to time.
The topic about his father touched upon the pain and resentment that had been deep in his heart for many years.
He had complained in his heart countless times about his father's cruel abandonment, and now Cao Wei mentioned those unconfirmed speculations about sending money, which made him even more entangled about past family affairs.
He tossed and turned, looking at the ceiling of the ward, his thoughts tangled like a tangled mess.
Sha Zhu didn't know how to face the old man, and he didn't want to touch anything related to his father anymore. But now he was in deep trouble again, and the road ahead seemed to be shrouded in fog, making him feel extremely confused and helpless.
..................
..................