Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Chapter 242 Jia Zhangshi forces Qin Huairu to make a poisonous oath

Upon seeing this, Qin Huairu instinctively shivered, feeling a cold wind sweep past her, making her feel chilly all over.

Standing in front of the mourning hall, Madam Jia shouted sternly at Qin Huairu, "Kneel down!"

Qin Huairu was startled by Jia Zhangshi's words and, after regaining her composure, quickly advised:

"Mom, what are you doing? Setting up a mourning hall in broad daylight? If people find out and report us for practicing feudal superstition, we'll be in trouble. Please put the mourning hall away immediately."

"Kneel down!"

Jia Zhangshi shouted again, which startled Qin Huairu.

Helpless, Qin Huairu could only kneel respectfully beneath Jia Dongxu's portrait.

"Qin Huairu, swear in front of Dongxu right now that you will never remarry and that you must raise Banggeng to adulthood, or you will go to the eighteenth level of hell and die a horrible death."

Qin Huairu knelt before the mourning hall, looked at Jia Zhangshi, and pleaded, "Mom, please stop making a scene, okay?"

"swear."

Jia Zhangshi roared.

As soon as Wang Feng and Qin Jingru returned to the house and unlocked the door, they heard Jia Zhangshi's loud shout. He and Qin Jingru immediately ran to the Jia family to check.

Almost everyone in the Intermediate People's Court heard Jia Zhangshi's loud shout and came out of their homes.

Qin Huairu hesitated. She didn't want to be tied to the Jia family for the rest of her life, but if she didn't make a vow today, she wouldn't be able to get through this ordeal. Her mother-in-law would definitely not let her take over Jia Dongxu's job. What should she do?

"Qin Huairu, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Let me tell you, Banggeng is a member of the Jia family. You can forget about remarrying in this lifetime. If you don't swear an oath, you can forget about taking over Dongxu's job. If I can't live with Banggeng anymore, and Dongxu is gone anyway, I'll strangle Banggeng and then commit suicide. Our family will then reunite in the underworld."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhangshi's determined eyes. She was truly frightened. Jia Zhangshi hadn't spoken a word for the past two days and had become very taciturn. She was genuinely afraid that Jia Zhangshi might have a moment of despair and actually get up in the middle of the night and strangle the stick to death.

After considering the consequences, if she didn't swear an oath today, Madam Jia Zhang would definitely not let her take over Jia Dongxu's job, and if she wanted to take Banggeng and Xiaodang away in the future, Madam Jia Zhang would definitely not agree.

With a sigh, Qin Huairu knelt before the mourning hall and swore an oath to the heavens:

"I, Qin Huairu, swear that I will never remarry in this life, and I will raise Banggeng and Xiaodang to adulthood. Otherwise, may I die a horrible death and go to the eighteenth level of hell after I die."

"Waaaaah."

After making the solemn oath, Qin Huairu burst into tears, feeling wronged.

Wang Feng and Qin Jingru happened to see Qin Huairu making her vow. Qin Jingru's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

Old Hu and several others from the Intermediate People's Court also witnessed this scene. Old Hu said to Jia Zhangshi in a deep voice:

"Jia Zhangshi, in broad daylight, you set up a mourning hall and forced Qin Huairu to make a poisonous oath. Are you even human? You are promoting feudal superstition. Believe it or not, if I tell Director Wang about this, you will be sent back to your hometown immediately."

"Yes, Madam Jia, you're too cruel! Huai Ru is only in her twenties, and you've made her swear a solemn oath never to remarry. How could there be such a vicious person like you in our courtyard?"

"Get out, all of you get out of here! This is a matter for the Jia family, what business is it of yours?" Jia Zhangshi shouted.

"Old Hu, if you dare tell Director Wang about this, I'll have Bang Geng beat your grandson every day. If I go back to the countryside, none of you will have a good time."

"Jia Zhangshi, you... I don't care anymore. Do whatever you want, it's none of my business anyway."

Old Hu was speechless, and stormed off in a huff.

Seeing this, the others didn't bother with the Jia family's affairs and left one after another. Wang Feng and Qin Jingru, seeing that there was no more drama to watch, also went back to their rooms.

After everyone left, Madam Jia closed the door and put away the mourning hall, but Jia Dongxu's portrait was still hanging on the wall.

Madam Jia asked Qin Huairu to sit down, sighed, and said earnestly:

"Huai Ru, don't blame your mother. I have no choice. If you remarry, our family will fall apart. Bang Geng is the only son of our Jia family now. No matter what, I will not let you take him away."

Hearing Jia Zhangshi speak to her so softly this time, Qin Huairu looked as if she had seen a ghost, her face full of disbelief.

She had been married into the Jia family for so many years, and only on the day of their arranged marriage had Madam Jia spoken to her kindly. Otherwise, she would either yell at her or directly order her around. This was only the second time Madam Jia had spoken to her like this.

Madam Jia sighed and said, "Huai Ru, now that Dongxu is gone, Banggeng is your son and my grandson. He is the only hope of our Jia family. We must raise him to adulthood and continue the family line."

"Mom knows how difficult it is for a widow to raise a child. Dongxu was also raised by Mom with her own hands and feet. Mom knows how much suffering there was. But Banggeng is our life. No matter how hard or tiring it is, we will raise Banggeng to adulthood."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu wiped away her tears, laughing and crying at the same time, and finally nodded heavily.

"Mom, don't worry, I'm not afraid of hardship or fatigue. I'll take over Dongxu's job tomorrow, and I will definitely raise Banggeng and Xiaodang."

Hearing Qin Huairu's assurance, Jia Zhangshi breathed a long sigh of relief, finally feeling a great weight lifted from her heart.

She was afraid that Qin Huairu would give up the opportunity to take over the family business and marry another man, then she would be finished.

......

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

Qin Jingru brewed a pot of tea for Wang Feng and said, "Brother Wang Feng, tell me, Jia Dongxu is already dead, why did Qin Huairu still make such a vicious oath? Isn't that just binding herself to the Jia family? How could Qin Huairu be so stupid?"

Wang Feng never expected that Jia Dongxu would die two years ahead of schedule. He also never expected that Jia Zhangshi would still set up a mourning hall and force Qin Huairu to make a poisonous oath.

"I'm not too clear about this matter either. Logically speaking, Qin Huairu shouldn't have made such a solemn oath. With Jia Dongxu dead, it should have been his wife, Qin Huairu, who took over. Once she had a formal job, she could transfer her household registration to the city. Banggeng and Xiaodang could also transfer their household registration to the city. There's no reason for her to make such a solemn oath. I guess there's something else we don't know."

Qin Jingru nodded: "Brother Wang Feng, how about I find a chance to ask Qin Huairu and see what's going on?"

"Alright, this is someone else's business. Why are you meddling in other people's affairs?"

"Hehe, I was just curious."

"By the way, Brother Wang Feng, the Lunar New Year is only two weeks away. Are we going back to Qin Family Village before the New Year?"

Wang Feng thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go."

"Yeah, Brother Wang Feng, you're so kind."