Chapter 126: The Annoying Brother-in-Law

This meal was especially enjoyable—you could tell Fang Yuan really liked it.

Lu Chuan hadn’t expected Fang Yuan, with her temperament, to get along so well with others. She was adapting nicely to life in the provincial capital.

After seeing Zhang Wei off, Fang Yuan even praised Lu Chuan: “You really do have a good eye for friends. That guy’s a bit silly, but generous.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but twitch his lips. “Not as generous as you—first time meeting him and you’re already setting him up with someone. Do you even know what kind of person he is? Aren’t you worried you’ll end up hurting one of the girls from our hometown?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Isn’t he someone you approve of? How bad could he be? Besides, I married you after meeting you just once—was that a mistake?”

Well, it couldn’t have been a mistake. If it was, that would be a real problem. Lu Chuan could only let Fang Yuan have the last word.

She was straightforward, but definitely not clueless. When it mattered, she always stepped up. What Fang Yuan meant was, she trusted Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan realized that Fang Yuan’s temperament wasn’t as inflexible as it seemed.

Getting subtly flattered by Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan felt a bit smug. “Fang Yuan, don’t go thinking everyone’s a good person.”

Fang Yuan shot back, “I’m not stupid, and I don’t think everyone’s a good person.”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, Well, you’re not exactly shrewd either. One small-time boss, one Zhang Wei, and you’re already dizzy with excitement. This woman’s not very guarded.

Then the “Five Tigers” brought their crew over, and everyone got settled at the construction site.

Lu Chuan led everyone to work, and realized that Fang Yuan really wasn’t the type to think everyone was good—her shrewdness was on the inside.

A bunch of men, and Fang Yuan managed to organize everything in an orderly fashion. It had only been a little over a month since they last met, but Fang Yuan’s transformation made Lu Chuan take notice.

When Zhang Wei came over, he whispered to Lu Chuan that if all country girls were like Fang Yuan, he’d really have to ask her to introduce him to a wife.

Lu Chuan replied, “Then stay away from my wife.” When it came to Zhang Wei, he was always on guard.

Seeing how well Fang Yuan was doing in the provincial capital, the Five Tigers hurried back to the county town—they had more new people there and couldn’t be away for long. Before the freeze set in, they needed to keep an eye on things in the county.

Full of ambition, the Five Tigers left Fang Yuan and the crew in Lu Chuan’s care. “Chuan’er, come by often and keep an eye on things. Fang Yuan’s still a young woman, after all.”

But Lu Chuan was all about romance, his mind not on business at all. “Fifth Brother, what’s the deal with that guy in the county town?”

His mind was always on that issue, and he didn’t want to mention it to Fang Yuan, afraid she’d catch on, so he went to Fifth Brother instead.

Fifth Brother was baffled. “What guy? We don’t have anyone that senior in our family.”

Lu Chuan was exasperated. “Fifth Brother, I’m your brother-in-law!”

Fifth Brother scratched his head, confused by how serious this sounded. “Chuan’er, what are you trying to say? You’re not making any sense.”

Lu Chuan finally blurted out, “That small-time boss at the county construction site. The one who’s always joking around.”

Fifth Brother burst out laughing, almost choking on the sourness in Lu Chuan’s tone. “Chuan’er, you’re overthinking it. Fang Yuan’s not like that. Besides, that guy’s just a joker—he’s nothing compared to you. It’s not like that at all.”

To reassure Lu Chuan, he added, “You’re right in front of Fang Yuan—who else would she look at?”

But Lu Chuan thought Fifth Brother was too laid-back. No matter how good a girl is, or how discerning, she can’t always fend off someone with ulterior motives. You have to stay alert. “You think Fang Yuan’s that shallow?” He was just upset he couldn’t be by her side.

Fifth Brother was left speechless—this was really annoying. How could he say his own sister was shallow, that she only cared about looks?

But he couldn’t admit she wasn’t shallow either—that would just create trouble for the couple. Fifth Brother was caught in a bind.

What kind of situation was this? He looked at Lu Chuan. “Brother-in-law, be reasonable. There’s really nothing going on. If you don’t trust me, at least trust your uncle.”

Your own father is working with my sister—if he saw anything off, would he just ignore it?

Lu Chuan scowled. “My dad’s old—he doesn’t understand all the twists and turns of young people.”

Fifth Brother wanted to say, I don’t get all these twists and turns either. Can’t we just focus on work?

His brother-in-law was smart and capable, but just had this one flaw—don’t let him talk like this in front of Fang Yuan, or he’d really look clueless.

Fifth Brother, with all the patience he could muster, practically recited every conversation Fang Yuan had ever had with that small-time boss, just to prove there was nothing between them.

Lu Chuan listened and realized there really hadn’t been much interaction. Plus, Fang Yuan would never go for a clown like that, so he finally nodded. “Fifth Brother, so there’s really nothing going on?”

Of course there wasn’t! My sister’s not blind—why would she ignore a college graduate and go for a braggart joker?

When Fifth Brother was about to leave, Lu Chuan said, “Don’t mention this to Fang Yuan.”

Fifth Brother thought, So you do know it’s embarrassing. He patted his chest. “Don’t worry.” No way he’d let his sister get upset over this.

He thought, I’d be embarrassed for you if I told Fang Yuan.

Then Fifth Brother started to wonder—how did his sister, someone like Fang Yuan, manage to keep this college-educated brother-in-law wrapped around her finger, and still have him getting jealous from time to time? He really couldn’t figure it out.

If you asked Fifth Brother, really, in this relationship, the one who should be more worried was his sister.

But then again, his sister just wasn’t wired that way—which was also kind of annoying.

He really couldn’t see any of that delicate, jealous stuff in Fang Yuan.

So wasn’t it up to the brother-in-law to put in a little more effort? The world needs balance, after all, so Fifth Brother understood.

Then he shook off the goosebumps on his arms—he could only say, his college-educated brother-in-law really did think differently.

When Lu Chuan got back, Fang Yuan was working right there on the construction site.

Lu Chuan felt bad for her—he hadn’t brought his wife to the provincial capital just to have her work alongside him. So he tried to persuade her, using a bit of a trick: “There’s no rush on this work. The more you do, the less the guys earn.”

Fang Yuan snorted. “You think I’m stupid? I’m not working for free. However much I do, you guys have to pay me that much.”

Lu Chuan laughed. “Then we’re losing out. You can’t keep up with the guys over there. We don’t need you—just take a break.”

Fang Yuan shot him a glare. “Hmph, just remember to pay me.”

Everyone was familiar with each other and knew the couple got along well, and they all knew about the Fang family’s situation. “Fang Yuan, what do you need money for? One’s your brother, one’s your husband, and all the money ends up with you anyway. Honestly, you should be the one paying Lu Chuan’s wages.”

No one could hide from the reputation of the Fang family’s fierce women.

Lu Chuan wasn’t bothered, and joined in the joking: “Hear that? Pay me some wages, so I have a little pocket money to buy snacks for my wife.”

It was rare for Fang Yuan to see Lu Chuan joking around like this. “Stop messing around—we’re working here. Go away.”

That just made everyone laugh even harder. Turns out, this young couple could actually joke around with each other."

"Chapter 127: A Few Bricks Short of a Load

In the evening, everyone ate together in the canteen here. The prices weren’t high, and the food was passable.

Lu Chuan gathered the guys for a little meeting. “This job of ours doesn’t make much money. I’m sorry to put everyone through all this hard work.”

They were all young men, and everyone treated the Five Tigers like brothers. “Brother-in-law, don’t say that. Fifth Brother already talked to us. We’re not just here for the money. If we work hard and learn more skills, that’s worth more than anything.”

Someone chimed in more honestly, “Besides, back in our village, we’d just be cooped up at home all winter with nothing to do. This is pretty good. We’re earning quite a bit. We should be thanking you, brother-in-law, for finding us a way to make a living.”

Lu Chuan knew they were flattering him and felt a bit embarrassed. “We’re all family here, so I’ll be straight with you.”

When a college student spoke frankly, everyone listened carefully.

Lu Chuan said, “Ahem, in our line of work, you all know how it is these days. When a master takes on an apprentice, it can take a year or two before you’re allowed to really learn anything. And it’s not easy to find a master willing to take you. Even if you approach an old hand, they might not think much of you.”

Everyone nodded. Even though their brother-in-law was a student, he actually understood a lot. That was exactly the problem they faced.

There was a bricklayer among them who’d started learning the trade as a teenager. Now he was twenty-five and had only been considered a full-fledged worker for two or three years. Before that, he just earned laborer’s wages. Only now did he start making a real craftsman’s pay.

Lu Chuan continued, “The key is, we don’t know the trade well enough to even tell who’s a real master.”

Fang Yuan frowned as she listened, feeling dizzy from all the roundabout talk. “Get to the point.”

Lu Chuan said, “The point is, our work here isn’t urgent. If someone in the building asks for help, we shouldn’t worry about gains or losses—just go lend a hand, watch and learn. It’s no big deal.”

Fang Yuan found Lu Chuan’s way of speaking too wishy-washy, so she addressed everyone directly, “Did you all get that? If there’s no opportunity, make one. Go over there and see how others work. Whether you can learn it or not, at least you’ll hear some gossip. You need to know which masters actually have real skills.”

Lu Chuan nodded. This kind of thing was a bit underhanded. No need to spell it out so bluntly.

Everyone nodded along. “Don’t worry, Fang Yuan. Fifth Brother already told us what to do. We know the drill. We brought money with us.”

Lu Chuan felt a little embarrassed. What kind of people were these? He still felt like the leader of this group.

Lu Chuan said, “No need for that. We’re out here to earn money, not to lose it.”

The guys shook their heads. “Brother-in-law, you’re a scholar, you don’t get it. Once we learn the skills, they’re ours for life.”

Well, it turned out Lu Chuan was the one who was out of touch, thinking too narrowly. No wonder these guys followed Fifth Brother—they weren’t lacking in smarts.

Fang Yuan spoke up directly, “But don’t expect to get reimbursed for that.”

Wan Shun, who got along best with Fifth Brother, said, “Fang Yuan, we all know you never pay out of pocket. Don’t worry, we get it.”

Someone nearby burst out laughing. Wan Shun really dared to say anything. Lu Chuan couldn’t help but laugh too. “I get it, too.”

The scene was completely out of control now—even the brother-in-law could take a joke.

Fang Yuan’s face darkened. “Anything else? Spit it out. Don’t dawdle. Let’s go home.”

This group—none of them were any good.

Lu Chuan said, “If you need anything, just come to me. Things are chaotic outside, so let’s go out less. We all have families to look after. Even if you’re single, you need to watch your reputation. We’re saving up to marry good girls. Ahem, I’m still young, so if I say anything wrong, please forgive me…”

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan with annoyance. He was so long-winded. “I’m telling you all, don’t pick up any bad habits. Let me be clear: if you don’t behave, you’re not staying with us. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

What Lu Chuan found hard to say, Fang Yuan, as a woman, had no problem spelling out directly.

Lu Chuan scratched his head. “She’s just straightforward, don’t mind her. She means well. We’re new in the provincial capital—keeping our heads down won’t hurt us.”

Wan Shun said, “We all get it. Fang Yuan’s just telling it like it is. Fifth Brother already told us—if anyone acts up, they’re going home.”

The others nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, brother-in-law. We know what’s what.”

Lu Chuan really had nothing else to add. He just hadn’t realized Fifth Brother ran things so by the book.

On the way home with Fang Yuan, he couldn’t help but ask, “This all seems pretty official. Why do they even care about this stuff? Fifth Brother is more thorough than I thought.”

Fang Yuan replied, “You don’t know, do you? Remember that first job we did, with Old Sun? That guy’s a real piece of work.”

Lu Chuan was happy to hear gossip from Fang Yuan and played along. “I remember. What did he do?”

Fang Yuan said, “He did something shameless and got caught—by the family of the master he worked with, no less. Now the whole village is gossiping about it. It’s ugly.”

Lu Chuan asked, “What’s that got to do with us?”

Fang Yuan said, “You know all those things you say? Fifth Brother and I write them down and look them over. We figured out that whether it’s money or relationships, you have to keep things straight. You don’t know this, but Old Sun always gave the easy jobs to that woman’s husband.”

Lu Chuan had to untangle that complicated relationship for a while. It was hard to comment.

Fang Yuan said, “Our construction crew can’t have that kind of thing.”

Lu Chuan nodded vigorously. “Fifth Brother is wise.”

Fang Yuan said, “Big Brother never got caught doing that, but he always lets his brother-in-law throw his weight around. His crew isn’t much, either.”

Lu Chuan said, “You’d never guess there’d be stuff like that going on. But Big Brother knows what he’s doing.”

Fang Yuan said, “What’s so hard to see? Old Sun’s greedy and lecherous—he was never any good.”

Lu Chuan grinned at Fang Yuan. Such strict standards were a good thing. “Fang Yuan, you’re wise.”

Fang Yuan shot him a look. “What are you doing, buttering me up for no reason?”

Lu Chuan said, “I just think you’re right, that’s all. Can’t I be honest? Shouldn’t men and women be held to the same standards?”

Fang Yuan said, “Of course. What are you getting at?”

Lu Chuan said, “Nothing, just that you’re especially wise—a real leader.”

Fang Yuan snorted, “Go look in the mirror and see what you look like right now.”

Lu Chuan touched his face and wiped his mouth. “What do I look like?”

Fang Yuan gave him a definite answer. “You look like a total scoundrel.”

Lu Chuan was a bit flustered and annoyed. All he wanted was to coax Fang Yuan a little, make her happy—how did he end up looking like a scoundrel? “Say that again and I’ll get mad.”

Fang Yuan turned to look at Lu Chuan in shock. “You’ll get mad? So what? You expect me to coax you?”

Lu Chuan stared at Fang Yuan in disbelief. This girl was something else. He’d forgotten.

Lu Chuan said, “You won’t let me say it, but you can say you’re mad.”

Fang Yuan said, “If I’m mad, I’ll just hit you. And I don’t expect you to coax me.”

Lu Chuan patted his chest. “I’m always trying to make you happy.”

Fang Yuan said, “Really? You must have too much time on your hands.”

Lu Chuan turned away to buy some sweet rice dumplings. Why was it so hard to have a romantic moment with Fang Yuan? Even when he was mad, he still remembered to buy her favorite treat. That’s just the kind of guy Lu Chuan was.

128."

"Chapter 128: Got the Aura Down Pat