Chapter 143: Accidentally Growing the Business Too Big

Lu Chuan gave Fang Yuan a thumbs up. This wasn’t just going over budget—she’d practically emptied their coffers. “You’re really willing to go all in. No wonder Grandpa said you’re ruthless.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Don’t say that. I can’t even bring myself to say the number out loud. You’re not mad at me over this, are you?” She sounded a little guilty.

Lu Chuan comforted himself, thinking his wife was generous. “At least we’re building our family’s foundation. No point getting angry. The place might be rundown, but it’s huge. My wife bought a place big enough to park a crane.”

But he still couldn’t help adding, “You really went all out.”

Fang Yuan explained, “I compared it. If we went further in, the courtyards were smaller and even more expensive. This one’s huge—think how many houses we could build here! And it was just over four thousand. With what we do, isn’t it cheaper to build our own house? The key is, it’s really big. I could buy a few cranes and still have room to park them.”

Just over four thousand—Lu Chuan sucked in a breath. For his wife’s spending habits, he’d have to work even harder.

Fang Yuan continued, “I’ve already talked to Fifth Brother. If there are leftover materials from future projects, whenever they’re being sold off cheap, just bring them here. We’ve got the space.”

This was truly a bargain-hunting mentality, but it had cleaned them out.

Fang Yuan asked, “Why aren’t you smiling? It was a good deal, right? Didn’t even spend that much. But seeing the money gone like that, I’m a little nervous too.”

Lu Chuan hugged Fang Yuan and finally laughed. “I don’t think it’s that much either. But it seems like, between the two of us, we can never keep more than two hundred yuan in savings. Any more and it just slips away.”

Fang Yuan didn’t want to hear that—she wasn’t someone who couldn’t save money. “Nonsense. Haven’t we had money before?”

She knew their current financial situation: they used to have money. In other words, now they really didn’t.

Lu Chuan said, “Don’t worry, you’ve got me.”

Fang Yuan shot back, “You’re just a student who spends money. What use are you?”

Lu Chuan looked at the rundown courtyard and laughed heartily, not at all bothered by his wife’s teasing. He just wanted to laugh.

But the courtyard was too empty, too shabby, and a little creepy. Even their voices echoed. Who knows, maybe rumors would start about the place being haunted.

So they closed the door to that side and went to the more normal courtyard to talk.

Opening the door, Fang Yuan showed Lu Chuan around. “The kitchen’s in the back, and it’s nice and bright inside. You don’t see this kind of thing in our village. There’s even heating—picked out just like you wanted.”

Lu Chuan said, “It’s really nice. Worth it.”

Fang Yuan was proud. “Of course. Don’t look at how much I spent—I always get the best. Fifth Brother picked out the house exactly to my specs.”

She raised her eyebrows. “He didn’t fight me for it, so I took it. It’s bigger than his, cost less, just not as new as his courtyard.”

Lu Chuan, ever the pushover, said, “Doesn’t matter. Even if it’s newer, it’s still an old house. Ours is just right. When we have time, we’ll fix it up little by little.”

Fang Yuan said, “Can’t be too slow. When the baby comes, we need a proper house.”

Lu Chuan glanced at Fang Yuan’s belly, as if she was already pregnant. Was she hinting at something? “In a hurry?”

Fang Yuan had always been eager about having kids. “Not in a hurry?” Fine, let’s go home then.

Lu Chuan grabbed Fang Yuan and started to leave. Fang Yuan was confused—weren’t they still looking around? “Aren’t we going to check out the house? It’s pretty nice.”

Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan, glanced around, and said, “Or… we don’t go home?” moving a bit closer to her.

Even Fang Yuan, who could be a bit slow on the uptake, knew what Lu Chuan meant. She kicked him. “What are you thinking?”

Fang Yuan said, “You want my Fifth Brother coming over in the middle of the night?”

Oh right, Fifth Brother was still around. Actually, he was at home too. Not exactly convenient.

Lu Chuan immediately dropped any ideas. He realized he’d been thinking too much.

He sighed, “Still, we should hurry up and fix up the house.”

Neither of them dared go into the rundown courtyard next door, so they just checked out this side carefully before heading back to rest.

Lu Chuan fully approved of Fang Yuan’s spending—whatever she spent was worth it, mainly to keep her from worrying.

Fang Yuan was quite satisfied. See, she told you she spent the money well.

Wu Hu (Fifth Brother) heard them coming back late at night and couldn’t help but admire their energy. If only he had someone to share his own excitement with, he’d want to show off his achievements too.

Thinking about how much Fang Yuan had spent, Wu Hu asked his brother-in-law, “So, what do you think? Is it up to your standards?”

Lu Chuan replied, “You’re still up, Fifth Brother? Of course it’s great—Fang Yuan looked for a long time before picking this place.”

Wu Hu sucked in a breath. His brother-in-law was on another level. “You sure know how to sweet-talk. Why don’t you ask your wife how much money she has left?”

He wasn’t trying to stir up trouble, but she really had spent a lot. Was Lu Chuan really not upset?

Fang Yuan tossed something at Wu Hu. “Are you trying to start something?”

Lu Chuan felt a pang—this was a topic best avoided. “That’s not important.”

Wu Hu pressed, “You can’t even afford to eat, and that’s not important? What is?”

Lu Chuan said, “Isn’t Fifth Brother here? Fifth Brother wouldn’t let us starve, right? We’ve got a home in the provincial capital now. Isn’t that great?”

Fang Yuan added, “No need to butter him up. His money’s in my hands.”

Wu Hu pounded the bed in frustration. How could he have been so gullible as to trust Fang Yuan? He’d have been better off trusting his own mother. At least now he understood just how much his brother-in-law doted on his sister.

If his own father let his mother spend like this, there’d be no end to it. No way he’d let a woman toss around the family’s savings so freely.

It was already late at night, and Lu Chuan was feeling emotional—they finally had a home in the city, and could afford a house. “Fifth Brother, isn’t it exciting?”

Wu Hu had long since been worn down by these two. “I’m just tired.”

Fang Yuan was excited too, but the key thing was—they were broke. “Now that we’ve got our own place, I don’t even want to stay here anymore. How long did you pay rent for? Can we get a refund?”

Wu Hu retorted, “You spent all that money, and you care about a few bucks of rent?”

Fang Yuan said, “I’ve only got two hundred yuan left. After buying breakfast tomorrow, I’ll have even less. Why wouldn’t I care about rent? Money is money.”

Wu Hu couldn’t believe she said that. “Then why didn’t you budget when you were spending?”

Fang Yuan replied matter-of-factly, “Isn’t that what you’re for?” Meaning, he had money to back her up.

Wu Hu said, “If I’m your safety net, then pay me back, Fang Yuan.”

His voice was so loud that someone next door called out, “Um, Sixth Sister, can we get some sleep?”

Well, if they weren’t at their wit’s end, no one would dare talk to Fifth Brother like that.

Lu Chuan was especially embarrassed and quickly whispered, “We’ll go to sleep now, sorry, sorry.”

The neighbor was polite, “It’s just that there are kids at home who have exams coming up. Sorry about that.”

144."

"Chapter 144: A Man You Can Rely On

Lu Chuan said, “We’re sorry, sorry to bother you.”

He whispered to Wu Hu, “See? Our Sixth Sister’s reputation really comes in handy. If it were someone else, we’d have been scolded already.”

Wu Hu gave Lu Chuan a kick, excited about buying a house himself. “Why don’t you move? You could stay at my place.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t having it. “I have my own home now. Why should I live at your place?”

Wu Hu was annoyed, as if he was begging her or something. “Because you don’t have any money! That courtyard—how can you live there without spending money?”

Lu Chuan didn’t want his wife to be put down by Wu Hu just because they were short on cash. “How about I go talk to Zhang Wei tomorrow? We’ve been working for a while now. It’s about time we got paid.”

Fang Yuan immediately brightened up. “See? That’s why you need a man you can rely on.”

Wu Hu was so frustrated by this couple that his chest felt tight. “Fine, you two are so capable—do whatever you want. It’s not like I’m begging you to stay.”

Lu Chuan said, “No, no, it’s just that Fang Yuan is happy to have her own place. Sooner or later, we’ll fix it up.”

Wu Hu looked at his brother-in-law, who was being so considerate to Fang Yuan. “Don’t get too happy. It’s not that much money.”

Fang Yuan replied cheerfully, “As long as it’s enough to fix up the house, that’s all I need. Just enough to live in.” The couple really were quite content.

They’d only been married half a year—who would have thought they’d have a house in the provincial capital? Even Lu Chuan couldn’t keep calm. “It’s a home, after all. Just thinking about it keeps me up at night.”

Having bought their own house, Lu Chuan was satisfied, and Fang Yuan was happy. The two of them sat across from Wu Hu, discussing how to renovate the house and fix up the courtyard.

Wu Hu fell asleep holding his head, thinking he’d never share a room with this couple again. What a headache.

When he went home for the New Year, he’d ask his mom to help him find a match. He was only getting bullied because he didn’t have anyone by his side.

When Lu Chuan was on winter break, Wu Hu and the others were already working inside the building. There was too much snow outside to do any outdoor work.

Zhang Wei was a good guy—he knew it wasn’t easy for Lu Chuan to bring people to work in the provincial capital, so he gave them all the jobs they could handle.

The pay wasn’t high, but at least there was work to do. They didn’t have to sit around doing nothing just because it was snowing.

Lu Chuan wanted to fix up his house, so he discussed wages with Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei was straightforward, saying he’d pay as soon as the work was done.

Lu Chuan said, “You’re quite the boss. I heard from Wu Hu that other people aren’t nearly as prompt about paying up.”

Zhang Wei replied, a bit smug, “I’m just earning some pocket money for myself. Can’t I at least make decisions about this?”

Then he joked, “But if I went to my dad for money, it definitely wouldn’t be this easy.”

Zhang Wei was so quick to pay because he had his reasons. He pulled Lu Chuan aside. “Bro, I should be thanking you. You do good work, and your crew is hardworking. Everyone here says I’m reliable. Even my dad praised me.”

Lu Chuan said, “That’s great. I don’t have any other connections. As long as you keep being reliable and there’s plenty of work, I’ll benefit too.”

Zhang Wei said, “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? If you make other connections, are you just going to ditch me?”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, Isn’t that obvious? My wife works so hard, but you, as the middleman, make more than us.

Zhang Wei wasn’t stupid. He knew Lu Chuan’s crew was solid and wanted to keep working with them long-term. “Bro, you want to keep doing this, right? Don’t worry about the low pay—you’re learning a lot, aren’t you?”

You can’t fool an insider. Why would a bunch of skilled guys work so hard for so little if they weren’t getting something out of it?

Everyone was straightforward. Lu Chuan asked, “Bro, what do you think? Next year, can you get us some better jobs?”

Zhang Wei said, “If we do good work, and we’re reliable and skilled, there’ll be no shortage of jobs. I just worry your crew might not be able to handle it.”

Lu Chuan replied, “Don’t underestimate us. There aren’t many locals on the sites who can work like we do. And don’t talk to me about official qualifications—if we had those, we wouldn’t be here.”

Every word was true. Zhang Wei said, “Seriously, you need a proper master craftsman. Otherwise, I’m not helping you, I’m hurting you. I’d love to get some proper jobs too.”

Zhang Wei was right—without a top-notch master, they couldn’t take on bigger projects. Lu Chuan understood. “Don’t worry about that.”

Zhang Wei grinned. “Alright, when spring comes, let’s go for a big one. But you’ll have to give me some time. Lu Chuan, I’m not messing with you. We’re brothers—we help each other out.”

Lu Chuan joked, “What’s it got to do with you?” So he still wanted a cut, after all.

Zhang Wei punched Lu Chuan’s shoulder. “You haven’t even crossed the bridge yet and you’re already thinking of ditching me? Not cool.”

Lu Chuan half-jokingly bargained, “You have to let us have a piece of the pie, too.”

Zhang Wei said, “I’m just drinking the soup—the meat’s all yours. Next year, let’s talk it over and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

As long as there was room to negotiate, Lu Chuan was satisfied. “It’s all up to you, then.”

Zhang Wei asked, “You’re going home for winter break, right?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Go home? If I go, who’s going to do the work? Not everyone’s a little boss like you.”

Zhang Wei said, “Impressive. Your wife is really something. Maybe I should ask my aunt to find me a girl like her.”

Lu Chuan said, “Don’t talk about my wife. And don’t joke about her, either. If she really brings someone over for you, let’s see what you do then.”

Zhang Wei clicked his tongue. He’d been to the sites more than Lu Chuan and was a pretty serious guy when it came to business.

After spending more time together, he really got to know what kind of person Fang Yuan was, and got along well with Wu Hu, too.

If he really joked about it, Fang Yuan might actually bring a girl over for him to meet. Zhang Wei wasn’t about to mess around. “Don’t worry, I won’t joke about that.”

He wouldn’t dare joke with Sixth Sister, either.

From the start, they’d said the pay wasn’t much, but seeing the money, Wu Hu and Fang Yuan realized that “not much” in the provincial capital was a whole different concept from “not much” back in the village.

Wu Hu was a little excited. No wonder people said it was easier to make money in the provincial capital. Then came the question of how to pay the workers.

Wu Hu said, “It’s a good amount. Since we’re working in the provincial capital, we should pay people provincial capital rates.”

Lu Chuan had no objections and agreed readily. “Whatever you say, Wu Hu.”

Wu Hu said, “I knew you’d be generous, Lu Chuan. We have to think long-term.”

Fang Yuan was reluctant to part with the money. If they paid county rates, they’d have more left over. She steeled herself. “Just pay them quickly, so we can split what’s left. I need the money. Don’t let me see it—it’ll just upset me.”

Lu Chuan just laughed. Look at this man—Fang Yuan had never been so reluctant to part with money before. Wu Hu also felt the pinch as he handed out the wages. If they’d paid county rates, he and Lu Chuan would have had a lot more to split.

When Wan Shun and the others saw the money, they were overjoyed. “Working with our brother-in-law and Wu Hu was the right choice! And they said there wasn’t much money? When the guys who didn’t come hear about this, they’ll regret it for sure.”

No one had expected to get paid this much—it must have been at provincial capital rates."

"Chapter 145: Keeping Things Close to the Chest

Wuhu: “Compared to others, we’re actually getting less, so I hope everyone can be understanding. Next year, when we get some proper jobs, I promise we’ll make it up to everyone.”

Wanshun: “Fifth Brother, don’t say that. If we hadn’t followed you, we’d have just been lazing around at home all winter. We’ve earned plenty coming out here. Those who aren’t married yet, you’ve got enough to go home and get yourselves a wife.”

Wuhu: “Well, you’ll have to hold off a bit—wait until after the New Year to go back and get married. We’re not done with the work here yet.” Everyone laughed at that.

Wuhu: “By the way, my brother-in-law has found a new place. When we get a break here, let’s all go over and help him fix it up.”

Wanshun: “Fifth Brother, don’t be so formal. We’ll go over tomorrow. Family comes first—helping out is more important than making money.”

Everyone chimed in: “We wouldn’t have come with you if we weren’t like family. Don’t be a stranger—think of it as us just coming over to check out your new place.”

Wuhu: “Really, there’s no rush.”

But Wanshun and the others were eager. Being able to come out with Fifth Brother and Fang Yuan was a favor, and they were anxious to repay it.

Wuhu and Lu Chuan had just split the money when Fang Yuan, still unsure what to buy with it, saw Wanshun and the others arrive, tools in hand.

When the group saw the courtyard, they were amazed. “Fang Yuan, you’re something else—got a home in the provincial capital! Our brother-in-law’s really capable.”

Fang Yuan: “It’s my mixer that’s the real breadwinner—earns as much as five men for me. Why’s he the only one who gets credit?”

Wanshun pulled Fang Yuan aside and whispered, “We know you’re capable, but you’ve got to let your brother-in-law save some face. You can’t say things like that.”

The others, familiar with Fang Yuan, nodded and laughed. “If your brother-in-law hadn’t started all this, where would the mixer have come from? Even if you had one, who’d use it?”

Lu Chuan said, “I’m just a student—I’m nowhere near as useful as Fang Yuan. No need to spare my feelings, I know where I stand.”

He added, “We’re not the type to fight over this. I’ll work hard and catch up to Fang Yuan one day.”

Wanshun immediately chimed in, “Our brother-in-law’s got a big heart. When we go home and get married, we’ll have to learn from him.”

Later, Fang Yuan chatted privately with Lu Chuan: “When people ask, just say the mixer made most of the money.”

Lu Chuan replied, “My wife’s getting clever. We’re a family—since you’re the breadwinner, what do I care what others say?”

Fang Yuan kicked him playfully. “You should get a little smarter, or I’ll never hear the end of your nonsense.” Just like that, the couple laughed it off.

Wanshun and the others fixing up the house made it livelier than when Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan tried to organize things themselves. These guys were pros.

Whenever something was needed, they’d call Fifth Brother to buy it, and they’d help carry it into the courtyard.

Some worked on the yard, others on the windows, and some even climbed up to fix the roof. Lu Chuan didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Honestly, they were all skilled workers—there was no need to hire anyone else.

Lu Chuan even overheard a few of them telling Fifth Brother, “You’ve got to talk to our sister—let your brother-in-law save face.” The things people worry about!

Wuhu said, “The couple’s doing fine—just fix the roof, will you?”

Wanshun added, “Xiao Fu’s been apprenticing with his master for years—his roofing skills are famous back home. But here in the city, he hasn’t had a chance to show off. This job’s perfect for him.”

Up on the roof, the young man worked quickly and joked, “Don’t talk nonsense—I’m doing fine in the city. I don’t want to go back to roofing in the village. Don’t get me in trouble.”

Lu Chuan rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside everyone. Wuhu borrowed a four-wheeler from the construction site to haul stuff in and out. The neighbors all noticed—someone new was moving in.

Some even came over to ask which construction crew they were from, what kind of work they did, and if they could help fix their houses too.

Wuhu was thrilled—this could bring in more business. Their crew now had a new way to make money in the city.

If you don’t have the right attitude, people avoid you. But with Wuhu, people came to ask for help.

Wuhu even dragged Lu Chuan out: “Talk to them nicely. If it’s a job for three to five people, we can take it—we’ve got the manpower.”

Lu Chuan tried to talk him out of it: “It’s almost New Year, and it’s freezing. Maybe we should let it go.”

Wuhu replied, “If it wasn’t winter, would they come to us outsiders? If we help them fix their houses, everyone can have a good New Year, and we’ll build a good reputation.”

He added, “These are all residential houses—we know this kind of work inside out. A couple of our guys can handle it, and Fang Yuan can help find more people if needed. It’s convenient.”

Fifth Brother had it all figured out—he really had a nose for making money.

Lu Chuan, with not much cash on hand, couldn’t argue. Earning a bit more before New Year to give to his wife was a good thing.

Lu Chuan put aside his own work and showed everyone his master’s skills. That whole day, he did nothing but play host.

Fang Yuan, though not very worldly, could tell the house’s original layout was good, so she didn’t change much inside—just cleaned up the walls and brightened the place.

Lu Chuan even had the window frames outside repainted.

After all that, when they opened the main gate, the courtyard looked bright and spacious, and the house seemed much grander.

Fang Yuan said, “If the seller had fixed it up like this first, there’s no way I’d have gotten it for this price.”

Lu Chuan looked at the spacious, bright courtyard and house, happy as could be. “That’s because you have a good eye.”

The guys hauling out the trash didn’t even look over, but Wanshun joked, “See that? That’s how a college boy sweet-talks his wife. We should all learn from him.”

The young men nearby nodded—they really did need to learn. If they mastered this, it’d be great for keeping their wives happy. Didn’t you see how he tamed his “tigress” with just a few words?

That night, everyone celebrated noisily in the new house.

Lu Chuan was especially grateful for everyone’s help. No one complained about the smell of paint or anything.

Lu Chuan noticed something: from start to finish, Wuhu never once mentioned to the others that he also had a house in the city, and neither did Fang Yuan.

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but suspect that Fifth Brother was also worried about people knowing how much money they’d made.

After everyone left, the three of them went back to their rented place. Lu Chuan asked, “Fifth Brother, are you not planning to let the family know about the house?”

Wuhu didn’t hide it: “Once Fourth Brother gets married and moves out, I’ll bring our parents to the city—no problem. But not now. Fourth Brother’s no good—I have to be careful.”

Lu Chuan laughed—Fifth Brother was certainly cautious, maybe a bit too much so. But then again, this was a house, not something you could just argue your way into.

Fang Yuan said, “What are you laughing at? Don’t go blabbing. I’m telling you, my fourth brother is a real piece of work. Since we were kids, he’s always been shameless—never missed a chance to take food or drink from us.”

That was just food and drink, but this was a house.

But who could say for sure? When they built houses back in their village, the eldest always got the best, and didn’t Lu Feng still try to get his hands on it?

Every family has its own troubles."

"Chapter 146: There’s Always Someone Better