Chapter 188: The Responsibility of Being the Head of the Household

Fang Yuan, feeling a bit guilty, said, “Um, I’ve got my eye on something. Can you still say I have good taste?”

She’d just told Lu Chuan not to worry about spending money, and now she was the one wavering.

Lu Chuan felt the muscle at the back of his neck tense up. For something that only cost a few bucks, Fang Yuan wouldn’t use this tone. “We can’t afford a crane.”

Fang Yuan shook her head. “No, not that. Even if we could afford it, we wouldn’t have any use for it right now.”

Then she shot Lu Chuan a look, as if to say, “Your project isn’t even big enough to need a crane,” full of disdain.

Lu Chuan had to take a moment to process that look. Well, it’s his own fault for not living up to his wife’s standards.

As long as it’s not a crane, Lu Chuan said, “If it’s something else, as long as you like it, it’s up to you. I trust your judgment completely.”

Fang Yuan smiled beautifully. “I’ve got my eye on a junk car. Don’t worry, it’s not worth much.”

That was enough to make Lu Chuan anxious. Sure, they’d made a bit of money, but they weren’t anywhere near being able to buy a car on a whim. And it was obvious she wasn’t talking about a bicycle.

He struggled to keep his composure. “What kind of car?”

Fang Yuan replied, “A big one. Tall, huge, runs on gasoline.”

Lu Chuan clutched his chest, mentally calculating if they had enough money at home. “Let me take a moment.”

When it came to spending money, Fang Yuan’s attitude was really good—her tone softened. “A couple of days ago, this car came by our place for repairs. The mechanic said it was too beat up to even run on the road. It’s basically ready for the scrapyard.”

Lu Chuan wasn’t too happy about that. A junk car would just give his wife more things to worry about. “So why would we buy it? It’ll just be a headache.”

Fang Yuan said, “We’ll use it on the construction site. We don’t need to drive it on the road. And it’s convenient for us to repair it.”

Lu Chuan asked, “Have you considered that constantly fixing it would also cost money?”

Fang Yuan replied, “I asked Master Liu. He said if we spend a bit more up front, the car should last us a few years without any major issues. That guy’s greedy, but his skills are top-notch.”

Lu Chuan said sincerely, “If he heard that, he’d thank you for the compliment.”

Then Lu Chuan got to the point. “How much is this junk car?”

Fang Yuan said, “Definitely more expensive than the cement mixer. Plus, we’ll have to fix it up. And I’ll need to ask your classmate Zhang Wei for a favor, see if we can get the car working on the site.”

Lu Chuan added, “We’ll also need a driver.”

Fang Yuan said, “No need. I’ll drive it myself.”

Lu Chuan’s tone was firm. “No way.”

Fang Yuan was even more stubborn. “Who are you trying to boss around? What makes you think you have the final say?”

Lu Chuan said, “I’m just thinking, since we want to have a baby, it’s not suitable for you to drive.”

Fang Yuan replied, “But I’m not pregnant yet, am I? Besides, as long as I haven’t given birth, I’ll be fine.”

Like Lu Chuan would agree to that.

Then Fang Yuan made the decision. “Let’s buy the car first. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

So the decision to buy the car was set in stone. Everything else was negotiable.

Lu Chuan suggested, “Let’s get one that’s in better shape, not too broken down.”

Fang Yuan glanced at Lu Chuan, as if to say, “Don’t you know our financial situation? We don’t have the money for a good car.”

She knew they didn’t have much, and buying a car wasn’t exactly reasonable, but she didn’t blame Lu Chuan. “We’ll look into it.”

Fang Yuan said, “Ahem, just so we’re clear, buying this car isn’t me acting on my own. This is something we decided together.”

Lu Chuan honestly couldn’t tell what part of this was a joint decision—Fang Yuan made all the calls. Anything she couldn’t get him to agree to, she’d just say, “We’ll look into it.”

But he was happy to indulge his wife. A man should be willing to take responsibility. “Mm, buying the car was a result of my careful decision-making. I’m the head of the household on this.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “You’re the boss in this house. When our parents ask, don’t say I’m the one spending all the money.”

Lu Chuan nodded. “Of course not. My wife is the one who brings in the money.”

Fang Yuan was a little embarrassed. She wasn’t that capable. “I’ll do my best.”

Lu Chuan just smiled. How could his wife always make him so happy? “Let’s not wear ourselves out.”

Lu Chuan, the so-called head of the household, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He spoke with such conviction, and Fang Yuan kept agreeing enthusiastically, but in reality, his word didn’t count for much.

He could earn money, but when it came to spending it, his wife had to approve.

Fang Yuan spoke up again. “Let’s go check out the car one of these days. Or maybe see a doctor.”

With Lu Chuan’s mind, those two things together could only mean one thing. “Is the car at the doctor’s place?”

Fang Yuan said, “No, I was just thinking, why don’t we have a child yet? Maybe we should see a doctor for peace of mind.”

Lu Chuan’s mouth twitched. His wife was really serious about having a baby. “There’s no rush.”

What Fang Yuan disliked most was Lu Chuan’s laid-back attitude—he always said there was no rush. “How is there no rush? Even that shameless woman is about to give birth.”

She added, “Earning money was never this hard.”

Lu Chuan’s heart didn’t know how to react. But it’s not like being anxious would help.

Lu Chuan said, “Don’t worry. Didn’t the doctor say this isn’t something you can rush?”

Fang Yuan looked up at Lu Chuan. She didn’t need to say anything—he could tell she thought he was useless. He almost wanted to defend himself.

But seeing Fang Yuan’s gloomy face, he realized she was shouldering all the pressure. “Maybe I should be a bit more diligent.”

Fang Yuan kicked Lu Chuan. “Give it a rest.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but laugh. “How about we just focus on our business for now and buy the car? We’ll let nature take its course with the baby.”

Fang Yuan nodded. What else could she do? “You really don’t want to try any folk remedies?”

Lu Chuan was certain. “If I graduate from college and we still don’t have a child, I’ll do whatever you say—see a doctor, take medicine, whatever.”

Fang Yuan frowned, not too happy. “That’ll take years.”

Lu Chuan said, “But by then, I’ll be working and not in school, so I’ll have more time to help you with the baby.”

Fang Yuan said, “What good is that? By then, if the other woman’s kid bullies ours because he’s older, wouldn’t that be letting that shameless woman win?”

Lu Chuan couldn’t believe moms could think that far ahead. He joked with Fang Yuan, “Well, we’re already late. Let’s wait for Xiao San. When she has a baby, our two kids can team up—two against one.”

Fang Yuan took it seriously. “That’s an idea. Maybe we should help Xiao San find a partner sooner. She can’t get married too late—I can’t wait that long.”

Lu Chuan really didn’t know how to respond. His wife actually took it seriously.

Honestly, Lu Chuan wanted to say, “You really don’t need to worry. If you want, you can take charge.” Fang Yuan would probably actually do it.

Fang Yuan wanted to buy the car, so Lu Chuan brought the mechanic over to take a look. The car was truly a wreck, but it was dirt cheap. As the mechanic put it, it was basically being sold for scrap.

Lu Chuan asked the mechanic, “Can you fix it? It’s really in bad shape.”

The old mechanic said, “If you’re willing to spend the money, I can fix it.”

Lu Chuan asked, “It’s not going to cost more than buying a new one, right?”

Fang Yuan immediately perked up, making sure this half-baked mechanic didn’t try to rip them off.

The old mechanic rolled his eyes. “I’m not that skilled.” If he was, he’d basically be building a new car.

189."

"Chapter 189: Attracting Wealth

The three of them picked out a vehicle, and Lu Chuan went over to negotiate the price.

Fang Yuan stood to the side, watching Lu Chuan bargain. She listened as he picked apart every flaw in the vehicle, making it sound worthless, then offered a price so low even she thought he had no intention of buying it. Fang Yuan almost wanted to help the seller out, thinking, “The car isn’t that bad.”

But to her surprise, the deal went through. They got a big new addition to the household for the price of scrap metal.

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan with nothing but admiration in her eyes. She whispered to him, “It’s not as bad as you said.”

Lu Chuan smiled, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Yeah, it’s not that bad.”

Fang Yuan’s smile grew even brighter.

So, they got a beat-up car for a dirt-cheap price. The car then spent half a month at the repair shop, with the truck bed patched together from wooden planks.

Fang Yuan did the math: just the labor alone, not counting parts, cost nearly two hundred yuan. That was enough to make her heart ache, but at least the car was finally running.

The upside was, over those two weeks, Fang Yuan learned how to drive. Since it was her own car, she could practice as much as she wanted down by the riverbank.

For the first time, Fang Yuan didn’t worry about the cost of gas—whenever she was in a good mood, she’d just take the car out for a spin.

The old mechanic grumbled that Fang Yuan was wasting tires with her aimless driving.

But Fang Yuan insisted, “This is exactly the kind of driving I’ll be doing with this car. It needs to get used to it.”

The old mechanic was so annoyed he was practically fuming. He went straight to Lu Chuan: “Let me be clear, I fixed this car for you on the condition that you use it properly. I guaranteed it would last a few years, but that doesn’t mean you can just mess around with it.”

Lu Chuan replied, “Don’t be upset. Fang Yuan knows what she’s doing. If nothing else, she’s definitely careful with money.”

Master Liu agreed wholeheartedly: “That’s for sure.” This lady boss would squeeze every penny.

Lu Chuan continued, “See? No need to be angry. At most, it’s just her driving skills that need work. Once Fang Yuan gets the hang of it, we’ll bring the car back for another check-up.”

Master Liu twitched his mouth, realizing Lu Chuan had talked him into calming down. “Are you even a man? I’ve never seen anyone spoil his wife like this. At least have a little backbone.”

It’s his own repair shop—fixing it again wouldn’t cost anything, right? Was he just being played?

Lu Chuan just smiled, “Between husband and wife, what’s the point of taking sides? See, as long as we don’t fight, your job is secure.”

Master Liu really didn’t want to deal with this couple anymore. Not a single one of them was normal. They had money—let them do as they pleased.

Even Wu Hu learned to drive that old clunker. Compared to it, his own motorcycle suddenly seemed unimpressive. Looking back, he wished he’d been bolder when buying a vehicle.

Wu Hu couldn’t believe it: “You’re telling me you got this thing for scrap price? Are you crazy?”

Fang Yuan replied, “It’s not a scrap price anymore. I spent a lot fixing it up. Now it’s a good car.”

Yeah, right. The wooden planks on the truck bed were just leftover scraps from building the house. Who was she trying to fool?

But even with the beat-up car, the three of them happily drove all over the city. They could finally call themselves car owners.

Soon, the car was put to work at the construction site. As Fang Yuan put it, having people earning money for her every day made her feel secure.

Lu Chuan and Wu Hu had really come to understand Fang Yuan’s ambitions. If there was no concrete mixer, there had to be something else.

Lately, Fang Yuan had been spending a lot of time with Zhang Wei. Word was, she wanted to set him up with someone.

Lu Chuan was a bit anxious—wasn’t this just making his wife work for nothing? Zhang Wei might be willing to marry a rural girl, but would his parents agree?

He didn’t dare discuss the details with his wife, so he just said, “Don’t you think we’re getting too involved in this?”

Fang Yuan was very forthright: “You’re being too distant. I have to get involved. I need to get along well with Zhang Wei. I think he’s a good person to work with.”

Lu Chuan felt a little jealous: “You think that highly of him?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Of course. Listen, my truck doesn’t have much work left at this site, but Zhang Wei said that on other sites, trucks like mine are in high demand. If I hire a driver, we could run it day and night in shifts and make good money. They’re short on trucks—however many you have, they’ll use them.”

Lu Chuan started to worry. With Fang Yuan’s personality, she’d definitely go all out: “You know what, you take the day shift, I’ll take the night shift.” At this point, Zhang Wei was the least of his concerns.

Fang Yuan laughed, “You really read my mind. But I can’t let you work yourself to death. Your real value is your brain—you need to take care of it. I’ve decided, if we keep running ourselves ragged, we’ll only make so much. I’ll just hire a driver and pay them to drive.”

Lu Chuan was relieved: “You’ve finally been hit on the head by wisdom. You’re getting smarter.”

Fang Yuan smiled, then upped the ante: “If I get another truck, we’ll be making even more.”

Lu Chuan was starting to feel overwhelmed: “Shouldn’t we be saving up for a crane?”

The truck did make money, but it was a lot of work. Lu Chuan hated to see Fang Yuan working so hard.

Fang Yuan replied, “That’s a long-term goal. For now, as long as this truck has work and makes money, we’ll take it step by step. Don’t worry, honestly, this is a solid investment. You know, as soon as I got the truck fixed, someone offered me this much for it.” She held up five fingers.

Lu Chuan was surprised—who would be so foolish? “Sell it, then. That’s a good deal.”

Fang Yuan didn’t think selling was a good idea: “I can use it for two years and still sell it for that price.”

Lu Chuan realized he couldn’t keep up with Fang Yuan’s way of thinking.

Fang Yuan said, “How much can this truck make us in two years? It’s more profitable than a concrete mixer. If I buy a few more trucks to help us earn, we’ll get closer to that big crane even faster.” Whenever she talked about making money, Fang Yuan’s face lit up with excitement.

She added, “Anyway, when the new driver comes, help me check him out. He needs to be honest, not sneaky.”

Lu Chuan muttered, “You really are decisive.” So she’d already found a driver.

Fang Yuan said, “I told Master Liu to keep an eye out for me. If there are more old trucks like this, we’ll take them.”

Lu Chuan asked, “Do you still have money left?”

Fang Yuan immediately became guarded: “Why, trying to check up on our finances?”

Lu Chuan said, “No, I just don’t want you to run out of money and suffer.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. We’re spending a bit more, but we’re also bringing in plenty. We’re still holding up.”

Of course, that was a bit of an exaggeration. If you didn’t count the income from Lu Chuan and Wu Hu, and just looked at the repair shop, if it wasn’t making money, Fang Yuan would never have tolerated Master Liu for this long.

And according to Fang Yuan, the truck really was making money.

Lu Chuan didn’t even need to ask about their finances—he could tell from Fang Yuan’s reactions that things were going well.

He thought to himself, the only time his wife played coy was when it came to money—and only with him.

As the saying goes, “Don’t flaunt your wealth.” This was a good way to handle things.

Fang Yuan was making money hand over fist, but aside from that, there was no other good news.

Especially the thing Fang Yuan cared about most—her belly. It was still being very reserved, with no news at all.

190."

"Chapter 190: The Mastermind Behind the Trouble

Li Meng was different from the rest of the villagers—she was expecting a baby, and her hands were no longer tied for money.

She had opened a small shop. Although she wasn’t making a fortune, life was looking up.

Li Meng felt she now had the basic qualifications to become a rich man’s wife. A good start is half the battle, after all.

To become wealthy as soon as possible, Li Meng discussed with Lu Feng: after they had the baby and saved up some money, they should open a shop in town. There were way more people there than in the village, and business would surely be better.

Lu Feng was hesitant. Life was stable now, and everyone in the village respected him. The idea of going elsewhere made him uneasy. “We’re doing fine here in the village. Wouldn’t it be too risky to move to town?”

But Li Meng had seen more of the world. There were only so many people in the village, and at best, she could sell some oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar—how much money could that make? If she wanted to be rich, staying here was just a pipe dream.

So, she insisted they needed to move out: “The only reason we opened a shop in the village was because we didn’t have the money to go to town. But things are different now. We’ve saved up a bit. If we rent a place in town and open a bigger shop, we’ll make a lot more.”

But even after Li Meng gave birth, Lu Feng was still wavering.

Li Meng was getting anxious. Was Lu Feng destined to make his fortune in the village in his past life or something? Why was he so lacking in vision?

If things kept going like this, when would her dream of becoming the richest woman around ever come true? Li Meng was getting frustrated—she just couldn’t figure out what had sparked Lu Laoda’s (the eldest Lu’s) success.

A woman shouldn’t overthink things during her postpartum confinement, or she could easily fall into depression.

Li Meng wasn’t that sensitive, and though she didn’t get depressed, she did get worked up. The result? She stopped producing milk, and the baby went hungry.

Lu Laoniang (the old Mrs. Lu) even slaughtered the family’s old hen, but still couldn’t fill up her eldest grandson’s belly. It was enough to make anyone worry.

Lu Feng, being a caring father, took the baby to the neighbors several times to ask for food.

But he was stingy—he’d eat and leave, never so much as giving them a bag of brown sugar. After the second time, the neighbors weren’t so generous anymore.

Their own child was still young—who would want to shortchange their own kid? All this just put Lu Laoniang in a tough spot.

They even called the barefoot village doctor to check on Li Meng, who said she was suffering from “internal heat” (stress).

The doctor made some pointed remarks to Lu Laoniang: “She just had a son and she’s still upset? Does your daughter-in-law wish she’d had a girl, or is it that you, as her mother-in-law, haven’t been taking good enough care of her?”

If it weren’t for her eldest grandson, Lu Laoniang wouldn’t have bothered coming over, just to avoid being talked about.

Li Meng didn’t even lift her eyelids, let alone defend Lu Laoniang. To outsiders, it looked like Lu Laoniang hadn’t taken good care of her daughter-in-law.

Lu Laoniang felt terribly wronged.

Ever since her eldest daughter-in-law got pregnant, she’d been bringing her good food, cooking for her, and even paid for the shop. And what did her daughter-in-law do? Just sat there and watched others criticize her mother-in-law. What an ingrate!

After becoming mother-in-law to Fang Yuan, Lu Laoniang was no longer as soft as she used to be. She mustered up Fang Yuan’s assertiveness: “You know, Xiao San (the third son) hasn’t married yet, and we just built a house. The family is up to its ears in debt. Things really aren’t easy.”

She added, “If it weren’t for the fact that your own mother isn’t here to help you, I wouldn’t even have time to come look after you and the baby. Who’d have thought, even so, my daughter-in-law still gets upset.”

At the mention of her own family, Li Meng finally opened her eyes. “Mom, don’t say that. If you weren’t running around taking care of us, the baby and I wouldn’t even have enough to eat. It’s my fault—I just can’t feed the baby.”

Lu Laoniang replied, “It’s not your fault. Who’d want to see their own child go hungry? Don’t overthink it. As for your family, whether they come or not, your husband will make sure you’re fed.”

With that, she took her grandson and left. If nothing else worked, she’d just feed the baby rice soup. Get upset all you want—she wasn’t afraid of her.

After being put in her place by Lu Laoniang, Li Meng’s face turned awkward.

The barefoot doctor said, “So you’re missing your family. That’s understandable—everyone wants their own family around at a time like this. But honestly, with your family, if they came, you might get even more upset.”

Li Meng was so frustrated she couldn’t even get a word out. She couldn’t exactly say, “That’s not what’s bothering me.”

Whether it was the doctor’s folk remedy or Lu Laoniang’s tough talk, or maybe two negatives made a positive, but just as Lu Laoniang was about to buy formula for the baby, Li Meng started producing milk again and could finally feed her child.

Lu Laoniang genuinely wanted to be a good mother-in-law, to look after her daughter-in-law and dote on her grandson, but no matter what she did, it never seemed enough.

She’d cook, but her eldest son and daughter-in-law wouldn’t even look at her, never once asking, “Mom, have you eaten?” No one ever invited her to eat with them, or asked, “What will Dad and Xiao San eat?” Sometimes, they’d even finish all the food without a thought for her. They were like wolves. The way those two behaved was truly chilling.

Lu Laoniang would cook for them, then go home to cook for Xiao San. As for Lu Laoda (the old man), he was often away working at construction sites and rarely ate at home.

Seeing how hard his mother worked, Xiao San decided to just stay with his father at the construction site.

Lu Laoniang was fed up. She decided that after a month, once the postpartum period was over, she’d wash her hands of them. Let them fend for themselves.

Of course, she kept all this bottled up—family shame shouldn’t be aired in public.

But she couldn’t hide it from the neighbor, Sister-in-law Sun, who not only listened to gossip but also kept her eyes peeled.

When Lu Laoniang couldn’t get a meal at her eldest son’s house, she’d go home to cook for herself. After a couple of times, Sister-in-law Sun noticed.

In the countryside, visiting neighbors is common. Sister-in-law Sun came in and peeked into Lu Laoniang’s bowl. “Auntie, I thought you were sneaking home to eat something good behind your daughter-in-law’s back, but it’s just half a bowl of leftover porridge? That’s worth running home for?”

Lu Laoniang looked embarrassed. It wasn’t something she wanted people to know. “It’s hot—if I don’t eat it, it’ll go bad. We country folk don’t waste food.”

But Sister-in-law Sun was famous in the village as the “God of Investigations”—there was nothing she didn’t know. She took a look around the house. “When was this leftover? Don’t eat it if it’s gone bad.”

Lu Laoniang felt like the food was stuck in her throat. What business was it of hers?

Still, she had to be polite—she couldn’t let Sister-in-law Sun spread rumors, especially since she still had an unmarried son at home.

“It’s from this morning. Don’t worry, Sister-in-law, it won’t make me sick.”

Sister-in-law Sun pressed on, “You cook for your daughter-in-law, so why are you making breakfast for yourself at home? Your son doesn’t feed you? That’s not right.”

Lu Laoniang didn’t realize she was digging herself into a hole. “No, I had to heat the kang (bed-stove), and I happened to have some cornmeal that was getting buggy. It would have been a shame to throw it out. I figured I’d cook it for the chickens, but then I thought it’d be a waste, so I ate it myself.”

191."

"Chapter 191: There’s Nothing Aunt Sun Can’t Stir Up

Aunt Sun couldn’t help but admire Old Lady Lu’s way with words. Even when things had gotten to this point, she could still smooth things over. “Auntie, looks like you’re out of chickens, huh? Your daughter-in-law must’ve killed and eaten them all.”

Old Lady Lu hadn’t expected that even the Sun family would know about such a small matter in her household. Was there anything Aunt Sun didn’t know? She was like a detective. Thinking quickly, she replied, “Those were the second son’s chickens.”

Aunt Sun looked serious. “Auntie, let me tell you, it’s fine to stick up for your eldest and his wife, but you can’t treat your second son’s family badly. I’ll be a mother-in-law myself one day, and we mothers-in-law can’t play favorites.”

Old Lady Lu nearly choked on her porridge. All this fuss over a bowl of porridge? She didn’t dare admit to favoritism. “Sister-in-law, you can’t say things like that. I never meant to mistreat my son and daughter-in-law.”

But Aunt Sun was relentless, every word hitting the mark. “You cooked porridge with your second son’s chickens—if word gets out, how is that not mistreating their family? Who lives like this? Who feeds chickens this way? You’re just trying to make things hard for Fang Yuan and her husband.”

Old Lady Lu was about to cry. “Sister-in-law, we all live in the same village. Just think of me as greedy for a bite. Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see anything?”

But Aunt Sun wasn’t about to let it go. She wasn’t about to waste her sharpness for nothing. “Auntie, you’re looking after your daughter-in-law and grandson, and they can’t even get a proper meal, yet you’re still covering for her. If it were someone else, wouldn’t they have flipped the table by now?”

Old Lady Lu thought to herself, “If I flipped the table, wouldn’t you all just laugh at me? Not a single one of you would help. No matter what, he’s still my son.”

Old Lady Lu was truly afraid of Aunt Sun’s sharp tongue. “Sister-in-law, we’re neighbors. I’m begging you, please go easy on me. I’m only doing this for my grandson. Once the child is stronger, they can do whatever they want—I won’t bother anymore.”

Aunt Sun said, “Auntie, you’re really a model mother-in-law. For that, how about I introduce a match for your third son?”

Of course, that would be great. But if things didn’t work out, Aunt Sun’s mouth was something they couldn’t handle.

If word got out, no one would dare propose a match for her third son in the future. Figuring out how to refuse was a real skill, and Old Lady Lu wasn’t sure she could manage it.

She thought of Fang Yuan. “If my second daughter-in-law were home, would I be afraid of you?”

Old Lady Lu said, “Sister-in-law, to tell you the truth, I can’t make decisions about Third’s marriage. The second couple said they’d handle it.”

Aunt Sun got even more excited than Old Lady Lu. “Really?” If the second couple was in charge of Third’s marriage, Aunt Sun was even more interested.

Old Lady Lu nodded stiffly. She’d have to talk to Fang Yuan about this later.

Aunt Sun said, “If the second couple said that, it means they’ll be looking out for Third in the future. I’ll pay even more attention to this match.”

Old Lady Lu waved her hand. “No, no, that’s not it. Marriage is marriage—there’s no talk of looking out for anyone.” But Aunt Sun didn’t listen at all.

She continued, “Auntie, don’t worry. I know you’re in a tough spot. I won’t talk to you about this anymore—I’ll go speak to Fang Yuan myself. Don’t worry, the girl I have in mind is wonderful, even more capable than me, and much more discreet.”

If she was even more discreet than Aunt Sun, she must be a great girl.

Old Lady Lu forced herself to say, “If she’s anything like you, sister-in-law, she must be a wonderful girl.”

Aunt Sun cackled with laughter, making Old Lady Lu’s scalp tingle. She’d praised her a bit too much.

As soon as Aunt Sun left the house, her sharp tongue went to work, tearing into Old Lu’s eldest daughter-in-law as if she were nothing.

The Lu family’s affairs—what Aunt Sun saw, what others gossiped about, and what Aunt Sun herself made up—were all woven into a grand drama.

By the time the rumors reached Old Lady Lu, she was beside herself with worry. The problem was, most of what people guessed was pretty much spot on, even though she hadn’t said a word. She had to take the blame.

Lu the eldest, who ran a small shop and was always well-informed, confronted Old Lady Lu with a dark face. “What did we do to deserve this? Why are you out there badmouthing your own son and daughter-in-law? Did we not feed you, or did we wrong you somehow?”

Old Lady Lu couldn’t get a word out. She turned to Li Meng. “I just came home for a meal, that’s all.”

The rest was all Aunt Sun’s speculation, but no one would believe her if she said so.

Lu the eldest was a proud man and cared a lot about saving face. “We can’t use you anymore. From now on, we’ll take care of the child ourselves. You don’t need to cook for us anymore.”

Just like that, he coldly kicked Old Lady Lu out, nearly making her faint from anger.

Li Meng was still in her postpartum month. With Old Lady Lu gone, who would cook, who would wash the baby’s diapers? She didn’t dare overexert herself. “Feng, your mom didn’t mean anything by it. It’s all just gossip. Let’s just ignore it.”

Lu Feng was especially proud and manly at this moment. “Listen to me on this. I can provide for my wife and child. Even if your family isn’t here to help, I’m not afraid of gossip. If my own mother won’t help my wife during her confinement, I can still manage.”

Old Lady Lu felt dizzy. She’d served them for over twenty days, worked hard during the pregnancy, and now it was all for nothing?

When did her son become so unrecognizable?

Li Meng was anxious. “You might be able to handle it, but I can’t. We’re family—don’t be like this. Mom isn’t that kind of person.”

If Lu Feng had to cook, Li Meng would suffer. Besides, she knew exactly what they had at home. Her mother-in-law had always made sure there was soup and porridge—she’d been treated well. If she’d known, she would have gotten along better with her mother-in-law. Without outsiders stirring things up, none of this would have happened.

Lu the eldest was stubborn. He pushed Old Lady Lu out of the yard, making quite a scene.

Just then, Lu the third came home. How could he tolerate his big brother’s nonsense? Without a word, he rushed over, and the two brothers got into a fight.

In the past, Lu the third wouldn’t have dared, but after spending half a year with the Four Tigers, if nothing else, he’d grown bolder and tougher.

Even if he couldn’t win, he had to fight, just to show Lu the eldest where he stood.

Lu the eldest felt guilty and didn’t dare fight back, so he just took the beating.

The commotion drew half the village to watch.

Lu the eldest wiped his mouth. “Lu the third, you dare lay a hand on me? I don’t have a brother like you.”

Lu the third got up and kicked him, speaking loud and clear. “You’re nothing. Let me tell you, half this house is mine. You have no right to push our mother around, no matter what the reason.”

Who wouldn’t want a son to stand up for them like that? Old Lady Lu nearly burst into tears on the spot. She held back, though, not wanting to rile Lu the third up and have him go after Lu the eldest again.

Everyone realized that Lu the third didn’t even know why Lu the eldest was fighting with Old Lady Lu. There was no real grievance—he just couldn’t stand to see his mother pushed around.

Everyone sighed—what a dependable son."

"Chapter 192: Who Did This Benefit?

This group of people had long been fed up with Oldest Brother Lu, and each one was more eager for drama than the last.

So, some were happy to fill Lu Xiaosan in on all the gossip and loopholes—like that neighbor lady who’d gone to find food with Oldest Brother Lu while carrying her child.

She pulled Lu Xiaosan aside and said, “Xiaosan, you probably don’t know, but your mom’s been having a tough time lately. It’s not just a little grievance. She’s been waiting on your sister-in-law hand and foot, barely getting a bite to eat herself. And your brother doesn’t want anyone talking about it—he’s even gotten mad at your mom. We’ve all heard about it for ages now.”

Someone nearby chimed in, “Xiaosan, your mom’s got it rough. She’s treated like a servant in her own home.”

Old Lady Lu didn’t even know where to start being angry. This whole family had been stirred up by these busybodies. Weren’t they just egging her two sons on to fight?

Lu Xiaosan was truly furious. How could Oldest Brother Lu do something so brainless? He pulled Old Lady Lu along, saying, “Don’t serve them anymore. Let them fend for themselves.”

Then he led her over to the old house, tossed all of Oldest Brother Lu’s things out in a heap, locked the door to the east room, and said to Oldest Brother Lu, “Remember this: this room is mine. Don’t even think about taking a corner of it.”

The sheer dominance of it all! Old Lady Lu held her head and followed her son home, while Oldest Brother Lu had lost not just face, but all dignity—utterly humiliated.

After all, half the village had come to watch the spectacle, and not one of them had a kind word to say. Everyone was calling Oldest Brother Lu a piece of work.

And the worst part? He’d lost the fight. Without Lu Xiaosan’s ferocity, he had no leg to stand on—his hands even went weak.

Oldest Brother Lu went home and shut down his little shop, knowing he couldn’t show his face around here anymore.

Li Meng didn’t need to worry anymore—since they couldn’t stay in the village, Oldest Brother Lu would probably have to try his luck in town.

Li Meng was still sitting inside, holding the baby, thinking: Is this really how the road to becoming the richest man starts? Forced out with nowhere else to go? In a way, wasn’t this all thanks to Lu Xiaosan and Old Lady Lu?

When Lu Xiaosan got home, Sister-in-law Sun was waiting at the door, timidly coming forward. “Auntie, I meant well. I thought if everyone talked to them, Oldest Brother and his wife would realize they were wrong. Who knew he’d react like that? How did things end up like this?”

She sounded so innocent, as if it wasn’t her fault at all.

Old Lady Lu was furious with Sister-in-law Sun—this whole mess was her doing. “Thank you so much for your good intentions, but from now on, please mind your own business when it comes to my family.”

Sister-in-law Sun replied, “Auntie, don’t say that. We can’t just watch the kids go astray, can we? I was hoping we could all be relatives and get along nicely.”

Old Lady Lu thought to herself, Who could possibly get along with you as relatives?

Lu Xiaosan said, “Sister-in-law, my mom’s tired and dizzy. She needs to rest.”

Sister-in-law Sun looked at Lu Xiaosan with an almost motherly gaze. “Of course, of course, she should rest. Xiaosan, if you need any help, just let me know.”

Then the Lu family closed their gate. As far as Sister-in-law Sun was concerned, she wasn’t exactly welcome.

Outside, Sister-in-law Sun muttered, “Having a courtyard wall is great—once the door’s closed, nobody knows what goes on inside.”

Lu Xiaosan’s face darkened. It’s not like we have anything to hide.

Meanwhile, Old Lady Lu felt wronged and muttered to Xiaosan, “All I did was eat a meal—I didn’t do anything wrong except not bolt the door.”

Honestly, looking back, Old Lady Lu realized the whole mess started with not bolting the door.

Lu Xiaosan said, “Sister-in-law Sun was right about one thing: if Oldest Brother and his wife are in the wrong, people should talk about it. We can’t just watch them keep making mistakes.”

Then he added, “If you really want a grandson, I’ll have Second Brother and his wife work on it. If that doesn’t work, I’ll get married and give you one myself. Don’t bother with those two anymore—they’re not worth it.”

Old Lady Lu scolded, “Nonsense! This isn’t about wanting grandsons. They’re all children of the Lu family.”

She sighed. “I just worry the kids will suffer if they come to our house.” What grandmother doesn’t worry?

Seeing her younger son care for her, Old Lady Lu couldn’t help but shed tears. “I see them working hard, just trying to live a good life. I thought I could help out a bit, but who knew Oldest Brother would turn out like this? He wasn’t always such a jerk.”

Lu Xiaosan snorted. Oldest Brother had never been any good, even as a kid. “When he wanted to get married, he watched the family struggle and was still selfish. Not worth getting upset over. When has Second Brother ever given him the time of day?”

Lu Xiaosan continued, “If you’re upset, I’ll go ask him for the fifty yuan from the shop. Does he think he can just pretend it never happened? Second Sister-in-law said, whenever he makes you unhappy, that’s when we ask for the money.”

Old Lady Lu smacked her younger son in exasperation. “Don’t listen to everything your second sister-in-law says. And don’t tell her about this.”

Lu Xiaosan asked, “So are you still going to serve them?”

Old Lady Lu replied, “No, let your oldest brother stew in his own anger. I’m going to the fields to tend the crops. And really, don’t tell your second sister-in-law about this.”

Lu Xiaosan sighed, “I regret building a house in the village. Living so close to them just means more drama. We have a big house we don’t even use. It’s a shame not to move to town. If not for Dad, the three of us could rent a place in town and eat together every day.”

Old Lady Lu said, “Stop thinking about spending money all the time. It’s not easy to save up. You have a house and you’re still not satisfied—so spoiled.”

Lu Xiaosan replied, “I know what I’m doing. If you care about Dad, don’t waste money on people who don’t matter. Mom, let me tell you, every penny Dad earns is hard-earned. Do you know how heavy cement is? Dad carries it bag by bag on his shoulders.”

Old Lady Lu hadn’t realized how hard her husband had it. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Lu Xiaosan said, “Dad didn’t want you to worry, so he wouldn’t let us say anything. When he worked for Second Sister-in-law, the money he gave you was all hard-earned.”

Lu Xiaosan was shrewd. The mixer belonged to him, and he paid Old Lu for his labor, so there’d be no confusion among the brothers later.

Old Lu felt that things didn’t need to be so clear-cut between father and son, but Xiaosan was right.

When they bought the mixer, Xiaosan shouldered the debt himself.

Old Lu earned wages paid by his son. As for the money for the mixer, Xiaosan paid Old Lu back bit by bit as he earned.

Lu Xiaosan figured he’d be broke for the next six months.

He wasn’t working so hard just to benefit Oldest Brother, only for the old man to hand over all the money to that couple. Of course he had to make things clear to Old Lady Lu.

If someone doesn’t deserve your care, then don’t care about them.

Old Lady Lu felt bad. “I’ll make something good for your dad. You take it to him. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I stewed a chicken and gave it all to those two, didn’t even save a piece for your dad.”

She really felt for her husband now.

Lu Xiaosan thought, I really do need to get married—nobody cares about me, not Dad, not Mom.

Old Lady Lu said, “I’ll go buy two chickens from the village and make something nice for you and your dad.”

193."

"Chapter 193: That’s All They’re Capable Of

Lu Xiaosan: “Then forget it. If we stew a chicken, we’d have to give them half. I’d rather not eat it at all and just save the money.”

Old Lady Lu really had been seen through by Lu Xiaosan—she would indeed send half over. “If we don’t give them any, wouldn’t that be hogging it all for ourselves? In the village, a mother-in-law like that would get talked about behind her back.”

Lu Xiaosan spoke seriously: “When those two eat something nice, even if they just mention sharing, I’d accept it if you wanted to give them some. But now? No. What’s mine is mine, what’s his is his. Our family is our family, their family is their family.”

He added, “If you can’t do that, I’ll go tell everyone in the village I want to split from the family. I don’t want our stuff going to Lu Laoda.”

Old Lady Lu scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t you want to get married? You’re not even married yet, and you’re making such a fuss—what family would dare marry their daughter to you?”

Lu Xiaosan: “Even for the sake of getting married, you can’t let yourself be pushed around like this. You need to toughen up.”

Old Lady Lu sighed, “Enough. With your eldest brother’s temper, even if I sent something over, he wouldn’t want it.”

Lu Xiaosan muttered, “If he really had that kind of backbone, we wouldn’t have ended up with not a single hen left at home.”

Old Lady Lu fell silent. Her eldest really didn’t have that much backbone.

Then the mother and son thought of another issue: “Even if my second brother knows the eldest had a baby, he wouldn’t come back just for that, right?”

Old Lady Lu nodded. “Your second sister-in-law isn’t that kind of person.”

What kind of person? Someone who would put herself out just for appearances. If she came to congratulate Lu Laoda and Li Meng just because they had a baby, that’d be strange.

Lu Xiaosan looked at Old Lady Lu. “Why don’t you go stay with my second brother for a while?”

Old Lady Lu replied, “What about the fields and trees at home? I’m not going over to fuss with your eldest brother’s family, don’t worry. It’s fine.”

Lu Xiaosan: “I just mean, it’s been almost a year since my second brother and sister-in-law got married and they still don’t have a kid. Shouldn’t you go check on them? Otherwise, people might think we don’t care about them.”

Old Lady Lu said, “Plenty of women take a while to get pregnant. Don’t worry about it. If your second sister-in-law hears you, watch out, she’ll give you a piece of her mind.”

Then she asked, “If I do go over, do you think your second sister-in-law will overthink it?” She actually wanted to go check on them.

Lu Xiaosan thought, You really don’t know my second sister-in-law: “She’d just say it straight out.”

Old Lady Lu agreed, “True, your second sister-in-law, if there’s two things, she won’t just mention one. Anyway, let’s leave it at that. It’s not like she’s ever been close with your eldest brother’s family. As long as she doesn’t go over there to scold them, that’s already good enough.”

Lu Xiaosan: “That’s why I didn’t let anyone tell my second brother about the eldest having a baby.”

Old Lady Lu gritted her teeth. She knew her third son was no saint.

Old Lady Lu stewed a chicken for Old Man Lu, and after she and Lu Xiaosan ate, Lu Xiaosan packed up all the leftover chicken to take with him.

He really didn’t want to give Lu Laoda even a shred of face.

Over at Li Meng’s, she was really suffering. The food Lu Laoda cooked was barely edible, and just when she finally had a bit of milk, it dried up again.

Lu Laoda even complained that she was being fussy—someone was cooking for her and she still wasn’t satisfied.

No one helped with the baby, no one washed the diapers. Lu Laoda had to run the little shop and couldn’t look after his wife and child, so he was always in a bad mood. When the baby cried, he’d shout, “Cry, cry, that’s all you know how to do!”

So, Li Meng couldn’t just stay in bed anymore. She had to get up and cook, or else she wouldn’t get anything decent to eat, and the baby would cry every day.

She wondered, with all this supposed backbone Lu Laoda had, how did she end up being the one shouldering everything?

Li Meng didn’t dare voice her complaints. In front of the future tycoon, she still had to show how hardworking and resilient she was.

These days, plenty of people came to the shop and made snide remarks at the couple: “Your family isn’t so poor you can’t even put food on the table. How come you don’t give your own mother a bite to eat? It’s not like you can’t spare it. People shouldn’t be like that.”

Every time, Lu Laoda would argue back, red in the face, making the household even more unsettled.

Li Meng finally made it through her month of postpartum confinement and wanted to complain to others about how her mother-in-law hadn’t taken care of her.

But everyone said, “We all know what your mother-in-law’s like. It’s not that she didn’t come—it’s that you didn’t want her. Your husband pushed her away.”

Besides, in the countryside, postpartum customs aren’t that particular. “You got to lie in bed for a whole month—that’s already luckier than most of us. Ask around, who else gets to stay inside for a whole month? Don’t we all have to get up and wash diapers and cook for ourselves?”

Li Meng found she couldn’t even get her grievances out.

Lu Laoda was so worn out, he didn’t even want to run the shop anymore. He didn’t want to stay in the village. Why were these people so nosy? What business was it of theirs?

That night, Li Meng took the baby and went to see Old Lady Lu.

Old Lady Lu looked at her eldest grandson. He was fine—plump and healthy. Her chickens hadn’t died in vain.

But she didn’t pick him up to dote on him. She’d seen through it all, her heart had gone cold. She knew if nothing was wrong, the eldest and his wife wouldn’t come by.

Thinking about her husband out working hard carrying cement, her youngest son still owing debts and needing to get married, Old Lady Lu really didn’t dare spend money carelessly.

Their family just wasn’t cut out for a life of luxury.

Li Meng saw that Old Lady Lu wasn’t very responsive and didn’t give her an easy way to start the conversation, so she put the baby on the kang. “Mom—”

Old Lady Lu said, “You’re out of confinement now. Just take good care of the baby.”

Li Meng said, “Mom, Feng-ge was just upset last time. He cares a lot about appearances, but he really regrets it now. Without you, the two of us can’t even get a decent meal.”

So what you regret is not having someone to cook for you. How come you never think about your mom not eating and whether you feel bad about that?

Old Lady Lu said, “He’s my own son, you don’t have to say all that. If you need something, just say it. If I can help, I will. If not, I’ll tell you straight.”

Li Meng said, “Mom, the way things are now, it’s hard for us to do business in the village.”

Old Lady Lu really hadn’t expected to hear that. “What did I do to make trouble for you? How did I wrong you?”

Li Meng said, “It’s just that it’s really hard for us to stay in the village now.”

Old Lady Lu’s face darkened. “Do whatever you want.”

Li Meng said, “Mom, I was thinking, since things are like this, we want to go to town to do business. But we’re short on money. Dad’s been working hard these past six months, and you’re getting older—you’ll need us to support you. Why don’t you give us the money Dad earned?”

Old Lady Lu thought, If Xiaosan hadn’t warned me ahead of time, would I have just handed the money over? She really didn’t mince words.

Old Lady Lu said, “All the money your dad earned these past six months went to pay off debts. There’s nothing left.”

Li Meng got anxious. “Mom, you’re still treating Feng-ge like an outsider. How could there be no money? Dad’s been working nonstop.”

Old Lady Lu thought, So you do know exactly what’s going on—you’ve been eyeing that money all along. “Well, there’s no money. You can only do as much as you’re capable of. If not, just stay in the village.”"

"Chapter 194: Ran Away

When Li Meng heard what Old Lady Lu said, she immediately lost her temper. “Mom, if you’re going to be like this, don’t blame us for not taking care of you and Dad when you’re old. When we needed help, you didn’t care about us.”

Old Man Lu rarely came home, and as soon as he did, he walked into a scene like this—he hadn’t even had a proper look at his eldest grandson yet.

Pushing the door open and entering the house, Old Man Lu glanced at his wife and said, “If you’re going to say we never helped you, then first pay back the fifty yuan your mom gave you for New Year’s.”

Li Meng felt a little guilty when she saw Old Man Lu. “What money? We’re all family, why be so petty? Dad, you can’t just listen to Mom. Even if it’s not for anything else, for the sake of your eldest grandson, you should help us out.”

She never mentioned the fifty yuan again.

Old Lady Lu thought to herself, When the eldest daughter-in-law first married into the family, she was so generous—she didn’t even blink at spending hundreds of yuan. Now she’s quibbling over fifty. It’s just that our eldest son is useless—he’s made his wife stingy.

Old Man Lu really did dote on his eldest grandson, but he couldn’t just ignore the rest of the family for the child. “Eldest daughter-in-law, I do love my grandson, but you and your husband have to live your own lives. Whatever you two plan, that’s your own business. Your mom and I don’t have any money.”

He continued, “As for helping out, your mom and I have already done our part. When you have money, remember to pay it back. That way, if anyone says you’re not filial to us in the future, you can at least hold your head high.”

Old Man Lu had been away for nearly a year and had seen a lot. Li Meng’s tricks didn’t work on him anymore.

Li Meng protested, “Dad, you can’t do this. You’re always favoring the second and third sons.”

Old Man Lu replied, “Your second brother and his wife don’t need my help. As for the third, I’m eating at his place—I can’t eat his food and then work for you. I just can’t do that.”

He added, “Your mom did that before, but I can’t let the third feel neglected again.”

Li Meng fell silent. Even her father-in-law knew about her mother-in-law coming home to cook during her confinement. Hugging her child, she left without another word.

She didn’t even ask if Grandpa wanted to see the baby.

Old Lady Lu looked at her husband, feeling bad for him. “You didn’t even get to enjoy your eldest grandson.”

Old Man Lu replied, “No matter how much I love him, we shouldn’t lower ourselves. If they can’t behave properly, it’s because we didn’t raise them right. We shouldn’t spoil them anymore.”

Old Lady Lu blamed herself. “It’s my fault. Why did I have to come home just for a bowl of porridge?”

Old Man Lu’s face darkened. Should they starve themselves just to save face for their children? “Enough. I’ll make you something to eat.”

Old Lady Lu said, “We have plenty of grain at home. I won’t starve.”

Old Man Lu couldn’t help but grit his teeth. “All the good food’s been fed to the livestock.”

Old Lady Lu couldn’t hold back her tears. She didn’t dare say that she’d spent over five yuan while taking care of her daughter-in-law during confinement. In the countryside, five yuan wasn’t a small amount.

Not to mention, she’d given ten yuan when her eldest daughter-in-law gave birth.

Old Lady Lu said, “Why didn’t you tell me how hard it was to earn money when you came home? If I’d known, I would’ve been more frugal.”

Old Man Lu replied, “It wasn’t this tough when I was with the second son’s family. It’s just that the third recently bought a new mixer. We don’t have much saved up, so I’m working more to help out.”

He added, “Don’t listen to the third’s complaints. It’s not that hard. Money is meant to be spent to make you happy. Just think of it as spoiling the grandson.”

After so many years together, they knew each other’s tempers well. Even if Old Lady Lu didn’t say it, Old Man Lu understood—helping out the eldest always cost money.

Old Lady Lu said, “If we don’t give the money, knowing our eldest, he’ll hold a grudge.”

Old Man Lu stood firm. “The second daughter-in-law was right—when you have several sons, you don’t have to worry about one being unfilial.”

Old Lady Lu couldn’t help but laugh. “There are only three sons, and you talk like that. It’s my fault for not having more.”

Old Man Lu said, “Don’t let those two get you down. Let’s make something to eat. While I’m home, let’s get all the chores done so you don’t have to climb up and down by yourself.”

Old Lady Lu cheerfully went to cook. “There’s nothing to do. Now that you’re home, just rest.”

This is what it means to have a lifelong partner—who else would care for you like this? One wants to do all the chores, the other doesn’t want their spouse to lift a finger. After working hard outside, it’s time to rest at home.

Meanwhile, Li Meng had gotten nothing from Old Lady Lu. Eldest son Lu was still complaining, “I told you, they’re biased. I’ll go talk to her.”

Li Meng thought, If you really had the guts, you would’ve gone already. She just said, “Dad’s home.”

Lu Feng immediately quieted down, his tone changing. “We’ll do what we can with what we have. Otherwise, we could go to town and see how things are.”

He was clearly looking to escape, but could he really?

Li Meng knew there was no hope of her husband becoming the next big shot. She thought, Dad’s always working in town—hiding there won’t help.

She didn’t say anything, worried Lu Feng would just hide out in the village.

So when Old Man Lu came home, he didn’t even see his eldest son—the couple had already left in a hurry.

By the time Old Lady Lu found out, they’d already rented a place in town and moved out of the village.

Old Man Lu thought, That brat got off easy. If I catch him, I’ll give him a beating.

The only good thing was that now, no one could say the eldest son ran away just to avoid his father.

The villagers weren’t used to losing a place to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Old Lady Lu thought about opening a little shop in the village herself, so she’d have something to do when Old Man Lu wasn’t home.

But then Sister-in-law Sun from next door quickly set up a small stall right outside their door, beating her to it.

Old Man Lu said, “There’s plenty of work at home. How would you have time for that? When the second daughter-in-law has a baby and the third gets married, you’ll have to help with the grandkids.”

The future sounded so bright that Old Lady Lu smiled. “That’s true. I do wonder how the eldest daughter-in-law is doing with the baby.”

After all, it was still her grandson—she couldn’t help but worry.

Old Man Lu’s face darkened. The couple moved away without even telling the family. Really ungrateful.

Old Man Lu changed the subject. “How come the second son and his wife haven’t had any news? Maybe you should go visit them in the city.”

Old Lady Lu said, “I’m not going. I’ve barely been to town twice, let alone the city. I’d just embarrass the kids.”

Old Man Lu said, “Your son has a big house in the city, and you haven’t even seen it yet.”

Old Lady Lu was tempted. “But the fields at home aren’t done yet, and there are chickens and pigs. I can’t just leave.”

Old Man Lu said, “You could ask someone to look after things for a few days. Otherwise, I’ll have the third son come home every day.”

Old Lady Lu said, “I feel bad for my youngest. Don’t make him run around like that. The second son and his wife know what they’re doing. When Fang Yuan gets pregnant, I’ll go help out. But I’ll have to discuss it with the in-laws—if they go, I won’t.”

Old Man Lu said, “Fang Yuan’s straightforward. Don’t overthink it.”

Old Lady Lu glanced at her husband. “I really like Fang Yuan, but I’m a little scared of her. She can turn on you in a second.”

195."

"Chapter 195: You Can’t Catch a Wolf Without Sacrificing a Child

Old Man Lu just shook his head—his wife was still too short-sighted. Other than falling out with Lu Eldest and his wife, when had Fang Yuan ever quarreled with anyone else?

He’d watched Fang Yuan use the mixer for several months now, so he knew this daughter-in-law’s temperament wasn’t bad. “Don’t worry, Fang Yuan is a sensible person. She won’t turn on you.”

Old Lady Lu replied, “I know that. I wouldn’t do anything to make Fang Yuan fall out with me.”

Old Man Lu thought to himself, You’re just scared, but whatever, it’s about the same. Anyway, with Fang Yuan, if you treat her well, she’ll treat you even better.

Meanwhile, by June, Fang Yuan still hadn’t heard any news from the village about Li Meng having her baby. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Mom really knows me well. She knows I don’t care for those two, so she didn’t bother telling us anything.”

Lu Chuan thought, That might not have been Mom’s idea—most likely the little third (sister-in-law) said something.

Lu Eldest’s family was not a topic Lu Chuan wanted to continue with. Whatever happened with them had nothing to do with him. “Let me tell you something happier—Master Liu has his eye on a car. Says if it’s fixed up, it’ll last us years.”

Fang Yuan’s mind was all on the car—who had time to think about family matters? “Is it a junk price?”

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re not scrap collectors, you know. Do you have to be so obsessed with junk cars? If it’s too broken, it’s a pain to fix. I think it’s worth it—let’s go take a look.”

Fang Yuan frowned. “If it’s too expensive, we can’t afford it. Maybe Master Liu just doesn’t want to fix cars anymore? This guy’s not up to the job—just wants to take the easy way out.”

Lu Chuan spoke up for Master Liu. “He’s a craftsman, not as slippery as you think.”

Fang Yuan grumbled, “He just acts too high and mighty. It’s like fixing a bicycle is beneath him. Isn’t fixing things all the same?”

Lu Chuan didn’t want to say it, but honestly, fixing bikes was a bit of a waste of Master Liu’s skills. “He’s just worried it’ll keep him from helping you make real money.”

Fang Yuan snorted, “I think he just wants to spend my money. You know what he told me the other day? He wants to buy some machine, costs a thousand or two! What’s he planning? Has he ever made me that much money? And he dares ask for that much?”

Lu Chuan’s mouth twitched. Master Liu had complained to him too, saying Fang Yuan only wanted to make money but didn’t want to invest. “It’s for convenience—if we want more customers, we need to bring in some equipment.”

Fang Yuan was stubborn. “We fixed cars before without that stuff, didn’t we? If your skills are good, you don’t need all those gadgets.”

She just didn’t want to invest. Besides buying the crane, Fang Yuan was stingy with every other expense.

Lu Chuan simply took Fang Yuan to a reputable repair shop in the provincial capital. They only worked on good cars there—no way they’d bother with junkers.

Fang Yuan was shocked after seeing it. Turns out car repair wasn’t so simple after all. What really stunned her was how expensive their service was. She was speechless—those prices were daylight robbery!

On the way back, she didn’t need Lu Chuan to say a word. She went straight to talk to Master Liu. “What’s the standard for their repair fees? Why are we charging so much less?”

All she noticed was that they were undercharging. Lu Chuan turned away to look outside the yard—he needed a moment to calm down.

Master Liu rolled his eyes. “You’ve got nothing here—how can I charge those prices? I’d be embarrassed to even ask.”

Then he let loose, clearly holding it in for a while. “Look at this rundown place—what kind of cars do you think come here? You think people are willing to pay big money to fix their junk? I ask you to buy some equipment, and you act like I’m trying to scam you. With these conditions, you still want to make big money?”

Lu Chuan could barely listen—he couldn’t let Master Liu roast his wife like that.

Fang Yuan was annoyed. “So what, I’m not good enough to fix nice cars? Why are you looking down on me?”

She almost got into a real argument with Master Liu. If she knew there was big money to be made, would she really be so stingy? She understood—you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.

Lu Chuan tried to calm things down. “Let’s all relax. The main thing is, how can we charge like those shops do, right?”

The main point wasn’t wrong. Fang Yuan fell silent, and Master Liu gave a cold snort—he agreed, after all, it was all about making money.

In the end, Fang Yuan slapped the table. “It’s just equipment, right? Fine, we’ll buy it. What do you want? You’re the mechanic—if you don’t know what to get, how should I?”

Master Liu’s face turned red with anger. “You know nothing, and you still argue with me? And you think you’re tougher than me?”

This woman must have “snatched” herself a college-educated husband. Could it be that Master Liu had accidentally hit the nail on the head?

The apprentice quickly handed Master Liu his blood pressure meds—this was just a job, no need to get worked up over it.

Whether the shop made money or not was the boss’s problem. They were just earning a wage. Why didn’t Master Liu get that?

Fang Yuan left, saying she needed to check her finances to see if she could afford all this.

Lu Chuan went to comfort Master Liu. “See? You’ll get all the equipment you wanted. My wife’s temper is a bit fiery, but she’s reasonable, right?”

Master Liu pointed at Lu Chuan. “Reasonable? Which eye of yours saw that? You’d better get your eyes checked at the hospital.”

He was really angry—otherwise, he wouldn’t have said something so blunt. At least he could vent to Lu Chuan after being scolded by Fang Yuan.

Otherwise, Master Liu might have made himself sick holding it all in.

Lu Chuan didn’t mind being roasted—ever since he married Fang Yuan, his eyes had been useless anyway. As long as she was around, he couldn’t see anyone else. “At least the result is good—we can buy the equipment now.”

Hearing that, Master Liu went all out and listed everything they needed. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth getting chewed out by Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan’s hands shook as she looked at the list—she almost stormed out to argue with Master Liu again. “Is he crazy? That much money? Is he robbing me?”

Lu Chuan had a headache, but it wasn’t that bad. If you want to do something, you might as well do it right. “We’ll also need to fix up the workshop.”

Fang Yuan bit her lip, making up her mind. “You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. I’ve saved up for half a year, and now I have to pour it all in.”

Lu Chuan comforted her, “Don’t worry, we don’t need the crane for now. And the repair shop is making decent money, really.”

Fang Yuan muttered, “What’s the point of making money if it all gets spent? Why is Master Liu always thinking about spending? Why can’t I ever save any money?”

It was rare for Fang Yuan to get this philosophical. Lu Chuan found it quite endearing, and didn’t forget to comfort her. “The money you spend is what helps you make more, right?”

Fang Yuan sighed, “Make more? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought this yard. I thought it was cheap, but I’ve ended up pouring in even more.”

196."

"Chapter 196: The Long-Awaited News

Lu Chuan just laughed on the other end. “This, this is for the future too. Remember that rundown courtyard we bought before? Now we’re selling it, and it’s a repair shop—the price has multiplied several times over.”

Fang Yuan asked with concern, “Is it a hassle to renovate the place?” Whenever it came to spending money, Fang Yuan always had a few more questions.

Lu Chuan replied, “We’re just refurbishing. It’s an old factory building—spacious, with enough height. It won’t take much work. We’ll buy new equipment and set it up right away. It’s much less trouble than moving things around later. Saves money, too.”

Fang Yuan said, “I get it.” Then she added, “I’ve put so much money into this. Later, let’s buy a few more old cars, have Master Liu fix them up, and sell them for a profit. That’s a quick way to recoup our investment.”

Lu Chuan teased, “Just admit it, you’re still holding a grudge against Master Liu for making you spend money, so you’re finding work for him. I get it.”

Fang Yuan retorted, “We’re paying him, can’t just let him sit around doing nothing, can we?”

Lu Chuan reassured her, “Don’t worry. This past month, I’ve been all over the provincial capital. Master Liu’s got real skills. As long as our equipment is decent, the repair shop will never be short of work.”

Fang Yuan grunted lazily, “You handle it. Just thinking about spending money makes my heart ache. I don’t even want to look.”

With that, she steeled herself, closed her eyes, and tossed the bankbook to Lu Chuan. Fang Yuan didn’t think of herself as stingy, but she really hated spending money.

Lu Chuan looked at her and said, “You don’t look so energetic. Are you feeling unwell?”

Fang Yuan replied half-heartedly, “Not feeling great. Maybe I’m pregnant. Anyway, don’t talk about it. Take the bankbook and go. You’re making me anxious.”

Lu Chuan’s mind went blank. “What did you just say?”

Fang Yuan said, “Maybe I’m pregnant. Or is it that I’m anxious? Which part didn’t you hear clearly?”

Lu Chuan stared at her, wide-eyed. “Pregnant? You’re so calm about it.” He was so flustered he forgot about the bankbook.

Fang Yuan said, “What else am I supposed to do? I’ve been hoping for this every day. Isn’t it normal to finally be pregnant? It’s when I wasn’t pregnant that I was worried.”

Lu Chuan was a bit tongue-tied. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Fang Yuan replied, “I’m not sure yet. I want to wait a few days and then go see the doctor, just in case. Otherwise, the doctor will just say I’m being paranoid.”

Lu Chuan scolded her, “You don’t worry when you should, and you get anxious when you shouldn’t.” He grabbed Fang Yuan and started heading out—he wanted to go to the clinic right away to confirm.

Fang Yuan hadn’t expected this reaction from Lu Chuan. Usually, he was calm and steady, always saying there was no rush about having kids. “Didn’t you say there’s no hurry to have a baby?”

Lu Chuan was too worked up to talk, his eyes fixed on Fang Yuan’s belly. “It’s not about being in a hurry or not. Enough, don’t say anything. My mind’s a mess right now.”

Fang Yuan teased him, “It’s not you who’s pregnant, not you who has to give birth. Why are you so flustered?”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, That’s my child. I’m going to be a dad—how could I not be excited?

Fang Yuan lazily added, “Anyway, it’s not certain yet. Don’t get too worked up. I’m not familiar with this stuff.”

Lu Chuan shot back, “Even if you were, I wouldn’t necessarily be any calmer. Don’t talk. We’ll know everything once we get to the hospital.”

Fang Yuan fell silent. She wanted to know too.

When the OB-GYN doctor at the hospital saw the two of them, she felt a mix of emotions. She’d never seen a young couple so anxious to have a baby.

The doctor said helplessly, “What are you two so anxious about? There’s really no need to come this often.”

Lu Chuan felt the doctor wasn’t taking it seriously enough. “We had to come this time—there are real symptoms.”

The doctor pursed her lips and teased, “Your wife had symptoms the last two months too, when she ate something bad.”

What a farce it had been—why hadn’t they learned their lesson? She couldn’t very well say it was lucky they were young and thick-skinned.

Fang Yuan said, “This time’s different. I didn’t eat anything bad.”

The doctor shook her head. “If you say so. Next time, if you get food poisoning, don’t come to gynecology, okay?”

Clearly, the doctor was exasperated with these two. They’d come so often they could joke around with her.

Finally, Fang Yuan said, “I think I might really be pregnant this time.”

The doctor looked at her, didn’t ask much, just checked her notes. “Looks like you really might be.”

Then she started writing up the test orders. She even remembered Fang Yuan’s cycle by now—Fang Yuan had been here so many times since moving to the provincial capital.

No wonder the doctor rubbed her forehead every time she saw them.

The doctor joked, “Looks like you finally got what you wanted.”

Fang Yuan replied calmly, “It’s not that big a deal.”

But somehow, it was hard to believe her. It was like she wasn’t the one who’d been coming in, visit after visit, asking why she wasn’t pregnant yet.

The doctor had to admit, this young woman had a thick skin and could handle things.

Lu Chuan was grinning ear to ear. “Doctor, our elders aren’t around. Is there anything we should pay special attention to?”

The doctor looked at Lu Chuan. “Weren’t you always the calm one? Let’s do the tests first.”

This couple was a mystery to her—the one who was anxious to have a baby was now calm, and the one who wasn’t in a hurry was now so excited he could barely speak.

Lu Chuan said to the doctor, “How could being pregnant and not being pregnant be the same?”

The doctor thought to herself, So it turns out I was wrong about him. She’d thought he didn’t really want kids.

When she heard Lu Chuan was still in college, the doctor was even more convinced. She’d always looked at him like he was a heartless man and hadn’t paid him much attention.

But today, she realized she’d misjudged him. He wasn’t unwilling to have kids—he was genuinely happy. He’d just been keeping calm to reassure his wife.

This girl might have a bit of a temper and not be the most likable, but she’d found herself a good man, and the doctor was glad to see it.

Watching the couple leave, the doctor shook her head and smiled. At least she wouldn’t be pestered by them anymore.

After Fang Yuan finished the tests, Lu Chuan helped her back to the doctor’s office to sit down.

Lu Chuan handled the rest of the errands. Luckily, the hospital wasn’t that big, or he’d really have his hands full.

Once the pregnancy was confirmed, the doctor saw Lu Chuan staring at Fang Yuan’s belly, while Fang Yuan looked down at herself in shock. The doctor almost thought something major had happened. “You’re both so young—no need to be this obsessed with having a baby.”

Lu Chuan said, “How could we not be? My wife’s been hoping for this for a year, but this child just wasn’t in a hurry.”

Fang Yuan slapped Lu Chuan. “Don’t talk nonsense—the baby can hear you.”

The doctor pursed her lips at this clueless pair. “Alright, as for precautions, your wife’s heard them all before. Do I really need to go over them again?”

Lu Chuan nodded. “Please, it would help.”

The doctor went over everything again, then said seriously, “You’re both young and don’t seem to know much about this. If you have any elders at home, it’s best to have them come help out for a while. If there’s any discomfort, come to the hospital right away. Don’t take any chances.”

Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan nodded together. “Don’t worry, we won’t.”"

"Chapter 197: Stay Calm, Don’t Panic

The doctor looked at the two of them, genuinely worried they’d keep running over here for every little thing, which was just a waste of resources. She couldn’t help but add, “Just act normal, really, there’s no need to be so nervous.”

She was too polite to say, “You really don’t need to come here for no reason.” Just watching them made her anxious.

But seeing how young they were, she was afraid of delaying something important, so she held her tongue.

Lu Chuan helped Fang Yuan out the door, leaving the doctor sighing in frustration—she felt like all her advice had gone in one ear and out the other. There was really no need to be so careful; she wasn’t even showing yet.

She almost wanted to ask the guy, “Why are you holding her like that?”

Fang Yuan was a bit helpless too, struggling to walk. “Why do I feel so awkward walking? Am I going to just fall apart after a few steps?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Don’t say that.” Then added, “Maybe I should go back and ask the doctor.”

The doctor, still inside, heard everything. It was hard to stay calm—if these two were her own kids, she’d have lost her temper by now.

She said gently, “No, you won’t. Please, both of you, relax. Just act as you normally would. If you’re this anxious, it’ll affect your mood, and that’s not good for the baby.”

Lu Chuan nervously asked, “It really has an effect?” After all, they’d just been so tense.

The doctor nodded firmly. Go ahead, keep fussing if you want.

Fang Yuan shook off Lu Chuan’s hand and strode off with surprising confidence. “Let’s go.”

The doctor watched, heart in her throat. There was no need for such dramatic movements either. “You’d better get your elders here to help take care of you.”

That last comment was definitely the doctor passing the buck. She’d had enough of clueless young people.

Back home, Fang Yuan lay down and said, “I didn’t do this on purpose. I’ve just been feeling lazy these past few days. If I’d known I was pregnant, I would’ve stayed home to rest. Don’t worry about me.”

Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan, sweat beading on his forehead. Was this normal? He really didn’t know. He was panicking.

With no elders around, he went to ask Master Liu, “My wife is really pregnant.”

Master Liu chanted “Amitabha” a few times, finally! He was even happier than if he’d gotten a grandchild himself. “You have to let your wife rest well.” The second half of his sentence was: and don’t come hanging around here.

Lu Chuan nodded. “But the thing is, she’s just lying in bed. Is that normal?”

Master Liu gave him a look—what, you think this is fixing cars? How would I know? He pointed at himself. “You’re asking me?”

Lu Chuan said, “Yeah.” Who else could he ask?

Master Liu replied, “How would I know? Young man, have some sense.”

Scared off, Master Liu turned back to his work. There was so much new equipment to sort out; he was busy enough as it was, just trying to clear some space.

Lu Chuan was really anxious, so he rode his bike straight to the clinic. He didn’t dare take any chances.

The doctor saw the young man who’d just left come right back and couldn’t help but twitch her lips. “Are you showing off how close you live to the clinic?”

Lu Chuan was a bit embarrassed, but this wasn’t a small matter. “It just seems a little abnormal.”

His wife was sleeping a lot, and she’d been lazy for days. Since they didn’t know the reason, she hadn’t been resting, so Lu Chuan wanted to ask: is it okay for her to sleep like this? Then he asked if not sleeping before would have hurt the baby, and then what should they do going forward?

The doctor’s head was pounding. “I suggest you get an elder to stay with you as soon as possible. Look, the pregnant woman is fine, but you’re so nervous you’re making yourself sick.”

When she saw Lu Chuan off, the doctor took off her mask and let out a deep sigh. This wasn’t practicing medicine—this was spiritual cultivation.

Once Lu Chuan was sure Fang Yuan was really fine, he rushed off to the construction site to tell his fifth brother the good news.

When Wu Hu heard his little sister was pregnant, he was delighted and wanted to go home to see her. Honestly, the two of them had been childless for so long, he’d been worried for Fang Yuan.

Lu Chuan blocked Wu Hu’s path. “Fifth Brother, there’s no rush. Go back to the village first and bring one of my moms over—either one will do. We need someone here.”

Wu Hu said, “I haven’t even seen Fang Yuan yet, is it that urgent?”

Lu Chuan replied, “It really is, Fifth Brother. You don’t know—Fang Yuan is pregnant.”

Wu Hu shivered. She’s just pregnant, right? Anyone who didn’t know better would think something terrible had happened.

Wu Hu wanted to go home and change, but Lu Chuan wouldn’t let him, just watched him go.

He really was anxious, but still remembered to tell Wu Hu, “Fifth Brother, ride carefully.”

Wu Hu chuckled. “That’s rare—I thought you’d want me to fly there and back.”

At the construction site, when Wu Hu wasn’t around, Lu Chuan was usually in charge, or sometimes Fang Yuan.

Today, Lu Chuan couldn’t stay at the site at all and handed things over to Wan Shun.

He turned around and went home to take care of Fang Yuan. With something this big at home, who could focus on work?

Wan Shun and the others watched Lu Chuan’s retreating figure, shaking their heads.

Someone joked, “Look at our brother-in-law’s serious face. If you didn’t know, you’d think our sister was carrying a bomb.”

Everyone laughed—it was a pretty accurate description.

Wan Shun couldn’t help but laugh too, then said, “Don’t joke around. Our brother-in-law is an educated man—maybe he’s superstitious about these things. He seems pretty nervous, so let’s all pitch in more for a while and let him worry less.”

Someone else laughed, “Does he even have the energy to worry about us right now?”

Another chimed in, “Who’d have thought our brother-in-law was so loyal and caring?”

The guys all knew the score. In recent years, in the village and the county, plenty of educated folks who got married and started families ended up leaving their spouses behind to return to the city.

These guys who worked outside had heard even more stories.

Lu Chuan went to college, and Fang Yuan was just a country girl. No one expected their marriage to go so smoothly.

If they hadn’t seen firsthand how Lu Chuan treated Fang Yuan here in the provincial capital, they wouldn’t have believed the two could be so happy together.

Privately, they often said Fang Yuan was lucky—she’d picked a college student and landed a good one.

A bunch of grown men, some married, some not, all sighed that Fang Yuan had really found the right person.

On his way home, Lu Chuan bought all kinds of food, putting it where Fang Yuan could easily reach it.

He even went to the school cafeteria to get her a meal, just waiting for her to wake up and have something tasty.

Every few minutes, he’d go into the room to check on Fang Yuan—was she sleeping comfortably? Was her position pressing on her belly?

He kept muttering, since she was so tired, why hadn’t she rested earlier? What was she thinking?

If only he’d brought one of their moms over sooner. He hadn’t even noticed Fang Yuan wasn’t feeling well these past days. He’d let her down, and let the baby down too.

Now Lu Chuan finally understood why Fang Yuan always said either of their moms was more useful than him. He really did feel a bit useless.

Lu Chuan seriously reflected on his shortcomings and concluded: they definitely needed to have one of the moms stay with them."

"Chapter 198: Where the Heart Lies

Master Liu was too busy to handle everything himself, so he sent someone over to ask Lu Chuan to come and lend a hand.

Lu Chuan replied decisively, “My wife’s pregnant. I don’t have time.”

Everyone was stunned by his answer. Master Liu’s young apprentice said, “Boss, you said it yourself—your wife is pregnant, not you. What are you so busy with?”

Lu Chuan was basically dragged over by Master Liu.

To be honest, given Lu Chuan’s current state, even if he wanted to help, Master Liu wouldn’t really want his help. He’d just be in the way.

The only reason Master Liu called him over was because he saw Lu Chuan pacing anxiously outside his house, looking completely lost. He figured giving him something to do would help calm his nerves.

Master Liu tried to comfort him, “Once you have your second or third child, you won’t be this nervous.”

Lu Chuan replied, “It’s easy to say when it’s not happening to you. No matter how many you have, it’s never easy. I’m still nervous.”

Master Liu was so exasperated he didn’t even want to talk anymore. At his age, if his wife suddenly got pregnant, that would be a real crisis. Does this kid even know what he’s saying?

Master Liu snapped at Lu Chuan, “I shouldn’t have bothered trying to talk sense into you.”

Lu Chuan, having learned from Fang Yuan’s sharp tongue, shot back, “This isn’t something you can talk someone out of.”

Worried that Master Liu might get too worked up, the young apprentice quickly led him away.

Another apprentice came over to Lu Chuan. “Congrats, Lu! That’s great news!”

Lu Chuan couldn’t stop grinning, so happy he could barely close his mouth. “I actually forgot to buy candy!” he said, and dashed off like the wind.

Master Liu’s other apprentice said, “See, Master? If we just give Lu something to do, we won’t have to deal with his nerves.”

Master Liu shook his head. “Young people these days, so jumpy. It’s just a baby.”

The apprentice replied, “You’re right, Master, but now that the boss is going to have a kid, he’ll probably come around here less often. That’s not a bad thing.”

Master Liu agreed, “That’s about the only good part. It’s not that I mind her coming by, I just mind her making trouble. I’ve fixed everything here, but she brings in a unicycle for me to repair. Does she even think before she acts? And if I can’t fix it, she complains about my skills. Is that fair?”

Every word was heartfelt, every word a complaint.

The apprentice really felt for his master. Fixing a unicycle wasn’t about skill. “Master, just think of it as practice for us.”

Master Liu grumbled, “Even my apprentices can’t fix that thing.”

For the first time, the two apprentices realized how high Master Liu’s expectations were for them. It took the boss’s wife to get the truth out of him.

They started to flatter him, “Master, once our new equipment arrives and the repair shop is upgraded, you’ll be the chief supervisor.”

Master Liu was clear-headed, “That would drive the boss’s wife crazy.”

The apprentices quickly said, “Let’s not talk about it. The boss’s wife is pregnant—we shouldn’t jinx it.”

Master Liu wasn’t a bad guy, so he changed his tune right away, “The boss’s wife just can’t stand to see me idle.”

The apprentices laughed. Their master understood things well enough.

Meanwhile, as soon as Fang Yuan woke up, Lu Chuan hurried over with a meal he’d brought from the school cafeteria and set it in front of her.

While Fang Yuan ate, Lu Chuan reported on his day: he’d handed out celebratory candies at the construction site and at the repair shop, and even gave everyone a pack of cigarettes.

Fang Yuan lost her appetite. “You handed out cigarettes? Those are expensive! We’re about to buy new equipment, and we don’t have much money left.”

Lu Chuan replied, “It’s a happy occasion! I already made you compromise when we got married—I can’t let you feel shortchanged when we’re having a baby.”

Fang Yuan looked down at her still-flat belly. “We’re not having the baby yet.”

Lu Chuan said, “You’re pregnant, so it’s only a matter of time. Same thing.”

Fang Yuan didn’t quite agree. The baby had just been conceived, and he was already throwing money around.

But since he’d already given out the gifts, she let it go. She wasn’t stingy.

Hearing all that Lu Chuan had done, Fang Yuan felt a bit sorry for him. “You’ve been busy all day. How did you get so much done?”

Lu Chuan replied, “I can’t sit still. I’m too anxious.”

Fang Yuan nodded, “If I were awake, I wouldn’t be able to sit still either.”

Well, at least the two of them were in sync.

They looked at each other and laughed, not holding back at all.

Fang Yuan stroked her belly. “Finally, we have one. It wasn’t easy.”

Lu Chuan quickly reminded her, “Be gentle.”

Fang Yuan said, “You don’t have to be that careful. I won’t hurt it. I used to think you didn’t really want a child.”

Lu Chuan replied, “Of course I did! But I didn’t want you to feel pressured. Even if I wanted one, I couldn’t say it in front of you.”

Then he added, “But now that we have one, I have to cherish it. Just thinking about our child makes me excited.”

Fang Yuan said, “Alright, cherish it all you want. Just don’t go overboard with spending, especially not like you did today. That was too much.”

Lu Chuan agreed, “I’ll listen to you. By the way, do you feel okay? You slept so long—are you alright?”

Fang Yuan replied, “I’m fine. I actually feel great.”

Then she said, “When I get a chance, I want to go back to the village and walk around.”

She still remembered how she’d been upset by Li Meng’s pregnancy and wanted to show off a bit.

Lu Chuan protested, “No way. Until the baby is born, we’re staying here and taking good care of you. Our child is precious, and you’re even more precious. There’s no need to go back to the village just to show off. If you want to, I’ll go and hand out candy for you. No need for you to do anything.”

Fang Yuan said, “You really have a bad habit of spending money at the drop of a hat. But this time, it’s worth it.” She did want to show off.

Lu Chuan immediately reflected, “I was too hasty. Fifth Brother went back to get your mom—I should have had him hand out the candy.”

Fang Yuan knew her mom was too busy with her business to come. “I doubt my mom will have time to come.”

Lu Chuan said, “Doesn’t matter whose mom it is, as long as one of them comes. Both would be even better—we have plenty of room here.”

When Fang Yuan heard there was enough room, she said, “Then why are you still here? Shouldn’t we get the house ready? We don’t even have enough bedding.”

Lu Chuan said, “It’s summer. Don’t worry. When our moms come, they can bring their own.”

Fang Yuan turned to look at him. “My mom always says you’re filial—is this what you call filial?”

Lu Chuan replied, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Lu Chuan’s plan was to treat Fang Yuan like a queen. Fang Yuan said, “The doctor said I just need to take it easy.”

Lu Chuan agreed, “The doctor’s right. When the elders come, we’ll listen to them.”

Alright, for the sake of the baby, Fang Yuan nodded her approval.

Both Fang Yuan and Lu Chuan realized they were both a bit flustered, jumping from one topic to another, never sticking to anything for long.

In the end, their attention settled on Fang Yuan’s belly. “I’m just so happy,” she said.

Fang Yuan meant it—she really was happy. And from then on, all their talk was about the baby.

199."

"Chapter 199: The Mother-in-Law Who Felt Left Out