Chapter 24: A Son-in-Law Equals a Bargain

Wang Cuixiang was still quite satisfied with her son-in-law’s looks and education, and she said with a sigh, “If he really is a good one, who knows who’s getting the better deal here.”

Her own daughter was a year older than most girls, after all. This son-in-law was a bit of a hot potato.

Fang Daleng said, “What are you saying? Our family could get a bargain?”

Wang Cuixiang replied, “Can’t you talk properly? It’s not a bargain, it’s a son-in-law.”

Fang Daleng felt aggrieved. Isn’t that the same thing? A son-in-law equals a bargain. But saying it like that didn’t sound very nice, so he scratched his head and quickly dropped the whole ‘son-in-law equals bargain’ idea. His brain wasn’t cut out for these complicated matters; best not to think about it.

Wang Guixiang was also annoyed. What nonsense were they talking? They’d confused themselves.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan went to the local supply and marketing cooperative to buy household necessities—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and so on.

Then, Fang Yuan bought Lu Chuan two full sets of clothes, inside and out—a real splurge.

Lu Chuan felt a bit conflicted. This was the first time in his life someone had spent so much money on him.

And spent it so generously—two full outfits, inside and out.

Their fifth brother-in-law, who had come along to help carry things, teased, “Sis, when did you get so generous? Struck it rich?”

Fang Yuan beamed, “Pick something you like, I’ll buy it for you.” She really had struck it rich.

Fifth Brother Hu turned to look at Fang Yuan. She’d never been this generous before. “You really got rich?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Of course. You think I let someone else snatch my marriage for nothing? That woman paid me.”

Lu Chuan’s mood soured. What’s there to show off about money from selling off a man? And he was the one being ‘sold’ as compensation to Fang Yuan.

Fifth Brother Hu grinned, “I knew it, our little sister’s clever—never lets herself get the short end of the stick. But this brother-in-law, let’s not swap him out.”

Hearing this, Lu Chuan didn’t feel comforted at all. If anything, he felt even more at risk.

See? Everyone thought he was in danger.

Fang Yuan didn’t care. “Relax, I’m not stupid.” This one was worth way more than Lu Laoda.

She handed Fifth Brother Hu a pair of shoes. “These are for you, from Fifth Brother.”

Fifth Brother Hu happily put them on and said to Lu Chuan, “See? My sister and I have always been close. I’m not as sharp as she is, so I just listen to her.”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, Is this what you call being sharp? Does the Fang family have a misunderstanding about what ‘not sharp’ means? But he didn’t dare contradict his brother-in-law.

Then Fifth Brother Hu added, “As long as my sister’s happy, that’s all that matters. But if she’s not, and she tells me to deal with you, I’ll listen to her. Got it?”

All that preamble, just to set up this warning: if things go south, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Lu Chuan thought, No wonder he said so much—the punchline was here. “Got it. No matter how well we get along, Fifth Brother, you’re always on Fang Yuan’s side.”

He even sneakily compared his own build to the tall, burly Fifth Brother Hu.

Right then and there, Lu Chuan made up his mind: for the rest of his life, he’d only argue with the Fang family—never fight.

He had nothing but respect and gratitude for the family that raised Fang Yuan.

Fifth Brother Hu hadn’t finished showing off when Fang Yuan took out two more pairs of shoes and asked Lu Chuan what size he wore.

No need to ask—these were for Lu Chuan.

Whatever he’d thought before marrying into the Fang family, after joining them, Lu Chuan was left with only one thought: live well with Fang Yuan, keep her happy, and make sure she’s cheerful when she visits her family.

He was sure now—he couldn’t afford to cross this family. And as for Fang Yuan, he was truly her husband now.

What made him think, back then, that Fang Yuan marrying Lu Laoda only had something to do with Lu Laoda, and nothing to do with him, Lu Chuan?

Now he realized: if he ever upset Fang Yuan, none of the Lu brothers would have it easy.

So, when it came time to find a wife for their youngest brother, he’d have to keep his eyes wide open. Carelessness leads to disaster—a lesson for life.

Fang Yuan saw Lu Chuan staying quiet and got a bit anxious, wondering if he was a bit slow: “I’m asking you—what shoe size do you wear?”

Lu Chuan was a bit embarrassed. “I don’t know. I’ve always worn homemade shoes.”

Honestly, this was the first time he’d encountered something like this. He felt a little awkward, not knowing what to do.

Fifth Brother Hu said nothing. This brother-in-law was a real softie.

Fang Yuan didn’t think much of it and called out to the shop assistant, “Give us the biggest size to try.”

The shop assistant, sizing up Lu Chuan, picked out a pair for him to try. “This comrade has a small frame, so his feet shouldn’t be that big.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t pleased and was ready to argue. “Are you saying my man isn’t sturdy?” She could complain about her own man, but no one else could.

She raised her chin, glaring, ready for a fight.

The shop assistant, who wasn’t known for customer service, caught sight of the infamous Fang girl and quickly changed her tune. “You misunderstood, miss. There’s an old saying: men with delicate features are lucky, and the smaller a man’s feet, the luckier he is.”

Fang Yuan was skeptical. “Is that really a saying? I’ve never heard it.” But her tone softened.

The shop assistant didn’t dare cross her. “You’re still young. It’s no surprise you haven’t heard it.”

Just then, Lu Chuan tried on the shoes—they fit perfectly. “Size forty-one.”

The shop assistant said, “See? I told you this comrade is lucky. That’s the perfect size.”

Fang Yuan was pleased. “We’ll take three pairs.” She’d been flattered.

Lu Chuan’s understanding of Fang Yuan deepened. The Fang family’s reputation was well deserved. “No need, two pairs is enough.” Honestly, even one pair would do.

He turned to Fifth Brother Hu and said, “See, Fifth Brother? Fang Yuan really cares about me.”

The message was clear: don’t worry, we’re getting along just fine—no need for you to step in.

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan, puzzled. How did he figure that out? She didn’t even know herself.

Fifth Brother Hu glanced at his brother-in-law and gave a dry chuckle. “As long as you two stay this happy, we brothers won’t have to step in.”

Lu Chuan didn’t feel victorious at all. This was a shackle, a curse. His future looked bleak—what was he supposed to do?

When Fifth Brother Hu brought his sister and brother-in-law home, Lu Chuan immediately noticed his status in the Fang family had changed.

His tall, burly father-in-law greeted him with a smile and invited him to sit.

Honestly, even when Fang Daleng, a butcher by trade, tried to look friendly, he still seemed intimidating.

Lu Chuan was grateful he had Fang Yuan by his side for support. In the Fang family, this “female fiend” was actually the kindest one.

It was just that everything changed so quickly, he wasn’t quite used to it. He felt a little flustered.

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