Chapter 49: Trust and Pursuit

After some chatting, it was time to rest. The makeshift shelter was crude, and they still had to clear a spot for Fang Yuan to sleep. The brothers all silently agreed to let their brother-in-law sleep next to Fang Yuan.

This made Lu Chuan feel awkward, his heart even beating a little faster. Honestly, he and his wife weren’t as close as her brothers imagined.

Lu Chuan glanced at Fang Yuan several times, awkwardly telling her to get some rest.

Fang Yuan’s expression didn’t change at all. “Second Brother, why don’t you let Fifth Brother and Fourth Brother go take a look around? I don’t feel at ease. That foreman just doesn’t look like a good guy.”

Fifth Tiger was annoyed. “You really don’t care about me, huh? We’ve all been working all day. Let’s not make a fuss.”

Fang Yuan kicked Fifth Tiger, urging him to get up. “You go patrol first. I’ll sleep for a bit, and then I’ll take over for you.”

To put Fang Yuan at ease, Lu Chuan immediately got up. “You all rest, I’ll go patrol. I didn’t do any work today, I’m not tired.” All his shyness vanished.

Fang Yuan said, “No way. Your brain is tired, you need to rest even more. Besides, with your skinny frame, what use would you be?”

She pointed at Lu Chuan, telling him to rest his brain well—he’s the one making the big money.

Lu Chuan wasn’t happy at all. What was wrong with his build? Why did Fang Yuan always look down on him? Was he really that bad?

The brothers all looked at Fang Yuan with conflicted expressions, especially Fifth Tiger. “You’re siding with outsiders now.”

Fang Yuan replied, “A married daughter is like water poured out. I’m siding with our own here. Besides, if he gets muddled from exhaustion, could you take his place?”

Fifth Tiger pointed at himself. “What if I get tired?”

Fang Yuan said, “Anyone could take your place with your strength.” In other words, Fifth Tiger was easily replaceable.

Fifth Tiger, fuming, rolled out of bed and left. He couldn’t stay here any longer.

Lu Chuan didn’t dare laugh out loud and was even ordered by Fang Yuan, “Go to sleep and rest your brain.”

Even Fourth Tiger didn’t want to talk to Fang Yuan anymore. So this is why their brother-in-law was so precious.

Fang Yuan, on the other hand, fell asleep in seconds—she still had to patrol in the second half of the night. She really didn’t have a care in the world.

Fang Lao’er (Second Brother) had wanted to chat with Lu Chuan about tomorrow’s work, but seeing this, he didn’t dare bring it up. So the brother-in-law’s brain needs to be “nurtured,” huh.

Lu Chuan was tired too. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down. All his embarrassment and awkwardness didn’t even get a chance to surface.

Fang Yuan woke up right on time in the middle of the night and called Third Brother to go patrol with her, taking over for Fourth and Fifth Tiger.

Third Brother didn’t want to get up. “Only Fifth would listen to you like this. Don’t make a fuss, just sleep.”

But Fang Yuan had her ways and managed to drag Third Brother up to walk the rounds with her.

Fifth Tiger saw Fang Yuan and complained, “What are you doing out here? I can handle it. Don’t worry, I won’t fall asleep.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Third Brother’s with me. You still have to work during the day, and no one else knows how to use the mixer. Go get some sleep.”

So Fourth Tiger dragged Fifth Tiger away. “You argue with her all day, but when she says something, you never go against it. I can’t even find a corner to nap in without you stopping me.”

Fifth Tiger grumbled, “That brat actually makes sense. We can’t let her lose face in front of her husband.”

Fourth Tiger snorted. “Who doesn’t know you two are twins?”

Fifth Tiger even kicked Lu Chuan awake. “Go keep Fang Yuan company.”

Lu Chuan thought, I was already awake even if you didn’t kick me. But now he understood—this Fifth Brother was on par with the eldest brother, not someone to mess with, and needed to be treated well.

Lu Chuan also realized that the older brothers all doted on Fang Yuan—she was their only sister, stubborn, and they had no choice but to go along with her.

But Fifth Brother was different—he spoiled Fang Yuan. The closeness and distance between them were obvious; the level was just not the same.

Fang Yuan wasn’t happy to see Lu Chuan. “Didn’t they say people who use their brains need to rest? What are you doing here?”

Third Brother was a bit annoyed too. So, according to you, your brothers don’t use their brains and don’t need rest?

Lu Chuan said, “I’ve slept enough, can’t sleep anymore, just came out to clear my head.”

Fang Yuan said, “Fine, but don’t push yourself.”

What else could Lu Chuan say? Only with Fang Yuan’s approval could he keep watch with his wife.

Luckily, Old Sun really was wary of the Fang family’s five tigers and didn’t send anyone over to cause trouble.

Otherwise, things would have gotten even more complicated.

At dawn, Lu Chuan finally took Fang Yuan to a corner to nap for a bit. His wife was truly reliable—whatever you entrusted to her, you could rest assured.

This was something Lu Chuan realized anew about Fang Yuan—someone who stuck to her principles was like this.

He actually wasn’t at ease either, worried someone might come at night to cause trouble. But he couldn’t ask his brothers-in-law for help, so he’d planned to get up a few more times himself during the night to keep an eye out.

But Fang Yuan had arranged everything. People like her were “narrow-minded,” Lu Chuan found it hard to believe.

The next day, even more people came to work. Fang Lao Da (Eldest Brother) started to worry there were too many people.

But Lu Chuan said, “Don’t worry about having too many people. As long as the work gets done well, it’s fine. The sooner we finish, the fewer days we have to pay rent.”

He was thinking of Fang Yuan—the project wouldn’t be done, and she wouldn’t be able to go home. Who could stand that?

Fang Lao Da wanted to say, once the work was done, what would they do?

The brothers’ original plan was to hire fewer people, work more days themselves, and pocket more wages.

But after hearing his brother-in-law, he immediately started organizing the work. Finishing early was better.

If there was no work, so be it—at least they wouldn’t have to pay rent. The mixer didn’t drink water or eat, but it sure burned money.

The newcomers even told Fang Lao Da that it wasn’t that Old Sun didn’t want to send people over to cause trouble, but that once they heard this was Fang Lao Da’s site, no one dared come.

What a joke—who would challenge five brothers in the middle of the night? That’s asking for trouble.

The Fang brothers understood. At noon, when Fang Lao Da didn’t eat at the site, Lu Chuan guessed he’d gone to talk to Old Sun, and things should be peaceful tonight.

But no matter how Fang Lao Da settled things with Old Sun, Fang Yuan was undeterred—rain or shine, she patrolled as usual.

Fang Yuan’s trust was reserved only for herself and Fifth Tiger.

Other than Fifth Brother, she didn’t trust anyone. Fifth Tiger was run ragged, with dark circles under his eyes.

Finally, Fang Da Leng couldn’t stand it and came to take over for his youngest son, and only then did Fang Yuan feel at ease.

In Fang Yuan’s words, if she didn’t keep watch, then Fifth Tiger had to. She just didn’t trust anyone else, afraid they’d slack off.

At that, Fifth Tiger’s face turned so dark he almost said, “Thanks for your trust.”

That’s the bond between siblings. When it came to trust, even Lu Chuan couldn’t compare. Fifth Tiger’s misery was exactly what Lu Chuan aspired to.

What Lu Chuan didn’t expect was that when the work was halfway done, the supervisor paid them half the money.

First, it was out of respect for Fang Lao Da. Second, Lu Chuan had really done a great job—the speed and quality were top-notch.

Thank you for your support.

(End of Chapter 49)"