Chapter 109: Lu Chuan’s Courage

After sending Wuhu off, the whole family went to look at the new house. The frame was already up.

The windows had been installed, and after some tidying up, they could move in.

Not only was Lu Chuan surprised, even Father Lu was surprised. He had also not come back during the process.

Mother Lu happily introduced it to the family, “Next year, next year when we have money, we will make it nicer. For now, we will make do, but it is still a new house.”

Then she pursed her lips and smiled. “You do not know, just after the frame went up, someone already came to propose marriage for Third Son. There is really no need to worry about him not finding a wife. This is all thanks to Fang Yuan.”

Fang Yuan said, “Do not agree too easily. From what I see, Third Son is someone who knows how to plan things while handling such a big mess at home.”

Mother Lu said, “Of course we cannot agree. Our family does not have money to marry him off right now. We will wait a couple of years and then decide when he is a bit older.”

Building a house was never an easy thing. Lu Chuan felt sorry for Mother Lu. “Without my father at home, you two have had a hard time.”

Lu San and Mother Lu both shook their heads. “This is nothing hard. It is all thanks to Fang Sihu. He is truly a good person. He calculated everything, big and small. We just followed instructions.”

Lu San said, “Fourth Brother has helped our family so much. Everyone in the village has seen his ability. Some people in the village have even gone to ask Fang Sihu to help build houses. Fang Sihu even asked me to work with him.”

This contained too much information. Lu Chuan asked, “What do you think?”

Lu San said, “I do not have the ability to work with Fang Sihu, but I can help him, run errands, learn a bit. After all, once the house is finished, I will be idle at home anyway.”

Lu Chuan said, “If you are willing to follow him for a year first, that is fine.” Anything longer might not work.

Lu San was not really asking Lu Chuan’s opinion. He looked eagerly at Fang Yuan. “Second Sister-in-law, what do you think? I am not holding Fourth Brother back from making money and embarrassing you, am I?”

Fang Yuan said, “Then you do not understand my Fourth Brother well enough. It would already be good if he does not strip a layer of skin off you. If you can strip money from him, you need real ability. Following him for a year or two is fine. Once you suffer enough losses, you will naturally become more careful.”

Lu Chuan smiled. That sounded like something a mother-in-law would say.

Lu San was confused. What did that mean, learning by suffering losses?

Father Lu was worried his youngest son would not know how to respond, especially since they were still siblings, so he quickly changed the topic. “Ahem, this family really changes quickly.”

Then he asked, “By the way, where are the eldest brother and his wife?”

Mother Lu’s face immediately darkened. “They are just sitting at home, doing nothing.”

She held back in front of her second son and did not say more, so the topic passed quickly.

But later, when only the old couple were left, Mother Lu spoke again. “Second Son bought a house and even helped Third Son. Look at Third Son, he is grateful. The two brothers discuss things properly. But the eldest, not only does he not help his brothers, he acts like he is the one wronged. It is as if he is about to come ask me for a new house.”

Father Lu was silent for a long time, then asked, “With such a big matter at home, did the eldest not come to help at all?”

Mother Lu almost cried. “He came and asked me where the money for building a house came from.”

Father Lu sighed. The eldest son should know better than anyone where the money came from.

Father Lu said, “Do not think about it. As long as we get the children married off, we will have done enough. That is already good enough.”

Hearing this, Mother Lu immediately burst into tears. Father Lu was flustered. “What is wrong, wife?”

Mother Lu beat her chest, not daring to cry loudly in case others heard her. “I feel so cold inside. I built this house, I suffered a bit, I am willing, I am even happy. But do you know, old man, the eldest son and his wife outside are saying that we did not take care of the eldest, and that the eldest daughter-in-law came here on her own.”

Father Lu said, “But we worked so hard to marry off the eldest son. How could he not know that?”

Mother Lu cried, “He knows nothing. That daughter-in-law was for the second son.”

Father Lu was completely speechless. This was indeed a messy account.

What upset Mother Lu most was exactly this. They had wholeheartedly tried to help the eldest son get married, even neglecting the second son’s schooling, yet in the end it was twisted into them favoring others and not helping the eldest at all.

Li Meng said such things outside, and Mother Lu only treated it like nonsense, but the eldest son’s reaction truly broke her heart.

Now that Father Lu was back, Mother Lu finally had someone to rely on, so she cried. Knowing Fang Yuan had a strong temper, she did not dare say it in front of her.

But that did not mean Fang Yuan did not know what the eldest son had done.

Lu San said, “Second Brother, the eldest brother has been thinking about this house. He says outside that the family never helped him, and that he deserves a share of the house. He also says the parents treated him unfairly, and that he married his wife on his own.”

Lu Chuan’s face turned dark. He knew the eldest brother had no shame. When they separated the family, the eldest said he was the eldest son and that the house belonged to him.

Now that he saw the new house, he had completely lost all dignity.

Fang Yuan immediately grabbed a broom and walked out. “That shameless thing still acts like he is justified.”

Lu Chuan panicked and said to Lu San, “You could have just told me privately. You do not know your sister-in-law’s temper.”

But Lu San had already told Fang Yuan directly. He pulled Lu Chuan along. “We need sister-in-law to suppress his arrogance. He relied on her pregnancy to bully our mother so much that she could not even rest at noon and had to cook cold jelly. Do you know how hot it was?”

Lu Chuan said anxiously, “Let go, I have to follow. What if your sister-in-law suffers a loss?”

Lu San thought, how could she possibly suffer a loss?

But Lu Chuan was still worried. They had just reunited, and before they even spoke properly, she was already going to fight someone. Was he being ignored too much?

To Lu Chuan, this was no different from Fang Yuan rushing to confront the eldest brother, and he absolutely could not tolerate it.

Now that he was a university student, he had pride too. He immediately got angry and chased after Fang Yuan, saying, “If we go, we go together.”

He grabbed Fang Yuan’s hand and insisted on walking together.

That was the extent of Lu Chuan’s dominance.

Fang Yuan found it troublesome, but did not shake him off.

Fang Yuan did not even enter the gate. She stood outside the courtyard and shouted, “You shameless, immoral people, get out here.”

Lu Chuan murmured beside her, “Did not we already fix our language? Should we not be more civilized now?”

Fang Yuan said, “Stop nagging. I am civilized, but not for everyone. What civility is there to show people like this? Were you in the provincial city for a few days and your brain broke?”

Lu Chuan did not dare say anything. His wife was right. This also fully showed his status at home. His authority had limits.

Li Meng came out while holding her belly. “Second sister-in-law, I have to say, you are a woman too. Do not think that just because you have been working on construction sites, you are a man now. Acting like this all day will only embarrass Second Brother. Our Second Brother is a university student. Aren’t you afraid he will look down on you?”

Such malicious words, straight to the heart.