Chapter 111: Truly Small-Minded
Fang Yuan said, “You big grown man, acting like a woman gossiping behind people’s backs, tsk, you are a disgrace. You just want to get your hands on benefits, do you even have that luck? Go be jealous then.”
Angry beyond reason at Lu Feng, she did not bother with words anymore, swinging the broom fiercely and chasing Lu Feng around the yard as he dodged everywhere.
Father Lu was already disgusted by how embarrassing this looked.
Lu Chuan pulled Fang Yuan and said, “Let’s go. As long as he is not coveting our house, that is enough. You already said he is a disgrace, why should we lower ourselves and be dragged into it.”
Lu Feng shouted from the side, “Lu Chuan, you think just because you went to school you are above everyone else now? You took all the benefits and still look down on me for being embarrassing.”
Lu Chuan said, “I only think I am above you. Not because I went to school. As for why, you know it yourself, do you not?”
Lu Feng said, “I do not know. Do not act so arrogant. Do not think you are impressive just because you have a little money.”
Lu Chuan said, “I think I am better than you because I believe what I do stands on solid ground. Lu Feng, does what you do stand on solid ground? Dare to stand up and say it so everyone can hear? As for my little money, it is nothing special, yet it already made you jump like this.”
Then he said, “The things of our parents are not for me to decide. But my things and Lu San’s things, do not even think about them, because you cannot get them anyway. When it comes to schemes and calculations, you are not on my level, and not on Lu San’s level either. You do not have that brain.”
Lu San muttered from the side, “Why do I feel like that is not exactly a compliment to me.”
Fang Yuan said, “I do not think so either, but being smarter than this shameless thing is still a good thing.”
Lu Feng, furious, pointed at the two brothers and said, “None of you are good people. Lu San, you are even worse. You are clinging to the second brother, do you think you will get any benefit from that?”
Lu San said, “Better than clinging to you and letting you take advantage.”
Father Lu almost wanted to cry. How did the family end up like this? Life had clearly improved, yet now they had become the village joke. This was worse than when they were poor.
He worked outside to earn money while his old wife managed everything at home. What was it all for?
What no one expected was that Li Meng said nothing this time.
Looking at the small broken house in front of her, she was confused. Was the mindset of a future richest person really this small? Did the ambition of a future tycoon run out this quickly? When would they ever rise up?
When Fang Yuan returned home, she even told Lu Chuan that Li Meng’s reaction was not right.
That was not her usual shameless style. She did not even join the fight, nor did she stand in front of her “Feng ge.”
Lu Chuan laughed at that, the “Feng ge” really was representative. “They are naturally a couple, birds of the same feather. You think Li Meng is the one making trouble, but Lu Feng is behind it all. If Lu Feng says a few words at home, do you think Li Meng would still dare act up?”
Fang Yuan said, “So you are saying the root of the problem is your older brother.”
Lu Chuan said, “Is it not? If Lu Feng had behaved properly from the start, no matter how capable Li Meng is, how could she have caused such a mess and even ruined a marriage?”
A man can let a woman manipulate him only because he is not proper himself.
He spoke vaguely, afraid Fang Yuan would hear something unpleasant, and even more unwilling to mention in front of her that Lu Feng had once been involved in her marriage arrangement.
Fang Yuan said, “Do not assume I am some naive person. Whether a marriage works out or not is not up to Lu Feng and Li Meng.”
Lu Chuan thought to himself, it was up to you. Back then, did you not almost end up marrying Lu Feng? That thought made him a little suffocated. It would be even worse if he said it out loud.
If it were not for Li Meng stirring things up, maybe right now you would be holding a broom and chasing me instead? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. That thought made Lu Chuan unhappy, and he muttered, “I will go take a look in the fields.”
Fang Yuan could tell Lu Chuan was unhappy, but she truly could not figure out why.
Maybe it was because Lu Feng was unfilial. Anyone with such a troublesome son or brother would not be happy.
When Mother Lu came over, Fang Yuan even tried to comfort her. “I do not know what Lu Chuan is being awkward about. Lu Feng is unfilial, but there are still two other sons. It is not like the family cannot manage without him.”
Mother Lu thought to herself, I only have three sons. I cannot just discard them one by one like that. Even if a son is disappointing, you still have to hold onto him.
Thinking of Fang Yuan swinging a broom at Lu Feng’s face, she did not dare say this aloud.
She only asked, “Is the second son having issues with you? Why is he so sensible? Did he start thinking nonsense?”
As a mother-in-law, all her thoughts had shifted to her daughter-in-law, even worrying about whether her own son had bad intentions.
Fang Yuan really did not think much. “What intentions?”
Mother Lu looked at her daughter-in-law and felt that if she voiced her worry, it would only trouble her.
Better to go see her own son. “I will go talk to him. Whatever thoughts he has, he should not have them.”
He had only been away at school for less than a month, and now he was already acting distant with Fang Yuan? How capable was he getting? Was he looking down on his rural wife after a few days in the provincial city? That would not do.
Fang Yuan watched as her mother-in-law left in a hurry, still not understanding why.
Inside the house, Lu San and Father Lu were cleaning up pig head and offal, brought over by Wuhu. This was what they would eat for the festival.
The festive atmosphere at home was quite lively. Fang Yuan helped a bit, while the father and sons chatted happily.
Father Lu felt sorry for his daughter-in-law and did not want to order her around, so he soon sent her back to rest.
Lu Chuan had not yet calmed himself when Mother Lu came looking for him.
Mother Lu pulled him to walk around the new house, inside and out, front and back, examining everything carefully.
After looking for a long time, Lu Chuan asked, “Mom, you have already seen it. What do you mean by this? Are you thinking of buying furniture?”
Mother Lu said, “If I want to buy anything, your father will help me buy it. I am letting you see the house. Look carefully. This house, every corner of it, was managed by Fang Yuan.”
Lu Chuan did not understand. “Was it not Fourth Brother helping out?”
Mother Lu said, “Without Fang Yuan, would her Fourth Brother even know who you are? What is the difference between this house and Fang Yuan managing it?”
Lu Chuan thought to himself that there was still a difference. If Fang Yuan managed it, it would not have been so meticulous, and she definitely would not have been willing to spend so much money. She would be saving up to buy a crane.
Mother Lu said, “Second son, I want you to see Fang Yuan’s goodness and her steadiness. Do not think that just because we are from the countryside, people can look down on us. And you cannot look down on rural people either.”
The topic had shifted, and Lu Chuan could sense something was wrong. “Mom, what exactly are you trying to say?”
Mother Lu said, “Your elder brother has already made people point fingers behind our family’s back. Second son, if you also turn into a Chen Shimei, I would be afraid your father and I would be dug out of our graves after death.”
Lu Chuan said, “Mom, do you have to say it so harshly?”
Mother Lu said, “Second son, I have to be harsh. Fang Yuan is truly good. I am not being shallow or thinking only about the house. You just went out to study for a few days and came back acting distant with Fang Yuan. Are you getting dazzled by people outside?”
It is the school season, and the mood is a little bright. Identity: parent.