Chapter 36: Treatment Befitting a Future Tycoon

Without that last sentence from Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan really would have gone to sleep. But after hearing it, how could his heart not be thrown into turmoil?

Now that they were legally married, one could hardly blame a young man for having a few thoughts. His mind was running wild, completely beyond his control.

Unfortunately, Fang Yuan was seriously resting her brain, saving it for tomorrow’s use. She had no such thoughts at all.

Leaving Lu Chuan staring wide-eyed in Fang Yuan’s direction, his emotions rose and fell repeatedly as he thought about the question of what Fang Yuan understood and did not understand.

In the end, Lu Chuan failed to figure it out. He simply pulled the quilt over his head, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, breakfast was made by Fang Yuan. The taste could only be described as edible. Of course, the main reason was that ingredients were limited. In any case, Lu Chuan did not dare complain.

According to his father-in-law’s standards, he should have been the one doing the cooking. This already exceeded Lu Chuan’s imagination.

After breakfast, Fang Yuan spoke up. “Let’s go.”

Lu Chuan was momentarily confused. “Go where?”

Fang Yuan became annoyed again. “To earn money, of course. I’ve already fed you. Do you still want to stay home doing nothing?” Her attitude was more like that of a wealthy landlord than an actual wealthy landlord.

Lu Chuan slapped his forehead. ”Smack. I just woke up, my head wasn’t clear, so I forgot. Let’s go right now.” Although Fang Yuan’s tone was overbearing, her direction was correct. Lu Chuan had never planned to idle around at home.

Fang Yuan could not stand lazy men and spoke sharply. “Otherwise, should I let you stay home a few more days, thinking all day about how to make money?”

She especially emphasized the word “thinking.” Could money really be earned just by thinking about it?

If sarcasm could be used, perhaps that counted as progress on Fang Yuan’s part.

Lu Chuan had never met a woman so lacking in gentleness and so poor in tone. “Can you speak a little more nicely? And what kind of wording is that? What do you mean by staying cooped up for a few days?”

Fang Yuan replied, “If you don’t know what you should be doing, is that my fault?”

Lu Chuan immediately shut his mouth. This girl’s temper was not very good. She got angry the moment she felt provoked.

Fang Yuan said, “When your classmates stop tutoring, let’s invite them over for a meal and get acquainted.”

Then she added, “See? I know what should be done. If you were like me, even if someone yelled at me a couple of times, I’d still listen.”

Patiently, Lu Chuan said, “It’s not about who yells at whom. People should live together harmoniously.”

Fang Yuan’s expression had already turned cold.

Lu Chuan picked up the lunch container and handed it to her. Then he pushed his bicycle out the door himself, finally easing Fang Yuan’s expression somewhat.

She had thought Lu Chuan’s dawdling meant he simply did not want to go.

By the time Mother Lu came over to deliver food, there was already nobody at home.

Mother Lu walked around the house and quickly confirmed that Fang Yuan truly knew how to run a household.

Although the second son and his wife had left early, everything in the house was orderly. The chicken coop had fresh greens and clean water, enough for the hens to eat and drink all day.

Mother Lu nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. When she got home, she muttered to Father Lu, “She may be a little rough around the edges and not very considerate with her words, but she’s someone who knows how to live.”

Father Lu replied, “She’s a little overbearing. But she’s filial and knows how to run a household. If she also learns to treat the second son well, there’d be nothing left to criticize.”

Mother Lu let out a cold snort. “The one in the west room knows how to treat her man well, but can being nice fill your stomach? Look at what she’s turned the eldest into these past two days. He hasn’t done a single bit of work. What will they eat and drink in the future?”

The thought alone made her anxious and irritated.

Father Lu said, “The eldest is being unreasonable too. Fine, if he couldn’t find work outside, that’s one thing. But there are so many jobs around the house. How can he just sit there?” Even as a father, he could not stand watching it. This was not how a family should live.

Mother Lu said, “I know my son. He’s not that lazy. He’s just been entangled by a temptress.”

Father Lu felt awkward hearing that and advised her, “You’re an elder after all. That’s still your own son. When they have children in the future, she’ll be the mother of your grandchildren. Don’t speak so harshly.”

Mother Lu replied, “I’d like to say something good about her, but just look at her. When the eldest wanted to chop firewood, she said there was no need in such hot weather. When he wanted to carry water, she said they should conserve it and told him not to fill the water vat, just enough for drinking was fine. These past two days they’ve been cooking for themselves, and they’ve already used up all the eggs from our house. She said the eldest needs nourishment.”

By the end, Mother Lu was grinding her teeth. How had she ended up with a daughter-in-law like this?

Father Lu sighed. The family only had one water vat. The household had been divided, but the vat had not. If the eldest did not carry water, then he would have to.

Forget it. A daughter-in-law who knew how to care for her husband was still better than one who didn’t. “If they eat them, they eat them. Later, when I’m working, I’ll call the eldest along.”

What else could he do? At least this daughter-in-law knew how to care about his son.

As for Li Meng, she was genuinely serving Lu Feng as though he were a future tycoon.

Lu Feng was a hardworking man. He had never been this idle in all his years and could not sit still. “I need to go check the fields. If you don’t want to work yourself, don’t drag me into being lazy too.”

Li Meng replied, “Even if there isn’t a single weed in those fields, will you harvest two extra ears of corn? Besides, if you rely on that tiny bit of production from the fields, you won’t even save any money. Brother Feng, you’re someone destined for great things. In the future you’ll be wealthy and honored. We need to do things that match your status.”

Lu Feng became a little carried away by the praise, but quickly came back down to earth. “We still need enough to eat right now. In the past few days, you’ve already finished all the fine grain we received in the division. How are we supposed to live from now on?”

Li Meng answered casually, “It’s all gone? Then we’ll just buy more.”

Lu Feng rolled his eyes. “With what money? What are we supposed to use to buy it? At the end of the year, we still have to give money to my parents. If we don’t work, where are we supposed to get money?”

Li Meng was the one who had promised that money, so she felt a little guilty. They really were short of money. It turned out that in this era, even three or five hundred yuan was a major issue.

When Li Meng gave money to Fang Yuan, she had done so generously because she had only recently been reborn and had not yet adjusted.

Now she understood things a bit better, but the money had already been given away.

Li Meng said, “Brother Feng, we did lose a little on that money. But you have to think long term. I heard the second brother is going to university. How much does that cost every year? That’s a bottomless pit. Forget you, Brother Feng, even if the whole family worked themselves to death, it probably wouldn’t be enough to support the second brother’s spending.”

When Lu Feng heard this, he did not make a sound. Clearly, he had thought about this as well. Otherwise, he would not have agreed so readily to divide the household.

Li Meng continued, “Fortunately, it’s only three or four years. Let’s just consider it spending money to buy a good reputation. The second brother hasn’t had an easy time getting into university. We’ll take care of supporting your parents in their old age. Doesn’t that sound good when people hear it? Only my Brother Feng is this filial.”

Lu Feng had not been very pleased, but after being soothed by such gentle words, he could no longer be too calculating about it.

Lu Feng glanced at Li Meng. She was the one who would have to hand over the money too. More than two hundred yuan. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Li Meng had no money left either, but she dared not say so. She certainly could not admit that she would be the one paying. “Money will come in the future. I just feel bad seeing Brother Feng work so hard in the fields when he’s clearly destined for great fortune and prosperity, yet still has to suffer and toil.”

Mother Lu, listening from the outer room, felt somewhat chilled at heart. To marry a wife for the eldest son, the family had emptied all its savings, yet her son no longer felt particularly close to the family.

The second son had cleaned up the eldest son’s mess and had even sacrificed his own marriage over it, yet here the eldest was calculating the second son’s university expenses.

If the second son found out, how heartbroken would he be?