Chapter 37: Inferior Goods Must Be Thrown Away

Mother Lu gritted her teeth. With Lu Feng becoming like this, it was hard for her not to hate Li Meng.

Pretending she had only heard that last sentence, she cursed toward the room, “You home-wrecking woman, if you don’t suffer and toil, can wealth and prosperity just fall from the sky? If you feel sorry for your man working hard, then go work in the fields with him.”

Li Meng was neither angry nor anxious. Since Lu Feng was not going to the fields, neither was she. She had not come back to suffer hardship. “Mom, isn’t it because I feel sorry for Brother Feng? If I were capable, I’d go work in the fields myself and not let Brother Feng do any labor.”

What she meant was that she could not do the work, so Brother Feng still had to go to the fields himself. She was there to share prosperity with Lu Feng.

Father Lu sighed, shouldered his hoe, called to Lu Feng, and left.

He could not blame anyone else. He simply had not raised his son properly.

Father Lu muttered a few words to his eldest son. “It’s good that someone cares about you, but you can’t listen to a woman in everything. Wealth doesn’t fall from the sky. Great fortune and prosperity are earned.”

Lu Feng’s face turned red. He still knew how to feel ashamed and did not dare say a word.

As for Mother Lu facing Li Meng, the more she looked at her, the less pleasing she seemed. This daughter-in-law did not look like a good person, nor did she seem sincere about building a life with Lu Feng. Otherwise, what wife would stop her husband from going out to work?

Li Meng looked up and saw Mother Lu staring at her with gloomy eyes. “Mom, why are you looking at me like that?”

Mother Lu said, “I don’t care how you got your hooks into my son, but since you ruined my son’s marriage, you have to live properly with him.”

Li Meng did not even blush. Smiling cheerfully, she said, “Mom, listen to yourself. Of course I’m going to live properly with Brother Feng.”

Mother Lu frowned. “First change the way you address him. It makes my teeth ache hearing it.”

It was only because Fang Yuan had given Mother Lu confidence. Otherwise, Mother Lu would never have dared speak so forcefully.

Li Meng was dissatisfied with Mother Lu as well. Back then, she had heard that Mother Lu was the sort of woman who did not even dare raise her voice. Why was she being so overbearing toward her? It was only because she had not firmly established her position yet. Otherwise, would she tolerate such a mother-in-law?

Li Meng shyly said, “Mom, Brother Feng likes it when I call him that.”

Mother Lu was so angry smoke nearly came out of her nose. Go outside and ask around, what family’s wife addressed her man that way? She had said all along this woman did not seem like a decent person. What a disgrace.

Mother Lu said, “Let me tell you, yesterday we went to the township and reported to the township authorities how your family broke off the engagement and smashed up our home back then.”

Li Meng was stunned. Wasn’t this just looking for trouble?

“Mom, what do you mean by that? We’re relatives. How can you do something like this?”

Mother Lu said, “What I mean is that since you came to our family like this, it’ll be fine if your family doesn’t come make trouble. But if they do, we’ll bring up that previous incident together and talk it all out. I’m giving you advance warning. Don’t talk to me about being relatives. When your family smashed up our house, they didn’t show any consideration.”

Li Meng’s face darkened. Mother Lu had not left her any dignity at all.

“Mom, they’re still in-laws. If my parents come over and say a few unpleasant things, it’d only be because they’re worried about me. Besides, I, an unmarried young woman, ran over here just like this. If my mother comes and says a few words, isn’t that normal?”

The moment Mother Lu heard that, she became furious. So she knew that an unmarried young woman running over like this would naturally be criticized. Yet she had still come over without any proper explanation and ruined someone else’s marriage. Wasn’t that utterly shameless?

Mother Lu truly could not find words harsh enough to curse her.

“You came here yourself. My family didn’t kidnap you. How would it be normal for your family to come make trouble?”

Then she added, “I knew you were no good. You’ve been scheming to harm my family all along. Let me tell you this, if anyone wants to make trouble, they can do it at your family. If they dare come here, I’ll dare call the township authorities over and settle both this matter and the old one together.”

After saying that, she stormed off angrily. Fortunately, they had been clever enough to report the matter in advance at the township. Otherwise, they really would have been sitting around waiting for the other side to come make trouble at their home.

No wonder Li Meng was not arranging a return visit.

The more Mother Lu thought about Li Meng’s words, the more she wanted to cry. This woman had never harbored good intentions. That disappointing eldest son of hers, how had he fallen into her trap?

So angered by Li Meng was she that Mother Lu even forgot about showing off the marriage certificate and instead went to the fields to tell Father Lu and Lu Feng about the matter.

Lu Feng scratched his head. This woman carried trouble all over her body. Had he known earlier, had he known earlier... but it was too late now.

At a complete loss, he looked toward his parents. “Then what should we do?”

Mother Lu said, “What should we do? You take your wife back to her parents’ home. If her family makes trouble, then return their daughter to them. Since there’s no marriage certificate anyway, this marriage doesn’t count.”

You see, after one trip to the township, Mother Lu had learned something. She now knew that without a marriage certificate, it did not count as a legal marriage.

Lu Feng thought, how could that work?

“Mom, when has our village ever recognized that sort of thing? Once the wedding feast is held, it counts.”

Mother Lu’s face darkened. “Did you hold a wedding feast for marrying this vixen?”

Lu Feng discovered that his mother had become formidable. Every sentence struck where it hurt and could even mock people now, and she had reason on her side.

The useless Lu Feng said, “I’m not going. I don’t dare.”

If Lu San had said something like that, it might have been understandable. But this was a grown man of twenty-four or twenty-five years old. How could he have the face to say it?

Even Father Lu could not listen anymore. “That’s your wife. If you don’t go, who will? Facing the Li family, can it be harder than when Lu Er faced Fang Yuan’s brothers from the Fang family?”

Lu Feng shut his mouth.

The Li family was nowhere near as famous as the Fang family’s Wuhu brothers.

Besides, the Li family was in the wrong, whereas when facing the Fang family, it had been the Lu family that was in the wrong.

Lu Feng understood that perfectly well.

Mother Lu said, “She came to our house on her own. What are you afraid of? No matter where we go, our family has reason on its side.”

Under pressure from Father Lu and Mother Lu, Lu Feng took Li Meng back to her parents’ home.

As for what happened with the Li family, Mother Lu genuinely washed her hands of it.

The eldest son did not act like an eldest son at all. No wonder Lu Er had not even mentioned his elder brother these past few days.

Mother Lu had wanted to ease the relationship between the two brothers, yet she had been too embarrassed to bring it up to her second son.

Mother Lu said, “Just thinking about it is upsetting. Lu Er is even thinner than his elder brother, yet when he went to the Fang family, he didn’t even tell us beforehand. Tell me, how did the eldest become such a coward?”

Father Lu sighed. “I’m a coward too. I’m scared too. Luckily we reported it in advance at the township. You have to admit, Lu Er has vision. As for his schooling, we can’t just ignore it. We’d be letting the child down.”

Mother Lu said, “I know. Looking at the eldest now, I don’t think we can count on him anymore. The second son’s wife may be rough, but she really seems quite good.”

Meanwhile, the far-sighted Fang Yuan was supervising Lu Er’s work at the construction site.

Carrying bricks, carrying stones, carrying cement, none of it was easy work.

But the pay was not much because he lacked technical skills.

Even Fang Yuan could see that from the side. Calling out to Lu Er, she said, “This won’t do. You’re not as good as that guy handling the large shovel over there. His work is easier, and he earns more money.”

Lu Er was so exhausted that sweat had streaked across his face.

He glanced at the young man over there handling the large shovel and felt rather unconvinced.

“He’s an apprentice. He entered the trade at a young age. This is all he’ll ever do in his life. I’m just an amateur. Why should I compare myself to him?”