Chapter 48: Who Was Controlling Whom

Wang Cuixiang became a little embarrassed and angry. No one knew whether she was annoyed because people had really guessed her daughter’s thoughts correctly, or because her sons were not giving her any face. “Fine, you’re all capable. Every one of you is grinning like fools.”

Over there, Fang Dalen split his mouth into a huge grin. Wang Cuixiang looked at him with disgust. Thinking about her son-in-law’s lip-pressed smile, she felt it was handsome. The same smile looked completely different on a different person.

When Lu Chuan returned to the construction site, he looked around everywhere for Fang Yuan. “Fifth Brother, Mom told you to go home for dinner.”

Wuhu frowned. “What for? Couldn’t you just bring some food for me?” It was all leftovers anyway. Why make a trip back and forth?

Lu Chuan felt a little embarrassed. “No, Mom was afraid Fang Yuan wouldn’t have enough to eat.”

Wuhu got on his bicycle and rode off. After working all day, he was genuinely hungry.

Lu Chuan called Fang Yuan over to the work shed, took out two lunch boxes, and handed them to her. “Hurry up and eat.”

Fang Yuan glanced at them and felt puzzled. “Didn’t you say you didn’t bring food for Fifth Brother? Then why are there two lunch boxes?”

Lu Chuan lowered his eyes and looked slightly uncomfortable. “Mom was afraid you wouldn’t have enough. Hurry and eat.”

Both lunch boxes contained refined grains. Lu Chuan’s family did not usually have food this good. He weighed it over in his mind. When Fang Yuan was staying at his house, she probably had not been eating very comfortably. Afraid the food would get cold and taste worse, he urged Fang Yuan to eat quickly.

Fang Yuan’s tone was as unpleasant as ever. “What’s the rush?”

Holding up the lunch box, Fang Yuan still looked troubled. “Tell me, I didn’t earn the wages of several people today, yet I’m sitting here eating while this big fellow isn’t eating anything. Why does it feel like I’m letting it down?”

Lu Chuan could not help himself and burst into laughter. If Wang Cuixiang had seen it, she definitely would have said that her son-in-law looked handsome even when he laughed with his mouth wide open.

Fang Yuan said, “What are you laughing at? I’m being serious.”

So there you have it. No matter how Lu Chuan smiled or how handsome his smile was, Fang Yuan never thought anything of it.

Fang Eldest Brother really had understood things correctly. His younger sister truly was not that kind of person.

Lu Chuan said, “Hurry and eat. After you’re done, I’ll teach you how to take care of it. If you want this thing to work properly, you have to maintain it carefully too.”

With Fang Yuan’s impatient temperament, she immediately put down her chopsticks. “Really? Then why are we eating? Let’s go take care of it first.” She practically wanted to drag Lu Chuan away.

Lu Chuan remained firm and handed the chopsticks back to Fang Yuan. “Eat first. It won’t go hungry.”

No matter how impatient Fang Yuan was or how much her family indulged her, things were different with Lu Chuan. If she refused to eat, he simply would not tell her.

For once, Fang Yuan had no way to deal with Lu Chuan.

It was the first time she had discovered that her bad temper did not work on Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan had Fang Yuan firmly under control. He opened the lunch box and handed it over.

Fang Yuan’s face darkened as she lowered her head and ate. She was not happy at all.

Without becoming proud or impatient, Lu Chuan said, “Eat slowly. There’s no rush. You eat while I explain everything carefully.”

Fang Yuan raised her eyes and replied irritably, “You can learn just by listening?”

Lu Chuan said, “Listen first, then do it. Otherwise, if you break it while tinkering with it, we won’t be able to afford the compensation.”

Fang Yuan said, “That’s true. I thought your personality was just slow, like nothing ever mattered to you.”

The corners of Lu Chuan’s mouth twitched. This girl really did not have a very pleasant personality. “There hasn’t been any meat in the food at home these past few days. Are you used to that?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Didn’t they make meat rolls? Besides, how many meals do we even eat at home?”

Then she added, “My dad sells meat. It’s not like he’d short me on food. I don’t even like meat that much, especially fatty meat.”

Lu Chuan felt a pang of sadness. Only the daughter of a meat seller could say something like that. In these times, was there really anyone who did not like meat? And she even disliked fatty meat. Just look at how picky she was.

Then Lu Chuan looked and saw that there really was no fatty meat in Fang Yuan’s lunch box. It was all lean meat, and there were more vegetables than meat.

His mother-in-law definitely would not neglect her daughter.

That meant Fang Yuan truly had those preferences.

Lu Chuan thought to himself, I really need to earn money properly and support my wife.

Fang Yuan, meanwhile, had waited a long time without hearing Lu Chuan continue. “Go on already.” She was still thinking about how to take care of the money-making mixer.

Lu Chuan said, “Ahem, there’s a can of machine oil over there. The gears on this big fellow need oil.”

Then he added, “Tonight, you and Fifth Brother should clean this thing thoroughly too. Don’t leave any sand or dust stuck to it. If it hardens, it’ll be troublesome.”

Fang Yuan said, “Did you really need to tell me that?”

Then she lowered her head and continued eating. The brother and sister had already figured all that out on their own.

Seeing that Fang Yuan was not eating much, Lu Chuan asked, “Did the heat get to you? No appetite?”

Fang Yuan frowned. “I’ve already eaten more than half a lunch box. That’s still not enough? Mom too, doesn’t she know how much I eat? She even packed two lunch boxes.”

Well then.

So his wife’s appetite was actually small. In that case, it really was too much food. Only after seeing that Fang Yuan had eaten her fill did Lu Chuan say, “Mom saw that I didn’t eat much, so she packed extra on purpose and told me to eat with you.”

Fang Yuan stuffed the lunch box into Lu Chuan’s hands. “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

She was not embarrassed in the slightest. She simply told Lu Chuan to hurry up and eat, then picked up a shovel and went to walk around the construction site.

When it came to doing work, she was far more careful and conscientious than Lu Chuan.

As Lu Chuan ate Fang Yuan’s leftovers from the lunch box, he actually became shy.

No one knew what was going through his head.

After all, he was someone who had gone to university. Ordinary people could not understand it. Somehow, he could think of anything at all and end up blushing and feeling his heart race.

Every now and then, when he looked toward Fang Yuan, there was unmistakable affection in his gaze.

Unfortunately, the young woman herself was completely open and straightforward, without the slightest thought in that direction.

She certainly was not going to glance back and give him any response.

There was still a full lunch box of food left. Lu Chuan felt troubled. In this hot weather, if it sat overnight, it would probably spoil. He should have had Fifth Brother stay and eat here.

He had assumed that since Fang Yuan was so fierce and formidable, her appetite would be huge too.

Fang Second Brother arrived together with Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and Wuhu.

They were guarding against Old Sun playing dirty tricks during the night.

Lu Chuan felt happy. With more people around, Fang Yuan would be willing to rest. “Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, thank you for your hard work.”

Fang Second Brother said, “Why be so polite? We’re family.”

Compared to the previous day, all of these brothers-in-law had changed their attitude toward him.

Fang Third Brother said, “If you can persuade Fang Yuan to go home, that would be even better. We’re all here. What is there to worry about?”

Lu Chuan had already followed behind Fang Yuan saying exactly that.

There really was no need for her to keep watch here.

There was nothing on the construction site worth stealing.

Unfortunately, he could not persuade her. Fang Yuan was simply this conscientious.

Fang Yuan even said to Lu Chuan, “This is the first time we’ve handled something this big. We have to be careful. You should pay more attention too.”

Lu Chuan immediately felt ashamed.

He was not doing as well as Fang Yuan.

His thoughts had even wandered in the wrong direction.

Somewhat embarrassed, Lu Chuan said, “Third Brother, Fang Yuan probably won’t listen to me.”

Wuhu shot Lu Chuan a glare. “Then what use are you?”

Fang Second Brother kicked Wuhu.

Wouldn’t he be happy if his brother-in-law could keep his younger sister in line?

The two brothers exchanged meaningful looks.

Lu Chuan pretended not to notice. He took out the lunch boxes. “Fang Yuan couldn’t finish this. If we leave it overnight, it’ll probably spoil. Let’s each have a few bites so it doesn’t go to waste.”

Wuhu rolled his eyes in annoyance.

What an unlucky brother-in-law.

There was so much left over. Sending him home earlier, was that because they were afraid he had eaten too little, or because they were afraid he had eaten too much?

Fortunately, they were all sturdy men.

A little extra work was nothing.

An extra lunch box of food was even less of a problem.

A few bites each, and it was gone.