Chapter 59: A Matter of Innocence

Lu San sighed with feeling. “In the future, I definitely won’t have this many children. I’ll only have one.”

Mother Lu slapped him once. “You dare talk nonsense about descendants and future generations. Shut your mouth.”

Lu San curled his lip. “I’m going to Fatty’s house to sleep and keep him company.” Then he ran off.

Mother Lu was terribly worried. “It isn’t always a good thing for a child to have so many thoughts.”

Father Lu said, “That is still better than having no thoughts. Lu San has a good brain, he just doesn’t use it in the right place. Otherwise, how good would it be if he followed Lu Er and studied with him?”

Mother Lu said, “Oh, stop it. Two scholars? Our family could never afford that.”

Father Lu said, “No matter how much it cost, we would support them. Besides, Lu Er going to school hasn’t cost us that much.”

But in the countryside, that was not how things were calculated. A strapping young man like that, if he were not studying, could still add income to the family.

That was also what Lu Feng was counting.

Mother Lu then chatted with Father Lu. “Tell me, exactly how much money does Lu Er earn?”

Father Lu said, “Why are you thinking about that?”

With the second son’s wife’s temperament, even if she earned a mountain of gold, it would still be her own. Others could not think of taking it.

Father Lu understood this point all too clearly. Besides, Fang Yuan had said it plainly enough.

Mother Lu’s voice even floated a little. “Aren’t I just thinking it over? Happy.”

Father Lu said, “Think about it. How much does Lu Er need for one year of university? He has only been out for a few days. How capable can he be? Can the money he earned cover four years of university?”

Mother Lu’s excitement immediately vanished. “Sleep.” Just thinking about it, she knew it would not be enough.

The next day, Fang Yuan and Lu Chuan did not leave the village either. Fang Yuan invited Mother Lu over to help cook, since they were treating guests at home.

They invited the childhood friends who had helped them build the chicken coop, invited the village party secretary, and also greeted the neighbours. Father Lu helped his son entertain the guests.

They set up two tables, lively and bustling. Lu Chuan’s meaning was very simple. He was about to go to school, so with matters at home, he still needed everyone to help support Fang Yuan more.

Of course, Wuhu also came to back up his own younger sister.

The neighbour’s wife had originally wanted to go over together with her husband, but when she saw Wuhu, she shrank back. If she wanted to take advantage of Fang Yuan, she had to weigh the cost first.

Father Lu was happy inside. His daughter-in-law had handled this matter openly and properly, and he gained face along with it.

Over there, the village party secretary praised Lu Chuan until flowers might as well have bloomed from his words, and even said that if there was work outside in the future, he should bring some villagers along.

Father Lu got a little carried away and almost agreed on his son’s behalf.

Over there, the childhood friends were muttering among themselves. If Fang Yuan glanced over, every one of them became even more embarrassed than Fang Yuan.

The village party secretary said they were all grown lads, yet they looked so useless and could not hold themselves up in public.

He praised Father Lu for finding Lu Chuan such a good wife. Look, once a man took a wife, he became an adult. He handled things reliably, and looked steadier than those other young fellows too.

Father Lu grinned happily over there and did not even know how to say polite words. He truly felt his son was good. Fortunately, the neighbours at the table helped smooth the atmosphere.

It was Wuhu who drank with the village party secretary. “Men who have married are just thick-skinned. As for steady, that is you praising my brother-in-law. But someone who came out of our village definitely won’t turn out badly with you watching over him. Wherever my brother-in-law goes in the future, my co-in-law uncle can feel at ease.”

Only then did Father Lu speak. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly it. It’s everyone thinking highly of him. He still has to learn from you.”

The village party secretary thought to himself, no wonder the Fang family’s boys were capable. Look at the youngest one, even his way of handling public occasions was better than the young fellows in their village.

As for Lu Chuan, naturally there was no need to say more. He had originally been a student boy, and he did not look especially clever either. He even had a bit of a scholarly air.

Yet just by marrying a wife and going out for a dozen days, the way he spoke and handled matters had changed.

He had polite social phrases and knew how to deal with people. Once he finished school in the future, he would be remarkable.

Seeing that he looked promising, pleasing to the eye, and likeable when he spoke, the village party secretary was naturally willing to support him a little. When he left, he was all smiles.

When the neighbour returned home, he told his wife that in the future, if they could get along with Lu Er, then they should get along. If they could not, then they should stay away and not provoke him.

His wife’s face turned dark at his words. “Don’t even talk about whether he’ll make something of himself. Even if he doesn’t, with such a fierce wife and such an impressive father-in-law’s family, even if you gave me the courage, I still wouldn’t dare provoke them.”

The neighbour big brother said, “That’s good.”

Honestly, it was not just fierceness. From the way they talked, one could tell the Fang family were capable people who knew how to handle public occasions.

Lu Chuan’s childhood friends became lively. Fang Yuan saw Wuhu out, Mother Lu tidied up the house, and Lu Chuan accompanied several classmates in conversation.

That no-good Gong Er saw Fang Yuan was not there, pulled Lu Chuan aside, and winked at him. “Lu Chuan, you and your wife seem pretty good?”

Lu Chuan said, “She is my wife. Should I treat her like an enemy?” Wasn’t that nonsense?

Gong Er said, “No, cough, cough, that, can you really take a liking to your wife?”

Lu Chuan’s face turned unpleasant. How could I not take a liking to my own wife? “Gong Er.”

Zhang Xiaole said, “How are you talking? Lu Chuan personally chose this wife. Why wouldn’t he like her?”

Gong Er wore an expression that said everyone understood. “Lu Chuan, let me tell you, when we were making up lessons the day before yesterday, Sun Hongyan heard you got married and cried.”

Lu Chuan became anxious. “What nonsense are you talking about? Whether she cried or not has nothing to do with me.”

Then he followed up, “Gong Er, I’m telling you, you can joke about other things, but this concerns innocence. Don’t talk nonsense.”

After speaking, he subconsciously looked outside the door. If Fang Yuan heard this, would things still be fine? Lu Feng had been exchanged for 350 yuan (~48 US dollars). Not forgetting past events was the teacher of future ones. This was Lu Chuan’s knot in his heart.

Gong Er said, “What are you looking outside for? Are you actually afraid of a country woman? In the future, we’re going to the city. I don’t believe that by then you’ll still be able to...”

Before the rest of the words came out, Zhang Xiaole slapped them back. “What are you saying? So what if you go to school? Does going to school mean you can become Chen Shimei? Then why are you courting Damei from the village? Are you deliberately ruining her?”

Gong Er’s face turned pale, and he denied it in a stumbling rush. “What are you saying? There’s no such thing.”

Zhang Xiaole’s face looked even worse than Lu Chuan’s. “You don’t even dare admit what you did yourself. You really are capable. Gong Er, Lu Chuan is married. He has a wife. We can’t control what you do, but stop harming Lu Chuan.”

Lu Chuan said, “Whoever cries has nothing to do with me. We are decent people. Once married, once the marriage certificate is obtained, she is my wife.”

Gong Er left in disgrace. Zhang Xiaole said, “He’s no good. He isn’t one of our kind. Have less contact with him in the future.”

Lu Chuan said, “Why get so worked up at him? Didn’t you already say he isn’t one of our kind?”

Zhang Xiaole said, “We are all from the same village. Damei is in a relationship with him. With this kind of irresponsible thinking from him, what will Damei do in the village in the future?”

Lu Chuan had not thought about what Damei would do. What he was thinking about was Fang Yuan. If there were any changes to their marriage, Fang Yuan had already married him, and her situation would definitely be even harder than Damei’s.

Lu Chuan gained an even deeper understanding of marriage. He was not Fang Yuan, with her temperament of not overthinking anything. He was a man. He was a husband. He had to consider their future.

In the little skit, Lu Chuan was thinking, if that Sun Hongyan really took out 300 yuan (~41 US dollars), Fang Yuan wouldn’t really return him for the money, would she?