Chapter 69: Getting Motivated a Little Too Late

Only after they arrived home did Lu Chuan speak. “Go back to your room and rest. I’ll go over to my parents’ place and take a look.”

Fang Yuan relaxed quite a bit once she got home. “It really is more comfortable at home than outside. I’m going to rest. Don’t call me if there’s nothing important.”

After saying that, she went back to her room and even muttered, “It’s only a place I’ve lived for a few days, yet it already feels so soothing.” Fang Yuan herself found it strange.

Lu Chuan, who had been holding in his frustration all the way, did not feel a trace of it coming from her.

Then Lu Chuan just stood there, his face turning red. Counting from the day they got married, the two of them had only lived in the old house for three to five days in total, yet Fang Yuan already treated it as home and felt most at ease here.

If rounded off, Fang Yuan was basically saying that she felt most at ease when she was with him, that it was home.

That was how Lu Chuan understood it anyway. At least understanding it this way made him feel a bit more comfortable about being married and having a wife.

Since Fang Yuan did not understand romance, he would lean a little toward romance himself so their life together would have some sense of it everywhere.

Since Fang Yuan focused on her work, he would add more emotional thinking to balance things out.

Lu Chuan did not even go look for his parents. Instead, he watched Fang Yuan go into the room to rest and first lit a fire to help her heat the kang.

As a result, smoke came out of the chimney, and Mother Lu showed up. Then Fang Yuan also came out with a dark expression.

Mother Lu pointed at her son. “Why are you lighting a fire? You weren’t home, and I didn’t know when you would be back. I heat up the kang every night for you so it stays warm. One fire keeps it from getting cold.”

Fang Yuan came out of the room with a dark face. “It was a perfectly fine kang, not cold and not hot. Are you afraid I would rest too comfortably, so you deliberately heated it up so I could not sleep?”

Mother Lu quickly went into the room to feel the kang. It was burning hot. In the middle of summer, how was anyone supposed to rest like this?

“Fang Yuan, he is still a student and not good at handling housework. Don’t be angry. Mom will lay it thicker for you. When you sleep later, I’ll fan you.”

Lu Chuan felt frustrated. This affection was being overdone. He needed to rein it in.

Fang Yuan said, “No need, Mom. I probably can’t sleep anyway. Mom, how have things been in the village these days? Has anyone bullied you or given you a hard time?”

Mother Lu replied, “No, it’s been fine. They know I’m your mother-in-law, so no one bothers me.”

Lu Chuan listening felt something was off. How could his mother say that so naturally, relying on her daughter-in-law’s status?

Fang Yuan said, “That’s good. If anyone bullies you or gives you trouble, and you cannot beat them, just remember it. When I am home next time, we will go settle the score. If you are bullied, it is the same as me being bullied. That is the Lu family being bullied in the village. That cannot be allowed.”

Mother Lu was emotionally stirred. “I’ll listen to you. Our Lu family cannot be bullied.”

Looking at Mother Lu’s suddenly motivated and determined attitude, Lu Chuan thought to himself that she was a bit late in getting fired up.

Fang Yuan nodded. “With you like this, I feel relieved.”

Mother Lu said, “Fang Yuan, having you here also makes Mom feel much more at ease.”

Lu Chuan simply went out to fetch water. He really could not listen anymore. These two always made him feel mentally disoriented.

Mother Lu began reporting household matters to her daughter-in-law. “The old hens have been laying well lately. One egg every three days of rest. I was worried they would go bad if kept too long, so I sold them to the young wife from Aunt Sun’s family in the village. We saved three yuan and twenty cents. The vegetables in the yard could not be sold in the village, so I pickled them. If we cannot finish them, we can bring them to your parents. As for anything else, it is just the neighbor’s wife constantly looking over here. Nothing else happened.”

She explained everything in great detail.

Fang Yuan felt this mother-in-law was quite good to get along with. “Mom, your memory is really good. You even remember things from so many days ago.”

Mother Lu felt a bit shy. “I can’t actually remember all that. Your father can read a little, not much, but he helped me write everything in a notebook so nothing would go wrong.”

Fang Yuan said, “Dad can read? No wonder he raised a university student.”

Mother Lu said modestly, “He can only write a little in a notebook. Nothing more.”

Then she handed over the three yuan and twenty cents. “Take this money.”

Fang Yuan said, “No need. You’ve been coming over every day anyway. Keep it to buy food with my father.”

Mother Lu replied, “That won’t do. Your father and I do not have money. We cannot keep taking yours. Your money is yours. We cannot rely on you like this.”

Fang Yuan also felt that made sense. Things should be kept separate.

Mother Lu said, “Your father also said that matters are matters and money must be clear. That is how long-term relationships work.”

Fang Yuan said, “My father is right. Even the best relatives become unpleasant once money gets involved.”

Her eldest brother, second brother, third brother, and fourth brother were all lessons from experience.

Mother Lu nodded. “Then it is because the accounts were not clearly settled.”

Fang Yuan agreed. “That is how it is.”

The two of them spoke very much in agreement.

Fang Yuan suddenly looked at Mother Lu and felt that this mother-in-law was easy to get along with, and her father-in-law was also decent. Although a bit honest and somewhat timid, they were clear about right and wrong.

Just like with Lu Feng’s matter, from beginning to end the in-laws clearly understood that the Lu family was not in the right and did not argue irrationally.

Of course, mainly because whether it was reason or advantage, the Lu family did not dare argue with the Fang family.

Fang Yuan’s thoughts shifted. “Mom, what has my father been doing lately?”

Mother Lu said, “He has been clearing land and trees. Even without work, he finds work to do. He cannot just stay idle.”

Fang Yuan said, “Mom, how about your husband comes to work with me?”

Mother Lu became excited. “Ah, definitely works!” Then she asked, “Do what?”

Fang Yuan said, “I got a mixer. I need someone from the family to watch it. The pay is not much, but as long as the machine is not idle, there is income. It is long term.”

Mother Lu immediately asked, “Second daughter-in-law, where did you get the money?”

Fang Yuan said, “I borrowed a bit and owe some debt.”

Mother Lu’s whole expression changed. “You are in debt? What are we going to do?”

Fang Yuan said, “It is fine. I am earning money every day anyway.”

Mother Lu, for once speaking firmly in front of Fang Yuan, said, “Earning what money? Nothing has even started properly and you are already spending money hiring people. What hiring? Your father is enough, and I am here too. First thing is to pay off the debt properly.”

At this moment, Mother Lu did not even mention separation of households anymore, nor did she criticize her daughter-in-law for being extravagant or bold or taking on such debt. Of course, it might also be that she simply did not dare.

But inside she was truly anxious. Things had only just started getting better, and now there was debt. It felt like the sky was about to fall.

Fang Yuan said, “Don’t worry, Mom. When this month’s wages are settled, I estimate it will mostly be paid off. Everything after that will be profit.”

Mother Lu’s life experience told her that until debt was cleared, nothing could feel stable.

By the time Lu Chuan came back, Mother Lu was already preparing to go home to pack clothes so Father Lu could bring them into town and help their son earn big money with his daughter-in-law.

Mother Lu said to her son as he walked in, “You two should not be resting at home either. Such a big thing, so much money, and not a single family member is watching it. How can you be so careless?”

Then she added, “Do you really not need me to go into town to help you keep an eye on things? Don’t even sleep at night. What if it gets lost?”

Mother Lu and Fang Yuan got along well for a reason. Their thinking was exactly the same.