Chapter 43
Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian stood by, watching and listening. Seeing how well Xie Yan and Lu Yang got along, the words they had wanted to say were even harder to voice.
It was better to leave things unsaid. Liug’er was living well, and Yang’er was also doing well.
However, the county town was small, and the four villages to the west of the county all intermarried. Lu Yang had returned to the village and looked so much like Lu Liu, and with the New Year approaching, everyone would be out visiting. People would definitely gossip about it, and when that time came, how would they handle the situation?
Lu Yang could tell by the looks on their faces that the two fathers-in-law had already visited Li Village, and he understood what was on their minds.
The group returned home, and Xie Yan wanted to help unload the goods, but his strength was too small, so he couldn’t help. It was still Lu Erbao who came over to lend a hand and unloaded the four baskets of goods.
Lu Yang had bought some coal. It was used for heating in copper basins, lasted longer than firewood, and was more expensive—120 wen for 100 jin. The type with less smoke was priced in silver, but he couldn’t afford that for now.
The coal filled about three baskets, and it was meant for Xie Yan to use while studying. That was one item for their winter supplies.
He also bought ten jin of pork and ten jin of flour, intending to continue making and selling buns. He also bought some scattered ingredients like spring onions and garlic.
In addition, he bought three more tiers of steamers to make more buns at once.
When Zhao Peilan saw them return, and the two fathers-in-law arrived as well, she greeted them in the courtyard before heading inside to prepare tea.
Dinner was prepared early, but it wasn’t enough for five people. Whether they had pancakes or noodles, they decided to make do with whatever they had for this meal.
Wang Fengnian said, “No need to rush, no need to rush. We just came to talk to Liug’er about something. We’ll head back soon.”
Lu Yang urged them to stay for dinner: “It’s already dark, why leave now? You can stay the night, the guest room is ready, and it’s convenient.”
The guest room that Luo Dayong had stayed in last time had been left unkempt, but it was just right for them to use today.
When Lu Yang spoke, Wang Fengnian wanted to refuse but couldn’t find the words. He was about to head to the kitchen to help instead.
Lu Yang had a soft spot for not forcing people but loved giving them work to do. He would lazily push all the tasks onto others, preferring to avoid work whenever possible. If others were eager to work, he would always try to find a way to help, just to stay idle.
He was skilled at work since childhood, independent and used to handling both family and external matters. When he worked, no one else could get involved.
That evening, they ate the pancakes that Lu Yang had cooked. There was half a bowl of filling left over from yesterday’s buns. Lu Yang wrapped the filling into dough, rolled it, and slowly flattened it.
Counting the number of people, he made ten small meat pies for the five of them.
Today, when buying the pork, he had gone to Liu the butcher again.
In just a few days, after helping with business twice, Liu had given him a pound of pork lard as a gift. This lard could be used to make good-quality pork oil.
He cut a piece, heated the pot, and made pancakes with the lard. The smell was irresistible.
The kitchen door was open, and the fragrance wafted into the courtyard, carried by the wind to the neighboring houses.
In the past, this time of the day, the Xie family’s dining table would have been lively, with people coming to snatch food.
Now, each family outside was eyeing their food, eating the ever-tiring radishes and cabbage, and casting envious glances at the Xie family while making bitter remarks.
“They really have money.”
“It’s been days, and they’re still eating like this?”
“Having money and not sharing, doesn’t that just make you mad?”
“Who would dare ask for the money? They’ll just drag you away and beat you if you complain.”
“Why would they drag me away? I didn’t ask for anything.”
When Lu Yang came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of pancakes, all these voices immediately stopped.
The people walking past his house quickened their pace, almost running.
Lu Yang didn’t mind. He closed the door behind him and sat down to eat with his family.
The dinner table was silent without him. Lu Yang and Xie Yan’s parents sat across from each other, awkwardly smiling at each other.
Xie Yan had returned to his quiet self, not sensing the awkward atmosphere. He let the three elders endure the awkwardness without bothering to find a topic to break the silence.
When Lu Yang entered the room, he brought a burst of energy. The four people at the table looked at him like they were seeing a savior.
Lu Yang unconsciously straightened his back, feeling quite pleased with himself.
Hehehe.
This family really can’t do without him.
At the square table, two seats were left for Lu Yang, and he sat at the lower end.
The food was all served, with each person getting half a bowl. They’d eat a bit of the pancakes to fill up, and later, they’d have some crispy rice porridge—enough to satisfy.
Zhao Peilan had already asked Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian if there was something they needed to discuss, but since they didn’t say anything, she didn’t press further.
Lu Yang didn’t ask either. He just encouraged them to eat and drink and talked about his business.
“The buns are all sold out, and the vegetables sell quickly too. The vegetables are easy to sell, so I’m thinking of collecting more from the village to sell. That way, the cart won’t be empty, and I’ll earn enough for a meal. That’s good enough,” Lu Yang said.
By collecting vegetables, he could interact with the villagers and subtly isolate them.
Xie Yan’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
His homework was done, and he was just waiting for his husband’s approval.
He didn’t know how Lu Yang would reward him.
He felt a bit of anticipation.
Throughout the meal, it was mostly Lu Yang talking. After dinner, Xie Yan didn’t have to clean up the dishes. His mother-in-law, Zhao Peilan, took care of that.
Lu Yang then took the two fathers-in-law to the guest room, where he intended to discuss the matter of the exchange.
The Xie family had a large courtyard, but the rooms were small, supposedly to gather warmth, but Lu Yang didn’t like it—it was too cramped.
The three of them were in the room together, exchanging glances. There was a sense of pressure, and the atmosphere felt stifling.
Lu Yang took the initiative and asked, “Dad, did you go to Li Village? What happened? Did you see anyone?”
The conversation started from here, with him taking the lead.
Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian just looked at him, studying his expressions carefully. They observed how he spoke, the tone of his voice, even his casual posture and seating. The more they looked, the more surprised they became. The more they were surprised, the more they couldn’t stop looking at him. They recalled the impression they had when they saw Lu Liu in Li Village that morning, and their hearts trembled with fear.
How could these two kids be so bold?
Lu Yang spoke plainly: “You can help us keep it a secret for a while longer, until there’s no way to hide it anymore. We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
Wang Fengnian was anxious: “How will you handle it then?”
Lu Yang shrugged: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. When one door closes, another opens. We’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
The two fathers-in-law, not having had much schooling, didn’t realize that Lu Yang’s two sayings didn’t quite match up. They only heard the part about “we’ll figure it out when the time comes,” and they almost couldn’t stay seated.
Lu Yang reassured them, “Don’t worry, look at how well we’re doing now. Liug’er should be doing well too, right? Isn’t this good? Just keep it in your hearts—if we don’t admit it, no one can do anything.”
Lu Yang was very clear-headed and rational. He wouldn’t be blinded by the small happiness of the present and think everything would be fine just because they had already taken a big step. The household was full of troubles, and he couldn’t think of himself as irreplaceable.
He still needed his husband to love him and be unable to live without him.
It would be best if he could have a child—then, with affection and children, there would be no problem too big to handle.
He spoke with conviction, not a hint of uncertainty, even when discussing something so significant. He gave the impression that there was nothing he couldn’t handle.
This was a side of Lu Liu that would never be seen. The two fathers-in-law were stunned, confused.
Their appearance was nearly identical, yet their personalities were worlds apart.
Lu Yang then asked them if they would help keep the secret, and the couple couldn’t refuse, nodding their heads in agreement.
In the face of Lu Yang, they felt both guilty and weak. Naturally, whatever he said, they would follow.
Lu Yang didn’t like this kind of interaction. He said, “I’ve already gone home and didn’t blame you. Don’t overthink it. We’ll just live our lives as usual.”
Indeed, the family couldn’t afford to raise two more children. Wang Fengnian’s eyes reddened as he looked at Lu Yang, now grown and capable of supporting a family. He wanted to say that Lu Yang had suffered because the couple hadn’t raised him, but their concern felt insincere.
He said, “We’ll listen to you. We’ll sell the bad land and raise more pigs and chickens.”
Make more money, fill our stomachs, and restore our family’s standing. That way, when the Chen family can’t be relied upon, the Lu family can still shield them from the storm.
