Chapter 23: This Is How a Man Runs the Household

Looking at his smiling mother-in-law, Lu Chuan thought to himself, You’ve already drawn the line for me—what else can I call you? He said, “Mom, you can just call me Lu Chuan, or Da Chuan, either is fine.”

He felt a sense of desolation in his heart. Now that the Fang family had accepted this marriage, there was no room left for Lu Chuan to have any opinions of his own. He might as well behave and save himself some trouble.

It was a realization that everything had settled—Lu Chuan would now be labeled for life: Fang Yuan’s man.

Wang Cuixiang was satisfied. No wonder he was a scholar—so perceptive. “Da Chuan, don’t be fooled by how tough Fang Yuan looks. She’s actually pretty simple-minded. In the future, you’ll need to keep an eye on her. When it comes to big things like splitting up the family, don’t let her get involved.”

She didn’t even ask whether her daughter would lose out in the split, because that was simply impossible. As a mother, she knew exactly what her daughter was like.

Lu Chuan replied, “Mom, my parents are too soft-hearted. Fang Yuan was right—what our family lacks is someone like you to steer the ship. Otherwise, things wouldn’t be such a mess. Even something as big as a wedding turned into a fiasco.”

Wang Cuixiang was amused by Lu Chuan’s words. “You sure know how to talk, kid. In our family, your dad is the one in charge. All the women in our family are reasonable, don’t worry. Fang Yuan takes after me—we all listen to the men.”

Lu Chuan glanced at the men squatting by the door chatting, then at his mother-in-law sitting firmly in her chair. He knew to take her words with a grain of salt—they weren’t exactly credible.

Just look at the current situation. Wasn’t it obvious who really wore the pants in this family?

When Wang Cuixiang invited Da Chuan to stay for a meal, it didn’t matter what objections Fang Daleng might have had about this marriage—it was a done deal.

Lu Chuan now understood exactly how his father-in-law “ran” the household.

He glanced over at Fang Yuan and realized that since she took after her mother, his own status in the family probably wouldn’t be much higher.

Fang Yuan said to her father, “Mom’s already entertaining the new son-in-law.” Meaning: you might as well give up struggling—this is settled.

Fang Daleng looked at Lu Chuan and protested, “But he’s not supposed to visit until tomorrow. Isn’t this breaking tradition? Isn’t it improper?”

But even so, he didn’t dare suggest reconsidering the marriage.

Coming from a man over six feet tall and weighing more than 180 pounds, those words sounded particularly awkward.

Wang Cuixiang, who was only about 1.54 meters tall, with a moderate build and a gentle appearance, spoke with authority: “My daughter could swap grooms on her wedding day—what tradition do we have left to worry about? Go buy the best liquor and entertain our new son-in-law.”

Fang Daleng ordered his sons, “Listen to your mother, go on!” What else could he say?

Lu Chuan watched the whole process of how his father-in-law “ran” the household from the sidelines.

Wang Cuixiang said to Fang Daleng, “Aren’t you always complaining that our kids aren’t book-smart? Well, now you don’t have to regret it anymore. Our son-in-law is educated—we finally have a scholar in the family.”

Whatever Wang Cuixiang said, Fang Daleng accepted without question. “So he’s really one of us now? We can brag about this, right?”

Hearing this, Lu Chuan immediately recognized where the real power in the family lay and hurried over to his mother-in-law’s side. “As long as Mom doesn’t mind me, that’s good enough.”

Wang Cuixiang looked at her son-in-law, one hundred and twenty percent satisfied—he was really quite good.

She’d had six children—five sons and one daughter. When she finally had a girl, her husband Fang Daleng was so happy he named her Fang Yuan, meaning “life is complete.”

But honestly, not a single one of her kids was obedient or tactful—they were all tough and straightforward. She never expected her son-in-law would be someone so good at reading people.

This son-in-law was definitely better than the one the matchmaker had suggested back then. But sometimes, when something is too good, it makes you uneasy.

As for Fang Yuan’s engagement to Lu Chuan’s older brother, that was out of necessity. Her sons had guarded their sister so closely that it was hard for her to find a match, so she ended up marrying Lu Feng, who had already broken off an engagement before.

The Fang couple had no choice in that marriage—it wasn’t what they really wanted. Who would have thought things would take such a turn, and their daughter would end up bringing home someone herself?

It was still the same family, but now the son-in-law was younger, educated, and not bad-looking. He seemed clever, too.

Wang Cuixiang found him a bit tricky to handle. She was definitely satisfied with this son-in-law—more so than the one she’d found for her daughter. But he was tricky.

She had to admit, this son-in-law was almost too good for her daughter. Even though people say “a forced melon isn’t sweet,” her daughter was stubborn—once she set her mind on something, she’d never let go, sweet or not.

The Fang family needed to discuss how to treat this new son-in-law.

Before dinner, Fang Yuan took Lu Chuan to the market, giving Wang Cuixiang and Fang Daleng a chance to discuss with their sons how they should treat the new son-in-law, and what standards to set.

Fang Daleng was straightforward: “What’s the problem? Now that we’ve accepted him as our son-in-law, he’s family. How else should we treat him?”

Wang Cuixiang was frustrated. “Are you stupid? Is he just any son-in-law? He’s a pretty-boy son-in-law. Just look at how clever he is—put all you men together and you still wouldn’t outsmart him.”

Fang Daleng scratched his head. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

He didn’t dare say out loud that she’d just been saying the opposite to the son-in-law a moment ago.

Wang Cuixiang scowled. “Am I the one living with him?”

Fang Daleng retorted, “Woman, what nonsense are you talking? Our daughter’s getting married—she’s not taking her mother with her. We don’t do things like that in this family.”

Wang Cuixiang rolled her eyes. “Our Fang Yuan is great in every way, but I’m just afraid she won’t be able to handle this son-in-law.”

Fang Daleng said, “Don’t worry. With us men around, if he acts up, even if he’s a scholar, I’ll set him straight.”

Wang Cuixiang rubbed her forehead. “What do you know?”

Fang Daleng glared at her, as if she was being unreasonable, but all he said was, “Fine, you know best. We’ll all listen to you.”

Wang Cuixiang said, “People’s hearts are unpredictable. We’ve lived this long and still can’t see through them. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll fall for some vixen. How can I guarantee anything about a son-in-law we’ve just met? If he turns out to be heartless, that’s just fate. Let’s hope our girl is lucky enough to find someone with a conscience, even if she’s picking blindfolded.”

To Wang Cuixiang, this son-in-law was full of uncertainty. Her daughter’s future was worrying.

Fang Daleng protested, “Woman, stop putting me down. What exactly do you want us men to do? Spell it out.”

Wang Cuixiang gritted her teeth. “Be good to him—so good that he feels guilty if he ever treats our daughter badly.”

Fang Daleng said, “Wait a minute. When our daughter got married, didn’t you tell the boys to scare the son-in-law a bit and not give him an easy time?”

Wang Cuixiang replied, “That’s different. This one’s educated and clever. Plus, with all the twists and turns—switching grooms at the last minute—if he feels uncomfortable, how can he live well with our Fang Yuan?”

Fang Daleng didn’t really get it, but he trusted his wife’s judgment: “You’re the smart one, we’ll do as you say.”

Then he added, “This kid’s got it easy.”

[End of chapter. Please bookmark and follow.]"

"**Chapter 24: A Son-in-Law Equals a Bargain**

Wang Cuixiang was still quite satisfied with her son-in-law’s looks and education, and she said with a sigh, “If he really is a good one, who knows who’s getting the better deal here.”

Her own daughter was a year older than most girls, after all. This son-in-law was a bit of a hot potato.

Fang Daleng said, “What are you saying? Our family could get a bargain?”

Wang Cuixiang replied, “Can’t you talk properly? It’s not a bargain, it’s a son-in-law.”

Fang Daleng felt aggrieved. Isn’t that the same thing? A son-in-law equals a bargain. But saying it like that didn’t sound very nice, so he scratched his head and quickly dropped the whole ‘son-in-law equals bargain’ idea. His brain wasn’t cut out for these complicated matters; best not to think about it.

Wang Guixiang was also annoyed. What nonsense were they talking? They’d confused themselves.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan went to the local supply and marketing cooperative to buy household necessities—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and so on.

Then, Fang Yuan bought Lu Chuan two full sets of clothes, inside and out—a real splurge.

Lu Chuan felt a bit conflicted. This was the first time in his life someone had spent so much money on him.

And spent it so generously—two full outfits, inside and out.

Their fifth brother-in-law, who had come along to help carry things, teased, “Sis, when did you get so generous? Struck it rich?”

Fang Yuan beamed, “Pick something you like, I’ll buy it for you.” She really had struck it rich.

Fifth Brother Hu turned to look at Fang Yuan. She’d never been this generous before. “You really got rich?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Of course. You think I let someone else snatch my marriage for nothing? That woman paid me.”

Lu Chuan’s mood soured. What’s there to show off about money from selling off a man? And he was the one being ‘sold’ as compensation to Fang Yuan.

Fifth Brother Hu grinned, “I knew it, our little sister’s clever—never lets herself get the short end of the stick. But this brother-in-law, let’s not swap him out.”

Hearing this, Lu Chuan didn’t feel comforted at all. If anything, he felt even more at risk.

See? Everyone thought he was in danger.

Fang Yuan didn’t care. “Relax, I’m not stupid.” This one was worth way more than Lu Laoda.

She handed Fifth Brother Hu a pair of shoes. “These are for you, from Fifth Brother.”

Fifth Brother Hu happily put them on and said to Lu Chuan, “See? My sister and I have always been close. I’m not as sharp as she is, so I just listen to her.”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, Is this what you call being sharp? Does the Fang family have a misunderstanding about what ‘not sharp’ means? But he didn’t dare contradict his brother-in-law.

Then Fifth Brother Hu added, “As long as my sister’s happy, that’s all that matters. But if she’s not, and she tells me to deal with you, I’ll listen to her. Got it?”

All that preamble, just to set up this warning: if things go south, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Lu Chuan thought, No wonder he said so much—the punchline was here. “Got it. No matter how well we get along, Fifth Brother, you’re always on Fang Yuan’s side.”

He even sneakily compared his own build to the tall, burly Fifth Brother Hu.

Right then and there, Lu Chuan made up his mind: for the rest of his life, he’d only argue with the Fang family—never fight.

He had nothing but respect and gratitude for the family that raised Fang Yuan.

Fifth Brother Hu hadn’t finished showing off when Fang Yuan took out two more pairs of shoes and asked Lu Chuan what size he wore.

No need to ask—these were for Lu Chuan.

Whatever he’d thought before marrying into the Fang family, after joining them, Lu Chuan was left with only one thought: live well with Fang Yuan, keep her happy, and make sure she’s cheerful when she visits her family.

He was sure now—he couldn’t afford to cross this family. And as for Fang Yuan, he was truly her husband now.

What made him think, back then, that Fang Yuan marrying Lu Laoda only had something to do with Lu Laoda, and nothing to do with him, Lu Chuan?

Now he realized: if he ever upset Fang Yuan, none of the Lu brothers would have it easy.

So, when it came time to find a wife for their youngest brother, he’d have to keep his eyes wide open. Carelessness leads to disaster—a lesson for life.

Fang Yuan saw Lu Chuan staying quiet and got a bit anxious, wondering if he was a bit slow: “I’m asking you—what shoe size do you wear?”

Lu Chuan was a bit embarrassed. “I don’t know. I’ve always worn homemade shoes.”

Honestly, this was the first time he’d encountered something like this. He felt a little awkward, not knowing what to do.

Fifth Brother Hu said nothing. This brother-in-law was a real softie.

Fang Yuan didn’t think much of it and called out to the shop assistant, “Give us the biggest size to try.”

The shop assistant, sizing up Lu Chuan, picked out a pair for him to try. “This comrade has a small frame, so his feet shouldn’t be that big.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t pleased and was ready to argue. “Are you saying my man isn’t sturdy?” She could complain about her own man, but no one else could.

She raised her chin, glaring, ready for a fight.

The shop assistant, who wasn’t known for customer service, caught sight of the infamous Fang girl and quickly changed her tune. “You misunderstood, miss. There’s an old saying: men with delicate features are lucky, and the smaller a man’s feet, the luckier he is.”

Fang Yuan was skeptical. “Is that really a saying? I’ve never heard it.” But her tone softened.

The shop assistant didn’t dare cross her. “You’re still young. It’s no surprise you haven’t heard it.”

Just then, Lu Chuan tried on the shoes—they fit perfectly. “Size forty-one.”

The shop assistant said, “See? I told you this comrade is lucky. That’s the perfect size.”

Fang Yuan was pleased. “We’ll take three pairs.” She’d been flattered.

Lu Chuan’s understanding of Fang Yuan deepened. The Fang family’s reputation was well deserved. “No need, two pairs is enough.” Honestly, even one pair would do.

He turned to Fifth Brother Hu and said, “See, Fifth Brother? Fang Yuan really cares about me.”

The message was clear: don’t worry, we’re getting along just fine—no need for you to step in.

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan, puzzled. How did he figure that out? She didn’t even know herself.

Fifth Brother Hu glanced at his brother-in-law and gave a dry chuckle. “As long as you two stay this happy, we brothers won’t have to step in.”

Lu Chuan didn’t feel victorious at all. This was a shackle, a curse. His future looked bleak—what was he supposed to do?

When Fifth Brother Hu brought his sister and brother-in-law home, Lu Chuan immediately noticed his status in the Fang family had changed.

His tall, burly father-in-law greeted him with a smile and invited him to sit.

Honestly, even when Fang Daleng, a butcher by trade, tried to look friendly, he still seemed intimidating.

Lu Chuan was grateful he had Fang Yuan by his side for support. In the Fang family, this “female fiend” was actually the kindest one.

It was just that everything changed so quickly, he wasn’t quite used to it. He felt a little flustered.

Please like and bookmark!"

"Chapter 25: The Honored Guest Treatment

Fang Yuan patted Lu Lao’er on the shoulder. “If my dad calls you over, just go. My mom’s said it before—sons-in-law are the most honored guests in our family. You get the best treatment, even higher status than my sisters-in-law.”

Lu Chuan grew even more nervous. His father-in-law’s smiling eyes looked a bit menacing.

Fang family’s fifth child muttered from the side, “The reason I can’t get a wife is because you keep talking nonsense like this.”

Fang Yuan shot back, “You want to bring home a wife just to bully your little sister? Listen here, Fang Lao Wu, if you dare marry that spiteful woman and bring her home, let’s see if I’ll let you get away with it.”

Wang Cui Xiang, their mother, felt a headache coming on. “You’re already married off, why are you meddling so much? I’m the mother and I haven’t even said anything. Alright, enough arguing.”

But when she turned to Lu Chuan, her attitude changed instantly, warmly inviting him to sit down.

The eldest and second sisters-in-law brought out dishes. “Mom, our little sister isn’t wrong. When we married in, we were told to treat our husband’s little sister well. If we can’t get along with her, that’s not acceptable.”

Fang Yuan just snorted, not even bothering to acknowledge the sentiment.

Neither the eldest nor the second sister-in-law dared show Fang Yuan any attitude.

Lu Chuan could see now what kind of status Fang Yuan had in her family.

Even if his mother-in-law scolded her a bit, the daughters-in-law definitely had to watch Fang Yuan’s mood to get by.

But Fang Yuan’s emotional intelligence was lacking—she shouldn’t treat her sisters-in-law like this. He’d have to teach her later. After all, you can rely on your brothers, but you can’t afford to offend your sisters-in-law.

Wang Cui Xiang didn’t say another word, pulling her son-in-law to sit at the head of the kang bed—a spot so prominent, no one could mistake it.

The change in attitude was so sudden that Lu Chuan couldn’t keep up, his legs going weak as he tried to decline. “No, no, Dad should sit here. My brothers haven’t even sat down yet.”

He was perfectly content to sit at the end of the table—he knew his place.

Fang Da Leng said, “What are you being so polite for? We’re all family. Mom and Dad had so many of us, and the family’s not poor, but none of us managed to finish school, even though they pushed us. Who would’ve thought that one day, Dad would have a son-in-law who’s a college student?”

By the end, he was full of pride.

Lu Chuan felt uneasy. “It’s not a big deal, Dad, don’t get worked up.” Compliments were fine, but putting down his brothers-in-law made him nervous—what if they took it out on him later?

Fang Da Leng said, “A college student in our family—that’s the best of the best. Enough for Dad to brag about. Don’t worry, this is the seat for the son-in-law.”

His brothers-in-law, all big and burly, watched him with deep, unreadable eyes.

Fang Da Leng pressed Lu Chuan down into the seat. Honestly, it felt like sitting on a bed of nails. This was not a comfortable spot.

The Fang parents’ attitude had changed so much that even Fang Yuan was surprised. She looked at her family. “Are you all crazy?”

Wang Cui Xiang shot her daughter a look. “Watch your mouth. He’s the son-in-law—you picked him yourself.”

Fang Yuan thought, No need to put him on such a pedestal.

Fang Da Leng turned to Lu Lao’er. “Son-in-law, you’re a bit skinny. From now on, leave the heavy lifting to your brothers-in-law.”

Lu Chuan shivered in fright. What was he supposed to do? Were they planning to pamper him? “Dad, I might look thin, but I’m strong. I can handle it.”

Wang Cui Xiang chimed in, “Fang Yuan’s been spoiled since she was little—not much good at housework.”

Lu Chuan understood now. He wasn’t being pampered—they wanted him to help his wife with the housework.

He might look delicate, but he really wasn’t. Still, he wasn’t exactly skilled at chores either.

But with five big men staring at him, and his father-in-law’s eager gaze, Lu Chuan said, “Mom, there’s not much work at home. My mom handles the sewing and mending. We don’t have any girls in my family, so my brothers and I have always helped out. The housework’s no problem.”

Fang Da Leng wanted to say more—this son-in-law needed some teaching.

But Wang Cui Xiang stopped him. The son-in-law was a college student and cared about his reputation. Even if he helped out at home, he wouldn’t want others to talk about it.

Wang Cui Xiang cheerfully asked Lu Chuan, “Son-in-law, do you drink?”

Before Lu Chuan could answer, she bustled about, “Fang Yuan, pour your husband some wine.”

Lu Chuan didn’t dare. “No, I don’t drink, Mom. I’m not very capable. I’ll learn in the future.”

Wang Cui Xiang laughed. “That’s nothing. I haven’t seen many big drinkers amount to much. If you don’t drink, just eat more. Eat up.”

As she spoke, she kept piling meat into his bowl. Clearly, she was quite satisfied that her son-in-law didn’t drink. No need for him to learn in the future.

This was the best, most lavish meal Lu Chuan had ever had in his life, but it felt like he was swallowing thorns—he couldn’t taste a thing.

His hands shook so much he could barely hold his chopsticks.

His father-in-law asked if he smoked.

Lu Chuan replied, “Dad, I don’t. Never learned.” He didn’t dare add that he might learn in the future.

So his father-in-law just gave him a few more helpings of food.

Lu Chuan finally understood—when it came to drinking and smoking, it was better not to know how.

Throughout the meal, his brothers-in-law ate with him, not making things difficult at all.

He never expected to receive such treatment at the Fang family. It was so unexpected that he almost wished his brothers-in-law would rough him up a bit—at least then he’d feel more at ease.

After the meal, the newlyweds were about to head home.

The eldest Fang brother, whose household registration name was Fang Xiaohu, known in the village as Fang the Tiger, came out pushing a brand-new bicycle.

Fang Lao Da said, “Now that you two are married, Lu Chuan, you’re our brother-in-law. When my sister got married, she didn’t bring much dowry—mainly because we didn’t like your older brother. But you’re different. You’re the one my sister chose, and we can’t let you be wronged. Take this bike home.”

Lu Chuan was overwhelmed. “Big brother, that’s not necessary.”

Fang Lao Da said, “You’re still young, always running around. No wonder you’re not growing taller. Take the bike—it’ll make it easier for you two to get around. Think of it as us brothers making up for the lack of dowry.”

Alright, so his brother-in-law still had hopes for his height. But more than that, Lu Chuan was touched by this gesture.

Then he heard Fang Lao Da say, “This marriage—we accept it. You’re our brother-in-law now.”

Lu Chuan glanced at Fang Yuan. “Big brother, marrying Fang Yuan is my good fortune. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”

This marriage—Lu Chuan had to accept it too. That realization left him with mixed feelings. Only now did he truly feel like a married man.

Fang Lao Da nodded, satisfied with Lu Chuan’s response. “For our own, we brothers give our all.”

Lu Chuan nodded, and the five “tigers” added, “For outsiders, we give even more. Got it?”

Lu Chuan glanced at his brothers-in-law, thinking to himself that this was a whole intimidation routine from his in-laws, just to keep him in line.

He burped. “Got it.”

Meanwhile, Wang Cui Xiang watched her sons alternate between playing good cop and bad cop, and only then came out to see her daughter off.

Lu Chuan said, “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. Tomorrow when we come back to visit, my parents will come too. After all, our family was in the wrong, and we owe you an explanation.”

Wang Cui Xiang was even more pleased. “We’re all family—no need to be so formal. If your parents want to come visit, we’d be happy.”

Please like and bookmark!"

"Chapter 26: Who Do We Listen to From Now On

Lu Chuan said, “It’s because Mom and Dad are understanding and care about me that they don’t hold our family’s situation against us.”

Even someone as blunt as Fang Daleng had to admit that his brother-in-law knew how to handle things. Everything was arranged so thoroughly—it was only right for the two families to sit down and talk things over.

Anything their own family found hard to bring up, their son-in-law already had in mind. No wonder his wife always said her husband was clever.

Once they’d settled the details for tomorrow’s visit and all the proper courtesies were observed, Lu Chuan finally left the Fang house with Fang Yuan.

By the time the two of them got home, they had an extra big item with them. Lu Chuan’s second brother still felt it was unreal. Halfway down the road, he turned to Fang Yuan behind him and asked, “They really gave you the bicycle?”

Fang Yuan’s tone was less than pleasant. “It’s for the new son-in-law. You have some face, huh? When I got married, my brother didn’t give me one.”

Fang Yuan was still a little upset about it. The husband might have changed, but she was still the same bride—so why did her treatment change?

Ever since things took such an unbelievable turn yesterday, Lu Chuan’s second brother felt like the sky above his head had never cleared.

But now, he felt like the clouds had finally parted, and he could feel the breeze by his ears.

It wasn’t about the bicycle—though, of course, the bike was expensive. The main thing was his father-in-law’s attitude, which had really put his mind at ease.

The Fang family had accepted this marriage. He might feel a bit trapped for life, but if the Fang family hadn’t accepted it, that would have been far worse.

Lu Chuan had always understood this. To have things turn out this way was truly the Fang family showing mercy to his own.

Especially the fact that his father- and mother-in-law now looked at him differently—Lu Chuan’s second brother felt especially pleased. His older brother never got this kind of treatment. How could he not be in a good mood?

At this moment, Lu Chuan really saw Fang Yuan as his wife. “Mainly, you have good taste.” As soon as he said it, his face turned red.

He hadn’t even been through much, but he’d already managed to embarrass himself into silence.

Fang Yuan didn’t notice Lu Chuan’s bashfulness. “My brother said he’ll wait for you at the school gate after class to give your friend the old bike.”

Lu Chuan nearly crashed the bike again. “Don’t talk nonsense. That’s just a classmate—a male classmate. Where did you get ‘friend’? How can you say things like that?”

If he didn’t clear this up, and word got out, he could forget about having any peace. Those brothers-in-law of his weren’t just for show.

Fang Yuan was even more stubborn than Lu Chuan. “Would someone lend you a bike if you weren’t close? Are you close or not?”

Lu Chuan replied, “We’re ‘close,’ but not in the way you mean. Don’t say that again.”

Fang Yuan rolled her eyes. Why so many rules?

Lu Chuan said, “Lu Laoda and that girl he was involved with before they got married—that’s what you call ‘friends’ in that sense.”

Fang Yuan thought of Lu Laoda and Li Meng’s sticky relationship and spat, “Fine, I’ll never use that word again. I don’t have a ‘friend’ like that, either.”

Lu Chuan’s expression brightened even more. “See, I told you not to say things like that.”

Fang Yuan was still stubborn. “How can you blame me? You should have explained it clearly.”

Lu Chuan pursed his lips, knowing there was no way to argue this one. “Given our relationship now, would I trick you? For Mom, Dad, and your brothers—would I ever do you wrong?”

Fang Yuan found this believable. No one had ever dared to fool her since she was a child—everyone was afraid of her dad and brothers. “I can believe that. From now on, I’ll listen to you.”

Lu Chuan almost crashed the bike again, wobbling all over the road. “Are you serious?” He could hardly believe it.

Fang Yuan frowned, holding onto Lu Chuan’s waist. “Can you even ride a bike? If you can’t, let me do it.”

Lu Chuan blushed again. “Ahem, you’re really going to listen to me?”

Fang Yuan wasn’t stupid. “You’re right. I’ll listen to you.”

Lu Chuan didn’t see anything wrong with that. When it came to brains, Fang Yuan never thought he’d make mistakes. So, in summary, from now on, the family would listen to him.

And so, riding the new bike, with his new wife, he headed home. For some reason, he felt a bit excited—he definitely hadn’t felt this happy on the way out.

After all the chaos at his in-laws’ house, Lu Chuan finally realized he really had a wife now—one he couldn’t back out of.

And, honestly, it wasn’t so hard to accept.

When they reached the entrance to the village, someone sharp-eyed spotted Lu Chuan on the new bike and came over to ask, “Whose family is so generous, lending out a new bicycle?”

Lu Chuan was a reserved person and didn’t want to show off, so he tried to brush it off. But Fang Yuan spoke up from behind, “My brother gave it to me as part of my dowry.”

Then she added, “My brothers care about Lu Chuan, so it’s for him.”

The villagers were left confused. “Lu Chuan? Who’s that?”

Fang Yuan was confused too. What, there’s no such person in the village?

Lu Chuan had no choice but to speak up, “Second Uncle, I’m Lu Chuan, the second son of the Lu family.”

The aunt next to him slapped her thigh. “That’s a nice name! No wonder—your brother-in-law is really generous.”

Lu Chuan figured that before dinner, the whole village would know about his brother-in-law buying him a bike.

When they got home, Lu Chuan’s mother was in the yard tidying up, even wiping down the straw fence.

When she saw Fang Yuan, she hurried over. “Er, Er’s wife is back! Have you eaten? I brought you two steamed buns.”

Fang Yuan said, “Mom, why aren’t you inside? Isn’t it hot out here?”

Lu Chuan’s mother replied, “It’s cooler in the yard, and I was just cleaning up. You’ve been out all day—you must be tired.”

Fang Yuan said, “Not really. We ran into my brother and went home for a bit.”

Lu Chuan could tell his mother’s body swayed a little, then she carefully asked Fang Yuan, “What did your mother say?”

Fang Yuan replied, “My parents said Lu Chuan is pretty good, but our family didn’t handle things very well.”

Lu Chuan’s mother nodded. “Your mother’s right. Tomorrow I’ll go over and apologize.”

Fang Yuan said, “Sure, my dad said we’re all relatives now, so we should visit often.”

Lu Chuan’s mother felt a lot of pressure. Fang Daleng was famous for being unreasonable, and their family had indeed been in the wrong.

Lu Chuan said to his mother, “This is a big deal. The son-in-law has changed, so we have to meet and explain things properly.”

His mother’s face grew serious, as if she were going to her doom. “I understand. Your father and I are prepared.”

Then she noticed the new bike her son was pushing and touched it. “Borrowed?”

Lu Chuan was a bit embarrassed. “Cough, my brother-in-law gave it as part of the dowry.”

His mother’s eyes widened. “So generous.” Then, “That’s what you call loving your daughter.”

Her thoughts circled—switching from the eldest to the second son, and the in-laws were still so kind. They really gave their family face. Of course, she was also a bit critical of her eldest.

Fang Yuan added, “My brother cares about Lu Chuan. If it was for me, he would have given it yesterday.”

Please recommend and bookmark!"

"Chapter 27: Taking Charge of the Household