Chapter 34: Things Always Go Unexpectedly

When they saw their guests off, Lu Chuan felt certain that his mother-in-law must be feeling weary and world-weary—he could completely understand.

At least Fang Yuan knew to comfort Lu Chuan’s mother: “Mom, don’t worry. As long as we’re not lazy, our family won’t have financial troubles. As for other difficulties, I’ll go talk to her again. I remember her office, and I remember what she looks like.”

Lu Chuan’s mother looked at her daughter-in-law with admiration and reflected on her own shortcomings. “Second daughter-in-law really knows what she’s doing. That’s how it should be. From now on, when I go out, I need to be more alert. I was just too nervous today and didn’t do well.”

Fang Yuan replied, “It’s fine, we just haven’t met often. Once we visit more, we’ll naturally stop feeling nervous.”

If she had “done well” today, it would’ve been a real mess. Lu Chuan thought to himself that letting his mom and Fang Yuan interact like this was probably asking for trouble.

Lu Chuan actually felt sorry for the staff member. He’d just wanted to help out of kindness, but now Fang Yuan had set her sights on him.

Lu Chuan’s mother nodded vigorously, still impressed with her second daughter-in-law. “Fang Yuan, your parents are truly wonderful—reasonable and understanding. I always say, only a family like that could raise a daughter like you: clear-headed, capable, kind, and filial.”

Lu Chuan’s father nodded in agreement. “Our in-laws are open-minded and righteous—good people.”

Lu Chuan’s mother spared no effort in her praise. “Our in-law is even better—steady and reliable. If we ever have any problems or can’t make up our minds, we’ll just go ask her.”

Lu Chuan just listened as his parents heaped praise on the entire Fang family, even complimenting the pigs in their pigsty.

Fang Yuan listened too, nodding along, thinking her parents were exactly as described—she didn’t even bother to be modest.

The way things were developing was beyond anything Lu Chuan could have predicted, and totally outside his understanding. How did it end up like this?

Lu Chuan couldn’t exactly say his parents were blind to people’s true nature, but with his mother-in-law’s cunning, if she ever sold his parents out, they’d probably praise her for doing such a good job.

Watching the scene—one boasting, the other agreeing—Lu Chuan felt a bit suffocated. He had a feeling life was about to get a lot livelier.

In the end, Fang Yuan added, “My parents are good people, and they treat us well. They raised us right, too. None of my brothers are lazy; they all know how to live properly.”

Lu Chuan’s father nodded emphatically. No wonder their family was doing so well. “That’s great, really great. Our in-laws know how to raise kids.”

Fang Yuan continued, “So our family should be the same. We can’t have anyone being lazy or letting people say we’re idle. In a few days, I’ll have Lu Chuan go out with my brothers to earn some money. I checked, there’s still some time before school starts—might as well save up a bit.”

Lu Chuan’s mother wasn’t worried about her son at all; instead, she asked, “Can your dad go along too?”

If there’s a way to make money, you have to seize the opportunity. She knew to keep up with her daughter-in-law.

Fang Yuan replied, “My dad has three sons. If he went out to do hard labor, wouldn’t that be embarrassing for them?”

Lu Chuan’s father looked up at his daughter-in-law. How could this girl be so considerate? Just for that sentence, he was willing to put in the effort.

Lu Chuan shot Fang Yuan a few scrutinizing glances, wondering if she said that on purpose to please his dad. But looking at her, she really didn’t seem like the type. She didn’t have that kind of cunning.

Lu Chuan’s mother didn’t feel slighted at all. “That’s true, but our situation is special. Let’s not talk about the eldest, the second has to go to school, and the youngest is still little. Your dad has to step up. We’re still young and able.”

Fang Yuan replied, “That’s not quite right. If our sons go out, even if one doesn’t count as three, three should at least count as one. Otherwise, my dad would lose face.”

She glanced at Lu Chuan, thinking to herself that her husband was a bit useless—but she kept that thought to herself.

Lu Chuan’s mother didn’t care about saving face. “We don’t care about that. As long as we can earn money, that’s all that matters. If the family has money, we can get our dignity back anytime.”

After being moved, Lu Chuan’s father said to his daughter-in-law, “When I’m old and can’t work anymore, I’ll have to rely on my sons. While I’m still able, I should work harder. Otherwise, how could I expect my sons to support me later?”

Honestly, with just that one sentence from Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan’s father felt like he could carry a mountain and not feel tired.

Lu Chuan’s mother nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Your dad and I feel so reassured. We’ll work while we can. When we can’t anymore, we’ll have to rely on you.”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, how did one sentence from Fang Yuan turn into a shot of adrenaline for his parents?

Fang Yuan was pleased too. Her in-laws weren’t lazy, and that made them likable.

Lu Chuan’s mother didn’t waste any time. On the way back to the village, she pointed out the family’s land and trees to Fang Yuan.

She added, “In the future, even if the land and trees for the second son are gone, it doesn’t matter. Your dad and I still have ours, and you’ll have a share.”

Fang Yuan glanced around. Even if she moved her household registration over and got an extra share of land and trees, there still wouldn’t be enough harvest to live on.

This was something to think about slowly. They might be blunt and straightforward, but when it came to making a living, they were sharp. Maybe it was a family trait.

Lu Chuan had his own plans and said directly, “Forget about the land and trees. I won’t be home, and Fang Yuan can’t manage it all by herself.”

His in-laws wouldn’t want to see Fang Yuan struggling either. He and Fang Yuan might have a few tough years, but once he finished school, how could he let his wife handle the land alone?

That’s the difference after getting married—they were already planning for the future, not just for themselves, but as a couple.

Lu Chuan’s mother said, “How can you not plan ahead? Without land and trees, what will you eat? How will you go to school?”

Lu Chuan didn’t bother arguing with his mother. Fang Yuan just took it as a sign of goodwill and didn’t argue either.

Everyone knew what was going on. Lu Chuan’s mother was left worrying about how the two kids would manage.

When they reached the door, the old couple saw that Fang Yuan and Lu Chuan seemed a bit awkward. They wanted to invite them in, but were afraid Fang Yuan would mind that Li Meng lived next door, and things were still awkward with the eldest son.

From Lu Chuan’s mother’s perspective, it was better not to force them together.

Lu Chuan picked up on his parents’ feelings. “No need to invite us in. We haven’t been home all day. We’ll head back and tidy up.”

Fang Yuan didn’t think much of it—she hadn’t planned to go in anyway.

Lu Chuan’s mother smiled and tried to please her daughter-in-law. “Fang Yuan, if you want to eat anything, let me know and I’ll make it and bring it over.”

Fang Yuan replied, “No need. My mom packed food for me. We’ll just heat it up tonight.”

With that, she pulled Lu Chuan away, completely at ease.

Lu Chuan, on the other hand, felt a bit awkward about being led by the hand.

He glanced at Fang Yuan. The girl was so carefree, she probably didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed about holding someone’s hand.

Lu Chuan stammered, “The village isn’t like the town. People here don’t usually hold hands in public.”

Fang Yuan turned her head. “What do you mean? Are you looking down on people from town? People there don’t go around holding hands either.”

Lu Chuan’s face darkened, and he walked ahead, not wanting to talk to her anymore. He’d just wanted to remind her that she was holding his hand.

But somehow, she’d managed to twist the conversation to a completely different topic. Any hint of romance was completely absent."