Chapter 37: Comparing Goods Makes You Want to Throw Yours Away

Old Lady Lu gritted her teeth. Second son, with the eldest ending up like this, it’s hard not to resent Li Meng.

She pretended she’d only heard the last part of the conversation and shouted into the house, “You troublemaking woman! You think you can get rich without working or suffering? If you feel bad for your man working so hard, why don’t you go out to the fields and work with him?”

Li Meng wasn’t annoyed or anxious. Since she wasn’t going to work in the fields, she certainly didn’t come back here to suffer. “Mom, it’s because I care about Brother Feng. If I could handle the work, I’d go to the fields myself and wouldn’t let Brother Feng do it.”

What she meant was that she couldn’t do the work, so Brother Feng had to do it himself. She was here to share in Lu Feng’s good fortune, not his hardships.

Old Man Lu sighed, hoisted his hoe, and called the eldest son to leave with him. He couldn’t blame anyone else; he just hadn’t raised his son right.

Old Man Lu muttered to his eldest, “It’s good she cares about you, but you can’t just listen to everything a woman says. Nothing falls from the sky. Wealth and fortune are earned.”

Lu Feng’s face turned red with shame, but he didn’t dare say a word.

Left behind, Old Lady Lu looked at Li Meng with increasing displeasure. This daughter-in-law didn’t seem like a good person, nor did she seem sincere about living with the eldest. Otherwise, what kind of wife stops her husband from working?

Li Meng looked up and saw Old Lady Lu glaring at her with a dark expression. “Mom, why are you looking at me like that?”

Old Lady Lu said, “I don’t care how you got your hooks into my son, but since you’ve messed up his marriage, you’d better live a good life with him.”

Li Meng didn’t even blush, just smiled sweetly. “Mom, listen to yourself. Of course I’ll live well with Brother Feng.”

Old Lady Lu frowned. “First, change the way you address him. It grates on my ears.”

It was only because of Fang Yuan that Old Lady Lu had the confidence to say such tough words. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared.

Li Meng was also dissatisfied with Old Lady Lu. She’d heard before that the old lady was the kind who didn’t even dare raise her voice. Why was she acting so tough with her now? It must be because she didn’t have a solid footing here yet. Otherwise, would she put up with this mother-in-law?

Li Meng said shyly, “Mom, Brother Feng likes me to call him that.”

Old Lady Lu was fuming. Go outside and listen—who else’s wife calls her husband that way? People would say this woman isn’t decent, what a disgrace. “Let me tell you, yesterday we went to the township and reported to the folks there about how your family broke off the engagement and made trouble for us.”

Li Meng was stunned. Wasn’t this just stirring up trouble? “Mom, what do you mean by this? We’re relatives—how could you do that?”

Old Lady Lu replied, “What I mean is, you came to our house like this. If your family doesn’t come to make a fuss, fine. But if they do, we’ll bring up everything, including what happened last time. I’m giving you a heads-up. Don’t talk to me about being relatives. When your family smashed up our place, did they care about saving face?”

Li Meng’s face darkened. The old lady wasn’t giving her any face at all. “Mom, we’re in-laws, after all. If my parents come over and say a few harsh words, it’s just for my sake. Besides, I’m a young woman who just ran over here. If my mom comes and complains a bit, isn’t that normal?”

Old Lady Lu got even angrier. So you know it’s normal for people to scold you for running over here as a young woman? And you still came and messed up someone else’s marriage? Shameless.

Old Lady Lu was so angry she couldn’t even curse. “You came here yourself. We didn’t kidnap you. What’s normal about your family coming to make trouble?”

Then she added, “I knew you weren’t any good. Your family is just here to cause trouble for us. I’m telling you, if there’s any fuss, go make it at your own house. If you dare come to ours, I’ll call everyone in the township and settle everything, including the past.”

With that, she stormed off. Good thing they’d had the sense to report this to the township first. Otherwise, they’d be waiting for trouble to come to their door.

No wonder Li Meng hadn’t tried to arrange a return visit to her family. The more Old Lady Lu thought about what Li Meng said, the more she wanted to cry. This woman clearly had bad intentions. Her useless eldest son—how did he fall for it?

Li Meng had made her so angry that Old Lady Lu even forgot to show off the marriage certificate. She went to the fields to talk to Old Man Lu and the eldest about it.

The eldest scratched his head. This woman was nothing but trouble. If only he’d known sooner—but it was too late now. He looked helplessly at his parents. “So what do we do?”

Old Lady Lu said, “What do we do? You take your wife back to her family. If her family makes a fuss, just return her to them. Without a marriage certificate, this marriage doesn’t count.”

See, after a trip to the township, Old Lady Lu had learned something—no certificate, no real marriage.

The eldest thought, How can that be? “Mom, since when has our village cared about that? Having a wedding feast is enough.”

Old Lady Lu’s face darkened. “Did you have a wedding feast with this vixen?”

The eldest realized his mother had gotten sharper—every word was a retort, and she was in the right.

This useless eldest son muttered, “I’m not going. I don’t dare.”

If it were the third son saying this, it might be understandable. But he was already twenty-four or twenty-five—where was his dignity?

Even Old Man Lu couldn’t stand it. “She’s your wife. If you don’t go, who will? Facing the Li family can’t be harder than your brother facing the Fang brothers, can it?”

The eldest shut his mouth. After all, the Li family didn’t have the reputation of the Fang family’s five tigers. And the Li family was in the wrong, while with the Fang family, the Lus were in the wrong.

On this point, the eldest was clear.

Old Lady Lu said, “She came to our house on her own. What are you afraid of? No matter what, we’re in the right.”

So, forced by his parents, the eldest took Li Meng back to her family.

As for what happened at the Li family, Old Lady Lu truly didn’t care anymore. The eldest wasn’t acting like the eldest at all. No wonder the second son hadn’t even mentioned him these past few days.

Old Lady Lu wanted to smooth things over between her sons but didn’t even have the nerve to bring it up with the second.

Old Lady Lu sighed, “Just thinking about it makes me upset. The second is even skinnier than the eldest, but when he went to the Fang family, he didn’t say a word to us. Why is the eldest so cowardly?”

Old Man Lu sighed, “I’m cowardly too, I’m scared too. Good thing we reported to the township first. Really, the second is the one with sense. His schooling—we can’t just ignore it. We owe him.”

Old Lady Lu said, “I know. With the eldest like this, I can’t count on him. The second’s wife might be a bit wild, but she seems pretty good.”

The knowledgeable Fang Yuan was supervising the second son at the construction site—carrying bricks, stones, cement. The work was tough, but the pay wasn’t much, since he had no skills.

Fang Yuan could see it clearly and called out to the second son, “This won’t do. You’re not as good as those guys with the big shovels. Their work is easier and pays more.”

The second son was so tired that sweat had streaked his face. He glanced at the young men wielding big shovels and said, a bit disgruntled, “They’re just apprentices. Started young, and that’s all they’ll ever be. I’m just an amateur—why should I compare myself to them?”

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"Chapter 38: The Strength Fang Yuan Gave

Fang Yuan thought Lu Lao’er lacked ambition. When it came to making money, of course you should go after more: “Don’t you know how to compare? Why are you so unmotivated?”

Lu Lao’er thought to himself, Hey, I even got into college. In the future, will I be able to wield a big shovel? What’s the point of that kind of ambition? That’s not a proper career.

Besides, if I could wield a big shovel, could he get into college? You’re always looking at other people—can’t you have a little vision? This woman’s brain just doesn’t work right.

But there was no reasoning with Fang Yuan, so he could only stew in silence.

Still, there was a benefit: holding in that frustration while working made the shovel in his hands feel a lot lighter.

Lu Lao’er thought sourly, I guess this counts as Fang Yuan giving me strength.

Fang Yuan, for her part, wasn’t happy looking at Lu Chuan either. He didn’t even have as much strength as the others shoveling sand—what could you expect from him?

At lunchtime, though, Lu Chuan noticed something: “I see there isn’t even anyone selling food around here, and when it’s hot, there’s not even anyone selling popsicles.”

Fang Yuan looked around too. This guy actually had a bit of a brain—letting him rest his mind for a night wasn’t a total waste.

But making big money off this wouldn’t be easy: “I could sell popsicles, sure, but how many people are there here? The money from a few popsicles isn’t as much as you’d make working. Cooking? I can’t do it—can you?”

Lu Lao’er shook his head and answered honestly, “I can barely cook for you. Selling to others? These people might not even give me the time of day.”

The couple exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words. They just couldn’t make money off this idea.

Fang Yuan sighed, “So all that brainpower was wasted?” Her eyes were full of resentment—last night’s good rest had gone to waste.

Lu Lao’er paused, finally understanding what Fang Yuan’s look meant: “Let’s keep looking. It’s only been half a day, no rush.”

Fang Yuan, ever impatient, retorted, “There’s not even two months left before you go to school. ‘No rush after half a day’? Are you going to observe for two months? No way. You’d better just buckle down and earn money—learn from those guys with the big shovels, at least that pays like skilled labor.”

Lu Chuan felt like he couldn’t even swallow his food. This woman was really something else.

Meanwhile, the Fang brothers watched the couple discussing things and whispered among themselves: “Little Sis and her husband seem to get along pretty well—she even comes to move bricks with him.”

Big Brother Fang glanced over and said, “They just got married, the novelty hasn’t worn off yet. Fang Yuan isn’t really the clingy type. Don’t you guys go making a fuss.”

Fifth Brother Fang nodded—he knew Fang Yuan best, after all.

He eyed his brother-in-law sideways. No wonder he got into college; he was a bit sly. How did he manage to keep their sister in check? They could even sit and have a proper chat together!

Fifth Brother Fang wondered, “I just don’t get it—what do a college student and our sister even talk about? Can they really see eye to eye?”

Big Brother Fang gave him a kick: “Now that we have a brother-in-law, act more mature. Don’t let him look down on us.”

The brothers all agreed—Big Brother had absolute authority in the family; they’d all been straightened out by him since they were kids.

Still, they edged closer to the young couple, clearly wanting to eavesdrop on what they were talking about.

Fang Yuan said, “Why don’t I help you move bricks? Two people earning is better than just you.”

Lu Chuan answered honestly, “If our whole family came out to move bricks, how much could we make? How much in two months? Would it even be enough for half a year of my schooling?”

Fang Yuan frowned, not liking his vague answer. “What do you mean? Speak plainly.”

Lu Chuan’s face darkened. “We don’t need the little bit you’d make moving bricks. Having you help doesn’t make a difference.”

Fang Yuan had never seen someone so useless yet so cocky—he was even more arrogant than her dad.

She picked up her lunchbox and walked off. “Fine, if you’re so capable, then forget it.”

Lu Chuan wasn’t in a great mood either. Back home, even though they were poor, he did well in school—his tuition was waived, and he even got scholarships, so he hadn’t cost the family much.

But now, college required money. Even Lu Lao Da knew that, and used it as an excuse to split up the family.

Now he had a wife too—he couldn’t expect his parents to help support her.

He was a married man now; he knew he had to support his family. That’s why, when it came to making money, Lu Chuan was always looking for any opportunity—because he needed it.

Meanwhile, the Fang brothers had watched the whole argument unfold.

They’d been fine just a moment ago, and suddenly they were fighting—so fast!

Fourth Brother Fang was worried. “So, who should we side with? Should we go beat up our brother-in-law?”

Fifth Brother Fang was more sensible. “Are you stupid? Or do you want to see our bratty sister moving bricks with us? Is this the time to take sides? With brother-in-law’s attitude, we have to support him.”

Fourth Brother Fang said, “So we just let him make our sister angry?”

The brothers looked to Big Brother Fang, all conflicted. “Big Brother, what do you think? We need to take a stand, or brother-in-law will look down on us.”

Big Brother Fang glared at them. “Don’t butt in, or people will say the Fang brothers are bullies.”

In other words, stay out of it.

Fourth Brother Fang, ever the open book, asked, “So if he upsets our sister in the future, we just ignore it?”

Big Brother Fang kicked him. “Are you stupid? We’ll deal with that when it happens.”

They’d pick their side based on the situation. Fifth Brother nodded—after all, it only mattered if their sister cared about her husband.

As they were talking, the workers who’d finished lunch started making a commotion. Lu Chuan ran over to his brothers-in-law—he’d never seen anything like this before.

Big Brother Fang reassured him, “Don’t worry. Happens every few days—they’re just demanding their wages.”

Lu Chuan craned his neck to look. “Aren’t we worried? Should we go demand our wages too? Is our pay not secure?”

Big Brother Fang said, “What’s there to worry about? Not many people dare to owe us brothers money.”

He was confident about this—no need to join the commotion.

Lu Chuan glanced at his brother-in-law a few times. This was a real advantage.

Fifth Brother Fang added, “If things really get out of hand, work will stop and we’ll all have to take a break. The main thing is, it delays us from earning money.”

Lu Chuan watched the scene, still curious. “Why does it look like just that one guy is making all the noise?”

Big Brother Fang explained, “That’s Old Sun, the foreman. He’s the one who hired us all—he’s holding onto our wages. He also has deals with the client, taking a cut from both sides. He’s a middleman. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be this kind of fuss. It’s not that there’s no money—it’s just a way to put pressure on the client.”

Lu Chuan said, “If there were proper procedures, there wouldn’t be this kind of trouble. Wouldn’t it be better to just follow the rules?”

Big Brother Fang snorted—this brother-in-law was definitely a bookworm. “What procedures? This is just how it is. If you can do the job, you do it. If not, you take your people and leave. It’s not a big project.”

Lu Chuan nodded—so nothing was very official. He chatted with Big Brother Fang: “You know all these workers?”

Big Brother Fang said, “We all talk. Our brothers want to move up to skilled work too—you can’t just move bricks forever.”

Lu Chuan understood now—no wonder everyone aspired to wield the big shovel. No wonder Fang Yuan kept watching them.

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"Chapter 39: Using Power to Make Money

Fang Wuhu was afraid Lu Chuan wouldn’t understand, so he explained, “We’ve all gotten close to these guys before, hoping to learn a thing or two from these craftsmen. We know them inside and out.”

Lu Chuan immediately got it—his brothers-in-law had already built a solid foundation with this group. After all, if you want to learn from someone, you have to put in the effort to get on their good side.

His brothers-in-law also had a natural advantage: nobody dared owe them money. Lu Chuan started to get some ideas.

Before they could finish talking, the workers on the other side began packing up their things. Someone even called out, “Let’s go, let’s go! No money, we’re done for the day.”

Fang Sihu was annoyed. “What a waste. There goes half a day’s work for nothing.”

Sanhu was unhappy too. To them, working meant getting paid; no work, no money.

After packing up, the group looked around and realized their brother-in-law was nowhere to be found.

He’d just been here a moment ago, and now he’d vanished. Not exactly reliable. The brothers grumbled among themselves.

Just then, their younger sister showed up outside with popsicles. She was hawking them right where the argument had just happened, jacking up the price—popsicles that usually cost two cents each, she was selling for five.

The foreman, still fuming from the argument, bought ten on the spot, handing them out to everyone who’d backed him up—one each, showing off his status as the boss.

Other workers bought some too, and in no time, Fang Yuan’s popsicles were all gone.

Beaming, Fang Yuan came over with six popsicles left, handing one to each brother. She hadn’t expected making money to be this easy. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

Too bad she didn’t see Lu Chuan here.

Fang Wuhu bit into his popsicle and asked, “How’d you come up with this? You really dared to hike the price. You just made a few dozen cents in one go.”

Fang Yuan replied, “I was worried you’d be hot, so I brought you popsicles. Making money was just a bonus.”

Fang Sihu scoffed at her big talk. “Listen to you! You make it sound so easy—just a bonus, and you pocket the cash?”

The brothers all laughed at her, looking down on Fang Yuan. How could she be so happy over a few cents?

But Fang Yuan just smiled and didn’t get upset. “From now on, I’ll bring you lunch every day. When I do, I’ll bring a crate of sodas too. I’ll make money on the side.”

Fang Yuan didn’t mind that it wasn’t much—every little bit counts. It didn’t get in the way of anything else, just a bit of running around.

The brothers fell silent, staring at Fang Yuan. “Are you serious? When did you get so clever?”

Fang Yuan lifted her chin. “Hmph! From now on, you guys get free soda, but you have to help me advertise—get the others to buy from me.”

The popsicles weren’t free, and neither was the soda. Wuhu said, “You really are a Fang through and through—money’s all that matters to you.”

As soon as he finished, Fang Laoda kicked him. Who badmouths their own family like that? Even if it’s true, you don’t say it out loud.

The brothers finished their popsicles, but Lu Chuan was still nowhere to be seen.

Fang Wuhu whispered to Fang Yuan, “You’re a woman—just being good at running a household isn’t enough. You need a man who can handle things. Look, everyone’s gone and he’s still missing. He’s so clueless, he’d miss out even if someone was handing out hot food.”

Fang Yuan shot back, “Don’t talk nonsense. If you look down on the man I chose, you’re looking down on me. Let me be clear: if I hear you say that again, I’ll be mad—at anyone who says it.”

Fang Wuhu glared. Wasn’t this just a brother-in-law she’d known for a few days? Why was she so protective? “Why are you siding with him? We’ve known each other since we were in Mom’s belly.”

Fang Yuan snorted. “Even if I side with family, it won’t be you.”

Fang Laoda, seven or eight years older than Fang Yuan, couldn’t stand their bickering and spoke up. “Alright, enough. Go look for him. It’s chaos here, and he’s a bookish guy—not used to this. Don’t let him get hurt.”

Fang Wuhu wanted to say, If he gets hurt in a place like this, what good is he?

Just then, they saw Lu Chuan coming over with someone who looked familiar—seemed to be the supervisor here, the same guy who’d just argued with the foreman.

Fang Laoda stood up instinctively, feeling uneasy about his unreliable brother-in-law. Had he gotten into big trouble? Why else would someone like that show up?

Fang Sihu stood up too, tugging at Laoda nervously. “Did he really cause trouble? Why’d he bring the supervisor over?”

Sanhu said, “The supervisor knows this place better than he does. Looks more like the supervisor’s bringing him over.”

He turned to Fang Yuan. “He’s just a troublemaker. Why’d you bring him here?”

Wuhu instinctively pulled Fang Yuan behind him and stepped forward. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

But Fang Yuan shook him off and went straight over, grabbing Lu Chuan’s arm. “Are you alright? Did anyone bully you?”

She glared at the supervisor as if ready to start a fight. She’d never been afraid of anyone.

Wuhu hadn’t expected Fang Yuan to react like this. She’d only been married a day, and she was already taking an outsider’s side?

Sanhu sniped from the side, “No point protecting her—girls always side with outsiders once they’re married.”

Wuhu ignored him and followed Fang Yuan, standing beside her and Lu Chuan, looking imposing.

Lu Chuan hadn’t expected Fang Yuan to react this way either and felt a bit embarrassed. “Ahem, it’s nothing. I’m a man—who could bully me? I brought someone over to talk to big brother.”

Fang Yuan’s eyes widened. That didn’t sound like nothing. What did he need big brother for?

The supervisor saw the Fang brothers and his face turned a little green. “Brother, are these the Fang brothers you mentioned?”

Lu Chuan spoke politely, “You’re older and more experienced than me, so I’ll call you ‘big brother.’ Yes, I’m talking about the Fang brothers—my brothers-in-law.”

The supervisor clearly didn’t want to get involved and turned to leave.

Lu Chuan caught the look on his face and quickly called out, “Big brother, this is the supervisor here. He wants to discuss some work with us.”

Fang Laoda’s legs went a little weak at that. Wasn’t that a bit much? What could he possibly have to discuss with the supervisor?

Lu Chuan glanced at Wuhu beside Fang Yuan and gave him a look.

To be honest, Wuhu saw the look but didn’t get it—he had no idea how to play along or what Lu Chuan wanted.

Still, he stood firm behind Fang Yuan, glaring at the supervisor just like she did.

As the Fang brothers approached, the supervisor couldn’t just turn and leave. Lu Chuan could tell the man was giving his brothers-in-law face.

But he probably feared them even more.

Wuhu, tall and burly, stood right in the way, making the supervisor instinctively slow down. The Fang brothers had the same intimidating presence as debt collectors. What a headache.

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"Chapter 40: The Power of Trust

As soon as he turned around, Boss Fang came over and saw the supervisor. “Hey there, old pal! My brother-in-law is still young. If he’s done anything to offend you, please forgive him.”

The supervisor forced out a reply after a long pause: “No, no, it’s nothing. The young man was just joking.”

But Lu Chuan couldn’t let this turn into a joke—opportunities like this didn’t come easy. “I’m not joking. Here’s the thing, big brother: this job you’ve got is a bit tricky, and you haven’t been able to find suitable workers. I was thinking, since our brothers have decent skills and it’s easy for us to find people, maybe we could take on the job together. I’d only just started to bring it up, but you didn’t believe I could rally enough people, so I brought my big brother here to show you.”

The supervisor already didn’t want to deal with this group, knowing they were with Boss Fang, but he didn’t want to offend Boss Fang either. With what Lu Chuan just said, he was basically put on the spot.

If he didn’t give a proper answer, there’d be no deal, and Boss Fang wasn’t someone you could just brush off.

Boss Fang, on the other hand, was even more anxious than the supervisor. How did such a big deal get settled so quickly? He didn’t have that kind of ability.

He pulled Lu Chuan aside. “Take on the job? We don’t have what it takes for that!”

Lu Chuan replied, “Big brother, don’t worry. As long as the pay is right, this will be easier than hauling bricks. We can do what we’re capable of ourselves, and for the rest, we can just hire people. Isn’t it easy for you to find folks you know?”

Boss Fang frowned, burning with anxiety. His brother-in-law didn’t know the gravity of the situation. “This is deep water. Not just anyone can make money taking on jobs like this.”

Lu Chuan felt a little weak in the knees under his brother-in-law’s imposing presence, but he gritted his teeth and insisted, “As long as the supervisor doesn’t try to cheat us, and we get the same rates as the last crew, we’re sure to make money.”

Lu Chuan was counting on his brother-in-law’s reputation. Who would dare mess with Boss Fang? The job would go smoothly, and the supervisor wouldn’t dare shortchange Boss Fang.

If he didn’t seize this chance, Lu Chuan would be turning his back on money—and he needed money badly. He had to grab this opportunity with everything he had.

Boss Fang frowned, clearly unhappy with Lu Chuan’s actions. “You’ve only been here half a day. What do you know? You don’t understand the situation.”

Lu Chuan thought, I may have only been here half a day, but I need money, so of course I’ve thought about this more than you all have. This morning, he’d noticed plenty of people slacking off.

He knew he couldn’t pull this off on his own—he didn’t have his brother-in-law’s authority or enough clout.

Lu Chuan patiently explained to his brother-in-law, “Big brother, I’ve seen it. You guys are just going through the motions, working without much care. There are several spots where work is bottlenecked.”

His tone was conciliatory, but he’d already put his brother-in-law on the spot.

Boss Fang was annoyed. “If you take on the job and hire people, it’ll be the same story.”

Lu Chuan said, “Big brother, trust me—there’s real money to be made here. But I’ll need your support. I don’t have much influence, so people won’t trust me.”

Boss Fang was still hesitating. For him, it wasn’t just about profit or loss—if they really took this job, they’d be offending the previous contractor, and then who would they work for in the future? That would cut off their livelihood, and his brother-in-law’s reputation wouldn’t help. He wasn’t about to go along with Lu Chuan’s reckless plan.

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan, then at her big brother, then reached into her pocket and made her move. “Big brother, if you’re worried about losing money, I’ll pay your wages myself. Even if we lose out, it’s just some labor lost. I have money.”

Boss Fang had never seen anyone so bold. She’d only been married a few days and was already offering to cover any losses. “Don’t mess around. What do you know?”

Fang Yuan replied, “I have money.” She pulled out an oiled paper packet from her pocket and opened it to reveal a stack of cash. No matter what era, people with money have confidence.

And Fang Yuan knew her big brother well—he was the type who wouldn’t act unless he saw a sure thing.

The Fang brothers all stared wide-eyed. Fang Wuhu pulled Fang Yuan aside. “Where did you get that money?”

Fang Yuan said, “Don’t worry about it. Big brother, even if we lose, you won’t be on the hook.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t the type to worry about consequences. She didn’t know if they’d make money, but she did know that the foreman on a construction site had real authority. Now Lu Chuan was stepping up to be the foreman—she had to support him.

She thought to herself, This brain of his really works when he’s had a good rest. I’ll have to make sure Lu Chuan gets plenty of rest in the future.

Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan and felt truly trusted. The way he looked at her changed.

Boss Fang scolded, “Nonsense! Put that away. This isn’t just about money.” But seeing the cash, he started to reconsider.

He glanced at his brother-in-law, then at Fang Yuan’s determined face. If he refused, he’d embarrass his brother-in-law, and Fang Yuan would probably kick up a fuss.

He turned to Lu Chuan. “You go negotiate. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. If we lose money, so be it—I’m not short on cash.”

That’s what he said, but before he saw the money, he hadn’t agreed. Lu Chuan understood that well.

If things worked out today, it was all thanks to Fang Yuan’s trust—she made it possible. The key was that she was willing to spend money for him. When a husband and wife work together, opportunities arise.

Lu Chuan grinned at Fang Yuan, then turned to Boss Fang. “Thank you, big brother.”

The two of them went over to negotiate with the supervisor. Lu Chuan greeted him with a smile. “About this job, my big brother knows what’s involved—we can handle it. But you can’t shortchange us on the pay. We’re stepping in to help you out. To be honest, by taking your job, we’re offending the previous contractor.”

The supervisor saw Boss Fang coming over and knew there was no easy way out. “Yes, yes, but… I just don’t want to put Brother Fang in a tough spot.”

Lu Chuan could tell he was trying to dodge responsibility, so he reassured him, “Brother, just say what’s on your mind—we’re all on the same side here. If we agree, we’ll draw up a proper contract. If we don’t finish the job as required, you can hold us accountable according to the contract.”

That sounded reasonable, but even so, no one wanted to mess with the Fang brothers.

With the previous contractor, the supervisor could at least argue. With the Fang brothers, he wouldn’t even dare raise his voice.

Lu Chuan added, “Of course, if we do the job well, you have to pay us according to the contract. That way, both sides are protected.”

Boss Fang nodded. He’d made up his mind—he was just backing his brother-in-law’s play, but he wasn’t going to put his own money in.

The supervisor saw Boss Fang nod and looked like he was about to cry—there was no way to refuse now. “Well, that does make things clear, but… but…”

Lu Chuan looked at the supervisor’s face. “Brother, is there something you can’t say?”

The supervisor glanced at Boss Fang and fell silent. It wasn’t that he couldn’t say it—he just didn’t dare.

At this point, Boss Fang was sharp enough to know not to get involved. He led his brothers away, leaving the supervisor and Lu Chuan to talk privately.

The supervisor said, “Young man, you’ve put me in a tough spot. That’s Boss Fang—he’s got a whole crew of little tigers behind him. If he decides to play hardball, what could I do?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Brother, that’s not fair. My big brother is a reasonable man. Besides, that’s what contracts are for—we’ll stick to the agreement.”

The supervisor said, “Forget contracts. Those things don’t mean anything to the Fang family.”

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"Chapter 41: The Tigress

The manager complained to Lu Chuan, “I only agreed to talk to you because I trusted you were a college student. Now you’re putting me in a tough spot, that’s not very fair.”

The problem was, unless Boss Fang himself said he wanted out, the manager didn’t even dare bring it up. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It wasn’t just Boss Fang who was caught in this bind—the manager was too. This college kid really didn’t play by the usual rules.

But this was exactly the outcome Lu Chuan wanted. He said, “Brother, trust me, I wouldn’t screw you over on this. My brother-in-law isn’t easy to deal with, but you came to me, and my wife brought the money. Isn’t that proof enough we’re serious?”

Lu Chuan called Fang Yuan over, and she jogged up. “What do you need me to do?”

Lu Chuan said, “Take out the money and show it to the brother here.”

Fang Yuan glared at him—how could you just show people your money like that?

The manager, for his part, didn’t dare mess with the Fang family’s tigress. “No need, no need, I already saw it just now. Here’s the deal, little brother, I won’t try to trick you, but you can’t trick me either. I’ll sign the contract with you, and I’ll talk to you about this job. How you do it, who you do it with, that’s your business, not mine.”

In other words, he didn’t want to deal directly with the Fang family’s five tigers. He was just trying to avoid unnecessary risks.

Lu Chuan glanced back at his shirtless brothers-in-law. Truth be told, he was a little scared himself, but for the sake of money, he was willing to take the risk. “Alright, from now on, I’ll handle all the details with you.”

But that wasn’t quite what the manager meant, so he clarified, “How you negotiate with the Fang brothers is your business. I won’t get involved, and I don’t want to know. I’m only dealing with you, because you’re a college student.”

He couldn’t have made it clearer—he wasn’t about to mess with the Fang family’s five tigers. He couldn’t afford to.

Lu Chuan nodded. “Alright, we’ll do it your way. But I’m not sure about the price.”

The manager said, “Don’t worry about that. Even if I wanted to cheat you, I wouldn’t dare cheat Fang the Tiger.”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, Wow, my brothers-in-law actually come in handy for something like this.

The manager gestured to Lu Chuan and said, “Your brother-in-law will find out about this sooner or later. You can ask around if you want, but I’m giving you a fair price.”

Lu Chuan trusted in his brothers-in-law’s reputation. “No need to ask around, I trust you.”

With that, the two of them went off to sign the contract. Everything went smoother than expected. When the timing, the place, and the people are all right, opportunity just falls into your lap.

Fang Yuan was weighing things in her mind too. Her big brother had been working on the site for ages and never thought of being a foreman, but Lu Chuan had only been here half a day and already took the lead.

It was obvious who was the smarter one. She decided that from now on, she’d listen to Lu Chuan. Simple-minded people don’t have trouble making choices.

Lu Chuan came back with the contract, and Fang Yuan carefully put it away. Lu Chuan told her, “This is money. We’ll need it to pay the workers later.”

Fang Yuan put it away even more carefully. “Why do I get the feeling the manager doesn’t want to deal with my brothers?”

Lu Chuan thought, Congratulations, you’re absolutely right. But if we got this job, it’s all thanks to your brothers’ reputation.

But he didn’t dare say that out loud—if he did, Fang Yuan would definitely flip out. So he changed the subject. “I heard Mom call your brother ‘Little Tiger,’ but everyone else calls him ‘Tiger.’”

Fang Yuan said, “My big brother is the real tiger. Mom can call him Little Tiger, but no one else dares. Don’t you go calling him that.”

Lu Chuan thought, I’d have to be crazy to call my brother-in-law ‘Little Tiger.’ Even a tiger wouldn’t dare.

Fang Yuan said, “We can really make money with this? I hope I don’t lose all my money. But even if I do, I won’t feel too bad—half of it’s for your family, and the other half is for that shameless one.”

Lu Chuan just laughed. Fang Yuan really was generous—over five hundred yuan, and she was willing to risk it all for him.

Lu Chuan was in a great mood. All his life, his parents had never trusted him or been willing to let him take risks like this. Of course, it was a lot of pressure too.

But that’s life—if you don’t take risks, you can’t make money, can’t go to school, can’t support your wife.

This was Lu Chuan’s first real step toward building a life for his own family—a leap of faith.

Lu Chuan still needed his brother-in-law’s help to get the job done and to find workers.

Honestly, Lu Chuan was pretty confident. He didn’t think he’d lose money. He’d seen how the workers here slacked off.

If he got a crew willing to work hard, things would be different.

Fang Yuan was tough—she’d rather lose money than not even try. This young couple really were a bold pair, daring to speak up and take action.

The only one feeling the pressure was Boss Fang. His little sister and brother-in-law were just starting out—if this turned into a disaster, he’d never forgive himself.

The other four tigers were worried about Fang Yuan too. They thought her husband looked like a spendthrift, and figured that half their pocket money would end up going to help their sister. No way were they going to let her suffer.

So as soon as the Fang brothers saw the contract, they left right away. They’d heard their brother-in-law had even agreed to a time limit—couldn’t afford to waste any time.

That left just Fang Yuan and Lu Chuan at the site. Fang Yuan asked, “Now that you’re the foreman, what do we do next?”

Lu Chuan looked around. “Let’s keep an eye on things. We’re responsible for the labor, not the materials. Looks like there’s enough materials here, but if anything goes missing while we’re in charge, it wouldn’t look good. We have to keep our word.”

Fang Yuan asked, “What if there’s not enough?”

Lu Chuan replied, “These things are all calculated. It’s impossible for there to be a big shortage. If we’re short a little, they’ll bring us more.”

Fang Yuan looked at the piles of sand and cement, feeling a bit unsure. “How do you know it’s all calculated? Are you smarter than my brother?”

Lu Chuan said, “I asked around. There’s a standard amount of bricks, sand, and labor per square meter. These things are all figured out, and the numbers don’t vary much.”

He didn’t explain in detail, but the reason they were willing to sign a contract for the job was because they’d already done the math.

Fang Yuan was still puzzled—she thought you just used as much as you needed.

Lu Chuan reassured her, “I really did rack my brains this afternoon, thinking it all through.”

If Fang Yuan hadn’t pushed him, Lu Chuan wouldn’t have dared to be so bold. He would’ve wanted to observe for a few more days. But he didn’t want his wife to look down on him.

And honestly, the opportunity came at just the right time—he didn’t have time to hesitate.

Lu Chuan added, “Besides, I used to work on construction sites, carrying bricks.” He’d had a tough childhood—he might have only been here half a day, but he already had experience.

Fang Yuan snorted, “Who knows if that’s true. It’s always the stubborn ones who get in trouble.” She was prepared for the worst. “Anyway, if we lose money, so be it.”

Lu Chuan shut his mouth. This was a matter of trust. He couldn’t rush it—he had to prove himself to Fang Yuan.

But looking at it another way, the fact that she was willing to support him even when she didn’t fully trust him—Lu Chuan couldn’t help but see it as love. Fang Yuan must really care about him, even if it was a bit blind.

Lu Chuan suddenly felt shy, but boldly took Fang Yuan’s hand and walked her around the site, asking her to help keep track of the materials and equipment.

Fang Yuan just listened to him, not even noticing he was holding her hand. “How am I supposed to remember all this? But don’t worry, as long as I’m here, wasting stuff is one thing, but letting it get stolen is another. I won’t let us lose face.”

Lu Chuan asked, “Why is wasting okay?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Because if it’s wasted, I won’t even notice.” She said it so matter-of-factly.

(The story is now officially launched! Thank you all for your support. I’ll do my best to make you smile every day. Please keep supporting me—first subscriptions, first subscriptions! Thank you!)"

"Chapter 42: Such a Big Spender

Lu Chuan stared at Fang Yuan in a daze, then nodded, impressed. “That actually makes a lot of sense. Remind me later to have my big brother keep an eye on this.”

Anything his wife said was as precious as gold.

Fang Yuan said, “Aren’t we not providing the materials? Why bother worrying about this?”

Lu Chuan replied, “But wasting materials is the same as wasting labor.” Clearly, Lu Chuan had thought this through.

Fang Yuan said, “I’ve come here before with my brother and the others. The foreman wasn’t like you, always calculating everything. But I guess you do have a point.”

Lu Chuan got a bit smug. “Of course. Foremen aren’t college graduates.”

Then he added, “At least I’m doing better than some shovel-wielding laborer.”

He was still holding a grudge over what Fang Yuan had said that morning—comparing him to a manual laborer.

Fang Yuan had already forgotten about the shovel comment. “A college student who can’t even pay tuition—what are you so proud of?”

Lu Chuan was left speechless by Fang Yuan’s sharp tongue. This woman really knew how to put him in his place.

After walking around the construction site with Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan had a good grasp of the situation.

He told Fang Yuan, “I’ll show you what a college student is capable of.”

Fang Yuan thought to herself, “Isn’t being a foreman already impressive enough?”

Then Lu Chuan told her he was leaving this side of things to her, that he needed to go into town and would be back late, so she shouldn’t wait for him.

With her brothers-in-law around to look after his wife, Lu Chuan felt at ease, but still added, “If you go home, have Dad come over to keep an eye on things. Don’t stay here alone. I mean your dad.”

Fang Yuan thought, “What’s the point of your dad being here? He’s so honest, he’s not much help. Isn’t that just pointless?”

Watching Lu Chuan ride off, Fang Yuan realized she hadn’t even asked what he was going to do.

When Fang Laoda (the eldest Fang brother) arrived with a group of people, only his little sister was left at the site. They’d actually left Fang Yuan, who didn’t know anything, in charge.

With the person in charge gone, how were they supposed to start work?

Although Fang Laoda was familiar with the site, he’d never actually done this kind of thing before and had no idea where to begin. He was getting a headache and thought his brother-in-law was unreliable.

But since he’d already brought everyone over, and they’d all be expecting their pay for the day, Fang Laoda had no choice but to bite the bullet. “Alright, we all know what needs to be done. Let’s move the materials to where they need to go first. I’ll be honest with everyone—this is my brother-in-law’s job, so let’s help him out like it’s our own work. I’ll owe you all one.”

Anyone who came over must have been on good terms with them, otherwise they wouldn’t risk offending the previous foreman who’d been giving them steady work.

Everyone who showed up today had already upset the last foreman, which could make it harder to find work in the future.

So there was a lot that Lu Chuan didn’t know—his brothers-in-law were really taking on a lot for him. This was a job that could easily offend people. After all, everyone was fighting for a piece of the pie.

Fang Laoda tried to get Fang Yuan to go home, but she refused, insisting, “No need, I’ll stay here and fetch water for you all.”

Fang Laoda knew how stubborn his sister could be. “Where did your brother-in-law go?”

Fang Yuan replied, “He said he was going into town.”

Fang Laoda’s face darkened and his tone was harsh. “What’s he running off to town for at a time like this? The wall has to be built here, not in town!”

Why wasn’t he in a hurry? These college kids just weren’t reliable.

He looked at his sister but couldn’t bring himself to scold his brother-in-law in front of her. Still, he felt college students just weren’t dependable. He was so angry, even his breathing felt hot.

The other Fang brothers could see it too—this guy wasn’t reliable, and this job was bound to lose money.

The brothers rolled up their sleeves and got to work, figuring that the less they lost, the better. Otherwise, their sister’s life would be tough in the future.

When the day was over and the hired workers had left, the Fang brothers were still working hard.

They really wanted to use their own labor to help their brother-in-law make up for the inevitable losses. True feelings show in hard times—they were genuinely worried Fang Yuan would lose the 500 yuan she had.

When Lu Chuan arrived back at the site, he saw this scene: his brothers-in-law eating their meals right on the construction site, and his father-in-law working alongside them.

Lu Chuan thought to himself, “This project can’t be done with just family. We’ll still need to hire people.”

Fang Laoda heard the commotion and shouted, “Where have you been?”

Lu Chuan replied, “I went to find something good. Luckily you all were here to help unload it.”

Then the brothers unloaded a big hunk of metal from the tractor—a cement mixer, the kind you only saw on city construction sites.

Fang Laoda was knowledgeable. “Where did you get this thing? It’s expensive! We haven’t even started, and you’re already bringing in equipment?”

He was thinking to himself, “Fang Yuan’s 500 yuan probably isn’t enough to cover the losses.”

Lu Chuan quickly explained, “It’s rented, rented—not expensive.”

But everyone knew how much these things cost. The brothers’ faces grew serious.

Fang Yuan had never seen such a thing before. She walked around it and asked, “They just trust us with this?”

Lu Chuan was a little embarrassed. “Of course they don’t trust us. Come here, come here.” He pulled Fang Yuan aside to talk.

Everyone watched as Lu Chuan whispered to Fang Yuan, and then she handed him the money. Over 500 yuan—all given as a deposit.

Fang Daleng felt his heart clench. “This isn’t just about losing money. No wonder people say it’s hard to put a college student through school—he’s a real spendthrift.”

The Fang brothers all nodded, feeling a cloud hanging over them. Things couldn’t get any worse. Why was their brother-in-law always making such a fuss?

Wang Cuixiang kicked them from behind. “Who are you talking about?”

Then she and her husband and sons all looked over at their son-in-law, their eyes dark and heavy. This son-in-law was really ambitious.

Fang Yuan thought the same as her father—this man was a real spendthrift. Money came easy, but it was even easier to spend. He really had the makings of a big spender.

Could she really blame herself for only seeing that he was a college student and not looking deeper?

Lu Chuan handed the money over and got a receipt, which he gave to Fang Yuan. “Driver, take it slow on the road and be careful.”

The driver said, “Alright. You really are a college student—didn’t try to cheat me. But it’s funny your ‘wife’ is the one paying.”

Fang Yuan glared at him, unhappy that her money had just turned into a piece of paper. “Mind your own business.”

The tractor chugged away, belching exhaust in Fang Yuan’s face.

Fang Yuan, with her fiery temper, almost chased after him. “He did that on purpose!”

Lu Chuan pulled her back. “I think you’re just upset about the money.”

Fang Yuan pinched Lu Chuan’s arm. “And you’re not? That was over 500 yuan, and now it’s just a piece of paper!” If you’re not heartbroken, you’re a fool.

Lu Chuan clutched his arm, baring his teeth. He knew this woman was tough—she even used force. “Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of losing money? Besides, it’s just a deposit. Once we return the equipment, we’ll get the money back.”

Fang Yuan glared at him. Lu Chuan took two steps back, a little intimidated. “Anyway, it’s already rented. Don’t worry, we won’t lose money. This thing does the work of several people—it’ll save us money.”

Fang Yuan wasn’t about to let him go. She grabbed his arm tightly, as if she could pull the money back. Lu Chuan said, “Let go, that hurts.”

Fang Yuan watched her 500 yuan disappear into the distance. “My heart hurts even more.”

She steeled herself and stomped her foot. “Fine, I’ll trust you one more time.”

Lu Chuan grimaced in pain. He hadn’t expected his first “intimate moment” with Fang Yuan to be like this.

Well, it still counted as an intimate moment."

"Chapter 43: Still Good at Talking His Way Out

Lu Chuan could really see that Fang Yuan felt bad for him—because his arm genuinely hurt.

But seeing Fang Yuan’s eyes turn red, Lu Chuan stretched his arm out again. “Why don’t you give it another twist?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Can twisting your arm get the money back?”

Well, obviously not. Lu Chuan gave her a sheepish grin. “You can’t catch a wolf without risking the kid. We’re aiming for more money here. Try to look at the bigger picture.”

Fang Yuan shot him a glare. “You’d better not lose money.”

Meanwhile, Oldest Brother Fang was circling the cement mixer, having come to terms with things. Well, it is what it is. Having this machine wasn’t a bad thing after all.

Oldest Brother Fang said, “I was worried we wouldn’t have enough hands and the deadline was tight. Now it’s fine—with this thing, it’s like we’ve got a whole team working. Brother-in-law’s got some skills.” Though still a bit of a spendthrift.

Fifth Brother Fang, who knew how the machine worked, said, “I’ll go find someone to hook up the electricity, so it won’t delay tomorrow’s work.”

Da Leng Fang really didn’t get it. “You guys think this is okay?” This brother-in-law was supposed to be a big shot, but he’d already gotten himself into trouble.

Oldest Brother Fang replied, “It’s fine.” He’s good at getting things done.

Da Leng Fang turned to Wang Cuixiang, “Looks to me like our son-in-law’s out of money. Why don’t you ask if he needs any?”

Wang Cuixiang shot him a look, and Da Leng Fang shut up immediately. Money matters weren’t his domain at home; what he said didn’t count. He lowered his head and helped tidy things up.

He muttered to himself, women are just stingy. But judging by the way his son-in-law looked at his mother-in-law, he was clearly closer to her than to his father-in-law. This son-in-law didn’t really know how to tell good from bad.

Lu Chuan, meanwhile, was explaining to Fang Yuan how he’d rented the mixer, how much it cost, and how he’d arranged for it to be delivered back.

Fang Wuhu, standing nearby, sighed, “Being a student really opens doors. If I didn’t have money, there’s no way I could’ve gotten this thing.”

Fang Yuan nodded. She could’ve brought five hundred yuan herself and still wouldn’t have been able to rent it—people just wouldn’t trust her.

Da Leng Fang came over. “That’s called credibility. When I go out to collect pigs, in all the nearby villages, whether people have money or not, I can always get the pigs back.”

Lu Chuan didn’t have the heart to say it, but that was mostly because of his reputation. The father of the Five Tiger Generals—who’d dare not give him face? Not much to do with credibility.

But Lu Chuan just said, “Exactly. Everyone in the area knows about your reputation. No one in our village buys meat from anyone else—only from you.”

Da Leng Fang nodded, pleased. Son-in-law really knew how to talk, even gave examples. He puffed out his chest with pride.

His sons all nodded along, and so did Fang Yuan. Their father really was like that. They were proud.

Wang Cuixiang, on the other hand, glanced at her son-in-law. Their family was the only one selling meat in the township—where else would people go, to the county?

Lu Chuan accidentally caught his mother-in-law’s look and felt a little guilty, giving her a fawning smile.

Wang Cuixiang turned away without saying anything, giving him some face by not exposing him. But she could tell—this son-in-law was a sly one.

He’d definitely be able to sweet-talk her daughter in the future.

Still, that was better than someone so deep you couldn’t see through them.

Wang Cuixiang said to her son-in-law, “If you need money, just say so. We can’t let you struggle outside. But you need to be more careful in the future.”

Today’s business was reckless—her sons had already grumbled to her about it.

Lu Chuan immediately agreed, “You’re right, Mom. I was too naive about this, and there’s a lot more to it than I thought. I should’ve discussed it carefully with Big Brother.”

Fang Yuan just snorted. If you’d really cared about my brother’s opinion, you wouldn’t have just gone ahead like that.

She wasn’t fooled—she’d noticed that the person in charge didn’t trust her brother at all. This whole thing was stirred up by Lu Chuan.

It was basically a slap in the Fang family’s face. Fang Yuan made a mental note of that manager.

Lu Chuan’s words, though, managed to flatter all the brothers. Wang Cuixiang looked at her sons, all dazed and pleased, and felt worried. Who could her daughter rely on in the future? Like she always said, even all of them together couldn’t outplay this brother-in-law.

The mixer was expensive, and they didn’t dare just leave it at the site. It represented all of Fang Yuan’s savings. She insisted on staying to keep an eye on it.

Oldest Brother Fang frowned at her, patience running thin. “What’s it got to do with you? It’s not like there aren’t any men in the family.”

Fang Yuan insisted—it was her five hundred yuan. She couldn’t rest easy unless she watched over it herself.

Lu Chuan tried to persuade her too, “We’re here. Why don’t you go home and rest with Mom?”

Fang Yuan refused. “No way. Even if it gets stolen, I can’t let them pay for it.” She was being stubborn. The key was, she knew her family’s finances—they couldn’t afford to pay for it.

Who was Oldest Brother Fang? Even if he wanted to pay, it wouldn’t help. Fang Yuan only trusted herself.

They knew their own daughter’s temperament, so they let her stay in the shed to watch over the rented mixer.

Lu Chuan hadn’t expected Fang Yuan to be so cautious and distrustful.

Since they couldn’t talk her out of it, what else could they do? Lu Chuan and Fang Wuhu stayed with her.

Fang Wuhu was used to this—he’d been doing it since he was a kid. Whenever Fang Yuan got stubborn, he was the one who had to deal with it. After all, they’d been together since before they were born.

Lu Chuan didn’t think Fang Yuan was being difficult—he was actually touched that she cared so much about something he’d done.

As Da Leng Fang led his sons home, he was full of praise. “We’ve found a real treasure. Look at him—he’s made for big things.”

Oldest Brother Fang twitched his mouth. What kind of treasure was this? “That’s not necessarily a good thing. He’s young and impulsive, doesn’t know his limits. I’m afraid Old Sun will come make trouble tomorrow. Old Sun never planned to let this job go.”

Da Leng Fang’s response was completely unreasonable. “You grew up eating vegetables, and you’re just going to let him mess with our family?”

He was so tough—no wonder his sons were famous in the area. That was the kind of parenting they got.

Oldest Brother Fang thought Lu Chuan had been reckless. “Us brothers are only useful in the village. We’re no good in the county. Look at your brother-in-law—he went straight to the county today. Your sons don’t have that kind of ability.”

Da Leng Fang replied, “Then what use are you? If you can’t protect people, just get ready to take a beating.”

Oldest Brother Fang didn’t reply. Their father really lost his head when it came to this brother-in-law—just because he was a student, everything was great.

Second Brother Fang spoke up. “Dad, who’s really your kid? Don’t just treat the student like treasure.”

Da Leng Fang was already reaching for his shoe. “That’s your brother-in-law!” These two sons were too sly for their own good.

Wang Cuixiang cut in, “Alright, aren’t you tired yet?” She was exasperated—none of them ever got to the point.

Who would protect whom in the future was still up in the air. Wang Cuixiang worried that if her daughter ever got wronged, there wouldn’t even be anyone who could put her son-in-law in his place. Counting on this lot was hopeless. Even all their brains put together weren’t enough.

Third Tiger, always looking to stir things up, added, “Mom, you can’t spoil brother-in-law like this.”

Wang Cuixiang said, “Listen, all of you—don’t play games with your brother-in-law. If you can get along, then do. If you can’t, just keep your distance.”"

"**Chapter 44: Watch What You Say**

Boss Fang wasn’t having it. Just because his brother-in-law had a couple more years of schooling, did that make him better than him? What about his pride? “Ma, I’m the eldest brother-in-law here.”

Wang Cuixiang replied, “And your dad is the father-in-law. I’m saying this to him too.”

Fang Daleng protested, “Come on, I was just showing respect for someone educated. If we’re talking about skills or street smarts, I’m not lacking. I’ve eaten more salt than he’s walked roads.”

All the Fang brothers refused to accept it, nodding along. The lot of us together are definitely better than that brother-in-law.

Wang Cuixiang snorted at her silly sons and turned to Fang Daleng. “Your brother-in-law said everyone in the surrounding villages comes to your meat stall and nowhere else.”

Fang Daleng lifted his chin. “That’s true. He’s not wrong. Not that I’m bragging or anything.”

Fang Xiaohu chimed in with his brothers, “No lies detected. Dad’s got great connections.”

Wang Cuixiang rolled her eyes. “Are there any other butcher shops in the village? Huh? There’s only yours.”

Duped and still clueless—how dumb can you be?

She shot a glare at her blockheaded men and stormed off, muttering about how it was her fault for not giving her kids more brains, or for not being pickier when she chose a husband—now it’s affecting the next generation.

The men were left standing there, dejectedly trailing after her. Fang Daleng tried to comfort himself—his brother-in-law was something else, even he could be fooled.

Boss Fang thought to himself, better not mess with that brother-in-law in the future—he’s trouble. The rest felt the same.

Pretty boys are never up to any good.

Things were much simpler on Lu Chuan’s side. He just coaxed Fang Yuan, telling her not to worry about the money and to have a little faith in him.

Fang Yuan sighed. What else could she do? The money was already gone. For once, she clung to Lu Chuan, asking, “You really are smart, right?”

Lu Chuan blushed, feeling awkward admitting it himself. He glanced shyly at Fifth Brother beside him.

Fang Yuan continued, “Last night I let you rest, didn’t bother you, so your brain should be fine, right?”

If his brain didn’t work, the money would be gone—Fang Yuan was genuinely worried.

But these two sentences were enough to embarrass Fifth Tiger into fleeing the room. He’d have to talk to Fang Yuan later—some things just shouldn’t be said out loud. Even he was blushing.

He’d even seen his brother-in-law blush just now. People were definitely overthinking things.

The couple, on the other hand, didn’t think much of it. To reassure Fang Yuan, Lu Chuan called Fifth Brother back and started explaining everything to Fang Yuan and Fifth Tiger, jotting down notes and calculations in a little notebook, laying out exactly how the money was being spent.

After a thorough explanation, Fang Yuan still looked confused. Lu Chuan had no choice but to sum it up: “So, we’re not going to lose money.”

That last sentence she understood. As for why they wouldn’t lose money, she had no idea.

Fang Yuan and Fifth Tiger stared blankly at the notebook. Lu Chuan blinked at them. “You can read, right? You know how to do accounts?”

They both nodded. They’d gone to school, just hadn’t gotten very far. Otherwise, their dad wouldn’t have gotten so excited over a son-in-law who could actually study.

Lu Chuan frowned. “Then you should be able to figure it out.” The math was pretty basic, not hard at all.

Fang Yuan mumbled, “I get it.”

Fifth Tiger said, perfectly innocently, “Doesn’t mean we actually understand it, though.” He said it with such childlike honesty, completely unabashed.

Lu Chuan rubbed his chest, feeling bad for their teachers. In the end, he stuck to the one thing they could grasp: “Anyway, we’re not going to lose money.”

But Fang Yuan’s focus was elsewhere: “But can we make money?”

Fifth Tiger stared eagerly at the college student’s notebook. He cared about that too. Not losing money and making money were two different things.

Lu Chuan replied confidently, “Yes. As long as things go as I calculated, we’ll make a profit.”

Fang Yuan thought he was being vague and missing the point. “How much?” That was what mattered.

Lu Chuan thought, how could he give such a specific number? He made a conservative estimate. “Definitely more than the deposit you gave me.”

Fifth Tiger’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot! Normally this job would take about twenty days, but with this thing, my brother says we’ll be done in half a month, easy.” Earning five hundred in half a month—where else could you find a deal like that?

Lu Chuan raised his eyebrows at Fang Yuan. “See? With this mixer, we’re saving five days’ wages. Worth it, right?”

Fang Yuan stroked the mixer. “But the deposit was five hundred. You think that’s cheap? What’s there to be proud of?”

Then she asked, “Is this thing really that good? Can it really make money?” After all, she hadn’t seen it in action yet.

Lu Chuan explained carefully, “With machines, things are naturally easier and faster than doing it by hand.”

Fang Yuan, still stroking the mixer, felt like a whole new world had opened up. “If I’d known, why bother with a man? A mixer makes more money than a man ever could.”

Fifth Tiger and Lu Chuan stared at her, dumbfounded. She actually said that out loud—what was going on in her head?

After all that, this was her only takeaway? Wasn’t she missing the point?

Lu Chuan didn’t think he was inferior to a mixer, but when it came to work, he really couldn’t compete. Still, it felt a bit humiliating.

He looked at Fang Yuan and said seriously, “It can’t cook for you.”

Fang Yuan shot back, “You’re not that great at cooking either.” Lu Chuan clutched his chest—ouch, that stung.

Fifth Tiger was even more blunt: “It can’t have kids with you.”

Fang Yuan glanced at Lu Chuan, but at least didn’t say anything. After all, the machine really couldn’t have kids.

But after that, Lu Chuan’s face turned red. Now that someone had brought it up, should he start thinking about it?

He kept sneaking glances at Fang Yuan, but she didn’t seem to care and wasn’t blushing at all.

She just commented calmly, “This thing is really valuable.” Clearly, she and Lu Chuan were on totally different wavelengths.

Lu Chuan couldn’t exactly ask her how she felt about having kids.

He turned to look at Fifth Tiger, who’d been born less than five minutes apart from his own wife. Maybe he’d stolen some of Fang Yuan’s nutrition in the womb—how else could she be so slow?

Then again, this brother-in-law didn’t seem much sharper than Fang Yuan.

Lu Chuan’s thoughts wandered off—he started worrying that their future kids would take after them. His face grew even redder.

After all, that brought up a very old, very primal question.

That whole evening, Fang Yuan circled the mixer, barely sparing Lu Chuan a glance. The two siblings discussed things among themselves, only asking Lu Chuan for help when they didn’t understand something. “So you just plug it in? Do you know how to use it?”

Lu Chuan patiently taught them how to use it, explaining everything in detail. They listened carefully, and if they weren’t worried about wasting materials, they would have tried it themselves.

Fang Yuan asked, “How do you know all this? You’re not just making it up, are you?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Why would I rent it if I didn’t know how to use it? That’d be a waste of money.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “True. This big guy is really great—it can even make money.”

Lu Chuan finally understood: in Fang Yuan’s eyes, as long as something could make money, it was good and useful.

Everyone outside praised him for being a good student, a college graduate, but Fang Yuan never cared—except when she was fighting to marry him.

To her, his only use seemed to be stepping on Fang Daleng’s pride.

That realization left Lu Chuan feeling a little indignant.

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"Chapter 45: Fun Ways to Spend Money