Chapter 53: Clash of the Tigers

Lu Chuan could hear it—Fifth Brother was clearly proud of Fang Yuan.

On the other side, Fang Yuan was still waiting for Lu Chuan to bring up splitting the money between husband and wife. Lu Chuan said, “How about we split it fifty-fifty?”

He really did this subconsciously, just like his own parents. Whenever he talked to Fang Yuan, he always ended with, “How about it?”

Fang Yuan curled her lips into a smile. She was thinking the same thing. “Sure, let’s make things clear between us. But from my share, I want to give Fifth Brother a portion. If it weren’t for his help these days, I couldn’t have pulled this off.”

Lu Chuan felt a bit sour inside. In Fang Yuan’s heart, both he and Fifth Brother had their own places.

Fifth Brother immediately laughed. “Oh, cut it out. I’m not splitting it with you like that. If there’s a chance in the future, brother-in-law, you and I will split it fifty-fifty. It’s got nothing to do with her.”

Fang Yuan said, “That’s for the future. You’re not even married yet, you should save up a little for yourself. Who am I doing this for, anyway? Besides, what you did was worth it.”

Lu Chuan noticed that Fifth Brother was all smiles after being coaxed by Fang Yuan. Not getting a share of the money probably made him even happier.

His own wife was definitely no fool.

Fifth Brother grinned. “Getting married is Mom and Dad’s business, not yours. Listen to me, this isn’t the way to do things. If you care about me, buy me something good to eat, that’s enough. But don’t handle things like this.”

Lu Chuan understood. If word got out about their little arrangement, Fifth Brother would end up in a bad spot: “Let’s listen to Fifth Brother. We’re brothers for the long haul, not just for short-term gains.”

Fifth Brother just laughed. They were all smart people.

Fang Yuan looked at the two of them, confused, and asked Lu Chuan, “Is he being generous, or are you being stingy?” She just couldn’t figure it out.

The two of them just laughed it off, neither bothering to explain to Fang Yuan. Anyway, what the three of them discussed couldn’t be spread around.

To be fair, Fifth Brother wasn’t just talking nonsense. These days, Eldest Brother Fang had been out socializing almost every night, always being treated to dinner.

There were more and more people encouraging Eldest Brother Fang to become a contractor himself. These people had their own motives—Lu Chuan was still a student, and no matter how well he did now, they couldn’t count on him to keep leading them to big money.

They’d already offended Old Sun, and if Eldest Brother Fang just gave up after this, no matter how much money they made, it wouldn’t matter—they’d have nowhere to earn in the future.

So there were plenty of people pushing for Eldest Brother Fang to go solo. It was all about making a living.

Behind the scenes, people were saying, “What’s that student got to do with anything? Without Eldest Brother Fang, who would give him any respect?” Fourth Brother, in particular, was stirring things up.

With all these people making a fuss, even if Eldest Brother Fang hadn’t thought about it before, he would now. Besides, all the Fang brothers were ambitious when it came to money.

Sooner or later, Eldest Brother would be tempted, and Fifth Brother wouldn’t be able to keep it from Fang Yuan.

He was giving Fang Yuan a heads-up, worried that she might be too straightforward to understand the subtleties.

If the siblings had a falling out, it was no big deal—they were used to it, “breaking bones but the tendons still connected,” a fight and it’d be over.

But if the young couple broke up over this, and his little sister got hurt, Fifth Brother wouldn’t stand for it. Who knew if Lu Chuan would end up resenting Fang Yuan over it?

Before the money was handed out, the atmosphere on the worksite was pretty good. Who would have thought that after the money was distributed, things would get weird?

Even the sharp Lu Chuan, and Fang Yuan herself, could sense something was off.

If it weren’t for Fifth Brother and Lu Chuan holding her back, Fang Yuan would have confronted Eldest Brother Fang already. Letting people squeeze Lu Chuan out—her big brother was really letting the Fang family down with this.

As the project was wrapping up, the workers started banding together around the eldest brother, barely acknowledging Lu Chuan.

Some even began to openly exclude him. They were clearly trying to push Lu Chuan out as foreman.

Lu Chuan pretended not to notice, thinking to himself, “I just don’t have enough authority. They don’t trust a student. Can’t blame anyone for that.”

He called for the cement mixer to be loaded onto a truck, then handed the deposit slip to Fifth Brother. “Fifth Brother, could you take care of settling the bill?”

Fang Yuan immediately came over to join them. “I’m coming too.”

Lu Chuan said, “That thing has never left your sight. Just let it go already.”

Fang Yuan replied, “No way. There’s five hundred yuan of mine tied up in that. I have to keep an eye on it.”

She didn’t even trust Fifth Brother with it. Fifth Brother didn’t argue, just pulled Fang Yuan into the truck. “Alright, let’s go.”

They were much more straightforward than Lu Chuan. That was just Fang Yuan’s personality—you had to let her feel at ease.

Lu Chuan started leading the supervisors around for final inspections. The work was solid, and the supervisors didn’t nitpick or look for trouble.

Lu Chuan really did a good job. “Brother, there’s some leftover materials here. If you tell us where to put them, I’ll have someone move them over for you. It’ll look tidier that way.”

The supervisor was delighted. “Now that’s great. You’re not calculating every little thing, just honest and straightforward. But you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

Lu Chuan just smiled. With so many people, this bit of work was nothing.

The supervisor looked at Lu Chuan and joked, “So, how’s it feel? Looks like you’re not exactly winning people over as foreman.”

Lu Chuan just smiled, unconcerned. “As long as the work’s done well, it doesn’t matter if I’m popular or not.”

The supervisor said, “Honestly, your eldest brother-in-law is capable and loyal. But if he’s the one in charge, I’m not sure things would go as smoothly.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t say anything. Family matters, no matter how embarrassing, should stay within the family. That’s what his father-in-law had said a few days ago—probably after hearing some rumors.

The supervisor continued, “Listen, kid, let me be straight with you. If you ever set up your own crew, I’ll have good jobs for you. I only trust you, but let’s be clear—it’ll all be on paper, black and white, no relying on personal favors.”

The last part was said loud enough for the crowd around Eldest Brother Fang to hear. He clearly didn’t want to deal with Eldest Brother Fang.

The two of them understood each other without saying more.

Lu Chuan got the message—this olive branch was meant for him alone.

But without Eldest Brother Fang keeping things in order, this supervisor might not have been so polite or settled the bill so quickly. Lu Chuan was well aware of that.

Still, he’d seized the opportunity, and now had what it took to make the supervisor see him differently. Lu Chuan’s ambition was no less than Eldest Brother Fang’s.

After leaving the supervisor, Lu Chuan started organizing the final cleanup with Eldest Brother Fang, discussing how to clear the site.

Eldest Brother Fang’s face darkened.

The group nearby grew impatient, clearly annoyed at Lu Chuan for making extra work.

Eldest Brother Fang didn’t say a word, nor did he stop it. He was just watching his brother-in-law make a fool of himself, and also letting him see what he was up against.

Lu Chuan just smiled and said to the workers, “I’m paying you to work. I’m not asking you to do it for free.”

Someone in the group started grumbling, “Never heard of bricklayers being asked to clean up someone’s yard. Who do you think we are, student boy?”

Someone else said, “We’re here for the money. As long as you pay us bricklayer wages, what’s the fuss? Who do you think you are? We’re all just laborers. Work is work.”

Neither Eldest Brother Fang nor Lu Chuan spoke up, and the group started arguing among themselves.

[Author’s Note: Please vote for me!]

[This is my story—my legendary journey started with coaxing my wife.]

54."

"Chapter 54: A Close Contest

Lu Chuan just smiled modestly and didn’t say anything more. The ones speaking up now were people who usually got along with Fifth Brother—they were giving him a way out.

Boss Fang had to save face for his own people. “Chuan, everyone’s been working hard these days. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Lu Chuan didn’t waste words. “Alright, everyone come over and check the accounts. Let’s settle the wages.” No one mentioned the cleanup work.

Boss Fang looked up and asked his brother-in-law, “Has the project payment come through?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Not yet. Fang Yuan and Fifth Brother went to the county. We managed to get some of the deposit back, so we’ll pay out whatever we have.”

Boss Fang fell silent. His brother-in-law was paying out of his own pocket—he’d have no grounds to complain.

In Boss Fang’s mind, he felt his brother-in-law was challenging him, and he’d lost—lost because of money.

What Boss Fang cared about was being the one to pay others. Now, it was his brother-in-law handing out the money.

On Lu Chuan’s side, the accounts were settled smoothly. People were honest in those days, and there were no disputes over the work.

Fang Yuan and Wu Hu came back with the money. Of course, the mixer rental wasn’t cheap, so there wasn’t much left.

Then, as agreed from the start, they settled up and handed out the wages. At this point, everyone was happy—no one was looking for trouble.

Fang Yuan frowned. “Weren’t we supposed to clean up the yard? Why are we paying out already? Looks like they’re about to leave.”

Lu Chuan replied lightly, “If they don’t want to do it, we’ll just tidy up ourselves later.”

The ones leaving were all people who usually hung around Boss Fang. Fang Yuan’s face fell—this was Boss Fang deliberately making trouble and not giving Lu Chuan any face.

She slapped the table, glaring, “So you’re all so high and mighty now? Don’t even want to earn money?”

Not giving Lu Chuan a chance to speak, she called out, “We need to clean up the yard here. Whoever wants to stay, five yuan for half a day.”

People with money in their pockets really do stand straighter.

Except for those who’d just made a fuss, everyone else stayed. There wasn’t much work left, it wasn’t hard—only a fool wouldn’t do it.

Fang Yuan lifted her chin at Lu Chuan, as if to say, “See? Didn’t I help you save face?”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, “Uh-oh, I’ve definitely offended my brother-in-law now. My wife’s temper really doesn’t let anyone get a word in.”

But he had to admit, she handled things decisively and was willing to spend money—a real improvement.

And she really was doing it for him, to help him save face. Lu Chuan grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

Wu Hu, seeing all this, was fired up too. He thought, “I’ve got to work hard—this is how you show some swagger. Look at people with money—they really are bold.”

Lu Chuan immediately felt less confident. “There’s not much left. It’s all gone to pay wages.”

Wu Hu clutched his pocket and left—he wasn’t about to be the sucker.

Fang Yuan snorted, “You think you can just run off? If I don’t have money, how am I supposed to pay everyone five yuan each?”

Boss Fang came over, face dark, and glared at Fang Yuan. “What are you making a fuss about? Got nothing better to do?”

He was talking to Fang Yuan, but also to Lu Chuan. This was using money to slap Boss Fang in the face.

When Old Sun was in charge, there was none of this nonsense. Wasn’t this just throwing money around?

Of course, he’d lost face and was unhappy. Now Boss Fang understood what it was like when someone else had a bit of money to show off.

He looked at Lu Chuan and Fang Yuan, his eyes dark.

Lu Chuan cheerfully followed behind Boss Fang. “Big Brother, once the work’s all tidied up, it’ll be easier to settle everyone’s wages. Makes it easier for us to speak up.”

Boss Fang was just as tough as Fang Yuan—they were cut from the same cloth. “He wouldn’t dare short us on wages.”

Could Lu Chuan say, “It’s for better cooperation next time”? He had to lay the groundwork for the future. But it was obvious Boss Fang wouldn’t want to hear it—he’d think Lu Chuan was just being bookish.

His brother-in-law was stubborn—he’d seen that clearly now.

Wu Hu tried to smooth things over for his brother-in-law. “It’s not that much work.” It was Fang Yuan who’d said it, so why was Big Brother getting mad at his brother-in-law?

A dozen or so people stayed to work—that was dozens of yuan. “Not much work”?

Boss Fang forced a smile. “I didn’t realize you were so flush with cash now.”

Fang Yuan, still loyal, sided with Fifth Brother. “Big Brother, I said it, and I have the money. I’m willing.”

Lu Chuan stared at Fang Yuan in shock. “Are you just trying to make things worse? Do you really not want to get along with Big Brother?”

Boss Fang glared at his sister. “Aren’t you something.” Then he left.

Lu Chuan called after his brother-in-law to help settle the wages, but Boss Fang ignored him.

Lu Chuan said to Fang Yuan, “That’s Big Brother. Wasn’t that a bit much?” He was afraid they’d really fallen out.

Fang Yuan asked bluntly, “Then tell me, what could I have said to make Big Brother happy?”

True enough—no matter what she said, Boss Fang wouldn’t be happy. This time, he’d lost face, and it was his own sister who’d done it.

Wu Hu said, “Don’t worry about it. No matter what Fang Yuan does, Big Brother won’t really get mad.” He wouldn’t dare, either.

Lu Chuan asked, “Why not?”

Wu Hu replied, “Why do you think? There’s only one girl in the family. Ever since she was little, if she got mad, she’d yell for Fang Xiao Hu all over town. If it were you, wouldn’t you be scared? If she’s upset, she might even hit Dad. Would you dare argue with her?”

Lu Chuan thought, “True enough. Now, Big Brother is called Fang Tiger outside.”

Fang Yuan said, “Alright, let’s go help clean up. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home.”

She’d long wanted Boss Fang to know his own limits. She’d been holding this in for a while.

Lu Chuan said, “Why don’t you go home and rest first? The mixer’s already been returned—you can relax now.”

Fang Yuan replied, “No way. The accounts aren’t settled yet—I need to watch the money.”

She really didn’t trust Lu Chuan at all. Lu Chuan felt just as hurt by her as by his brother-in-law.

Fine, money was more important than the mixer. When it came to money, Lu Chuan didn’t even dare try to persuade Fang Yuan.

Wu Hu tried to smooth things over for Fang Yuan. “That’s just how women are when it comes to running a household.”

Lu Chuan thought, “Fifth Brother thinks I’m naive. The women in our village aren’t like this. These days, there aren’t many women like my mother-in-law who run the house.”

Didn’t he see that even his mother-in-law knew to give his father-in-law face, always saying, ‘the men run the house’?

With so many people, the cleanup was done in just over two hours. People even felt embarrassed to take Fang Yuan’s five yuan wage.

That was Wu Hu’s time to shine. “Don’t be shy, everyone. If you stayed to help, that’s a favor to us, giving our brother-in-law face. Take what you’re owed.”

Lu Chuan didn’t step up—he knew this was Fifth Brother’s way of winning people over. These were all people who followed Fifth Brother.

In private, Fang Yuan pinched Wu Hu’s arm. “Why are you being so generous?”

Wu Hu grimaced. “You have to leave some room for people. We’ll have big things to do in the future. The ones who stayed to earn this money are the ones who went against Big Brother.”

You have to give people some easy money, or why would they support you?

Besides, both sides were competing—earning money here was all about face. This was their silent standoff with Fang Tiger.

Fang Yuan wasn’t thinking that far ahead. She just snorted and paid everyone, regretting that she’d been so generous. She hadn’t thought it through.

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"Chapter 55: Easy Money, Hard Feelings