Chapter 67: Brother-in-Law vs. Brother-in-Law – The Showdown

Fang Yuan’s ability to hit where it hurts is definitely not just a little bit: “You’re just not working enough. Do more and you’ll get better. Look at my fifth brother—he works with you and he’s fine. You need to practice.”

With that, she handed him a rag and sent him off to clean the mixer, as if she trusted the mixer more than she trusted Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan took a deep breath. So basically, he was just here to hold the cutting board for Fifth Brother.

He also noticed that recently, Fang Yuan had gotten herself a new toolbox—full of wrenches, pliers, even tools for wiring.

Fang Yuan said herself, all these tools come as a set, and she needs to know how to use them all. Loving your work means mastering your craft, she said.

Just then, Fifth Tiger walked in and happened to see his brother-in-law pulling his hand back, looking a bit hurt.

Honestly, that expression was hard to look at, but unfortunately, Fang Yuan didn’t even glance at Lu Chuan.

Fifth Tiger cleared his throat and tossed Lu Chuan a small box. “Mom sent this for you. Said you’re a student, delicate, not used to hard work. Make sure to put it on.”

Lu Chuan silently took the box. He knew he’d never get the same kind of care from Fang Yuan as he did from his mother-in-law.

No matter how things were going emotionally, the three brothers were doing great on the construction site.

Lu Chuan was doing well in his career. As for his love life—well, that was a whole other story.

Even Fang Daleng had come by with Rou Bing to see how Fang Yuan and the others were doing.

Seeing his son-in-law, his daughter, and his son all working on such a big project, Fang Daleng was proud.

Of course, the eldest Fang brother had also come by—he wanted to rent Fang Yuan’s mixer.

Unfortunately, Fang Yuan told him she couldn’t spare it, and more importantly, she didn’t have enough people.

One look at the site, and the eldest Fang brother knew the jobs he’d taken on were nothing compared to this.

The two who’d just split up their partnership were already showing a big difference in how far they’d come. Fang Laohu’s face didn’t look too good.

The mixer had always been Fifth Tiger’s domain—he knew it inside and out.

If the eldest brother wanted to use the mixer, he didn’t have anyone he could trust to operate it. Meanwhile, Fifth Tiger couldn’t just leave this site.

Fang Yuan finally realized what her real problem was: it wasn’t just about maintaining the machines, but about “maintaining” people too.

At the very least, she needed someone she could trust to keep an eye on how the machines were used.

It hadn’t been long, but Fang Yuan had already learned that making money meant learning how to manage people.

She discussed it with Fifth Tiger: “Fifth Brother, why don’t you work with me? Watch over the machines for me. Whenever someone rents my mixer, they’ll have to hire you as the main worker. That way, you’ll never be short of work or have to look for jobs everywhere. Isn’t that great?”

Fifth Tiger’s face darkened. “Thanks for thinking of me, but you’re a woman making money like five men, and you want me, a grown man, to rely on you for work? Have you thought about how much I’d fall behind you in a year?”

He snorted. “Or do you just think I’m not as good as you?” Now the issue had escalated.

He was running big projects now—how could Fang Yuan even suggest he work for her?

Fifth Tiger suspected his brother-in-law and sister were setting him up. Seeing them making money, they wanted to kick him out. But this scheme was too simple—did they think he was a fool?

Fang Yuan said, “That’s not it. My machines cost money too, and they’ll get old. My work is stable.”

Fifth Tiger replied, “I’ll get old too. I need to save up while I’m young so I can get married. Thanks for the offer, but give it to someone else. Don’t worry about me.”

Fang Yuan was unhappy. It was such a good deal—if it weren’t Fifth Tiger, she wouldn’t even consider anyone else. She didn’t trust anyone else. “So what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to follow the machines everywhere? I can’t relax if no one’s watching them.”

Fifth Tiger laughed in exasperation. “Big family and business, and you’re still stuck on this?”

Then he heard Fang Yuan say, “But Fifth Brother, I don’t trust anyone but you.” When she couldn’t persuade him, she tried appealing to his feelings.

But Fifth Tiger resisted the emotional blackmail. “Even Fifth Master is useless—don’t block my path to wealth.”

Fang Yuan complained, “Why are you just like Big Brother? When it comes to money, there’s no family feeling at all.”

Fifth Tiger said, “Who in our family has any sentiment when it comes to money?” And that was the truth.

Fang Yuan was troubled. “So what am I supposed to do?”

When Lu Chuan came in, he only caught the tail end of the conversation, but he understood—he wasn’t even qualified to be part of these big decisions anymore.

In Fang Yuan’s heart, Fifth Tiger was way more important than he was.

Lu Chuan actually had someone in mind for the job, but since Fang Yuan didn’t trust anyone else, he kept quiet.

Besides, she hadn’t even discussed it with him. He just washed his hands and put on ointment. In this woman’s eyes, he didn’t even exist.

Lu Chuan figured it out—he wasn’t cut out for shoveling. No matter how much he practiced, he’d never have the muscles or presence of the brick haulers.

But after all that ointment, Fang Yuan still didn’t spare him a glance. Lu Chuan started to wonder if their marriage certificate was just for show.

He felt stifled and frustrated, unable to let it go or speak up. Why did he feel so suffocated?

Fifth Tiger came over. “You must think I’m an idiot, giving up a good project to watch her machines.”

Lu Chuan replied, “I’m not even in the running for that job.”

The sourness in his tone made Fifth Tiger realize his brother-in-law wasn’t trying to set him up. He was actually a bit proud.

When it rained and they couldn’t work, Fang Yuan left the machines with Fifth Tiger and rode home with Lu Chuan.

It took them most of the day to get from the county to the township, and then home.

Fang Yuan complained, “It’s so inconvenient. I told you, I need to look for a place in the township. At the very least, we should live there. Otherwise, who’s going to watch my machines?”

Lu Chuan wanted to suggest they live in the county, but since he didn’t go to school there and Fang Yuan would be alone with no one to help her, it wasn’t suitable.

The township was better. With the reputation of her father and his five sons, no one would dare mess with Fang Yuan. He could go anywhere and not worry.

On the way, they decided to stop by her parents’ house first. After cutting off a piece of meat, they planned to head back to the village.

Since it was raining, all the Fang brothers were home. Fang Yuan didn’t even mention needing someone to watch her machines, which showed she really didn’t trust anyone but Fifth Brother.

The eldest brother even said, “If things don’t work out outside, just come back. Don’t let anyone bully you.”

Lu Chuan appreciated that—at least his brother-in-law was decent. Fang Yuan didn’t say anything, just curled her lip behind his back.

Fang Daleng also said, no matter how much they fought at home, if anyone got bullied outside, as their father, he wouldn’t let it go.

With the eldest brother leading the way, all the brothers agreed—no one disagreed.

No matter how much they fought at home, Fang Daleng never scolded them. But if any of his kids suffered outside, he’d deal with it as a family.

That’s how the kids in the Fang family were raised.

Fang Yuan didn’t say a word. She even dared to give her sister-in-law attitude, showing she really didn’t care about playing nice with her in-laws or worrying about making her sister-in-law angry.

On the way back, Lu Chuan asked Fang Yuan, “Aren’t you afraid your sister-in-law will get mad at you?”

Fang Yuan was tougher than anyone. “She wouldn’t dare.”

Lu Chuan said, “We’re all family. Big Brother definitely cares about his wife. Aren’t you afraid he’ll stop using your mixer?”

Fang Yuan snorted, “Of course he cares about his wife. You don’t know, but my big brother doesn’t hang out with you anymore. He’s off playing with his brother-in-law. My third and fourth brothers have all had it out with him.”

68."

"**Chapter 68: Lu Chuan’s Impossible Affection**

No wonder Fang Yuan didn’t give her sister-in-law any face when she came back this time—turns out there’s a whole mess behind the scenes.

Lu Chuan really hadn’t known about this. So even his eldest and third brothers aren’t getting along quietly.

He couldn’t help but feel relieved—thank goodness he got out early. Otherwise, if things blew up later, it would’ve been even uglier.

If he’d gotten mixed up with his brother-in-law’s wife’s family, he’d be stuck in the middle too.

Now he finally understood why his sharp mother-in-law hadn’t said a word about the brothers splitting up. She’d seen right through it all.

Speaking of which, her older brother seemed to treat his wife’s brother better than he treated Fang Yuan. Lu Chuan felt a bit upset on Fang Yuan’s behalf—his own wife was being slighted.

Fang Yuan said, “If my sister-in-law hadn’t been scheming behind the scenes, do you think he could’ve pulled this off? Don’t just say I gave her a hard time—if I cursed her out, she’d have to take it too.”

Lu Chuan almost blurted out, “Big brother really didn’t handle this well,” but swallowed the words.

Good thing he didn’t say it. Look at that—when it comes to siblings, anything bad is always someone else’s fault, never Fang Yuan’s own brother.

Fang Yuan said, “Our sibling business is none of your concern. Don’t get involved. Am I, his own sister, not as close as his brother-in-law? He can accept his wife’s brother but not his own sister? Even my useless fourth brother knows this isn’t right.”

Lu Chuan wasn’t sure if she was criticizing or praising her fourth brother.

But Fang Yuan was right about one thing: outsiders shouldn’t meddle in family matters. He should just listen more and talk less. Otherwise, he’d end up pleasing no one—just like his sister-in-law.

Fang Yuan, still fuming, muttered, “Just because of his brother-in-law, I’m not letting him use my machines. I’d rather let them sit idle.”

Lu Chuan tried not to laugh and teased, “You’d let five men go without work? Can you really bear that?”

Fang Yuan gritted her teeth and admitted, “Honestly, I can’t. You’d better find more jobs for me, so my machines don’t sit idle.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t hold back his laughter. This really was a heavy responsibility—thanks to Fang Yuan for trusting him.

Fang Yuan snapped, “What are you laughing at? I’m telling you, if I sit around for two days, I get anxious. And this rain—what terrible timing.”

Listening to her grumble, Lu Chuan couldn’t help but say, “How are you going to get through the three winter months?”

That was like a bucket of cold water. Fang Yuan’s face turned green. “You really know how to say the worst things, don’t you?”

In winter, there’s no work, and her mixer has to rest.

Just thinking about it made Fang Yuan’s heart ache. Five men sitting idle—if they actually had to eat and drink, she’d go broke.

Lu Chuan glanced at Fang Yuan, his eyes full of meaning. “So what do you like? What do you want me to say?”

There was a hint of flirtation in his words, but Fang Yuan didn’t pick up on it at all. “I want you to congratulate me on getting rich. I want my mixer to have work every day.”

Lu Chuan sighed as he rode his bike, looking ahead. “You really have simple wishes.”

Fang Yuan replied, “Then say it.”

Lu Chuan took a deep breath and went along with her, “Congratulations on getting rich.”

Fang Yuan burst out laughing. “I’ve got six men making money for me—if I don’t get rich, who will?”

Lu Chuan sighed inwardly and asked, “How is it six?”

Fang Yuan said, “You, of course. Can’t I count you as one?”

Lu Chuan thought to himself, “It’s rare that I even make the list. Should I be proud?”

A wife can’t always be so dense. They’d been married a month—it was time to nurture some feelings. Lu Chuan wanted a lasting marriage.

He casually said, “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘It’s easy to find priceless treasures…’?”

Fang Yuan hadn’t. “Is it easy? Who said that? Nonsense. I look for treasures every day and haven’t found any.”

Lu Chuan ignored her and continued, “The second half is, ‘…but hard to find a true lover.’”

Fang Yuan muttered, “Even more nonsense. I’m a decent person.” Whoever said that must have had too much time on their hands.

Did that matter? Lu Chuan was a bit lost and echoed, “I’m a decent person too.”

Fang Yuan said, “Just focus on your studies, learn something useful and proper. All this idle talk—can you eat it? Can you drink it? And let me tell you, if you go around having this feeling or that feeling outside, I’ll get my brother to deal with you.”

Lu Chuan was at his wit’s end. He wanted to talk poetry and romance with his wife, but why was it so hard? “Did you even go to school?”

Fang Yuan said proudly, “I graduated from junior high. If the teacher hadn’t refused to keep me, my dad would’ve let me go to high school.”

Lu Chuan felt bad for the teacher. With her level, high school wouldn’t have made much difference. No wonder the teacher didn’t want her.

This was his wife—if they couldn’t connect, he’d be the one suffering.

Lu Chuan really wasn’t a playboy. There were things about Fang Yuan he genuinely liked, so he wanted to keep nurturing their relationship.

Lu Chuan said, “I’m telling you this because I want you to know—I’m harder to find than a priceless treasure.” He almost said, “I’m the man who truly loves you.”

Fang Yuan glanced at Lu Chuan, clearly weighing her options. Honestly, if she had to choose between a mixer (even a regular one) and Lu Chuan, she might not pick him.

Lu Chuan knew exactly what she was thinking from that look.

His face darkened. This woman really didn’t value him at all. He made good money too—was he really worse than a mixer?

Fang Yuan said, “It’s not that you don’t make enough money—it’s just that money isn’t the point.”

That explanation only made it worse. It meant he still couldn’t compare to a mixer. Lu Chuan said, “Just wait, Fang Yuan. You’ll regret this.”

As soon as he said it, he regretted it himself. Why was he thinking like Fang Yuan now?

But Fang Yuan just laughed. “Regret what? Am I supposed to be afraid you’ll earn more money, or that you’ll become successful?”

Lu Chuan was suddenly speechless, because Fang Yuan was right—he really wasn’t the sharp one here.

Fang Yuan added, “Or are you thinking that once you’re successful, I’ll be out of the picture?”

As she spoke, she clenched her fists, making cracking sounds—ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Who would dare mess with her?

Lu Chuan figured that, for Fang Yuan, this probably counted as a love confession. It was her way of saying she wanted to be with him forever—which wasn’t easy for her.

In fact, Lu Chuan took it as her saying she couldn’t do without him. She must really value him.

He blushed, embarrassed. “I’ll always treat you well.”

All of Lu Chuan’s emotional nurturing relied on his own imagination—he’d never hear a word of romance from Fang Yuan herself.

Fang Yuan said, “Why are you blushing? Are you holding something in? Pretty boys are always scheming. I just know you’re not reliable.”

Lu Chuan’s face darkened. “Would I dare? Just think about your brothers, think about our dad.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “That’s true.” She trusted her brothers’ strength more than Lu Chuan’s loyalty.

So much for romance. He really was overthinking it.

Lu Chuan was left frustrated. He just wanted to hurry home. The whole way back, he didn’t say a word.

This infuriating woman—she wouldn’t even let him have a moment of sweet daydreams for the two of them.

(End of Chapter 68. Please vote and recommend. Thank you for your support.)"

"Chapter 69: A Little Late to Get Motivated

It wasn’t until they got home that Lu Chuan finally spoke up: “You go rest in the room, I’ll go check on Mom and Dad.”

Fang Yuan relaxed a lot when she saw they were home. “No matter what, it’s never as comfortable outside as it is at home. I’ll go rest—don’t call me unless it’s important.”

With that, she went straight to her room, muttering, “It’s just a place we’ve stayed for a few days, but somehow it feels so comfortable.” Even Fang Yuan herself was a bit puzzled.

As for the frustration Lu Chuan had been holding in the whole way, Fang Yuan didn’t seem to notice at all.

Lu Chuan just stood there, blushing. Counting from the day they got married, the two of them had only stayed in the old house for three or five days, but Fang Yuan already considered it home and felt most at ease here.

Rounding up, what Fang Yuan really meant was: being with him was when she felt most at home.

That’s how Lu Chuan understood it, anyway. At least, thinking about it that way made him feel like he truly had a wife now, and he felt a bit more at ease.

Fang Yuan didn’t really care for romance, so he figured he’d make up for it by being a little more romantic himself. There’s always a bit of romance in everyday life together.

Since Fang Yuan was all about her career, he’d just be a bit more of a hopeless romantic to balance things out.

Lu Chuan ended up not going to see his parents after all. He watched Fang Yuan go into the room to rest, and decided to light the fire to warm up the kang bed for her.

But then, the chimney started smoking, and Mother Lu came over. Fang Yuan also came out of the room, looking annoyed.

Mother Lu pointed at her son. “Why are you lighting the fire? When you two aren’t home, I never know when you’ll be back, so every night I light the kang for you, just a small fire, so it’s not cold.”

Fang Yuan came out of the room with a dark look on her face. “The kang was just right—not too hot, not too cold. Are you afraid I’ll get too much rest, so you deliberately made it too hot so I can’t sleep?”

Mother Lu hurried inside to feel the kang. It was burning hot—how could anyone rest on that in the middle of summer? “Fang Yuan, he’s just a student, not good at housework. Don’t get mad. I’ll put on an extra layer for you, and when you go to bed, I’ll fan you.”

Lu Chuan was a bit frustrated—he’d gone overboard with his good intentions. He needed to dial it back a bit.

Fang Yuan said, “No need, Mom. I can’t sleep now anyway. By the way, how have things been in the village lately? Has anyone been giving you trouble or making things difficult?”

Mother Lu replied, “No, everything’s fine. Everyone knows I’m your mother-in-law, so no one dares bother me.”

Lu Chuan felt something was off. How could his mom say that so openly—relying on her daughter-in-law’s reputation?

Fang Yuan said, “That’s good. If anyone bullies you or gives you a hard time and you can’t handle it, just remember—when I’m home, we’ll go settle the score together. If you’re bullied, it’s like I’m being bullied, which means our Lu family is being bullied by the villagers. That’s not acceptable.”

Mother Lu was fired up. “You’re right! Our Lu family can’t be pushed around.”

Seeing his mother’s sudden fighting spirit, Lu Chuan thought to himself, You’re a bit late to the game.

Fang Yuan nodded. “That puts my mind at ease.”

Mother Lu said, “Fang Yuan, with you around, I feel much more secure too.”

Lu Chuan decided to just go fetch water—he really couldn’t listen to this anymore. These two always made him feel out of place.

Mother Lu started reporting all the household matters to her daughter-in-law: “The old hen’s been doing well lately, only taking a break every three days. I was worried the eggs wouldn’t be fresh, so I sold them to Aunt Sun’s daughter-in-law in the village. Made three yuan and twenty cents. The vegetables in the yard couldn’t be sold in the village, so I pickled them for you. If we can’t finish them, I’ll take some to your dad’s place. Other than that, the neighbor’s daughter-in-law keeps peeking over here, but nothing else.”

She really went over every little detail with her daughter-in-law.

Fang Yuan felt her mother-in-law was easy to get along with. “Mom, you have a great memory! It’s been days and you remember everything.”

Mother Lu blushed a little. “I don’t really remember that well. Your dad can read a bit, so he helps me write everything down in a notebook, just in case I mess something up.”

Fang Yuan said, “My dad can read? No wonder he raised a college student.”

Mother Lu was modest. “He can just jot things down, nothing more.”

Then she handed the three yuan and twenty cents to Fang Yuan. “Here, you take the money.”

Fang Yuan said, “No need. I’m always coming over anyway—keep it and buy something to eat with Dad.”

Mother Lu insisted, “No, if your dad and I run out of money, we’ll ask you for more. What’s yours is yours—we can’t just take it.”

Fang Yuan agreed. “You’re right. Business is business.”

Mother Lu said, “Your dad always says, business is business, but money must be kept clear. That’s the way to get along in the long run.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “My dad’s right. No matter how close you are, once money gets mixed in, things get complicated.”

Her eldest, second, third, and fourth brothers were all examples of that.

Mother Lu nodded in agreement. “That’s because accounts weren’t settled clearly.”

Fang Yuan nodded, completely agreeing. “Exactly.” The two of them really saw eye to eye.

Looking at Mother Lu, Fang Yuan suddenly felt her mother-in-law was easy to get along with, and her father-in-law was decent too. He might be a bit timid, but at least he knew right from wrong.

Like with the issue of Lu Chuan’s eldest brother, her in-laws had always been clear-headed—they knew their family was in the wrong and never tried to argue otherwise.

Of course, the main reason was that, whether they were in the right or not, the Lu family never dared argue with the Fang family.

Fang Yuan thought for a moment. “Mom, what’s my dad been up to lately?”

Mother Lu replied, “He’s been tending the fields and trees. Even when there’s no work, he finds something to do—can’t just sit around.”

Fang Yuan asked, “Mom, what do you think about having Dad work with me?”

Mother Lu got excited. “Of course! But… doing what?”

Fang Yuan explained, “I bought a mixer and need a family member to keep an eye on it. The pay isn’t much, but as long as the machine is running, there’s a wage. It’s steady work.”

Mother Lu immediately asked, “Where did you get the money for that?”

Fang Yuan admitted, “I’m a bit in debt.”

Mother Lu was instantly worried. “You’re in debt? What are we going to do?”

Fang Yuan reassured her, “It’s fine. I’m earning money every day, aren’t I?”

Mother Lu, for once, spoke firmly to Fang Yuan. “What do you mean, earning money? You’ve barely started and already you’re hiring people? If your dad’s not enough, I can help too. The priority is to pay off the debt.”

At this point, Mother Lu didn’t even mention splitting up the family, nor did she accuse her daughter-in-law of being reckless or getting into debt.

Maybe she really didn’t dare. But she was genuinely anxious.

They’d only had a few good days, and now they were in debt—it felt like the sky was falling.

Fang Yuan said, “Don’t worry, Mom. Once I get paid at the end of the month, I should be able to pay it off. After that, all the money will be profit.”

Mother Lu’s life experience told her that she wouldn’t feel secure until the debt was paid off.

When Lu Chuan came back, Mother Lu was already getting ready to pack up some clothes for Father Lu, so he could go into town and help his daughter-in-law make big money.

Mother Lu said to her son as he came in, “You two shouldn’t just rest at home. That machine is so expensive, and you don’t even have a family member watching it? How can you be so careless?”

Then she added, “Are you sure you don’t need me to come to town and help keep an eye on things? Don’t sleep too soundly at night—what if something gets stolen?”

It’s no wonder Mother Lu got along so well with Fang Yuan—they really thought alike.

(End of Chapter 69)"

"Chapter 70: You’re at Home—Where Else Would I Go?