Chapter 80: Standing in the Jianghu

Old Lu was delighted with this arrangement. He liked having something to do—it put his mind at ease. He patted his chest and promised, “Leave this to me. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything’s taken care of. We don’t need to charge them much, either.”

Fang Yuan said, “Dad, listen to me on this. Just don’t tire yourself out, that’s all I ask.”

Old Lu replied, “Don’t worry, I won’t overdo it.” Well, it seemed everything had already been settled with the other side.

From start to finish, this had nothing to do with Lu Chuan. As his son, he didn’t even get a chance to speak.

Wu Hu noticed it too—ever since Fang Yuan arrived, Uncle Lu seemed a lot more relaxed around here.

Wu Hu found it odd. Logically, Uncle Lu should feel more at ease with his own son, Lu Chuan, not with Fang Yuan.

It didn’t make sense that he got along better with Fang Yuan.

Wu Hu asked Fang Yuan about it. Fang Yuan just said, “Really? Well, we’re all family now. Isn’t this how it should be?”

Alright, asking his own sister was pointless—she’d never even consider such things. He’d asked the wrong person.

So Wu Hu turned to Lu Chuan. Lu Chuan just twitched his lips. How did Wu Hu even get the idea that his dad got along so well with Fang Yuan? As far as he could tell, his dad just followed orders and did whatever Fang Yuan wanted—there was no sense of self at all.

Of course, Old Lu and Fang Yuan did have something in common: they were both very careful about money.

But could he say that in front of Wu Hu? After thinking it over, Lu Chuan just said, “Maybe it’s fate.”

That answer was too deep, too broad—Wu Hu couldn’t grasp it at all. Every time his brother-in-law spoke like this, Wu Hu would just back off, thinking, “I don’t get it, better stay out of it.”

When Wu Hu was with Uncle Lu, he was especially polite. “Uncle, Fang Yuan’s just starting out in life. She’s bound to make mistakes. Please keep an eye on her and don’t just go along with everything she says. I think you’re spoiling her too much.”

Old Lu answered just like Fang Yuan did: “Isn’t that how it should be?”

Wu Hu started to think maybe he was overthinking things. The whole family seemed to think this was normal.

Wu Hu added modestly, “Actually, Fang Yuan doesn’t have much experience. Sometimes she should listen to my brother-in-law—he’s educated and knowledgeable.”

Old Lu replied, “That’s just because everyone gives him face. But in our family, we listen to Fang Yuan. Doesn’t matter how much experience you have.”

Then he added, “Fang Yuan’s got a good heart. She’s got sense, too.” Not a single bad word about his daughter-in-law.

Wu Hu just couldn’t believe it. Where was Fang Yuan’s “sense”? A good heart? As her brother, he’d never seen it—if anything, she was a bit black-hearted.

Then Old Lu continued, “I’m not just saying this because you’re here, nephew. Our family owes Fang Yuan. She’s always been good to your parents. Not just me—even Lu Chuan knows this. In this family, whatever Fang Yuan says goes.”

Wu Hu protested, “It’s not that serious… You should listen to whoever’s right, really.”

Old Lu looked at his nephew and said, “Let me put it this way: we’re happy to listen to Fang Yuan. It puts my mind at ease.”

Wu Hu stammered, “Well, um…” but couldn’t get anything else out.

Old Lu thought Wu Hu didn’t believe him, so he shyly shared his thoughts: “In our family, Fang Yuan’s the one with a good heart, who speaks sense and gets things done. She’s tougher than any of us. If I’d had half the backbone of her family, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did with my eldest.”

Every word was full of admiration for Fang Yuan. Wu Hu wondered if Uncle Lu was just saying this because he was there.

But Uncle Lu seemed like an honest man, right?

Who knows? When Old Lu said all this, his back was covered in sweat—he was terrified of upsetting his nephew.

Their whole family just followed Fang Yuan’s lead. They were all timid and cautious, and she was the only one bold enough to take charge—of course they had to go along with her.

But there was one thing Old Lu said that was sincere: their family owed Fang Yuan, so they couldn’t stand tall in front of her.

After Fang Yuan married Lu Chuan, Lu Chuan finally learned how to manage a household. The change made the old couple thank their ancestors every day.

In private, the old couple often said, “This daughter-in-law is great. We should do everything we can to keep her in the family.”

Forget about being a college graduate—even college graduates need to find a good wife.

The couple and Lu Chuan’s second uncle were all cut from the same cloth—they knew how to keep themselves happy.

After Wu Hu walked away, Lu Chuan came over and handed Old Lu a peach. “Dad, it’s fine. Wu Hu’s a good guy. He and Fang Yuan are twins—they’ve been close since they were kids.”

Old Lu said, “All the more reason not to say the wrong thing.”

Lu Chuan replied, “We’re treating their daughter well, being good relatives. No need to be nervous.”

Old Lu couldn’t bring himself to eat the peach. He pulled Lu Chuan aside and asked, “Son, tell me honestly—are you really treating her well, with all your heart?”

He just didn’t feel secure, so he felt guilty in front of them.

If his son went to college and started looking down on their girl, Old Lu would be even more afraid to speak up.

Lu Chuan was exasperated—was this really his dad? Did he really think so little of his character? “Dad, what are you talking about? What kind of person do you think I am?”

Of course, he only truly understood after seeing his father-in-law’s family’s strength. But that wasn’t something he could say out loud.

Old Lu said, “Good, good. That puts my mind at ease. Now I can relax around their nephew, too. Let me tell you, Fang Yuan really is great. Even if this hadn’t happened, I’d still listen to her—she always makes sense. That’s how you run a household. What our family lacks is someone like Fang Yuan to take the lead.”

He almost said, “Son, you should listen to Fang Yuan too, so she doesn’t get angry and I don’t have to worry.”

Lu Chuan said, “In our family, Fang Yuan listens to me.”

He even lifted his chin at Old Lu as he said it.

Old Lu looked at his second son and pretended not to hear. This kid had been to school too long and never suffered any setbacks.

With how fierce Fang Yuan could be, did he really think she’d listen to anyone? Even her own family couldn’t control her. Lu Chuan was brave to say that out loud.

Old Lu’s look was full of meaning, so complex that Lu Chuan didn’t catch on right away.

Old Lu kindly reminded his son, “In a marriage, it’s not about who listens to whom—it’s about listening to whoever makes sense. Don’t get hung up on this stuff.”

Lu Chuan understood—his dad didn’t believe Fang Yuan listened to him.

Old Lu still wasn’t reassured and tried to comfort his son: “Son, your wife has a good heart, and that’s the most important thing. As a man, you need to be broad-minded. When you have the skills your father-in-law has—when you can make sure your wife is well-fed and well-dressed—Fang Yuan will definitely be more willing to listen to you.”

Hearing this, Lu Chuan just snorted. That day might never come.

He’d already figured out his father-in-law’s status in their family. Too bad his own dad didn’t see it as clearly.

He tried to reassure Old Lu: “Dad, you’re overthinking it. Fang Yuan and I are doing great. We talk things over together.”

Old Lu looked at his son and thought, as long as you’re content, that’s good enough. If you want to save face, go ahead. Every man wants to keep his dignity.

Lu Chuan caught the look in his dad’s eyes and immediately understood—this was a topic the two of them would never see eye to eye on.

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81."

"Chapter 81: The Power of Conscience

Old Man Lu had been watching for a few days now and knew that his son and daughter-in-law didn’t have it easy. There’s no such thing as easy money.

He saw his son running all over the construction site, shouting orders until his mouth was dry, barely even having time for a sip of water.

His daughter-in-law, a woman, would grab a shovel and pitch in whenever they were short-handed on the site. It pained him to watch.

The eldest at home was always muttering—saying the eldest was born for a life of comfort, though who knew what comfort he was talking about. Waiting for pies to fall from the sky?

But with how the second son and his wife worked, it’d be hard for them not to prosper.

Of course, more than anything, as a father, he was proud.

His own son had made something of himself—so many people listened to his son’s instructions. In his whole life, Old Man Lu had never achieved anything like this.

He was genuinely happy deep down, but he didn’t dare show it on his face, didn’t dare boast.

He didn’t even dare discuss with his daughter-in-law about letting the eldest come over to earn some money together.

But seeing his second daughter-in-law working so hard, he did mention letting the third son come help out.

But Fang Yuan said, “He’s still a kid. How could we let him suffer and toil like this?”

Old Man Lu thought, now that’s what a good sister-in-law should be. Kids in the countryside have it tough no matter where they are.

Fang Yuan said, “My mom’s home alone, taking care of everything. Xiao San can help out at home.”

Lu Chuan said, “When Xiao San grows up, we’ll find him a reliable job.”

Old Man Lu hadn’t even thought that far ahead for his own son, but the second couple already had.

Fang Yuan, for her part, had also come to appreciate Old Man Lu’s character—he worked hard and was dependable.

She heard that the concrete mixer was hers and had nothing to do with her husband; the money earned was rental income.

Old Man Lu had even bought a notebook with his own money, carefully recording exactly how many hours the mixer worked each day for Fang Yuan. The accounts were clear and transparent.

Fang Yuan thought to herself, “Isn’t this exactly the kind of person I was looking for?”

When Lu Chuan saw that notebook, his view of his father changed. To put it nicely, it was integrity; to put it less nicely, it was like he’d forgotten his own son just because someone else was paying him.

But Old Man Lu said, Fang Yuan’s business was family business.

He wasn’t after his son’s wages.

Wu Hu also picked up on the situation: outsiders—meaning him and his brother-in-law—were earning money together, but the uncle was honest and clear about what belonged to whom. Turns out, he himself was the one lowering his brother-in-law’s value.

The two brothers watched Old Man Lu diligently bustling around Fang Yuan and the mixer, not sure whether to admire Old Man Lu or Fang Yuan—how did they end up as partners?

Old Lady Lu had sent over meat rolls twice, both times Fang Yuan’s favorite.

She was all about her daughter-in-law, never once mentioning Old Man Lu.

Work was going smoothly, but the only regret was the season—every few days it would rain. Whenever that happened, Fang Yuan would get especially anxious.

She’d say, “I’m a country girl, I know crops need rain. Let it rain then. But why can’t it rain at night and be sunny during the day? It really holds up the work.”

Wu Hu scratched his head. “Good thing you’re not a landlord, or you’d work people to death. Doesn’t everyone have a family? Don’t they need to go home sometimes? It’s a good chance for everyone to rest.”

Fang Yuan got anxious. “Can this big guy of mine rest? It does the work of several people a day!”

Old Man Lu couldn’t eat or sleep well either. “Exactly. If a family had several grown men sitting around like this, wouldn’t they eat themselves into poverty?”

Then he added, “Rain at night would be perfect. Look at us common folks—we haven’t forgotten our roots just to make money. We’re not hoping for no rain, are we?”

Wu Hu thought, you really don’t have a leg to stand on in front of Fang Yuan. Your words aren’t exactly neutral.

Lu Chuan said, “As long as it doesn’t delay our schedule, don’t worry. If you feel bad for your machine sitting idle, I’ll make it up to you when we split the money.”

Fang Yuan replied, “You think your money is really yours? It’s all mine.”

Wu Hu looked at his brother-in-law, then at Old Man Lu, wanting to pull Fang Yuan aside and tell her to watch her words.

But Old Man Lu actually said, “A man’s earnings all go to the family. What’s yours is yours. How to spend it is up to Fang Yuan. It’s just money, what’s there to argue about?”

Lu Chuan didn’t say anything at the time, but he was a bit frustrated. When it came time to split the money, he’d show them what he was capable of—show them that his earnings were worth more than a concrete mixer.

He even thought, if he really couldn’t match up, he’d talk to Wu Hu about borrowing some money, just to save face.

Let them see what he could do.

But then Lu Chuan realized he never even got the chance to save face.

Fang Yuan, after working with him, didn’t learn much else, but she sure learned how to keep accounts and track work hours.

When Lu Chuan paid the workers, Fang Yuan would stand by with her own notebook, cross-checking with his.

Wu Hu was amazed. “You can do this? You never did this before.”

Especially since her math wasn’t great—could she really get it right?

But that would be too hurtful to say, and he didn’t want to embarrass his sister, so Wu Hu kept quiet.

Fang Yuan said, “I didn’t know before because I never needed to. Now that I do, I’ve learned. Besides, as long as it’s about money, I don’t get it wrong.”

Lu Chuan thought this was some kind of obsession with money—almost miraculous.

Wu Hu marveled, “If our math teacher had made all the problems about money, maybe you could’ve gotten into college.”

Fang Yuan nodded. “If the teacher let me do the math with real money during exams, I’d have done great.”

Lu Chuan rubbed his forehead. “Let’s just leave it at that. Even if the teacher said so, it wouldn’t count. So this is how you do your calculations?”

Fang Yuan nodded. “Fifteen times twenty-five is hard for me, but if it’s fifteen yuan a day for twenty-five days, that’s easy. If I give someone too little, my conscience bothers me. If I give too much, I can’t sleep.”

Lu Chuan was impressed, and Wu Hu even more so. That kind of integrity is rare.

Old Man Lu truly admired his daughter-in-law. “That’s the power of conscience in our family’s Fang Yuan.”

Wu Hu turned and left. Watching how Old Man Lu interacted with his sister made him uneasy. At most, this was the power of money.

He almost thought his mother had given birth to a saint, not Fang Yuan. She could do no wrong.

Lu Chuan was uneasy too—his dad was completely taken in by Fang Yuan.

When Lu Chuan’s project was halfway done, they paid him half the contract money.

They were polite to Lu Chuan, mainly because he did a great job and kept things on schedule.

The site management was also different—people thought Lu Chuan’s crew was especially professional.

Of course, a big part of it was the mixer—Fang Yuan’s pursuit of quality paid off.

After paying the workers, the two brothers sat down and split the remaining money, not holding anything back.

Mainly, Lu Chuan couldn’t stand being looked down on by Fang Yuan and his own father anymore. The way they looked at him said he wasn’t capable of making much money.

Wu Hu held over a thousand yuan, feeling it was unreal. “Isn’t this money a bit too easy?”

He thought, this was enough for Lu Chuan to marry my sister five times over. The amount was shocking.

At least he knew Lu Chuan didn’t want to hear any more of Fang Yuan’s metaphors, so he didn’t say it out loud.

82."

"Chapter 82: What’s Within Sight, What’s Beyond