Chapter 90: The Highlight Moment

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Five Tigers recruited several skilled and reputable craftsmen to their side. The project’s progress picked up immediately.

When the work was completed, the supervisor was even happier than Lu Chuan and the Five Tigers, and the payment was settled without a hitch.

He even said that it was thanks to Lu Chuan and the Five Tigers’ careful work that there were no work stoppages—otherwise, both sides would have suffered losses. He said he’d really found the right people for the job.

The Five Tigers were secretly delighted. Who could disagree? Even he hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.

Lu Chuan, on his end, smiled modestly and responded politely, “It was you who gave us this opportunity. We owe it all to you that we were able to find work here in the county.”

Just like that, he gave the supervisor all the credit, and the supervisor responded just as courteously, “It’s because you, little brother, do things so reliably. You deserve to stand out.”

The Five Tigers learned something new—so this is how you’re supposed to talk in these situations.

On the way back with the money, the Five Tigers were full of admiration for Lu Chuan. “Brother-in-law, just following you, even if I don’t learn anything else, just learning how to talk is worth it.”

Thinking of Fang Yuan’s expression when she saw the money, Lu Chuan felt happy inside. “No use buttering me up, Fifth Brother. I’m not going to give you a bigger share.”

The Five Tigers were excited. “How is it no use? Just look at how you sweet-talked my mom and my sister. If I had your skills, imagine how good my life would be!”

Lu Chuan just took it as a compliment.

Then came the highlight moment: the two brothers handed out the workers’ wages, and everyone left happy.

They paid Fang Yuan the rental fee for the mixer, and even gave Old Man Lu a fifty-yuan bonus.

Fang Yuan counted her money, squinting with delight—this really was a money-maker. No wonder she’d invested so much in it.

Old Man Lu tried to push the fifty yuan back. “No, no, I can’t take this. What’s this for?”

Lu Chuan spoke up, “Dad, you take it. You deserve it. If you hadn’t kept such a close eye on things, this job wouldn’t have gone so smoothly for us brothers.”

The Five Tigers chimed in, “Uncle, we really owe this smooth job to you. You should take it. If Lu Chuan isn’t shy about saying it, that shows how much you contributed.”

But Old Man Lu insisted, “Wasn’t that just my duty? Take it back.”

The Five Tigers pressed, “Uncle, you should take it. You earned it.”

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan was also trying to give Old Man Lu money, making his face scrunch up. “Am I double-dipping here? I’ve never done anything like this in my life!”

Lu Chuan looked at his dad, unable to keep a straight face. You really dare to say anything.

The Five Tigers burst out laughing. “Just think of it as us juniors showing our respect. When Lu Chuan goes back to school, we’ll still need your help on the site.”

Old Man Lu quickly shook his head, wanting no part of it. “No, no, no, I have to watch Fang Yuan’s mixer.”

The Five Tigers said, “It won’t interfere with watching the mixer. You can keep an eye on the site while you’re at it.”

Fang Yuan added, “Dad, just take it. Later, we won’t have you working for free—let’s have them pay you a wage, two yuan a day.”

That amount, Old Man Lu could accept without feeling awkward. “I’ll listen to Fang Yuan. After work, I’ll spend a bit more time on site.” He wasn’t about to take money for nothing.

The Five Tigers teased Lu Chuan, “Your words don’t work with Uncle.”

It was true—Fang Yuan’s words were more effective. No matter what Lu Chuan said, his uncle wouldn’t take the money, but when Fang Yuan spoke, he listened.

The Five Tigers were thoroughly impressed. With Fang Yuan’s temper and simple-mindedness, she’d somehow ended up with a family like this.

Then the brothers started splitting the money, and Old Man Lu left to avoid any awkwardness.

He knew Lu Chuan had made good money, and as a father, he couldn’t have been happier.

He’d never given his parents any trouble growing up, and now he was in college, earning money while studying—what father wouldn’t be proud?

He had three sons, and he’d done his best for each of them. He and his wife had never planned to have one son support another, but the eldest had always grumbled about it in private.

Old Man Lu used to say that marrying off the eldest had cost as much as sending the second to school.

Now he didn’t dare say that anymore—who the wedding money had really gone to was a messy account.

After spending some time out with his second daughter-in-law, Old Man Lu already had a hundred yuan in his pocket, and he felt much more confident.

Once they saved a bit more after the autumn harvest, when it was time for the youngest to get married, at least they wouldn’t have to borrow all the money.

As for the second son’s schooling, Old Man Lu had completely let go of his worries—the second couple really didn’t lack money anymore.

After splitting the money, Lu Chuan didn’t even look at it—he just handed it straight to Fang Yuan. He was just the god of wealth passing through.

Fang Yuan took the money, grinning from ear to ear. Last time they’d used their share to pay off debts, but this time, the money was theirs to save. “We’ve really found the right path—this is real money.”

The Five Tigers handed over his share too. “Ahem, you hold onto this for me as well.”

Fang Yuan glared at the money in his hand. “You want me to hold it? You trust me?”

The Five Tigers replied, “Why not? You think you’d dare steal from me?”

Fang Yuan looked at the money, tempted. “No, Fifth Brother, this is quite a sum together. Is it enough to buy…?”

The Five Tigers quickly stopped her. “We’re not buying anything, and we’re not running up debts. I’ll keep my money, and you just let brother-in-law earn more.”

If he really gave the money to Fang Yuan, it’d be a case of trusting the wrong person.

Fang Yuan didn’t mention how many mixers this money could buy. Instead, she asked, “You have money—why don’t you give it to Mom?”

The Five Tigers raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new one. Did the eldest give his earnings to Mom?”

Fang Yuan said, “He’s married.”

The Five Tigers replied, “I’m going to get married too.”

Fang Yuan’s tone turned sharp. “You don’t trust Mom.”

The Five Tigers said, “Can’t I just value our relationship? If Mom got impulsive and gave the money to one of the other brothers, where would I go to regret it?”

Fang Yuan was just as blunt. “That can’t happen.”

The Five Tigers retorted coolly, “When Mom gave you money, did the others know?”

That question was a bit too sharp.

Fang Yuan shook her head. If Mom could give it to her, she could give it to someone else too. She was convinced by Fifth Brother. “Fifth Brother, you’d better give me the money. I’ll keep it for you. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll waste it.”

And so Lu Chuan witnessed the whole process of the siblings’ lack of trust in their parents.

Holding so much money, Fang Yuan felt a bit dazed. “Does this count as striking it rich?” Then she ran off to deposit the money—she didn’t feel safe carrying it around.

Watching Fang Yuan clutch the money, the Five Tigers were just as happy as Lu Chuan and went with her to deposit it.

Fang Yuan held two bankbooks, suddenly realizing, “So I’m just helping Fifth Brother hide his bankbook.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but laugh. Otherwise, did she think she’d help him spend it? Fifth Brother probably wouldn’t agree to that.

The Five Tigers said, “What more do you want? That’s a lot of trust. If you weren’t my real sister, you wouldn’t get this job.”

Fang Yuan snorted, “True, even Mom never got a straight answer.”

Lu Chuan burst out laughing."

"**Chapter 91: Not Willing to Give Face Anymore**

After getting down to business, Wu Hu said, “Everything’s arranged at the construction site. Brother-in-law, you’ll have to work a bit harder these next few days. Let’s get things up and running together before you start school. Once you’re gone, I’m worried I won’t be able to handle it all myself.”

Lu Chuan was thinking the same thing. “Of course, that’s how it should be.”

Fang Yuan added, “Before school starts, you’ll need to set aside a few days. There’s always stuff to get ready.”

Lu Chuan couldn’t help but smile a little sheepishly—Fang Yuan really had him in her heart, always thinking about his needs.

Wu Hu glanced at the two of them. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not Huang Shiren, you know.”

Wu Hu, who was definitely not Huang Shiren, didn’t let Lu Chuan go until three days before school started.

And that wasn’t all—he even made a little notebook and had Lu Chuan write down all the important things to remember. Just in case something urgent came up, he wanted to be able to reach Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan said, “The university in the provincial capital isn’t that far. I can come back on weekends. Fifth Brother, I’ll be counting on you.”

Then, leaving his brother-in-law and father behind, he took his wife and headed home.

Fang Yuan was always thinking ahead. “I used to think that if we had the means, we could get a house in the township. But now, it looks like we won’t be staying there much anyway.”

Lu Chuan was thinking even further ahead than Fang Yuan. “Let’s wait and see. We can talk about the house later.”

Fang Yuan suggested, “Let’s buy one in the county.”

Originally, Lu Chuan had wanted to buy a house in the township so his father-in-law’s family could help look after Fang Yuan. But now, after all those years of university ahead, he didn’t want to be separated from her.

Lu Chuan said, “There’s not much work in the county, so buying here isn’t much different from buying in the township. The main thing is, we’re not exactly flush with cash. Let’s see how this batch of work goes first, and maybe budget a bit more.”

Fang Yuan agreed, “That’s true. We can’t let people say we got a bit of money and started showing off.”

Lu Chuan pursed his lips and just grinned. “My wife really has foresight.”

Fang Yuan knew her own worth. “That sounds a bit weird coming from you.”

Lu Chuan coughed. “So, what did you buy at the department store? Did you get anything for Mom?”

At this, Fang Yuan perked up. “I did! I bought some sewing supplies.”

Lu Chuan thought that was a bit meager. “That’s all for work. Didn’t you get her any clothes? I’ve troubled your mom so much, and she’s given me so much meat sauce. Shouldn’t we show some appreciation?”

Fang Yuan said, “My mom doesn’t care about that stuff.”

Lu Chuan felt that wasn’t quite right and tried to reason with her. “It’s not about the stuff, it’s about the thought.”

Fang Yuan replied, “When it comes to money, listen to me.”

Lu Chuan said, “Of course I’ll listen to you. But we still need to do the right thing. We need to let Mom know we care about her.”

Lu Chuan wanted to make a good impression on his mother-in-law.

Fang Yuan’s tone turned a bit cold. “My mom sent word: don’t bring anything when you come back. My big brother didn’t get much money, and if we show up with bags of stuff, my mom says it’ll make him look bad.”

Lu Chuan nodded—so that was the concern. “Then how about just giving Mom some money?” He really was asking for her opinion.

Fang Yuan said, “For my mom, I’m willing. And for your mom, I’m willing too, don’t worry.”

Lu Chuan replied, “Of course I’m not worried.” But he didn’t dare ask how much Fang Yuan had set aside for her mother.

Then Lu Chuan carefully asked, “Mom even told you about this?”

Fang Yuan said, “Yeah. Otherwise, if I upset my big brother, would that be good? My brother only cares about two things: money and saving face. When he doesn’t mess with me, I always give him face.”

There was a lot of meaning in those words, but unfortunately, Lu Chuan didn’t think too deeply about it.

Lu Chuan figured, since there was no money for the brother, at least don’t make him lose face. But honestly, there wasn’t much left over anyway.

The county and the township weren’t far apart, and everyone worked in the same business, so gossip never stopped.

When they arrived at Fang’s house, Fang Daleng had just come back from work. Seeing his son-in-law, he called out, “Lu Chuan, you’re back! Staying for a few days? School’s starting soon, right?”

As for Fang Yuan, even though Fang Daleng didn’t greet her, he looked her up and down several times, clearly worried about his daughter. “My girl’s been working out in the sun at the construction site, but she looks even prettier.”

Fang Yuan acted like she didn’t hear him. “Where’s Mom?” Clearly, she wasn’t the doting daughter type.

Wang Cuixiang came in from outside. “She’s not lost. Let your husband go inside and rest.”

If it were any other daughter, she’d probably stomp her foot and complain her parents were playing favorites.

But Fang Yuan just said to Lu Chuan, “Go inside, so Mom and Dad don’t have to say anything.”

Wang Cuixiang looked at her daughter, and so did Fang Daleng. They didn’t know how to smooth things over for her.

With a daughter like this, could she really keep hold of a college boy? It was enough to make them anxious. As Lu Chuan’s school start date approached, the couple felt more and more uneasy.

Lu Chuan was very obedient. “Mom, you and Fang Yuan talk. I’ll go inside first.”

Just like that, he really did go inside. Did he agree with Fang Yuan, or was he just going along with her? Hard to say.

Fang Daleng said, “Wife, do you think this is a case of the pot fitting the lid, or the lid fitting the pot?”

Wang Cuixiang replied, “Do you think your daughter is the lid that matches your son-in-law, or the pot that matches him?”

That was a deep question, and even the rough-and-tumble Fang Daleng was left speechless.

Fang Yuan interrupted, “What are you two talking about? Mom, make something to eat. We’ll head back to the village soon.”

Wang Cuixiang said, “I know, you should go back and check in. Your sister-in-law is cooking in the other room. We’ll eat there in a bit.”

Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Which sister-in-law?”

Wang Cuixiang glanced at her daughter, knowing she was looking for trouble. “Your eldest brother’s wife.”

Fang Yuan’s face darkened. As for her eldest brother, fine, but she wasn’t about to give this sister-in-law any face. “Not going.”

Wang Cuixiang said, “Aren’t you something? Go wash your hands. Are you waiting for your sister-in-law to invite you?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Even if she invites me, I’m not going. If there’s no food at home, we’ll just leave.” Then she called out, “Lu Chuan, come out, we’re going home.”

Fang Daleng grabbed his daughter. “Wait, wait, what did your brother do to upset you? Don’t be like this. Dad’s here, I’ll sort him out.”

Fang Yuan said, “I just don’t want to give him face. Didn’t you say, when a daughter gets married, she should still be treated well when she comes home?”

Fang Daleng said, “I did say that. My daughter should be treated like this. Which brat upset you?”

Fang Yuan replied, “It’s not a brat, it’s your son. We never learned to cater to little brothers-in-law, did we?”

Fang Daleng immediately shut up. He glanced at Wang Cuixiang, then said with a dark face, “Wife, Fang Yuan’s home, so we’ll eat here.”

Fang Yuan pulled out ten yuan and stuffed it into Fang Daleng’s hand. “I want to be good to my parents. I don’t need to look at anyone else’s face, and I’m done with it.”

Just as Lu Chuan came out, he saw Fang Yuan bickering with her parents. What should he do? He was at a loss.

Wang Cuixiang said, “You don’t want your big brother to use your mixer anymore?”

That’s a mother for you—she knew exactly where her daughter’s soft spot was.

Fang Yuan replied, “If he really needs it, we’ll talk then.”

But that wouldn’t do. Lu Chuan said, “Ahem, it’s been a while since I talked to Big Brother.”

Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow—whose side was Lu Chuan on? Was he undermining her? Did he even know what it meant to be a couple? She glared at him.

Lu Chuan didn’t say another word. Sure, his wife was his, but her temper was all thanks to her father-in-law’s spoiling.

92."

"**Chapter 92: When Children Grow Up, They’re No Longer Their Mother’s to Control**

Fang Yuan’s words didn’t just leave Lu Chuan speechless—they also stunned Fang Daleng and Wang Cuixiang. Their eldest had made a mess of things, and now their daughter was holding a grudge.

Wang Cuixiang was helpless with her daughter. “Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll cook at home. We’ll eat before you leave.”

Fang Daleng tried to negotiate with his daughter. “How about I go tell your eldest brother to come over for dinner?” He didn’t even dare mention the eldest brother’s wife.

Lu Chuan was worried Fang Yuan would snap at her father with something like, “Why not invite my eldest brother’s brother-in-law too?” That would make things impossible to smooth over.

He quickly jumped in, “Dad, are second, third, and fourth brother all home? Let’s all get together and make it lively. Otherwise, I’ll have to head back to school, and who knows, maybe I won’t be home again until New Year’s.”

He glanced at Fang Yuan as he finished, “Fang Yuan will be at home, so I’ll have to trouble you and her brothers to look after her.”

Wang Cuixiang silently watched her daughter’s reaction. Fang Yuan didn’t say a word and just went inside. That was already giving Lu Chuan face.

But Wang Cuixiang didn’t feel happy at all. Her daughter wouldn’t listen to anyone, yet she’d actually listened to her son-in-law. Wasn’t that being completely taken in by him?

She almost wished her daughter had insisted on eating alone as a family. This meal, Wang Cuixiang ate with a hundred mixed feelings.

Her son-in-law was about to leave for university. From now on, the girls he’d meet would all be educated, all kinds of people.

Could her own daughter really keep him? Once her son-in-law was out in the world, it would all depend on his conscience.

No parent could feel at ease with that. The match had been a good one, maybe even too good. Wang Cuixiang was starting to regret it.

But there was no one who could understand what Wang Cuixiang was feeling.

Lu Chuan couldn’t let his father-in-law go call the sons for dinner. He said, “Dad, Fang Yuan’s been talking about you the whole time she was away—she must really miss you. I’ll go call her brothers and sisters-in-law, you go chat with Fang Yuan.”

Fang Daleng thought to himself, “Don’t I know my own daughter? If she missed me, she wouldn’t say it—she’d just ride her bike home to see me.”

But he was happy enough to go back inside. He liked the way his son-in-law talked. The key thing was that his daughter hadn’t objected to inviting the sisters-in-law.

When Lu Chuan walked into the eldest brother’s room, Fang Laoda’s expression changed several times. Lu Chuan was doing well in the county with the Five Tigers. News traveled slowly in the countryside, but what needed to be known was known.

And they were all in the same business. Compared to Lu Chuan, he just couldn’t measure up.

Back when things were divided up, he was the one everyone looked up to. Lu Chuan wasn’t even on his level. Now the tables had turned, and he felt embarrassed without anyone saying a word.

Still, he managed to greet Lu Chuan without losing face. “You’re back. Where’s Fang Yuan?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Big Brother, Fang Yuan missed Dad, she’s chatting with him now. I came to invite you and Sister-in-law over for dinner. I’ll be heading back to school soon, and while Fang Yuan’s at home, I’ll have to ask you both to look after her.”

Fang Daleng’s face brightened. “You don’t need to say that. Fang Yuan won’t be mistreated. No matter what kind of temper she has, your sister-in-law wouldn’t dare neglect her.”

Lu Chuan laughed. That was as straightforward as it got.

He said, “Fang Yuan’s just a bit childish. Even I get a scolding or two from her. Luckily, Sister-in-law is good-natured and doesn’t take it to heart.”

Fang Laoda shot Lu Chuan a look. “No need for all that talk. You can rest easy. She’s the only girl in the family. Even if I wanted to make things hard for her, I couldn’t.”

Lu Chuan was left a bit speechless—his wife’s temper really was something, and no one dared cross her.

He went to invite his sister-in-law over. She looked a bit embarrassed.

Her sister-in-law had been giving her the cold shoulder for ages, and she had no idea why. “Alright, I’ll bring over the dishes I’ve made.”

Lu Chuan thought, at least things looked harmonious on the surface. Still, it was a family.

When he went to the second and third brothers, they came right away. The rest didn’t even need to be called.

Lu Chuan could see that the second and third sisters-in-law were all trying to please Fang Yuan, while the eldest sister-in-law looked a bit sour.

Wang Cuixiang watched her rowdy sons and said to her daughter, “Be smart. I’ve seen through it—if you and your brothers keep your distance, things will last longer.”

Counting on the brothers to make money together was a pipe dream. Better to look after yourself. Wang Cuixiang had seen it all before.

Fang Yuan replied, “Don’t worry. I’m like Big Brother—I care about money. Even if I wanted to get close, it wouldn’t be easy.”

Wang Cuixiang wanted to smack her. “Do you have to drag your brother into this?”

Fang Yuan said, “Is it my fault? Just to save his pride, I can’t even be filial to Mom and Dad? When has he ever been more domineering than me?”

Wang Cuixiang said, “Forget I said anything. Just shut up.”

Fang Yuan actually listened and shut up. But she still didn’t give her sister-in-law any face.

Lu Chuan hoped Fang Yuan would stay close to her family. While he was away, she’d have someone to rely on.

But if she was mistreated, Lu Chuan wouldn’t be happy either.

He chatted with his brothers-in-law, trying to smooth over the awkwardness of the past two months, taking responsibility for everything.

Fang Laoda was a deep one, just like Fang Yuan said—he cared about face.

He never said he was having a hard time or needed help, so Lu Chuan couldn’t offer either.

The fourth brother wanted to get closer to Lu Chuan, but Wang Cuixiang cut him off.

So nothing really progressed, but the second and third brothers could see that their brother-in-law wasn’t petty—he hadn’t taken any of it to heart.

Unfortunately, it was obvious Lu Chuan wasn’t the one in charge at home—he was watching Fang Yuan’s face the whole time. That made them a little uncomfortable.

The problem was, their sister was tough with outsiders and even tougher with her own family—she was hard to please.

They all knew what kind of temper Fang Yuan had. There wasn’t much they could do.

Fang Laoda understood what his brothers were thinking. He could keep the younger ones in line, and that was his skill. “Brother-in-law, I appreciate your intentions. I’m only capable of so much. I can manage in the village, but I don’t dare to think bigger.”

The second and third brothers heard this and immediately gave up on their plans.

The fourth brother was anxious. Work in the county was good, and Lu Chuan was famous now. If he could just say a word, they’d have work. Why wouldn’t he bring it up?

Fang Yuan started putting food on Lu Chuan’s plate, meaning: shut up, don’t push it—it’s not a business deal.

Lu Chuan thought a lot—Fang Yuan had never been this nice to him before, even serving him food. She must be reluctant to see him go back to school. He glanced at her shyly, again and again.

Never mind his brothers-in-law—his whole attention was on Fang Yuan.

His wife handed him a bite of food, and he could imagine a whole romantic scene.

Then, at the table, Lu Chuan said, “Fang Yuan, which dish do you like? I’ll get it for you.”

Everyone looked at him—did Fang Yuan really need anyone to serve her food at home?

Fang Yuan said, “Eat your own.”

Lu Chuan started serving her anyway. Honestly, there weren’t that many dishes—there was no need to be so protective.

[End of Chapter 92]"

"Chapter 93: Revitalizing the Family Business