“Ouch, ouch.” Lu Xiaowu clutched his forehead, his vision going dark, nearly fainting.
Wang Xiaofeng hurriedly rushed to support him. “Xiaowu, are you alright?”
Lu Xiaowu leaned against her, glaring at the newspaper in her hand, his teeth grinding in fury. “You ungrateful beast!”
“I’ll beat you to death today!”
Just thinking about it made him furious. Half a year ago, he’d scolded the boy a few times, and the very next day, the little wretch had published a notice in the newspaper severing their father-son relationship.
Because of that, he’d become the biggest laughingstock of the entire compound!
Wang Xiaofeng quickly made a show of trying to stop him. “Hey, hey, hey, Xiaowu, the child is still young and doesn’t understand things yet. We can teach him slowly.”
Hearing this, Lu Xiaowu’s nose nearly twisted with rage. “Young?”
“He’s twenty years old this year—how is that young? Guys his age in the compound are already fathers!”
Lu Zhaoheng felt sick just looking at these two. “Marriage? Well, I’d have to pick carefully. I can’t just marry the family’s maid like you did, right?”
“Then end up like you, having two brats to raise. I wouldn’t want to live like that.”
Lu Xiaowu clenched his jaw so hard his cheeks bulged. “I’ll beat you to death!”
Lu Zhaoheng caught his arm and swung a punch back. “Bam—”
Lu Xiaowu’s vision went black, and he stumbled and fell.
Wang Xiaofeng screamed and rushed to help him. “Ah—”
“Xiaowu! Xiaowu!”
Lu Zhaoheng withdrew his fist. “You think you can fight me?”
“You think I’m as useless as your son?”
Wang Xiaofeng gritted her molars, seething with hatred. She hated it. She hated it all.
She had originally been the Lu family’s maid. Taking advantage of Lu Zhaoheng’s mother’s pregnancy, she’d crawled into Lu Xiaowu’s bed.
Her son, Lu Lianjie, was only a month younger than Lu Zhaoheng.
Same father, yet his looks weren’t as good, his height wasn’t as tall, and as for ability—there was no comparison at all.
“Stop, Xiaowu. The child doesn’t understand. We’ll teach him slowly.”
Lu Zhaoheng swept a cold glance over her. “Shut up. Who gave you the right to speak?”
“You… you…” Lu Xiaowu clutched his chest, nearly choking on his breath and passing out.
Lu Zhaoheng said calmly, “We’ve already severed ties. If you two try to claim any relation again, I’ll publish a notice in the newspaper every day for a month.”
Lu Xiaowu felt like he was dying. “You… you…”
What a curse!
Just then, Old Master Lu and the eldest son and his wife returned.
The eldest aunt-in-law smiled warmly at her nephew. “Hengheng, you’re back?”
Lu Zhaoheng walked over. “Aunt-in-law.”
The blatant difference in treatment made Lu Xiaowu’s face sting even more. He pointed at Lu Zhaoheng again.
“Didn’t you sever ties with me? Then why are you still calling her aunt-in-law?”
Wang Xiaofeng silently rolled her eyes. Why? Obviously because he couldn’t bear to give up the Lu family’s wealth and status!
Just as despicable as his mother—the man didn’t even love her anymore, yet she stubbornly refused to divorce!
Lu Zhaoheng nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s right. You make a very good point.”
“In that case, I’ll just have to find myself a new set of parents.”
Father Lu: “?”
Was that even human speech?
He couldn’t understand a single word!
Lu Zhaoheng looked at his uncle and aunt. “Uncle, I think you and Aunt are pretty great. What do you think of me?”
Father Lu: “!”
Lu Xiaowen smiled. “Sure. With a son this outstanding, only a blind man would refuse.”
The eldest aunt-in-law shot a subtle glance at that Wang woman, then broke into a smile herself. “Of course, absolutely. A son this good—I’d be thrilled to have him.”
Lu Xiaowu’s mouth twitched violently. “You… Brother… Sister-in-law…”
It was bad enough that his brother and sister-in-law were joining in, but even the old man had to add to the chaos.
“Hmm, I think it works too. A grandson this good—I wouldn’t dream of giving him up.”
Wang Xiaofeng stood there, feeling like the biggest joke in the world.
Her fingers dug deep into her palms. At this moment, she was consumed with hatred.
Lu Zhaoheng flashed a wide grin and immediately knelt before his uncle and aunt. “Dad! Mom!”
Lu Xiaowu’s vision went black, and he finally fainted completely.
Wang Xiaofeng hurriedly called for help. “Quick! Someone come quick!”
Once the two troublemakers were gone, Old Master Lu called his grandson into his room.
“Tell me, what was it this time?”
Lu Zhaoheng stood there in silence.
Seeing his grandson like this, the old man already knew the reason.
He couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh. “Ah—”
His son had made this mess—what else could he do? As the grandfather, he’d just have to clean it up.
It wasn’t like it was the first time.
“Forget it. You don’t need to worry about this. I’ll—”
Lu Zhaoheng cut him off directly. “Grandfather, I want to go to the countryside.”
Grandfather Lu was stunned. “What? Where do you want to go?”
Why on earth would he want to go to the countryside?
He looked at his silent grandson, his heart giving a sudden lurch. “Any news?”
Lu Zhaoheng remained silent. “Grandfather, I need to go to Yuzhong Province. Please make the arrangements for me.”
“And also, this matter—no one else can know about it.”
The old man let out another sigh. “Ah—”
“Fine, I understand.”
Shen Zhiyi, along with the villagers from the brigade, bought a straw hat, a handbasket, a straw mat, and a bamboo curtain.
Two wooden basins, two buckets, and a ceramic vat for holding water.
All these things together cost less than five yuan—there was really no one else like her.
She had just returned to the educated youth point when Liu Peilan blocked her way. “Oh, where have you been? You didn’t even eat.”
Shen Zhiyi let out a cold laugh. “What? Are you the landlord and I your hired hand? Do I have to report to you wherever I go?”
Back then, everyone took pride in being poor—landlord? Wouldn’t that make you a rightist?
Liu Peilan’s face changed. “I didn’t say that! Don’t talk nonsense!”
She licked her lips awkwardly. “It’s like this—the chores at the educated youth point are shared by everyone. Yours have already been assigned. They’re posted behind the kitchen door. Go take a look yourself.”
A rich young lady?
She’d still fallen right into her hands, to be toyed with however she pleased!
Just thinking about the work she’d arranged for the other girl tomorrow made her want to throw her head back and crow with glee.
Under the eaves, Zhang Sumei and Zhou Hong watched the scene, both stifling their laughter, feeling immensely satisfied inside.
How ungrateful. Coming to the educated youth point and not getting along with everyone—what was there to be so high and mighty about?
Well, now she’d be hauling manure.
Shen Zhiyi refused her outright. “No need.”
“As for me, I’m allergic to scallions, ginger, and garlic when I eat. So from now on, I plan to cook for myself. I won’t be eating with you all.”
The three who had been waiting to watch the show all froze at once. Cook for herself?
Zhang Sumei bit her lip. As the saying went, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse—had He Zhiyi brought quite a bit of money and ration tickets when she came down to the countryside?
She was going to set up her own kitchen?
Liu Peilan blurted out instinctively, “No way!”