Blood rushed to his head. His vision went black again and again. Li Shichuan clutched his chest, his eyes filled with despair.
He had been clever all his life—how had he ended up with such a stupid daughter? Lu Hansheng had been sharp as well. Could it be that Lu Shiyin had secretly found another man and given birth to this child behind his back?
An idiot. A complete idiot!
“Did I really do something wrong?” Lu Shiman said. “If I didn’t get rid of those things, we’d all be sent down sooner or later. I did it for our own good.”
“Hurry up and praise me.”
Seeing that he was on the verge of fainting, Lu Shiman laughed inwardly. If she didn’t anger this old bastard to death, then everything she had done would be for nothing.
Li Shichuan took a deep breath, forced a stiff smile, and nodded against his will. “Very good. You know how to think for the family.”
Even if all those antique furnishings were gone, it didn’t matter. She still had a huge sum of money in her hands—and that alone was enough to get her sent down.
“I knew you’d praise me,” Lu Shiman said cheerfully. “Oh right, there’s one more thing I need to tell you, Dad.”
She wiped away the two tears on her face and patted her chest proudly.
“I donated all the money yesterday. They said it couldn’t be kept—otherwise it would all become evidence.”
“Aren’t I amazing?”
That smug, self-satisfied expression, the radiant smile on her face, burned straight into Li Shichuan’s eyes.
“I—” Li Shichuan clutched his heart. His vision went black, and he collapsed, completely unconscious.
Idiot. This huge idiot!
“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” She rushed over, looking anxiously at Li Shichuan.
Xiang Hongmei panicked as well. “Quick, take the master to the hospital!”
If he died, what would she do in the future? She was counting on Brother Chuan to take her to Hong Kong to enjoy life—she didn’t want to spend her days bent over the fields, facing the dirt.
Lu Shiman frowned, looking troubled. “But I donated all the money yesterday. We don’t have any money now.”
“Maybe we should save a bit. I’ve seen people faint on the street—I know how to wake them up.”
As she spoke, she tapped her head, looking as if she had just had a realization.
Before Xiang Hongmei could react, Lu Shiman reached out and pinched Li Shichuan hard on the philtrum with her thumb. A pampered young miss who never did manual labor had exquisitely kept hands, her nails smooth and long.
With the intention of tormenting Li Shichuan as much as possible, she used extra force. Her nail dug fiercely into his philtrum, and in an instant a bloody mark appeared where she pressed.
The intense pain jolted Li Shichuan awake at once. “What are you doing?!”
He flew into a rage. His chest spasmed again and again, his vision swam, yet the pain at his philtrum was impossible to ignore.
“Master, are you all right?” Xiang Hongmei burst into tears. Mindful that Lu Shiman was still there, she didn’t dare rush over and could only sob softly.
Hearing her crying, Lu Shiman slapped her across the face with her backhand. “What are you crying for? You and your daughter have cried away all the good fortune in this house.”
“Is it because you cry so much that those people want to liquidate us? Cry again and I’ll have Dad throw you out.”
After hitting her, she rubbed her own hand and hissed softly, as if it hurt her more. Pouting, she looked at Li Shichuan with dissatisfaction. “Dad, you should rein them in. Otherwise, all the luck and wealth in this house will be cried away.”
Seeing the bright red handprint on Hongmei’s face, Li Shichuan’s head throbbed even worse. “Unfilial daughter!”
Could this household never have a moment of peace?
As he thought that, he began coughing violently again. His head felt heavier and heavier. “Help me to the hospital.”
If he didn’t get checked soon, he suspected he would die right here. He never wanted to look at this rebellious daughter again.
Hearing this, Xiang Hongmei hurriedly supported Li Shichuan and led him out.
Wu Hongfei stood to the side, having witnessed everything. He both marveled at the young miss’s apparent foolishness and felt sorry for her. If she really were liquidated, would she truly be able to endure such suffering?
“Where should the furniture be placed?”
“I’ll have someone quietly deal with all the furniture later. You don’t need to guard it.”
“Oh, and take this five hundred. One hundred is the wages for those kids; keep the rest for yourself to treat your leg.”
“If you don’t want to treat it, then keep the money for something else.”
She took out the cash she had already prepared and handed it to Wu Hongfei.
Since she was doing a good deed, she might as well see it through to the end. This was the last thing she could do for them. In ten days, the Lu family would completely disappear, and by then she wouldn’t be able to help anyone.
Wu Hongfei looked at the money in his hand, then at Lu Shiman, and felt as if it were burning hot.
“Lihua Alley, No. 31. I can’t take this money. What you gave yesterday was already more than enough.”
“Looking down on me, are you? If you won’t take it, then throw it out in the street. Go, go, go—stop being an eyesore here.”
Lu Shiman waved her hand impatiently, chasing him away. She had more important things to do and no time to waste on them.
Wu Hongfei sighed and put the money away. If the young miss really was liquidated, he’d just consider it keeping the money for her for now.
When Wu Hongfei got home, he saw someone he hadn’t expected.
“Xiaobai, you’re back?” He looked in surprise at Song Zhibai standing in the courtyard. This kid had joined the army and hadn’t come back in nearly five years. He looked far more spirited now—his gaze firm, his demeanor more mature. The army really was a place that forged people.
“I’m on leave,” Song Zhibai said with a sigh. “So much has changed at home.”
“Things really have changed a lot these past few years.”
Mr. Lu had passed away, the once-glorious Lu family was in decline, and life had only grown harder for them all.
“Is the Lu family doing all right?” Song Zhibai pressed his lips together before asking.
The person he was most grateful to in his life was Mr. Lu. His father had died when he was five, and his mother had taken him only to be driven out. It was Mr. Lu who waved his hand and let his mother bring him to live in this alley, even arranging work for her.
When he was ten, his mother fell gravely ill. Their savings were all spent on treatment. It was Mr. Lu who “lent” them one hundred yuan, saving her life.
At thirteen, his mother still couldn’t hold on. Back then, he had lost all hope. On a rainy night, burning with fever and seriously ill, he didn’t want treatment and wanted to follow his mother in death. He had curled up in the alley like a dead dog—it was Mr. Lu who saved him.
After surviving, he was arranged by Mr. Lu to look after the young miss, becoming her little follower. Later, when his talent was discovered, he was sent to school, and eventually into the army.
To Mr. Lu, these things were insignificant. To him, they were debts of immeasurable gratitude.
“The master passed away last year. The Lu family probably isn’t doing well now either.”
“Today the young miss said they might be liquidated. She had me move all the furniture out, and all the family’s money has been donated.”
As Wu Hongfei spoke, he let out a heavy sigh. Though the young miss was a bit spoiled and willful, her heart was kind—and the money in his arms was the best proof.
But he was just a cripple with nothing to his name. Even if he wanted to help her, he was powerless. He scratched his head in frustration, guilt faintly rising in his heart—if only they had more ability.
Hearing this, Song Zhibai’s heart tightened. “No. I can’t let Mr. Lu’s only bloodline suffer.”