Lu Yuning was carried home by her eldest sister. The moment Mother Lu saw her, she immediately took her from Lu Yuqing’s arms and slowly combed her hair with a comb.
Lu Yuning was half-asleep, but she still propped up her head obediently and waited for Mother Lu to finish combing out her hair. Only after her hair had dried completely did she let Mother Lu carry her back to the room to sleep.
She slept soundly through the night.
Early the next morning, Eldest Aunt Lu got up to cook. The others also gradually woke up, washed up, changed clothes, and prepared to go to work.
Lu Yuning was woken by Mother Lu, who coaxed her into washing up and changing clothes. Lu Yuqing then took over, combing her hair into braids and tying them neatly before putting her shoes on and setting her down on the floor.
“All right, hurry up and eat breakfast.”
Lu Yuqing patted her on the head, and only then did Lu Yuning fully wake up.
She thought about everything that had just happened, and suddenly felt differently about it.
Yesterday, she had gotten up by herself, washed up, and dressed herself. Mother Lu had only combed her hair into braids for her, so she hadn’t really felt anything about it.
According to the storyline given by the system, that kind of situation was normal for the original host.
But for some reason, she had been so tired last night that she had slept in this morning. And yet, she discovered that Mother Lu and Lu Yuqing were actually so accustomed to taking care of her when she woke up.
So, there was a difference between the “bad treatment” in the original host’s memories, the “counterpart” in the storyline, and reality.
The “bad treatment” in the original host’s memories was only in comparison with the female lead.
After all, Mother Lu couldn’t possibly coax her like this every single day. Sometimes, when she was too impatient to coax her, she would simply wake her up and let her wash up, change clothes, and put on her own shoes.
Lu Yuqing was busy with school, too, so when she had classes, she naturally had no time to coax her little sister.
Compared to the female lead, Fubao, who was coaxed and carried around by Grandma Jiu every day while having her face washed, clothes changed, and so on, wouldn’t the original host’s life naturally seem “bad”?
The same went for the storyline.
The so-called “counterpart” was created by comparing the female lead, who had someone accompanying her to play everywhere every day and didn’t have to do anything, and who could even “pick up” things every now and then, with the original host, who had to help her family with work from morning till night.
—Even though, in Lu Yuning’s eyes, those chores were very simple and easy, when compared this way in the storyline, it made the original host seem like the typical “counterpart” to the female lead.
Among the girls of the same age in the brigade, the female lead naturally had the happiest life.
But the original host wasn’t the one having the hardest life, either.
There was Lu Yuping, who had it even worse than her, while Lu Yuchun had it slightly better.
—Lu Yuchun’s family also had only one daughter, so she was pampered by her family as well. Although she did some chores in her daily life, she didn’t have to work every single day like Lu Yuping and the original host.
Sometimes, if Lu Yuchun acted spoiled, Seventh Grandma wouldn’t let her work anymore.
Lu Yuning thought it all over, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that there was something fishy about the original host’s status as a “counterpart.”
Mother Lu saw that she was still standing there without moving and asked helplessly, “Aren’t you hungry? Hurry up and eat breakfast.”
Lu Yuning came back to her senses and smiled as she answered, “I know, Mom.”
She toddled into the dining room, and Lu Yuyang casually picked her up and placed her on a tall stool.
Lu Yuyang served her a bowl of porridge, and the whole family gathered around the table, eating their breakfast with the chopped pickles.
Eldest Aunt Lu had also steamed some mixed-grain mantou. There were twenty eggs as well, just enough for everyone to have one.
Lu Yuning looked at the egg Lu Yuqing had already peeled for her, and the smile on her face grew even wider.
What counterpart? That was all bullshit!
What kind of counterpart got to eat an egg every single day?
She had decided that from now on, she would just be a passerby who watched the drama unfold from the sidelines and lived her own little life properly.
Seeing that Lu Yuning was still smiling like a fool while eating, Lu Yuqing was speechless.
She turned to Mother Lu and asked, “Mom, did you tell Second Second Uncle? About sending Little Sister to school in September?”
Mother Lu nodded. “I told them a long time ago. I told your Second Grandma.”
Lu Yuqing was relieved. “That’s good. I’ll go to town after we finish harvesting the grain.”
“Mhm, all right.”
Eldest Uncle Lu then started talking about this year’s harvest. Grandpa Lu, Father Lu, and Second Uncle Lu also joined in.
Lu Yuwei talked about going to the forestry farm after the grain harvest to see if he could get a temporary job with the transport team…
The whole family chatted about their daily affairs early that morning. After breakfast, they each went off to work.
Lu Yuning continued cutting pig grass, and Lu Yuping went with her.
Today, she didn’t see the female lead, Fubao, nor did she see Lu Yuchun, who had been beaten the day before.
Another busy day passed just like that.
Then two more days went by.
The brigade’s grain harvest was almost finished. Eldest Uncle Lu had already returned to work at the agricultural machinery station, while Father Lu, Second Uncle Lu, and the others took the older cousins with them to harvest the grain, vegetables, and other crops from their private plots.
Grandma Lu, meanwhile, brought Eldest Aunt Lu, Mother Lu, and Lu Yuning home to pickle vegetables, dry vegetables, and do other chores.
Once the entire busy period of the double-cropping harvest and summer planting was finally over, Lu Yuning realized that Lu Yuping and Lu Yuchun were no longer playing with Fubao.
Instead, they were often coming and going with her, cutting pig grass, picking wild fruit, and doing other things together.
It was only then that Lu Yuning suddenly realized that she hadn’t seen the female lead, Fubao, for several days.
When she asked Lu Yuting about it, she learned that Fubao had already been taken to the city by Lu Er, the son of Eldest Uncle Lu from the Ninth Household, to stay there.
Apparently, Second Sister-in-law Lu was pregnant and wanted to borrow some of Fubao’s good fortune so that she could give birth to a son.
Well, Lu Er had become Second Sister-in-law Lu’s live-in son-in-law.
Second Sister-in-law Lu’s family had three daughters in total, with Second Sister-in-law Lu being the eldest.
Her father’s surname was Zhang. Her parents, Zhang Father and Zhang Mother, had both previously served in the railway troops and now worked at the railway station in the city.
Over all these years, they had only had three daughters, and they had raised all three of them very well, doting on them and showing no trace of the current era’s preference for sons over daughters.
Instead, they had properly raised their daughters, hoping that they could live wonderful lives of their own.
Second Sister-in-law Lu had certainly lived up to their expectations. At such a young age, she was already a team leader at the city’s State Taxation Bureau. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, perhaps she could even have moved up another level this year.
Second Sister-in-law Lu’s younger sister was in the military. Apparently, she was in the art troupe and was doing very well too. She had even found herself an officer as a husband.
Second Sister-in-law Lu’s youngest sister, meanwhile, taught Chinese at a middle school in the city. She had also found herself a live-in son-in-law, who was also from the city.
Back when Lu Er graduated from high school, he went to the city to look for work. Because of his good looks, he was hired as an office clerk at a knife factory.
Later, he met Second Sister-in-law Lu. She was attracted to his appearance and was also moved by how eloquent he was, so she took a liking to him and brought him into the family as her live-in son-in-law.
Lu Er really was very good to Second Sister-in-law Lu, and the two of them looked like a good match.
Even though Ninth Grandpa had strongly objected at the time to his grandson becoming a live-in son-in-law, Eldest Uncle Lu from the Ninth Household and Eldest Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household had both agreed.
No matter how much he opposed it, there was nothing he could do.
After watching them over the years, he could only pinch his nose and accept it.
—Lu Yuning figured that during the difficult years a couple of years ago, Second Sister-in-law Lu had probably managed to get quite a lot of good food, which was what had caused Ninth Grandpa’s attitude to change.
In any case, in this short period of time, Lu Yuning had already seen clearly what kind of people the entire Ninth Household were.
Ninth Grandpa was a typical egoist.
As long as something didn’t affect him, he simply didn’t care. He pretended not to hear or see anything and silently remained the head of his family.
Grandma Jiu was loud and boisterous in her daily life, looking like a very formidable person.
In reality, she didn’t have much say in the family.
The moment Ninth Grandpa spoke up, she immediately backed down.
Even though she doted on the female lead, Fubao, so much, it was still only when Ninth Grandpa remained silent.
Eldest Uncle Lu from the Ninth Household and Eldest Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household did love the female lead too, but they loved their own children more.
And in reality, they weren’t as selfless as Lu Yuning had originally thought.
At least from what she had observed over the past few days, Eldest Uncle Lu and Eldest Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household were the kind of people who were very good at protecting their own interests.
Previously, they hadn’t cared much about their eldest son, Lu Da, sending things to Fubao from the army.
But ever since the argument that day, Eldest Uncle Lu and Eldest Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household had already changed their attitude.
They were no longer as indifferent about it as they had been before.
As for Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household, they were even more shrewd.
They basically stayed in the back and quietly watched to see whether there was any advantage to be gained.
If there was, they would take it all.
If there wasn’t, then, well, they were sorry, but they would definitely come up with all kinds of grand-sounding reasons that would leave Grandma Jiu completely helpless.
Because of this, Grandma Jiu had been losing her temper quite often at home recently.
Then there were Third Uncle Lu from the Ninth Household and Third Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household.
These two really pushed everything onto their daughter, Fubao.
Whenever they wanted to eat something, they would encourage Fubao to ask Grandma Jiu for it.
Every time, they would also persuade Grandma Jiu not to spoil Fubao so much and say things like that.
But how could Grandma Jiu listen?
Instead, she spoiled Fubao even more, to the point where she would grant almost every request.
Except when Ninth Grandpa spoke up.
Then there were Lu Shier and Lu Shisan.
Lu Shisan was still the same as always, putting his little sister first in everything.
But Lu Shier had changed.
These past few days, he had actually been following Second Uncle Lu and the others out into the fields!
And several times, Lu Yuning had seen Lu Shier arguing with Fubao, telling her not to follow him and saying that he didn’t want to play with her anymore.
Then Fubao would run to Grandma Jiu and cry.
Grandma Jiu would scold Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt Lu, while the two of them would naturally protect their son, giving a whole string of reasons that would leave Grandma Jiu so frustrated that she could do nothing about it.
After the double-cropping harvest and summer planting were finished, it was once again the time of the month when the army sent letters home.
Grandma Jiu and Grandma Lu both had to go to town to collect the letters and parcels.
Once they arrived, Grandma Lu collected her letters and parcels and came straight home.
Grandma Jiu, however, hid to the side and opened the letter, wanting to find the various ration coupons and money that her eldest grandson used to send back.
But she discovered that there was only a ten-yuan money order and nothing else.
Grandma Jiu refused to give up.
She even went to ask the postal workers whether any parcels had been sent.
In the past, Lu Da would send back things that Fubao liked to eat.
But this time, there was nothing.
Grandma Jiu immediately knew that Eldest Uncle Lu and Eldest Aunt Lu from the Ninth Household were behind it.
Furious, she ran all the way home and started making a scene!
Lu Yuning was at home writing large Chinese characters.
This was a task Lu Yuqing had given her before leaving for town to take her exam. She said that Lu Yuning would be starting school soon, so she should start learning and getting used to it ahead of time.
Lu Yuting was very enthusiastic about it. He volunteered to be Lu Yuning’s supervisor as well as her first teacher, teaching her simple pinyin and how to count one, two, three, and four.
When Lu Yuping and Lu Yuchun came to play with Lu Yuning and saw this, they excitedly joined in as well.
Lu Yuning: “…”
They really were fearless because they didn’t know any better.
They saw the pit and still didn’t know to avoid it. These two children were really silly.
Still, Lu Yuning was very happy.
She discovered that as long as they stayed far away from the female lead, Fubao, her protagonist halo couldn’t affect them!
Put simply, no matter how powerful the protagonist halo was, it couldn’t create something out of thin air.
As long as they didn’t want to play with the female lead, then no matter what the female lead did, it had nothing to do with them and couldn’t involve them.
But at this moment, Lu Yuning didn’t know that sometimes, it wasn’t people looking for trouble—
it was trouble looking for people!