As soon as Lu Yuning reached the private plot behind the backyard, she heard exaggerated cries of alarm coming from behind.
“Heavens! Fubao, what happened to you? Who bullied you like this?!”
“Grandma…”
“Grandma, it was Yushan from Third Grandpa’s branch! He insisted on trading with Fubao for her biscuits. Fubao refused, and then he tried to snatch them…”
As Lu Yuning crouched down and dug for earthworms, she raised an eyebrow.
Wasn’t it Lu Shier who had been unwilling?
How had it suddenly turned into Fubao being unwilling?
This Lu Shisan really knew how to complain.
Sure enough, the moment Grandma Jiu heard it, she exploded.
“There’s still law and justice or not?! That brat! I’m going right now to find Third Sister-in-law and ask her exactly how she teaches her child!”
Lu Shisan also knew he absolutely couldn’t let his grandma go find them.
Otherwise, wouldn’t the truth be exposed?
Seeing Grandma Jiu rolling up her sleeves and about to storm off, he hurriedly said,
“Grandma, we already beat up Yushan, so don’t go over there anymore. Fubao was really frightened…”
The moment Grandma Jiu heard that, she no longer cared about Yushan or anything else. She quickly picked up Fubao and started coaxing her in every possible way.
Lu Yuning, digging earthworms in the back: …
She shook her head and stopped paying attention, focusing instead on digging a whole jar full of earthworms before standing up and heading home.
Just as she reached the doorway, she saw Lu Shisan running out.
His mouth was turned downward in dissatisfaction, and he was muttering under his breath,
“Hmph, Grandma is so biased. Little Sister ate so many biscuits by herself, but when I just asked for one piece, that wasn’t allowed.”
Lu Yuning raised an eyebrow.
Hm?
That wasn’t right.
Wasn’t the female lead Lu Yuxin supposed to be doted on by her whole family like she was their little treasure?
Why did it look like even her own older brother had complaints about her?
But Lu Shisan had probably been sent out by Grandma Jiu to call people home for lunch, so he ran off and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Lu Yuning didn’t think much more about it. After returning home and washing her hands, she helped Grandma Lu with chores.
Lu Yuting took the earthworms Lu Yuning had dug, rinsed them, and tossed them into the chicken coop for the chickens to eat.
Right then, the bell signaling the end of work rang.
The people working in the fields gradually returned home.
As soon as Grandpa Lu entered the courtyard, he smelled the fragrance of food, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Lu Yuning brought him water to wash his face and feet, and also carried out the cooled herbal tea Grandma Lu had brewed and left in the well to chill for them to drink.
Lu Yuting also carried the washbasin over for Lu Dabo and Lu Erbo to wash up.
Watching them bustling around, Grandpa Lu couldn’t help smiling as he said to Lu Dabo,
“Life is getting better and better. Look at Yuning and Yuting—they’ve become sensible too.”
Lu Dabo smiled and nodded.
“Yes, Dad. I’ll earn a few more work points these next couple of days, so you can work a little less.”
At the moment, the agricultural machinery station had given Lu Dabo three days of farming leave.
In previous years, he never took it, but this year there was too much work in the fields, and he was worried Grandpa Lu would overwork himself, so he came back to help.
That morning, he had also heard Lu Dabo’s wife and Grandma Lu discussing the wedding arrangements, but for matters like that, he had always left it to his wife to handle. He never interfered much.
Fifth Cousin laughed and said,
“Dad, don’t worry. I’m here at home.”
Lu Dabo smiled and nodded.
Lu Erbo gave a simple, honest smile.
Both he and Lu Erbo’s wife were straightforward people who only knew how to farm. Usually, they simply followed Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu’s arrangements in doing things.
It was only after Fourth Cousin grew up and got married that life at home gradually became easier.
As for Lu Father and Lu Mother, they simply smiled.
After washing her hands, Lu Mother joined Lu Dabo’s wife and Lu Erbo’s wife in helping Grandma Lu set out all the food.
The whole family sat around two tables to eat.
The adults sat at one table.
Lu Yuning sat at the other with her cousins.
Lu Yuqing had even specially served rice for her, carefully picking out peeled sweet potatoes that had been cut into chunks.
Mixed with rice like that, the rice became much easier to eat.
After all, this was the cheapest mixed grain from the supply and marketing cooperative, and it was rather rough on the throat.
Lu Yuning was actually fine with it.
Although before becoming a task employee, she had spent a very long time in the underworld, and before returning to the underworld in her previous life—even as an orphan—she had still lived without worries about food and clothing.
But after going through the pre-employment training in the Underworld System Department, she could now accept any kind of food.
After all, the training had no way of knowing what type of mission world she would draw, so naturally they had to train her comprehensively.
There were all kinds of mission worlds—even apocalyptic worlds where she could lose her life at any moment.
Compared to an apocalypse world, a mission world like this was already very good.
Lu Yuning had nothing to feel unaccustomed to.
Besides, the original host’s body itself was already used to this kind of life.
Eating this kind of mixed grain that later generations would find hard to swallow was perfectly normal for her.
The Lu family chatted about the work in the fields today, saying that judging by how the crops looked now, this year should be a good harvest.
No matter what, they should at least be able to eat their fill in the second half of the year.
Life was truly getting better and better.
Once the brigade, the forest farm, and the state farm had all finished harvesting grain, and after they also gathered the crops from their private plots, the latter half of the year would become much easier.
They wouldn’t have to eat mixed grain anymore.
Ordinary people’s lives were just like this—talking about daily matters, chatting about little family concerns, and just like that, another day passed.
After lunch, the family cleaned up and each returned to their rooms to prepare for an afternoon nap.
Who would have thought that the neighboring house would suddenly erupt into chaos!
“Old Ninth’s family, get out here!”
Lu Yuning had just finished washing her feet and wiping herself down, ready for her nap, when that roar jolted her completely awake!
She opened her eyes, pushed open the window, and looked outside.
Her small bed was right by the window facing the alley, so when she leaned out, she could clearly see Grandma Jiu from next door walking out with a dark expression, saying coldly in obvious displeasure,
“Third Sister-in-law, what exactly do you mean by this? I didn’t come looking to cause trouble for you, yet you come looking for me?”
Third Grandma stood with her hands on her hips and snorted.
“You still have the nerve to say that? Let me ask you—what’s wrong with your Lu Shier? He actually attacked his own family like he wanted to beat them to death! He smashed my Yushan’s head with a rock—what kind of intentions does he have?!”
Lu Yuning was shocked!
No way?
Was Lu Shier really that ruthless?
Grandma Jiu clearly hadn’t known about it either.
But she had always been someone who fiercely protected her own.
Even if someone from her family was wrong, she would still side with family over reason.
So after only a brief pause of surprise, she immediately put her hands on her hips and shouted back,
“What bullshit are you spouting! Just because you say my Shier hit him means he hit him? So much time has passed—if it was really my Shier, why are you only coming now?”
“Could it be your Yushan fell on his own, and now you’ve come here trying to scam my family?!”
Third Grandma only glared coldly at Lu Shier, who was shrinking behind Grandma Jiu.
“Hmph. Whether it was him or not, just ask the children who were there today and you’ll know. I already asked them—Little Fifth from Old Fifth’s family said it was your Lu Shier who did it.
“My Yushan is honest. When he got home, he didn’t even want to say anything. I only found out because I saw the injury on his head and asked.
“And unlike you, I was worried sick about my Yushan’s injury. I took him to the town hospital to see a doctor first before I came back to find you!”
“No matter whether you admit it or not, this matter was done by your Lu Shier. There are witnesses right here!”
Ninth Grandma frowned and turned to look at Lu Shier behind her. By now, Lu Shier’s face had gone deathly pale. His whole body was trembling, shaking like a leaf, terrified that the adults would question him.
Third Grandma clearly had no intention of letting this go so easily. “Where’s Old Ninth? Is Old Ninth not home? Or is he hiding inside pretending to be dead?”
“Old Ninth, get out here!”
Third Grandpa from Third Grandma’s family had died years ago fighting the Japanese. Later, both the town, the city, and even the province had officially recognized him as a martyr. Because of that, everyone in the brigade had always respected Third Grandma greatly.
And Third Grandma herself had always been strong-willed. Back then, she had still been young and was even pregnant with Third Grandpa’s posthumous child, yet she had refused to remarry. She gave birth to the child, raised both children alone, cared for Third Grandpa’s parents until they passed away, and later helped both her children marry and build houses. In the brigade, she had always been someone with excellent relationships and great respect.
Now, hearing her shout in such fury, the neighboring households all opened their doors to look. On the family genealogy, everyone was related as brothers and relatives, calling each other brother and sister-in-law, so at this moment, the others all frowned and tried to calm Third Grandma while also saying to Ninth Grandma, “You should hurry and call Ninth Brother out so everyone can make clear what happened.”
People in the countryside still followed the old rule of men being the heads of the household. For any major matter, the men were supposed to step forward and handle it—unless it was a case like Third Grandma’s family, where only she remained as a widow holding up the household. Otherwise, it was always the senior men of the family who came forward.
Ninth Grandma was furious. “There’s no need to call my Old Ninth. You can just talk to me! Hmph, I simply don’t believe my Lu Shier would be so ignorant. Clearly your Yushan brought this on himself. If he hadn’t tried to snatch my Fortune Child’s biscuits, would there even have been a fight?”
Third Grandma sneered. “Is that what your Lu Shier told you? Bullshit! Clearly it was your Fortune Child who said whoever helped her cut pig grass would get a biscuit. But because your Lu Shier didn’t get along with my Yushan, after my Yushan cut the pig grass, your Lu Shier refused to honor it!”
“With someone like that, should my Yushan not beat him up? Should he just wait there to keep being played like a fool?”
The people around them erupted in shock!
No way?
Old Ninth’s Lu Shier was that capable?
Such a small child, and already this good at lying?
That was obviously taught by the adults!
Ninth Grandma refused to listen and gave no ground at all. “Bullshit! You’re the one deliberately picking a fight and framing my Lu Shier!”
But clearly, Third Grandma had come prepared today. She pulled forward several more children—exactly the ones who had been watching the fight halfway up the hill earlier.
“You all tell your Ninth Grandma exactly what happened.”
It was obvious these children had either already spoken with Third Grandma beforehand, or rather, Third Grandma had already persuaded them to come testify. They all started talking at once, explaining the whole incident clearly.
Only then did Lu Yuning realize that even what she had heard earlier wasn’t the full truth.
The real story was that Lu Yushan had wanted to taste the biscuits Fortune Child had brought. Then he heard that Fortune Child was willing to exchange biscuits for pig grass, so the three of them could both play and earn work points at the same time.
Actually, the adults managing the pigsty all knew about it. They just turned a blind eye because they were children, treating it as harmless fun and letting the kids play around.
After all, Ninth Grandma’s family had the means, and Fortune Child was spoiled by Ninth Grandma. They couldn’t be bothered to interfere.
But unexpectedly, Lu Shier had no intention of giving Lu Yushan any biscuits at all. Lu Shisan didn’t want to either, so the two of them deliberately said they would exchange, but after Lu Yushan finished cutting the pig grass and came back, they went back on their word.
That was what led to the fight halfway up the hill.
Lu Yuning: …
Absolutely ridiculous!