“Grandson, thank goodness you’re alright!”
“If anything had happened to you, how would your grandpa and I go on living?”
The old lady clutched Lu Ping’an’s hand, tears shimmering faintly in her eyes.
“Grandson, try not to go near the river anymore. If you want to eat fish, just tell your grandpa. He’ll have your second and third uncles go catch some!”
“You really scared us this time. Luckily Heaven protected you—you finally woke up!”
The old man walked over as well, looking at Lu Ping’an with a face full of affection.
He was the only grandson of the Lu family—there absolutely could not be the slightest mishap.
Hearing the two elders’ words, Lu Ping’an felt deeply moved.
In the past, he too had once been cherished in the palms of his family’s hands. Unfortunately, his loved ones had died in a car accident when he was in high school.
After joining the army, he had rarely felt such burning, heartfelt family affection again.
“Grandpa, Grandma, I’m fine now. You don’t need to worry!”
Upon hearing this, the old lady quickly pulled him to sit down on the kang.
“Grandson, you’re Grandma’s lifeline. You must never do anything dangerous again!”
“Your second and third uncles are thick-skinned and sturdy. If there’s anything to be done, let them do it!”
“If they dare not listen to you, tell Grandpa and Grandma. Just see how we’ll deal with them!”
She gripped his hands tightly, as if afraid her precious grandson might slip away at any moment.
“Your grandma’s right,” the old man added with a grin. “I still have a hemp rope at home!”
“When your second and third uncles were young and disobedient, I used that to whip them. They howled every time!”
“Since my eldest grandson wants fish, when your uncles get off work later, I’ll have them go to the river to catch some for you!”
Standing in front of Lu Ping’an, the old man beamed.
Their words nearly melted Lu Ping’an’s heart. Just this family affection alone made this transmigration worthwhile.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Second Uncle and Third Uncle are tired from work. There’s no need to trouble them.”
“Don’t worry—I won’t go into the river again.”
He smiled and reassured them repeatedly. Only then did the two elders finally relax.
The old lady withdrew one hand and fumbled inside her clothes for a moment before pulling out three White Rabbit milk candies and placing them directly into Lu Ping’an’s palm.
“Grandson, have some candy. I came out in a hurry and only have these three on me. Tomorrow, come to Grandma’s house and I’ll give you more.”
At the sight of the White Rabbit milk candies, little Lu Yundong’s eyes widened into perfect circles, and she couldn’t help swallowing.
She looked longingly at Lu Ping’an but didn’t dare ask for one.
Grandpa and Grandma always said girls were a losing investment—there was no need for them to eat too well.
Looking at the candies in his hand, Lu Ping’an knew very well that these were rare treats in this era.
Seeing the old lady’s eager gaze, he could only unwrap one and put it into his mouth.
Sure enough, both the old man and old lady broke into wide smiles at the sight.
“Sixth Sister, here—you have one too.”
Lu Ping’an handed one candy to Lu Yundong. Though her eyes shone brightly, she looked toward the old lady instead of reaching out.
“Why are you looking at me? Since my eldest grandson says you can have it, then take it!”
“Little girl, you must remember your big brother’s kindness!”
The old lady glanced at Lu Yundong before turning her gaze back to Lu Ping’an, as though there were flowers blooming on his face.
“Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Big Brother!”
Beaming, Lu Yundong accepted the candy from Lu Ping’an and thanked everyone in the room.
“Go on, go eat it over there. Don’t disturb me while I look at my precious grandson!”
The old lady shooed Lu Yundong aside with a smile, her preference for boys over girls fully on display.
The old man stood there chuckling, his face full of smiles.
Lu Yundong didn’t mind at all. Walking to one side, she quickly peeled off the wrapper and licked it over and over with blissful delight.
The wrapper still carried the fragrance of sugar—nothing could be wasted.
“Grandson, Grandpa still has a meat coupon,” the old man said with a grin. “Your eldest aunt gave it to me last time she came from the city.”
“I’ll bring it out later and have your father buy some meat for you tomorrow, to help you recover.”
He himself hadn’t tasted meat in over a month.
“Old man, there are still about a dozen eggs at home. Bring those too!”
“My grandson has just recovered from a serious illness—he must be nourished properly!”
The old lady quickly chimed in.
The old man nodded at once. “You’re right! I didn’t even think of that just now.”
The old lady snorted. “Your memory is getting worse and worse.”
Looking at the two elders, Lu Ping’an was overwhelmed with emotion and silently vowed to find a way to improve their lives.
“Grandpa, Grandma, keep the eggs for yourselves. My mother came back earlier, and when she saw I’d woken up, she boiled two eggs for me.”
He hurried to speak up. There wasn’t much flesh on either of them—how could he bear to eat their food?
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside, and a group of people crowded into the room.
There were men and women, old and young. Three grown men stood at the front.
They were Lu Ping’an’s father, Lu Fajia; his second uncle, Lu Huojia; and his third uncle, Lu Baojia.
Behind them were the women—Lu Yunxia, Lu Yunqiu, and the others.
Seeing them, Lu Ping’an quickly stood to greet them. “Dad, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Second Sister…”
Lu Fajia didn’t speak, but a smile tugged at his lips, and the furrow in his brow finally eased.
“Ping’an, it’s good that you’re alright. You really frightened us these past few days,” Second Uncle Lu Huojia said with an honest smile.
“Ping’an, it’s good you’ve woken up. If you want fish in the future, just tell Third Uncle. I’ll go catch some for you.”
“You’re the golden treasure of our Lu family—you absolutely can’t let anything happen to you!”
Lu Baojia looked at him with eyes full of care.
“Go on, go on! All of you smell from work—don’t stink up my precious grandson!”
“And he just said he won’t go near the river again!”
Seeing that Lu Ping’an wasn’t looking at her, the old lady suddenly felt displeased and began shooing people out.
Her words carried weight. The women who had followed in quickly filed back out, and the room instantly emptied by more than half.
Lu Huojia smiled. “Mother, we just came to see Ping’an. As long as he’s fine, we’ll head back.”
Lu Baojia nodded quickly. He knew his place—when the eldest grandson was around, his own status as the youngest son was insignificant.
“Ping’an, another day I’ll take a trip up the mountain and see if I can get some game to nourish you.”
After speaking, he left together with Lu Huojia, bidding farewell to the old man and old lady.
The once-crowded room was now left with only Lu Fajia remaining.