“You little brat, skinny as a twig, and you still want to fish in the river? Don’t you know your own limits?”
“If it weren’t for the fact that you’ve just recovered from a serious illness, I’d give you a good beating!”
Seeing there were no outsiders around, Lu Fajia put on the airs of a father and began lecturing Lu Ping’an.
But he forgot that the two great Buddhas of the household—the old master and the old madam—were still in the room.
The moment the old madam heard this, she was instantly displeased. Her brows shot up as she said to the old master, “Old man, beat him for me!”
“He actually wants to hit my eldest grandson—he’s asking to be taught a lesson!”
Hearing this, the old master swept his gaze around the room and quickly spotted a shoulder pole not far away.
He strode over, grabbed the pole, and walked toward Lu Fajia.
Seeing this, Lu Fajia hurriedly said, “Dad, Mom, I was just trying to scare him. How would I dare really hit him?”
The old master snorted coldly, but the pole still landed solidly on Lu Fajia’s thigh.
The little girl sitting nearby eating candy saw this and her eyes instantly lit up.
“Mom! Second Sister! Third Sister! Come quickly—Grandpa is beating Dad!”
“Dad, shame on you! You’re so old and still getting beaten!”
Lu Yundong’s sharp voice carried far. The sisters, Lu Yunxia and Lu Yunqiu, who were already standing outside the door, immediately appeared at the doorway.
Their eyes widened at the same time, full of excitement.
Lu Ping’an almost burst out laughing. In his heart, he silently gave the old master and old madam a thumbs-up—mighty elders indeed!
This kind of family atmosphere was very different from his previous life. He truly liked this kind of favoritism.
“Grandma, Dad was just trying to scare me. He wouldn’t really hit me!”
Lu Ping’an quickly helped his father out of the predicament.
The old madam looked at Lu Ping’an lovingly and said with a smile, “Old man, since our eldest grandson has spoken, let him off this time.”
“But if he really dares to hit my grandson, then give him a proper beating!”
The old master laughed as well. “Alright, for my eldest grandson’s sake, I’ll let it go this time!”
“Otherwise, I’d beat him until his backside blossoms!”
Hearing this, Lu Fajia let out a long sigh of relief.
Ever since this boy was born, he was no longer the most beloved eldest son of the two elders!
In this household, “a father’s status rises with his son” was vividly displayed.
Lu Yunxia and Lu Yunqiu giggled when they saw their father suffer a setback.
The old master and old madam chatted with Lu Ping’an for nearly half an hour before reluctantly leaving.
In fact, they didn’t live far away—just in the same village.
Lu Ping Village had over a hundred households and more than seven hundred residents. Life was tight for everyone.
At dinner, Lu Ping’an’s family sat around the table.
Since the eldest sister, Lu Yunchun, had already married, there were six people left at home.
Dinner was simple—each person had a bowl of corn and wild vegetable porridge. But in front of Lu Ping’an, there was an extra half of a corn bun.
Lu Ping’an had never eaten such food before. He took a bite, and it was hard to swallow.
He forced it down, feeling a slight scratch in his throat.
He had heard before about coarse cornmeal that was ground together with the cob. Clearly, that was what had been used for this porridge.
Although it tasted bad, hunger drove him to finish the whole bowl.
Still, he was only half full.
That was even after he had recently drunk a bowl of egg drop soup.
He didn’t touch the half corn bun. Instead, he gave it to Lu Yundong and his mother, Li Xiuzhi.
The little girl had been staring at it the whole time, even though she hadn’t said anything. Her meaning was obvious.
“Ping’an, don’t rush back to your room after dinner. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Seeing Lu Ping’an put down his chopsticks, Lu Fajia quickly finished his own bowl as well.
Noticing his father’s serious expression, Lu Ping’an nodded and remained seated.
Lu Yunxia and Lu Yunqiu quickly finished eating too and carried the dishes to the kitchen.
Soon, everything was washed, and the family gathered again around the table.
“Ping’an, your second uncle came by yesterday. He works at the Kyoto Snowflake Refrigerator Factory. They’re recruiting a batch of temporary workers.”
“Twenty-seven and a half yuan a month, with two meals provided. He can recommend one person.”
“He said that if you work for six months, you can become permanent. After that, the salary will be thirty-six yuan.”
“He wants to give this position to you. What do you think?”
Lu Fajia spoke slowly, his expression solemn.
After all, this was a factory job. In this era, such opportunities were rare.
There were limited urban job quotas, and the movement of sending educated youth to the countryside for re-education was in full swing.
For the second uncle to secure such a job was an enormous favor.
Hearing “Kyoto Snowflake Refrigerator Factory,” Lu Ping’an immediately thought of many things.
If he remembered correctly, its predecessor was the Kyoto Medical Equipment Factory, founded in 1956 under the First Light Industry Bureau of Kyoto.
In 1962, it produced its first refrigerator, named “Snowflake.”
“Dad, this is indeed a good opportunity. But giving it to me would be a waste. I think it would be more suitable for you.”
Seeing his father about to interrupt, Lu Ping’an continued quickly:
“Dad, hear me out. You know my health isn’t strong.”
“If I go, I might not even last six months.”
“If I can’t stick it out, it would waste Second Uncle’s kindness.”
“And I don’t think this job would come free. Our family would have to pay something, right?”
Lu Ping’an’s words made Lu Fajia fall into deep thought. He felt his son had a point.
But instead of responding immediately, he looked at his wife, Li Xiuzhi.
“I think Ping’an is right. He’s only fifteen, still young. No rush.”
“You should go. After all, it would cost a hundred yuan.”
Hearing this, Lu Fajia rolled his eyes.
Fifteen and still young? When he was ten, he could already do all kinds of work. Unlike this boy—fifteen and still incapable!
But what could he do? If he ordered Lu Ping’an around, the old master and old madam would take issue with him.
“Ping’an, think carefully. After six months in the factory, you’ll be a permanent worker!”
“Opportunities like this are rare!”
“If I go to the city, our family will lose one person earning work points. Then we might not have enough grain to eat.”
That was his biggest concern—food. There were six mouths to feed.
Even if he went to work at the factory, there would still be five people at home. Life would remain tight.
“Dad, I’ve thought it through. I’m afraid I’d waste the opportunity.”
“As for the food problem, I’ll find a way.”
He was only fifteen, and they already wanted him to go tighten screws in a factory? No thanks.
Given a second chance at life, he didn’t want to struggle so bitterly again.