Chapter 41 There's meat to eat tonight

Gu Mansheng frantically grabbed Lu Huaiyuan's sleeve: "I'm completely innocent with him! That was just a delaying tactic! There's no one here to help me, what can a weak woman like me do!"

Seeing her crying with tears streaming down her face, Lu Huaiyuan felt a surge of irritation.

"Alright," he said dismissively, "I'll go warn Wang Laizi to stop bothering you. You should also behave yourself and not touch Liu Zhixia again, lest someone find something to use against you."

“Okay, I’ll listen to you!” Gu Mansheng replied obediently.

Lu Huaiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but then he smelled that lingering stench again, and his stomach churned. With a grim expression, he said, "Then I'll be going!"

Before he finished speaking, he strode away as if his life depended on it.

He hadn't gone far when Lu Huaiyuan grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Wang Laizi, that local scoundrel, dared to make a move on both of his "women" at the same time!

Enraged, he turned and rushed straight to Wang Laizi's house, where he started kicking Wang Laizi repeatedly!

Wang Laizi was strong but dared not fight back against the captain's son, so he could only cover his head and let him hit him.

Wang Laizi's mother was so frightened that she sat on the ground crying and screaming, which attracted onlookers who then pulled Lu Huaiyuan away.

Lu Huaiyuan pointed at Wang Laizi's nose, angrily declaring his ownership: "You listen to me! Stay away from my woman! If you dare to have any more ideas, I'll cripple you!"

After saying that, he strode away, thinking himself incredibly domineering.

However, the situation was quite different at the Liu family's side.

Having just divided the money, they bought fresh pork, and the whole family was overjoyed.

Hearing that Liu Xiangyang had paid for the meat, Shen Hongmei didn't hold it against him this time. Instead, she excitedly exclaimed, "Our eldest son's family is treating us today! This is the first time ever!"

She looked at Liu Zhixia excitedly: "Little sister, I didn't get to eat a single bite of the braised pork you made last time. Could you make it again today?"

Liu Zhixia smiled and nodded: "Okay! Today, my brother and sister-in-law are treating. Whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you!"

Shen Hongmei was so excited she almost jumped up.

Liu Zhixia's cooking skills are absolutely amazing now!

We're having meat tonight, and the whole family is happy.

Just then, Zhang Xiuying's good friend, Aunt Qiao, rushed over.

"Xiuying, something terrible has happened! Lu Huaiyuan beat up Wang Laizi and even yelled that he wouldn't allow him to bully his woman! Everyone's guessing, did Wang Laizi do something to your Zhixia?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuying laughed, her voice not loud, but each word clear:

"Why are you throwing mud at my doorstep? My daughter broke off her engagement with the Lu family a long time ago, she's not Lu Huaiyuan's woman. If we're talking about someone who's been having an affair with Lu Huaiyuan, who else could it be besides that woman who slept in the cowshed?"

Aunt Qiao suddenly realized: "I knew it! If Zhixia were really bullied, wouldn't your sons tear the Wang family apart? No, I have to go and talk to those gossipy women right away. We can't let Zhixia's reputation be tarnished!"

"Okay, good sister, then I'll trouble you!" Zhang Xiuying nodded in satisfaction.

Once everyone left, Liu Zhixia, who was busy in the kitchen, looked up at her mother outside the window and asked, "Mom, did you make this?"

Zhang Xiuying chuckled, a smug look on her face: "I only sang a couple of lines in front of Li Xuemei, who knows what her son would say if he heard it?"

Liu Zhixia gave her mother a thumbs up: "It has to be my mother, you can tell she's good as soon as she makes a move!"

In the courtyard, Liu Xiangyang stopped what he was doing, gloating: "Serves him right! He was just bragging to my sister at the supply and marketing cooperative that he was going to be an accountant. Now he's entangled with that woman with a bad class background. No matter how powerful his father is, he can forget about being an accountant!"

Zhang Xiuying was overjoyed: "Oh my, Lu Jianping is going to have a real headache now!"

...

Meanwhile, the Lu family.

"You unfilial son! Kneel down!"

Lu Jianping slammed his hand on the table, his roar shaking the rooftop.

Lu Huaiyuan reluctantly knelt down.

Li Xuemei quickly came over to protect her son: "Why are you kneeling? It's just that you beat up Wang Laizi! That bastard deserved to be taught a lesson!"

Lu Jianping was so angry with her that he clutched his chest, his face turning pale.

"I'll deal with Wang Laizi's matter later! Tell me honestly, are you still in contact with that Gu Mansheng?"

Lu Huaiyuan swallowed nervously and vehemently denied it: "Father, I didn't! How can you believe those gossipy women just like Mother?"

"Still dare to talk back!"

Enraged, Lu Jianping grabbed a bowl from the table and smashed it!

Lu Huaiyuan dodged awkwardly, and hearing the loud crash behind him, his heart sank.

His father was truly enraged this time!

"Dad!" he retorted stubbornly, "I really didn't! Lately, I've been either at home or looking for Liu Zhixia; I haven't seen Gu Mansheng at all!"

"Liu Zhixia?" Lu Jianping's voice changed.

“Yes!” Lu Huaiyuan immediately seized the opportunity. “Dad, after thinking it over, I still think Liu Zhixia is the most suitable wife for me. She’s beautiful and capable in bed. Besides, her second sister-in-law has connections in the city, which will come in handy if I want to develop my career there in the future!”

"It's Liu Zhixia again!" Lu Jianping slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Have you forgotten how many times we've been hurt by her? How much money has our family lost? And now you want to marry her?"

Lu Huaiyuan muttered guiltily, "Anyway, we're all family, so isn't the money just like giving it to our in-laws..."

“Son,” Li Xuemei also felt this was inappropriate, “why don’t you ask your aunt to find you a good one in the city?”

"Among all those ugly girls in the city, is there one who can compare to Liu Zhixia?" Lu Huaiyuan said with a look of disdain.

"Fine!" Lu Jianping laughed angrily. "Since you're so focused on Liu Zhixia, why did you go and beat up Wang Laizi? What he and Gu Mansheng have to do with each other is none of your business!"

Lu Huaiyuan was speechless for a moment and looked to his mother for help.

Li Xuemei quickly tried to smooth things over: "Oh dear, it's all my fault. I didn't explain things clearly, and he misunderstood..."

"Misunderstanding?" Lu Jianping's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Do you know what's going on outside? They're saying my son, Lu Jianping's son, is fighting over a capitalist's daughter! It was just speculation before, but now, after this fight, the whole brigade knows that Gu Mansheng is Lu Huaiyuan's woman, and that Wang Laizi cheated on her with a cuckold's horns!"

"These blabbermouths!" Lu Huaiyuan stood up angrily. "I'm going to settle accounts with them!"

"You get back here right now!" Lu Jianping roared. "If this matter between you and Gu Mansheng isn't resolved, you can forget about your accountant job! If you dare to cause any more trouble, your social standing will be in question!"

Upon hearing this, the mother and son turned pale instantly.

"Is it...that serious?"

"Serious?" Lu Jianping glared at them. "Your affair with Liu Zhixia is the laughing stock of the village! You're having an affair with a capitalist's daughter, have you forgotten what happened a few years ago? If you can't control your precious son, our whole family will go live in the cowshed with her!"

Li Xuemei was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.

Lu Huaiyuan was truly frightened: "Father, then... what do we do now?"

Lu Jianping gritted his teeth: "Now, immediately! Take something to the Liu family to apologize! Everyone must believe that you beat up Wang Laizi to avenge Liu Zhixia!"