Chapter 76
Lu Xian and his wife were both surprised by Lu Shang's arrival, but when they saw Lu Shang's expression, they vaguely understood something and their faces turned pale for a moment.
Lu Shang didn't even look at them, and sat down at the stone table in the yard, looking around.
Although this house in Wuming Lane is not big, it has everything it needs. This is the first home he and Jiang Wanning have after leaving Lujia Village. Even though they were short of money at the time, they chose the best and most convenient new home within their means.
In this small house, there is the grape trellis that Jiang Wanning loves very much, the poultry and livestock pen that Grandma Lu carefully feeds, and the small table where he uses to cool off and do accounts in the summer. The three of them have lived in Tang Town for four or five years, and all their memories are left in this small house.
Later, they moved to the provincial capital, but never thought of selling this place. However, he was concerned that Lu Xian's family had just arrived in Tang Town and might have no place to stay, so he softened his heart and allowed them to live in.
Jiang Wanning was depressed for several days at first: "Will this still be our home from now on..."
Lu Shang couldn't answer her question, so he could only promise in a deep voice: "In two years, when they have more money, I will ask them to move out, and we won't let outsiders live in our house anymore."
Who would have thought that three or four years had passed and he never asked Lu Xian's family to move out, and the familiar objects in the small house disappeared from his memory bit by bit, and were replaced by some unfamiliar things.
Lu Shang was not someone who was particularly nostalgic, but looking at the unfamiliar people in the yard, he couldn't help but feel that things had changed and people had changed.
It would be fine if Lu Xian's family were the kind of people who would repay his kindness, and his good intentions would not be in vain. However, he did not expect that he gave them jobs and houses, but in the end, he did not get anything good out of them.
He sat at the table without saying a word, but the couple opposite him couldn't hold back any longer.
Lu Xian hesitated, and finally gave Ma a push: "Take Mingxia back to the house."
"I……"
"Go quickly!" Lu Xian said lightly, and this time he directly pushed the mother and daughter, not allowing any refusal.
Ma was quite reluctant, but her obedience to her husband prevented her from resisting in front of outsiders. She muttered something, but finally went back to the house with the child.
When only Lu Shang and Lu Xian were left in the courtyard, Lu Shang finally spoke: "You know why I'm here, right?"
"Tell me, what have I done that is so detestable and abhorrent that you have neither the love of brotherhood nor the kindness of your support, and would rather be beaten than sue me in court."
"Brother, I--" Lu Xian suddenly panicked.
Lu Shang sneered: "Don't call me, I'm not worthy of being your big brother."
Lu Xian's eyes were wandering. He had never thought that the news of him filing a complaint at the government office would reach Lu Shang's ears. Judging from his appearance, he did not seem to be punished for it at all. This was different from what he and Ma had discussed privately!
Lu Shang could tolerate his cowardly appearance before, but now when he sees it again, he feels extremely disgusted.
Lu Xian pretends to be honest every day, but who would have thought that he is actually a backstabber.
Lu Shang said impatiently: "Hurry up and tell me what I did wrong. I asked you to sue my relatives. You almost want me to die over this. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. Tell me quickly!"
These words were so serious that Lu Xian shuddered: "I don't want you to die! I am, I am--" He didn't know whether he was really timid or afraid of Lu Shang's identity and ability. After stuttering for a long time, he finally told the truth.
"I just want to take over your business. You've already passed the imperial examination, so you'll definitely become a high-ranking official in the future. You won't care about such a small business. I know I don't please you. If you become a high-ranking official in the future, these businesses will definitely not be mine. If I don't think about myself and Mingxia, I will really have no chance..."
Lu Shang found it unbelievable and frowned tightly.
Lu Xian said, "Brother, I've worked for you for so many years, and I believe I've devoted myself to everything I do. Even if I can't say I've made any contributions, at least I've worked hard. But even so, you still transferred me to the construction team without any explanation, that kind of place..."
"What's wrong with that kind of place? Tell me clearly, what is that kind of place?" Lu Shang laughed in anger, and stood up, not knowing how to express his anger. "Didn't I ask you at the beginning? Did I ask you if you were willing to go? You said you came with me to make money, so let me ask you, haven't you made more money in the construction team these past few months than before?"
Perhaps being pushed too far, Lu Xian yelled, "How can that place compare to the respectability of the logistics team!"
"Yes! The construction team can make more money, but that money is all my hard-earned money. Big brother, you just sit at home and have plenty of people working for you, but what about me?"
"I have to work with a group of farmers, moving bricks and building houses for others. I can't stand still all day long. It's all hard labor! When I finally get home from work, the neighbors all ask me why I look so dirty and whether I'm no longer working in the logistics team. How do you expect me to answer?"
Lu Shang was completely stunned.
After a long while, he finally asked, "Have you always thought this way?"
He felt that all he had to do was lie back at home and a lot of money would be handed to him.
I feel that the work done by the construction team is done by peasants, and even if they earn more, it is not as good as the two taels of silver earned by the logistics team.
I think he has bad intentions and is deliberately torturing his own brothers...
Lu Shang shook his head in disappointment, and all his questions disappeared in despair.
At this point, there is actually no need to ask anything. Lu Xian’s complaints and motives are all clear.
Lu Shang maintained his last bit of decency: "Since you have been thinking this way, then I have nothing more to say. If you don't want to work in the construction team, forget it. My place is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you. Tomorrow, you can find someone to help you or move out of my house as soon as possible. Considering that we are brothers, we don't need to contact each other in the future."
"But brotherly love isn't a life-or-death escape. You leaked the blueprints I drew for the new house to outsiders, a grave offense both in personal conduct and in business. I'll have someone calculate the losses and send them to you. It's up to you whether you want to pay me or wait for me to report the matter to the authorities. I'll give you a month to consider it, as a final farewell to the bond I hold with you."
"Wait! What do you mean by leaking the blueprints? Brother, what are you talking about..."
Lu Shang was completely disappointed in him and didn't want to listen to his excuses anymore. He said "take care of yourself" and turned around to walk out of the yard. Even the intermittent denials behind him couldn't make him turn back.
"Brother, wait a minute. I didn't leak the blueprints. This has nothing to do with me... No! I know it was Ma! It was Ma who sold the construction team's blueprints without my knowledge. She kept saying that the blueprints were valuable, but I didn't agree. Brother, I really didn't know—"
The blueprints had already been leaked, and Lu Shang no longer cared whether it was done by Lu Xian or Ma's private behavior.
In his opinion, husband and wife are one, and even if Lu Xian and his wife really have something to hide from each other, it is no different.
Just as Lu Shang stepped out of the courtyard, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing behind him. The little girl's scream pierced the air, followed by a burst of harsh curses: "You bitch! What did you do behind my back? Where are the blueprints I gave you?"
"It was all because of your instigation that I betrayed Big Brother. If you hadn't kept telling me that he looked down on me, how could I have done such a thing? It's all because of you!"
"Brother, wait a minute, brother, I was wrong! Wait for me--"
The calls from behind were getting louder and louder, mixed with two female voices with different tones, but no matter what it was, it failed to move Lu Shang at all. No matter how fiercely they were fighting in the back, didn't it change the fact?
The couple had long been full of resentment towards him, and it was true that they would repay a kindness with a grudge.
Lu Shang did not stay in Tang Town for long, and hurried back to the provincial capital on the night road. When he entered the house in the dark, he unexpectedly found that there were two lights left on at the door. The candlelight reflected on the head of the bed, making Jiang Wanning cover her eyes uncomfortably.
His first reaction was to extinguish the candle at the door, take off his coat, and shake off the cold at the door before moving closer.
But just when he touched Jiang Wanning's fingertips, he heard her murmur in a daze: "My husband is back..."
Somehow, Lu Shang's tiredness disappeared all of a sudden. He chuckled twice and asked softly, "Is Aning still awake?"
"Hmm..." Jiang Wanning didn't really sleep, but her sleep was not very restful. Half the night had passed, and she was still half asleep and half awake. When she sensed Lu Shang approaching, she said vaguely, "I'm waiting for you. Come up quickly. I'm so sleepy..."
Lu Shang's heart softened after she talked to him, and he no longer had any extra thoughts.
He quickly took off his shoes and socks, thought for a moment, and then searched the closet for a new set of underwear. After changing into the clean underwear, he actually climbed onto the bed, stretched out his long arms, and hugged Jiang Wanning completely in his arms.
He wanted to chat with Jiang Wanning, but seeing that her eyelids were fighting with sleepiness, he really couldn't bear to disturb her. In the end, he could only kiss her mouth again and again and coax her into sleep.
Have a good night.
Early the next morning, Jiang Wanning woke up and saw the people around her. She was stunned for a moment and subconsciously pushed Lu Shang: "Husband came back last night?" She had no memory of last night at all.
Lu Shang opened one eye and glanced at her, then quickly pulled her over again, hummed softly twice, and coaxed her to lie down for a while longer.
Seeing that there was still dark circles under his eyes, Jiang Wanning pursed her lips and had no choice but to lie in his arms obediently. She didn't wake him up until they were about to be late.
These days, the two of them go to the private school together. The private school has not recruited a new teacher yet, so Jiang Wanning is still taking care of both sides.
On the way to the private school, Lu Shang was picky and talked about what Lu Xian and his wife had done. He concealed the fact that they had gone to the government office to file a complaint, and only said that the two of them were blinded by greed and leaked the construction team's drawings, which was discovered by him, which led to yesterday's rush.
Jiang Wanning then realized that he had asked Lu Mingxia unnecessary questions yesterday, and then her heart was quickly replaced by anger: "Why do they act like this? My husband has treated them well enough, but they are not satisfied with this? I have seen what it means to repay kindness with enmity. If I were to say, my husband is too generous. He should have directly sent them to the government. When the losses are compensated, they will be released from prison!" She was filled with righteous indignation, and the more she spoke, the more unfair she felt for Lu Shang.
Seeing that she was angry, Lu Shang was afraid that she would have a miscarriage, so he could only persuade her in a gentle tone, and it took a long time for her to calm down.
After scolding Lu Xian and his wife, Jiang Wanning suddenly realized something was wrong. She looked over suspiciously, "Husband, why don't I have any impression of the construction team you just mentioned?"
"..." Lu Shang was silent for a long time, slapped his head, and rested his forehead on Jiang Wanning's shoulder again.
He closed his eyes and played dumb: "What, what did I just say? Did Aning hear it wrong? Hey, why is the road so long today? I can't wait to go to the private school for morning lessons!"
Jiang Wanning couldn't help laughing and tapped the back of his hand with her finger, but in the end she didn't blame him for anything.
Two days later, Lu Xian's family moved out of the nameless alley. The reason they moved out so quickly was not because they felt guilty, but because Lu Shang found someone from the provincial capital to "help" them move faster.
The losses of the construction team were also calculated. There were a total of eighteen drawings. If they could really be built, they would make at least several hundred taels of silver. With the savings of Lu Xian and others, they definitely could not pay it back.
Lu Shang knew what was going on, and as he had said earlier, he gave them a one-month deadline. However, as soon as the one-month deadline was up, he immediately took them to the county government office. With the testimony of all the workers on the construction team, Lu Xian and his wife had no chance to defend themselves.
The county magistrate arrested the couple and sentenced them to three years in prison for the crime of misappropriating other people's property. The remaining Lu Mingxia was sent back to Lujia Village and had to be taken care of by his grandfather Lu Laoer.
After learning about the fate of Lu Xian and his wife, Lu Shang did not follow up.
On the contrary, the two brothers Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu were influenced by Lu Xian, and he also felt a little disgusted with them. His previous promise to bring them to the provincial capital to study was no longer valid, and it was even questionable whether they could join the logistics team in the future.
After Lu Xian's matter was settled, another month or two had passed, and the end of the year passed quietly in a hurry.
This was the first year that the Jiang family reunited. It was a pity that the eldest brother of the Jiang family was not here, but Qu Heng brought his wife and daughter over to spend the New Year with them, which was a different kind of warmth.
The New Year had passed, the weather outside was still cold, and the imperial examination came as scheduled.
It was now the beginning of March, and the imperial examination was scheduled for the end of April. The journey from Songxi County to the capital was long, and Lu Shang should have set off earlier, but he couldn't bear to leave Jiang Wanning alone for the New Year, so he had delayed it until now.
If Jiang Wanning wasn't pregnant, Lu Shang would have thought about taking her to the capital, but she was pregnant and he didn't know the situation, so he couldn't put her in a passive situation.
The remaining two months were actually a bit tight for the journey. In Lu Shang's heart, even the imperial examination was not as important as spending the New Year with his wife. Others could not persuade him and could only let him act recklessly.
Since the New Year was over, he should hurry up and go to Beijing to take the exam immediately.
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