Chapter 43
There's a ghost!
Time slipped away little by little in the peaceful days.
Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. The clothing store is thriving, and the accounts are overflowing with cash.
As Lunar New Year's Eve approached, a time for family reunions, Lu Qin closed her shop, posted a notice that she would be closed for a few days, and gave Lu Pan'an and Lu Hua a holiday and red envelopes as "year-end bonuses".
Since Hao Jingshi couldn't close his clinic, Lu Qin stayed with him there for a few days until the first day of the Lunar New Year, when they finally managed to close for a while.
In the past two years, especially after his coming-of-age ceremony, Hao Jingshi has become much more mature and proactive than before. Although he is still proud and stubborn, his behavior has become more measured and charming, which pleases her. She is very happy with him.
Now that he has turned twenty, it is time for him to establish his own residence.
Lu Qin longed for more and more to be able to spend time alone with him, no longer living under her parents' watchful eyes.
Finally, that day arrived.
After the family finished their reunion dinner, Old Madam Hao gave some instructions on matters concerning the mansion and also mentioned Hao Jingshi's plan to open a separate residence.
She announced her arrangements to the public, including allocating land and money, assigning servants such as Ling'er and Xuan Lan to follow her into the mansion, and officially handing over the medical clinic to Jing Lan. Jing Lan was overjoyed and ate an extra bowl of rice.
The arrangements were very tight. After the New Year, Lu Qin began to visit relatives in the clan with Hao Jingshi. Finally, she bid a reluctant farewell to Master Lu.
She felt guilty for not being able to be close enough to fulfill her filial duties and wanted to bring Master Lu to the capital.
But Master Lu was reluctant to leave his old home. He patted her back and said softly, "Qin'er, Father only hopes that you are doing well. You don't need to worry about Father. There are so many children here, Father won't be bored."
Seeing that her father supported all her decisions, Lu Qin was deeply moved and hugged him tightly.
Before leaving, Master Lu spoke privately with Hao Jingshi for a while. After Hao Jingshi came out, Lu Qin kowtowed to Master Lu before leaving.
On the way back, seeing that Lu Qin was sullen and worried about Master Lu, Hao Jingshi raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes.
Lu Qin looked up at him, and he waved that hand in front of her eyes again, mimicking the changing of facial makeup in opera, and her lips drooped instantly.
After realizing that he was mimicking her expression, Lu Qin was both amused and exasperated, and couldn't help but reach out and punch his chest.
"Something's wrong. What did your father say to you?"
Hao Jingshi pressed her hand down, leaned closer, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Want to know?"
Lu Qin: "Mm."
Hao Jingshi wrapped one arm around her waist, lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, saying, "Then give me a smile."
Lu Qin didn't smile; her expression looked as if it were glued shut.
Hao Jingshi had no choice but to think for a moment, then grinned at her and said, "Then I'll give you a smile, but don't look like a wilted eggplant, okay? Like I've wronged you."
Lu Qin was amused and raised her hand to hug him.
Touching the belt around his waist, she said, "This belt was made two years ago and it's a bit old. I'll make a new one for you when we get to our new house."
...
After visiting most of her relatives, Lu Qin began to handle the arrangements for the clothing shop.
Ever since she decided to go to Beijing, she had been thinking about this matter, since there were many franchisees there and she couldn't just close the store directly.
After much thought, the best arrangement was to find a trustworthy manager to take over the clothing shop, and right now, she trusted Lu Pan'an and Lu Hua the most.
Lu Qin pondered this for several days. Hao Jingshi, not understanding her dilemma, suggested going directly to Lu Pan'an. Clearly, Lu Pan'an needed a stable income more than Lu Hua, and Lu Hua might not be interested in being a manager.
However, Lu Qin felt it was inappropriate to speak frankly, because she knew that Lu Pan'an was a man of principle who would never accept kindness from others without a reason. Therefore, she wanted to call it helping out, rather than a gift.
"What a hassle." Seeing how meticulously she planned, Hao Jingshi leaned back in his chair with a hint of jealousy. "You're so thoughtful. He wouldn't think of all that."
“Of course we have to think it through,” Lu Qin said. “Otherwise, if Young Master Lu refuses, my husband and I will have to find someone else, which would mean we’d miss out on our time together.”
"Oh." With just a simple sentence, Hao Jingshi was coaxed into obedience.
The next day, Lu Pan'an and Lu Hua learned that they were going to the capital and came to visit them without prior arrangement.
Lu Pan'an brought dumplings that he and his sister had made themselves, and Lu Hua also cut chicken, duck, beef and mutton, tied them with hemp rope, and brought them to wish her elder brothers a Happy New Year and celebrate their housewarming.
Seeing this, Lu Qin quickly instructed Ling'er to find some good wine and suggested that they find a place to have a barbecue.
Everyone agreed and took the ingredients to the open space in the backyard to set up a fire and roast the meat.
Soon, flames leaped and the aroma of meat filled the air. Everyone raised their glasses and drank together, enjoying themselves immensely.
After they had eaten most of the barbecue, everyone started drinking and chatting, and Lu Qin took the opportunity to tell the two of them her plans.
“My two brothers,” she said, “my husband and I will be setting off soon, but there is something I’m worried about and would like to tell you.”
Lu Hua and Lu Pan'an readily agreed, saying in unison, "Go ahead and speak freely."
Lu Qin said, "It's nothing major. I just don't want to close this clothing shop, but I don't have time to manage it anymore, so I'd like to entrust it to you. I hope you can help me with this."
After hearing this, Lu Hua waved her hand and said, "Brother, you know I'm a rough man and don't know how to do business. You should leave this manager's position to Brother Lu. I'll just do odd jobs and run errands for him."
Lu Qin had the same thought in mind, so she looked at Lu Pan'an again.
“Brother Lu, although Xi Shi has recovered from her illness and your burden has been greatly reduced, you two still need to make a living. You may not be able to find suitable work elsewhere. Why don’t you stay and help me manage the clothing shop?”
Sure enough, when she said that, Lu Pan'an did not refuse and even raised his wine glass to toast her.
“Boss Lu has been kind to me, so I will naturally agree to help you now that you have a need.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Qin glanced at Hao Jingshi smugly, then raised an eyebrow to hint at it while clinking glasses with Lu Pan'an.
The tactics were sound, and we won easily.
Hao Jingshi understood, casually resting the hand holding the wine glass on his other arm, and nodded in approval.
Lu Pan'an didn't notice the two exchanging glances. He raised his cup and drank the wine in one gulp. At this moment, Lu Qin said, "I will tell you in detail how to get the goods and how to keep accounts. I will also have someone deliver the new clothes designs my husband makes on time. You can split the profits equally."
"No, no, no." Hearing Lu Qin say that she didn't want money, Lu Pan'an said repeatedly, "This is not a small amount of money, I can't accept it. I will keep a record of the account, and when it's time to deliver the manuscript, I will have the person delivering the manuscript take it to you."
Lu Hua nodded and said, "That's right, brother. I understand your good intentions, but I can't accept this money."
"Ah," Lu Qin said regretfully, "I originally asked you to accept the money because I had other requests to ask of you, but now that you've said that, I feel awkward about asking."
"..."
Lu Hua and Lu Pan'an looked at each other, blinking in confusion.
The two of them said in unison, "Boss Lu (elder brother), please tell me, and I will do my best to help."
"This is a big deal."
As she spoke, Lu Qin put down her wine cup, clasped her hands in a fist salute to the two men, and said solemnly, "You have heard about my elder brother's situation. Now my father only has me as his child. I am going to the capital, and my father will inevitably be lonely. I hope you can take good care of him."
After saying this, she bowed deeply to the two of them: "Father is my dearest person, and I thank you both here."
"Oh dear!" Lu Hua jumped up, "How can a big brother bow down to a little brother!"
Lu Pan'an also stood up. He felt uneasy about receiving such a bow, but since Hao Jingshi was present, he couldn't offer to help her up. So he bowed to Lu Qin as well, saying, "It's all right. Boss Lu, you're too kind."
"Yes, brother, don't worry, your father is my father too, I will definitely take good care of him!"
The two bowed and made repeated promises, which was quite comical. Hao Jingshi, who was listening to this, couldn't help but chuckle.
"One is bowing to the wedding ceremony, and the other is calling you 'father.' Looks like they're both drunk. I'll go make you some hangover soup."
After making his joke, he slowly got up and left.
Lu Qin looked up and glanced at him. She was used to his stubbornness and inexplicable jealousy, so she waved her hand and said, "He's drunk and talking nonsense. Don't pay attention to him."
"No, no, Second Brother is right." Lu Hua belatedly scratched her head and changed her words, "It's really inappropriate for someone my age to call me Father, I should call him Eldest Brother."
"Indeed, I was rude just now. As a man, I should indeed avoid suspicion." Lu Pan'an's handsome face was full of apology, and he was almost red with embarrassment.
Hearing them say that, Lu Qin felt embarrassed and waved her hand, saying, "Oh, sit down, sit down. With you two brothers here, I have nothing to worry about."
She picked up the wine pot, filled their glasses, and then raised her cup with a smile, saying, "I toast you both on behalf of my husband."
"Okay, let's do it!"
The three clinked glasses, drank, and began chatting and laughing amicably once again.
After several rounds of drinks, everyone began to feel dizzy and drunk.
The moon cast a double image, the stars swirled in the sky, Lu Pan'an began reciting poetry to the stone, while Lu Hua, with a thick tongue, poured out her feelings to the wine cup.
"Brother, what will I do now that you're gone?"
"Little brother, I'm also reluctant to part with you!" Lu Qin slammed her fist on the table and said, "Speaking of which, we are destined to meet. If it weren't for opening this clothing shop, how would I have met such a loyal brother like you!"
Lu Hua was so moved that tears streamed down her face: "Big Brother!"
"Little brother!"
"Big brother!"
The two called out to each other with reluctance. Upon hearing this, Lu Pan'an felt neglected, so he stopped reciting poetry and couldn't help but point at the tree and ask, "Boss Lu, Brother Lu Hua is your brother, but am I not?"
"Who, who said otherwise?" Lu Qin waved her hand and ran to hug the stone in front of Lu Pan'an, saying, "My surname is Lu, and yours is Lu. Although it's not the same character, it sounds the same! What's the difference between us and siblings?"
"Brother and sister?" Lu Pan'an smiled shyly. "I lost both my parents at a young age and only have my sister as my family. Now I have another sister... Sister, I have long wanted to recognize Master Lu as my godfather, but... but I am not worthy!"
"How can you not be worthy?" Lu Qin patted the stone. "Tomorrow you will go and kowtow to my father. From now on, you will be his adopted son and my sworn brother! When I go to the capital, you will take care of our adoptive father and see him off in his old age!"
Lu Pan'an readily agreed and happily drank another cup. Lu Hua, growing anxious, grabbed the corner of the table and asked gruffly, "What about me?"
Lu Qin released the stone, turned to the barbecue grill, and said emphatically, "Your surname is Lu, which sounds similar to Lu (鹿). You, you also recognize my father as your godfather. From now on, you are all, all members of the Lu family!"
"Great!" Lu Hua beamed with joy. "From now on, we're family! Big brother!"
"Sister!"
"Little brother!"
"Big one!"
"Brother!"
"Little sister!!"
The three called out to each other affectionately and clamored to become sworn brothers. After a while, when Hao Jingshi brought Ling'er back, he happened to see the three of them happily dancing around the table. After a few jumps, they all lay down and barked like wolfhounds.
Ling'er, holding the hangover soup, was both amused and exasperated: "Young Master, this..."
Without saying a word, Hao Jingshi took the hangover soup from her hand and placed a bowl in front of Lu Hua and Lu Pan'an. Sure enough, the two wolfhounds sipped it down.
Seeing that she didn't have any hangover soup, Lu Qin yelled at Hao Jingshi, "Where's mine?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Hua and Lu Pan'an also raised their heads and said fiercely, "Where is my elder brother's?"
"Where is my sister's?"
Hao Jingshi ignored her, placed the last bowl of hangover soup on the table, and instructed Ling'er to find some people to take Lu Hua and Lu Pan'an back. Ling'er nodded, suppressing a laugh, and went to the outer courtyard to call a few guards to carry the two away.
Finally, all was quiet. Hao Jingshi bent down and picked up Lu Qin, intending to feed her a hangover soup. But Lu Qin saw that the purple pillar had grown arms and legs, knocked over the bowl, and screamed.
"There's a ghost!"
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