Chapter 152 The Past of the Lu Family
"What?" Mother Lu's brows furrowed instantly.
Xia Qianqian then asked, "Lu Zheng said the situation at home is complicated, and he asked me to ask you what exactly happened? Didn't he say that his father-in-law had passed away? But the people in the car said that his father-in-law is still alive!"
Mrs. Lu sighed deeply, put the spatula on the stove, took off her apron and draped it over the back of a chair, and pulled Xia Qianqian's hand into the inner room: "Sit down and let's talk."
She patted Xia Qianqian's hand, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "There are some things you should know."
Xia Qianqian followed Lu's mother into the inner room, feeling as if a stone was pressing on her heart.
Lu's mother sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), remained silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke, her voice carrying the weariness of years: "Lu Zheng's father is indeed still alive."
She paused, then said, word by word, "But in Ah Zheng's and my hearts, he's already dead!"
Then, Lu's mother began to recount the past in fits and starts—
It turns out that the Lu family is a prominent family in the capital. Lu Zheng's father made his fortune in the coal mining business in his early years and held the coal lifeline of half of the north in his hands.
But during the war, he took his family fortune and fled to Hong Kong, where he reportedly married a concubine and even had a child.
"Later, he sent someone back, saying he wanted to take my daughter and me to Hong Kong." Mother Lu's voice trembled. "Ah Zheng immediately overturned the table, saying he wouldn't accept such a treacherous opportunist! Later, he joined the army and crawled out of piles of corpses several times..."
Xia Qianqian was shocked when she heard this.
No wonder Lu Zheng never mentions his family, no wonder he reacted so strongly to that car; it turns out he's carrying so much on his shoulders.
"Then why did you come to Xiangyang Village?" Xia Qianqian pressed.
Lu's mother's eyes reddened, and her voice lowered: "It's all because of his father."
She wiped her hands with her apron, her voice bitter: "The military investigates social class very strictly. His father's affairs in Hong Kong are always brought up. Today they say he's not firm in his stance, tomorrow they say he's colluding with foreign powers... Later, someone even falsely accused him of possessing a radio station. If it weren't for his old leader protecting him, he probably wouldn't have survived."
She sighed and patted Xia Qianqian's hand: "There's no other way, we have to hide here."
At this point, Lu's mother's eyes were full of kindness and relief: "But it can also be considered a blessing in disguise. If we hadn't hidden here, how could A-Zheng have married such a good wife as you?"
She looked at Xia Qianqian with eyes full of pity: "It's just that you've suffered. Life in the village is hard, and we're struggling to make ends meet. How can it compare to the comfort of life in the city?"
Lu's mother always felt sorry for Xia Qianqian, a good city girl, who had to suffer with them.
When she secretly wiped away her tears at night, she did have the thought: why not take the children to Hong Kong? At least it would allow Qianqian and the two girls to have a few good days.
But she understood Lu Zheng's heart better than anyone else. That boy may seem quiet, but he was more resilient than anyone else.
He always said that the country was in dire need of rebuilding and needed people right now. He would never leave as long as the motherland needed him.
“Qianqian,” Mrs. Lu held her hand, her palm warm, “Azheng may seem cold, but he has a warm heart. If he does anything to worry you, please forgive him…”
Xia Qianqian smiled and took Lu's mother's arm, gently patting the back of her hand with her fingertips: "Mom, don't worry."
She looked up at Lu's mother, her eyes shining, "I love his cold exterior but warm heart; he's reliable."
She paused, then changed the subject, her eyes filled with inquiry: "But if that's the case, why does the Lu family suddenly want to see Lu Zheng?"
Mentioning this, the worry on Lu's mother's face eased a little, and instead, a proud smile appeared on her face: "Hmph, what else could it be?"
“Lu Rensheng has three wives and four concubines outside, marrying one after another, I can’t be bothered with his messy affairs! But I know that the sons born to his concubines are all good-for-nothings, useless!” She smiled proudly, “Azheng helped him manage the company for half a year before, and the managers all praised him for being a natural businessman!”
She turned to Xia Qianqian and said, "Over the years, people outside have been saying that the Lu family business can only prosper if it is handed over to A-Zheng. Those collateral branches are eyeing it covetously, and Lu Rensheng is probably unable to withstand them now, so he has thought of A-Zheng!"
Lu Zheng leaned back in his leather seat, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, without even lifting his eyelids.
He wasn't surprised at all. Even though that old fox had hidden in Hong Kong, he hadn't given up on finding him in the past two years. It was probably because he had been targeted when he went to Fangcheng to deliver goods last time.
A cold smile curved his lips as Lu Zheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as dark as unyielding ink.
He knows Lu Rensheng too well.
In that man's eyes, father-son affection and chivalrous code were all bullshit! Only the word "profit" was etched into his bones. Back then, to seize territory, he could even befriend the murderer who killed his own mother. Now, what good could come of this son of his?
After bumping along the mountain road for several hours, the car finally stopped in front of a blue-brick villa hidden halfway up the mountain.
Lu Zheng looked at the familiar carved iron gate, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes—the campaign was so intense this year, yet this building was still standing here intact.
The driver, dressed in a black suit, got out of the car and respectfully opened the door: "Young Master, please get out of the car."
Lu Zheng slowly opened his eyes, stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers in the celadon ashtray on the porch, and stepped inside.
Behind the carved screen lies a koi pond with flowing water, and on the mahogany antique shelves are blue and white porcelain vases. Even the floor tiles are bluestone slabs transported from Jiangnan.
Lu Zheng's gaze swept over everything, but his stomach felt like it was blocked by a red-hot iron.
Which of these pavilions and waterside terraces wasn't built with the bones of miners?
Back then, when his father's mine collapsed and more than 20 miners died, Lu Rensheng couldn't even afford to buy a thin coffin. Instead, he used the compensation money to build this koi pond!
He could almost smell the lingering stench of blood, mixed with the smell of coal ash, seeping out from the carved window frames.
"Young Master!"
The old butler was already waiting behind the carved wooden door. When he saw him come in, he hurriedly bowed and greeted him, his waist bent like a boiled shrimp: "Master is already waiting for you in the study. Let this old servant show you the way."
Lu Zheng's eyes turned cold as he glanced at the bowing butler, his gaze chilling and making one's spine stiff.
He didn't speak again, but the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he were smiling, or perhaps mocking—the curve was as faint as a shadow, yet sharper than a blade chilled to the bone.
He stepped silently up the mahogany stairs to the second floor.
The study door was ajar, and warm yellow light shone from inside.
Lu Zheng pushed open the door and saw Lu Rensheng standing with his back to the door in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
The man was dressed in a moon-white silk robe, his hair was neatly combed, and although there were a few strands of silver at his temples, they were slicked back and polished. Even his back view exuded an air of pampered elegance.
But Lu Zheng only felt a glare—beneath this skin was clearly a heart blacker than coal ash.
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