Chapter 68 Chapter 68 If you don’t paint a pie for your son, you’ll have to eat it…
Shen Miao came to Chen Yu's house again on the twenty-eighth day of the lunar year to give her the gifts distributed by the village during the Chinese New Year.
The village made a lot of money this year. Each person can get a barrel of oil, a bag of rice, a bag of noodles and 200 yuan. If there is an elderly person over 60 years old in the family, they can get an extra barrel of oil.
Originally, each family was notified to come to the village committee in person to collect it, but Shen Miao really wanted to have a taste of Chen Yu's family, so she took the initiative to ask Shen Shansheng to run errands and help bring Chen Luo's items and money to her.
"Make way, make way for a moment."
When we arrived at Chen Yu's house, there was a big truck parked in front of his door. On it were an old bed and two wooden cabinets with broken doors. They looked familiar... as if they were from Chen Luo's room.
The things have not been moved yet. Several workers are adjusting the angle left and right on the stairs to move the large wardrobe up. Two other workers are waiting in the outer hall on the first floor, next to them is a water heater that has just been inspected and assembled.
The box containing the large color TV had not been opened yet. The delivery worker, who had probably just arrived, was sitting on a bench, drinking two cups of hot water and taking a break.
Oh, are you going to replace all the things in Chen Luo's house with new ones?
Although he was also delivering something, the rice, flour and oil on Chen Miao's tricycle looked a bit shabby.
"Auntie, Happy New Year! My dad asked me to bring you some gifts from the village."
Shen Miao carried a barrel of oil from the car and put it down in the house. She looked at the cartons scattered all over the floor and couldn’t help but sigh: “Your family has changed furniture quite a lot this year. These cartons alone can probably be sold for a few cents.”
Chen Yu curled her lips, stood up and brought in the rice and oil from outside with Shen Miao, "Yes, it has not stopped in the past few days, people come every day."
She had to ask the workers to move the furniture, and also had to be careful not to bump into anything. After going back and forth for the entire morning, Chen Yu was so busy that he was dizzy.
Old Duan and Little Duan were not idle either. They were discussing with several workers where to install the drum washing machine.
“It’s the Wei Li brand?” Shen Miao accidentally glanced at the brand of the washing machine and said in surprise, “It must be more than a thousand, right?”
Chen Yu curled her lips indifferently, "I don't know, anyway, it's not my family's money."
As she spoke, she pointed upstairs and whispered, "These are all the young people showing their filial piety to the old lady."
Chen Yu didn't dare to speak too loudly, for fear of being heard by the filial sons upstairs. It was rare for the three of them to get together, so he didn't want to disturb their interest in acting.
Ah...it’s the three sons of Chen Luo.
What a coincidence~ I didn't expect that she would actually get to eat a bite of the melon.
"Oh, yes."
Pulling Shen Miao to the kitchen, Chen Yu opened the newly bought refrigerator, took out a green-skinned fruit from it and handed it to her: "Try this, it's called Pan Pomegranate, I'm tasting something strange."
Shen Miao leaned in and sniffed it. There was a strange and unique fruit aroma on the surface. She tried to take a bite... Hmm! It was icy and soft, like eating ice cream.
“It’s really delicious, where did you buy it?” Shen Miao took another big bite and asked.
Chen Yu glanced upstairs again as she did before: "The third brother bought it for the old lady."
Such fragrant fruits are rarely available in the north in winter, and most of them are bought from the south.
Fruits are more expensive than meat in winter, but Chen Lu is really willing to spend them.
When their eyes met, Shen Miao and Chen Yu both understood what the three brothers were thinking, but they did not say anything. They just tacitly took out a bunch of mare's milk grapes from the refrigerator and opened a bag of nuts called badang fruit to eat.
In fact, there is no need to break some windows, no matter what their purpose is. As long as the old lady can eat well, drink well, play well, live well, and finish the last part of her life happily, that is enough!
"Xiaoyu? Xiaoyu?"
As expected, you can’t talk about people behind their backs.
He had just muttered this when he heard Chen Fu calling him from upstairs.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Chen Yu also shouted towards the window.
"Can you see if the down jacket I bought for Mom is downstairs? Bring it up so Mom can try it on."
"Yes, I'll look for it."
Chen Yu put down the handful of pomelo in his hand, stood up and walked to the "hill" next to the sofa. He quickly found the dark red down jacket from it, and then gave it to Xiao Duan and asked him to take it upstairs.
Upstairs, Chen Fu was squatting on the ground changing Chen Luo's shoes with his own hands.
The thick cotton shoes were slightly bigger than her feet, but very warm. There was a thick layer of plush inside the shoes, which felt very soft to step on, as if she was walking on clouds.
"How's it going? Is it warm?"
Chen Luo held the electric water bottle in her pocket and nodded with a smile, "It's warm, very warm."
"Old people must keep warm in winter, especially their feet. It will be troublesome if they catch a cold."
"It's so warm in the room, and we don't usually open the windows. At most, we open them at noon to ventilate the room. Don't worry, your mother is in good health and won't get cold."
Unintentionally noticing the red spot on the back of Chen Fu's hand, Chen Luo pulled his hand distressedly and asked, "What happened? Where did you get hurt?"
"It's okay," Chen Fu moved his body nonchalantly, "I just bumped into him when I was helping my father-in-law out to bask in the sun. It's nothing serious."
"Your father-in-law still needs support when he goes out to bask in the sun." Chen Luo said casually.
Chen Fu nodded, "Yeah."
Talking about his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Chen Fu seemed to have a lot of grievances that he couldn't tell to others, but the person in front of him was his own mother, so he just spoke frankly.
"Alas, you know Xiaoxiu. She only cares about her parents. She worries about this and that. From the time she got married to now, when Xiaowei is about to get married, she has been living with my family."
"They are city dwellers with high expenses and can't afford anything. It was okay in the past few years, but in the past two years, they have grown older and have been buying this and that. A month's worth of health care products is a lot of money."
"You know, we have been close since we were young. I have spent more time with you than any of them. Do you think I can't be close to you? The situation really doesn't allow it, otherwise I would have brought you here a long time ago."
Chen Fu's expression was heavy and his tone was full of grief and indignation, just like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl separated by the Milky Way. It was his father-in-law and mother-in-law who blocked him from fulfilling his filial duties to Chen Luoshi.
After talking about so many unavoidable and unpleasant things, Chen Fu didn't cry yet, but Chen Luo couldn't help but shed two tears.
It's not that I feel sorry for his helplessness, but I am moved by his acting skills.
No one knows a son better than his mother. Chen Luo knew very well whether it was true or not.
It is said that as people get older, they tend to forget many things from the past. However, these days, when Chen Luo was reminiscing about the past, she remembered many forgotten things.
She still remembered that in order to thank her in-laws for their help, she and the old man brought a lot of things. However, before they even got to the door, he told them that the gifts were "not presentable" and asked them to go to the market to buy some expensive gifts.
She also remembered that she had accompanied her old man to the city for medical treatment, thinking that now that her son had established himself in the city, she could help them with some things. Not to mention arranging an appointment with a specialist, at least she could take them upstairs and downstairs for a checkup so that they wouldn't get lost.
Then what?
He didn't even have a number in line yet, as he was in a hurry to accompany his father-in-law to a social event and left them directly in the hospital.
Also, the health supplements he brought home during the Chinese New Year every year only had a shelf life of a few months left... Come to think of it, it must be because his father-in-law didn't have time to eat them, so he brought them home.
Being forced is just an excuse.
He knew in his heart that only by pleasing his father-in-law and his family could he have a successful career and rise to the top. As his father and mother, who came from the countryside, could not help him, they naturally did not need too much concern from him.
So, Chen Fu is not unfilial, it’s just that the scale in his heart does not allow him to share more filial piety with himself.
"Son, it's been so hard for you these years..." Chen Luoshi did not expose him. Instead, she touched the wrinkles on his forehead and the slightly graying hair at his temples with heartache.
Regardless of whether his filial piety at this moment was true or false, at least the clothes and shoes he sent were really warm.
"Now that you're retired, you still have to take care of the two old people at home. Do you have enough money?"
Chen Fu was a little surprised. He didn't expect Chen Luo to take the initiative to mention money.
"Remember to tell mom if you don't have enough money, mom..."
"Enough to spend," Chen Fu held her hand in his hands and placed it against his forehead gratefully. "Mom, you have already worried a lot about me in the past. You don't have to worry about me anymore. Even if I have no money, I will definitely honor you."
Chen Luo sighed and said to him with a smile:
"Alas, mother doesn't need your filial piety. As long as I can see you often, I will be satisfied."
"Mom is rich now. Once the old house is demolished, she will have hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then she won't be afraid that your father-in-law will look down on her."
"I'm getting old, and my memory is getting worse. You're the eldest, so I'll have to rely on you to help mom keep all the money."
"No, you're not old at all," Chen Fu rubbed her legs, unable to suppress the upward curve of his mouth, "How can I take your money? Just keep it for yourself."
"Hey, that's not what I meant," Chen Luo continued in a serious tone, "You are the eldest in our family. Now that your father is gone, you have to take charge of the family. How to divide the family money and house among them in the future is up to you. I don't know how to use them if I keep them."
Chen Fu lowered his head a little, and agreed reluctantly: "That's it, I'll keep the money for you after it's divided. If you need to spend it, just tell me, and we'll discuss how to divide it among them later."
Chen Luo smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's do it."
"By the way," Chen Luo said, changing the subject, "Can you give me another 2,000 yuan? Your father was sick and he hasn't paid back the money he borrowed from others. It's been several years now, and it's not good to delay any longer."
"Two thousand."
I only gave him 3,000 last time, and recently he sent me a series of large and small things, and now he wants another 2,000...
Seeing that he looked embarrassed, Chen Luo said, "It's okay. If it's embarrassing, forget it. I..."
"Not difficult, not difficult," Chen Fu agreed immediately. "How about this, I'll go get it this afternoon and bring it to you tomorrow, okay?"
“Hit, hit!”
Continuing to touch his face, Chen Luoshi finally showed a satisfied smile on her face: "My eldest brother is really filial. I can rest assured to hand over our family to you in the future."
"Mom, the water heater is installed, come and try it?"
After helping the workers install the water heater in the bathroom, Chen Lu took off his gloves and walked towards the bedroom.
Seeing that the two looked different, and Chen Luoshi's face still showed signs of crying, Chen Lu asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay, it's okay," Chen Luo wiped the tears from her face, holding the wheelchair handle and trying to stand up. "Is it installed? Then let me try the water temperature. The previous water heater was always hot and cold."
Chen Lu hurried over and steadied the pusher behind her wheelchair: "No need to stand up, I'll push you over."
Since he had just heard Chen Luo's promise, and Chen Lu was also there, in order to avoid him noticing anything, Chen Fu found an excuse to go downstairs, "I'll go to the restaurant to buy some dishes, so Xiaoyu doesn't have to cook, saving her some trouble."
Chen Lu nodded: "Okay, then you can do it."
Watching his back as he walked down the stairs, Chen Luo called him again, "Boss, you must remember what we just said."
Chen Fu came back to his senses, smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, I won't forget it."
Chen Lu: ???
What were they talking about just now? Why can't I forget it?
And look at the way the old lady looked at Chen Fu, and the tears on her face that she hadn't had time to wipe away... No, something is wrong.
Helping Chen Luoshi to the bathroom, Chen Lu demonstrated to her the new items in the room one by one.
"I'll throw that old chair away for you. You can sit on this toilet when you relieve yourself in the future. It's safer, and there's a stick for you to hold on to."
"The temperature of the water heater can be adjusted. You see, press it up for a higher temperature, and press it down for a lower temperature. You don't have to fiddle with the faucet back and forth."
"This light can be turned on while taking a shower. Once it is turned on, the room will quickly become hot. It can also vent air, so you don't have to worry about feeling stuffy while taking a shower."
He had long ago picked out these things and planned to buy them and install them in his new home, but now...
In order to please the old lady, Chen Fuke came here often during the New Year period, changing beds and cabinets, and buying clothes and pants for the old lady, for fear that others would not know his filial piety.
Chen Lu is not stupid. Could he not see the purpose of Chen Fu's doing this? Isn't it just for the compensation money and resettlement house in the hands of the old lady?
Since he is so eager to curry favor with me, I have to work hard to win his favor. I can't let him take all my money and house.
How much are a bed and a cabinet worth? In order to prove that he is more filial than Chen Fu, Chen Lu simply replaced Chen Luo's TV, coal stove, and the things in the bathroom. The total cost of these messy things was quite a lot.
Adding on the money given to the old lady these days, the total is at least ten thousand yuan.
"What?"
"Well, the water temperature is just right!"
Picking up the new cotton towel to help her wipe her hands clean, Chen Lu smiled and said, "That's fine. I've also changed a few towels for you. They're softer to use."
When he bent down to wipe Chen Luo's hands, Chen Lu smelled something on her hair and said, "How about we wash your hair? I just bought the shampoo, so it's a good time to try it out."
"middle."
In order to make Chen Luo more comfortable, Chen Lu asked her to lean back against the sink and put a cushion under her neck so that she would not have to worry about water flowing into her eyes when washing her hair.
This was the first time Chen Lu washed his mother's hair. His movements were a little clumsy, but he was very careful.
"What?"
“Great~”
"That's it."
Continuing to rub Chen Luo's wet hair, Chen Lu also recalled the past and said, "Mom, do you remember when I was a child, I didn't like to wash my hair, and I couldn't wash it clean. You always washed it for me."
"Yes, of course I remember."
"Not only that, every time we eat, you always pick the lean meat for me to eat, and you always pick me first when there's something delicious."
Chen Luo didn't say anything and continued to smile.
"My dad has always favored my eldest brother, thinking that he is a good student with a promising future. But among the four of us, you are the best to me, and we are the closest to each other."
"Do you remember more than 20 years ago? I lost money in business that time, and you stuffed the money into my pocket without my dad's knowledge."
"You've suffered for me all your life, now it's my turn to take care of you."
Yes, she has suffered all her life.
Perhaps it was because she was looking at him backwards, Chen Luo felt that the smile on Chen Lu's face was very distorted. She could not feel his filial piety at all. Instead, she felt that he was looking at a shining gold ingot.
Among the children, Chen Lu is the least filial.
Yes, I have been more partial to him since I was a child, but I had no choice.
Chen Lu wants to use the best of everything and eat the best of everything.
Shampoo doesn’t smell good? No use. Meat is fatty? No eat.
It really proves the old saying: A poor man's body depends on his fate.
Later, he made money from his business and bought a lot of things for his family, but every time he brought something home, he would ask for more money, under the pretext of helping them invest in something? But after giving so many times, he never saw any return money, and sometimes he would even turn his face away when he didn't get the money back...
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve become more stable as I get older, or if I’ve really saved some money, but I’ve finally stopped asking for money from my family over the years. But at the same time, the number of times I go home can be counted on one hand.
So Chen Luo knew that Chen Lu must have some ulterior motive for spending so much money on her all at once.
Chen Lu had almost finished reminiscing about the past. He was still thinking about what happened just now, so he tried to find a topic to talk about: "Mom, was this dress bought by my brother?"
Chen Luo stretched out her sleeves and said, "Well, it was said to be one or two hundred."
"It looks pretty good. One piece of clothing costs one or two hundred yuan. My brother is really willing to spend money on it."
How could Chen Luo not understand what Chen Lu was going to say next? In order to avoid hearing these sour words, she took the initiative to talk about money: "Your brother is in a very difficult situation. His father-in-law and mother-in-law are not easy to talk to. Alas, it is not easy to save some money."
Hearing Chen Luo's distressed tone, Chen Lu's sense of crisis increased a lot.
However, he did not express it openly, but continued: "Yes, my brother only looks prosperous on the surface, but he actually doesn't have much money. He is also too distant from me. In fact, if there is anything he needs help with, just let me know. We are brothers, how can I not help him?"
The crying child gets the candy, and fighting for it openly would make one seem immature, so Chen Lu thought of changing the way so that he could also have a bite of candy.
"Mom, don't worry. I will definitely hang out with my brother more often in the future. I'm making money now, and my business is doing well, so I'll definitely help in any way I can."
Chen Luo patted the back of his hand and said with relief: "You are still sensible."
Seeing him continue to rub her hair with a towel, Chen Luoshi said, "By the way, I heard from Miaomiao from the Shen family that we can get more than 600,000 yuan after our house is demolished. Do you think it's true?"
Six hundred thousand?
Chen Lu's hands trembled, but he tried to keep calm on his face. "Well, there should be more. After all, our house is not small, and we still have so much land."
Chen Luo nodded and continued, "This is what I think. I'll give the money to you, brother. When the houses are divided, I'll give them all to you."
Just after drawing a cake for Chen Fu, Chen Luo drew one for Chen Lu. As for cakes, if you don't draw them quickly, you will have to eat the cakes drawn by others.
"You are not short of money, so I will leave the house to you. Isn't Xiaozhuang's wife going to give birth to a second child soon? When the children grow up and get married, they will have their own house."
Chen Luoshi did not hide anything from him and told him everything she had just said to Chen Fu.
In order to highlight her age and unclear mind, Chen Luo also emphasized: "I know the house is not that valuable, but you also know the situation of your brother's family. Let's give him all the money, and you can just be a little bit wronged and take some of the house, okay?"
"The fourth child is the most useless in our family. He has no wife and no children. When the time comes, you can decide to leave him a house. Don't spoil him too much. Just let him live on his own."
Hit it! It’s such a hit!
Chen Lu knew that the old lady loved him the most.
Who says houses are worthless? The housing prices in the city are rising rapidly. After a few years, if you buy a few houses, the market value will be several times more than 600,000 yuan!
Like Chen Fu, Chen Lu was also a person who could not hide his advantage once he got it. The corners of his lips, which had been drooping just now, began to slightly rise.
"Okay, I'll listen to you. After all, these are your things. You can divide them however you want."
"good."
Chen Luo patted his hands and said with relief, "If your brother wants a suite in the future, you two can discuss it. We are brothers. If you make concessions, you can also ask him to make concessions, such as asking him to give you some money, right?"
"Yes, you are right."
Chen Lu nodded repeatedly.
He was just immersed in the joy of getting the house, so whatever she said was what he took.
Knowing that the old house in the village was to be demolished, the three pairs of eyes in the family were all on him.
Chen Luo knew that their kindness to her was only temporary and that sooner or later their true nature would be revealed.
It would be better to draw the cake first and satisfy their greed, so that they don’t have to think about it when they can’t eat the meat.
But, how can a human being be content?
Those who have money will want a house, and those who have a house will want another house. Chen Luo has already verbally divided everything among them. As for who wants more, it depends on how they compete with each other.
If you feed meat to a dog, the dog will bite you when it gets anxious. It is better to divide the meat into two pieces and let them fight over it.
And the dog with an empty mouth could also divert its attention to the two brothers and stop disturbing him.
As for her, all she had to do was paint a picture of the pie in the sky. With the fragrance luring her, she didn't have to worry about the dogs not wagging their tails at her.
"By the way, Third Brother," Chen Luoshi said as he finished wiping his hair and was about to get it done, "Can you give me another 2,000 yuan? Your father was sick and he hasn't paid back the money he borrowed from others. It's been several years now, and it's not good to delay any longer."
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