Chapter 87 She won't stay at her parents' house for long; she has her own businesses.
She didn't dare say anything more after that, after all, she was still hoping that Lu Zhaoruo would take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days.
As for Dalang? She couldn't bear to let him shoulder such a heavy burden.
Dalang will get married and have children in the future. It's already difficult enough to support his own wife and children. How can she, as his mother, be a burden to him?
Lu Zhaoruo and Lu Bohong cooked dinner together.
Lu Zhaoruo insisted on preparing the dinner herself, and Lu Bohong couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he just smiled and helped out, handing things over, his eyes full of the gentleness and doting affection that comes with being an older brother.
She placed the cleaned old hen whole into a wide-mouthed earthenware pot, added a few thin slices of ginger and a small handful of bright red goji berries, poured in only clear well water, sprinkled in a little salt, and then covered it with the lid...
The small stove was burning, and the earthenware pot was gradually making a bubbling sound.
Wisps of smoke curled upwards, carrying the rich aroma of chicken and the slightly spicy scent of ginger, slowly spreading throughout the air...
After finishing her work, Lu Zhaoruo walked out of the kitchen and saw her father sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard as usual, staring blankly eastward, his cloudy eyes hiding indescribable emotions.
When Lu Zhaoruo first returned, he held her hand and murmured a few words, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back," his eyes full of tenderness.
She sometimes felt that her father was perhaps looking not only towards the East, but also towards the capital city at the far end of the East.
With Father's talent and learning, if he went there, he might very well pass the imperial examination with flying colors.
Therefore, what lingers in his heart is the regret of never being able to take the exam and never being able to put his talents to use.
When having dinner.
The family of four sat around the food counter.
Lu Bohong took the first step, picked up a soup ladle, and steadily ladled a full bowl of chicken soup. He placed it in front of Lu Zhaoruo and said gently, "Little sister, drink more soup and nourish your body."
Then he served another bowl to Lu's father.
Only at the very end did he seem to remember, and he served a bowl to Madam Tu as well.
Looking at the bowl of soup in front of her, which was obviously served later than everyone else's, Tu felt uneasy all over, and she couldn't suppress the unhappiness in her heart.
She pushed the bowl of soup back to Lu Bohong, forcing a smile, and said, "My son works hard day and night, he deserves some nourishment! You're now the county inspector, which brings honor to your mother! Unlike some people..."
Lu Zhaoruo didn't lift her eyelashes, but quietly drank the warm soup in her bowl.
Pretend you didn't hear it.
Lu Bohong frowned, shoved the bowl of soup back heavily in front of Tu Shi, and said in a deep voice, "Mother! Eat your food properly and don't say such sarcastic things."
Tu's lips moved, but in the end she said nothing.
While eating, Madam Tu stared at Lu Zhaoruo's chopsticks as she picked up food, her eyes practically spitting fire.
She not only drank a large bowl of chicken soup, but also asked for more rice twice, and even ate half of a plate of braised pork.
A woman who has returned to her ancestral home should not be allowed to sit at the same table with her family, yet she is eating so heartily.
Madam Tu gritted her teeth in anger, thinking to herself, "She's sued her husband's family to the point of ruin, how can she still eat so heartily?"
She recalled that before Lu Zhaoruo got married, she would only eat half a bowl of rice at each meal. Now, her appetite was like that of a starving ghost reincarnated.
This is going to bankrupt them!
Tu's heart ached so much that she could almost see Lu Yuanming's meager tuition fees and Lu Bohong's savings for his wedding being swallowed up by these meals.
"Smack!"
She couldn't help herself and threw down her chopsticks.
Lu Zhaoruo was about to collect the bowls when she heard this and looked up to see Tu Shi with a forced smile: "Is Aning going to settle down in her mother's family?"
She pointed to the empty plates and said, "You know what kind of situation your family is in. Your father's meager monthly salary is barely enough to support the family."
She coughed again, clearing her throat: "Not to mention, you're a 'retrograde,' the neighbors will gossip behind your back and talk behind your back. How will your brother get married and have children then? What respectable family would dare to marry their daughter into our Lu family?"
Lu Bohong slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "Mother! Your son has no intention of getting married at the moment. Besides, if the person I'm considering marrying in the future doesn't even have this much tolerance..."
His voice suddenly turned cold, "It's better not to marry such a narrow-minded woman!"
Madam Tu trembled with rage and raised her hand to punch his shoulder: "You wretched child! You're trying to drive your mother to her death!"
She turned and glared at Lu Zhaoruo, her eyes practically spitting fire. "Are you determined to wipe out the Lu family line?"
Lu Zhaoruo lowered her eyes and continued to clear the dishes.
Seeing this, Madam Tu became even more furious and stepped forward to shove her shoulder: "Don't think you can stay at your mother's house just because you do some work! You shameless thing..."
"When did I say I wanted to stay for an extended period?"
Lu Zhaoruo interrupted coldly.
Tu was speechless, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word.
"I came back today simply to spend the night with my family."
Her eyes reddened. "After all... you are my blood relatives."
She took a deep breath and continued, "I will leave tomorrow; I already have somewhere to go."
Tu's Adam's apple bobbed, her expression slightly embarrassed, but she still stubbornly said, "Anyway, we don't have any spare money at home, so don't even think about it..."
"Mother!"
Lu Bohong could no longer contain himself and angrily said, "My little sister made it clear when she returned home that she wouldn't be staying long! She planned to take over 'Jinxiu Tower' and never thought of asking you for a single copper coin!"
He trembled with anger, his voice heavy with sorrow: "With such harshness and calculation, do you still have even a shred of a mother's compassion?"
Madam Tu completely ignored her son's heartbroken words, only catching the words "take over the shop." Her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly grabbed Lu Bohong's sleeve, asking, "Is it the biggest 'Jinxiulou' in Jizhou City? The one that Manager Chen's second wife, Madam Lin, is going to sell? That must cost at least a thousand taels, right?"
After saying that, he looked Lu Zhaoruo up and down, his eyes full of surprise and doubt: "Where did you get so much money?"
She suddenly let out a cold laugh, her voice suddenly becoming sharp: "Well! So that's why you had the guts to sue the Shen family! You've been hiding all this money from your own mother all along! You've really got a good plan!"
Lu Zhaoruo lowered her eyes and remained silent, not responding.
Madam Tu immediately became more assertive, straightening her back and saying, "Since you want to take over that 'Jinxiu Tower,' instead of letting outsiders benefit from it, why don't you let your mother handle it for you! I'll go tomorrow..."
That's enough.
The father, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable solemnity: "Let Aning make her own decisions about her business. You should not interfere."
"What do you mean by 'her businesses'?"
Madam Tu suddenly raised her voice, almost screaming: "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent! What does a divorced woman know about business? In the end, she'll lose everything! Since she's surnamed Lu, the property naturally belongs to the Lu family."
She smiled again in an instant, leaned closer to Lu Zhaoruo and said softly, "Ah Ning, your uncle's two cousins are both literate and can do math... Family is always better than outsiders, why don't we invite them over..."
Lu Zhaoruo suddenly stood up and walked towards the kitchen without looking back.
Madam Tu froze for a moment, then shrieked, "What kind of attitude is this! I haven't even finished speaking! You unfilial daughter, how can you be so cold-blooded and heartless!"
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