Chapter 55: Find a way to call him back
Lu Chun'e dropped the stick in her hand and sighed, "I don't know either. How would I know if you ask me about something that even my brother can't handle?" After that, she stood up and glanced towards the kitchen. "How about we go over there and try to persuade her? Sister Wen Wan is usually very easy to talk to, and she's not the kind of person with bad intentions. Let's go and talk to her and bring her back. That way, she won't feel embarrassed."
Lu Donglin's eyes lit up and he nodded affirmatively: "Let's do it!"
The two of them swiftly descended the step and rushed down the path like a gust of wind. Lu Donglin chattered non-stop as he walked, "It's all Wang Mingfang's fault. She can't even clean up the shit off her own ass. She keeps asking questions all day long. I curse her ancestors for eight generations!"
"Don't curse. Why are you bringing this up with Grandma Wang again?"
Lu Donglin snorted, "Why are you so obedient? Wasn't it her that Mom was talking about this morning? If she hadn't been talking nonsense in front of Mom, would Mom have asked about Brother and Wen Wan?"
Lu Mingjiang carried a hoe into the yard. The yard was so quiet that it made people feel a little uncomfortable.
The kitchen door was open, and Zhang Hongying was sitting behind the stove with a sullen face, making a fire.
Lu Mingjiang entered the house and sat down by the fire pit. "Dongping hasn't come back yet?"
"Who knows if he's back yet? We chased him out this morning and haven't seen him since."
"Where are Chun'e and Donglin? Why aren't they indoors when it's almost dark?"
Zhang Hongying stood up and said, "Come over here and watch the fire while I make the pancakes."
Lu Mingjiang moved from the side of the fire pit to the back of the stove to help light the fire. Zhang Hongying wiped her hands and started putting pancakes into the pot, complaining while she worked.
"They haven't even started dating yet, but they're already so hot-tempered. They start making trouble the moment they say so. The older one runs away, and the two younger ones follow suit. If this continues, how will we even have food to eat? I'm afraid I won't even dare to speak loudly."
"Well, it's not that exaggerated." Lu Mingjiang stirred the fire. "Weren't you getting along pretty well before? What happened this morning? Actually, nothing was said, but it would definitely be bad if she heard it. Tell me, why did you think about that so early in the morning? You couldn't control your mouth after thinking about it, and you didn't consider that it was almost time for dinner. It's not good to talk about someone behind their back and have them hear it."
Zhang Hongying glanced at him. "So it's all my fault now that you've told me that. He's already 24, and there are kids his age crawling all over the team, and he's the only one who's been so picky and delayed until now. He chose someone who's unreliable, so why can't I ask him? I don't ask and expect him to tell me on his own initiative? How long will that take? Everyone on the team knows, and I'm still hiding it. If they knew, they'd be laughing to death."
"Everything? Who knows? That bitch Wang Mingfang? I'm telling you, stay away from her from now on. She's a nuisance. Whoever gets involved with her will suffer."
Zhang Hongying chuckled twice: "Isn't that your aunt? I see her every time I look up or down, and she's one generation older than me. How can I pretend not to hear her when she talks to me?"
That was also the logic. Lu Mingjiang had nothing to say. "It's already like this. That kid Lu Donglin must have gone to the educated youth camp. He gets along well with Chun'e and Wen Wan. Don't be so sullen when they call them over. It will be the same as before. If this works out, we'll be a family, and it can only get better. If it doesn't work out, it's just a normal couple, nothing serious."
Zhang Hongying snorted angrily: "You're the one who says the good and the bad. You've taken over everything. When it comes to me, I'm just a vicious woman."
When Lu Chun'e and Lu Donglin ran to the educated youth site, Wen Wan was making malted milk with the door closed. She had almost eaten all the dried meat she brought with her, and there was not much milk powder left. She went to the county town to buy malted milk and biscuits, which were enough to satisfy her hunger.
As for what to do tomorrow, I'll figure it out tomorrow. I can't think of a solution right now, but I'll know what to do tomorrow when I'm hungry.
I had just mixed the malted milk and hadn't even taken two sips when Lu Donglin's voice rang out from outside: "Sister Wen Wan, sister!"
Wen Wan put down the teacup and opened the door: "Chun'e, why are you here at this time?"
Lu Donglin approached mischievously: "My mother asked us to call you over for dinner. My brother hasn't come back yet, so my mother asked us to come and greet you."
Wen Wan said, "Let's not go. I've made some food, so I won't be going over tonight."
"Ah! Sister Wen Wan, why are you so awkward? My mother has called me several times to call you. If you don't go, she will start to scold me again. She can't even let people have a quiet moment while eating." As she said that, she used her two claws to pull Wen Wan, and then called Lu Chun'e: "Sister, please say a word. If you can't call her back, I won't be the only one who will be in trouble."
Lu Chun'e was still confused and was thinking, they were the ones who sneaked in here, when did her mother tell her to call for help?
Before she turned around, she saw Lu Donglin making faces and making eyes cramp. After all, they were siblings, so they had some tacit understanding. She said hurriedly, "That's right, Sister Wen Wan, let me help you get your lunch box and lock the door. Hurry, it's getting dark."
As he said that, he quickly went into the house, picked up the kettle and took the lunch box: "Sister, do you have the key? I locked the door!"
Wen Wan was pulled and dragged by the two men using Zhang Hongying's words. She had no choice but to go into the house, get the key, and follow the two men to Lu's house again.
The meal was ready, mixed flour pancakes coated with chili sauce, and a large pot of cabbage and radish soup was cooking in the pot.
Wen Wan was so embarrassed that she couldn't even lift her head. She was pushed into the house by Lu Donglin. Lu Mingjiang pretended not to see his son and greeted him as usual: "Wen Wan is here, come and warm yourself by the fire."
Someone took the initiative to speak, and the atmosphere became less awkward. Wen Wan greeted them, "Uncle, aunt!"
Zhang Hongying no longer froze and nodded, "Sit down and bake for a while, make some pancakes and cook some soup. Lu Dongping doesn't know what's going on. It's getting dark and there's still no one around."
Lu Donglin yelled, "I'm almost starving to death. Can I not wait for my brother?"
Zhang Hongying was about to curse when she heard Lu Dongping's hurried footsteps outside.
He rushed into the kitchen like a gust of wind, looked at the person sitting by the fire in a daze for a moment, and then laughed while panting.
Zhang Hongying glanced at him and said, "I was just talking about you. Why did you come back at this time?"
Lu Dongping took a deep breath, turned around and took the things in his hand back to the main room, then ran over and sat down by the fire: "Minister Lin has something to do in his hometown, so there will be no training starting tomorrow. People have been arranged to be on duty during the New Year, so there is a delay." While speaking, his eyes never left Wen Wan, as if he was sticking to her.
Wen Wan had just recovered a little, but she became restless again when he stared at her like that.
"Then when will you open it?"
Zhang Hongying asked again, but before Lu Dongping could answer, Lu Donglin started to wail: "Hey, Mom, can I eat now? Can I ask after I eat? Your son, I'm starving!"
Lu Mingjiang was also hungry, so he stood up and said, "Eat, eat. Let's talk after we eat."
"Mom, what did you cook?"
"What kind of rice can it be? Mixed flour pancakes and cabbage soup." As she said that, she raised her hand and slapped Lu Donglin's hand: "Wash your devil claws clean before you come here."
Lu Donglin withdrew his hand with a cry, muttering: "It's okay to eat something dirty, why should you be so picky when you're poor!"
Lu Dongping quietly touched Wen Wan: "Have you washed your hands? I'll pour you some water." He had been feeling uneasy all day. He had run all the way back from the commune, and when he arrived at the educated youth site, he saw the lock on the door and his heart began to beat wildly. He hadn't been able to communicate when he left in the morning, and the little girl hadn't agreed to come over for dinner. Now she had locked the door, and no one knew where she had gone.
Is it possible that he has already gone home?
I breathed a sigh of uneasiness in my heart until I reached the door, and my restless heart finally settled down when I saw someone sitting in the house.
At this moment, his heart was filled with joy that was about to overflow. He stood up and went into the house to get a porcelain basin that he seldom used, poured hot water into it and placed it outside the door. He squatted there and waited for Wen Wan to squat down as well. He held her hand and put them both in the water.
Lu Donglin was making faces there, and Wen Wan tried to pull her hand out of his palm several times but failed. She was so embarrassed that she didn't even dare to raise her head.
Even after washing my hands and drying them, my face was still burning.
Lu Dongping came into the house, scooped some soup for her, and took some bread to spread hot sauce on it for her: "Eat a little less chili, it will warm you up."
Wen Wan nodded: "Okay, I'll just take half."
Lu Dongping obediently tore off half of a pancake.
Zhang Hongying, who was sitting behind the stove, almost rolled her eyes several times when she saw this.
This is our own ancestor serving other ancestors. It makes me angry no matter how I look at it.
After everyone sat down with their bowls, Lu Dongping said, "I'm on the 30th and the 5th."
Zhang Hongying was stunned for a moment: "We have to go to the commune on New Year's Eve!"
Lu Dongping took a sip of his soup and said, "What else can we do? We have to have someone watching over us. If anything happens, big or small, we'll just draw lots and decide. That's luck."
Zhang Hongying was at a loss for words, so she changed the subject and asked him, "Have you received this year's subsidy?"
Lu Dongping nodded: "I just carried it and put it in the main hall. The ticket is with me. I will give it to you tomorrow."
Zhang Hongying wanted to ask what was going on this year, but she looked at Wen Wan, thought about it, and decided not to ask.
This year is the same as in previous years, with five pounds of flour, half a pound of sugar coupons, and two feet of cloth coupons, which are good things that people in the team rarely see throughout the year.
The next day, Lu Dongping didn't have to go to the commune and didn't have to get up so early. He slept until dawn, which was rare. He got up, washed up, and went to the well to fetch water twice. When he came back, he heard Lu Donglin yelling, "Brother, why did you lock the drawer against the wall? What good things did you hide there?"
"Why are you meddling so much with your child? How much homework have you done? Chinese New Year is the day after tomorrow. I think you don't want to celebrate it properly, do you?"
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