Today is New Year's Eve, a day for family reunion and happiness, but the Lu family is filled with a dead atmosphere.
Since morning, people have been coming to the house to pay their respects. Hua Min is very busy, and Su Yan can't help much because of her broken arm, so she can only kneel on the straw mat with the younger generations.
Yesterday, Lu Ting went to Lujia Village to announce the death, but returned too late to inform other relatives. Lu Fengnian went to his father-in-law's house early in the morning to announce the death, and then went to the Su family.
At around ten o'clock in the morning, Su Qingshan and his wife Jiang Lingling came to pay their respects. Originally, they were going back to their hometown to celebrate the New Year at this time.
When Su Yan saw her parents coming, she quickly stood up and took six incense sticks from the altar, three for each person.
Su Qingshan and Jiang Lingling took the incense sticks, lit them over the candle flame, knelt down to worship, and then inserted the incense sticks into the stove in the middle.
"Yan Yan, I'm deeply sorry for the loss."
Alas, how could such a thing happen to the Lu family during the New Year? It’s really a bad year for them.
"Dad, Mom, why haven't you returned to the countryside yet? Grandpa and grandma must be waiting anxiously, right?"
"We came over to take a look and then we'll take a bus to the countryside. Your brother and his family went back first with the New Year's goods."
Jiang Lingling pulled Su Yan aside and asked quietly, "How did you take off your clothes last night? Does your hand still hurt? I'm telling you, you must not get cold with your broken left wrist, otherwise you'll suffer from rheumatism and bone pain when you get old."
"I took off the gauze hanging outside last night and only took off my outer cotton coat. I went to bed without taking off my sweater.
I took some painkillers before going to bed, and the pain in my back was gone, but it was still a little painful when I woke up in the morning, put on my cotton jacket, and put my hand back on with gauze."
Su Qingshan came over and carefully examined Su Yan, saying, "The splint is not displaced. Be careful when you take off your cotton jacket at night. Fortunately, the sleeves of your cotton jacket are large. If it were tighter, you would have to sleep in it at night.
This wrist fracture requires immobilization for three months. Fortunately, the weather is cold; if it were hot, you'd be in a lot of trouble. Remember to avoid chili peppers, any irritating foods, and seafood during this time.
And be careful next time you ride your bike. I've got your bikes back for you, and we'll take a bus to the countryside later."
Su Qingshan gave repeated instructions, chatted with Lu Fengnian for a few more words, and then left with his wife.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Lu Shu and her husband also arrived. Hua Min thought that she was pregnant and might get bumped into, so she didn't let her go to the mourning hall to pay her respects.
Lu Fenghua's wife, Qin Fang, was grumbling on the side, "You didn't even offer sacrifices to your grandfather after he died, aren't you afraid of being accused of being unfilial?"
"Qin Fang, what do you mean? Can't you see that my Shu'er is pregnant?"
In winter, people wear thick clothes. Lu Shu is thin to begin with, so if she doesn't take off her thick cotton jacket, you really can't tell that she is pregnant.
Qin Fang pursed her lips. No matter what, she just couldn't stand Lu Fengnian's family.
Damn Lu Fengnian, he beat her man up so badly yesterday. How can her man face people during the New Year?
Qin Fang gave Hua Min a glare and walked away. Lu Shu asked, "Mom, what happened to Second Aunt?"
"It's all because of this house. Your great-grandfather left this house to your father when he was alive. Now that your grandfather is gone, they want to divide the house. They even had a fight over this yesterday."
"Mom, did great-grandfather leave this house to dad? After grandpa passed away, only aunt and grandmother are left living here. Second uncle and third uncle will take the opportunity to move in, right?"
"Don't worry about it, your dad will take care of it."
This matter is bound to continue to cause trouble. Lu Shu is a little worried about her family. Hua Min left for something, and Su Yan asked Lu Shu, "How do you feel about being pregnant now?"
"It's okay, but I get hungry easily at night. I want to eat this and that, and sometimes I still want to eat in the middle of the night.
Sister-in-law, thank you for the bags of milk powder you sent me. I make a cup every night."
"You have to eat well when you're pregnant so that you can take care of the baby after it's born."
In any case, pregnant women should not take excessive amounts of food, nor should they go hungry for a long time. During famine years, few children are born. Many of them give birth to children who look like chicks, and the adults have no milk, so such children are difficult to raise.
What she feared most was that pregnant women would suffer from malnutrition, which would result in incomplete development of their babies. When Su Yan thought of this, her scalp began to tingle. For a woman, giving birth is like stepping into the gates of hell.
"Lu Shu, when are you planning to take leave and go home to give birth?"
"The due date is mid-May, so I started taking leave on Labor Day."
Su Yan couldn't help but admire the hard work of people of this generation, who would only take leave when they were about to give birth.
"Then be careful when you're at work and don't fall."
"My husband and I are in the same team. We usually go to and from get off work together, and he takes care of me. Sister-in-law, your hand will take several months to heal. Even if the splint is removed, you should not use this hand to carry vegetables. At least wait until the bottom is healed."
"Okay, I understand."
Lu Shu chatted for a few minutes and then left with her husband. They must go back for the reunion dinner during the New Year.
Although Mr. Lu has passed away, the New Year's Eve dinner still has to be eaten. This is the custom. Hua Min's three sisters-in-law casually prepared two tables of food, and the three families gathered together to have a reunion dinner.
Deng Xiu'e was still lying on the bed, groaning half-dead. Qin Fang brought her food to the bedside and helped her sit up to eat.
Someone has to be on guard at the mourning hall every night to prevent wild cats from jumping into the yard and causing the corpse to resurrect. Tonight, the ones on guard are Lu Fenghua and his son, and everyone else has gone back to their rooms.
Today was New Year's Eve, and no one slept tonight, saying they wanted to stay up all night. Su Yan prepared some candies, cookies, and melon seeds and asked Lu Ting to take them to his parents-in-law's room.
Soon Lu Ting came back, "Yan Yan, my parents have heated up the kang in their room, let's go over and sit down."
Su Yan thought about it and felt that it would be boring to lie in bed, so she decided to go over and chat with them for a while.
When Lu Jin saw Su Yan coming, he immediately gave up his seat. Hua Min hurriedly helped her onto the kang, and Lu Ting and Lu Jin sat outside.
Lu Ting took a purple candy from the fruit plate and asked Su Yan, "Do you want to eat it? I'll peel it for you."
"I want to eat melon seeds."
"Then I'll help you peel it."
"No need, it's better to eat melon seeds by yourself."
Lu Ting didn't care whether he listened or not, and kept peeling melon seeds for Su Yan. Lu Fengnian asked Lu Ting, "Ting'er, tell me how we should take care of your aunt after grandpa's funeral. After all, she raised me since I was a child, and I can't really kick her out."
In front of outsiders, his aunt is his biological grandmother, and this fact cannot be changed. If they drive her out, they will lose their party membership.
But if she is left alone in the courtyard, her second and third uncles will definitely take this opportunity to move in.
"Dad, let my brothers move in!"
Lu Fengnian looked at Lu Jin, then at Lu Chen and Lu Yu, "Are you three going to move in? This will be our home from now on. If you don't move in now, your second uncle and third uncle will take over and you won't even have a home anymore."
Lu Chen was still a little worried. Without his father and eldest brother around, could he control his second and third uncles?
"Dad, do you really want us to move in?"
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