060, Invitation
060, Invitation
The snow continued to fall for six or seven days before it stopped.
When the snow stopped, many vendors who had disappeared for a few days returned to Kyoto City to set up stalls and do business. Those who had been hiding at home came out to buy things, and the number of people on the streets suddenly increased again.
By the end of October every year, most of the caravans that were leaving Kyoto Prefecture have already left. However, some caravans that came to Kyoto Prefecture to do business before the New Year will arrive in Kyoto Prefecture one after another at this time.
Business on the street stalls was not good during the snowy days, so Lu Youtian put his stall next to the braised food stall. He was responsible for taking care of the two children and sometimes came to help at his wife's stall.
Liu Sanniang's business was to serve food. No matter how poor other businesses were, they would always have people come to eat. If there were a lot of caravans entering the city, their stall would sell out quickly. Some regular customers would even have their servants pack up their food or have it delivered to nearby teahouses and taverns.
Thanks to these caravans and takeaway business from regular customers, their stall's daily expenses are not a problem, and they can even make a small profit to support the rent and expenses of their family of four in Kyoto Prefecture.
But when it comes to making big money, it is impossible.
So sometimes Liu Sanniang thought to herself, if they had a house in Kyoto, they wouldn't have to pay rent for their future earnings. Maybe they could set up shop here for ten or eight years and save enough for their two sons to marry off. But now, if they wanted to save enough to buy a house for their two sons to marry off, they would have to work for decades and might not even save enough money to buy a house.
Liu Sanniang thought of her eldest son who was studying in a private school. She only hoped that her eldest son could work harder, even if he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. It would not be too difficult for him to find a wife in the future, and their family's life might become easier.
As for the youngest son, the eldest son is so smart, and he has never been stupid since he was a child. Now the eldest son teaches his two younger brothers to read and write after school. In a few years, they will send the youngest son to study with them. Even if he doesn't pass the imperial examination, he must learn to read a few words. Even if he works as an accountant in the future, it won't be as hard as they are now.
As her two children grow up day by day, she has started to think about many things that she didn't think about before.
"Give me a bowl of braised pork rice."
"Okay."
The diner who sat down put ten copper coins on the table. Lu Youtian took the coins and asked his wife to make a ten-cent serving of braised pork rice.
At this moment, the two children were playing in the pancake shop, and Lu Youtian was helping out at his own food stall.
Just when the couple were busy doing business, another customer came to the stall. Lu Youtian thought it was someone who came to buy something, so he smiled and wanted to ask the other party what he wanted to buy, "I want..." But before he finished his sentence, he saw the face of the person standing in front of him clearly. It was his elder brother Lu Youfu, whom he had not seen for a long time.
His expression froze for a moment, and after Lu Youtian sorted it out, he asked, "Brother? Why are you in the city?"
"Dalang is getting married. Aye asked me to come and tell you so that you can go back home for a meal when the time comes." Seeing his younger brother, Boss Lu felt a little complicated.
In fact, in recent years, he had occasionally come to the city to sell eggs and buy soy sauce, vinegar, salt, needles and thread for the family, so he knew that his separated brother and sister-in-law were setting up a stall here. However, when he passed by here in the past, he always walked around and never came to greet his brother and sister-in-law.
The reason he came here this time was because the eldest son in the family was engaged and was about to get married, so he came to ask his younger brother to go back and attend his eldest nephew's wedding.
Because of what happened back then, the little affection between the two brothers was ruined. If the other brothers hadn't been reluctant to come, Big Brother Lu would have felt a bit embarrassed to come here. But his eldest son was getting married, and if his uncle didn't go back, who knew what the villagers would say about them.
If you ask whether Boss Lu felt any regret after that incident, the answer is definitely yes.
Especially when he learned later that his third brother's injuries had healed and he was alive, and that he and his wife had opened a food stall in the city and made a lot of money, he would think to himself that if they hadn't separated the eldest brother's family, the food stall run by the third brother would now belong to their entire family. If they took the money home, most of it would definitely be spent on his eldest son, and some would end up in the hands of their eldest wife.
It was not until the third branch of the family was driven out that the family suddenly became short of money. Only then did Boss Lu realize how wrong their decision to separate the third branch was. If the third branch had not been separated, the third brother would have gone to the city to do business, and the family would have had an extra income.
It was not like now, when the brothers had no skills and could not go to the city to do business. Apart from working as long-term laborers for the landlords to earn some hard-earned money, they either farmed and took care of the crops at home.
However, in the original situation, if they did not separate the third brother's family, the family would not be able to come up with money to treat the third brother's illness. In the end, he might die at home, and they would be accused of torturing their brother to death. Moreover, if the brother died, leaving his wife and children at home, they would have to help raise their nephew, which no one wanted.
In fact, a few days ago, Lu Youtian and Liu Sanniang learned from the clan member who sent them bean sprouts that their eldest nephew was engaged. After returning home, the couple talked about this matter. They wondered if someone from the Lu family's old house would come and call them back for dinner.
The two of them both agreed that if no one from the other side came to call them, they would just pretend they didn't know. If someone did come to call them, they would just give a gift and forget about it. Anyway, they hadn't contacted anyone from the old house in all those years, so going back suddenly would be awkward for both of them.
So when his brother came to him and told him that his eldest nephew was getting married, Lu Youtian was not too surprised. He just asked calmly, "Great news! Have you set the date?"
"I've ordered it. It's for the 30th of this month." Boss Lu smelled the aroma of meat and his stomach growled. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had smelled meat at home, let alone eaten a bite of meat.
When the third wife was still around, this younger brother would sometimes come to the city to do business and buy a pound or half a pound of meat to cook at home. Later, after this younger brother moved away, no one in the family would occasionally buy some meat to eat at home anymore.
Boss Lu himself was reluctant to spend any money. He saved every penny he had for his eldest son's studies, never thinking of buying a pound or half a pound of meat to take home for his family. He was even very stingy with himself and his mother.
Lu Youtian calculated in his mind that today was October 28th, and the day after tomorrow would be October 30th. This time was really too tight to call them. However, since his brother had come to invite him, he still agreed, "Okay, I'll discuss it with Sanniang later and see how to arrange it."
It was obvious that Boss Lu also heard that his brother agreed but did not promise to go back when the time came. His face immediately darkened and he asked, "Da Lang is your nephew. It would be unreasonable for you, his uncle, not to go back when your nephew gets married, right?"
Because of the separation of the third son's family, they had been subject to considerable gossip in the village. If it weren't for the eldest son's successful entrance exam two years prior, the gossip about their family would have subsided considerably. If the uncle's family didn't return for the eldest son's wedding, the villagers would likely dig up the family's past. This last aspect was exactly what Boss Lu and his family least wanted to see.
Secretly, Boss Lu also wanted his younger brother to go back and see his family, especially his eldest son, who had passed the imperial examination and was now a successful man. He wanted to make his younger brother and his family regret their decision to split up. Furthermore, his mother had other plans, which was why he had made this special trip today.
Liu Sanniang, who had been watching the brothers from the side, heard her uncle suddenly raise his voice and shout this. The diners around looked over, and she hurried over with a smile to smooth things over. She asked with a smile, "What's the matter with you today? Why did you come here, uncle?"
Although Liu Sanniang was smiling at this moment, her eyes were cold and sarcastic.
A relative I hadn't seen in eight years suddenly came to me and said it was unreasonable for an uncle not to go back for his nephew's wedding? When your family locked my husband and me in the house, hoping to starve us to death, how could you not have known that the person lying in there was your brother! Your son! Your uncle!?
When he saw his brother's wife's sarcastic smile, the anger that had just risen in Boss Lu's heart was extinguished with a "puff".
Because of what happened back then, their entire family really let down the Third House...
But that incident happened so long ago, and the third brother is living well now. The third family lives so well in the city, while they, the brothers and their mother, live a hard life in the village, and can't even eat meat all year round. The third family doesn't even bring some food back to help the family, and they have never even gone back to see them.
Thinking of this, Boss Lu felt that the third branch was too ruthless and his younger brother was too unfilial, and he did not think that the fault was still on them.
As a brother, Lu Youtian could tell what his brother was thinking. His heart sank and there was no smile on his face, but he still assured his brother: "Don't worry, brother, I will find time to go back when the time comes." As for whether his wife and children would go back, it was not something he could decide.
"Okay, remember to go back and help early. There are a lot of things to do at home that day." Boss Lu thought his younger brother had agreed to take his wife and children back with him, and he did not forget to remind him.
"Okay, OK." Lu Youtian nodded in response. Author's words: Thank you Bole 9492239 (9492239) for your support, mua! To know more exciting content, please leave me a message on Liancheng Reading.
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