Lu Yuan returned with the little brat right on time.
The two gathered a lot of firewood. Seeing how hard the little boy was working, they couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. This adopted brother seemed to have become much more sensible since he learned that he didn't have a mother.
"If you help your sister-in-law gather firewood every day from now on, I can have her exchange it for candy for you, just like last time."
The little kid's eyes lit up at first, then he shook his head.
"I don't want candy, can I have something instead?"
What do you want?
Lu Xiaojun pondered for a moment, then cautiously began to speak.
"Is money okay?"
"Just give me a penny for a bundle of firewood."
Looking at the bundle of firewood that his younger brother was carrying, it wasn't even half the amount he was carrying, but it was enough for them for a day.
He then said, "Here's two cents for you."
"Really?" The little kid grinned excitedly.
And you know what? This younger brother's smile does look somewhat like Lu Guoqing's.
He doesn't resemble himself at all; he's nothing like his father.
"Of course it's true. In the future, if you collect as much firewood as you did today, I'll give you two cents."
"But not today. You'll have lunch at home."
"Know."
He understood this principle, but he never expected to receive the money today.
When Lu Yuan got home, he washed his face with a basin of water. Before he could even sit down to rest, someone was shouting outside the yard.
"Lu Yuan, we're back."
With shouts, Sun Maodou had already driven the oxcart into the yard.
Lu Yuan hurriedly went out and saw Grandpa Niu lying on the oxcart, with Gao Weishan, Lu Qianjin and Li Dezhu sitting next to him.
Several people hurriedly helped Grandpa Liu down from the oxcart.
Gao Weishan was carrying a large net bag containing alcohol, cigarettes, a tin box of biscuits, and two cans of fruit.
This is a very generous gift.
"Comrade Lu, congratulations."
Lu Yuan accepted it generously, "Dr. Gao, you've come all this way, why did you bring such an expensive gift!"
"Hehe, just a small token of my appreciation."
Li Dezhu and Lu Qianjin also brought some things: two catties of pork and ten eggs.
This was a very generous gift, but compared to Gao Weishan's, neither of them felt comfortable giving it.
Whether the gift is small or large, it's the thought that counts, and Lu Yuan naturally wouldn't care about it.
He politely offered them cigarettes and invited them to sit down.
He even called out into the house, "Wife, we have guests. Pour some tea."
Soon, a crisp, cheerful reply came from within.
Before long, Wen Moxue came out with a thermos and several bowls.
Just as she was about to pour water, Lu Yuan took it from her. She had no choice but to politely say goodbye to Gao Weishan and the others before returning to the kitchen.
Wen Moxue originally wanted to serve everyone tea, but Lu Yuan disagreed and asked her to serve sugar water instead.
In those days, ordinary families would serve sweet soup to honored guests.
If you use tea leaves instead of sugar water, people will think you're stingy and don't respect them.
Sure enough, after everyone drank the sweet soup, they all praised the young couple for being so generous.
Hearing everyone say it was sweet soup, Lu Xiaojun licked his lips with envy.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan also poured him a bowl.
The little kid happily gulped it down in one go, and then licked the bowl clean, still wanting more.
Lu Yuan's eyelids twitched; he didn't want that bowl anymore.
Sun Maodou drank a bowl of water and then went to return the oxcart.
The others helped Grandpa Liu to his room.
When Grandpa Liu saw the bright, spacious room and the brand-new furniture, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.
He lived a lonely and miserable life, without children, relatives, or descendants. He thought his life would continue like this forever. Unexpectedly, he was able to enjoy a peaceful old age.
Actually, these are all secondary. The main thing is that someone will take care of him in his old age, which makes him feel at ease.
Lu Yuan was worried about his health, so he asked Gao Weishan to do a simple check-up for him.
Lu Yuan was finally relieved to hear that he had fully recovered and was alright.
The group returned to the courtyard, sat down, and chatted while drinking water.
"Brother Qianjin, why didn't your wife and your in-laws come?" Lu Yuan asked.
“Your sister-in-law has to go to work, and my mother-in-law has to take care of the baby, so she couldn’t come over.”
"My in-laws should have brought the baby with them; I haven't met my little nephew yet."
"Too small, too noisy."
The baby is only three months old, so it's really inconvenient to take him out.
Looking at the impressive three-room brick house, Lu Qianjin exclaimed, "You built this house well; it looks even more impressive than Sun Changsheng's old house."
Sun Changsheng's house is also a brick and tile house, but it has been renovated for several years and is a bit old. It doesn't look as nice as this new one.
Now his wife and son have gone to his wife's village, so the house is just sitting there empty.
The house next door, owned by Sun Ziqiang, was sold to Xu Dong, but no one bought Sun Changsheng's nice house.
When Wang Xiuli hanged herself at their front door, everyone thought it was bad luck.
Villagers felt uneasy passing by that gate, let alone anyone taking over the house.
"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—"
As they were talking, the sound of a tractor suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
Lu Yuan quickly stood up. Without a doubt, this was Wang Fengnian from the brick factory.
"Uncle Wang, you've finally arrived."
Before he even left the hospital, Lu Yuan was already calling out.
"Haha, Xiao Lu, look who I brought with me."
Lu Yuan was stunned when he looked at the tractor.
I thought he came with his wife and children, but it turns out he didn't.
He immediately broke into a big laugh and hurried forward to offer cigarettes.
"Oh, Uncle Zhong, you've come too! It's an honor to have you here. Welcome, welcome!"
I really didn't expect the gatekeeper of the brick factory to come over.
In fact, this guy was partly responsible for the successful removal of the bricks and tiles.
Just because he is Director Zhong's second uncle.
My politeness and respect at the time caught the eye of this person, so he said a few nice things on my behalf.
After that, the two didn't have much contact, so when she moved to her new house, she didn't think about inviting him. But he came by himself.
"Heh, you little rascal."
Zhong Quanyong smiled and gave him a couple of light taps.
"I heard you're moving today, and since I happened to be free, I shamelessly showed up uninvited. Don't think this old man is annoying."
"No way, I'd be delighted if you could come. Please come inside and rest."
They invited the two into the courtyard, poured them some sweet soup, and then began to introduce them to each other.
Knowing that they were all people who received government pay from the commune, they were all a little surprised. They didn't expect that Lu Yuan, a countryman, would have so many connections.
Especially after learning Gao Weishan's identity, Zhong Quanyong and Wang Fengnian became even more uneasy.
They had heard of Gao Weishan; his status was as remarkable as his medical skills.
He came from the provincial capital's military hospital. I don't know his specific position, but it was definitely not low.
When they first arrived at their commune, they were personally escorted there by leaders from the city and county. This caused quite a stir in their small commune.
"So it's Dr. Gao, my apologies for not recognizing you." Wang Fengnian took the initiative to shake Gao Weishan's hand.
Zhong Quanyong looked more than ten years older than Gao Weishan, so he couldn't be too proactive, but he was still very respectful.
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