Later that evening, the Zhang brothers, Zhang Song and Zhang Yong, also returned. They exchanged a few pleasantries with Lu Baichuan, inquired about his situation over the years, and then, after looking at the injuries on his body, expressed their feelings.
At this moment, Lu Baichuan was cleaning the feathers of a few chickens and ducks. After the two brothers returned, they squatted down to help. Zhang Song asked, "You've gotten quite strong over the years, and your skills must have improved too, right? Show everyone what you've got to do later?"
The men who slaughter pigs are all quite courageous, especially Zhang Song, who had always envied Lu Baichuan for being able to go out and work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and also greatly admired those who were skilled in martial arts.
Lu Baichuan didn't refuse and replied with a smile, "Alright, I'll spar with you a bit later."
Zhang Song smiled. Although he knew he couldn't beat this third brother, he had made great contributions on his trip and had become a capable subordinate of the prince. He must have some extraordinary abilities. Although he didn't have those abilities, it would be good to see them for himself.
Thinking this, he became much more efficient at plucking the chicken feathers.
From winter until now, they have plucked countless chicken feathers, but they have never been as happy as they are today.
All the plucked chicken feathers were put into a sack. Lu Baichuan was about to take it away to throw it away when Zhang Song stopped him: "Don't throw it away! These are all money-making treasures!"
Next, the group started talking about feather jackets and down jackets. Lu Baichuan was amazed. He never expected his wife to be so amazing. He had no idea before!
"It's my fault, it's my fault. I've never known anything about the family business. Please tell me about it."
This gave them even more to talk about. Several people gathered together and chatted about the details of their business after arriving here, which were basically all ideas from He Jiuniang.
Lu Baichuan was so impressed with his wife's abilities that he wished he could rush over right now, pick her up, and give her a big kiss.
But no, there are too many people, and if they see us, we'll make a fool of ourselves.
Besides, if he rushes over now, he might get a beating from his wife.
Thinking about it this way, I instantly calmed down a lot.
The men got so engrossed in chatting that they forgot what they were doing, and the oil in the pot boiled over before the chickens and ducks were even properly prepared.
When Mrs. Sun came out carrying a spatula, she saw them grinning and gesturing incessantly, and she immediately flew into a rage.
"What are you all doing? It's almost dark, and the vegetables are still raw and haven't been cooked yet. Don't you want to eat tonight?!"
Sun was so angry that her face turned red and her neck bulged. She walked up to him and slapped him on the back while cursing incessantly.
The group hunched over and admitted their mistake, quickening their pace and even pulling over a few other children playing nearby to help.
After finishing their conversation, He Jiuniang and Qin Shi came out to cool off under the eaves. Qin Shi was sewing shoe soles for the children, while He Jiuniang crossed her legs and talked to her while watching the chaotic scene in the courtyard where Sun Shi and that group of unsavory men were making a ruckus. The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, and this was what it felt like to be at home.
At the same time, Old Man Lu was also talking animatedly under the village's iconic big tree. He mentioned that his third son had returned and was now working in the prefectural city; he was quite capable.
He didn't say much more, but instead kept talking about his experiences as a bodyguard when he was young.
As the sun began to set, the villagers returned from the fields. The men, waiting for their meal, sat under the trees to cool off and listened intently as Old Man Lu recounted his stories.
When Lu Laoda and his wife, Madam Yu, returned from the county town, they passed by this tree and saw their father talking animatedly in the crowd. They went over to inquire and found out that it was their third brother and his wife who had returned.
"Dad, it's getting dark, let's go home and have dinner!"
Old Lu was still somewhat reluctant to leave, and he had endless things to say when he recalled his youth.
However, he was indeed very hungry at this point, so he called Lu Fugui and a large group of others to go home together.
When they arrived home, Lu Baichuan and the others had already prepared the chickens and ducks and were cooking them for Ms. Sun. At that moment, Lu Baichuan was having a competition with Zhang Yong.
The reason he was competing with Zhang Yong was because Zhang Song had already been defeated, which made Zhang Yong envious, so he came up to try his luck.
His fate was no different from Zhang Song's; he was beaten down in no time, while Lu Baichuan hadn't even really made a move.
"Good lad, really good! If it weren't for you on our journey of fleeing famine, those tribesmen wouldn't have ended up like this..."
"Oh dear, why bring that up? Tonight is a joyous occasion, let's not talk about those things!"
"Yes, yes, I was just saying it offhand, don't take it to heart!"
...
Tonight is a day for family reunion, and it is indeed inappropriate to talk about the famine and the disaster at this time. However, the clansman did not do it on purpose, and a look of guilt appeared on his face.
Even so, Lu Baichuan answered directly: "Indeed, I have been gone for many years and have not been able to help my family. I feel really bad about it. Such things will not happen again. I am back and I have the ability to protect everyone. As long as everyone lives their lives peacefully, no one will dare to bully us again."
"Well said! You're really promising, you've brought honor to the Lu family!"
Lu Fugui stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration and respect.
Since Old Man Lu returned from the prefectural city, they had heard him talk about his experiences over the years several times. He had no choice but to leave home to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and had not returned for many years. He had suffered a lot while away from home, but he was still able to make great contributions and achieve what he has today. That was his skill.
Old Man Lu stepped forward and said, “Now that my third son has returned, it’s a true reunion. I’ve been thinking that although most of our Lu family members have perished, there are still some of us left. We can’t just ignore our ancestors. Tomorrow I’ll go talk to the village chief about buying a piece of land to build our Lu family ancestral hall, to enshrine the ancestral tablets, and to tell them that we’ve settled here. What do you all think?”
“I think it’s a good idea. Nowadays, each of our families has made some money, and the construction of the ancestral hall is urgent. Let’s discuss it in a bit. Those with money can contribute money, and those with strength can contribute strength. We can’t let our ancestors live in poverty.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and no one raised any objections.
The Lu family is grateful to the Lu family for being able to live to this point; they are not the kind of ungrateful people who want to take advantage of others without paying anything.
Everyone understands that if the Lu family wants to live a good life, they all have to rely on Old Man Lu's family. They have to work together, and Old Man Lu's family is kind and generous, so they will not treat them unfairly.
So, even though some people are still renting old houses from the village's extinct families, when Old Man Lu proposed building an ancestral hall, they readily agreed. In their minds, the place with the ancestral hall is their true home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com