Seeing the clansmen so united, Old Man Lu was filled with emotion and said, "This idea was mine, and my family is now the most developed in the clan, so my family will pay the bulk of the cost of building the ancestral hall, and you can split the rest equally. This is also a way for our Lu family to do good deeds and accumulate merit, and to give an explanation to our ancestors."
Upon hearing this, everyone first looked at each other in bewilderment, and then burst into ecstasy, causing a great commotion in the courtyard.
Lu Baichuan, who was originally standing next to Old Man Lu, quietly moved away from him after hearing these words.
His family is footing the bill for building the ancestral hall. It's such a big deal, yet his father dared to make this decision without consulting his mother. He's bound to get criticized soon, and since I'm nearby, I might get caught up in it.
Both Boss Lu and Madam Yu found excuses to leave the encirclement, trying their best to avoid getting involved with Old Man Lu.
It's not that they're stingy; in fact, they feel that their family is doing well now, and it's only right to build an ancestral hall within their means. This is their way of showing their appreciation.
There was nothing wrong with the matter itself, but the problem was that Old Man Lu made the decision on his own without consulting Mrs. Sun.
Although the three sons of the Lu family have separated, they only divided the property. Now that everyone lives together, the final decision is still made by Madam Sun.
After emerging from the encirclement, Madam Yu immediately spotted He Jiuniang and Madam Qin sitting under the eaves and happily went over to them.
"Oh, third sister-in-law, you're finally back! We've missed you so much! Since you left, we've felt like something's missing from our home!"
"Hehe, I love listening to my sister-in-law talk. By the way, sister-in-law, how's your cooking practice going these days?"
The two women chatted intimately, completely ignoring the man's affairs. After all, the construction of the ancestral hall was a done deal, and it was a foregone conclusion that Old Man Lu would be taught a lesson by Madam Sun.
"It's the same as always. They just let me do the work every day. They still haven't taught me the most important dishes. I guess they think the recipes are more difficult and want to test me."
Speaking of this, Yu's smile became somewhat forced. She had just taught him how to make a few simple dishes, but they were all easy to make, and anyone could do them if they tried.
After that, Ms. Yu always wanted to learn the signature dish, and even signed a contract with the restaurant, saying that she had to work at the restaurant for a year after learning the dish before she could go out and work on her own.
Even though everything was agreed upon, the restaurant hasn't made any moves. They're making her do odd jobs every day, and they're making up excuses like it's to train her.
Whenever she thinks about these things, Ms. Yu feels troubled, but today is a joyous day for the whole family to reunite, and Ms. Yu really doesn't want to talk about it and bother others.
He Jiuniang keenly noticed the reluctance on his face, but she didn't ask any questions. She thought he might have some unspeakable secret, and she would find an opportunity to ask him privately.
"That's good, sister-in-law. I'm really looking forward to you opening a restaurant and helping us make money! You must study hard!"
A smug smile immediately spread across Yu's face as she patted her chest and assured him, "Of course, but you'll still have to wait three or four years, hehehe..."
Qin interjected, "Three or four years isn't long; it'll be over in the blink of an eye."
"Yes, time really flies. It's been almost a year since we came here."
The sisters-in-law chatted for a few words under the eaves, and then He Jiu Niang went to the kitchen with Yu Shi.
Yu went to help with the cooking, while He Jiuniang went to wander around, preparing to tattle on Sun.
As soon as they entered, before they could even speak, Madam Sun said, "Eldest daughter-in-law is here! Hurry up, you're the one who should be cooking!"
As she spoke, Madam Sun gave up the main seat to Madam Yu, then turned to He Jiu Niang and asked, "What's all this commotion outside? Tell them to go and borrow some tables and chairs to set up; it'll be time to eat soon."
"Hehehe, Ms. Sun, I have something to tell you, but please don't get anxious or upset!"
He Jiuniang sneaked over with a sly smile on her face.
Seeing this, Madam Sun knew it couldn't be anything good, and asked warily, "What is it?"
He Jiuniang didn't pretend to be mysterious and said directly, "That's right. Just now, Dad was so happy that he told the clansmen that he would go to the village chief tomorrow to buy a piece of land to build the ancestral hall. Our family will pay the majority, and the rest can be shared equally among the clansmen."
"What? Such a big deal, and that old man dared to make this decision without consulting me?"
Sun was furious. She stared at He Jiu Niang with wide eyes, trying to find a clue on He Jiu Niang's face that she was lying.
Before He Jiuniang could speak, Madam Yu made the final decision, saying, "Mother, don't be angry. Father probably just thought that our family is doing well now, and it's only right that we help our clansmen. Building the ancestral hall is a big deal; it's to give our Lu family ancestors a place to rest in peace. Consider it an act of kindness and good deeds. Besides, my third brother was able to return safely thanks to the blessings of our ancestors..."
Before Yu could finish speaking, Sun interrupted her: "So, that old man really didn't consult me and made the decision on his own?"
Yu was stunned for a moment, and when she saw He Jiuniang trying hard to suppress her laughter, she realized what was happening and nodded stiffly.
She finally realized that her father-in-law had stepped on her mother-in-law's sore spot.
Let's not say anything more, let's first observe three minutes of silence for my father-in-law.
He Jiuniang was overjoyed, but she couldn't be too obvious about it, so she kept suppressing her laughter.
Sun was furious and was about to go out to teach the old man a lesson when He Jiu Niang quickly stopped her, advising, "Your Majesty, calm down. There are so many people outside. Give the old man some face! Even if we're still angry, we should wait until tonight to talk about it!"
"I gave him face, but has he ever given me face? He didn't even consult me about such a big matter. Does he think that ancestral hall can be built just like that? Does he think that once it's built, he doesn't have to worry about anything anymore? I used to always call you a big fool, but now it seems that he's the big fool. He has a little money, and he's throwing it away like a money-giving child. If I don't give him money, let's see how he buys land to build the ancestral hall, you old bastard!"
"Hahahaha, there's really no need for that..."
He Jiuniang laughed as she tried to stop her, not afraid of being hit by Sun Shi at all. But after laughing for a while, she said seriously, "Mother, let's just let this matter go. In general, the clansmen who came with us are all honest people. I was watching from outside the whole time. Father is really not that kind of fool. He first brought up the matter of seeing the ancestral hall and asked for everyone's opinion. Everyone readily agreed and said they could take out all the money they had to build the ancestral hall. Father saw their sincerity and then said that our family could contribute the majority of the money."
That's the truth. The Lu family is wealthy. They could easily afford to build the entire ancestral hall, let alone contribute the lion's share. But it all depends on the attitude of the clansmen and whether they are worth the Lu family's investment.
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