Chapter 25
The setting sun was hanging on the horizon, the distant mountains were indigo, and curls of smoke were rising. The Dongyang Brigade was quiet and peaceful before dusk.
After traveling for so many days, this was the first time Lu Qin appreciated the night view of the brigade, and his mood immediately became calm and happy.
Kong Yue followed behind, his eyes never leaving the boy.
From being reluctant to go out at first, to accepting my fate, until now I feel like I am out for fun.
“…”
His brows furrowed and then relaxed, making him more determined to have the conversation.
There was an aunt coming hurriedly in front with a basket.
Before Kong Yue could even open his mouth, he heard the boy greet her in a familiar voice, "Good evening, Aunt Zhao. Have you eaten?"
There are two Aunt Zhaos in the brigade, one lives next door to them, and the other lives next to the brigade leader. This one is the latter.
"Not yet, have you eaten? Kong Yue, you're back." Only then did he notice the person behind him.
Kong Yue responded with a smile on his face, "Hello, Auntie."
"Okay, okay, you two can take your time shopping. I'm going back to cook."
Aunt Zhao was so gossipy that she was about to burst out of her mind, but dinner was still waiting to be cooked at home. She kept looking back curiously as she walked away.
Aunt Zhao's words reminded Kong Yue. He glanced around and saw nothing but trees and grass. He stopped the people in front of him and said, "Don't go any further. It will be dark soon."
Lu Qin turned around and was about to call him brother-in-law.
Kong Yue spoke before he could open his mouth, his face turning serious. "You're not at the Public Security Bureau right now. Tell me the truth in front of me about what happened with Zhang Erhu and why you got involved with him."
He got straight to the point and didn't allow the kid to whine.
I don't know when this kid became more and more difficult to deal with.
He stared at him intently, and now he was asking him as a brother-in-law, wanting to know the cause and effect of the incident.
The relaxed atmosphere at home just now is gone.
Sure enough, Zhang Erhu’s matter was not over yet. He was not given any time to buffer. Lu Qin felt his hair numb.
The police interrogated Zhang Erhu for a whole day. He knew what he was talking about, and even if Zhang Erhu hadn't revealed his name, his brother-in-law would have guessed it. If he hadn't said it, someone else would have said it, and the result might not have been the same.
He was tired of scolding the original body. If the original body had not been deceived, he would not have resorted to such a mean trick later.
He admitted his mistake when he should. This was his principle. He prepared his words and put on a proper attitude. "Brother-in-law, I was indeed wrong about Zhang Erhu."
The apology was so quick that Kong Yue himself didn't react. This was not like his character.
"What's wrong?" Kong Yue asked, staring at him intently, determined to get to the bottom of it.
Lu Qin's eyelids twitched, but he put on an expression of admitting his mistake. "Zhang Erhu deceived me with the job offer. My mistake was that I didn't realize the dangers of society and just gave him the money. By the time I realized it, it was already too late."
There was no single word in the whole string of words that made sense, but when put together, it just didn't feel right. Kong Yue couldn't find any loopholes for a long time, "..."
Not forgetting his determination to talk, his mind raced, and he questioned him further, "Why did you get involved with him later?"
Being questioned so closely, and facing his gaze, Lu Qin could still ask back, "Brother-in-law, if you knew you were deceived, would you be willing to accept it? Besides, he has so many people, and I can't beat him, so I can only rely on other methods to circumvent it."
Kong Yue didn't say the words "report to the police". He was so angry that he tried to calm down and get to the bottom of it. "How can I get the money I was defrauded back?"
His eyes were sharp as he stared at him, his logical chain still intact.
Excellent, you hit the nail on the head. This is a question he wasn't prepared for. Even the exam paper doesn't have so many questions. I can't tell if this is a conversation or a response.
Lu Qin thought about it carefully and guessed that his cheap brother-in-law knew that the original body had taken the family's money. Although the matter was started by the original body, it was he who did the dirty work later.
Knowing there was nothing left to hide, I could only continue to confess honestly, and even embellished it a little.
Kong Yue's temples throbbed with pain. He'd heard something about someone stealing a man's clothes and being framed, and a surge of anger shot through his head. He felt like the conversation was going nowhere.
He had roughly figured out the cause of the incident. The gangster wanted to find a job, and Zhang Erhu happened to appear. He used the job as bait, and the gangster took the bait. However, he found that something was not right, so he used a dirty trick. Later, he was not convinced and kept pestering Zhang Erhu in a roundabout way.
This is probably what this little bastard would do.
Seeing that his expression was not right, Lu Qin slightly withdrew his legs to facilitate his quick escape.
How could Kong Yue not notice his action? Seeing that he was standing awkwardly, he shouted, "Stand up straight!"
"Yes," as long as this matter could be resolved, he would be allowed to lie down, let alone stand up.
"I heard from your sister that you want to study. You should work hard this year and take the exam. Once you get into high school, it will be easier for you to find a job." Go to school to learn how to be a good person and use up your energy that has nowhere else to go. You won't have to go out and cause trouble for others.
The topic suddenly changed, and the matter was over without pursuing the original body's theft of money. The cheap brother-in-law was so good, but what did he hear?
"High School Entrance Exam"
Kong Yue hummed, his emotions clearly still not calming down. "You've always wanted to study, but if you put your mind to studying, you won't fail the high school entrance exam."
Lu Qin's expression nearly collapsed. What a joke! He was now in the third year of junior high, putting the burden on his sister and brother-in-law, and he couldn't even take the college entrance exam after finishing. Besides, in modern times, people always say that school is the purest place, but that's not the case these days. If he wanted to continue, he'd have to wait another two or three years, until he had a little money and could take the college entrance exam when the time was right.
Facing his brother-in-law's gaze, he tentatively said, "Brother-in-law, I don't want to go to high school now."
He spoke as if he could pass the exam.
Kong Yue didn't understand why he changed his mind again, and said with a stern face, "Reason,"
He said seriously, "I think my talent may not lie in studying. Through Zhang Erhu's case, I figured out that society is the best teaching platform. Many things, such as not trusting others blindly, cannot be learned in the classroom."
It was a long paragraph, full of fresh ideas. Just when Kong Yue was wondering if he was just kidding, he finally understood. He recalled his own class and what the teacher taught him. It certainly didn't teach you how to deal with various social situations.
Lu Qin continued his efforts and inserted the needle accurately. "Also, I heard that high school students are shouting slogans in the classroom now. Brother-in-law, do you want me to learn how to shout slogans? I'm actually a little curious."
Kong Yue imagined the scene of the brat standing on the podium, shouting slogans with a red face and thick neck. He breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted him to expend his energy that had nowhere to go, but not in this way.
He sighed, "How to learn social knowledge?"
I haven't thought about this yet. Lu Qin said seriously, "Learn more about the dangers of society."
"Lu Qin, stand up straight!!!"
The final conversation ended on a bad note, at least in Lu Qin's opinion.
When the two returned home, it was already dark.
Kong Dongdong ran straight towards them. Kong Yue walked in front and subconsciously stretched out his hands, and a small breeze blew past him.
"Uncle, where have you been?"
The uncle and nephew were having a great time. Lu Qin pretended not to notice his stepbrother-in-law's gaze and hugged his nephew, showing his warmth and care.
Kong Yue put his hand away and looked at Sun Laimei who was standing in the yard. Sun Laimei's eyes conveyed the idea that "I need to get along well with your son in the future, otherwise your son will not be close to you."
Jiang Manzhu came at this time. As soon as he entered the door, he saw four people standing in the yard.
Kong Yue turned back when he heard the footsteps, "Uncle Manzhu,"
Lu Qin followed up with a cry, and seeing that he was not involved, he hugged his nephew and kneaded him hard.
"Hey! Yue boy is back!" Jiang Manzhu responded.
Kong Yue took out a cigarette from his pocket, which was given to him by Qin Mingzhi, and handed it to him, "Uncle,"
When Jiang Manzhu saw what it was, he said, "Oh, no need."
He only smoked the homemade ones, and the one in Kong Yue's hand looked very expensive, so he was not used to it.
"Uncle, take it. I don't smoke either. What's the matter with you coming here?"
Jiang Manzhu accepted the cigarette and then remembered the important matter. He took out the silk banner in his hand and said with a smile, "Today I went to the commune to make a report. The people above gave me a silk banner. I just realized that it was Lu Qin who did a good deed. It gave our Dongyang team leader face."
Jiang Manzhu was so happy that his teammates were praised and saw many envious expressions from people.
When Lu Qin heard his name, he walked over with Kong Dongdong in his arms, "Uncle,"
Jiang Manzhu thought he wanted to see it, so he unfolded the banner and cleared his throat, "To Comrade Lu Qin of the Dongyang Brigade."
In the middle are the eight characters "Helping others is joyful, kindness is grateful" and the inscription reads "Presented by Qin Minghai, Chief Repairman of Laiyang County".
Lu Qin thought, his Uncle Qin was truly honest. Seeing the smile on Jiang Manzhu's face, he knew that people of this generation admired such virtues.
He stuffed Kong Dongdong into his brother-in-law's arms, told them to cultivate their father-son relationship, and took the banner and said, "Uncle, please bring it over."
"You're so polite," Jiang Manzhu waved his hand. "You did a good deed but you didn't say a word."
Lu Qin touched the material of the banner and found it felt quite good. Upon hearing this, he replied, "If I had told you in advance, you wouldn't have been surprised, would you?"
The two of them started chatting, and Lu Qin enthusiastically invited him to touch it.
Jiang Manzhu waved his hand and said, "Please take good care of this banner. It's getting late, so I'll go back first."
Kong Yue put the struggling child on the ground and said, "Uncle, I'll take you there."
Kong Dongdong, who regained his freedom, hugged his uncle's thigh again.
The night had fallen completely dark. Jiang Manzhu walked in front, and Kong Yue walked a little slower.
Jiang Manzhu stopped and urged him, "Okay, it's not far, no need to send me off, go back."
Kong Yue's tall figure stood in the darkness, not moving. "Uncle, I have to thank you and aunt for what happened to my mother before."
Jiang Manzhu thought it was something else, "What's there to thank for?"
But needless to say, he felt relieved when he heard this. Anyone who helps and is remembered will feel that he did the right thing.
Kong Yue said in a low voice, "Also, Lu Qin is not very sensible, so please be tolerant of him, uncle and aunt."
Jiang Manzhu immediately agreed, "The child is still young, everyone makes mistakes."
When they were on the road, Jiang Manzhu suddenly stopped with his hands behind his back. He finally came to his senses. Kong Yue meant to thank him and his wife for not spreading the news that Lu Qin had taken money from the family, giving him space to mend his ways.
In fact, when the incident happened, Jiang Manzhu told his wife not to tell anyone. He had experienced a lot and knew the consequences. A sixteen-year-old boy stole money from home. In the eyes of outsiders, it was not only a moral issue. Once it got out, the bad reputation might accompany him for the rest of his life and even ruin him.
Facts proved that his approach was right and the boy was saved.
As for Kong Yue coming to thank him personally for this matter, he sighed in his heart that this couple were people who valued feelings. Not to mention Lu Chunnong, Kong Yue alone was no different from Lu Qinzi's biological brother.
When Kong Yue returned home, three people in the courtyard were admiring the banner. The young man in the middle patiently explained to his aunt what the words on it meant, with Lu Chunnong occasionally adding a few words. The loudest among them was Lu Qin.
When Sun Laimei saw him coming back, she interrupted and asked, "Why did you take so long?"
Kong Yue consciously stood next to Lu Chunnong, his eyes passing over her profile, "I haven't seen Uncle Manzhu for a long time. I chatted with him for a while."
Although no one knew how Lu Qin hid the matter of Zhang Erhu from his sister, both of them chose to keep it secret and did not even reveal it during the conversation. They both had their own concerns.
Of course, if Lu Qin commits the same crime again one day in the future, he will not show mercy.
Lu Qin suddenly felt a chill on his back. He raised his head quickly, but found that no one was looking at him. Due to the big movement, the two silly hairs on his head swayed.
Kong Yue: “…” Once again, he discovered that this kid was very alert.
After dinner in the evening, Lu Qin hugged his nephew and coaxed him, "Kong Dongdong, uncle is a little cold at night, can you sleep with uncle?"
He felt that he was frightened by his cheap brother-in-law and needed his son to accompany him. As for the cultivation of their father-son relationship, that could be put off until later.
Kong Yue stood silently behind him. When he heard this, his eyelids twitched. What kind of reason was this?
"Otherwise you'll have to sleep with your mom and dad."
The word "daddy" quickly caught Kong Dongdong's attention. He shook his head and said anxiously, "Then I'll sleep with my uncle."
"Lu Qin!" A warning voice suddenly came from behind.
He frowned, suddenly suspecting that this boy never said anything good about him in front of his son.
Lu Qin was startled. Kong Dongdong hugged his arm and he blinked. "Brother-in-law, why are you eavesdropping here?"
Kong Yue lowered his head and saw his son, who looked like a little punk, looking at him with disapproval.
“…”
The author has something to say:
It's Monday again, go to bed early!
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