Chapter 114 Theft
The second aunt had come, and Dad was back. Panpan and Tiantian were so happy!
Lu Ping and Lu An were also very happy, and they ran out to welcome Uncle San back home.
Seeing that he was being entangled by the children, Lin Shu took the bag from him. But
Lu Shaotang refused to give it to her: "You can't carry it."
He had two children hanging on his long legs, and he said hello to his nephews and nieces, then dragged the children and carried the bag into the house.
He put the yellow-green canvas bag on the kang and said to Lin Shu, "It contains the gifts from Chen Yanming and others."
Lin Shu asked casually, "Where is Chen Yanming from?"
Lu Shaotang: "He is from the capital, what's wrong?"
Lin Shu: "He is not going home for the New Year?"
Lu Shaotang: "No, he went to the province with others."
Lin Shu: "If you are not busy, let him come home and sit down. You must have been helped a lot by going home all day."
In the original plot, Chen Yanming is an important supporter of Pan Zai'er.
However, in the original plot, Chen Yanming lost a leg in the process of taking over the mission after Lu Shaotang passed away. Now that Lu Shaotang is fine, he must be fine too.
Now he does not need to be Pan Pan's supporter, but he can be a good uncle. Of
course, there is no such thing as too many noble people for a child.
Seeing Lin Shu's generous invitation, Lu Shaotang smiled, "Okay, I'll tell him later."
But in his heart, he thought: Chen Yanming is so lucky, my wife actually took the initiative to invite him to be a guest.
Lu Shaotang took the two children to talk to Lu Laodi and others, and Lin Shu helped him pack his backpack.
There are not many good things these days. Ordinary people can buy maltose, canned fruit, candies, red and white sugar, and snacks. These are good things.
Chen Yanming basically bought them all, and there was also a bag of hawthorn.
Lin Shu wanted to make hawthorn candied haws and sugar balls for the children to eat.
But now I have to prepare dumplings first.
Over there, after Father Lu finished writing the couplets, Lu Shaotang led Lu Ping and a few others to paste the couplets.
Lu Shaotang did his job neatly and quickly. Others’ couplets were easily crooked or folded, but he never had any problems.
He estimated the proportions of the couplets and the door panels, and then used a broom in one hand to brush them with Jianghu brushes, and then pasted the couplets on, and then used a kang broom to smooth them out, and they were pasted neatly and smoothly.
Lu An was stunned.
Just now, Lu Shaocai and his friends next door were pasting couplets, and they were still cursing that they had pasted them badly.
After pasting the couplets, they went to the graves again.
The women were making dumplings at home.
Because everyone was happy during the Chinese New Year, Lu Ersao even said, "Xiu'er, come and make dumplings, stop fiddling with the clothes."
You can keep the money from making clothes, but making dumplings is everyone's job.
Fang Dihua was cutting square meat in the main room, and she had to cook a few dishes for offering in the evening.
When the four olds were destroyed, they said that we were not allowed to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and that was the only year that everyone didn't celebrate. Later, when the harvest was better, they changed back to the old customs.
How could you eat dumplings and meat during the Chinese New Year and ignore your ancestors? How
could you not go to the grave and worship your ancestors?
How could you not offer the ancestral genealogy?
Fang Dihua prepared everything thoroughly. This year, she wanted to let her parents-in-law taste the sausage made by her third son's daughter-in-law, so that they would know that they had not blessed her third son in vain, and they would bless her well and offer delicious food every year in the future.
The dumplings were almost done, so Lin Shu and Fang Dihua cooked the New Year's Eve dinner together.
The family made a lot of money this year, and the New Year's goods were abundant. Lu Shaotang also came back, so of course the family had to have a big and fat New Year!
Lin Shu had been stewing meat and chicken these two days. She had already made braised pig's trotters, stewed chicken with chestnuts, braised carp, and braised meat with tofu. She would also make cabbage and vermicelli stewed with bones, cold spinach and vermicelli, pan-fried hairtail, dried shrimp and chives, scrambled eggs with chives, and steamed eggs with shrimps...
All the meat dishes were served in a bowl, and this meal was to make the family eat their fill.
Although there are many families in the village who slaughter pigs for the New Year and stew meat, the neighbors can always smell a more dominant and fragrant smell, which even suppresses the aroma of meat in their own pots.
We are all meat, why should yours be more fragrant?
Brother Lu said, really, my meat is more fragrant!
My third brother's wife is a master of cooking, and the only one who surpasses her is herself, how can it be so fragrant?
It must be because my third brother came home, which made her excited and let her perform beyond her normal level!
The table is full of meat!
I remember that when we had a meat dinner at home, everyone's chopsticks were like a hot wheel, but today they can't move.
There is so much meat, eat it slowly.
They ate meat and drank wine leisurely, talking about happy things, such as the struggle commune to pull electricity, how many awards they had won this year, and how the whole family could go to the city to hold a meeting on May 1st Labor Day next year. They
were talking happily when they heard crying from the old Chang family behind them.
After listening, it seemed that the children were fighting for meat. The children of the first wife beat the children of the second wife, and the second wife of Chang was unhappy and beat the children of the first wife, and the old wife of Chang beat the second wife of Chang... Big Brother
Lu: "We can't do that, it's too embarrassing!"
Fang Dihua: "Our family depends on you, you have stabilized it for me!"
Big Sister Lu was busy picking meat for Big Brother Lu, and she had to find a gap to stuff two pieces into her mouth.
The stewed meat of the third brother's wife is so delicious!
Lin Shu said to Big Brother Lu: "Big Brother, if our brigade has electricity in the future, you can apply for the brigade to buy an electric flour mill. Then people from all over the country will come to grind flour, and it will definitely make money for the brigade."
Big Brother Lu thought that his third sister-in-law was really creative. She had already thought of a way to make money before electricity was even available.
It was amazing.
But Second Sister-in-law Lu thought that Lin Shu was really lazy and just didn't want to grind the mill. You stay at home every day and don't go to the fields. You're tired of cooking? Why
don't you go to heaven?
While eating, Lu Shaotang had to deal with various problems of his two sons and nephew, and he had to accurately pick up the dishes that his wife liked.
A large table of dishes was cooked by her, but she didn't eat much.
In Lu Shaotang's opinion, she eats too little!
He always wants to feed her more so that she can eat more. If she
eats less, she will have less physical strength, and she will be more likely to get sick and cannot handle things.
After eating and drinking, there are still dishes left on the table.
Lin Shu had already put down her chopsticks and was eating melon seeds.
Lu Shaotang helped her peel the melon seeds while chatting with her father, mainly listening to them.
Tiantian and Panpan have already changed into new clothes and come to kowtow to the elders, to get the New Year's money.
Seeing this, Lu An and Lu Cuicui also hurried to make arrangements, as they could not fall behind in the New Year's money.
Fang Dihua has the confidence because she has made money this year and has a huge deposit in the bank.
Fang Dihua gave three cents, and old man Lu gave two cents.
The children cheered, even someone as steady as Lu Ping was very happy.
Lu An shouted even more happily, because his parents didn't
want the New Year's money he got. His father wanted to use the money for drinking in previous years, but was scolded by his grandmother.
Grandma said: Don't take the money from the children, be more promising!
After getting the money from his grandmother, Lu An started to look at his parents and his second and third uncles again.
Big brother Lu: "I handed all my money over to the government."
Actually, Fang Dihua didn't take much, and left the bulk to him. He said that he gave it to his wife, but actually all the money he and Big Sister Lu earned was in his hands.
Mrs. Lu dug around and gave each child ten cents.
Second Brother Lu looked at Second Sister Lu.
He gave her all the money from weaving mats, which was three yuan at least.
Second Sister Lu was angry. She only had one child, while the first wife had three children and the third wife had two. Wasn't it partiality for her parents-in-law to give so much money to the child? And
now they wanted her to give?
She wouldn't give it!
The children all stared at Second Brother Lu and Second Sister Lu, and were a little disappointed when they saw that they didn't give money.
Second Brother Lu, however, didn't have a penny. His dividends were in the public treasury, and the money that Fang Dihua distributed to each room went to Second Sister Lu, and his extra earnings also went to her.
He glanced at Second Sister Lu and said, "Give the children some New Year's money."
Second Sister Lu pretended not to hear.
Lu Shaotang smiled and said, "I've paid all my money, so my pockets are cleaner than yours."
He didn't want his second brother to be embarrassed, so he helped him out.
Panpan felt sorry for his father, and immediately put his own New Year's money into his pocket, "Old man, how can you be without money?"
Tiantian also stuffed her money into Lu Shaotang's other pocket, "It's okay, my money is for Dad to spend." She turned to Lin Shu and said, "Mom, you should give Dad some pocket money. Second Aunt said that men can't go out without money."
Lin Shu quietly pinched Lu Shaotang's arm, didn't I give you money?
Lu Shaotang held her hand with his backhand and clasped it in his palm.
Lin Shu glanced at Lu Ersao. Did she not want to give the children money for the New Year?
If she took too much, Lu Ersao would be very angry, so she gave each child five points.
Lu Ersao pouted, "Lao San's wife, you make money by making clothes, but you only give the children such a small amount of money for the New Year."
She heard that even the mother who made clothes didn't want the money!
Lu Cuicui also said to Lu Xiuxiu, "Big sister, you also make money by making clothes, will you give us money for the New Year?" Lu Xiuxiu
helped Lin Shu make clothes, and Lin Shu gave her 70 or 80 cents for a set of clothes. This was the first time she made money.
Although she was a little reluctant, she was willing to give it when her sister asked.
Fang Dihua said, "Your sister is still young, there is no need to give her New Year's money."
Lu Cuicui was very disappointed. Well, it would be better to give her five more cents, at least she could buy a few candies.
Outside, Lu Changfu's nephews and nieces came to pay New Year's greetings.
Lu Shaocai led the way. After all, they were his uncle and aunt, so paying New Year's greetings was a must.
Lu Shaocai and his sons and daughters looked at the food and wine on the table and immediately felt that it was richer and more delicious than what they had at home. They felt unbalanced.
How could my second uncle's family compare to mine?
Not to mention that I used to eat well in the capital, but after I came back and had money in my hand, I was willing to eat, and it was better than my second uncle's family.
This year, my second uncle's family took my job away. I have no proper job since then. I have to work in the fields every day, exposed to the wind, sun and rain. Why is my life so miserable?
After Lu Changfu came in, he didn't care about the dining table. He didn't even dare to peek at Lin Shu because his third uncle was there. He glanced at the cabinet in Fang Dihua's room.
There was a shelf on the wall at the head of the kang, and there were several small wooden boxes on it. They were food boxes for burials, and they could be used to store some small items.
There was a large suitcase at the end of the kang, which was not locked. There was a grain jar and a large wardrobe in front of the kang, and the wardrobe was locked.
The family's money or passbook should be in... the cabinet?
When thinking about this, Lu Changfu felt like his blood was freezing.
The bald man said that his second master's family was the richest in the village, with at least several thousand!
Lu Changfu was stunned when he heard that, and his mouth was wide open for a long time.
The bald man said that if they could get a few thousand from the second master's family, it would be enough for them to spend for a long time.
The bald man also said that with this money, even if he couldn't marry a city wife in the future, it would be easy to marry a female educated youth.
Those female educated youth were delicate and tender, and they didn't like to do farm work. If they knew he was rich, wouldn't they be angry with him?
There was a female educated youth with fair skin, big eyes and a small mouth. She looked like Lin Shu, so pretty.
Lu Changfu was so drunk by the bald guys who made him drink and play cards that he was confused. All he could think about was the thousands of dollars from his second master's family.
Lu Jinling, on the other hand, was saying auspicious words for the New Year to Lu Laodi and Fang Dihua, while she was secretly looking at Lu Shaotang and Lin Shu.
Her third uncle was so handsome, and Lin Shu was so lucky!
What did this woman rely on?
She was so jealous when she remembered that the man she liked in the city actually liked Lin Shu.
While they were talking, Lu Shaocai had already picked up the wine cup and started drinking again.
Panpan and Tiantian were originally leaning on Lin Shu and Lu Shaotang, peeling melon seeds. Panpan looked at Lu Changfu and shouted, "Brother, what are you looking for?"
Lu Changfu was still immersed in the complex emotions of tension, excitement, fear, and excitement, and did not hear Panpan calling him.
He thought that everyone was chatting and no one was paying attention to him, so he reached out to lift the big suitcase at the end of the kang to try.
Panpan got up, pushed Lu Laodi and Lu Dad over, and sat on the big suitcase, "Brother, what are you doing?"
Lu Changfu screamed, his finger was pinched!
He hurriedly pulled his hand back.
Others didn't know what was going on, and they all went to see him.
Lu Changfu hid his hand in his pocket, "No, I just bumped into it accidentally."
He motioned to his two younger brothers and sister to hurry up, "Let's go out for a walk."
He also invited Lu Ping and Lu An to go with him.
Father Lu asked them cousins to go out together to pay New Year's greetings to the elders of the family.
After all, they are a family, it would be more beautiful to go together.
Lu Shaocai was drunk, "Second uncle, second uncle!"
The voice was getting louder and louder.
Fang Dihua knew at a glance that he wanted to get crazy with alcohol, and immediately said to the second brother Lu, "Send it back to your eldest cousin."
The second brother Lu was originally sitting on the side and had been wearing shoes. He got up and helped Lu Shaocai walk out.
Lu Shaocai: "I'm not drunk. Don't think I don't know anything when I'm drunk. You, third brother, you look down on the eldest brother, right? You look down on the eldest brother..."
Lu Shaotang was too lazy to pay attention to him.
Second brother Lu helped him out by force.
When most of the people in the room left, the room suddenly became much emptier.
Panpan sat on the big suitcase, and he was angry, "Why did he rummage through our big suitcase?"
Did he know that my money was in it!
Big Brother Lu: "Why are you rummaging through the trunk?"
Panpan: "Lu Changfu! I saw him rummaging through my trunk!"
Big Brother Lu laughed: "There are only a few tattered clothes in it, what's so good about it?"
Panpan widened his eyes, "Uncle, you rummaged through it too?"
Big Brother Lu laughed: "This trunk is older than I am, how could I not rummage through it? I slept in it when I was a kid."
After a few jokes, he also stood up and called Lu Shaotang to go out to pay New Year's greetings together.
There are still a few old men in the family.
Old Dad Lu has to go too.
Fang Dihua: "You all go visit the neighbors, I'll stay at home and wait for your dad to come back."
Lu Shaotang: "I'll go tomorrow morning."
He drank some wine and wanted to have some fun with his wife, so he handed the two children to his big brother and dad to hold.
Fang Dihua ignored him and started to clear the table.
That bastard Lu Shaocai must have cleaned up the dishes on purpose.
Especially the braised carp, there was some left over, but this bastard actually poked the fish head off!
Lin Shu also drank two cups of wine, her cheeks were rosy, and she felt a little sleepy sitting there.
Lu Shaotang just carried her back to his room. Fang
Dihua acted as if she didn't see it, her eyebrows and eyes didn't move. She hoped that her son and daughter-in-law would be in love, and it would be best if he would stick to his daughter-in-law and can't leave, so that he wouldn't go on that dangerous mission in the future.
Outside, the bald man and his two brothers were plotting.
"I've observed that many people visit each other with their doors open. There's no one at home or they're busy with something else."
Baldy: "They have to keep watch at night. They cook dumplings and eat them in the middle of the night before going to bed. They sleep soundly at that time."
They've been lying in ambush for so long. It's not easy to steal from the Lu family. If they don't make a move, the brothers will get anxious. Why not try their skills
? Baldy and his friends are not idle. During the time they were undercover, they got to know the situation in the village thoroughly. They knew who had a small family, whose men liked to get drunk, and whose men were not good at dealing with things... He knew everything.
As soon as it was past eleven o'clock, they moved quickly.
The theft made their blood boil and they felt light.
Some men were too poor. They were no different when they were at home or not.
Look, this family is drunk and talking in their sleep.
"Damn it, don't look down on me, I'm not as powerful as Lu Shaotang, but I'm not any worse than Lu Shaofeng, I have some dirty money..." The
thief swaggered into the house and searched carefully, without even prying the lock, after all, locks cost money, not every household is willing to spend money to buy several big locks.
Closets and suitcases, pry open and feel from the bottom, if not, check inside the rags and tatters to see if it's wrapped in it.
Some people hide it under the kang mat, wrapped in a handkerchief, deducting the New Year's expenses and saving for catching piglets next year.
Some were hidden in the cabbages hanging from the beams, some were hidden in…
some families were saving money to marry their sons and grandsons, or to build houses, there were quite a few of them.
And…
as long as they stepped on the good ones, almost all the useless men in the family were patronized.
They would not go to houses with many people because it was too dangerous.
Theft is not robbing a house, you can’t disturb the owner, you can’t be seen and shouted.
The bald guy was very proud, he didn’t even need to sneak in and pick the lock, it was too easy!
They even went to the five-guarantee household and stole two pounds of meat given by the brigade!
Although it was a pity that the members spent most of their money on New Year’s goods, the vigilance of the members on New Year’s Eve was too low, almost zero.
If the family had been given a share of the profits to steal, most people would still be very vigilant, knowing that they would be afraid of being stolen if they had money at home. Moreover, they would not get drunk normally, let alone stay up late and feel sleepy.
But today, it was an exception.
Lin Shu went to bed at ten o'clock last night. In her previous life, she was not in good health and was not keen on staying up late. Now she had no entertainment and nothing to do except sleep.
At most, Father Lu and Big Brother Lu stayed up late to change the candles for the New Year, while the others were still sleeping soundly.
The kang was too hot last night, so she and Lu Shaotang, who always occupied the head of the kang, switched places and slept at the end of the kang.
Even so, she was sweating from the heat, after all, men are like stoves.
Every time she wanted to break free from his arms, he would accurately catch her and lock her up, and pat her soothingly.
So Lin Shu had a dream all night of being roasted by the fire, trying to escape and being caught again, until she was awakened by a miserable scream.
"Oh my God - who is the one who got robbed!"
"My house was robbed!"
"My house was robbed too!"
...
Lin Shu was confused for a moment, the window was already green, and Lu Shaotang did not get up early for the first time.
She struggled and stretched out her arms to get some fresh air, it was too hot in the quilt.
Hiss, it's so cold outside the quilt!
Lu Shaotang held her arm with his big hand and pulled it back for her, "Be careful to catch a cold."
Lin Shu: "I vaguely heard someone say it was stolen? Did you hear it?"
Lu Shaotang: "Yeah, several families are shouting."
Lin Shu: "Why don't you get up and take a look?"
Lu Shaotang muttered: "I'm not a police officer, it's none of my business."
Panpan jumped up from the east room and immediately went to check the big suitcase. His small wallet was inside.
He didn't lock the door when he took things last night. Lu Changfu didn't know whether he opened it intentionally or unintentionally, and then he locked it and hid the key in his pillow.
Everything was normal at home, and there was no thief. Panpan breathed a sigh of relief.
Tiantian: "Dad is at home, who dares to steal!"
Fang Dihua and Old Man Lu are very down-to-earth. They listened to their third daughter-in-law and deposited the money in the bank a long time ago.
It turns out that there is unrest in the village.
In the west room, Lu Cuicui also burst into tears, "Which thief stole my money! Wuwu, damn thief!"
Lu Erge had already stood up. He frowned and said to Lu Ersao, "Don't take the New Year's money from the young lady!"
Lu Ersao was so angry that she rushed to the small north room without wearing clothes to beat Lu Cuicui, "Why are you crying? You dare to scold your own mother? Why does a child take so much money? I'll keep it for you." Lu Cuicui
knew that it was Lu Ersao who took it while she was sleeping. She felt that this was stealing, stealing her New Year's money! She just took the opportunity to vent!
Sister Xiuxiu and the others can keep the New Year's money, why can't she.
Wuwu...
She cried so sadly.
Brother Lu grabbed Sister Lu's arm and brought her back to the kang, reaching into her cotton trousers pockets.
Sister Lu was anxious, "Put it down!"
Brother Lu ignored her and took out the money given to her by the concubine, "If you take the concubine's money again, I won't give it to you when I make money in the future."
Sister Lu was so angry that she lay on the quilt and cried out of grievance, "The eldest brother and the third brother both make money, and you take it out on me when you don't make money."
Brother Lu ignored her.
She became more and more angry and started to talk without thinking, "How did I get involved with such a worthless man!"
Brother Lu, who walked to the door of the main room, suddenly froze, a little bit unbelievable, and suspected that he had heard it wrong.
Lu Cuicui screamed: "You are the loser, you are not allowed to scold my father!"