Chapter 124

When Lu Weiguo mentioned he wanted to clean the old house, Grandpa Lu quickly stopped him.

“You don’t need to do that. The day you took the train back, your father called and mentioned this. Your second aunt, along with your two sisters-in-law, has already tidied everything up. They’ve aired out the quilts in the cupboards and cleaned and heated the kang a few times.”

The second aunt Grandpa Lu referred to was Wang Yueji, Lu Erming’s wife, while the two sisters-in-law were the wives of Uncle Lu’s two sons.

Uncle Lu’s two sons were named Lu Weibing, a 27-year-old police officer, and Lu Weijun, a 24-year-old accountant for the brigade.

The families of Grandpa Lu’s two sons had a good relationship, so when Lu Daming couldn’t take care of things, Lu Erming would step in to help.

The old house had been vacant for a long time. If not for Lu Erming’s family periodically helping with cleaning and maintenance, it would have deteriorated over time.

Hearing this, Lu Weiguo didn’t insist on going to clean.

Uncle’s family was likely at work, so they decided not to disturb them and planned to visit in the evening.

Grandpa Lu suggested they go back to the old house to settle in, noting that the New Year was just a few days away, and they wouldn’t need to return to the county.

Plus, the countryside house was much more spacious and comfortable than the one in the county.

Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo bid farewell to the elders and returned to the old house.

They parked the car in the open space in front of the gate, and Shi Tingyu got out first to peek through the gate’s crack.

The courtyard was quite large, significantly bigger than their compound in the military district.

One side of the courtyard, near the kitchen, was neatly stacked with firewood, covered with a waterproof plastic sheet. The other side seemed to be a vegetable garden, though it was empty now.

Lu Weiguo retrieved the key from under a brick by the gate and opened it.

Seeing the firewood, he knew it must have been prepared by his uncle’s family.

The adjacent vegetable garden was usually tended by Uncle’s family, as no farmer would mind having more land.

The vegetable garden in their yard was considered private, so Lu Daming had allowed Uncle’s family to use it.

Lu Weiguo placed their daily necessities inside the house.

Upon entering, they could feel the temperature difference.

Lu Weiguo temporarily made a nest for Lijian with dry straw and then told Shi Tingyu to sit on the kang while he went to the kitchen to light a fire.

The old Lu family house had three rooms. One room on the east side was connected to the kitchen by a wall, while the other two rooms were connected and shared a stove.

When Lu Weiguo wasn’t home, his parents and Lu Jianguo’s family would use the two rooms on the west side during the New Year, heating only the central stove.

That stove heated the two connected rooms.

The inner room’s kang wasn’t as warm as the outer one.

But the region wasn’t as cold as the northeast, so a slightly warm kang was sufficient.

Lu Weiguo’s room was on the east side, separated from the kitchen stove by a wall.

Usually, the family preferred cooking on the central stove, but now that they were back, both stoves needed to be lit, making cooking faster.

Soon, Shi Tingyu felt the warmth on the kang, and Lu Weiguo came in.

After arranging their toiletries, he planned to fetch some vegetables from his second aunt’s house.

Before he could leave, Second Aunt arrived early from work.

Seeing the car at the door, Second Aunt knew Lu Weiguo and his wife had arrived.

She had come early from work to bring them vegetables.

Their family had tended the old garden for many years without asking for any payment, so every time Lu Daming’s family came back, they provided them with vegetables. When there was an abundance, they would also send some to the town.

Second Aunt carried a basket with a large cabbage, a few potatoes, some radishes, bean sprouts, tofu, and a piece of meat, along with some green onions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings, enough to last for at least a month.

Hearing a knock at the door, Lijian barked.

Recognizing his second aunt’s voice, Lu Weiguo quickly went to open the door.

Second Aunt hadn’t seen Lu Weiguo for a long time and was delighted.

After handing him the basket, she couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s your wife?”

Lu Weiguo led her inside, saying, “Xiaoyu is on the kang; it’s too cold here.”

Second Aunt had intended to see her but thought it better not to disturb her.

However, before they reached the main room, Shi Tingyu had already come out.

She had just heard Lu Weiguo say that the visitor was Second Aunt, so when she saw her, she called out, “Second Aunt.”

Second Aunt was so mesmerized by Shi Tingyu’s face that she didn’t even hear her being called.

Lu Weiguo smiled and lightly cleared his throat, saying, “Second Aunt, Xiaoyu is calling you.”

Second Aunt slapped her thigh, exclaiming, “Oh my, I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl before. I got lost just looking at her. Look at how pretty she is.”

Shi Tingyu invited, “Second Aunt, come in and warm up.”

Second Aunt suddenly remembered she still had to go home to cook for the family, so she didn’t sit down.

“The men in the field are still waiting for their meal. I won’t sit down now. You and Weiguo come over for dinner tonight,” she said before bustling off.

Lu Weiguo laughed, “My Second Aunt is a lot like my mom. They’re both straightforward and energetic.”

This was also why the two sisters-in-law got along well.

“That’s nice,” Shi Tingyu replied, finding it comfortable to deal with such people.

Looking at the things Second Aunt had brought, Shi Tingyu realized that Uncle’s family must have a good relationship with theirs.

Now, everyone was working, and the women of the house would come back to cook around meal times, so there was no time to gather for lunch. Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo would have to cook for themselves.

Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu worked together in the kitchen, making stir-fried potatoes with meat slices and cabbage stewed with tofu.

Both dishes were substantial, and they enjoyed their meal.

Shi Tingyu found it novel to eat on the kang for the first time, enjoying the cozy atmosphere. However, after eating, she cleaned the kang meticulously, worried that oil might have dripped onto it.

Around two in the afternoon, Lu Weiguo noticed that Shi Tingyu seemed a bit distracted. Knowing she missed her parents, he got up, dressed, and said, “Come on, I’ll take you to see them from a distance.”

Shi Tingyu’s eyes lit up, and she quickly dressed, looking eager and ready to go.

Lu Weiguo took Shi Tingyu to the brigade office first, where they found his cousin, Lu Weijun, who was an accountant.

Lu Weijun was all smiles upon seeing them. They had played together as children, following Lu Weiguo around.

Seeing Shi Tingyu, Lu Weijun immediately knew she was his sister-in-law and greeted her enthusiastically, offering water and snacks.

Lu Weiguo quickly stopped him, saying, “I’m just here to ask which field the people from the cattle shed are working in right now.”