Chapter 62

Lu Nong had indeed changed. Today, she wore a camel-colored wool coat over a cardigan, paired with a white shirt from Pei Ji’an and an autumn top underneath. On the bottom, she had on a pair of wide-leg black pants, embodying the standard casual Korean style.

In the eyes of Lu Moxing and his wife, she looked good but unruly.

Not only had her dressing style changed, but her gaze and demeanor had transformed as well. The last time they met, Lu Nong seemed timid and would flinch at the slightest raise in someone else’s voice.

It had only been a few days since they last saw each other, but now she stood tall, her complexion had improved, and she looked much more energetic. The most notable change was her gaze—it was full of confidence, completely different from the petty demeanor she had before.

Lu Moxing found this version of Lu Nong oddly familiar.

“How can you, as a younger sister, speak to your elder brother like that?”

Song Dalan’s scolding came out instinctively. Every time Lu Nong talked back, the Lu family would scold her like this. Over time, it had become a habit.

Lu Moxing, too, habitually frowned in agreement with his wife, looking at Lu Nong as if she was someone who didn’t know her place.

If it had been the soft-hearted Lu Nong from before, she would have panicked and apologized by now. If she had anything good in hand, she would have hurriedly offered it to them. Song Dalan glanced at the two large mackerel and the pork Lu Nong was carrying, fully expecting her to hand them over.

Let alone sea fish, it had been a long time since they had even eaten meat at home. Song Dalan swallowed her saliva. Mackerel, a deep-sea fish with a lot of meat and few bones, has a mild flavor—perfect for making fish-stuffed dumplings. Mixing fish and pork together to make the filling would result in dumplings bursting with flavor. Eating mackerel dumplings during New Year’s would make the celebration all the more worthwhile.

Her eyes scanned Lu Nong and the food in her hands. Seeing that Lu Nong wasn’t reacting, Song Dalan spoke up directly, hinting, “Sister, are those mackerel and pork you’re holding?”

“I want to eat mackerel! I want to eat meat!”

Not surprising, as soon as Song Dalan mentioned the food, her son, Lu Wenqiang, immediately let go of his mother’s hand and rushed toward Lu Nong like a cannonball.

From the way he charged, it seemed less like he was running to snatch the food and more like he was trying to ram into Lu Nong on purpose.

Song Dalan and Lu Moxing stood by as if they hadn’t noticed, not bothering to stop him.

“Comrade Lu, watch out!” The soldier on guard tried to intervene but was too late, managing only to shout a warning to Lu Nong.

Fortunately, Lu Nong knew a bit of self-defense. She reacted quickly and dodged, moving aside just in time to avoid Lu Wenqiang.

The ground was still covered in unthawed snow. With his momentum, Lu Wenqiang couldn’t stop and tumbled headfirst into the snowbank behind Lu Nong.

The snowbank had been piled up during the morning’s clearing and hadn’t melted due to the cold weather, forming a hard surface. Crashing into it hurt, and after diving in, Lu Wenqiang remained motionless for quite some time.

“Wenqiang!” Song Dalan screamed, abandoning her younger son and rushing to her eldest. She hurriedly dug him out from the snow, her heart aching as she brushed the snow off his clothes. “Let mom see if you’re okay. Does it hurt?”

After being pulled out by his mother and father, Lu Wenqiang seemed stunned for a moment. When he finally realized what had happened, he burst into tears with a loud wail.

Song Dalan angrily approached Lu Nong. “Why did you dodge just now? Luckily, it was a pile of snow. If it had been rocks, Wenqiang could have ended up with a serious head injury. How can you, as an aunt, feel good about bullying your nephew?”

“First, you wouldn’t give him candy when he asked. Now, he wants fish, and you still won’t give it to him. What kind of aunt are you?”

“Whether it’s my candy or my fish, does that mean your son has the right to come over and snatch them?” Lu Nong remained calm. “I know you saw it. Your son deliberately tried to knock me over. If I hadn’t dodged, it would’ve been me lying in the snow.”

If Lu Nong hadn’t moved quickly, given how fast the chubby Lu Wenqiang was charging, she would’ve been the one lying in that snowbank.

“So what? Can you compare an adult falling to a child falling?” Song Dalan retorted, self-righteously. “Besides, he’s just a kid being playful. Why are you, a grown-up, making such a fuss?”

“Just a kid?” Lu Nong scoffed. With parents like these, it was no wonder Lu Wenqiang had turned out this way.

“What if I were pregnant? Could you handle the consequences if your son knocked me down and something happened? By your logic, if something bad did happen, should I not hold you, the mother, accountable?”

“And tell me, how should I take revenge? Should I wait until you’re pregnant and knock you down to even the score?”

Lu Nong was truly amazed. Reflecting on her memories of how the original owner had interacted with Lu Moxing and his wife over the past few years, the more she remembered, the more it made her want to laugh in anger.

If people were shameless enough, they were truly invincible.

Taking advantage of the original owner’s soft nature, every member of the Lu family, adults and children alike, had been exploiting her. They practically treated her as an ATM.

For years, most of the original owner’s salary and her husband’s military allowance had gone to support her family. Just Lu Moxing’s household alone had “borrowed” over three hundred yuan.

No wonder when she first transmigrated, aside from Gu Weiguo’s pension, all she had to her name was fifty yuan.

Lu Nong changed her mind—everything they had taken from her, they would have to give back.

Hearing Lu Nong’s words, a flash of panic crossed Song Dalan’s face. She was relieved that her son hadn’t actually knocked into Lu Nong. If something had happened, forget about being in-laws with the Pei family—they’d be lucky not to become enemies.

“Are you really pregnant?” Song Dalan asked, her emotions conflicted. On one hand, she hoped Lu Nong was pregnant so the Pei family would treat her better. On the other hand, she didn’t want to see Lu Nong settle down so quickly. Why should all the good things in the world fall into Lu Nong’s lap?

Lu Nong having a baby would allow her to solidify her position in the Pei family, and whenever the Lu family needed help, they could turn to Pei for assistance. But if Lu Nong managed to win over her new husband so quickly, Song Dalan couldn’t help but feel jealous. Why should she have all the luck?

In her first marriage, her husband was a regiment commander who pampered Lu Nong endlessly. She didn’t know how to cook, wash clothes, or do anything around the house, and yet, Gu Weiguo loved her dearly without a single complaint, as if the whole world owed her something.

It was heaven’s will when Lu Nong finally drove Gu Weiguo to an early death. Song Dalan had thought Lu Nong’s fate was sealed—to marry a crippled widower and live out the rest of her life in misery. But in no time, she had turned around and married another officer.

This time, her new husband outranked even Gu Weiguo.

“So, what exactly did you come here for today?” Lu Nong, tired of the couple’s roundabout talk, directly asked their purpose.

Lu Moxing and Song Dalan exchanged a glance as they tried to calm their crying son. Rubbing his hands together, Lu Moxing said, “Sister, let’s go inside and talk. It’s freezing out here, and it’s not a good place for conversation.”

Now that they needed a favor, Lu Moxing softened his tone.

Lu Nong glanced at the couple. She had a score to settle with them anyway.

Lu Moxing’s family of four followed Lu Nong into the courtyard. Song Dalan looked around in awe, like an excited visitor to a grand estate. “It’s beautiful! How wonderful it would be if our family could live in such a nice house,” she exclaimed.

Thinking about the house, Lu Nong couldn’t help but think, oh right, your family’s house was bought with my money.

When they arrived at the Pei family’s small red building, excitement lit up Song Dalan’s face. “Look, husband! Sister’s place has a courtyard, and it’s two stories tall!”

“What are you making a fuss about? Haven’t you seen a two-story building?” Lu Moxing scolded Song Dalan, but Song Dalan didn’t dare to refute.

In recent years, with her father’s retirement, the Song family had fallen on hard times. Lu Moxing, being young and strong, had become the backbone for both the Song and Lu families, reversing their statuses.

Lu Nong pushed the door open and called out, “Godmother.”

Aunt Wu emerged from the kitchen. “You’re back!”

“Is this… Moxing?” Aunt Wu hesitated, as she hadn’t seen Lu Moxing in years.

Lu Moxing was equally surprised to see Aunt Wu and hadn’t expected his sister to bring her into the Pei family. He rolled his eyes and said, “Hey, Aunt Wu, it’s me, Moxing. This is my wife Dalan and my sons Wenqiang and Wensheng.”

“Good, good. Have a seat, and I’ll get you some tea,” Aunt Wu said, her excitement evident. She had cared for the three Lu children when they were young, so seeing Lu Moxing felt like reuniting with her long-lost child.

“Godmother, I brought some mackerel and pork from the unit. Please prepare them for us,” Lu Nong handed her the items.

“Great, mackerel is delicious! Tonight, we’ll make dumplings. Moxing’s family can have some too,” Aunt Wu said, distracted by the food. As she took the fish and pork into the kitchen, Song Dalan eagerly watched the mackerel until it was out of sight. Hearing Aunt Wu invite them for dinner, she pinched Lu Moxing, urging him to agree.

Lu Moxing was quick to comply but heard Lu Nong say, “Aunt Wu, let’s save the mackerel for tomorrow. We’ll just have pickled vegetables and steamed buns tonight!”

Lu Moxing: “…”

“Pickled vegetables and steamed buns? Lu Nong, have you lost your mind?” Pei Zheng, who had heard the commotion from upstairs, came down the stairs. “Why are you home so early today? I should call the old man and tell him that he doesn’t have to pick you up.”

“Go ahead and call,” Lu Nong replied with a nod.

Pei Zheng noticed the family of four behind Lu Nong and was taken aback. “Who are they?”

Before Lu Nong could introduce them, Lu Moxing quickly praised, “You are Chief Pei’s son, right? You are a strong young man, worthy of being the son of a soldier.”

“I’m Lu Nong’s brother, Xiao Huai’s uncle. Of course, if you don’t mind, you can call me ‘Uncle’ since Lu Nong married your father. We’re family now,” Lu Moxing said.

Pei Zheng looked at Lu Nong and asked, “Is this really your brother?”

Lu Nong shot him a look, and surprisingly, they seemed to have some unspoken understanding. Pei Zheng adjusted his posture on the staircase, raising his chin slightly with a sharp gaze. He declared proudly, “My uncle is Shen Yiming. Not just anyone can take on that title.”

Lu Moxing didn’t expect the young master to turn hostile so quickly, and quickly said, “Yes, yes, I was just joking. Just call me Uncle Lu.”

Song Dalan was also frightened by Pei Zheng’s aura and shrank back to hide behind Lu Moxing.

Lu Moxing, noticing Lu Nong’s unreadable expression, found something familiar about her. After a moment of contemplation, it suddenly hit him—this was the Lu Nong he remembered before she got married!

“Nong Nong, do you remember?” Lu Moxing cautiously asked.

A few years ago, Lu Nong had suffered from amnesia. She remembered her family but had forgotten many childhood memories, causing her personality to become more docile. Initially, they didn’t think much of it, but they soon realized that the obedient Lu Nong was easy to manipulate, and they could take advantage of her with little effort.

“Hmm,” Lu Nong responded coolly, giving Lu Moxing a frosty look.

Lu Moxing felt a sinking feeling. He wondered if their plans for today would succeed.

Over the years, their family had taken a significant amount of money from Lu Nong. Recently, the Lu family and the Gu family had argued over Gu Weiguo’s pension. At that time, no one took Lu Nong seriously. If it weren’t for her current husband’s intervention, the compensation would have been quickly divided, leaving nothing for Lu Nong.

It was only because of her husband, Pei Ji’an, that the Lu family hadn’t approached Lu Nong recently.

They had been contemplating that Lu Nong would always be a daughter of the Lu family. There were no lasting grudges between family, and once Lu Nong cooled off, they could come over to apologize and mend their relationship.

With their sister marrying well, the Lu family would undoubtedly want to share in her good fortune. Wouldn’t her husband help the family in return?

Their plans were clear. This year, Lu Moxing brought his wife and children to the Pei family during the New Year to improve his relationship with Lu Nong while having a more pressing matter to discuss. He was at a crucial point in his career, vying for a promotion to director against a fellow competitor.

He wanted to curry favor with his brother-in-law, ask him to use his connections, and speak to their leaders. With his brother-in-law’s connections, wouldn’t it be easy for him to get a small position as a director?

It can also be said that the main purpose of coming to my sister and brother-in-law is to do things, and easing the relationship is secondary. After all, with Lu Nong’s weak personality, it would be strange if she didn’t obey.

However, the unfortunate twist was that Lu Nong had regained her memory and her original personality, which meant she would no longer be the pushover they had relied on for so long. Over the years, they had taken advantage of her softened character, and it was likely she would demand restitution for all that they had gained.

Even with this realization, if given the choice, Lu Moxing would still seek to ingratiate himself with the Pei family.

Why?

The reason is that the marriage with the Pei family is too good. With the support of the Pei family, their Lu family will also move to a higher level. Besides, Lu Nong already lives in such a good house, so maybe she won’t care about the little money he borrowed in the past few years.

At this moment, Lu Moxing mentally calculated all the benefits he could gain from the Pei family. First, he needed to secure his promotion, and then he would find a better job for his wife.

If Lu Nong agreed, Lu Moxing even considered letting Song Dalan work at the Pei family. Song Dalan could handle the same tasks as Aunt Wu, and being young and nimble, she would do them much better.

If his wife worked at the Pei family, he might as well let their son move in too. It was only natural for an aunt to support her nephew, right?

If Lu Nong didn’t like Wenqiang, they could always swap him for Wensheng. If that didn’t work, they could replace him with the three sisters, Xiao Hong, Xiao Xiang, or Xiao Jing. Either way, they needed at least one child to stay over.

While Lu Moxing was considering these possibilities, Lu Nong asked Pei Zheng to entertain their guests while she went upstairs to find the IOU that Lu Moxing had signed when he borrowed money from her to buy the house. Although she seemed weak, she had a firm bottom line: she would not casually give up her possessions. No matter how much Lu Moxing and his wife pressed her, they had never received the IOU.

Downstairs, once Lu Nong left, Lu Wenqiang stopped being scared. He ran around the living room, drawn to the six snowmen piled up by the entrance. He stepped on one of the snowman’s heads and kicked another, having the time of his life until the next moment when he found himself airborne.

“Let go of me! Let go!” Lu Wenqiang cried as Pei Zheng seized him and carried him out of the house.

“Go ahead and play,” Pei Zheng said, placing him in front of a snow pile. He warned, “Make two identical snowmen, or you won’t be going anywhere today.”

“I don’t want to! Mom, I don’t want to build snowmen!” Lu Wenqiang yelled at the top of his lungs.

Pei Zheng was even less impressed by his antics than Lu Nong. What kind of mischievous child hadn’t he seen? With one hand gripping Lu Wenqiang, he insisted, “Let’s see if anyone can rescue you today.”

Song Dalan and Lu Moxing stepped outside, and upon seeing their son being disciplined by Pei Zheng. Song Dalan lost all the arrogance she had in front of Lu Nong and didn’t even dare to say a word.