Chapter 9: The Lu Family in the Capital

Ye Sanqiu arrived in the town by sunrise and managed to catch the earliest bus to the county.

By the time she reached the county, the sun was already high in the sky.

Before getting off the bus, she asked the ticket seller for the time, and was told the train to the capital departed at exactly 12:20 PM.

Since it was still early, Ye Sanqiu didn’t rush to the train station. She walked casually while observing the surroundings.

As she passed the supply and marketing cooperative, she decided to step inside.

She had money and tickets now, so it was time to spend a little.

She had looked inside the package the old lady had given her—five steamed buns, five boiled eggs, and a small cloth bag of sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds seemed to be there for her to pass the time on the trip.

The buns would last a day or two, but the eggs? In this hot weather, they’d probably go bad by evening!

To avoid wasting the old lady’s good intentions, she ate four of the eggs on the bus.

She gave the last egg to the ticket seller.

If she was going to ask someone for information, she had to offer something in return, right?

The supply and marketing cooperative in the county was much grander than the one in the town, and naturally, the variety of goods was more extensive.

After browsing, Ye Sanqiu bought a water bottle to drink from on the train, as well as some easy-to-preserve snacks. She had a big appetite, and those five buns would probably be gone by the end of the day.

Her stomach was the one thing she refused to skimp on.

From what the ticket seller had told her, the food on the train was expensive and tasted terrible.

Thanks to the egg, the ticket seller had practically adopted her as a little sister, pouring out all kinds of advice.

Before Ye Sanqiu got off, the ticket seller grabbed her hand and earnestly warned her not to waste money on the train’s food.

This made Ye Sanqiu think of airplane meals from her past life…

Well, good advice is always worth listening to. She’d be a good girl and follow the suggestions.

By the time she exited the supply and marketing cooperative, it was exactly 10:30 AM. Ye Sanqiu, now with a full pack of supplies, headed towards the train station.

While shopping, she had also learned the location of the train station. It was about a 30-minute walk from the cooperative.

Twenty minutes later, Ye Sanqiu arrived at the ticket hall of the train station.

Using her introduction letter, she bought a sleeper ticket. Since the train ride would take two days and two nights, she opted for a more comfortable berth.

The train left right on time at 12:00 PM.

At this time of year, not many people took the train, and even fewer used sleeper cars.

In her sleeper compartment, Ye Sanqiu was the only passenger.

As the train gave a loud whistle and began its rhythmic journey, Ye Sanqiu watched the scenery recede and felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation for life in the capital. She was almost eager to meet her in-laws.

The Lu Family in the capital—Ye Sanqiu was coming!

In the capital, at a certain military district compound, the Lu family’s home.

Today was the birthday of Mr. Lu, Lu Zhao.

In those days, birthdays weren’t really celebrated with fanfare, especially for families like the Lus, who were more focused on propriety.

However, every year on family members’ birthdays, everyone gathered for a meal.

This year, Lu Zhao’s birthday was no exception.

At 4 PM, Wang Xiaoyun began preparing the evening meal.

Chen Huiru, Lu Zhao’s stepdaughter, had taken a half-day off work to celebrate his birthday and didn’t attend the afternoon shift.

Lu Mingyang, the youngest son, rushed home as soon as school was over.

When Lu Zhao came home from work, his two children enthusiastically greeted him. Stepmother Chen Huiru affectionately linked her arm through Lu Zhao’s, smiling as she wished him, “Dad, happy birthday.”

Lu Mingyang followed closely behind, “Dad, happy birthday! Wishing you health and a long life!”

Wang Xiaoyun, who had been busy finishing the last dish in the kitchen, came out with a smile. She was wearing an apron and, with a cheerful expression, naturally took the briefcase from Lu Zhao’s hand. She teasingly scolded her daughter, who was clinging to her father, “I know you think your dad is the closest, but you should at least give him time to change his clothes and wash his hands.”

She then turned to Lu Zhao with a smile, “You go upstairs and change into something comfortable. It’s your birthday today, so dinner will be a little earlier than usual. There’s only one last dish left, and once you’re done upstairs, it’ll be ready.”

Lu Zhao felt content. His wife was considerate, and his children were thoughtful. This was the life he had always hoped for.

He smiled and responded, then went upstairs.

By the time Lu Zhao changed and came downstairs, dinner was already served.

Wang Xiaoyun stood by the table, waving at him with a smile, “Old Lu, come over here! The kids are waiting for you.”

Lu Zhao smiled warmly, saying, “I’m here, no need to rush,” but his steps quickened involuntarily.

At the dining table, his youngest son helped pull out a chair for him, and his stepdaughter thoughtfully placed a glass of warm water in front of him. His wife looked at him with gentle affection.

Lu Zhao’s smile grew broader, but when his eyes swept over the two empty seats next to him, his smile faltered.

One of the empty seats was for his father, Old Master Lu, and the other was for his eldest son, Lu Sinian.

Old Master Lu had gone to the northwest three days ago for a military exercise, and wouldn’t be back for several months.

As for his eldest son, Lu Sinian…

Lu Zhao didn’t need to guess; that rebellious son was off gallivanting again!

Thinking of his good-for-nothing eldest son, who spent his time causing trouble and never took anything seriously, Lu Zhao’s chest tightened with frustration.

“Where’s Sinian?” Old Master Lu asked, his tone tightly controlled with suppressed anger.

It was one thing if he didn’t come home, but today, of all days—his birthday—and he was still absent…

Lu Zhao’s discomfort grew stronger.

This ungrateful son! What would it take for him to stop making his father’s life miserable?

Wang Xiaoyun noticed the barely-contained anger on her husband’s face and gave a small smile. She stretched her neck and glanced toward the door before reassuring Lu Zhao, “Xiaonian should be home soon. I specifically told him to come back early for dinner, especially since today is your birthday. He won’t forget something so important.”

Chen Huiru, standing nearby, caught a glint of sarcasm in her eyes, but quickly concealed it. She chimed in with supportive words, “Dad, it’s still early. Let’s wait a bit longer for Xiaonian. Maybe he knows today’s your birthday and has prepared a surprise for you.”

Lu Zhao’s expression softened at her words. He took a sip of water, the frustration within him slowly dissipating. He muttered with a hint of sarcasm, “As long as he doesn’t make my life miserable, I’ll consider it a blessing. A gift from him? Ha, I couldn’t handle it.”

Wang Xiaoyun gave him a reproachful look, “What are you saying? Xiaonian can be a little headstrong, but he’s not a bad kid. He cares about you, even if he doesn’t always know how to express it. He’s just growing up.”

After hearing his wife and stepdaughter’s repeated comforting words, Lu Zhao’s expression brightened again.

But as ten minutes passed… and then twenty minutes… the food grew cold…

The faint smile that had returned to Lu Zhao’s face soon faded, replaced by a dark cloud of frustration.