Chapter 143 Why is Lu Shishen so lucky?

After observing, Yang Niannian noticed that Niu Aicao’s confidence stemmed from her son, Ma Yuejie, being quite successful.  Remembering Ma Yuejie’s pompous attitude, she curiously asked, “What does Ma Yuejie do for a living?”

Lu Shi-shen shook his head, “I’ve been in the army all these years, I haven’t inquired about their affairs.”

Lu Qingyuan chimed in, “Yuejie took over his grandfather’s job, he teaches at the school, he just became the vice principal last year, their village school now has hundreds of students.”

Yang Niannian scoffed, “The vice principal of a rural elementary school, not even a formal teacher, and he’s so arrogant.”

They entered the courtyard, Lu Qingyuan and Lu Shi-shen got busy, Yang Niannian went to the well to help Lu Ruoling wash vegetables.  Lu’s aunt went straight to the kitchen to help as soon as she entered the courtyard, but Niu Aicao entered the main room with a haughty air, sat down, like an empress, with the demeanor of a concubine, looking down on everyone. Knowing her temper, no one dared to provoke her, and no one mentioned Ma Xiuzhu and her younger brother.

Ma Yuejie looked unhappy, “Mom, I think Shi-shen has gotten arrogant since he became a soldier, he doesn’t even respect my aunt and dad.”

Niu Aicao pouted, “If they don’t invite them, then they don’t invite them, anyway, it’s their family’s face that’s lost, the villagers will see that your dad and your aunt didn’t show up, and they’ll definitely laugh behind their backs about how he doesn’t know how to behave.”

Ma Yuejie thought it made sense, he was the most accomplished among the relatives, ever since Lu Shi-shen became a company commander, people would constantly praise him, he was tired of hearing it. He couldn’t believe that Lu Shi-shen, who was like a fool when they were kids, actually made something of himself in the army.  Later, he heard that Lu Shi-shen had gotten engaged to a college graduate, he felt very unbalanced, thinking that the heavens were blind. Ironically, Lu Shi-shen was tricked into marriage. He wanted to come and see the joke today, but he didn’t expect Lu Shi-shen to actually marry a beautiful wife like a fairy. He really couldn’t understand why Lu Shi-shen was so lucky.

Ma Hao, next to him, leered at Yang Niannian squatting by the well washing vegetables, he swallowed and stroked his chin, grinning mischievously. “Lu Shi-shen is so lucky, his college graduate wife ran away, and he still found a beautiful wife, look at that waist and hips, so tempting. Her eyes are so fierce, they could steal your soul.”

“Look at your pathetic self.” Knowing his brother’s character, Ma Yuejie glared at him, “Don’t do anything embarrassing, she’s your sister-in-law.” Ma Yuejie was now the vice principal, in a few years when the principal retired, he would take over, his family couldn’t afford any scandals.

Niu Aicao chimed in sarcastically, “If she were a decent person, no one would provoke her, and nothing embarrassing would happen.”

Ma Hao looked like a rogue, “Brother, you have a wife, you don’t know what it’s like to be hungry when you’re full, I’m 25 and still single, when I see a beautiful woman, can I not have any thoughts? You’re the older brother; don’t you care about your younger brother’s marriage?”

Ma Yuejie looked at his lecherous brother with disgust, he didn’t say anything. His brother was naturally cross-eyed, he wasn’t good-looking, and he was idle and caused trouble everywhere, he didn’t have a good reputation in the village, and he didn’t even respect his sister-in-law. His wife had complained to him several times, saying that her brother said some dirty things in front of her, if it weren’t for his parents, he would have beaten his brother long ago.

It was almost time to eat, Lu’s aunt and her family arrived late, they went into the main room and chatted with Niu He Cao, they didn’t even offer to help in the kitchen. Guan Ailian and the others quickly prepared the food, Lu Zhiyuan arranged for everyone to sit down, the men sat in the courtyard, and the women sat in the main room to eat.  Except for Ma Xiuzhu and her brother, everyone was here. They had expected three tables of people, but only two came.  When it was time to eat, everyone sat down, Lu Guoqing suddenly stood up and said, “My younger brother’s family hasn’t come yet, I’ll go get them.”

Lu Shi-shen stopped him, “No need, sit down and eat.”

Lu Guozhi also said, “If they don’t come, then they don’t come, we don’t need to curry favor with anyone.”  His relationship with his third brother had never been good, they had fought a lot over land when they were young.  Their father had spoken to his brother, so Lu Guozhi sat down and didn’t go, his younger brother’s family didn’t come, probably because of the whole soldier thing. It might not be possible to invite them, and his younger brother’s family probably wouldn’t have a good face.

The Lu family’s meal was more lavish than the New Year’s Eve dinner, Niu Aicao, who had planned to come and see the joke, sat down at the table and started eating like she hadn’t eaten in eight hundred years, her eating habits were quite unsightly.  Without Lu Guojian and Ma Xiuzhu and her brother, the atmosphere at dinner was actually more harmonious.  Lu Shi-shen was a company commander in the army, he was an officer, and he was the most successful person among his relatives. 

Ma Xiuzhu was just an old housewife, there was no need to offend Lu Shi-shen because of her.  Besides, they were mother and son, even if they fought now, they would still be family when things got better, there was no need to get involved in other people’s family affairs.

 Ma’s younger brother beating up Lu Qingyuan was just being stupid, to put it bluntly, he was just showing off because his son was capable.

  Everyone knew that Ma’s younger brother had been bragging that Ma Yuejie was more capable than Lu Shi-shen, saying that his son was an educated person, unlike Lu Shi-shen, who was just a company commander in the army, who might be transferred out of the army at any time.  Everyone knew this, but they didn’t say it out loud.

Ma Yuejie had had some wine, seeing that everyone didn’t say anything about his father, he became increasingly uncomfortable. He came today to see Lu Shi-shen’s joke, now not only did he not see the joke, but Lu Shi-shen didn’t even go to invite his father, wasn’t this deliberately embarrassing him, looking down on his family?  The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, Ma Yuejie, emboldened by the alcohol, picked a fight in a strange tone.

“Shi-shen, I heard that your wife is setting up a stall in Haicheng, you’re a company commander in the army, aren’t you afraid that she’ll do these speculative things and affect your future?”

Ma Hao was also drunk, he immediately echoed his brother’s words and mocked, “That’s right, Shi-shen, you should control your wife, don’t let her set up a stall, it’s embarrassing. My brother is the vice principal at the school, if others know that your wife is setting up a stall, the Ma family’s face will be lost. It doesn’t matter if it affects your future, anyway, you’re not a big shot, being a company commander, but it can’t affect my brother.”

Lu Shi-shen didn’t drink, so while everyone was drinking and toasting, he remained silent, when he heard the words of the Ma brothers, his face darkened, he frowned and said, “Niannian is my wife, how does it affect the Ma family’s face?”

“That’s how it is, but if people talk about it, won’t they say that my brother’s cousin-in-law is out there doing business?” Ma Hao argued.

Ma Yuejie nodded in agreement, in a tone of someone who teaches and educates, “You have an allowance in the army, you can support your family, why let her do those things that lower her status? Although the country now supports individual businesses, in our small place, we look down on those speculative things.”

The two brothers usually didn’t get along, but now they were united against Lu Shi-shen.

Lu Shi-shen looked coldly at the two Ma brothers, “If anyone feels embarrassed, put down your chopsticks and go out now.”