Chapter 11 : Lu Family

At the same time, the Lu family was also preparing for dinner.

The main dish was steamed buns made from a mix of cornmeal and white flour. Since Lu Changzheng had returned, the ratio of white flour was higher.

On the table, there was also a large bowl of egg drop soup, a bowl of eggplant stewed with beans, some lard, and a bowl of radish stewed with fish, which Lu Changzheng had caught in the river that morning.

Li Yue’e distributed the steamed buns to everyone: two for the adults and one for the children. Since Lu Changzheng rarely came back, she gave him an extra one.

Although the family’s living conditions were considered good in the team, they were cautious about their food consumption, planning their meals carefully.

Li Yue’e feared the famine of the past three years and made sure to save some food every year, so that if a natural disaster happened again, the family wouldn’t have to resort to eating grass or tree roots.

The Lu family was large, consisting of Lu Changzheng’s grandparents, his parents, and his five siblings. Lu Changzheng’s eldest brother, Lu Xingjun, and his family of four, and his second brother, Lu Weiguo, with his own family of four, totaling 13 people, sat around a large round table to eat.

The Lu family’s house was one of the few made of blue bricks and tiles in the village. It had five rooms in a row in the front, with three on each side, and an open space in the middle paved with blue bricks for drying things. There was also a well near the kitchen.

In front of the house, there was a large plot of land for growing vegetables, and a toilet built with earth beside it.

The five rooms in the front were arranged as follows: the middle one was the main room for guests and meals; the two rooms on the left were where Lu Qing’an and Li Yue’e lived, and one was for Grandpa Lu and Lu Boming; the two rooms on the right were where Lu Xiaolan used to live, and one was the kitchen.

The three rooms on the left were for the eldest son’s family of five, the three rooms on the right were for the second son’s family of four.

The Lu family’s house had been newly built two years ago.

They had planned to build three more rooms, but the space was limited. With Lu Changzheng’s consent, they decided to build his three rooms elsewhere.

At that time, there was serious conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in Captain Lu Changzheng’s family, and they had heard about it. Since there was an opportunity to live separately, he had naturally agreed.

Therefore, this year, three brick houses were built for Lu Changzheng not far from the family home. Since Lu Changzheng sent extra money, the houses were more luxurious than the original one.

The floors were paved with cement, and the walls were painted white with a mix of lime, cement, and fine sand, making the house look clean and bright, without any dust falling off. The roof was made of wooden boards, which were heat-insulating in summer and warm in winter. It was considered one of the best houses in the village.

On the right side, a large room was built from adobe and divided into two parts: a larger room for firewood and sundries, and a smaller room used as a toilet. The toilet was a dry one, so it wasn’t dirty.

A well was also dug in the yard.

At that time, the villagers had advised Lu Qing’an that since Lu Changzheng didn’t return often, and when he married, he would probably take his wife to live with the army, there was no need to dig another well, as it would be both costly and labor-intensive.

However, Lu Qing’an thought differently. Since his third son was an officer, it would be inappropriate for him to fetch water from other families when he visited home.

After dinner, the children went outside to play, and both Mrs. Lu (the eldest daughter-in-law) and Mrs. Lu (the second daughter-in-law) collected the dishes and went to wash them. Afterward, they would do the laundry.

“I heard from your mother that you and Su Zhiqing are dating,” Lu Qing’an asked Lu Changzheng.

“Yes.”

“Have you thought it through?” Lu Qing’an asked again.

He could guess that Su Mo had come to the countryside to escape some trouble at home. He didn’t believe that his son hadn’t figured it out.

But fearing his son truly didn’t know, he added, “When Su Zhiqing arrived, she brought two suitcases with her.”

At this time, those who could afford suitcases were not ordinary people. And if they were not ordinary people and came to the countryside, it was likely they were in some trouble.

“Think it through,” Lu Changzheng said firmly.

Everything he had now was the result of his own hard work. No one could take that away from him. Moreover, he didn’t believe the situation would last for long. The country needed development, and the leaders would definitely take action to improve the situation.

“Okay, as long as you think it through.” Lu Qing’an took a puff from his pipe, “So what are your plans?”

He was worried that his father’s health might not last much longer.

“Don’t worry about me, just follow your own plan. I’ll feel relieved knowing you have a partner,” Lu Boming said.

This strong man, despite being old and sick, still tried his best to sit up straight.

Lu Changzheng was his favorite and most promising grandson. However, he feared that Lu Changzheng might end up alone for the rest of his life, as he saw how devoted he was to his career. That’s why he expressed the wish to see him married before he passed.

He knew his third son’s character. If Lu Changzheng didn’t truly like Su Zhiqing, he wouldn’t be in a relationship with her just to help her.

“I still plan to get married before returning to the team,” Lu Changzheng said.

He wouldn’t be back until next year after this trip. If he were absent, someone else might steal her away, given how attractive she was. He needed to secure his position before leaving.

“Then we have to prepare,” Lu Qing’an said. “What do you mean? Do you want to invite only a few close friends, or the entire team?”

Lujia Village Brigade was considered a large brigade, with more than 150 households and a population of over 1,000. Even if one person came from each household, there would probably be around 20 tables.

“The entire team,” Lu Changzheng said.

He couldn’t let others think that he married her out of necessity. He needed to give her the proper respect.

Lu Xingjun and Lu Weiguo, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t help but frown when they heard their third brother say he wanted to invite the entire team.

With so many people, it would require a lot of food.

“I will find a way to prepare the food for the banquet. Dad and Mom, you just need to find someone to help,” Lu Changzheng said.

“That won’t do. Your two brothers are getting married, and there are ten tables of banquets at home. How can we let you prepare everything?” Li Yue’e immediately objected.

Over the years, the eldest and second eldest’s families had relied on the third eldest.

“Then you just need to take care of the meat. The food and vegetables will be prepared at home,” Li Yue’e said. “Big brother, second brother, do you have any objections?”

“No, no!”

Lu Xingjun and Lu Weiguo waved their hands repeatedly. Seeing the stern look in their mother’s eyes, they dared not express any objections.

“That’s settled then,” Li Yue’e made the decision.

“As for the betrothal gift, when your eldest brother and second brother got married, the betrothal gift was 50 yuan. But it was a difficult time then, and 50 yuan was the highest betrothal gift in the countryside.”

“You’ve sent a lot of money home over the years, and this house was mostly built with the money you sent back. So, after discussing with your father, your family will give you 200 yuan as a betrothal gift.”

“Big brother, second brother, do you have any objections?”

Lu Xingjun and Lu Weiguo shook their heads like rattles. Just kidding, the house was built with the money sent back by their third brother, how could they complain? It cost nearly a thousand yuan to build that house.

“Also, in the past few years, your family has bought bicycles for your eldest brother and second brother. When you get married, your family will buy you one as well.”

“These are all we can prepare for you. If you need anything else, it depends on you,” Li Yue’e said.

In fact, she had already planned to give her youngest son a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch as part of his wedding gift.

She had inquired and found that these were the three most popular wedding items in the city nowadays. Families with insufficient financial resources couldn’t afford all three.

At the time, she had thought that his fiancée was a female soldier from the art troupe, so she didn’t mind spending extra money. But now that the person had changed, she was upset and didn’t want to spend the extra money.