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After finishing the harvest, the group washed their hands and faces before sitting down for a meal.
On the table was a large bowl of pork bone peanut soup with a few strands of wild vegetables floating in it. Next to Yun Cuihe’s rice porridge was a small bowl of pork skin soup with red dates and goji berries.
She looked at Chu Yue in surprise. “Is this for me?”
Chu Yue nodded. “Last time, Doctor Zhu said that while taking medicine, dietary supplements are essential for better results. This soup has red dates and goji berries. It should taste good and is said to be great for blood nourishment. Mother, you must finish it. Xing’an and I simmered it all afternoon.”
Lu Xing’an, who was sitting nearby, quickly swallowed a big mouthful of porridge and nodded.
“Big sister-in-law put in so much effort. We all hope mother gets better soon.”
Seeing how filial the children around her were, Yun Cuihe felt moved to tears.
“Alright, I’ll drink it. I’ll take good care of myself.”
In the following days, Chu Yue kept making various medicinal dishes for Yun Cuihe. One day it was bone soup with rice porridge and goji berries; the next, it was angelica pork soup; and then astragalus and red date goji egg soup.
After the grain was harvested, the weather began to cool down, no longer as scorching. The mountain air even seemed sweet.
Yun Cuihe learned a set of peculiar movements from Chu Yue and practiced them on the bed daily. She also started brisk walking at the foot of the mountain to strengthen her body, showing a lot of enthusiasm.
Thanks to these days of internal nourishment and external exercise, her health visibly improved.
She no longer panted after walking a short distance, and sometimes she even accompanied Lu Xingping and Lu Xing’an into the mountains to gather wild vegetables.
This change brought great joy to the brothers, deepening their gratitude toward Chu Yue.
Finally, with some free time, Lu Xinghe stayed home instead of running around, focusing on reading, copying books, and writing essays. The family understood that studying required quiet, so they moved around quietly, careful not to disturb him.
Soon, the agreed-upon day for the kiln factory to deliver bricks arrived.
The grand delivery team followed Lu Xinghe to the mountainside near the village entrance, where the foundation was already prepared. Nearly everyone in Banpo Village learned about the Lu family’s purchase of 60,000 bricks.
Sixty thousand bricks!
Just the cost of these bricks amounted to a considerable sum. Most importantly, the bricks were purchased from the Kaiyang Kiln Factory, known for its expensive and high-quality bricks.
Families that bought bricks from there were always well-off.
This was the first such family in Banpo Village!
When did the Lu family become so wealthy?
Villagers gathered at the village entrance, buzzing with chatter. Some were envious, while others were green with jealousy.
When Lu Tiesheng and Wang Xuelan heard the news, they rushed out of their house. After understanding the situation, they joined the crowd heading to the mountainside. The slope was gentle, and the Lu brothers had smoothed the path, making it easy to climb.
“Xinghe, come here for a moment.”
Lu Xinghe turned to see his grandparents and quickly walked over. “Grandpa, Grandma? What’s the matter?”
Lu Tiesheng pointed at the neatly stacked green bricks on the foundation.
“Why are there so many green bricks?”
Lu Xinghe smiled. “These bricks were ordered half a month ago by Yueyue and me at the Kaiyang Kiln Factory. They arrived today.”
Still finding it hard to believe, Lu Tiesheng grabbed Lu Xinghe’s arm. “Tell Grandpa, where did you get so much money? You didn’t borrow high-interest loans from the town, did you?”
Lu Xinghe was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head. “Grandpa, when have I ever been so reckless?”
Hearing this, Lu Tiesheng sighed in relief.
“I know you’re sensible, but I was worried that after getting married, you might let that girl Chu Yue cloud your judgment. If she wanted a brick house, you might have rushed to borrow money for bricks. Borrowing money like that is dangerous!”
Lu Xinghe frowned. He knew his grandfather was concerned, but hearing him criticize Chu Yue made him uncomfortable.
“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I didn’t borrow any money, and Chu Yue isn’t the kind of person you think she is. Please don’t say such things about her anymore.”
If she overheard, it would surely upset her.
Wang Xuelan rolled her eyes at Lu Tiesheng.
“Don’t make baseless claims. That girl is excellent. She even brought a doctor to treat the third daughter-in-law. How many daughters-in-law can be as filial as her?”
Lu Tiesheng sighed.
“Fine, fine. It’s my fault. I’m just worried Xinghe might do something foolish.”
Wang Xuelan took Lu Xinghe’s arm. “Xinghe, buying 60,000 green bricks and tiles must have cost a lot of money, right? Do you have enough left for the construction workers and their food? Those are big expenses too.”
Lu Xinghe quickly nodded. “We have enough for now. Don’t worry, Grandpa and Grandma.”
Hearing this, Wang Xuelan felt reassured. She exchanged a glance with Lu Tiesheng, both smiling with joy.
“No wonder you and Chu Yue kept going to town recently—you struck gold!”
Lu Tiesheng chuckled, stroking his beard. “I didn’t realize that girl brought such luck to Xinghe.”
Looking at the green bricks on the foundation and then at the surrounding forest, he added, “Leaving so many bricks here might not be safe. I’ll borrow a dog from Uncle Qi to guard them. I’ll sleep here tonight to keep watch.”
“Grandpa…”
Lu Xinghe wanted to stop him, saying he could handle it himself, but Wang Xuelan grabbed his arm.
“Let your grandpa do it. He’s excited about your brick house and wants to show off to the village chief.”
The village chief’s youngest daughter, Lu Shanshan, and Lu Xinghe were once engaged through a verbal childhood betrothal. However, when Lu’s third brother (Lu Xinghe’s father) never returned and the family fell into poverty, the other side quickly denied the engagement, claiming it was merely a joke. They then arranged for Lu Shanshan to marry into another family.
Although Lu Xinghe didn’t care about the matter, Lu Tiesheng was furious at the time, calling the village chief’s family snobbish and disrespectful.
Now that Lu Xinghe had turned his fortunes around, how could Lu Tiesheng not want to show off in front of them?
Hearing this, Lu Xinghe decided to accompany his grandfather. If nothing else, he could help keep watch over the bricks overnight since he wasn’t comfortable leaving the old man there alone.
Before long, Yun Cuihe, Chu Yue, and Lu Xingping, along with his brother, arrived.
“Mother, you’re here too?”
Having regained much of her health, Yun Cuihe’s voice had grown stronger and more vibrant compared to before.
Upon seeing the group, Wang Xuelan smiled warmly. “We heard all the commotion and came to check things out. Your complexion looks so much better than before.”