Chapter 128

Lu Weiguo saw from Shi Tingyu’s movements that she must be an experienced driver, so he relaxed considerably and focused on giving directions.

There was no one on the road, and Shi Tingyu drove quite fast, worried about Lu Jiànshè in the back seat.

After all, this happened when they were hosting a guest at their home.

The car sped smoothly to the county town and headed straight for the county hospital.

After parking, Lu Weiguo carried Lu Jiànshè on his back and ran towards the hospital.

Shi Tingyu and Jiànshè’s father followed closely behind.

This first round of hustle and bustle didn’t end until quite late.

At this moment, Lu Jiànshè was receiving an intravenous drip and still unconscious, but nothing serious had happened.

Jiànshè’s father and Shi Tingyu, a married couple, stayed by his side.

Shi Tingyu looked at her watch; it was already nearly nine o’clock.

Now that Lu Jiànshè’s condition was stable, Jiànshè’s father began to think about other things.

He looked at Lu Weiguo and his wife, his face full of guilt.

They had clearly come back to have dinner with their family, and now things had turned out like this. He felt very sorry.

It was so late now, and they were still busy.

“Weiguo, it’s my fault. Jiànshè got drunk, and I apologize to you both for ruining such a good day. We are grateful for all your help today.”

Lu Weiguo didn’t know what to say. He was aware of the situation in his cousin’s family and understood Jiànshè’s frustrations.

He had gone through similar experiences but had learned to look beyond others’ opinions and never turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows.

“It’s okay. I know how Jiànshè feels.”

Jiànshè’s father sighed, “It’s my fault.”

He always felt guilty for not providing a better family environment for his son. If he had two successful sons like his second uncle, maybe Jiànshè wouldn’t still be unmarried despite his less attractive appearance.

Look at Weiguo. He was successful and, despite looking fiercer than Jiànshè, had a happy marriage.

As he lamented, Jiànshè’s father looked at the dark sky outside and felt the cold temperature. He said, “Weiguo, you should take your wife home. I’ll stay here with Jiànshè. It’s very cold here, not like the south, and you don’t want your wife to catch a cold.”

Lu Weiguo was indeed worried about Shi Tingyu and said, “Alright, Xiaoyu and I will go back to my dad’s place first. I’ll bring you breakfast in the morning.”

Jiànshè’s father felt even more embarrassed and insisted on giving him money for breakfast, knowing how precious food was.

Lu Weiguo knew his cousin’s family was not well-off and refused the money.

After they left, Shi Tingyu drove Lu Weiguo back to the steel factory’s family compound.

Lu Daming and his wife came out, wrapped in clothes, when they heard the commotion.

Seeing Shi Tingyu and Weiguo, they were startled, thinking something had happened.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the old house? Why are you back now? Did something happen?”

Lu Weiguo and Shi Tingyu warmed up by the stove and then explained the day’s events to his parents.

Lu Daming sighed. After putting on his clothes, he came back out.

He asked for details about Lu Jiànshè’s condition and felt relieved knowing there was no serious harm. He just said, “Your uncle’s family has had it tough.”

Seeing Shi Tingyu’s curiosity, he began to explain.

Jiànshè’s father, named Lu Quanshui, lost his mother when he was eight. His grandfather raised him, and without a mother, life was hard for him.

An old man alone couldn’t cover everything, so Lu Quanshui had a tough childhood, but his grandfather managed to build him a house and get him married.

Back then, Old Man Lu was still the village chief and could speak up for his nephew, but after stepping down, Lu Erming became the team leader, and Old Man Lu’s influence waned.

Although they were family, Lu Erming could only help so much, and there were always things he couldn’t take care of, and the support couldn’t last forever.

Lu Quanshui’s family had poor economic conditions, his child had no special talents, and there was only one son, Lu Jiànshè. Without Lu Erming’s care, he would have been bullied to death by now.

At that time, people believed that having many sons brought blessings. Families with many brothers were not to be messed with in the village; they stuck together. Families like Lu Quanshui’s were not appealing to the better-off girls in the village.

If Lu Quanshui and Lu Erming were biological brothers, it would have been a different story.

Shi Tingyu only knew about Lu Jiànshè’s family’s size, not these intricate details, until now.

No wonder Jiànshè drank too much at dinner; he was holding in his frustrations and dissatisfaction.

After Lu Daming finished telling the story, seeing it was getting late, he urged Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo to go to bed.

They planned to visit the hospital together the next day.

Now that they knew, they had to visit.

They had rushed to the hospital without bringing any toiletries, but fortunately, Lu’s mother was the head of the logistics department at the textile factory, so they didn’t lack towels and such.

They had even bought toothbrushes and slippers for Shi Tingyu’s visit, but she had brought her own, so they hadn’t been used. Now they came in handy.

After a day of worry, Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo washed up and went to bed.

Shi Tingyu felt a bit uneasy; she had planned to visit her parents tonight, but now she couldn’t.

She wondered if Uncle Lu would remember to inform her parents so they wouldn’t wait too long.

Since she had come over, it was expected that she would visit. Her parents would understand.

Uncle Lu Erming, being a meticulous man, went to the barn that night to inform them, ensuring they wouldn’t wait up.

Shi Tingyu’s parents understood; no one liked sudden situations.

The next morning, Lu’s mother got up to make breakfast. She steamed buns, cooked rice porridge, and served it with pickled radish and fried dough sticks, making a hearty meal.

There were no insulated containers then, so Lu’s mother used her thermos to fill it with porridge and packed some buns and fried dough sticks to take to the hospital.

Lu Weiguo said, “Mom, let’s eat first. After we eat, we can drive you there. It’s hard to carry all that on a bike.”

The thermos was full of porridge, and it needed to be kept upright, which was quite troublesome.

Lu’s mother agreed and quickly ate breakfast.

After breakfast, it was just getting light.

Shi Tingyu drove again, which delighted Lu’s mother. She kept praising her capable daughter-in-law.

Lu Daming quickly nudged his wife, “Say less, don’t distract our daughter-in-law while she’s driving.”

Shi Tingyu smiled, “It’s okay, Dad.”

Lu’s mother glared at her husband, her eyes saying, “See, our daughter-in-law says it’s fine.”