Chapter 175: Worry

Luo Bin really didn’t want to stay in this house any longer. The people in the courtyard were unfriendly towards him, but he couldn’t return to Qingshan Village now either. He still owed money from the last time he took money from home.

He had no choice but to lie down in bed, cover himself with a blanket, and pretend not to hear anything.

In the main room, Qiao Juan said, “When will these chaotic days end? Living in this courtyard is so frustrating.”

After hearing his mother’s words, Luo Tao asked, “Mom, how much money do we still have at home? If we could buy another courtyard, that would be great. My girlfriend said she won’t marry me without a house.”

Qiao Juan sighed and said, “Not much. Initially, only your grandfather had a formal job. Our family ended up on the farm due to circumstances, and your grandfather passed away early. When we returned to the city, we only received his salary for those two years according to policy.

We spent some settling down here, and your second uncle brought Luo Bin back and also gave money to Qingshan Village. After we returned to the city, we also gave some money to your grandparents.

There wasn’t much left after the division of property. Recently, the job relocation also cost us some. Right now, I only have a little over 300 yuan in hand. It’s probably not enough to buy another courtyard.”

Luo Tao whispered, “300 is indeed not much, but it should be enough to buy a single room. I’ll inquire around when I have time and see if there’s a suitable single room available. I can’t get married and leave my younger siblings with nowhere to live.”

Qiao Juan thought about what her eldest son said—it was indeed true that without a house, girls would be reluctant to marry over. But for the sake of her eldest son’s marriage, she couldn’t let her other children be homeless either.

She glanced at Luo Tiancheng sitting beside her and asked, “What do you think, husband?”

Luo Tiancheng nodded. “Alright, let’s have a look first. If we find something suitable, we’ll buy it. We’ll have to take it step by step.”

Qiao Juan turned to her eldest son and asked, “^[1]“Taozi” (涛子) is a familiar or affectionate nickname for Luo Tao. In Chinese culture, it is common to use nicknames or diminutive forms to refer to family members or close friends. In … Continue readingTaozi, has your girlfriend mentioned anything about betrothal gifts?”

Luo Tao thought for a moment and replied, “Not specifically. She just said our family should match what other families do.”

Luo Tiancheng’s frown deepened. If they bought a house, they would have no money left. If they couldn’t come up with money for the wedding, it wouldn’t happen.

Luo Tao knew what his father was worried about. “Dad, Mom, don’t worry too much. We have to take it step by step. Let’s secure the house first, then we can think about other things. Besides, we still have several months until the end of the year for all four of us in the family to earn salaries. We can save up some more.”

—

In Qingshan Village, Lu Yichen received a message from his grandfather and wanted him to return to Beijing. However, he hadn’t yet figured out how to face it. After finishing work and returning home, he sat in the courtyard thinking deeply.

Thinking about the main culprit who caused him harm, he felt like tearing him apart alive, but unfortunately, he couldn’t do so. The reason he left Beijing and came to such a remote place was to calm himself down.

He lowered his head to look at his injured leg. What could going back accomplish? It was better to find peace here. It was just pitiful that his grandfather, at such an advanced age, still had to worry about him.

Luo Qiao finished cooking but didn’t see Lu Yichen coming over. She looked towards Shitou, who was reading on the side, and said, “Shitou, go see what Brother Lu is doing.”

Shitou received the order and quickly ran outside, only to see Sun’s second uncle’s family coming back from the village entrance.

Entering the courtyard, he saw Lu Yichen sitting there. “Brother Lu, why are you lost in thought? Sister Luo Qiao asked me to check on you. Dinner has been ready for a while.”

Lu Yichen snapped out of his daze, glanced at the sky, and stood up to follow Shitou out of the courtyard.