Zhao Meifeng was quite annoyed by Fang Dihua’s rudeness. She snorted and went back to complain to Lu Shaocai.

Lu Shaocai was still upset.

Today had been a major disaster.

Not only had they failed to win over the leader, but they had also lost a significant amount of money.

They had spent a full hundred yuan!!!

A hundred yuan— for a family of five or six, with two strong laborers, that amount was hard to earn.

It would take at least three or four strong laborers to earn that much.

He was so distressed and frustrated that he stomped his feet and pounded his chest in frustration.

Zhao Meifeng quickly went up to comfort him, “Don’t be upset. Hurry up and write a letter to the capital.”

Lu Shaocai said, “That shameless woman is definitely stopping you from sending it.”

Zhao Meifeng replied, “Just say that second uncle fell ill because of the third branch and that no amount of money could cure him. He needs to be hospitalized.”

Lu Changfu added, “Yes, that’s right. Also, I need money for my wedding too.”

The family quickly tried to cut their losses and find a way to scrape together money from the old man.

Lu Shaocai was still angry and gritted his teeth, saying, “Second uncle is too unreasonable. He doesn’t contribute at all!”

He turned and looked around, “Are there any leftover chicken and duck? Send them a portion. Shouldn’t they give us at least half the money?”

Zhao Meifeng replied, “Your aunt and uncle’s family won’t have anything left for you. They’ve eaten all the cooked food and even took some of the raw food.”

She wanted to curse them for being as greedy as locusts but was afraid of making Lu Shaocai lose face.

Lu Shaocai angrily said, “These people are taking advantage…”

“Those ungrateful wretches who think they can take advantage of me. I’ll never let them come over again!”

If it weren’t for trying to profit from Lu Shaotang’s funeral, he definitely wouldn’t have invited them over.

Even though he’s been back for several years, he hasn’t invited them for a meal.

These locusts seized the opportunity and treated him like a cash cow.

It’s infuriating.

He never imagined that his family’s return would be perceived like this by his uncle.

Lu Shaocai, in his anger, decided to fake an illness. Hmph, if he doesn’t work, the brigade won’t have an accountant, and the accounts will be a mess. He’ll see who gets anxious first.

He planned to wait until the brigade was in chaos and the brigade leader came begging for him.

Then he would complain to Old Master Lu and Fang Dihua, saying how he had worried and been heartbroken over his third brother’s death, but received no appreciation and was instead played.

Yes, he thought his plan was pretty good.

The next morning, Lin Shu was woken up by Zhao Meifeng’s shouting.

The village rooster hadn’t crowed yet, but Zhao Meifeng already screamed, “Husband, Husband, what’s wrong with you? Are you alright? Changfu, Changfu, what’s wrong with your dad? Quick, call the doctor!”

Old Master Lu and Fang Dihua were also startled awake.

The old couple lay in bed, trying to calm their racing hearts after being abruptly woken up.

Old Master Lu asked, “Hua, how’s your eye?”

He supervised Fang Dihua to wash her eyes, apply eye ointment, and take her medicine, even doing acupuncture on her.

Fang Dihua: “You know, it really works. It seems that combining traditional and Western medicine is effective.”

Old Master Lu smiled, “Our third daughter-in-law is really considerate. The money wasn’t wasted, right?”

Last night, before going to bed, he had chatted with her, saying how remarkable the third daughter-in-law was.

She was resourceful, could handle spending, and knew how to sweet-talk the doctor to get whatever she needed.

He commented that her words were as smooth as if she had gone to a temple to receive blessings or had honey extracted from a beehive.

Old Master Lu felt that rather than complaining, his wife was actually boasting.

Fang Dihua: “The medicine wasn’t wasted, but it was a bit expensive. If it were only two yuan, that would be better.”

Old Master Lu: “No worries, I can now be a barefoot doctor. We’ll earn the money back. Dr. Yan said I should start with making ointments. If they sell well, I might even get a bonus.”

Dr. Yan also shared some gossip, saying that many doctors secretly sell special medicines, run small clinics, and even perform surgeries, including those related to abortion.

Abortion surgeries make a lot of money, far surpassing the salary from regular jobs.

Old Master Lu speculated about this.

The doctor indirectly mentioned that he also privately sold medicine or treated people and prescribed remedies.

However, being a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, he didn’t do anything as extreme as abortions.

Old Man Lu didn’t care about these matters. He kept quiet about it and just let it be.

Next door, Lu Shaocai and Zhao Meifeng were putting on an act, calling out for a long time, but Old Man Lu didn’t come over to check.

Lu Shaocai said, “It seems he really doesn’t take me seriously.”

Could it be that second uncle is upset because of the memorial service?

No, that can’t be it. It must be because ever since I became the brigade accountant, he’s harbored resentment.

But before, since the third branch relied on his father being an officer, second uncle didn’t dare to act out.

Now that the third branch is gone, second uncle has no more scruples.

Ha, they say blood is thicker than water, but it’s just a lie.

He lets his son take leave, then comfortably stays at home, and Zhao Meifeng cooks chicken and duck for him.

Let the brigade be chaotic.

Old Man Lu had breakfast and continued to take his two sons to work.

Men and women worked in different areas.

The men followed the production team leader to a farther field, while the women stayed closer to the village.

Last night, Lu Dage had a couple of drinks, so now he was in high spirits, looking as if he had just married.

Old Man Lu couldn’t bear to see it, so he walked with his hands behind his back, eyes downcast, and kept his head down.

Lu Erge carried the three hoes and obediently followed behind Old Man Lu.

As they passed the back, a well-dressed woman smiled at Lu Dage, “Off to work?”

Lu Dage, in a good mood, also smiled back.

After a few steps, Old Man Lu suddenly turned his head and gave him a stern look, “Why are you grinning so much? Why are you smiling at everyone? Is it your place to smile?”

Lu Dage protested, “Father, that person was just greeting us. We can’t keep a straight face, can we?”

“Unlike me, who only keeps a straight face in front of people, isn’t that how it should be?”

Old Man Lu replied, “You have a wife. Why are you smiling at other women? If I see it again, I’ll break your legs.”

Lu Dage made a face at Lu Erge and then deliberately limped as he walked.

“Oh, Second Brother, what happened?” The brigade leader came over, smoking a cigarette.

Old Man Lu said, “This rascal is irritating. Why do you have the time to come here?”

Brigade Leader: “I came to see you. Is the grave repair done?”

Old Man Lu replied, “Thanks to you, it’s done. Now my wife and I can finally rest easy.”

The brigade leader understood Old Man Lu’s attitude toward Lu Shaotang’s situation and didn’t offer any condolences or comforting words.

Old Master Lu said, “The accountant is ill.”

The Brigade Leader responded, “I heard someone calling for a doctor this morning. I was too busy to go see.”

The Brigade Leader suggested, “There’s a pile of accounts in the brigade. Could Second Master come over to sort them out?

Just consider it a temporary loan; we’ll count it as a full day’s work and give you an extra pound of soybeans. How about that?”

Old Master Lu knew that a day’s worth of his work was worth ten days of Lu Shaotang’s work.

The Brigade Leader was aware of this too.

The Brigade Leader also felt a bit guilty about the situation.

Lu Shaocai’s fuss was mainly because of his father’s influence.

Even if Old Master Lu hadn’t volunteered to give up the accounting position, the Brigade Secretary and Brigade Leader, to smooth things over and show respect to Lu Dabo(Shaocai’s Father), would have had to talk to Old Master Lu.

To put it bluntly, it was a matter of sacrificing Old Master Lu to quiet Lu Dabo, ensuring he wouldn’t worry about his son not having enough to eat when he came back home.

Old Master Lu replied, “Thank you for thinking of me. If needed, I will definitely help. Not to mention my third son is a soldier, but even now, I believe in Marxism-Leninism. We must strive for Communism, unite around the Party and the people, and contribute our labor.”

The Brigade Leader looked at him with surprise, “Second Master, you… you’re impressive.”

He had always thought Old Master Lu had a feudal, old-fashioned demeanor, but now he seemed to embody the qualities of a representative of the new society and Communism.

Had he undergone such a transformation because of Lu Shaotang’s death and the impact it had on him?

It was truly a mix of joy and concern.

Old Master Lu sent his two sons off to work and followed the Brigade Leader.

At this moment, Lu Shaocai was still at home, waiting.

“Has the brigade turned into chaos yet?”

“Has anyone from the brigade come to inquire about me?”

“Has anyone come to consult me about the accounts?”

Zhao Meifeng answered, “No.”

Just then, someone knocked on the back window, and Old Chang’s voice came through softly, “Nephew, it’s quite something. I saw your second uncle being invited by the Brigade Leader to review the accounts.”