Chapter 45: Tonight I

Lin Qingyan didn't want to leave, and Lu Cheng's desire to live in the Separate Courtyard remained unbroken.

Back in the Main Hall, Chen Xianglan had already picked most of the vegetables.

"Mom, go start cooking quickly, I'm hungry, add more chili powder."

"Alright, alright, Mom will go right away, and your sister just came back," Chen Xianglan placed the vegetable basket down and went to the Small Kitchen outside.

Only Lu Beitang remained in the house, smoking and reading the Newspaper.

"Dad, Zhao Daye is calling you to play Chinese chess."

"Okay, I'm coming," Lu Beitang put down the Newspaper, swayed a bit, and left the house.

Lu Cheng seized the chance, quickly rummaged through the house, but found nothing on the table or in the drawers.

No wonder—Dad was afraid he would become a son‑in‑law, preventing him from returning to that side courtyard, so he surely hid the key.

But it didn't stump Lu Cheng.

He was more than clear about the spots in the house where important things were hidden.

First, behind the bedroom cabinet, there is a removable blue brick.

After Lu Cheng pulled it out, inside were the house deeds of several rooms in the Da Za Yuan, some Great Unity documents, important receipts, but no key.

Under the bedding at the foot of the bed were some change, supplemental food vouchers, grain vouchers, a few grain tickets, oil tickets, and other livelihood tickets.

Under the bedding at the head of the bed? There were a few family‑planning supply balloons.

This old Lu? He's quite old, should take it easy.

Having searched every possible hiding spot, still no key; the only place left was under the bed.

He was squatting, carefully rummaging under the bed, when suddenly a kick landed on his butt.

"Who's that? Don't bother me, I'm busy."

"What are you looking for?"

Hearing Lu Beitang's voice, Lu Cheng froze, scrambled out from under the bed, and saw Lu Beitang standing there holding the broom head.

"Dad, you came back so quickly after the chess game."

"What are you talking about? Zhao Daye isn't home, why did you crawl under the bed?"

"Hehe, didn't do anything, I'm just cleaning, cleaning."

Lu Beitang tossed the broom head over: "Sweep, I'll watch you sweep."

Lu Cheng had no choice but to pick up the broom and pretend to clean the room, while still not forgetting to look for the key.

He had just checked under the bed and still found nothing, so he used the cleaning time to search other spots.

Lu Beitang sat there reading the Newspaper, not even lifting an eyelid: "If you're sweeping, sweep properly, don't keep rummaging around."

"Got it, got it, I'm just seeing the dust on it."

Lu Cheng bent over and gave a few breaths; the blowing didn't matter, he saw the coveted key hanging around Lu Beitang's neck.

He immediately dropped the broom: "Dad, is that necessary? It's just a key, you're wearing it around your neck? For anti‑theft?"

Lu Beitang snorted coldly: "It's to keep dogs away; I'm afraid you'd snatch it and run off."

"You, give it to me, I want to live in the Separate Courtyard!"

"Fine, go get a knife from the kitchen, I'll cut off your legs first, then you can crawl over."

Lu Cheng inhaled, and when he returned to the sink, Lin Qingyan was still giggling.

Lu Cheng suddenly realized, something was off?

Since Lin Qingyan moved in, where does she live?

If it were before, she'd definitely live with Lu Ying, but now it's different; the two have already obtained a marriage certificate, and Lin Qingyan moved in fearing that Uncle Lu would be gossiped about.

So she can only share a room with him.

"Still laughing, huh? Fine, you voluntarily knocked on the door, just you wait for how I'll beat you tonight."

Lin Qingyan seemed as if she'd prepared in advance, not frightened at all by his words.

Lu Cheng looked with a puzzled expression.

At dinner time, Chen Xianglan was in a good mood today, humming a song while cooking.

Today the family finally felt complete; the whole family looked quite happy, except Lu Cheng, who remained gloomy, still thinking about living in the Separate Courtyard.

In the neighboring East Wing Room, the two sons of Zhao Daye started quarreling again, making Lu Cheng's desire for the Separate Courtyard even stronger.

Chen Xianglan stretched her neck and glanced outside: "Why are they fighting again? They always start arguing at mealtime."

Lu Beitang also glanced: "It's the end of the month, probably someone ate an extra bite and started the fight. Master Zhao is getting old, I'll go check it out."

Lu Beitang was about to get up, but Chen Xianglan held him down: "Don't go, it's hard for an upright official to judge family matters; even if you go it's useless, you'll just end up stirring trouble with anyone."

Lu Beitang sighed: "The two brothers used to get along well, but ever since they each married, their brotherly relationship has deteriorated."

Upon saying that, both glanced simultaneously at the bustling Lin Qingyan, who was serving dishes and carrying bowls, and they both smiled.

Fortunately, their daughter‑in‑law is really great.

Chen Xianglan hurried to fetch the bowls and chopsticks: "Qing Yan, stop hustling, sit down and eat."

Saying that, she gave a kick to the listless Lu Cheng lying on the table: "Can't you lend a hand?"

"Time never defeats the lazy; Mom, you should do less work in the future, otherwise you'll get wrinkles."

Chen Xianglan pursed her lips: "Only you are stingy; if I don't move, the broom head will fall at home and none of you would dare to help."

The family sat around one table, and seeing such a harmonious atmosphere, Chen Xianglan suddenly sighed: "If your older brother were here too, our big family would be even more lively."

"Hey, San'er, you said you found Qing Yan a job; can you also ask your older brother about a job? A collective unit is fine, regardless of salary, as long as our family can stay together, even if we eat coarse food we'll be happy."

When the older brother was mentioned, Lu Cheng finally straightened his back: "Mom, it's not just about whether big brother can find a job; his status is special, he's both an Educated Youth and a rural household registration, and according to the current return‑to‑city policy, unless he abandons his wife and child, can he even do that?"

Chen Xianglan, of course, knows her own son; the eldest son is especially loyal and honest.

He is indeed stubborn; back then when he wasn't allowed to marry in the countryside, the eldest insisted on marrying a village woman out of gratitude.

She wasn't looking down on rural women; she was just worried her son wouldn't be able to return to the city in the future.

Things have come to this; she has also gotten used to it.

Watching Chen Xianglan only bury her head in eating, Lu Cheng comfortingly said: "Don't worry, Mom; after another two years when the policies loosen a bit, I'll figure out a way to get Elder Brother back to Hui Cheng."

By then let Elder Brother bring Elder Sister-in-law and my little niece back to Hui Cheng; even if Elder Sister-in-law has no fixed grain ration, our whole family has jobs, we can still afford to support Elder Sister-in-law and her mother, ah.

Chen Xianglan finally nodded: "Let's talk about it then; you know your elder brother's personality—he's just afraid that if his wife and kids return to the city they'll have no food to eat, feeling like they're sponging off the family; even if they could return, he wouldn't come back, sigh..."

You three, each more stubborn than the last.

Every time Elder Brother is mentioned, Chen Xianglan's mood sours; Lu Cheng and Lu Ying, fearing involvement, hurriedly lower their heads to eat.

Lu Beitang, likewise unaware, picked up a steamed bun and said: "Just eat, why keep talking about useless stuff?"

"All you know is to eat; I haven't even scolded you yet—what kind of genes does your family have, producing three stubborn specimens for me."

"Look at you, dragging me into this again..." Lu Beitang, unable to provoke or dodge, picked up a bowl of plain vegetable soup and went to Zhao Daye's house.

Until ten o'clock at night, the Da Za Yuan still couldn't quiet down.

Lin Qingyan kept Chen Xianglan company chatting; only after Chen Xianglan's urging did she slowly enter the West Wing Room.

However, as soon as she entered the door, her wrist was cuffed with a click, then she was pulled to the bedside and cuffed to the headboard's metal frame.