Chapter 494: Old Lu's Ancestral Tomb Is Smoking

Actually, regarding this issue, Lu Cheng has already asked once, and his sister answered once.

At that time, the two had just met, and his sister didn't have any special feeling toward Wu Zhekun.

But after spending such a long period together, they often exchanged letters; although most of the correspondence was about Ning Ning, inevitably other feelings arose over time.

And this time Lu Cheng still asked delicately, which Lu Ying could of course discern.

"Why are you now beating around the bush? Aren't you just trying to ask whether I like Wu Zhekun?"

Lu Cheng smiled, "I'm not afraid that you two have no feeling; if that thin veneer cracks, you won't even be able to be friends."

Lu Ying stepped back a step, her face full of disbelief.

"Yo, when did you become so attentive? That's rare—are you still my brother?"

Lu Cheng was about to boast in response, but Lu Ying, who understood her brother, immediately stopped him.

"First, marriage isn't just about marrying a man; it's also about marrying into the other family. As you just said, this family lacks warmth, and I can't stay there."

His sister thought it through, and Lu Cheng nodded in agreement.

"Got it, sis. I support you. Marriage is a lifelong matter; you must examine it thoroughly and never settle."

Lu Ying smiled; her brother had truly become sensible, now considering his sister.

When Lu Ying returned to the Welfare Institute with Ning Ning, Lu Cheng sat on the bedside and relayed his sister's thoughts to Wu Zhekun.

Wu Zhekun, after hearing it, felt like a frost‑hit eggplant, instantly losing all spirit.

"Your sister really said that?"

Lu Cheng sliced another apple, handed it to Wu Zhekun, but Wu Zhekun had no appetite for it.

Lu Cheng ate it himself, "Hmm, that's what she said. Actually my sister is right; marriage, especially for families like yours, values matching social status."

"And my sister has never been one to compromise, so…"

Before Lu Cheng could finish, Wu Zhekun, as if not wanting to listen, began clawing at his ears and scratching his face in pain.

This scene instead made Lu Cheng a bit worried; Wu Zhekun was still in recovery, and such words might hurt him.

"Hey Lao Wu, don't be like that. Is it really necessary? Look at yourself—you're teetering between life and death."

Wu Zhekun fell silent.

Lu Cheng sighed lightly, pondering how to make Wu Zhekun lose his thoughts about his sister; soon, he thought of a solution.

"Actually, you haven't spent time with my sister; as her brother, I have the most say."

"My sister has a lot of bad traits—she's overly domineering. If you marry her, you'll be beaten daily. So why endure that misery?"

Wu Zhekun, without showing emotion, replied, "Then I also like her."

Lu Cheng blinked speechlessly, "Do you have a masochistic streak? You definitely do! Like when your father sent you to the Frontline—you could have refused; you were stationed at the northern border, never meant to go."

Mentioning war, Wu Zhekun instantly suppressed his romantic feelings.

"Old Lu, how long does the doctor say until I can be discharged?"

Lu Cheng, knowing his thought, asked, "What? You still want to return to the Frontline?"

"Of course I want to go back, cough—cough…" Wu Zhekun became a bit agitated and couldn't help coughing.

Lu Cheng hurriedly patted his back, "I know, soldiers are used to light wounds and staying on the line, but do you think this is a light injury? You were a hair away from hitting the heart. Consider yourself lucky you didn't die on the spot; at least you need several months of proper recuperation."

Hearing he must rest for months, Wu Zhekun felt extremely dejected.

Lu Cheng patted his shoulder, comforting, "Alright, you've done well. This time you even earned a great Merit, so just wait calmly for the award ceremony."

With this significant Merit Performance, moving up one rank is no problem for Wu Zhekun, and even two ranks are possible.

An ordinary person would have been overjoyed, but Wu Zhekun merely sighed.

"I wonder if my father can be proud of me even once!"

Lu Cheng remained silent for a long while, then finally patted Wu Zhekun's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I will be proud of you."

"Hmm… hey, it's not that, your grandpa again, taking advantage of me!"

Lu Cheng grabbed his coat, putting it on as he said, "Recover well here; I'll take over the upcoming missions for you. In this campaign, we will definitely win."

Seeing Lu Cheng speak so boldly, Wu Zhekun also got excited, eager to rush to the Frontline and continue fighting bravely with his comrades.

But now he could only envy Lu Cheng.

"Old Lu, please come back safely."

Lu Cheng waved, "Don't worry, I can't possibly die in your head."

Wu Zhekun laughed, "Also, I won't give up on your sister; I will definitely become your brother‑in‑law."

Lu Cheng's silhouette paused briefly, feeling a bit helpless; Wu Zhekun's persistence made him fear that, in the end, it would be another tangled fate.

But who can clearly explain fate?

Just like with Lin Qingyan, he thought that living another life would let him grasp destiny, yet in the end they still had to part.

That's what they call destiny: predetermined, unforced, and only to be followed naturally.

As for marital fate, Lu Cheng now has no mind to contemplate it.

The Frontline battle was in full swing; Lu Cheng quickly got into the zone, busy with command duties each day.

This state lasted until March, nearly a month, during which they seized several strategic points, achieved overwhelming victory, and eventually withdrew voluntarily.

The whole nation was immersed in the joy of victory, with propaganda slogans and big‑character posters covering every street and alley.

March 1979 was destined to become a year recorded in history.

And that year also saw another historic event: from then, Knowledgeable Youth began a massive wave of returning to the city.

These Knowledgeable Youth thereafter received a new label—Unemployed Youth.

In the Capital City's various Hu Tong Li, people now had many more topics to discuss.

From the nation's grand campaign to each family's children.

Of course, the most talked about is still about the children.

National affairs are always somewhat distant; as ordinary folks, the first thought is to have enough to eat and settle the children.

So, when will you return to the city? Has the job been settled?

These two sentences are what everyone asks most often, to be on the tip of the tongue upon seeing anyone.

While chatting, of course one will also envy other people's children.

For example, the third son of the Lu family in Sweet Rain Hu Tong, Lu Cheng.

"Did you guys see just now? I met Xiang Lan at Dong'an Shichang, bought a basket of meat, and used up all the Meat Ticket I had saved this month."

"What's this? Important guests have come to the house."

"What kind of guests? It's his family's Third returning. Oh wow, this Lu San'er is impressive—not just transporting military supplies, he earned battlefield merit and was directly promoted to deputy section chief."

"That's truly impressive. Last time he was just promoted to section chief, and only a short time has passed; besides, how old is he?"

"There's nothing to be done; this is military merit, a direct jump-rank promotion, age is not considered at all..."

"The Lu family's Ancestral Tomb is smoking..."

"Whether the Lu family's Ancestral Tomb is actually smoking is uncertain, but everyone sees that the Lu family's kitchen is indeed smoking."

"On Beijing's Golden Mountain, radiance shines in all directions..."