Chapter 540: Where to Stay at Night

Lu Cheng hasn't entered Da Za Yuan yet; he met his returning mother in Hu Tong Li, and his father Lu Beitang was also there, riding a Three-wheeled Cart from behind.

Lu Cheng got off his bicycle, steadied the handlebars with one hand, then just turned his head to glance at the cart and couldn't help but be surprised.

"Mom, did you know I was coming back today, saw how hard I was working, and especially bought so many things to reward me?"

On the Three-wheeled Cart were piled items bought from the side-food store, all the usual foods—noodles, eggs, ham sausages, big carp... The most extravagant was half a pig.

Lu Cheng even suspected they had emptied the side-food store.

After securing his bicycle, Lu Cheng excitedly hugged his mother.

"Mom, that's extravagant, unnecessary; I know you love me the most, but you bought so many things for me to eat—I'm truly overwhelmed by your favor..."

Chen Xianglan kept staring at those two children until her son held her and blocked her view.

"Go, go, go, what did you buy for? You don't have that much nerve."

Chen Xianglan pushed her son away, and her gaze fell again on the two children.

Lu Cheng pursed his lips and couldn't help muttering, "It wasn't bought for me? Then who was it bought for? Did guests come over? What kind of guests spend so much! Or maybe while I was away, my sister got a boyfriend, and this is preparing to marry her off, for entertaining guests?"

Lu Beitang got off the Three-wheeled Cart, moved things into the courtyard while saying,

"None of those; your mother heard that side-food prices are about to rise, especially pork, which will go up to one yuan and one mao per jin, so she even stopped going to work and kept demanding that I go snatch meat."

Not only the old Lu family, many households in Hu Tong also heard about the price hike and took out their saved Meat Tickets to rush the side-food store to buy pork.

Lu Beitang muttered, "Pork hasn't gone up in decades; why the sudden increase? The side-food stores are almost going crazy, and those who don't know might think a war is coming."

Lu Cheng roughly recalled that during this period, starting from the second half of this year, the state began regulating side-food prices, apparently in eight categories.

Among them, pork was to rise from eight mao per jin to one yuan and one mao, an increase of three mao.

Seeing Lu Beitang return from the courtyard, Lu Cheng took the burlap sack on his father's shoulder, placed it on his own shoulder, and then lifted the pork.

"Dad, this time they probably mainly raised the purchase price of agricultural and sideline products, so farmers' production enthusiasm also increased."

Lu Beitang patted his clothes: "Hmm, that sounds logical; as long as it lets the farmer brothers have a good life, it's not a problem for us worker big brothers to take a little loss."

His father's insight was undeniable; Lu Cheng smiled and carried the pork into the courtyard.

"Price hikes aren't just a day or two; there's no need to scramble to buy. When I'm not home, later I'd end up straining my back or stepping on my foot, and saving that little money isn't worth it."

Lu Beitang spread his hands: "I say the same, and now there's also a side-food subsidy—seven yuan per person per month. Your older brother's household registration isn't here, so the four of us get twenty-eight yuan a month."

"But your mother insists that buying more now means saving three mao per jin."

With so much meat to eat, this round, Lu Cheng definitely sides with his mother.

"Now it's cold, so the meat won't spoil; we can eat it slowly. After all, we need to eat it for the New Year, so it does seem to save."

Lu Cheng said this as he walked out of the courtyard and saw his mother had already taken the two children off the bicycle.

"San'er, whose children are these?"

Lu Cheng took the burlap sack off his shoulder, tossed it onto the Three-wheeled Cart, clapped his hands, and walked over.

"Sigh, never mind, Mom, I have to tell you something first: these two kids might stay at our house for a few days."

"Stay at our house for a few days? Why?"

Lu Cheng then recounted what had happened before and after, and Chen Xianglan finally said,

"Staying a few days isn't a big deal, just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks; it's just that I see these two children..."

Lu Cheng took over: "You've never seen Dragon-Phoenix Twins, have you? When I saw them, I was also startled, just like the expression you have now."

"Look at their genetics—once in a lifetime they have two, and crucially both a boy and a girl! But never mind, if you like, when I get married, I'll also give you a set of twin grandchildren, so you can hold one in each hand and enjoy it."

Chen Xianglan rolled her eyes, then looked at the two children again and involuntarily nodded.

Dragon-Phoenix Twins are indeed rare, but not like his son said—they can't just be produced whenever one wishes.

"Let's bring them inside first," Chen Xianglan said as she headed toward the courtyard, but she couldn't help glancing back again.

The two children, perhaps unfamiliar, stood there unmoving; Lu Cheng found it amusing, and now, being afraid of people, he could only lift one with a single hand.

"See? With all this meat bought, you two are in for a feast today."

Passing the front courtyard, he saw Er Ya, the daughter of Yan Hong's House, playing alone.

Lu Cheng called Er Ya over while placing the two children on the ground.

"Come, Er Ya, here's two little friends for you to play with."

Er Ya ran over, looking at the two very similar kids, tilting her head left then right.

This pair of Dragon-Phoenix Twins was a curiosity to anyone who saw them; Lu Cheng stood there and instructed, "This one is the older sister; you two don't run around, just play in the courtyard. If you get lost, I won't look for you."

"Don't worry, Uncle Lu, I'll watch over them."

Lu Cheng smiled and patted Er Ya's head; the little girl had grown quite tall, already bearing her mother Yan Hong's features.

Er Ya's full name is Song Chunya, whose temperament is completely opposite to her brother Da Hu's mischievousness; with Er Ya looking after them, Lu Cheng felt at ease.

That night, Mom's braised pork, the two children ran around the courtyard with Er Ya and quickly adapted.

They were no longer afraid of people; they called out "Uncle, Auntie, Grandpa, Grandma" to anyone they saw, making Chen Xianglan in the kitchen laugh heartily.

The two children did have a slight accent, Chen Xianglan remarked; they were cute, but their speech always carried a distinct Northeastern dialect flavor.

At dinner that night, each child held a bowl, eating so messily that oil dripped from their mouths.

"Grandma, your cooking is delicious, better than Grandma's."

"Right, Grandma's cooking is terrible."

Chen Xianglan laughed again, thinking these two kids had such sweet mouths.

"Enjoy eating more, today Grandma bought half a pig... San'er, these two kids are so eager for people, they eat without anyone having to ask them."

"They weren't here to find dad, and since they didn't, let's just keep them; they'll be my grandchildren. Having a few kids in the house makes it lively."

Listening to Mom's words, Lu Cheng didn't dare to reply; he knew Mom was again subtly urging him to get married.

Lu Ying asked at this moment, "Lu Cheng, since you've brought the children into the house, you have to look after them properly; otherwise, if anything happens, you'll be held responsible. For example, you need to find a place for the two kids to stay tonight—where will they sleep?"

For example, we have to find a place for the two kids to stay at night—where should they stay?