Chapter 65

Mom Chen Xianglan arrived, along with Lu Ying and Lu Beitang.

The whole family lined up together, the momentum fierce.

She said she'd come back whole, without missing an arm or a leg, but ended up lying in the hospital with a plaster cast, and Chen Xianglan went mad with anger.

"Mom, don't act rashly, please don't act rashly, listen as I explain to you, actually…"

Seeing Chen Xianglan walk in with a stern face, Lu Cheng anxiously tried to pull his foot off the hanging rope, to prove that it was only a sprain, not as severe as imagined.

But as Lu Cheng was halfway through his words, the hurriedly arriving Chen Xianglan told him not to move, and pulled the blanket over his legs.

"Mom, you, aren't you going to hit me?"

Before coming, Chen Xianglan was very angry; this child has always been like this since childhood, never giving anyone peace of mind, surely caused some trouble again.

She had intended to give a good scolding at the hospital, but upon seeing her son's injured foot in a plaster cast, she instantly felt compassion.

"You child, why are you so hard to deal with? I told you not to show off; if something happened to you, wouldn't it cost a mother's life?"

Chen Xianglan said this, and tears fell.

This made Lu Cheng feel terrible; if Mom just hit him it wouldn't be much, but Mom shedding tears made him feel very distressed.

"Mom, look, why are you still crying? I'm fine," Lu Cheng said while wiping Chen Xianglan's tears.

"A son grows up beyond his mother; I'm too lazy to scold you now. Eat first; Mom has steamed egg custard for you."

Chen Xianglan said his son had grown up, but in front of her he was always a child; she took the lunchbox, and fed him bite by bite with a spoon.

Seeing the treatment so good, Lu Cheng's words stuck at his mouth, and he swallowed another spoonful of egg custard, deciding to keep pretending.

Lu Ying, however, looked gleeful: "Now it's fine, see where you'll run off to next, just stay honestly lying in bed."

Lu Cheng now felt confident: "Mom, look at my sister, she said that."

Sure enough, Chen Xianglan glared: "Your brother is like this, can't you be a bit lenient with him?"

Lu Ying pursed her lips: "Fine, fine, be lenient, be lenient, but he's a patient!"

"Mom, you've worked hard all day, you should rest, I want my sister to feed you."

Lu Ying extended a finger: "Don't overstep, your foot is injured, your hand is fine, and you still expect me to attend to you?"

Lu Cheng tilted his head back: "Mom, look at my sister, she said that again. The doctor said my illness can't be aggravated by anger, otherwise it will affect recovery."

Seeing this, Chen Xianglan complained: "Look at you, your brother is a patient, his body is unwell, why are you afraid to let me feed him?"

"Alright, alright, I'll feed!" Lu Ying took the lunchbox, scooped a big mouthful with the spoon, and shoved it into Lu Cheng's mouth.

"Hmm? Sis, could you be gentler? The spoon is poking my broken tooth, it hurts…"

"Eat it or not, stop making so many fusses!"

Chen Xianglan shook her head; if these two kids don't argue a couple of times a day, it's uncomfortable.

"Old Lu, go to the end of the corridor and get some boiled water, let the child have some water."

Lu Beitang stood there motionless, looking at Lu Cheng and said: "What water are you fetching? First tell me what you did, what trouble you caused, then I'll decide whether you can drink water today!"

Lu Cheng leaned his body upward, and Lu Ying hurriedly placed a pillow behind his back, truly caring for her brother.

She whispered, "Pick something pleasant to say."

Lu Cheng changed his posture: "Dad, if you say that, I still advise you to get some water and quickly go check our Ancestral Tomb."

Lu Beitang glared: "Why would I go to the Ancestral Tomb!"

"Because it's currently puffing out green smoke; you must quickly bring water to extinguish the fire."

Lu Beitang widened his eyes, then started pulling a belt: "Good kid, you set the Ancestral Tomb on fire for me?"

"No, no, Dad, you misunderstood, misunderstood," Lu Cheng hurriedly took out the Commendation Order, hoping to save his life.

"When I said the Ancestral Tomb was smoking, I meant this."

"What is this?"

Lu Beitang paused his belt‑pulling, took the Commendation Order, and examined it carefully.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Cheng quickly explained how he earned Merit on the train.

Lu Beitang still couldn't believe that his son could one day be so outstanding.

"You kid, really earned a great Merit?"

Lu Cheng resumed a comfortable posture: "Could that be false? But you don't need to get too excited; it's just a tiny Third-Class Merit."

How could Lu Beitang not be excited? The old Lu family finally produced a talent.

"No, this isn't a small merit; our Ancestral Tomb really did emit green smoke. From this, it looks like my son Lu Cheng has the bearing of entering the sect."

Chen Xianglan then poured cold water on it: "What's the point? No matter how big the merit, you can't trade my son for it."

Lu Beitang scolded: "A woman's opinion, what the hell do you understand!"

"You understand, you only understand, why don't you jump onto the train? This merit is yours; I don't want my son lying on a sickbed…"

Chen Xianglan, fuming, was speaking, when suddenly a stack of Great Unity appeared before her, at least dozens of sheets.

She gasped, eyes wide: "What is this?"

Lu Cheng replied: "It's condolence money issued by the General Bureau, not much, only five hundred yuan."

Chen Xianglan took it with both hands, eyes shining: "Well done, well done, next time something like this happens, jump together with your dad…"

Lu Ying shook her head: "Mom, no wonder Dad said you're low‑minded, a bit of money buys you… what is this?"

Lu Cheng took out the watch voucher his sister had long coveted, and waved it in front of her face.

"You always said your brother paints big promises for you; this time he fulfilled it directly."

Lu Ying also, imitating Mom, took it with both hands, muttering: "Hehe, indeed well done, you get this much for one injured leg, what if both legs?"

"……"

Lu Cheng rested his hands behind his head: "That's nothing, there are other vouchers, by the way, Minister Hu of the Coal Department promised to deliver ten tons of coal to our family."

Chen Xianglan, thrilled beyond measure: "Ten tons? Great, now our family won't lack coal for burning; I finally won't have to worry!"

Lu Cheng thought of something: "Oh right, Mom, while I have this time, I want to go see my older brother. It's perfect—you turn those useless tickets into National Grain Tickets, and I'll bring them to my older brother."

Chen Xianglan was a bit worried about his foot injury: "Your foot is still injured—how can you run that far?"

"It's fine, Mom, this injury isn't anything…"

Lu Cheng hadn't finished speaking when a person entered the ward doorway: "Lu Cheng, Comrade."

"Section Chief Wang."

The person who came was Lei Zhan'ge's secretary and section chief, Wang Fengshi.

Everyone was used to calling him Secretary Wang, unaware that he also held his own position; when Lu Cheng called him "Section Chief Wang," Wang Fengshi couldn't help but feel a bit more favorably toward him.

"Lu Cheng, Comrade, can you walk now? Captain Lei's car is waiting downstairs for you."

Lu Cheng exchanged a glance with his family, and Chen Xianglan complained, "He just got his cast on—he can't just run around, where are you taking him again?"

Wang Fengshi gave an apologetic smile: "Sorry, I didn't think it through. I can go get a wheelchair."

Chen Xianglan was still reluctant; the kid had made such a great contribution, now injured, not letting him rest properly, and they're assigning him work again.

Lu Beitang said from the side: "Since it's a work matter, Lu Cheng, you should go."

Although Lu Cheng didn't know what it was, Lei Zhan'ge was a person who valued work efficiency; as soon as he thought of something, he had to do it right away.

To put Chen Xianglan at ease, Lu Cheng whispered, "It's fine, Mom; there might be other rewards."

Seeing his mother still unwilling, Lu Cheng could only directly say to Wang Fengshi, "Section Chief Wang, let's go downstairs—don't keep Captain Lei waiting."