Chapter 69: Quarreling With Oneself Is More Satisfying Than Watching Others Fight

Fearing his mother would be wronged, Lu Cheng didn't even need his cane, hurriedly stepped toward the inner courtyard, and saw Sun Yan Hong with a doubtful look.

It doesn't even look injured!

When they entered the inner courtyard, mother Chen Xianglan was hopping and clapping with Yue Min Xifu, blaming each other.

First, Chen Xianglan, asserting her point, shouted: "West Wing Room, Xi Er Fang are both ours; I store coal in the hallway, none of your business."

Then came Yue Min Xifu; though she had no right, she relied on her loud voice.

"You just can't put it there; the hallway is shared by several of our families. When it rains, the coal will be washed everywhere, how are we supposed to walk?"

Chen Xianglan clapped her hands: "Oh dear, that sounds nice, but look at our courtyard—your family occupies the most shared space: the Coal Shed, the Small Kitchen, the Chicken Coop, and the Temporary Housing. Which of those isn't your family's private addition? It's truly laughable!"

Yue Min Xifu pursed her lips, crossed her arms and argued: "Our family only has one East Wing Room. We have many people; why is taking a bit more space a problem? We can't be forced to sleep on the street, can we?"

Chen Xianglan, unwilling to lose: "So what? More people gives you the right? If your family had ten thousand members, would you try to take over the Forbidden City? Because you have many people, you could sleep on the roof, live up in the sky—no one would stop you."

"Who wants to live in the sky? Are you cursing us? I'm about to curse you—your whole family should… ah!"

Yue Min Xifu hadn't finished her curse when Lu Cheng, who had rushed forward, grabbed her hair, slammed her forcefully onto the ground, then dragged her by the hair and threw her straight into the chicken coop.

The two lone hens were startled into clucking.

These days, raising chickens has to be done in secret, and you don't dare keep many, lest you cut off the capitalist tail.

Yue Min Xifu screamed miserably as she was dragged along, feeling as if her entire scalp had been ripped off.

Only after she was thrown into the chicken coop did Lu Cheng pat his hands and say, "If the hen won't lay eggs, then stop clucking."

Yue Min Xifu has been married for three years and still has no child; she drinks Chinese medicine daily for conditioning.

This is also a pain in Yue Min Xifu's heart; she hates being called a hen that won't lay eggs.

Lu Cheng deliberately poked her soft spot.

Sure enough, Yue Min Xifu flared up and shouted, "Who are you saying won't lay eggs?!"

Lu Cheng wore a provocative expression: "Where are the eggs you're supposed to lay? It's been three years and none have come. Is it you who can't, or is Yue Min who can't? Why don't you try my seed; I guarantee a single shot will hit."

"You, you rogue! Yue Min, Yue Min, come out quickly, someone's bullying me, wuwu…"

"Who, who is bullying my wife! You're thinking of ending your life, huh?" Zhao Yue Min burst out of the makeshift temporary house, and upon seeing his wife lying in the chicken coop, his anger flared instantly.

Seeing Lu Cheng standing nearby, his fury instantly subsided.

But when he saw Lu Cheng's leg in a cast, his courage returned.

"Lu San'er, on what grounds are you bullying my wife? We all live in the same courtyard; we see each other constantly. That's excessive."

Lu Cheng laughed in anger: "You've finally grown up today, daring to say my leg is injured and inconvenient! Come on, I can still beat you, you turtle, with just one hand."

The Boss, Zhao Yue Jin, squatted at the doorway with his wife, cracking pumpkin seeds while watching the commotion.

These two brothers are tyrants at home but cowards outside.

Since childhood, the two brothers together have never been a match for Lu Cheng.

And because Lu Cheng is a real troublemaker, the two of them don't dare to provoke anyone.

Seeing Lu Cheng still as unyieldingly tough, Zhao Yue Min pursed his lips and found an excuse for himself.

"I—I see you're injured; beating you would be unfair, so I'll let you off today…"

"No need, no need, if you've got the skill, come at me!" Lu Cheng gestured, frightening Zhao Yue Min into lifting his wife and leaving.

Seeing her husband such a softie, his wife, angry, pushed him away, refusing his help.

This matter isn't over yet.

Seeing Zhao Yue Jin and his wife squatting there, laughing like watching a play, Lu Cheng shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Yue Jin, a couple of days ago I saw it—Zhao Daye gave your family's Second the pension again."

Zhao Daye is the kind of person who, as they say, gets what they deserve.

Both sons have this temperament because Zhao Daye can't be impartial; he's always most fond of the younger son, often secretly giving the pension to the younger son.

The elder certainly doesn't like that.

When Zhao Yue Jin heard Lu Cheng say that, he instantly lost composure, stood up and rushed into the Second's room.

"Dad gave you money again? Hand it out, it should be split half‑and‑half; why give it all to you!"

"I won't take it; it's Dad's money, he can give it to whomever he wants."

"Fine, then let Dad fund his own retirement, or you fund it yourself."

"That won't do; you're not even a son, right? I haven't even said you stole my eggs yet."

"Who stole your eggs? When the chicks were born, I also contributed money, so the eggs should be split half‑and‑half."

"You never fed them later, so on what basis should it be half‑and‑half…"

As the argument grew more heated, the room soon rang with the sound of chairs being smashed and tables struck.

The two wives, unwilling to be outdone, hopped and started hurling insults at each other.

Lu Cheng listened with great satisfaction: fighting his own fights is far more enjoyable than watching others fight.

Seeing Chen Xianglan still sulking, Lu Cheng put his arm around his mother's shoulder: "Next time you argue, don't bring up the space‑occupying issues; every family in the courtyard occupies something! Next time, just poke Yue Min Xifu's soft spot, call her a hen that won't lay eggs, and she'll surely be defeated."

"I don't even bother to deal with her."

"Then why did you two start fighting early this morning?"

Chen Xianglan turned back into the house: "Don't mention it. She sees we have a lot of coal and just wants more. But if she politely asked me for some, could I refuse her?"

When a woman's angry, you have to go along with her words.

"That's that, my mother is the kindest woman under the heavens, always happy to help others, finding joy in helping."

Chen Xianglan sighed: "But she insists on being sarcastic, ah, geez, just because she's a little hurt she demands so much coal; if she were to die from a fall, wouldn't we have to give her a mountain of coal…

Listen, does anyone talk like that? It's a gloomy early morning; I won't give her even a single piece of coal."

Lu Cheng hurriedly comforted: "Yes, yes, yes, her mouth has always been foul, you know that; next time just ignore her. By the way, where's my dad?"

"It's the ten‑ton coal, and there's no room here. Yesterday Qing Yan said to store it first in the Separate Courtyard, so your dad left early this morning to go there to attend to it."

Indeed, Da Za Yuan had already been taken up by various makeshift small houses, so ten tons of coal could not fit at all; storing it in the Separate Courtyard over there and pulling a little over whenever needed is also fine.

Lu Cheng sat down to eat breakfast: "Mom, these few days I'm planning to go see my big brother; could you find time to buy some things to bring?"

Chen Xianglan glanced and said, "Why are you bringing it up again, now your foot…"

"It's fine, Mom, the doctor told me to move more; besides, it's a whole trip by car, I'll just wait for big brother to pick me up when we get there. I'll send him a telegram in advance."

Lu Cheng finally thought of an opportunity that could let big brother get a job in the Commune; opportunities wait for no one.

Chen Xianglan finally relaxed: "Alright then, be careful on the road, I'll have the things ready in advance."

These past two days, Chen Xianglan started to get busy; this is still the Lu family's first time visiting the Boss, so the etiquette cannot be lacking.

Besides the usual tobacco and alcohol, the other items are specialties of Capital City, packed into big and small bags.

Lu Cheng also, in these two days, met the returning Liu Jian'an; when he mentioned the possibility of staying to work at Beijing Station, the kid was overjoyed.

By the way, those leather shoes had been airing for a few days, and the original Xizhimen Team member passed them to Song Ling at Coal Capital Station.

Three days later, Lu Cheng set out from Beijing Station, taking a Beijing‑Shanghai Line train.

"Big brother, I'm here."