Chapter 81: Caught by My Sister, Ready‑Made

"You want to carry me? How could you possibly carry me!"

Lu Cheng looked at Lin Qingyan's graceful figure and guessed that if his weight were pressed onto her, she would be flattened outright.

Lin Qingyan, unwilling to be outdone, raised a small fist: "Don't underestimate me; I'm quite strong."

When she's rushed and short‑staffed, she can even lift an aluminum bucket filled with Big Bowl Tea all by herself.

Lin Qingyan raised her fist, her mouth slightly pursed, looking very powerful, making Lu Cheng can't help but laugh.

"Hmm, I can see it—your pectoral muscles have been trained quite well."

Lin Qingyan stepped forward and struck: "What kind of hooliganry are you doing on the street?"

Lu Cheng whispered into her ear, "Your remark is off; we're legally married now, so it can't be called hooliganism…" He added, "At most it's just flirting!"

"I'm too lazy to argue with you." Lin Qingyan's face flushed a bit: "If you don't come up, then don't—just toss yourself here."

"Up, up." With a free rickshaw not to be wasted, Lu Cheng seized the chance and clambered up.

In the end, he was just too bulky; Lin Qingyan felt like she was carrying a huge stone.

"Is it okay? If not, I'll just walk."

Lin Qingyan, who naturally has a stubborn streak, braced Lu Cheng's bent leg, gritted her teeth, and stubbornly managed to stand up slowly.

Lu Cheng couldn't help but be surprised: "Wow, you really can carry me."

"I already said it—don't underestimate me."

"Fine, but the way you carry me reminds me of when I was little, climbing a wall and falling; my sister couldn't rush over, and you are carrying me the same way."

Lin Qingyan fell silent for a moment, unwilling to admit: "I don't remember."

"Then you're really forgetful; there was another time, when you were even younger, you even tugged at my little elephant."

Lin Qingyan's ears turned red: "Y‑you, stop making things up; I didn't."

Lu Cheng sprawled on the slender shoulder and burst out laughing, infuriating Lin Qingyan, who just wanted to hurry to the Platform.

Fortunately the Platform wasn't far; the bus was quite crowded, and after scanning around, Lin Qingyan couldn't find a single seat for Lu Cheng.

"Stop looking; just stand here, it'll be a while before we arrive."

As more passengers boarded, Lin Qingyan still feared someone would crush Lu Cheng, so she kept her body shielding his injured foot.

But soon, Lu Cheng pulled her forward, sheltering her beneath him.

They were so close that their bodies almost touched; she could only lower her head, clutching her satchel tightly, fearing that if she looked up she'd meet Lu Cheng's teasing eyes.

Back home, Lu Cheng hopped on one foot into Da Za Yuan, and Chen Xianglan hurried over to help him.

【7】 "San'er, why are you back at this hour? Didn't you say you'd stay a few more days?"

"San'er, why did you come back at this time? Didn't you say you were going to stay a few more days?"

Lu Cheng entered the house and sat in his father's recliner; normally he had no right to lounge, but now that he's injured, he could.

"I couldn't not come; I came back while Qing'er was asleep, otherwise my little niece would have cried and wouldn't let me come."

Chen Xianglan, delighted, said: "After all, we're family; you got friendly so quickly. How are your older brother and sister‑in‑law doing? Are they well?"

Lu Cheng, hoarsely shouting, said: "Mom, I know you're anxious, but don't rush; let me explain slowly." Then he called, "Sister, sister…"

Lu Ying walked in, rolled her eyes: "What the heck!"

"Mom wants to chat, her mouth's a bit dry; didn't they send apples a few days ago? Wash one for me to eat."

Lu Ying was about to speak when Chen Xianglan interjected: "Your brother's like this, and you want to wash an apple? Hurry up."

Lu Ying inhaled, turned to wash the apple, and when she brought it over, Lu Cheng said, "Peel it for me."

Lu Ying, eyes glazed, replied: "Peel what? The apple's pricey; just eat it as is."

Chen Xianglan chimed in: "Your sister's right; apple peel has nutrients, eat it quickly, then tell Mom."

Lu Cheng took a bite: "Mom, let me tell you, you have no idea how virtuous my sister‑in‑law is; when I go over, she insists on killing a chicken for me."

"Oh, that's truly sincere; otherwise, who would spare a chicken for you."

Lu Cheng took another bite of the apple: "Sister, sister…"

Lu Ying clenched both fists and walked over; Lu Cheng said, "My leg's a bit cold, bring me a blanket."

Chen Xianglan waved: "Your brother's foot is injured, hurry, hurry. San'er, keep talking."

After the blanket arrived, Lu Cheng finally detailed his older brother's situation for a while.

In short, my older brother is doing well and will soon get a job at the Commune; by the way, you and my dad wanted a granddaughter, so I brought the photos.

Holding the photos, Chen Xianglan and Lu Beitang stared at each other under the light.

"Look at Old Lu, our granddaughter is so cute."

"Hmm, the eyes are just like Lu Feng's when he was little—big and round."

"She's just too skinny; if she could eat more and get chubbier, that'd be even better. Kids should be plump—so nice..."

Lu Cheng, having finished the apple, said: "Sister, sister… bring me a basin of foot‑washing water."

Lu Ying, huffing, came over: "Mom, look at him. I just lie down and he immediately calls me, even when I'm just lying down, does he still expect me to sleep?"

Chen Xianglan, completely absorbed in the granddaughter's photos, waved her hand: "He's finished speaking; you don't need to pay attention to him."

Lu Ying, looking triumphant, shook her head side‑to‑side at her brother.

Lu Cheng pursed his lips, thinking, "Damn, I should've spoken more slowly."

Early in the morning, Da Za Yuan rang again with the shouts of "Sister, sister."

Lu Ying sat up straight from the bed in an instant, frantically tugging her hair, looking on the verge of a breakdown.

"Sister, sister…"

Lu Ying kicked open the West Wing Room with a Bang—, her eyes nearly spitting fire.

"I only get one day off every half month; can't you let me sleep a bit longer!"

Lu Cheng, pulling up his pants, said: "You first pour me a chamber pot."

"What! You want me to pour the chamber pot? Let your wife do it."

"Qing Yanjie has the early shift today; she left before dawn."

"Then I won't pour for you either; look at your urine—its sour smell is too strong, it burns the eyes."

"My foot is injured, right? Besides, didn't I buy you a watch? Where on earth could I find such a good little brother?"

Lu Ying stomps in place: "I really owed you in a past life; I poured for you, right."

"Hehe, I told you I'm the best sister; in the next life you should still be my sister."

"Stop it. In my next life I'll be reborn as a pig, I won't be your sister anymore; you annoy me every day…"

Being injured is actually good; someone attends to me every day. Lu Cheng whistles, walks to the pool edge, and brushes his teeth.

After Lu Ying finishes pouring the urine basin and returns, she watches Lu Cheng with his right foot on the pool and suddenly feels something is off.

Lu Cheng has foam at his mouth; when he notices his sister tilting her head and standing there staring, he continues brushing his teeth, unfazed.

Lu Ying finally walks over, throws the urine basin onto the floor, and Lu Cheng, startled, quickly jumps up on both feet.

Suddenly he realizes he just made a mistake; he shouldn't have jumped on both feet. He hurriedly lifts his right foot again, pretending nothing happened, and continues brushing his teeth.

Lu Ying hums, "Is the foot you lifted correct?"

Lu Cheng turns his head, "No, is it not correct?"

Lu Ying places both hands on her hips, "Whether it's right or wrong is about your own foot. Which foot is injured, you still ask me?"

Hiss! Lu Cheng's brain is a bit dazed— which foot was injured again?

He slowly lowers his right foot, then lifts his left foot, cautiously probing, "So, is this the foot?"

Lu Ying inhales deeply, raises her hand to twist his ear: "Pretend, I'll let you pretend again!"

"Let me wash your apple, and let me pour your urine basin… Don't run; see if I don't twist your ear off today."

"Mom, help! My sister has gone mad…"

"Mom, he's just pretending; his foot is fine. Don't run, give me the dog life…"

Lu Cheng calls out reasonably, "If I'm not pretending, could you have a watch ticket? Does our family have this much coal? I endure humiliation and bear burdens, all for this family."

Lu Ying rubs her sleeve, "You finally admit it, huh? Watch me not take your dog life today!"

Lu Beitang, holding a Newspaper, stops the two: "Alright, you two, why are you arguing so early in the morning? Lu Cheng, since your foot is fine, hurry up and go to work."

"Dad, I have twenty days of leave, I'm not in a hurry to go."

Lu Beitang quickly glowers, "Precisely because the organization treats you well, you must focus your mind on work, repay the country, repay society. How can we just take the state's money and lounge at home in peace?"

When Lu Cheng hears his father's generous and upright words, he knows his paid‑leave days are over.

Anyway, now Lei Zhan Ge has already begun consolidating the small team, officially entering the assessment period. If he really waits twenty more days to report to the bureau, the good team members might all have been poached.

Whether he can smoothly become Police Chief this time depends not on personal heroism but on the team's unity and cooperation.

Therefore, the support of a few good team members becomes especially important.