Chapter 103: Tingyu brother, look, these are the shoes your mother gave you

What kind of person is Gao Xushi? Who in this courtyard doesn't know?

It's been so many years!

Being lazy and fond of food is practically tailor-made for her!

The only thing she knows how to do is sew shoe soles.

Mainly, this job is easy and light!

Usually, when everyone gathers together, she just chats and gets the shoe soles sewn.

This way she can earn a reputation for not being completely idle.

But everyone also knows that Gao Xushi can only do this kind of work.

Back when Gao Xushi first married into this courtyard years ago, her husband, who is Gao Tingyu's father, would constantly scold her about this matter every day.

Now that her husband is dead and she has become a mother-in-law from a daughter-in-law, she does even less!

And Lu Yuan actually managed to get Gao Xushi to come work for his own family?!

The key is that these two families have a grudge!!

As for Lu Yuan stealing the bride from the Gao family, I won't even mention it—it's been talked about to death.

But how long ago was that banquet finished?!!

Can Gao Xushi tolerate this?!!

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Immediately, everyone grabbed Lu Yuan's clothes and pulled him into the crowd, saying with a bewildered face:

"What's wrong with you? How could you have persuaded Gao Xushi to come over!!"

Hearing the aunties' words, Lu Yuan solemnly said:

"What do you mean by 'persuade'!! I'm just asking the aunt to come help~"

"You always say I don't dote on my wife, but my wife sweeps ashes every day, it's really hard, so I found someone to help."

Everyone: "????"

"No, is that how you're supposed to say it?!!"

"If you dote on your wife, then you should do this work yourself!!"

"You get someone else to help you work?"

"Hmm…… but…… Su Liyan is indeed a bit more at ease now……"

"But the problem is…… if Lu Yuan continues to dote on his wife and always gets others to do the work……"

"Then wouldn't everyone be in danger??"

For a moment, everyone looked at Lu Yuan even more curiously and said:

"No, what's the basis? Lu Yuan, hurry up and say, how exactly did you persuade Gao Xushi?!!"

This time, without waiting for Lu Yuan to speak, Gao Xushi, who was lowering her head to sweep ashes, lifted her head and smiled at the crowd, saying:

"What persuasion? We're all from the same courtyard; Lu Yuan is junior, he has a stomachache, his health is poor."

"As an elder, I should be looking out for him; what persuasion? You guys really talk nonsense."

Gao Xushi wore a smile, looking peaceful.

But her heart was bleeding.

Gao Xushi can't say it's because her daughter-in-law is a fool who can't use a sewing machine.

It's she who went begging Lu Yuan, right?

Saying that would really be too embarrassing!!

Moreover, saying that would be worse than saying she voluntarily helped, which would still leave her with a good reputation.

Everyone: "????"

Is this what Gao Xushi should be saying?!!

Is this actually coming out of Gao Xushi's mouth?!!

You're spouting nonsense here!!

As for Lu Yuan's stomach ailment, who doesn't know about it?!!

You're only fooling outsiders and that silly girl Su Liyan.

But who in the courtyard doesn't know?!!

Seeing this situation before them, everyone was truly numb.

Even the person who is hardest to persuade by Lu Yuan in the whole world has been persuaded.

Moreover, it's not just persuasion.

Gao Xushi even helped Lu Yuan speak!!

From the previous banquet incident, everyone discovered this situation.

Lu Yuan, this scoundrel, every time he does a wicked deed, makes people willing.

He sells people and still has to pay them!!

Isn't this too terrifying?!

Su Liyan is like this, her family is like this, the previous banquet everyone was like this, and now Gao Xushi is like this too!!

Everyone was numb!

Lu Yuan is indeed someone you can't afford to offend,

Everyone thinks they must be extra careful in the future, and absolutely must not fall for his tricks!!

Gao Xushi narrowed her eyes, scooped the ashes from the stove bottom into a bamboo basket, and then directly carried the basket away.

Here, Gao Xushi really can't stay any longer.

The incident at the last banquet was really embarrassing, although quite a bit of time has passed.

I've come again today to help Lu Yuan with the work, and I'm still willing.

Seeing the neighbors' looks in this courtyard, I wondered what these people had been saying behind my back these past few days, and Gao Xushi got a headache.

Upon reaching the back courtyard gate, Gao Xushi gave Lu Yuan a meaningful look.

I've done my work, so you, Lu Yuan, also need to hurry up and teach!!

However, Gao Xushi wasn't embarrassed to say it directly, after all there are so many people.

If they said to let Lu Yuan go to my house to teach my daughter-in-law how to use the sewing machine,

Then my daughter-in-law's reputation as a fool would really be cemented.

If my daughter-in-law is a fool, then I'm a fool too.

Lu Yuan also saw that, and immediately smiled at the surrounding aunties.

"I'll go out for a stroll."

Although Lu Yuan is quite scheming, he definitely keeps his promises to others.

Otherwise, I'd truly be a big liar.

A man's word must be kept!

Immediately, Lu Yuan happily walked toward the front courtyard.

Upon arriving at the front courtyard, Gao Xushi looked at Lu Yuan and said:

"Go inside, Taohua is in the room; I'll go dump the ashes."

Lu Yuan nodded and smiled.

"Alright, after dumping the ashes, you don't need to put the bamboo basket back; anyway you'll still need it tomorrow morning."

Mainly, because Gao Xushi goes to dump the ashes, back and forth, the room would be left with just me and Chen Taohua alone; if others saw that, it would be rather awkward.

I myself don't mind, but we mustn't ruin Chen Taohua's reputation.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, this sort of thing is very important; otherwise, with too much gossip, Chen Taohua couldn't stay in the siheyuan, and even returning to her hometown would be difficult.

One must not meddle with this sort of thing recklessly; Lu Yuan knows this well.

Meanwhile, Gao Xushi gave Lu Yuan a white-eyed look and said:

"I know, do I still need you to tell me?!"

After saying that, Gao Xushi left, and Lu Yuan went straight to Gao Tingyu's house, pushed the door open and entered.

Upon entering, I saw Chen Taohua lying on the bed, eyes closed, resting.

After Lu Yuan came in, Chen Taohua opened her eyes, looked at him with a surprised expression, and said:

"Eh? Elder Brother Lu, how did you come?"

Lu Yuan looked around the room; he really hadn't come to Gao Tingyu's house much before.

Gao Tingyu's house is about the same size as my own room.

Of course, being a siheyuan, the sizes are roughly similar.

However, Lu Yuan has two rooms and also a kitchen.

As for the Gao family, they have just one room, and the stove is also inside that room.

Three people live in that household, which isn't many, but they need two beds.

Everything is kept in that one room, so it feels quite cramped.

It's not as bright and spacious as my own home.

Moreover, my wife is good at organizing things, putting big and small items where they belong, so one room in my house looks even larger than the two rooms here.

Lu Yuan looked at Chen Taohua and smiled:

"Your mother-in-law asked me to come teach you how to use the sewing machine."

"Eh?"

Chen Taohua was taken aback, then immediately looked at Lu Yuan with a delighted expression and said:

"Elder Brother Lu, you also know how to use the sewing machine?"

Hearing that, Chen Taohua was truly delighted.

These past days, I've really been nagged by my mother-in-law a lot.

I don't know how to use the sewing machine, and I'm anxious about it!

Having such a big piece of equipment at home gathering dust, I can't help but be anxious!

But I just don't know how to use it!

The sewing machine comes with a little manual, but I've never attended a private school, so I can't really recognize the characters on it.

My mother-in-law is also illiterate; she couldn't tell that a pole lying on the ground is a 'one'.

Only the men in the household can read.

But whenever my husband comes back from work, after eating he just goes to bed and tosses and turns.

After tossing and turning, he falls asleep right beside me like a dead pig.

When would I have time to teach myself to read?

Besides, just knowing the characters isn't enough to be able to use it.

Originally, Chen Taohua thought of finding someone who knows how to read to teach her.

But not to mention this siheyuan; even if it were the whole Dongming Community, aside from my own home, only Lu Yuan's family would qualify.

The relationship between my home and Elder Brother Lu's home...

Chen Taohua never expected that her mother-in-law would go find Elder Brother Lu with a dirty face.

Lu Yuan listened to Chen Taohua's words and then smiled:

"I can — when Su sister uses the sewing machine, I just watch on the side when I have nothing to do; this thing is simple, just look and you'll learn."

Chen Taohua said somewhat embarrassedly:

"I'm slow-witted, Brother Lu, when the time comes don't look down on me, please teach me more……"

Lu Yuan smiled and said:

"Where? This thing is really simple; you just haven't been taught — I'll explain it to you, and you'll be fine in three or five days."

Listening to Lu Yuan speak, Chen Taohua couldn't help but smile sweetly and nod, saying:

"Eh, I will definitely study well with Brother Lu~"

Chen Taohua felt that this Brother Lu was really nice, and his words were pleasant to hear.

"Unlike my mother-in-law, who constantly hints, inside and out, that I'm stupid."

Immediately, Chen Taohua was about to get up, while Lu Yuan hurriedly said:

"Don't rush, lie down and rest a while; you've just finished being busy today, right? I'll teach you after your mother-in-law comes back."

"Mainly, teaching the sewing machine requires the two of us to be together."

"That's not good; we need to wait for Gao Xushi to come back, and have her watching over us."

Chen Taohua felt moved and nodded; today she had been nagged by her mother-in-law all day again.

"This time, my husband planned that from now on he wouldn't give this money to my mother-in-law."

"These days, my mother-in-law has been finding fault with me more and more."

This left Chen Taohua feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Not long after, Gao Xushi returned.

Seeing his daughter-in-law sitting on the bed, Lu Yuan sitting on a distant stool smoking, he immediately became unhappy and said:

"Why aren't you teaching Taohua how to use the sewing machine yet?"

Lu Yuan took a puff of smoke, raised his eyebrows, and said:

"Shouldn't I wait for you to come back? So you don't see me teaching incorrectly, and when I'm resting you don't say I'm not serious."

Gao Xushi waved her hand and said:

"Oh dear, how can that be? Hurry up."

Immediately, Lu Yuan didn't hesitate, and went straight to the sewing machine to teach Chen Taohua.

Gao Xushi stood nearby watching, afraid Lu Yuan would teach haphazardly.

"Although Gao Xushi doesn't know how to use the sewing machine either, at least she's seen others use it!"

After a while, Gao Xushi felt relieved.

"Lu Yuan really knows how to do it!"

For a moment, Gao Xushi felt relieved, and from now on our family can make new clothes.

Lu Yuan pedaled the sewing machine for a while, then leaned sideways to look underneath it.

Chen Taohua, who was studying earnestly nearby, curiously asked:

"What's up, Brother Lu?"

Lu Yuan didn't speak, squatted down to look for a while, stood up and looked again, then curled his lip and said:

"Hey, I say your sewing machine is so hard to work because you never drop any oil to lubricate it."

Gao Xushi and Chen Taohua glanced at each other, obviously not understanding.

"It's normal for these two not to understand, but the problem is……"

Lu Yuan raised his eyebrows at Chen Taohua and Gao Xushi nearby and said:

"My brother Tingyu hasn't messed with it?"

"He's at least a craftsman, even if just a lowly worker, but he knows this sort of thing."

Chen Taohua beside them shook her head and said:

"I don't know about this, I haven't told him, and my husband doesn't really care about the sewing machine — he's never even looked at it."

Lu Yuan nodded and said:

"First we can get some lard to make do for now; tomorrow I'll have my brother bring back some machine oil from the factory."

"The factory has plenty; a palm-sized oil can can last years."

Chen Taohua nodded repeatedly, and Gao Xushi went to the kitchen to give Lu Yuan some lard.

After Lu Yuan applied it, he sat down and pedaled the sewing machine again, and indeed it ran smoothly.

"The ga-da ga-da sound was clear."

"The clear chime, the radiant divine might, grant me steam!"

Chen Taohua and Gao Xushi beside them also both showed smiles on their faces.

Chen Taohua praised from the side:

"Brother Lu, you're really amazing."

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, grinned and said:

"What's so amazing? Your husband also knows this thing."

Gao Xushi beside them, hearing Lu Yuan praise her son, felt her mood was not bad; she rarely praised Lu Yuan, saying:

"You two are both amazing!"

Afterward, Lu Yuan taught Chen Taohua for a while more.

When the time was about up, Lu Yuan looked up at the clock and said:

"Alright, this time, my wife should be back soon; I'm heading home, my brother will be home soon too — you guys hurry up and make dinner."

"Taohua, you first find two scraps of cloth tonight to practice on; I'll come back after I finish my work tomorrow."

Chen Taohua also repeatedly smiled, nodded in agreement, and got up to see Lu Yuan off.

Gao Xushi, meanwhile, hurriedly said:

"You're busy every day, either fishing or just wandering around; now the weather is so cold, don't go out if there's nothing to do."

"Hurry, Taohua, give Lu Yuan a pair of the insoles you've made."

Gao Xushi now needs to coax Lu Yuan to hurry over and teach her daughter-in-law.

The sooner she learns, the sooner her family can wear new clothes.

Chen Taohua also quickly nodded, went to the nearby basket, and pulled out the best pair for Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan, not being polite, grinned as he accepted them, then said:

"Tomorrow I really have something to do; I need to go to the Forging Bureau. How about this: tomorrow morning at nine-thirty you come to my place and call me."

"I'll teach you for over an hour in the morning; at noon I'll go to the Forging Bureau; after finishing my affairs in the afternoon, I'll come back."

"Tomorrow Lu Yuan really has something to do—doesn't he need to go see Director Xu to discuss Su Liyan's transfer?"

Chen Taohua quickly smiled and said okay.

Afterward, Lu Yuan left the Gao household; as he was walking toward the back courtyard, he noticed a commotion at the main gate.

When Lu Yuan turned around, he saw Gao Tingyu returning.

Seeing Gao Tingyu, Lu Yuan, who had been preparing to go back to the back courtyard, suddenly grinned.

He then stopped in his tracks, looking at Gao Tingyu and said:

"Brother Tingyu, look—these are the shoes your mother gave you, and these are the insoles your wife gave you~"

(End of chapter)