Chapter 63: I

Besides you hosting the feast, everyone still has to help you out, and moreover, they still have to thank you?

However, speaking of which.

Everyone really ought to thank Lu Yuan.

Because hosting this feast is actually a money-making job.

Why? Because for most families, the cost of hosting a feast is much less than the bride price they receive.

Not to mention the Gao Xushi clan, who are especially stingy and scheme everyone to death.

At a normal level, for a Siheyuan like this, hosting a banquet that's decent enough on appearances can still net ten or twenty dollars.

If you pinch even more, you could even make half that.

If we go by Lu Yuan's saying, Lu Yuan really isn't making this money.

Putting it that way, everyone really ought to thank Lu Yuan.

As for Lu Yuan's claim that it offends people, everyone just brushed it off.

Lu Yuan, you stole the Gao family's daughter-in-law; your two families have already feuded—what's one more incident?

The ladies all thought it over, and this really works!!

Since they're just coming to give gifts at the feast, coming to Lu Yuan's place means they don't have to go to the Gao family's.

And Lu Yuan also said, this money doesn't pass through his hands; it's distributed among the people in the courtyard.

Moreover, they still count the children, with a standard of ten dollars per table.

Though they say they're counting the children, in practice, when the feast actually happens, those two tables for the kids can just be fudged.

The remaining eight tables, however, have a standard of over ten dollars each.

Everyone just treats it as chipping in together to celebrate a little New Year.

After lunch, if you're quick, you can snag half a fish, half a pig's ear, some pig's head meat, and the like—really not a loss.

But everyone just needs to help out and pitch in.

But organizing is organizing; these women in the courtyard have nothing to do all day, so organizing still lets them eat well.

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he stood to the side, smiling faintly as he smoked.

As for this matter, Lu Yuan really has no ill intentions.

The money to be made from hosting the feast—those ten or eight dollars—Lu Yuan doesn't even care for.

Lu Yuan just wants to host a feast for his wife in the city.

That way, wouldn't his wife like him even more and be utterly devoted to him?

As for why it has to be the day after tomorrow, on the same day as the Gao family's—

Isn't that just a coincidence!

This really is too much of a coincidence.

Lu Yuan is definitely not doing this because of what Gao Tingyu said yesterday:

"My family has to host it in grand style—how could we be like some people who won't even spring for a feast?"

It's definitely not because Gao Tingyu's remark made Lu Yuan furious, prompting him to seek revenge.

Really, it's not.

Lu Yuan is actually a very broad-minded person.

It's definitely not Gao Tingyu's remark, uh, no.

Besides… speaking of which… the other day Pang Kaige threw a long-distance 'turtle fist' at me, and I've been pondering it……

After Lu Yuan finished the cigarette in his mouth, he raised an eyebrow and said:

"How about it, aunties—don't you owe me thanks for this?"

The aunties in the courtyard were speechless.

This seems like something we should thank Lu Yuan for, but… it just feels kinda weird……

After thinking it over again and making sure we weren't following that bad seed's path, everyone then nodded repeatedly and said:

"Alright, let's do it this way!"

Lu Yuan also grinned and said:

"Well, I don't have a few cents to spare right now; after Third Elder gets off work, I'll have him come to my place, then we'll collect everyone's gift money, and then we'll get started."

Everyone also nodded repeatedly, but the gift‑collecting has to wait till evening, since the men of the household control the money and we have none on hand.

But once the men of the household return in the evening and we tell them, they're certainly not fools—they'll surely agree to come to Lu Yuan's place for the feast.

After settling this, Lu Yuan took his fishing rod, led his horse out in a leisurely manner, and went fishing.

In the evening, at shift‑change time.

Lu Yuan rode a tall horse, waiting at the main gate of the Armory Workshop for his wife.

Hanging in front of the horse was a big fish weighing seven catties.

This fish……

Needless to say……

Obviously it was bought!!

Damn, the Air Force again today!

Lu Yuan pondered, tomorrow in the Air Force I'll just grab a dragnet and scoop it up—damn it!

Watching the workers file out at shift‑change, Lu Yuan instead pondered a matter.

Making a little gadget like this brings in money way too fast!

As someone who transmigrated from the Flower‑planting Home, Lu Yuan not only has high demands for eating these things, he also has requirements for enjoying them.

Although eating meat and fish every day behind closed doors is already considered top‑tier living in the Great Zhou Dynasty,

Under such strict laws, even some high officials dare not take bribes, yet that life also wouldn't dare to be like Lu Yuan's.

But Lu Yuan still wanted to enjoy it more.

To enjoy that, he needed some money; Lu Yuan pondered, and after the day-after-tomorrow's banquet was over, he would find time to look at that book《Artisan's Heart》.

From it, he would find something to make.

Then, he would work out some kind of reward.

While Lu Yuan was pondering, a voice of extreme delight came from the gate of the Bing Jia Chang:

"Brother~~"

Lu Yuan turned his head and saw Su Liyan, extremely eye-catching in the crowd.

Such a beautiful person, even in a crowd, could be spotted at a glance.

Su Liyan then happily ran over to him, and upon reaching Lu Yuan, he took her hand, pulled her onto the horse, and held her in front of him.

The workers also kept glancing sideways.

Now everyone at the Bing Jia Chang knows Lu Yuan, after all, everyone was at that commendation meeting.

Not to mention marrying such a beautiful wife, he is still a Fifth-Rank Forging Worker at a young age.

From now on, Su Liyan earns twenty coins a month, while Lu Yuan earns over fifty coins a month.

What a fine partner, this month's earnings are about the same as the veteran workers in the factory!

How could anyone not be envious?

"How did you come, brother~"

Su Liyan leaned in Lu Yuan's embrace, turned her head, and said with eyes full of joy:

"Today I went to fish by the Nanyanghe, and on the way back I happened to have something to tell you."

Lu Yuan pulled the reins, preparing to go back.

And Su Liyan nodded repeatedly, ready to listen carefully to her husband's words.

But at that moment, a voice came from behind:

"Oh dear, Brother Lu, coming to pick up your sister-in-law off work?"

"Huh?"

Lu Yuan turned his head and saw a fairly familiar face, greeting him.

Lu Yuan remembers faces but not names; for a moment he couldn't recall this person's name, but he knew this person had worked in the same workshop as him before.

Seeing this person, Lu Yuan blinked, then suddenly grinned and said:

"Yo, brother, what a coincidence lately, how have you been?"

The person was taken aback, then immediately grinned and said:

"Still the same."

Immediately Lu Yuan grinned and said:

"We brothers really haven't seen each other in a long time; I've missed you, brother. By the way, I'm hosting a feast for you and your sister-in-law the day after tomorrow."

"You'll definitely come for drinks then; I'll send you the invitation tomorrow."

"See you, Liu Erdao."

The person froze, the smile on his face stiffening.

"Damn it!!"

"What the hell did I just say?!"

"Besides... who the hell is Liu Erdao?!"

"My name is Li Sanqiu!!"

The folks nearby who were off work with Li Sanqiu were about to burst out laughing; you tried to curry favor, but ended up messing things up, huh!

"Just one sentence cost at least three coins!"

But before this person's grin had even lasted two seconds, Lu Yuan looked at him and his eyes lit up as he said:

"Hey, Wang Sanchui, you're here too; the day after tomorrow, you're coming along—I'll send you the invitation tomorrow."

The person: "???"

"My name is Wang Dajian!!"

"You can't even remember a person's name, can you!!"

"Thanks to the nameless benefactor whose avatar is white, who tipped 1666 and 500 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to Elder Brother Liuli Tong for the tip of 500 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to Elder Brother Liangren for the tip of 100 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to Elder Brother Lost Rabbit for the tip of 100 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to Elder Brother Be Faster for the tip of 100 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to Elder Brother Tiger Unattached for the tip of 100 book coins, thank you very much~"

"Thanks to the above elder brothers, mwah mwah mwah mwah~"

(End of Chapter)