NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50 - 46 Big Uncle Lu (1)
Chapter 50: Chapter 46 Big Uncle Lu (1)
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The roads in the county town were fairly smooth, but once they left the town, the roads became rough and uneven. Fortunately, there were dried grass and bedding laid out below, so Lu Jiaxin did not feel too much jostling.
It was just past five o’clock, right around sunset. Initially, Lu Jiaxin and Lu Jiajie chatted sporadically, but the gentle rays of the sun made her feel warmly comfortable, and she drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
Lu Jiajie told Zhao Dajun to stop and took a bag that was hanging in front of the bicycle. He opened it and pulled out a blanket to cover her with.
Zhao Dajun asked in surprise, “You brought a blanket, why didn’t you tell her earlier?”
Lu Jiajie was momentarily startled, then remembered their earlier conversation and replied, “We siblings often joke like that, you don’t need to take it seriously.”
Zhao Dajun felt they were spoiling Lu Jiaxin too much, “If you continue like this, you’ll spoil her rotten. It’s not a problem now while she’s young, but her whimsical nature won’t be endearing when she starts working and it’ll be hard on her.”
Lu Jiajie knew he meant well and patiently explained, “My Xinxin is indeed a bit delicate and can occasionally be temperamental, but she is kind-hearted and knows her limits.”
He believed that it wasn’t a bad thing for a girl to be a bit delicate and temperamental. His two older sisters managed everything inside and outside their homes, ended up exhausted and ill at a young age, and the men not only weren’t grateful but also complained about them being rude and not gentle enough. Jiaxin, on the other hand, was just fine by him, even when it came to demanding things from her lifesaver, when necessary. Of course, at that time, he was unaware of a concept called “filter.”
Zhao Dajun frowned and said, “By indulging her this way, aren’t you worried that she’ll be rejected by her in-laws once she’s married?”
Lu Jiajie laughed, “My sister is beautiful, wealthy, has a house, and is capable. If the groom dares to find fault with her for being pampered and willful, she won’t even bother with him, without us saying anything.”
He thought it was better for a girl to have some edges to avoid being bullied. Although this girl used to be all bark and no bite, which is why Ding Jing and her daughter bullied her terribly, after going through life and death, she had become strong-willed and clear-headed. As his older brother said, she had transformed and was far ahead of her peers.
Zhao Dajun did not say anything more, thinking that this indulgence without guidance would lead to regret when it was too late.
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In her drowsy state, Lu Jiaxin heard a child crying and sat up in fear. Opening her eyes to see Lu Jiajie, she asked sleepily, “Fifth Brother, is Qiangqiang crying?”
Lu Jiajie teased her, “You’re talking in your sleep. We’re on our way back to Lu Family Village; Qiangqiang is in the Forty-nine City!”
Lu Jiaxin yawned hugely and asked, “Brother, how much longer until we get home?”
“Just a little while longer. Keep on sleeping, and you’ll be there when you wake up.”
Lu Jiaxin sat up and looked around. She saw slopes on both sides, without trees or grass, just bare soil. No wonder the area was prone to drought.
“What are you looking for?”
“Brother, there are no trees here, only soil,” she observed.
Lu Jiajie laughed and said, “Yellow Sandy Slope by its very nature is all soil. You asked me the same question five years ago; how come you’re still asking the same question now?”
Lu Jiaxin felt embarrassed. Although she retained the memories of her original self, many details escaped her without deliberate recollection.
Lu Jiajie did not continue to tease her, and shared with her, “Jiaxin, when Big Uncle Lu and the others heard that you were lost on your way back home, they rallied friends and all of Lu Family Village to look for you, but to no avail. The search made Big Uncle ill, and now that they knew you came back alone, Big Uncle Lu and Big Aunt have given me an earful.”
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“If there’s anyone to blame, it should be my dad. Why blame you?”
Lu Jiajie said with schadenfreude, “You think Third Uncle wasn’t scolded? After they learned you were lost, Big Uncle Lu and Big Aunt took turns calling to give your dad an earful. They even said if they couldn’t find you, they would no longer recognize him as a brother.”
“When you went missing last time, wasn’t Ding Jing looking for you? Without a word, Big Aunt drove her out and in the end, she could only stay at our place. It’s just that my mom isn’t as meticulous as Big Aunt—Ding Jing stayed one day and then went back to the hostel. That day, Big Uncle Lu called again and gave Third Uncle a thorough scolding.”
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Big Uncle Lu and Big Aunt are the best.”
In her memories, the two elders were very affectionate towards her original self. This was partly due to Mrs. Lu’s social skills, and another part was that her original self was good-looking and likable.
Lu Jiajie complained on purpose, “Big Uncle Lu dotes on you the most. Just knowing you’re safely back and the illness cleared up in an instant. I didn’t dare tell them I was here to find you until I picked up Fifth Brother’s call.”
“So I’m going to be scolded later?”
“No, Big Uncle Lu will only scold me, Fifth Brother, and Third Uncle.”
Lu Jiaxin cracked a smile. It was about time Lu Hongjun got a good scolding, so he wouldn’t be blinded by lust and hand over all his belongings to that mother and daughter. Even if she didn’t want it, it was still better given to the Lu family members! Apart from Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt, who were a complicated case, everyone else was pretty good. She liked this kind of big family.
As they chatted and hurried along, time passed quickly.
After talking so much that her throat felt dry, Lu Jiaxin drank some water and asked, “Fifth Brother, how much longer until we arrive?”
Lu Jiajie pointed to a large tree ahead, laughing as he said, “Once we get past that Paulownia tree, the village up front is ours. Don’t worry, when I left, Big Aunt was already preparing the chicken.”
No sooner had he spoken than Lu Jiajie suddenly shouted, “Big Uncle Lu, how did you get here?”
Lu Jiaxin, thinking he was teasing her, didn’t expect that Big Uncle Lu and her second brother, Lu Jiazong, were indeed coming over. It turned out that Big Uncle Lu, seeing that it was getting dark and they hadn’t returned yet, got worried and brought his second son to look for them.
It was only when Big Uncle Lu got closer that Lu Jiaxin could clearly see the appearance of the father and son. Big Uncle Lu was of medium build, dressed in gray, his back straight as a ruler, his hair completely white. However, his eyes were bright and sharp, clearly indicating he was not someone easily fooled.
Big Uncle Lu, seeing her seated on the flatcart, thought something was wrong and hurried over, telling her to lie back down. Then, he turned his head and scolded Lu Jiajie, “Xinxin isn’t feeling well, why didn’t you take her to the hospital? At over twenty years old, you’re less sensible than Da Huang back home.”
Lu Jiaxin, unable to understand the local dialect, but recalling what Lu Jiajie had just said, couldn’t help but crack a smile.
With a pained expression, Lu Jiajie explained in Mandarin, “Big Uncle Lu, Xinxin isn’t sick, she was car sick, but she’s fine now.”
Lu Jiaxin, not wanting to see him scolded for no reason, immediately clarified, “Big Uncle Lu, I couldn’t stand the smell in the car. When Fifth Brother saw how I was, he worried I’d vomit on the bike, so he specially borrowed this flatcart to take me back.”
Lu Jiajie felt that Lu Jiaxin was really considerate.
Pointing at Zhao Dajun, Big Uncle Lu said in Mandarin tinged with the local dialect, “But it wasn’t her pulling you, it was this big brother here.”
According to tradition, guests should be treated well. How could he let a guest pull the cart while he rode his bike? This time, though, he didn’t scold Lu Jiajie again. He had noticed earlier that Lu Jiaxin was protecting her brother! This was a good thing, and it pleased him greatly.