Due to being young at the ti, she didn’t pay much attention to it, but today when Lu Zhenping ntioned it, she was suddenly struck by the realization; Bai Shuyun was such a formidable person, how could her son be any lesser!
Lu Changzhu, after shouting at Liu Sanjin, sat back down on the wooden stool and lit up his tobacco again. He suddenly felt as if he had aged a lot. His eyes swept over his fingers holding the smoking pipe, seeing the dark, filthy gaps between his fingers, just like himself.
Bai Shuyun was so wonderful, like a goddess, admired by everyone in the surrounding villages. Everyone desired her, yet she treated everyone equally, without distinction. He, harboring affectionate feelings, also thought maybe he could be different, that he might catch her gaze for a mont.
Even though he was already engaged, and about to be married soon, he couldn’t help but continue liking her. At the thought, Lu Changzhu felt a bit uneasy and coughed twice.
That night, after waiting for Bai Shuyun to leave, he pondered for a while and followed her. He thought, how could such a wonderful girl descend into hardship? He had no other intentions; he simply wanted to say farewell and express his feelings, to leave a mory, an opportunity to talk with her alone, which would be enough to cherish for a lifeti.
Yet, he hadn’t expected that when he followed her, he would witness a scene that completely shattered him: one person was holding Bai Shuyun down, covering her mouth, while another hurriedly took off his pants.
He had no ti to think, picked up a stone from the ground, and struck both attackers on the back of their necks, then ran with Bai Shuyun. They hadn’t gone far when they heard rustling footsteps behind them.
They could only hide in a thick bush deep in the forest. Just as he was intently watching if soone would suddenly appear outside, Bai Shuyun’s hands reached for his neck.
"I... I’ve been drugged, please save !"
Her breathy words cut through his thoughts, and he imdiately kissed her. Yet, after a mont, he pushed her away forcefully.
What was he really worth, and where was this place? If he really took Bai Shuyun, her life would be ruined, forever destined to stay in this remote and poor place, no different from the gossiping old won at the village entrance years later.
The last of his rationality made him push Bai Shuyun away and drag her deeper into the forest, to a puddle. He pushed her into it, watched as his beloved cried and pleaded, and eventually, he couldn’t hold back.
Afterwards, he no longer thought about sending her back to the county. Looking at the woman in his arms, he even fantasized about their wonderful future life together, until she woke up, until Liu Sanjin, cursing and swearing, chased after them, bringing him back to reality.
After Lu Zhenping arrived at the old courtyard, he went straight to the room of Liu Sanjin and Lu Changzhu, pulled up a stool and sat opposite Lu Changzhu, and for a while, none of the three said a word.
Unable to endure the silence, Liu Sanjin coughed twice and then said, "Big brother, what brought you here? Didn’t third son take the money to you?"
After hearing her, Lu Zhenping first felt his pockets all over and suddenly rembered; the cigarette he smoked today when he got ho was his last. Giving up on that thought, he raised his eyes and gave Liu Sanjin a look.
"Old lady, do you think it’s still appropriate for to call you ’mother’ from now on?"
"This remark brought all to light; whether it was Lu Changzhu or Liu Sanjin, both of their faces turned pale.
"Eldest brother, what do you an by this? Mom has raised you for so many years, how can you not call mom? Did soone say sothing to you, so malicious person trying to drive a wedge between us, your mother and son? Was it your wife? Haven’t I told you before? She is a troublemaker, never wishing well for our family. You must teach her a lesson, or else who knows, she might even spoil my grandchildren!"
"Shen ng is very good to the children and teaches them well, more fortunate than my childhood. Don’t say such things anymore, I don’t like to hear them."
Lu Zhenping’s attitude greatly angered Lu Changzhu; he suddenly stood up, paced back and forth twice, and then angrily pointed his trembling finger at Lu Zhenping and cursed.
"You don’t like to hear? You don’t like to hear a lot of things, you worthless thing. Your mother raised you for so many years, even if there’s no rit, there’s hard work. Isn’t it just because you see your birth mother living well that you want to ingratiate yourself with her? Don’t bla for not warning you, you aren’t destined for that. You have my blood in you, your birth mother doesn’t care about you, and your wife, always running to the county town, sending children to school, and studying with them every day, what is she trying to do, huh? Just wanting to run off sowhere. You’re always out being a soldier, scarcely at ho, if today I don’t discipline her for you, who knows if she’ll run off with so other man later, leaving you a lonely old man, raising kids alone, what kind of good life could you have? I’m doing this for your sake, you ungrateful brat."
He cursed fiercely, venting all his pent-up resentnt while cursing Shen ng and Lu Zhenping, as if unwilling to bla Bai Shuyu. Sotis he feels that even thinking about her dirties her. Every ti he sees Lu Zhenping, he regrets not persisting back then; maybe after a while, Bai Shuyu could have co around, and then he could have been her hero, getting to et her more often.
It would have been better than now, having seen her only once in so many years, just that one ti!!!
"Dad, you’re right, Bai Shuyu is doing well, very happy. I’ve seen her, talked to her. Dad, after all these years, she doesn’t bla you; she even appreciates you. If it weren’t for you, who knows what she would have faced back then. She has no regrets about having . But, I really want to ask you, were you really selfless at that ti?"
Lu Zhenping’s words made Lu Changzhu montarily stunned, first overjoyed, then shocked.
Was he really selfless?
Lu Changzhu had never reflected on his own motives, but when his eyes t his son’s, he guiltily turned his head away. The rose was growing on the edge of a cliff, about to be destroyed by the storm; when he reached out to pick it, didn’t he want to place it in his own vase?
Lu Zhenping, seeing Lu Changzhu’s reaction, instantly understood that initially, Lu Changzhu might have genuinely wanted to save Bai Shuyu. However, under continuous pleading, he gradually wavered, and perhaps even later felt that he was driven by fate, wishing that the cooked rice would solidify a complete union between them. If they were to return to the city, it’d be best if he could join and have a comfortable life.
But Bai Shuyun did not do so; she left alone.
This turned Lu Changzhu’s hopeful dreams of a pleasant life into resentnt, which after eting him, turned into resentnt towards him.
He didn’t want to pursue it further. This was a grievance from the previous generation. He used to find life aningless but now feels differently. He believes his life will change significantly.
"There’s no need to say more, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care about Bai Shuyu sending you money. As for the gratitude for raising , the three yuan monthly pension will not be cut off. From now on, let’s muddle through but do not disturb Shen ng and the children again. This is my warning."
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