??Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Truth (Part 2)
Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Truth (Part 2)
“Auntie’s health was poor, and she fell during her pregnancy, resulting in a premature birth. The child was stillborn, and the doctor said she could never bear children again. Auntie was so distraught she refused to believe the baby was gone, threatening to throw herself into the river in her grief.”
Lu Aijiao’s voice choked up a bit. As a child, she witnessed everything but didn’t understand the impact it all had on her family, on her parents. Sotis, she couldn’t help but secretly resent them for playing favorites.
It wasn’t until she had grown up, gotten married, and had children of her own that she truly understood her parents.
“If it weren’t for Uncle kneeling before our dad, refusing to get up and begging him to take Aiguo to comfort Auntie, our little brother could not have been brought back. He would have stayed a cousin instead. From then on, Aiguo beca Uncle’s son, and that departed cousin beca our brother.”
“When Mom found out, it was already a done deal. She cried and made a scene, but Dad didn’t utter a word, just sat there and let her hit and scold him. In the end, Mom had no other choice and wanted to run into a wall. It was Grandpa who ca personally to plead with her, promising that if she couldn’t have another son, he would definitely help her get Aiguo back and tell Aiguo the truth. But if she were to have another son, then this matter should remain a secret forever.”
Lu Aijiao looked helplessly at Lu Aii.
“I really didn’t want to tell you this. Aiguo doesn’t know, Shitou doesn’t either, and I promised Grandpa I wouldn’t tell.”
“Do you know how much your attitude towards Aiguo over the years has hurt our parents’ hearts? Especially Mom, she feels terribly guilty about Aiguo. Uncle passed away early, and Auntie has always been so fragile. Aiguo had to start holding up a family in his teens, enduring hardships that he should never have had to bear by himself.”
“On top of that, you treat Aiguo with such hostility that he hardly dares to co over and accept our parents’ kindness. Out of ten invitations to dinner, if he shows up four or five tis, that’s already a lot. And you’re still acting this way now,” Lu Aijiao said, her face filled with frustration.
“When Aiguo got married, our parents had us give a larger wedding gift, but didn’t they also give us the extra amount back? What more do you want?”
“I didn’t know that, did I? How could I be angry if I did?” Lu Aii mumbled, feeling even more aggrieved because her parents had compensated them for the difference, making her believe they couldn’t differentiate between close and distant relations, between their own children and others.
“Now that you know, you won’t make trouble with Aiguo anymore, right? Tomorrow you need to check yourself and not badmouth his wife, even if she is in her second marriage with a child. That’s Aiguo’s own choice, soone he loves. We, as his siblings, don’t have the right to gossip.”
Lu Aijiao stared at her, demanding a promise. She knew Lu Aii had reservations about Lu Aiguo marrying Xia Yuan.
Lu Aii’s mindset was odd; while she herself disliked Lu Aiguo, she always defended him in front of others. She felt free to criticize and berate him but wouldn’t tolerate outside criticism.
“I get it, I know… I definitely can’t be serious with him anymore,” Lu Aii said, sounding a little disconcerted. Although it was hard for her to change her attitude towards Lu Aiguo overnight, she also realized that she had to. Fortunately, she could take her ti with the change.
However, regarding the “cousin” who was actually her nephew, she decided she needed to adjust her attitude for their first eting tomorrow. She couldn’t afford to act as indifferent as she had initially planned.
“We should give a eting gift to our nephew’s wife when we first see her, right? Maybe sothing more than what we gave to Zhang Cai?” Lu Aii quickly sought Lu Aijiao’s opinion.
“The sa amount will do. We don’t want to cause Zhang Cai to feel slighted,” Lu Aijiao, seeing Lu Aii coming around, felt genuinely happy, “You better not let this slip.”
“Why not? After all these years, shouldn’t Lu Aiguo at least know the truth…” Lu Aii muttered discontentedly.
“I told you not to ntion it. This isn’t our business to ddle in,” Lu Aijiao glared.
—
After dinner, Lu Yun walked with Lu Aiguo and Xia Yuan in high spirits to visit their Uncle Lu.
Along the way, they encountered several neighbors either carrying hoes or shouldering carrying poles and manure pails on their way back from the fields, greeting them continuously.
Most of them just said one line, “Aiguo, taking your wife and daughter for a walk?” or “Have you eaten yet?”, “Where are you heading?”, “Co visit us when you have ti,” and the like.
Sotis Lu Aiguo replied with a simple sentence, sotis he just nodded or smiled as they walked past. Xia Yuan maintained a smile throughout but didn’t talk much to others.
When they reached the vicinity of Uncle Lu’s yard and avoided the public eye, Lu Yun took out two baskets, one large and one small, to which Lu Aiguo chuckled, “Good thing we have your big warehouse, but why does it feel like we are the underground resistance?”
Lu Yun giggled and burst into song: “The red star gleams, shining through the generations, the red star so bright, its light it spreads, the red star is the heart of us workers and farrs…”
Lu Aiguo couldn’t help but laugh along, joining in the singing and laughter as Xia Yuan watched the father and daughter play, a mix of laughter and helplessness on her face. Their singing quickly drew out Uncle Lu’s wife, who opened the yard door, peeked out, and said with a laugh, “I knew it was you two by the sound. Why don’t you co in quickly instead of standing at the door singing?”
“Uncle Lu’s wife, is my uncle back yet?” Lu Aiguo, holding Xia Yuan’s hand in one and Lu Yun in the other, entered the yard. Once inside, he carefully closed the yard door and secured it with a wooden latch.
“He’s at ho eating. What are you bringing this ti? And why close the door, being all secretive?” Uncle Lu’s wife saw the big baskets on Lu Aiguo and Xia Yuan’s backs, and imdiately lowered her voice in irritation, pressing Lu Aiguo for an answer.
“Didn’t I just bring over so many at buns yesterday? What do you have today? You’re settled with a family, kids, and a wife to support. Your responsibilities are heavy. Can’t you keep things for yourself rather than giving them away everywhere?”
“I’ve got a bit of an opportunity recently, and getting stuff has been quite easy, Uncle Lu’s wife. Just let
know if you’re missing anything in the future; chances are I might be able to get it for you,” Lu Aiguo said with a smile, setting aside what he was carrying and cozying up to Uncle Lu’s wife. He wasn’t in a hurry to go into the main room but resolved to first win over Uncle Lu’s wife.
Xia Yuan and Lu Yun exchanged glances without speaking, instead stepping back a few paces to look around. Actually, Uncle Lu’s ho layout was similar to theirs, but with two more rooms.
“I don’t lack anything, so don’t waste your money,” Uncle Lu’s wife said as she eyed Lu Aiguo’s basket, seeing that it was filled to the brim with sothing, but under the dim light borrowed from inside the house, she couldn’t clearly see what it was. Nonetheless, a worried expression erged on her face.
“Uncle Lu’s wife, rest assured and put your heart at ease. Since I was a kid, I haven’t been one to cause trouble or act recklessly, right? I never get involved with anything uncertain or make mistakes… Actually, it’s because Shitou and I helped a stranger with his car so ti ago, and at that ti, he almost got robbed,” Lu Aiguo said upon noticing the worried look on Uncle Lu’s wife’s face, feeling a bit touched, he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned in to explain in a low voice.
“The at buns were a thank-you gift from that man. Most of the stuff we brought today, we bought with money, not using ration tickets, and it didn’t cost much. Mainly they are all practical items.”
Ever since he was young, Lu Aiguo indeed had the illusion that Uncle Lu’s wife seed to worry about him and treat him even better than his own mother did.
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