"Big brother, let me help with your luggage. I'm starving. Let's go back, mom should be done with dinner."
Lu Ze did not decline at all and directly handed over his luggage to her. What would be the sense behind an elder brother not making his little sister work? He even gave his backpack to her.
"Dad, it's so cold today, what are you doing outside? I'll help you, let's go back."
Reaching out his hand, Lu Ze supported Lu Weiguo by hugging his upper arm. As Lu Ze saw the two missing fingers on his hand, he couldn't help but feel a sharp pain. Supporting Lu Weiguo, they slowly headed home.
"Getting some fresh air is good for your health."
Lu Weiguo did not decline Lu Ze's help since his legs had arthritis. When it snowed, his legs would hurt so much that he would not be able to walk. He would usually use a crutch when there was nobody to support him.
Lu Weiguo was currently 48 years old, but he looked 58 from his appearance. It was only when you saw photos of him when he was younger that you would understand how he was actually more handsome than Lu Ze even in his prime.
However, his fate was far worse than his appearances revealed. At the age of 14 years old, he dropped out of school and began digging out sand from the sand pit with shovels before loading it into big trucks.
He got married at the age of 20, and digging sand could no longer make ends meet. Therefore, he went to the lumbering zone up the mountain and carried trees. Two people were needed to carry logs bigger than 30 centimeters in diameter, while those that were less than 30 centimeters were brought down the mountain by him alone and loaded into vehicles.
Lu Ze could still remember the hooded cap his father used to wear while working and his exhausted, sweat-drenched appearance as he carried huge logs of wood. Even now, the calluses on Lu Weiguo's shoulders were far deeper than what other people had on their legs.
At the age of 30, he quit moving logs. By that time, his knees were already injured. Left without any other option, he had Li Yumei return to her parents' house while he headed to the city as a migrant worker. There, he worked at construction sites, making Lu Ze and Lu Nan look like 'abandoned' children.
Although he would be tired and covered in dirt by the end of the day, the pay was not bad at all. However, all good things had to come to an end. After two years, Lu Weiguo caused an operational error while working with reinforcement bars, causing his ring finger and pinkie to be sliced off. However, this was not the worst part. The worst part was that the bar bounced off and stabbed his left eye.
Even with a code four dispatch while being carried to the hospital in record time, he almost died. That was truly the darkest time of the Lu Family. Although the construction site's compensation took care of the majority of his treatment fees, this family could not even support the last few remaining expenses.
They sold off their ancestral wealth, a vast ten mu of land to the Elder Union for only seven mu's worth of money. They had to hand the money over to the hospital without even having the chance to touch it and even then, they were still owed a couple hundred thousand in debt.
Fortunately, just before this family's path to the future was cut off, Lu Guowei returned. However, since he had lost most of the tissue between his fingers, they could not be stitched. He lost his left eye as well.
It was because of this change that Lu Ze had to stop his studies and work to patch up the family's finances. After working for four years, they were able to finally fill the hole created from repaying the capital and interest charged.
However, at this moment, the family could have a respite. They had bought two machines with the extra money — a rice thresher, and a grinder. During the harvest seasons, they could also make 1800 yuan per month through manual labor. Adding to the money sent by Lu Ze, they were able to barely make ends meet.
"I've bought you some ointment. Use it after reaching home, see if it's any good. If it's effective, I can send you some every month."
Supporting Lu Weiguo while chatting about the affairs of daily life, the three returned home. The snow in the courtyard was swept clean, and the chimney at the house's roof was emitting smoke.
"Mom, brother is back!"
They opened the courtyard's iron gate. There was never a better time for Lu Nan to be well-behaved. As soon as they stepped in, she immediately started yelling.
"Can you be a little more feminine? Are you itching to be taught a lesson?"
He chided her a bit, causing her to deflate and deliberately take forceful steps as she walked. Lu Ze did not indulge her in this. Instead, he stepped forth and kicked her butt.
When they entered the house, it was much warmer than the outside. Two stoves were burning, likely increasing the temperature to 25 or 26 degrees. One would not be cold even if they wore short-sleeved clothes.
"Mom, I'm back."
Holding a broom, wiping off the snow from his shoes, Lu Ze saw Li Yumei busy in the kitchen.
"Dinner is ready, go to the table right away. Little Nan, hurry up and serve the food. Da Ze, do you want some sweet potatoes? They are freshly dug with yellow pulp and are really sweet."
"Alright, boil a few for me."
Upon his return, there was no intimate welcome. The entire family was not particularly vocal about their feelings. Lu Ze also did not speak very much as he felt a lot more comfortable at home.
Lu Ze took off his coat and the long-sleeved shirt before he rummaged through his old wardrobe to find some old clothes. Oddly enough, Lu Ze was already 180 centimeters by the third year of his junior high. The old folks of the village all estimated that he would grow beyond two meters. However, up to his third year of senior high, he only grew by one centimeter and did not even grow a single centimeter after his graduation.
Upon returning home, Lu Ze did not want anything other than to taste Li Yumei's cooking, which was much better than anything he had had outside. He washed his hands and sat on a small stool. Lu Nan brought warmed white wine for Lu Ze and Lu Weiguo. They began eating once the chopsticks arrived.
"How did the test go? Did you fail?"
Taking a bite, Lu Ze inquired about Lu Nan's performance as usual. This topic had always been raised by Lu Ze. His parents never needed to worry about it. If she flunked her tests, Lu Ze would drag her outside by her hair and give her a good beating.
"I did really well! I might even get the scholarship. It's 6,000 yuan!"
"Our family isn't lacking money right now. You can keep it for yourself. Just don't waste it. Dad..."
Since Lu Nan's grades were passable, he no longer asked other questions. After all, she was already a big girl and ought to have some secrets of her own.
Clinking cups with his Dad, Lu Ze thought for a bit but still raised this topic.
"Once the next year begins, let's build a new house. I'll have a bit of money next year, enough to easily take care of a new house."
These words came as a bit of shock to the three. Li Yumei was somewhat of a miser and also felt that the current house was pretty good and had no need for a new one. She objected to it immediately.
"What do you mean rebuild the house? Only me and your father live here. Both of you live outside, it's more than enough for us."
Lu Weiguo did not say anything. Ever since the accident, he had turned taciturn. However, Lu Ze could see that he was of the same mind.
He took another sip of white wine. Their wine was custom made. They paid the winemaker for the cost of grains and labor to brew pure grain wine. It was quite strong, with 56 or 57 percent alcohol content, but it still tasted quite good.
"I was thinking that either we build a new house or I buy a house in town for you. Actually, I wish that you would come to live in the city but I guess you won't do that."
Lu Ze had truly considered this issue. Would living in the city really be good for them? Although a lot of their relatives had moved into the city, they would still live quite far away from each other. Without anyone familiar to them, they would certainly feel lonely.
Moreover, getting a new house in the village was the better choice. It would not be lacking compared to living in the city and would be more comfortable as well. After all, Lu Ze had not made such a large sum of money that he could afford a luxurious house. Once he obtained the pay for [Young Years in the Capital], he would only be able to afford a 100 square meter house based on the price of 5,000 yuan per square meter in Luhua.
Most importantly, the village had a lot of familiar people. They had known their neighbors for a dozen years. The relationship with them could not be any closer. If, by any chance, an accident were to happen, they could still be counted on. In the city, they would be living amongst strangers, and nobody would look after them.
"Anyway, I feel that this house is pretty good."
"Mom, trust me. This house was built by grandfather and should have long been replaced. Don't worry, it'll be on me."
This time, Li Yumei no longer opposed. Even since Lu Weiguo lost his ability to work, Lu Ze had been the pillar of the Lu family's support. Even Lu Weiguo consulted his son on the phone when there were any issues. Now that Lu Ze was determined to build a new house, there will be no changing his mind. After all, it was still a child fulfilling his filial duties in the end.
After eating, the father and son had drunk a lot. Lu Nan poured some herbal tea for them, then removed the dishes from the table.
"Little Nan, come out! Let's have some fun!"
"Big brother, I don't want to go out and play with them. You know I don't like them."
Lu Nan immediately panicked after hearing the voice outside, fearing that her brother would break her bones. So hurriedly cleared that she had nothing to do with them.
Hearing her explanation, Lu Ze's face turned a bit unsightly. Holding a cigarette in his mouth, he then took his coat and opened the door before going into the courtyard. He picked up a brick and threw it outside, not caring if it hit anyone.
"Come on, let's see who likes to have fun so much. Motherf*cker, if you come again, I'll find you at your home to play! See if I don't break your leg, pieces of sh*t!"
"F*ck me, Da Ze is back. Run, quick!"
This was a bunch of school dropouts, idlers who did not even work. Since they knew that the Lu Family's girl was beautiful, they often teased her. Previously, Lu Ze would take a stick and beat them up in their homes. Their parents were all well-known acquaintances and could even be seen as relatives. As long as the beating was not too serious, they would do nothing but eat melon seeds while sitting at the Kang's edge and watch him sort out their degenerate kids.
However, even still, this bunch knew no shame. They would come again whenever Lu Ze was not home and teased his sister.
This time, seeing that Lu Ze had come back, their past scars flared back up. They immediately got into their electric cars, turned off their woofers, and sped off as if escaping for their lives.