Chapter 403: Nie Zhan's Grave
Chapter 403: Nie Zhan's Grave
Having not eaten anything since noon, Lu Jiaxin's stomach was empty, but even if she was hungry, she first ate a bowl of millet porridge and then some vegetable noodles.
Millet porridge and vegetable noodles were both light and easy on the stomach. With her past life's experience, she was now especially mindful of her diet.
After eating, Lu Jiaxin felt refreshed. She asked, "Shan Zi, is the tombstone ready?"
Lu Shan nodded and said, "Not yet. It will be ready by tomorrow morning. Cousin, you wait at home tomorrow. I'll call you once the tombstone is in place, and we can go together."
Lu Jiaxin was taking extra care of her health these days and didn't want to be out under the scorching sun. "Alright, I'll come by once the grave is ready."
Seeing that she was fine, Nie Zhan left.
After seeing him off, Shan Zi asked, "Little cousin, I heard from Brother Gu that you rented this place. Such a large and beautiful house must be expensive, isn't it?"
"One million Hong Kong dollars a year, and the rent will increase in the future."
Shan Zi's mouth hung open in astonishment, as if he could fit an egg into it. As he returned to the living room, he regained his composure and said, "Cousin, that's too expensive! Why don't you just buy a place of your own?"
Living in a rented house always felt insecure. When they had lived in rented accommodations before, they hadn't dared to touch anything, fearing the landlord's scolding. But after moving to the compound, they had made some modifications for convenience. Spending a million to rent a place was not as good as saving up to buy a larger house!
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "I've already bought one and it's being renovated. We'll move in next month. By the way, don't mention this to the family. No need to give them extra things to think about."
Lu Shan understood. "I know, only share good news, not troubles."
After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "Cousin, I want to rent another shop. If we have more hands to help at the store, we can make more money."
"Have you learned your mother's cooking skills?"
Lu Shan smiled and said, "The dumplings I make with wheat flour are not worse than Mother's. The steamed buns, bread, and wontons are also very tasty."
Having mastered the skills, it would be even better for him to open his own shop. Lu Jiaxin smiled and encouraged him, "As a young man, you should dare to take risks and be ambitious. Once the business is doing well, you can even consider opening a third or fourth shop. However, if you decide to open another shop, you should keep the profits from that shop for yourself."
Lu Shan felt that, as a family, they shouldn't be so calculative with each other.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "We are indeed family, but even among siblings, accounts should be clear. You said yourself that your parents will only support you with the down payment for a house. The rest will be left for Lu Yun and Lu Cheng. Are you happy to work hard for years only to have your earnings go to your two younger brothers?"
"My parents won't let me suffer," Lu Shan said.
Lu Jiaxin believed that. Lu Er Sao treated her three sons fairly. "Your parents won't let you suffer, but can you guarantee that Lu Yun's wife and Lu Tao's future wife won't have any opinions? After all, you are now the offspring of the third wife."
"If we don't keep accounts clear now, it will definitely cause conflicts over money in the future, which will affect the relationships between father and son, and among brothers. It will be difficult for your parents then."
Lu Shan thought of how Lu Yun's wife had complained several times that his mother was partial to them. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Cousin, I'll listen to you. If I open a new shop, we'll keep the accounts separate."
Although he wasn't particularly smart, he was at least open to advice. This time, Lu Hongjun had made the right choice, and he wouldn't have to worry about his old age.
Lu Jiaxin looked at the moon hanging in the sky and said, "It's getting late. You must be tired after a long day. Go and get some rest."
It was a blessing to be young. No matter how tired one was, a good night's sleep would restore one's vigor. Yes, she was fortunate to be young again.
After walking in the backyard garden for an hour, Lu Jiaxin returned indoors. Having slept too much in the afternoon, she wasn't sleepy at all and intended to spend her time reading.
The phone rang.
"How come you're just getting home now?" Lu Jiaxin asked, a smile playing on her lips.
"How did you know it was me?" Nie Zhan's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Aside from you, no one else would call me so late," Lu Jiaxin teased. "By the way, I'm not sure when it will be finished, but I'll call you tomorrow when I'm on my way."
"Okay. You should get some rest too, and don't stay up reading all the time. It's not good for your eyes," Nie Zhan advised.
The next morning, at 10 a.m., Lu Jiaxin prepared to head out. Gu Wenfeng, concerned that she might suffer from heatstroke again, called the cemetery first. Upon learning from Zong Jinghua that the work was not yet completed, he tried to dissuade her from going.
"Boss, you might get heatstroke again. Lu Shan can't handle things on his own," Gu Wenfeng warned.
However, Lu Jiaxin refused to listen. The previous day's exhaustion had mostly come from kneeling for too long during the burial and offering repeated bows and kowtows while filling the grave. Today, there would be no such strenuous activities, and since they were almost done, she believed it wouldn't take long.
Seeing that Gu Wenfeng couldn't stop her, he reluctantly agreed but made sure to bring along plenty of cooling drinks.
The cemetery was located on a mountainside, and their car could only be parked at the foot of the mountain. Lu Jiaxin had already arranged for the mountain path to be repaired, and although it was now smooth and flat, it was still too narrow for a car to navigate.
As soon as they stepped out of the car, a wave of hot air washed over them. Lu Jiaxin couldn't help but compare it to the summers in Siyijiang City, which weren't nearly as scorching. This, she mused, was one of the downsides of industrialization.
It took them about 20 minutes to reach their destination.
Shan Zi, upon seeing them, wiped the sweat from his face and head with a towel. "Cousin, we're almost done. Just a little more."
Lu Jiaxin handed him a bottle of sour yangmei juice. "I figured as much, so I came over. Have some drink to cool down first."
Lu Shan gulped down the juice in several hearty mouthfuls, then wiped his sweat again. "Cousin, the master said it would take about 20 more minutes. Why don't you wait under that big tree over there?"
Despite the oppressive heat, Lu Jiaxin didn't intend to idle under the tree.
She gave Nie Zhan a call, informing him that it would take at most half an hour to finish. Hearing this, Nie Zhan put down what he was doing and rushed over.
The master's estimation was spot on, and they finished in exactly 20 minutes. With thick wads of cash in their pockets, the master and his workers happily made their way down the mountain.
Soon after, Nie Zhan arrived and helped Lu Jiaxin set up the incense and offerings. During this process, Lu Shan stole several glances at him.
Once the incense was lit and the offerings were laid out, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zhan took turns bowing and kneeling before their ancestors' graves, while the others paid their respects by offering incense.
Kneeling before Lu Jiaxin's mother's grave, Nie Zhan held the incense and vowed, "Aunt, rest assured, I will take care of Jiaxin and won't let anyone bully her again."
Lu Jiaxin turned to look at him, surprised by his pledge at her mother's grave.
After the ceremony, Lu Shan spoke up. "Cousin, it's getting late. We should head back now."
The events of the previous day had frightened him, and he was worried that Lu Jiaxin might suffer from heatstroke again. That damnable venomous woman, Ding Jing, had a lot to answer for. Before her appearance, Lu Jiaxin had always been in good health, and it was only because of her that Lu Jiaxin had become so fragile.
Now that the grave had been relocated, they could visit whenever they wanted. With the sun at its peak, Lu Jiaxin didn't linger and soon led the group back home.
Upon their return, Lu Shan informed Lu Jiaxin of his plans to head back. "There aren't enough hands at the shop, and Gou Sheng isn't in the best of health. I should get back as soon as possible."
Lu Jiaxin called for Zong Jinghua and asked him to take Lu Shan to the wholesale market. It was a common saying in the mainland that one hadn't truly been to Hong Kong if they didn't bring something back.
(End of Chapter)
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