Chapter 48: The Prosperous Lu Family
Chapter 48: The Prosperous Lu Family
As the group chatted, they soon arrived at Lu Jia's village.
When they reached Lu Dabai's house, Lu Jiajie called out, "Aunt, Second Aunt, Xiao Qiu, we're back!"
Before he finished speaking, over a dozen people poured out from the courtyard. They all gathered around Lu Jiaxin, who, unable to understand them, wore a confused expression.
Lu Dabai raised his voice and shouted, "What are you all doing standing outside? Quickly, come inside!"
Auntie, who was cooking in the kitchen and a step behind the others, immediately had tears in her eyes when she saw Lu Jiaxin. "My child, how did you become so thin? Your face is so pale. What hardships have you endured?"
As she spoke, her tears began to fall.
Although Lu Jiaxin couldn't understand her words, she knew about the Lu family's situation. Lu Dabai, having served as the village head for many years, had great authority and his word was law at home. Auntie, on the other hand, was a typical traditional Chinese wife who obeyed her husband in everything and was kind-hearted and hardworking, never complaining as she busied herself from morning to night. The couple had three sons. The eldest, Lu Jiaguang, was upright and kind, and the two younger sons were also diligent and hardworking. Their three daughters-in-law were all diligent and filial as well.
Lu Erbai, on the other hand, was the type to lie down whenever he could. Erbaimu, his wife, was shrewd and calculating. They had three sons and two daughters. The eldest was also diligent, the second son had been adopted by Erbaimu's older brother, and the two daughters were also very capable. The laziest of them all was Lu Jiajie, who could always find excuses to avoid working at home. Fortunately, he had managed to pass his exams and go to high school, after which he found a job in the city.
Lu Dabai scolded, "What are you crying for? Jiaxin's return is a happy occasion. Wipe your tears and bring some food for the child. She's been carsick and has thrown up everything, including her bile. Her stomach must be empty now."
Lu Jiajie added, "Jiaxin just threw up, so she can't eat anything greasy. Auntie, please make her a bowl of chicken soup noodles, and make sure to skim off the oil, or she might throw up again."
Auntie gently patted Lu Jiaxin's hand, told her to go rest in the room, and then went into the kitchen.
The crowd escorted Lu Jiaxin into a spacious room, which was Lu Dabai and his wife's bedroom. It was actually a cave dwelling, though it was referred to as a room.
The people here still lived in cave dwellings and had not yet moved into apartment buildings like many would later do when economic conditions improved. However, cave dwellings had their advantages: they didn't occupy arable land, didn't alter the terrain, were ecologically friendly, and remained cool in summer and warm in winter.
There were three types of cave dwellings: earthen caves, stone caves, and brick caves. Earthen caves were built either along the terrain or on natural vertical cliffs or steep slopes by first cutting into the cliff face and then digging out the cave. Brick caves were made by first firing clay into bricks and then building the caves in the soft loess soil. Stone caves were mostly made according to the local stone materials, textures, and colors.
Lu Dabai's family lived in a brick cave dwelling with eight cave openings and a large courtyard. The couple's cave was the largest, with their bed placed by the window to catch the light. There was an Eight Immortals table and four long benches in the room, where Lu Dabai used to discuss village matters when he was the village head.
As she stepped inside, Lu Jiaxin felt a sense of novelty. She had once visited cave dwellings in an ancient capital during a trip and had even specifically gone to see them. The ones she had seen were earthen caves, and due to the poor lighting, the interior was dark and the walls were mottled and old. But this cave dwelling had smooth and even inner walls, ample lighting, and bright, clean windows.
Lu Jiajie smiled and said, "Jiaxin, your room is next door. It used to be Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law's room. Uncle said you like spacious rooms, so Second Brother prepared this room for you."
Lu Dabai felt that Lu Jiajie had grown taller but not wiser, as his words made it sound like Jiaxin had taken over Second Brother's room. "Jiaxin, don't listen to his nonsense.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said to Lu Dabai, "Thank you, Uncle. I remember now. I stayed in that room during my last visit, and you were thoughtful enough to have Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law vacate it for me, thinking I might not be used to the other rooms."
As a sharp individual, Lu Jiaxin naturally understood why he felt the need to explain, and she quickly apologized to him. "Uncle, I'm sorry for the trouble."
Lu Dabai's face turned stern as he admonished her. "If a family is too formal with each other, they don't feel like a real family. Young lady, don't ever say such things again."
Lu Jiaxin obediently agreed and then waved at the two little girls with twin braids, beckoning them over. "Come here, to your aunt."
Lu Jiajie burst into laughter upon hearing this. "This is Nuannuan. Nuannuan, call her Aunt."
Old Man Lu Jiaguang had married late due to his time in the military. On the other hand, Lu Jiachong, who worked the land, had married early, becoming a father at the young age of eighteen. His two eldest sons had also become fathers at the same age, and now he had three great-grandchildren.
Lu Jiaxin felt embarrassed. She herself was still a child and hadn't expected to become a great-aunt so soon; her generation within the family was quite large.
The third brother, Lu Jiayao, smiled and said, "Jiaxin, you held Nuannuan in your arms the last time you were here. Don't you remember?"
Lu Jiaxin felt a bit embarrassed. "Third Brother, I'm sorry. I suffered a head injury and forgot some things."
Lu Dabai then informed the family about her injury and subsequent memory loss before reintroducing the family members to her.
The Lu family members were all tall and handsome. Due to their years of working outdoors, their skin had darkened to a warm, bronzed complexion. Lu Jia and Lu Jiayao bore the strongest resemblance to each other, and one might easily mistake them for twins if they didn't look closely.
Before her visit, Lu Jiaxin had not only bought snacks but also presents for the children. The girls received cloth dolls, while the boys were given green-skinned frogs.
Nuannuan hugged the soft pink rabbit doll tightly, her pockets stuffed with treats like White Rabbit candies and Guopi candies. She was so happy that her mouth couldn't close.
Lu Jiajie thought Lu Jiaxin was too generous. Those tin frogs cost several yuan each. Li Li scrimped and saved but still couldn't bring herself to buy one for Qiangqiang, yet this girl had bought four at once.
Lu Dabai's eyelids twitched as he watched her give out so many gifts, worried that she was too extravagant with her money. But since they were for his great-grandchildren, he couldn't bring himself to scold her. "How much did you spend on all these things? Later, let your great-aunt give you the money."
Lu Jiaxin patted Nuannuan's head and smiled. "Nuannuan, do you like this doll?"
Having never received a cloth doll before, Nuannuan was thrilled. "I like it! I like it a lot! Thank you, Aunt."
Lu Jiaxin looked up at Lu Dabai and smiled. "Uncle, my mother used to bring gifts for everyone whenever she came back. Now that she's gone, I don't know what to buy, so I just got some small things for the children."
Lu Dabai sighed at her words. His good sister-in-law had passed away too soon; life was truly unfair.
Changing the subject, Lu Jiajie smiled and said, "Jiaxin, do you know how to play with this frog?"
Of course, Lu Jiaxin knew. All one had to do was wind up these green frogs with their floral patterns, and they would hop and jump all over the floor.
Nuannuan found it fascinating and shouted, "Aunt, Fourth Grand-uncle, I want to play too!"
Lu Jiaxin picked up one of the green-skinned frogs and was about to teach Nuannuan how to play with it when Lu Dabai's wife brought in a bowl of noodles.
The noodles were topped with two fried eggs and cucumber shreds, and the aroma of the chicken broth filled the air. Lu Jiaxin's appetite was instantly stimulated, and she quickly finished the bowl of noodles.
(End of Chapter)
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