Chapter 62: Persuasion at the Door
Chapter 62: Persuasion at the Door
Lu Erbo and his wife accompanied Lu Jiajin on the drive to the provincial city. Once the car was on the move, Lu Jiajin's stepmother spoke up: "Jiajin, since you have the keys to Jiaxin's house, your father and I will stay there when we get to Si Jiucheng."
Why waste money staying elsewhere? There are so many rooms; we can stay in any of them.
Lu Jiajin broke into a cold sweat at the suggestion, never imagining that his parents would actually consider moving into Jiaxin's house: "Mother, that's Jiaxin's house. You can't stay there without her permission."
His stepmother scoffed at his reaction, thinking him spineless: "Look at you, so meek. Your father and I are her elders. She wouldn't dare throw us out, would she?"
Lu Jiajin deeply regretted his earlier slip of the tongue that had revealed the existence of the house. He tried to make excuses: "Jiaxin did give me the keys, but before I left, I returned them to my eldest brother."
"Then we'll ask your eldest brother for them when we get to Si Jiucheng."
Lu Jiajin had no intention of doing something so foolish. He quickly refused: "Father, Mother, I dare not. If you want to stay there, you'll have to get the keys from my eldest brother yourselves."
His eldest brother had previously said that they couldn't lend the house to relatives, and at the time, he had thought he was overthinking it. Now, it seemed that his brother had been preparing for this possibility.
Lu Erbo's wife berated Lu Jiajin for his uselessness. In all this time, he hadn't managed to appease Lu Hongjun, and now that fox spirit and her daughter were taking advantage of the situation. This wouldn't do. They had to ensure that Lu San's job and property stayed within the Lu family bloodline.
As soon as Lu Dabo returned the cart, he called Lu Hongjun and informed him of Lu Jiaxin's offer to support Zao Hua financially.
Lu Hongjun was so furious that he laughed: "Big brother, if she wants to support that girl, let her spend her money. I want to see how capable she really is."
It was fine for a talented child to emerge from the family, even if it was a girl. However, she should have discussed it with him first instead of acting on her own and then informing him afterward.
Lu Dabo's tone turned stern, and he asked: "Are you just going to ignore this?"
Lu Hongjun knew his eldest brother's temperament, and if he said he would ignore it, he would be paying a visit to Si Jiucheng tomorrow: "Big brother, let her spend her money first. If she runs out, I'll step in then."
By deciding to support Zao Hua without consulting him first, she was clearly not giving him the respect he was due. His indulgence and concessions had made this young lady increasingly willful, and it was time to teach her a lesson.
Lu Dabo also felt that Lu Jiaxin had handled this matter inappropriately, so he didn't argue with Lu Hongjun. Instead, he tried to smooth things over: "Jiaxin has been through a lot this time. You should comfort her properly. Otherwise, if the father-daughter relationship deteriorates, it will be too late for regrets."
Lu Hongjun was in no mood for lectures. He was almost sixty, and he didn't need anyone telling him how to handle his affairs: "I know. I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll hang up first."
Upon returning home, Lu Dabo shared the news with his wife.
She was both angry and anxious: "Jiaxin has to support herself, so what's the point of showing off? Old man, Jiaxin might be unreasonable, but aren't you too, at your age?"
"Don't worry. I just asked Hongjun, and he agreed to support Zao Hua as long as Jiaxin softens her stance. Later, I'll go find Zao Hua's mother and have a proper chat with her."
His wife was still displeased. There had never been a father like this. He was siding with the second wife's daughter even when his own child was wronged, and now he expected his daughter to yield even when she was trying to do a good deed. Thinking about how Xiao Qiu had been keeping Lu Jiaxin company these past few days, she summoned the girl and interrogated her.
She learned that Lu Jiaxin had already made a promise to Zao Hua, and she felt that this child was too bold and lacked discretion. For such a significant matter, even if she had the intention, she should have discussed it with her elders first.
Since Lu Jiaxin had returned to Si Jiucheng, there was no one to scold, so Lu Dabo's wife vented her anger on Xiao Qiu: "You've become bolder and bolder, daring to hide such a big matter from the family.
"Xiao Qiu had anticipated that she would be blamed when trouble arose, but as long as Zao Hua could go to school, she didn't regret being scolded and beaten.
Seeing her granddaughter's attitude, the eldest paternal aunt was at a loss. She turned to Lu Dab o and said, "Head of the household, when you see Dagan's wife later, tell her that it was Sanfu who sponsored Zao Hua's education. Also, this money can only be used for Zao Hua's schooling. If it's used for anything else, we won't intervene."
Lu Dabo understood her concerns and replied, "Come with me later. We can't give the money directly to Zao Hua's mother. Once it's in her hands, she might not want to give it back. Let's give thirty yuan at the start of each school term and ten yuan every month during the school year. That way, she won't be able to misuse the money."
With a widow, there's bound to be gossip and rumors. If he went alone to Zao Hua's house to discuss matters, who knows what kind of speculation it would stir up. But with his wife by his side, the villagers wouldn't have anything to gossip about.
The eldest paternal aunt didn't refuse, but feeling that she wasn't eloquent enough, she left the task of convincing Dagan's wife to Lu Dabo. "Let's go together. You can talk to Dagan's wife, and I'll have a good chat with Zao Hua."
After spending money, they had to ensure that the child remembered Jiaxin's kindness.
When the elderly couple arrived at Zao Hua's house, her mother was cooking.
Zao Hua's mother bumped her forehead on the stove, leaving a black mark. She greeted the two elders and invited them in. Due to the heat, she wiped her sweat, leaving several black streaks on her face.
The eldest paternal aunt was particularly fastidious about cleanliness and turned her head away at the sight. Although Zao Hua's mother looked unkempt, her house was spotlessly clean.
Lu Dabo entered and sat down without beating around the bush. He said directly, "Jiaxin heard that Zao Hua had passed the entrance exam for the best high school in the county but had to drop out due to changes at home. Feeling it a pity, she called Hongjun and told him about it. Hongjun then expressed his willingness to sponsor Zao Hua's continued education."
Zao Hua's mother was taken aback for a moment but soon refused, "Tie Jun, please thank Hongjun on my behalf for his kind offer. But given our family's situation, if Zao Hua goes to school, there will be no one to take care of the household chores."
Lu Dabo's original name was Tie Tou. Later, during the national literacy campaign, he actively participated in learning, and when Lu Hongjun changed his name to Hong Jun, he followed suit and changed his name to Tie Jun. It was also because of his enthusiasm for acquiring cultural knowledge that he was later elected as the brigade secretary.
The eldest paternal aunt frowned and said, "How can there be no one to do the chores? You still have Youliang and Mancang. They can help before and after school."
Saying that there was no one to do the chores was just an excuse; Zao Hua's mother simply didn't want her daughter to continue her education. The two hundred yuan a year would only be enough for school fees and books; the family still had to provide for her meals. If it were a son, she would be willing to endure any hardship to support his education. But a daughter would eventually marry into another family, and all the suffering endured to cultivate her would ultimately benefit another family. This was what she had tried to convince her husband about before, but unfortunately, he hadn't listened.
At that moment, Zao Hua and her two younger brothers entered. The older brother, Lu Youliang, remained silent.
The younger brother, Lu Mancang, spoke up, "Mother, I won't go to school anymore. Let Big Sister go instead! Big Sister is so smart; she'll definitely be able to get into university. I can't keep up with my studies anyway, so I'll just stay home and help with the chores."
Lu Dabo felt relieved. Mancang cared for his sister, but Youliang fell far short in comparison.
However, Zao Hua's mother scolded, "You're only ten years old. What help can you be if you don't go to school? Your sister is different; she can handle both household and academic duties and do them well."
Seeing Zao Hua lowering her head in silence, the eldest paternal aunt felt sorry for the child. She signaled to Lu Dabo, and they took the three siblings out of the house.
(End of Chapter)
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