Reborn In 1983: Starting With Reclaiming My Birthright Chapter 722: Lu Hongjun's Side Story - Novel Cool

Chapter 722: Lu Hongjun's Side Story

Chapter 722: Lu Hongjun's Side Story

Dawn's First Light, Lu Hongjun woke up. He was old and didn’t sleep much. After waking up, he had no desire to sleep further and got up. He washed up, drank half a cup of warm water, and then Da Li took him to the park to practice Tai Chi. After his recovery, he could take care of himself and wanted to dismiss Da Li, leaving only the nanny. However, Jia Guang and Shan Zi both disagreed. Additionally, Da Li's mother knelt before him, begging him to keep Da Li, so he decided to keep him.

Da Li had injured his head when he was twelve, and since then, his mind wasn’t as sharp. He was towering, but because of his mental issues, he was often bullied when he worked, and even had his wages withheld on construction sites. However, he could follow instructions well, and when called at night, he would wake up immediately, unlike some men who slept like dead pigs. This was one of the reasons Lu Hongjun hired him when he was paralyzed.

Following Lu Hongjun was not tiring, and he paid Da Li’s wages in full and on time. This is why Da Li's mother wanted him to continue working. Jia Guang was worried that if Da Li lived alone, he might fall and no one would notice, which could be very dangerous. The family wasn’t short of money, so they didn’t support dismissing Da Li.

When Lu Hongjun arrived at the park, most of the people practicing Tai Chi were already there. Da Li, who had been instructed, sat nearby and didn’t leave.

An hour later, Lu Hongjun sat down and took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. An elderly lady in a red dress sat beside him and said with a smile, "Old Lu, I have some good news for you."

Lu Hongjun, with his experience, immediately said, "If it’s about introducing a companion, forget it. My health isn’t good, and I don’t want to be a burden."

He had been bedridden for over a year before he recovered. Now, his health was similar to that of his peers, but only after spending a lot of money on treatments. Even now, he still took health supplements every day!

Auntie Meng smiled and said, "What burden? My old sister has been living alone for many years and now wants a companion, someone to talk to. Many people have introduced her to others, but she hasn’t liked any of them. But she took a liking to you at first sight. It’s fate."

Lu Hongjun, with his experience in matchmaking, didn’t ask about the other person’s conditions. He simply said, "My daughter and grandson don’t agree with me finding a companion."

Auntie Meng immediately said, "Old Lu, we seniors have the right to pursue happiness."

Lu Hongjun agreed, "You’re right, we seniors have the right to pursue happiness. But the house I live in was bought by my daughter and is in her name. All my living expenses and the fees for the housekeeper are paid by my daughter. Even my medical expenses are covered by her."

After saying this, he looked at Auntie Meng and said, "If I ignore her wishes and find a companion, and she gets angry and stops taking care of me, will your sister be able to take care of my daily needs and medical expenses?"

Auntie Meng’s expression changed, and she said, "It’s a child’s duty to take care of their parents. If she doesn’t take care of you, we can go to the community for help."

Lu Hongjun looked at her and said, "She will take care of me, but she will only provide basic living expenses. With that little money each month, I can barely afford medicine and food. I won’t be able to hire someone to take care of me or buy health supplements, and I won’t be able to live in a big house."

Auntie Meng realized she had misunderstood and said, "Your daughter is just trying to scare you. You shouldn’t really believe her."

Lu Hongjun countered, "What if she’s not just trying to scare me and really does decide to stop taking care of me? Who will be responsible then?"

Auntie Meng didn’t dare to take on such responsibility. However, she changed her approach and tried to persuade him, "If your daughter is truly filial, she should agree to you finding a companion. As you get older, it’s natural to feel lonely, and having a companion would give you someone to talk to."

Lu Hongjun indicated that he didn’t feel lonely at all, "The housekeeper does my laundry, cooks for me, and cleans the house. She makes different dishes every day so that I don’t get bored. Da Li takes care of me closely, sleeps in the same room, and will immediately take me to the hospital if anything happens. My house is never quiet; my nephews and great-nephews visit me every day to chat, and my grandson and great-grandson come to spend time with me on weekends."

He then said sincerely, "Comrade Meng, I’m living a very comfortable life right now. I really don’t need to find a companion."

"Comrade Meng, I won’t hide anything from you. The two women I married later in life didn’t work out. The second one almost got my daughter killed, and the third one almost got me into legal trouble, and I ended up paralyzed for over a year. Because of these experiences, my daughter and nephews strongly oppose me finding a new companion. They fear that it might bring more turmoil to the family. Comrade Meng, I’m old and can’t handle much more upheaval. This current life is quite good for me."

Auntie Meng could see that he was genuinely interested but was held back by his daughter and nephews' opposition. At their age, relying on children for support sometimes meant making compromises.

To her surprise, the elderly lady didn’t give up. She not only continued to dance at the park but also actively approached Lu Hongjun to talk and chat.

Lu Hongjun sensed something was wrong and decided not to go to the park the next day. However, the elderly lady showed up at his house, claiming to bring him something.

At this point, Lu Hongjun had no desire to remarry. Seeing that the elderly lady was persistent, he immediately called Lu Jiaxin and said he wanted to stay at Shichahai for a while.

Lu Jiaxin was a bit puzzled, "Why do you suddenly want to stay at Shichahai?"

Lu Hongjun explained the situation, "I’ll stay at Shichahai for a while to avoid the attention."

Lu Jiaxin said, "We haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no need to hide. You should tell your older brother about this, and let him talk to the elderly lady’s children. If she continues to harass you, don’t blame us for being harsh."

"Is that really necessary?"

Lu Jiaxin gave a cold laugh, "Why not? You’re at this age and in poor health. Her persistent pursuit can’t be just because she likes you; she must have an ulterior motive. She’s either after your older brother or me."

There was no need to show mercy to such a person."

After a brief pause, she asked suspiciously, "Or is it that you actually wanted to marry that old lady, but gave up due to the reality of the situation?"

Lu Hongjun hurriedly assured her that he had no intention of remarrying: "I just want to take good care of my health and live long enough to see Zhao Zhao get married and have children."

"There's no need to force yourself, either."

Lu Hongjun knew he wouldn't find comfort in Jia Xin's words, so he chose to feign deafness: "Jia Xin, there are only a few more months until the New Year. How do you plan to spend it?"

Lu Jiaxin understood his intention and wanted to spend the New Year with them in Port City: "I've discussed it with Ah Zhan. This year, we're going abroad for the New Year."

After Elder Mr. Nie's passing, Nie Zhan had kept his promise to travel with her, never standing her up again. She now focused most of her energy on her two children, delegating a large portion of her work to her subordinates. With her persistent persuasion, Nie Zhan paid more attention to balancing work and rest. As the leader, he only needed to steer the company's development; there was no need to do everything personally.

Lu Hongjun wanted to join them on their trip abroad, but he kept it to himself, knowing that Jia Xin wouldn't pay him any mind. He was aware that Jia Xin hadn't truly forgiven him; it was only out of filial piety and public opinion that she had given him a comfortable retirement. But expecting her to be as considerate and filial as other daughters was impossible.

As the New Year approached, Lu Jiaxin, as she had said, went on a trip with her family of four. At Lu Shan's persuasion, Lu Hongjun agreed to spend the New Year at his home.

However, on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, he returned to Chaoyang District on the morning of the first day of the New Year. It wasn't an issue with the children; it was Dabao's mother who couldn't tolerate him. The old lady kept finding fault with everything, and the food she prepared didn't suit his taste either. To avoid an unpleasant scene on New Year's Eve, Lu Hongjun endured it for a day before leaving, saving face for Lu Shan. But when he received a call from Lu Jiaxin on the tenth day of the New Year, he couldn't help but complain.

The more Lu Hongjun spoke, the more upset he became, his voice choking with emotion: "You gave me the house and the shop, but instead of being welcomed, I was treated like a thief when I visited for the New Year."

Lu Jiaxin furrowed her brows and asked, "What did Lu Shan say?"

Lu Hongjun replied, "He said that Dabao's mother has been in a bad mood lately and asked me to be understanding. But why should I be understanding when she's in a bad mood?"

"Did you scold him?"

Lu Hongjun remained silent.

Lu Jiaxin felt that he was becoming more useless as he aged, and Lu Shan had done something so outrageous that he didn't dare to scold him. However, this matter couldn't be ignored, as who knew what else might happen in the future.

Lu Shan's family also had a phone installed. When Lu Jiaxin called, she found that Dabao was the one who answered. She asked, "Dabao, your grandfather said he went to your house for the New Year, but your mother made him feel so unwelcome that he returned to Chaoyang on the first day of the New Year. What did your grandfather do to make your mother dislike him so much?"

Dabao found it difficult to answer.

Lu Jiaxin said, "Dabao, just tell me what happened. If your grandfather was in the wrong, I'll ask him to apologize to your mother."

In other words, if her mother was in the wrong, this matter couldn't be left unresolved. Lu Hongjun had wronged his original body, but he had been nothing but good to Lu Shan and Dabao. To be precise, he had been good to everyone in the Lu family.

Dabao knew that if this matter wasn't explained clearly, the relationship would become strained. After a while, she spoke softly, "Auntie, Grandpa was peeping at my mother while she was taking a bath, so she doesn't like him."

Lu Jiaxin had met Dabao's mother, and she didn't believe this: "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

"My mother told me herself."

"Do you believe what your mother said?"

"My mother has no reason to lie to me."

In other words, without evidence or a confrontation between the two parties, Dabao had passed a death sentence on Lu Hongjun. Lu Jiaxin didn't get angry. She said, "Does Shan Zi know about this?"

"Yes."

"And he believes your mother's words?"

"Yes."

Lu Jiaxin didn't question Lu Shan but instead called Lu Jiaguang directly and told him about the incident: "Big Brother, it's true that my father married three wives, but I believe he wouldn't do something so despicable. Brother, please look into this matter and clear my father's name."

That evening, Lu Jiaguang called Lu Jiaxin and explained that it was all a misunderstanding: "Dabao's mother misunderstood. Uncle Lu just happened to be there that day."

"And then?"

"Dabao's mother apologized to Uncle Lu."

Lu Jiaxin asked the crucial question: "If Dabao believes her mother, why doesn't Shan Zi believe my father?"

Lu Jiaguang sighed and said, "Shan Zi thinks his mother-in-in-law is honest and wouldn't use such a thing to deceive people."

Lu Jiaxin let out an 'oh' and hung up without scolding Dabao or Shan Zi; there was no need to.

This incident made Lu Hongjun realize that the only person he could truly rely on in his later years was Lu Jiaxin, and Lu Shan and his wife were not to be trusted. After understanding this, he became distant towards Lu Shan and Dabao. He frequently called Port City to inquire about Lu Zhao and Nie Xing through the butler. From then on, he eagerly awaited the Mid-Autumn Festival or the New Year, as it meant he could see his two adorable and intelligent granddaughters.

When Zhao Zhao turned eight, Lu Hongjun underwent a gallbladder surgery, a minor procedure. But as he lay in the hospital bed, he desperately wished that Jia Xin would bring their two granddaughters to visit him. Unfortunately, until his discharge, neither Jia Xin nor her daughters appeared.

Lu Jiaguang said, "Uncle Lu, Jia Xin has a big project on her hands and can't get away. I've discussed it with her, and after your discharge, we'll take you to our home."

Lu Hongjun actually wanted to go to Port City, but he knew it was impossible; Jia Xin wouldn't agree. The past had never truly passed for her. Over the years, he had lived with regret, but there was no remedy for regret in this world.

(End of Chapter)

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