Rebirth Counterattack with Space-Chapter 43 - Truth (Part 2)

“On top of that, you treat Aiguo with such hostility that he hardly dares to come over and accept our parents’ kindness. Out of ten invitations to dinner, if he shows up four or five times, that’s already a lot. And you’re still acting this way now,” Lu Aijiao said, her face filled with frustration.

“When Aiguo got married, our parents had us give a larger wedding gift, but didn’t they also give us the extra amount back? What more do you want?”

“I didn’t know that, did I? How could I be angry if I did?” Lu Aimei mumbled, feeling even more aggrieved because her parents had compensated them for the difference, making her believe they couldn’t differentiate between close and distant relations, between their own children and others.

“Now that you know, you won’t make trouble with Aiguo anymore, right? Tomorrow you need to check yourself and not badmouth his wife, even if she is in her second marriage with a child. That’s Aiguo’s own choice, someone he loves. We, as his siblings, don’t have the right to gossip.”

Lu Aijiao stared at her, demanding a promise. She knew Lu Aimei had reservations about Lu Aiguo marrying Xia Yuan.

Lu Aimei’s mindset was odd; while she herself disliked Lu Aiguo, she always defended him in front of others. She felt free to criticize and berate him but wouldn’t tolerate outside criticism.

“I get it, I know… I definitely can’t be serious with him anymore,” Lu Aimei said, sounding a little disconcerted. Although it was hard for her to change her attitude towards Lu Aiguo overnight, she also realized that she had to. Fortunately, she could take her time with the change.

However, regarding the “cousin” who was actually her nephew, she decided she needed to adjust her attitude for their first meeting tomorrow. She couldn’t afford to act as indifferent as she had initially planned.

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“We should give a meeting gift to our nephew’s wife when we first see her, right? Maybe something more than what we gave to Zhang Cai?” Lu Aimei quickly sought Lu Aijiao’s opinion.

“The same amount will do. We don’t want to cause Zhang Cai to feel slighted,” Lu Aijiao, seeing Lu Aimei coming around, felt genuinely happy, “You better not let this slip.”

“Why not? After all these years, shouldn’t Lu Aiguo at least know the truth…” Lu Aimei muttered discontentedly.

“I told you not to mention it. This isn’t our business to meddle in,” Lu Aijiao glared.

—

After dinner, Lu Yun walked with Lu Aiguo and Xia Yuan in high spirits to visit their Uncle Lu.

Along the way, they encountered several neighbors either carrying hoes or shouldering carrying poles and manure pails on their way back from the fields, greeting them continuously.

Most of them just said one line, “Aiguo, taking your wife and daughter for a walk?” or “Have you eaten yet?”, “Where are you heading?”, “Come visit us when you have time,” and the like.

Sometimes Lu Aiguo replied with a simple sentence, sometimes he just nodded or smiled as they walked past. Xia Yuan maintained a smile throughout but didn’t talk much to others.

When they reached the vicinity of Uncle Lu’s yard and avoided the public eye, Lu Yun took out two baskets, one large and one small, to which Lu Aiguo chuckled, “Good thing we have your big warehouse, but why does it feel like we are the underground resistance?”

Lu Yun giggled and burst into song: “The red star gleams, shining through the generations, the red star so bright, its light it spreads, the red star is the heart of us workers and farmers…”

Lu Aiguo couldn’t help but laugh along, joining in the singing and laughter as Xia Yuan watched the father and daughter play, a mix of laughter and helplessness on her face. Their singing quickly drew out Uncle Lu’s wife, who opened the yard door, peeked out, and said with a laugh, “I knew it was you two by the sound. Why don’t you come in quickly instead of standing at the door singing?”

“Uncle Lu’s wife, is my uncle back yet?” Lu Aiguo, holding Xia Yuan’s hand in one and Lu Yun in the other, entered the yard. Once inside, he carefully closed the yard door and secured it with a wooden latch.

“He’s at home eating. What are you bringing this time? And why close the door, being all secretive?” Uncle Lu’s wife saw the big baskets on Lu Aiguo and Xia Yuan’s backs, and immediately lowered her voice in irritation, pressing Lu Aiguo for an answer.

“Didn’t I just bring over so many meat buns yesterday? What do you have today? You’re settled with a family, kids, and a wife to support. Your responsibilities are heavy. Can’t you keep things for yourself rather than giving them away everywhere?”

“I’ve got a bit of an opportunity recently, and getting stuff has been quite easy, Uncle Lu’s wife. Just let me know if you’re missing anything in the future; chances are I might be able to get it for you,” Lu Aiguo said with a smile, setting aside what he was carrying and cozying up to Uncle Lu’s wife. He wasn’t in a hurry to go into the main room but resolved to first win over Uncle Lu’s wife.

Xia Yuan and Lu Yun exchanged glances without speaking, instead stepping back a few paces to look around. Actually, Uncle Lu’s home layout was similar to theirs, but with two more rooms.

“I don’t lack anything, so don’t waste your money,” Uncle Lu’s wife said as she eyed Lu Aiguo’s basket, seeing that it was filled to the brim with something, but under the dim light borrowed from inside the house, she couldn’t clearly see what it was. Nonetheless, a worried expression emerged on her face.

“Uncle Lu’s wife, rest assured and put your heart at ease. Since I was a kid, I haven’t been one to cause trouble or act recklessly, right? I never get involved with anything uncertain or make mistakes… Actually, it’s because Shitou and I helped a stranger with his car some time ago, and at that time, he almost got robbed,” Lu Aiguo said upon noticing the worried look on Uncle Lu’s wife’s face, feeling a bit touched, he put his arm around her shoulders and leaned in to explain in a low voice.

“The meat buns were a thank-you gift from that man. Most of the stuff we brought today, we bought with money, not using ration tickets, and it didn’t cost much. Mainly they are all practical items.”

Ever since he was young, Lu Aiguo indeed had the illusion that Uncle Lu’s wife seemed to worry about him and treat him even better than his own mother did.