Back To The 80s

Chapter 285: Chapter 295: Retribution (Additional 600 monthly tickets)_1

Lu Zhanguo sat up, looking at the pouting Gu Xiaobei and said, "Alright, don’t be angry. Qin Ximei’s life is even worse now, it’s her retribution."

Gu Xiaobei shook his head: "It’s not enough. Whenever I think about it, I just want to tear her apart."

Lu Zhanguo felt the same deep down. He patted Gu Xiaobei on the top of his head and said softly, "Let’s go, time to eat." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The two went downstairs holding the child. Surprisingly, Lu Aiguo and Yueyue were playing shuttlecock in the living room. Fang Jing had left earlier for her night shift.

Wen Xiuqing came out of the bedroom, looking at Lu Aiguo dissatisfied, she said, "You’re causing dust to fly everywhere with your jumping, how are we supposed to eat later?"

Lu Aiguo acted as if he hadn’t heard, and bounced more happily. Wen Xiuqing, too lazy to say anything else, turned back into the kitchen. Gu Xiaobei held Mo Wang, watching the fun. Yueyue seeing the spectators, started playing even more vigorously.

Lu Songyuan came home, looking at the scene, he laughed heartily. The house hadn’t had this much energy in a long time.

Lu Songyuan took off his coat, washed his hands and came out, then took Mo Wang from Gu Xiaobei and began strolling around the house.

Wen Xiuqing stood at the kitchen door, watching everything in a daze. Her eyes were slightly moist.

At dinner, Lu Songyuan insisted on holding Mo Wang. With his children, he hardly had the chance to hold them when they were young. There were constant wars and border conflicts then. He had no time to stay home with his wife and children.

Holding Mo Wang now, he couldn’t help but sigh and said, "When Mo Wang gets older, he will go with me to the army for training. He’s promising."

Lu Aiguo joked, "Father, you still didn’t have enough of being a soldier, and now you want to drag your grandson into it?"

Gu Xiaobei couldn’t help giggling. Lu Aiguo was glib. She didn’t know who he took after in the family.

"Hurry up and eat, my Mo Wang looks like a future general, not a good-for-nothing like you who failed the military examination," Lu Songyuan retorted.

Lu Aiguo disdainfully responded, "I didn’t want to go. Dad, you have no idea. I drank two bottles of Baijiu the day before the examination, which is why I didn’t go." He finished with a proud wink at his father.

"I knew you’d be up to no good, little rascal. It’s just as well you didn’t go. You would probably run at the first sign of danger on the battlefield anyway," Lu Songyuan, seemingly aware of Lu Aiguo’s trick, got up with Mo Wang and sat down on the couch.

Lu Aiguo, unaccustomed to his father not blowing up, moved closer and sat next to Lu Songyuan.

Gu Xiaobei let Lu Zhanguo hold Xiaopang while she cleared the dinner table. Surprisingly, Wen Xiuqing had a smile on her face today and helped Gu Xiaobei carry the dishes into the kitchen.

Gu Xiaobei watched Wen Xiuqing walk away, a bit confused. She doubted her own eyes, her mother-in-law actually had a smile on her face.

After leaving the living room, Wen Xiuqing sat down on a single-seater couch, her gaze soft as she watched Mo Wang in Lu Songyuan’s arms.

In the following days, Gu Xiaobei lived quite comfortably. Although Wen Xiuqing was still quirky and sometimes nagged at them, Gu Xiaobei had learned the ways of the Lu siblings: in one ear and out the other, go about your day and enjoy your meals.

In early winter, Capital City was windy. Gales swept across the bare tree branches, causing them to sway and moan.

Because the Lu Family lived near a mountain, the wind rushed through the house as if it could lift off the roof.

On windy days, there was no TV signal. After dinner, Gu Xiaobei and Lu Zhanguo went upstairs holding their children.

Despite the harsh winds outside, the inside was warm as spring. Gu Xiaobei would bathe the two children every two or three days.

After bathing Mo Wang and Xiaopang, drying them and dressing them in small clothes, she would put them on the bed, leaving their diapers off, and then play with the plump babies for a while.

While Gu Xiaobei and Lu Zhanguo were playing with Mo Wang and Xiaopang, they heard arguing from the next room.

"Such a big decision, and you didn’t even discuss it with me? You just made the decision on your own? How can you be so capable?"

"You’re too selfish, what about taking a leave of absence without pay, will our family starve? Yueyue is attending kindergarten and wants to go to the Children’s Palace too. Don’t they charge fees? How can you be so carefree?" Fang Jing’s voice was strained with a crying tone.

Only Lu Aiguo was silent, with Fang Jing’s voice dominating: "Doing business, is it really as secure as a stable job? Are you bewitched?"

Gu Xiaobei and Lu Zhanguo looked at each other, Gu Xiaobei inferred from the conversation that Lu Aiguo wanted to start a business.

At this point, many people were taking unpaid leave to start businesses, and they were among the first to get rich.

Gu Xiaobei quickly put on the children’s pants and diapers, wondering if she should go over and check on them.

After the children were dressed and their diapers changed, Fang Jing was still crying and ranting. They heard Yueyue also crying, "Mommy, don’t fight, don’t quarrel with daddy."

Hearing Yueyue crying, Gu Xiaobei decided to go over and check. She asked Lu Zhanguo to watch the children, while she went to get Fang Jing out of the room. The children could be frightened by adults arguing.

Gu Xiaobei knocked on the door and saw Fang Jing sitting on the bed, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, with Yueyue clinging to her legs crying non-stop. Lu Aiguo was sitting on a chair with his head lowered, looking very chastened.

Gu Xiaobei said, "Aiguo, go find your second brother for a while, I will sit here with Fang Jing."

Lu Aiguo, as if pardoned, quickly got up and left the room.

"Alright, stop crying, see how scared Yueyue is." Gu Xiaobei squatted down, wiped Yueyue’s tears, and comforted Fang Jing.

Fang Jing wiped her tears, her voice congested as she said, "Sister-in-law, you don’t understand. Lu Aiguo didn’t discuss with anyone and just got unpaid leave. Can doing business make money?"

"Isn’t the market economy being encouraged now? Business is more profitable than working," said Gu Xiaobei persuasively.

Fang Jing looked at Gu Xiaobei with red eyes and said, "What if we lose money? Having a stable job is better, you are protected from good and bad years. If business really made money, who would want to work? There are many people smarter than Lu Aiguo. Why are they all honestly staying in their units?"

Gu Xiaobei was left speechless by Fang Jing. Business was indeed risky, and no one could guarantee making money. But it was because of the risk that the potential gains were the greatest.

"Now that Aiguo has already taken the unpaid leave, let him try for a while. If it doesn’t work out, he can go back to work." Gu Xiaobei chose the words Fang Jing would most likely accept to console her.

Even though she personally agreed with Lu Aiguo’s decision to do business, she didn’t dare to say this to Fang Jing. If the business failed, Fang Jing might blame her.

Fang Jing sighed and said, "Now that it’s come to this, we have no choice but to let him try. You don’t understand, Lu Aiguo could never stay idle for a day. He had so many ideas, my opinion doesn’t matter at all. But I have to vent; otherwise, it feels terrible inside."