Chapter 263: Chapter 252: Bringing Good News Chapter 263: Chapter 252: Bringing Good News Lu Jiaxin and Gu Wenfeng hailed a taxi on the street and told the driver they wanted to hire it for half a day. The driver expressed he had no time, “I have to pick up a passenger at the airport.”
Without waiting for a response, the driver stepped on the gas and drove off.
When they stopped the second taxi, Lu Jiaxin had learned her lesson and immediately mentioned she would pay in greenbacks after saying they needed to hire the car. Afraid the driver wouldn’t believe her, she took out a stack of greenbacks from her bag.
After confirming the address, the driver didn’t refuse the fare, but he did make a request, “There’s a stretch on the way that’s hard to drive on. It’ll be an extra twenty greenbacks.”
The road to the cemetery was indeed rough, so the driver’s request for an additional twenty greenbacks was reasonable. The wear and tear on the vehicles were significant, and nowadays, cars were treasured assets.
Second Sister-in-law Lu and Lu Jiazong were setting up their stall on Xiushui Street. As more and more people started doing business there, theirs improved as well.
After making a “jianbing guozi” for a customer, Second Sister-in-law Lu wiped her sweat and said, “Husband, we need to prepare more ingredients for tomorrow. Last Sunday, we sold out by eleven, and we were resting at home in the afternoon.”
The couple were hardworking, selling outside the school gates in the early morning and then moving to their stall here until two or three in the afternoon.
“Alright,” Lu Jiazong replied. They weren’t afraid of hard work; what worried them was the lack of customers. As long as the business was good, the hardship was worth it.
From a distance, Second Sister-in-law Lu spotted Xiao Qiu, “What are you doing here? Who’s going to watch your shop if you leave?”
After the New Year, they had planned to have the eldest and his wife come over, but then the eldest’s wife got pregnant. The Forty-nine City enforced family planning strictly, so they didn’t let them come. As for Lu Yun’s Wife, she was unwilling to come when she heard they had to start working before dawn every day. Third Aunt Lu did want to come, but Second Sister-in-law Lu was hesitant to bring her along. With her sneaky and sly nature, it would all fall on them if they didn’t make money or if she caused trouble.
Xiao Qiu excitedly said, “Mom, Aunt Jiaxin is back, she’s already home.”
Second Sister-in-law Lu’s hand shook in surprise, and the “jianbing guozi” almost fell onto the hot plate, “What nonsense are you talking about? Your aunt has her college entrance exams in July. How could she possibly be back?”
Xiao Qiu said, “It’s true. Fatty Aunt called me, said Aunt Jiaxin is back and she brought a tall man with her.”
Second Sister-in-law Lu cursed, “What do you mean she brought a man back? Your aunt is only seventeen and still needs to go to college. That fat woman really can’t say anything nice.”
But if she specifically called Xiao Qiu to tell her this, it was most likely true.
Xiao Qiu didn’t take offense. “Mom, Fatty Aunt told me that the tall man looks like Aunt Jiaxin’s bodyguard. Take care of the shop for me, I’ll go home and find Aunt Jiaxin.”
Second Sister-in-law Lu looked at the ingredients next to her; her husband wouldn’t know what to do with them by himself, “Let your dad watch the shop. I will continue selling ‘jianbing guozi’ and ‘jianjiao’ here until they’re sold out, then I’ll head back.”
Her ‘jianjiao’ were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant and crunchy, earning a bit of fame in the area. Thanks to their ability to work hard, their income had doubled. The couple now earned seventy to eighty a day, and over a hundred on the weekends when they stayed at their stall until five or six in the afternoon. The more they earned, the more motivated they felt despite the tiredness.
Xiao Qiu returned home in a hurry, only to find General Tie guarding the door as usual. She opened the door and rushed into the master bedroom. Seeing two suitcases and a few bags, she confirmed that Lu Jiaxin was indeed back. Delighted, she immediately called Lu Jiaguang, “Big Uncle, Aunt Jiaxin is back. The college entrance exams are just over a month away. Why would she come back at this time?”
Lu Jiaguang said with a smile, “Things are different in Hong Kong compared to the Mainland. Your aunt finished her exams five days ago.”
He hadn’t mentioned it to Lu Jiazong and the others, not out of secrecy but simply because they hadn’t asked him. He thought she had done poorly on the exams since she had not returned his call since the day of the exams. He hadn’t expected she had come back.
Xiao Qiu chuckled and said, “I was wondering why my little aunt would come back right before the high school exams. Turns out she finished them.”
“Your little aunt isn’t home?”
“No, she isn’t. I only saw her luggage; she must have gone out for some reason. Big Uncle, you and Big Aunt should come over after you get off work; we’ll have dinner here tonight.”
Lu Jiaguang couldn’t wait for the end of the workday. He was eager to know Lu Jiaxin’s results and said, “Call me as soon as your little aunt gets back.”
Xiao Qiu took the basket and left to buy groceries. She was usually very frugal with money, but this time she bought chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and she even carefully selected a piece of brisket.
Lu Jiaxin took an hour’s ride to the outskirts, jostling until her butt ached. When she arrived at her destination, she carried the incense and offerings to the graveyard, accompanied by Gu Wenfeng. As for the driver, he waited on the main road.
In front of and behind the grave, everything was clean and tidy, without a single weed. Lu Jiaxin wasn’t surprised; during Qingming Festival, Lu Jiaguang and Lu Jiazong had visited, and they surely would have cleared the weeds.
Lu Jiaxin placed all the offerings she brought, then lit the candles, and finally lit the incense and burned the paper money.
Kneeling before the grave, Lu Jiaxin held the incense earnestly before her forehead, silently chanting in her heart, “Xinxin, you wanted to go to university to wash away the past shame and wanted your father to divorce Ding Jing. I’ve fulfilled them for you.”
“Aunt Ding, Aunt always remembered Grandma Ding, treating me like her own granddaughter after taking me in. Don’t worry, I’ll protect her and ensure her peaceful twilight years.”
After kowtowing six times, Lu Jiaxin finally stood up.
Gu Wenfeng said, “Jiaxin, let me also offer a stick of incense to Madam Lu.”
Lu Jiaxin didn’t title, correcting him, “It’s not Madam Lu; it’s Miss Ding.”
Mrs. Lu wouldn’t care about Lu Hongjun’s remarriage. She foresaw this outcome while she was alive, but she would surely hate him for favoring his new wife and stepdaughter, which led to the death of her own daughter. This debt, once Lu Hongjun goes down, Mrs. Lu can slowly settle it with him.
Gu Wenfeng paused, then understood, “Yes, let me offer an incense stick to Miss Ding!”
If it weren’t for these extraordinary circumstances, Lu Hongjun wouldn’t even be worthy of Miss Ding.
After Gu Wenfeng finished offering the incense, the two of them descended the hill. Halfway down, Lu Jiaxin suddenly said, “In some time, I will hire a Feng Shui Master to find a good gravesite in Hong Kong and move my mother there, so I can visit her grave during New Year and Qingming Festival.”
Gu Wenfeng said, “Your father probably won’t agree; you should be prepared for that.”
Lu Jiaxin sneered and said, “He remarried and almost got me killed; what face does he have to disagree? Plus, with his nature, he’ll probably remarry soon. If I let such a person be buried with my mother, she’d haunt me in my dreams every day.”
With Mrs. Lu’s character, knowing what a lecherous person Lu Hongjun was, she definitely would have divorced him if she were alive. Ah, if only there were “if”s in the world.
Gu Wenfeng nodded and said nothing more. He didn’t know exactly how much money Lu Jiaxin had made, but it must be at least ten million. If she decided on it, nobody could stop her. His previous comment was just a reminder for her, so she wouldn’t be upset by any disagreements from Lu Hongjun’s side later on–it would indeed be distressing.