Chapter 32: A Sudden Flash of Brilliance

Chapter 32: A Sudden Spark of Intelligence

Southern Yunnan was restless, and Lu Zhenping had almost no time to rest. One day, just as he stepped off the training field, he saw a runner approaching with a letter.

"Colonel Lu, your letter."

Lu Zhenping raised an eyebrow upon receiving it. This was the third piece of family mail he had received this month. Normally, it was never this frequent; his parents only wrote when something was happening at home. As for his wife, it was perfectly normal that she hadn't sent a single letter in over half a year.

After reading through the letter, Lu Zhenping found it quite interesting. When had his wife suddenly become so clever that she actually knew how to fight back? He felt quite satisfied seeing this.

Almost the entire page was filled with his mother complaining about Shen Meng being unfilial and disobedient, accusing her of withholding her pension and food stamps, describing the family's hardships, and stating that for the next shipment of goods and remittances, she should simply write her own name.

At the end of the letter, Lu Jiaxuan was mentioned again, asking Lu Zhenping to put in a word with the people at the local Revolutionary Committee to help him get a position as a clerk.

After finishing the letter, Lu Zhenping stuffed it back into the envelope. Upon returning to his office, he placed it with his previous letters. After much deliberation, he finally picked up his pen to write a letter to Lu Changhong.

He was curious about Shen Meng's newfound ability to fight back, but he was also worried about the children. When he left home, he had subtly and overtly instructed her to take good care of them. He had also spoken to the elders of the Shen family; his in-laws were reasonable people who promised to visit from time to time. In the village, there was Lu Changhong; outside, there were the Shen elders; and he had also made arrangements with the commune and the county.

He had arranged everything he could. Previously, he thought it was foolproof, but ever since he learned he was a father, he realized that no amount of planning could bring peace to his heart. This restlessness made him feel an overwhelming sense of guilt toward Mingyang and the other children.

And, of course, there was Shen Meng!

Thinking of Shen Meng, Lu Zhenping felt a strange sensation in his chest. He rummaged through his drawer and found a slightly damp cigarette in a crevice. He lit it and took a puff, which made him cough for a long time.

"I could hear you coughing from a mile away. Where on earth did you find that? It's moldy, and you're still smoking it?" Ma Xiang gave him a look of disdain and tossed something toward him. Lu Zhenping caught it and chuckled; it was a pack of cigarettes.

"I'm not craving these, but if you insist on giving them, I'll take them." He opened the pack, took one out, and lit it using the damp one.

"What's up? You looked quite troubled just now. Worried about this new batch of recruits?"

Lu Zhenping shook his head. Why would he worry about recruits? The ones who should be worrying were the squad leaders and company commanders training them. If a Deputy Colonel had to worry about such things, what use were the subordinates?

"It's nothing, orderly."

"Yes, sir!"

"Mail this letter out."

"Yes, sir."

Ma Xiang caught a glimpse as the letter was handed over. It was addressed to their hometown; he figured Lu Zhenping was homesick. He had heard that another letter had arrived from home today. It had never been like this before—could something have happened to the family?

He didn't dare speak up. Lu Zhenping was a very private man regarding his family matters and rarely spoke of them. The only time he had ever turned to his comrades for help was regarding the adoption of Mingyang and the others. Ma Xiang secretly mused that the family should tighten their belts this month; if Old Lu ran into any trouble, he wanted to make sure he could squeeze out some money to help, rather than being unable to provide it when needed.

Lu Zhenping narrowed his eyes, rubbing his fingers while taking a deep drag of his cigarette. The smoke made the corners of his eyes and brows appear even colder. It was time to split from the Lu family.

Shen Meng had no idea what Lu Zhenping was thinking. But if she knew that Lu Zhenping had arranged for so many people around her to help and look after her and the children just so they could live more comfortably and the children could have a better life...

She would probably point at his forehead and nod vigorously. Naive, too naive.

The powerful "protagonist aura" of a man and woman is not something a supporting character can balance; it will only make your exit faster and more tragic!!!

A couple of days ago, Shen Meng had approached Zhang Hongfa to discuss the children's schooling. He had been looking for an excuse to ask Lu Zhenping for help and was searching for an opportunity, so it had come right to his door.

With school costing one yuan and thirty cents per semester, the news that Shen Meng had enrolled the three children reached the Lu household, sparking another uproar. Lu Jiahe still held a grudge over her taking the grain and stated bluntly that if they wanted to keep eating the Lu family's food, they would have to pay board, otherwise, since she had taken all the grain, it was no different from splitting the family.

The items his eldest brother sent back this time weren't much, yet his mother still occasionally sent people to the main house to deliver food, which made him incredibly angry.

Because of this, he had a falling out with Liu Sanjin. In the heat of the argument, Liu Sanjin let slip that Lu Jiaxuan was planning to build a house. This struck a nerve. Although he only knew about working and eating, it didn't mean he was a pushover; if the fourth brother's family was building a house, he had to build one too.

The Lu family was making a scene every day like a drama troupe, but Shen Meng and the children were becoming closer and closer. The closest were Lu Mingfang and Lu Mingkai, who clung to her every day, unwilling to be apart for even a moment, much to the chagrin of Lu Mingyang.

"Mother, what are we eating tonight?"

"Did you learn the characters your third aunt taught you today?"

Lu Mingliang quickly ran back to find his notebook and showed Shen Meng a character, "Liang" (亮), written on it. The handwriting was crooked, and the "mouth" radical was missing a horizontal stroke.

"Mother, look at how well I wrote it! My brother didn't write as well as me. Third aunt said I'll be amazing at studying in the future, a candidate for the top scholar!"

Shen Meng: "..."

One was too bold in her claims, and the other was too gullible to believe them!!!

"It's quite good. We're having dumplings tonight. I mixed the filling this afternoon; I added meat to it. You all eat plenty tonight. I've saved a small bowl. Later, call Daqing, Erqing, and Gaogao over. You've eaten with them plenty of times before; that was all saved by Daqing's mother and Aunt Xifeng. We must remember their kindness."

Watching his siblings and listening to his mother, Mingyang felt happy in his heart. Although he worried about the family's grain, he remembered that it was the neighbors who had helped them back when Grandma wouldn't give them food.

However, watching the interaction between Mingliang and his mother, he felt incredibly envious.

"Mother, have we been eating too well lately? Meat soup, ribs, dumplings, buns... Mother, you've suddenly started eating like this, and it makes me nervous. Is it... is it because we aren't going to live much longer?"

Lu Mingliang muttered in a low voice. He had heard that when people are about to die, they should eat a bit better so they don't become hungry ghosts in the next life. Ever since his mother had improved, she had been finding new ways to cook for the brothers every day. At first, he had been very happy.

But gradually, he became afraid. An old man in the village had passed away a few days ago; before he died, he ate a white flour meat bun and cried while eating, saying he wouldn't have to be a hungry ghost in his next life.

Shen Meng: "..."

I have to say, your brain is sometimes a little *too* sharp!!!