Chapter 38: Familiarity Comes with Practice

Lu Qiaoge was born in the military factory family compound, so she certainly had many acquaintances.

She thought carefully and then remembered that this man, who called himself Uncle Wei, seemed to live upstairs from Liang Aishu's family.

Since Lu Qiaoge had already reached out to deal with this trouble, there was no reason to let it go.

She pressed her hands on the bookcase and refused with a beaming smile, "No, I want this bookcase too."

"You don't even go to school, what do you need a bookcase for?" Old Wei asked, frowning.

Lu Qiaoge retorted unpleasantly, "Just because I don't go to school doesn't mean I can't want a bookcase. Uncle Wei, what kind of mindset is that?"

Old Wei:...

People said this girl was useless and as stupid as a pig, but she was actually quite sharp-tongued.

However, he wasn't about to fight a little girl over junk, so he turned around and walked away with a cold face.

Lu Qiaoge managed to scrape together enough math, physics, chemistry, and Chinese textbooks for junior and senior high school; as for politics, there was no rush.

First, Lu Qiaoge carried the books to the main gate, and then she went with her younger sister to carry the cabinet.

Old Zhong was still listening to the radio, though he had turned the volume down.

Lu Qiaoge asked him with a smile how much everything cost in total.

"Three yuan!" Old Zhong said without even lifting his eyes.

Seeing his attitude, Lu Qiaoge completely abandoned the idea of handing him the books and the money.

She had one yuan on her, so she had to temporarily borrow from the money tucked in the books. But before she could hand it over, Old Wei came out from inside. There were only a few broken cabinets at the scrap yard, and this one was the most intact. Although it wasn't made of good wood, it was sturdy and could be used after a bit of cleaning; he had truly set his sights on it.

He addressed Lu Qiaoge: "Your house is so small, won't it take up too much space if you buy it?"

Lu Qiaoge didn't want to pay him any mind, but he immediately added, "If this were Shen Yun, if I said this to her, she would have happily let me have it long ago. You're really not as sensible as she is!"

Lu Qiaoling's eyes widened. "Why do you speak so nastily?"

Lu Qiaoge pulled her fuming sister back and said slowly, "Uncle Wei, if you hadn't mentioned Shen Yun, I might have actually agreed. But since you insisted on bringing her up, I'd rather carry this home and chop it up for firewood than let you have it!"

Old Wei:...

She really was quite provocative.

The news of the drowning and the broken engagement had almost spread throughout the compound, and since Liang Aishu lived right below his house, he knew that Liang Aishu was now seeing Shen Yun—his wife had mentioned it to him several times.

So, of all people to mention, why did he have to mention Shen Yun?

Lu Qiaoge handed the money to Old Zhong and said to Lu Qiaoling, "Let's carry it back and chop it up for firewood."

Lu Qiaoling was not one to take a loss.

"You speak so terribly! My sister is my sister, and Shen Yun is Shen Yun. They have nothing to do with each other, so why are you making comparisons? What, is letting you have it 'sensible' and refusing you 'unsensible'? Then what about you? If I said you were acting like a robber for snatching things we've set our eyes on, would you be willing to listen?"

Old Wei's eyes also bulged. Neither of the Old Lu's daughters was an easy person to deal with.

Lu Qiaoge gave Lu Qiaoling an affectionate thumbs-up, then placed the books into the cabinet and tied the doors shut with the rope she had just picked up. She carried the heavy end and didn't bother looking at the displeased Old Wei; the two sisters carried the cabinet and left.

Only after they were far away did Old Wei say with a flushed face, "They say like people marry like people; they're both like shrewish women. No wonder Liang Aishu looks down on her."

Old Zhong glanced at him, turned up the volume, and continued listening to the radio.

Old Wei paced around for a bit before finally walking away in a huff.

The scrap yard was not close to the Lu family home, but Lu Qiaoge was strong, so Lu Qiaoling didn't feel much effort as they arrived home.

The gates of the Lu courtyard opened, and Lu Qiaoge and Lu Qiaoling carried in a worn-out bookcase.

Meng Xia thought it was a gift from someone, but she heard Lu Qiaoge say, "Mom, it wasn't a gift. I bought it at the scrap yard for two yuan."

Even though Meng Xia felt Lu Qiaoge was bringing honor to the family, she was still angry at this moment.

"The house is only this big, where are you going to put a broken cabinet? You really don't know the value of things because you don't run a household. Don't you know how much two yuan can buy? You spendthrift..."

As Lu Qiaoge and Lu Qiaoling finished setting the cabinet in place, the tabby cat jumped up and tried to scratch at one of the drawers with its claws.

【It's right here, it's right here! Little Master, hurry up and open it to see!】

Lu Qiaoge said to it in her mind, "Wait a few days to open it. Otherwise, if we find one mechanism and then another immediately after, smart people will get suspicious."

There couldn't be that many coincidences for her to encounter twice in one day.

The tabby cat found it boring and leaped down from the top with a *whoosh*.

Old Lady Lu sat under the tree swaying her fan. She narrowed her eyes and said slowly, "I feel like this tabby cat is quite perceptive. Did it remember that incident with the dressing table this morning and think there's treasure in this cabinet too?"

Then she said to Meng Xia, "You've already bought it, so stop talking."

Lu Qiaoling ran to wash the cleaning cloths and volunteered, "Second Sister, you did almost all the heavy lifting just now. I didn't help much. I'll wipe the cabinet."

What Lu Qiaoge was worried about was having to ask Meng Xia for money.

This was a matter of getting used to it through repetition; she put on a thick skin and said, "Mom, lend me ten yuan. I'll pay you back once I get my salary."

Meng Xia's eyes widened. "You've only worked for one day, and you've already spent almost half a month's salary. Our family is still in debt."

Lu Xiaosi walked over and tugged at Meng Xia's collar, saying softly, "Mom, I feel much better these past few days. Can we not buy medicine next month?"

Every time they bought medicine, it cost thirty yuan. He felt like he was a burden and a weight.

Besides, he didn't like taking medicine.

It was truly, truly bitter.

Lu Qiaoge didn't understand pharmacology, but she knew from the Old Turtle that this prescription was decent; it was just a bit expensive. But there was no way around it—many traditional Chinese medicines weren't available for sale right now, and that old doctor was only treating them out of respect for Lu Da.

Although Meng Xia complained, she readily produced the money, though she told Lu Qiaoge, "I only have twenty yuan left in my pocket. You have to spend it sparingly, do you hear me?"

Lu Qiaoge nodded obediently.

She had to find a way to make money.

Of course, before that, she had to make a trip to Red Star Lake.

This time, Lu Qiaoling insisted on coming along, and naturally, so did Lu Xiaosi.

However, there were several old men fishing by the lake where Lu Qiaoge often went.

The Old Turtle and the Big Carp were nowhere to be seen; they had likely swum far away.

Lu Qiaoge led her sister and brother toward a deserted area.

She had brought two small iron buckets today.

She planned to get a lot at once.

Knowing that her second daughter always returned with a full load, Meng Xia was quite happy to clear out a large iron basin.

If they couldn't eat it all, they could raise it in the basin and eat it slowly.

The rest could be used to make dried fish.

The three people and the cat walked very fast, reaching the other side almost in the blink of an eye.

The old men breathed a sigh of relief; if they hadn't left, they wouldn't have been able to catch any fish with all that noise and commotion.

The tabby cat stood on a relatively high large rock, stretching its neck and meowing.

It was calling out to the Old Turtle and the Big Carp it was familiar with.

Unexpectedly, a Naughty Swallow flew over the lake, actually carrying a piece of grass in its beak.

Lu Qiaoge reached out her hand, and the revitalized Naughty Swallow placed a palm-length, shimmering white water plant into her palm.

(End of Chapter)