Chapter 13: From Now On, We Are a Family of Four

Jiang Tianbao didn't recognize Lu Chen and thought he was just a passing stranger. He wasn't afraid at all; after all, his father was the most formidable butcher in the village.

*Bang!*

A firecracker exploded right in front of Lu Chen. Gunpowder smoke drifted into his nose, and a few scraps of paper even bounced against his face, stinging slightly. Lu Chen didn't even blink. He parked his vehicle and walked up to Jiang Tianbao.

As the smoke cleared, Jiang Tianbao finally recognized Lu Chen. Terrified, he shrank his neck and squeaked, "Sis... Brother-in-law, I didn't... didn't know it was you."

"So it's okay to set them off if it's someone else?"

Lu Chen grabbed the brat by the back of his collar. The stout Jiang Tianbao was like a little chick in his hands, not daring to move an inch.

"Dad, come save me! Dad..."

Jiang Tianbao cried out in despair. Someone in the distance saw him and hurried off to notify Father Jiang.

By the time Father Jiang rushed over, he saw his precious son fleeing in a pathetic manner like a fat monkey. Lu Chen held a large handful of firecrackers in one hand and a lit match in the other. He would light a firecracker, throw it, and it would explode right in front of Jiang Tianbao. Every single time, he threw them with perfect precision, missing Jiang Tianbao's face by only a few centimeters.

"Stop throwing them! I was wrong! I won't throw firecrackers anymore! Waaa... Dad, come save me!"

Jiang Tianbao was so scared he actually wet himself; his pants felt icy and cold. His face was a mess of tears and snot, but no matter where he ran, the firecrackers would bounce right in front of him. He now deeply regretted buying so many firecrackers; this black-hearted brother-in-law had been setting them off for so long and still wasn't finished.

"Lu Chen, you've got some nerve!"

Father Jiang roared as he charged forward. His profound and majestic paternal love made him forget his fear of Lu Chen; he only wanted to rescue his beloved son.

Lu Chen looked at him coldly. He twisted the fuses of six firecrackers together, lit them, and as sparks flew, he threw them toward Father Jiang. With a slight curl of his lips, he said, "Six-six-great-smoothness!" (A pun on *liuliu dashun*, meaning everything goes smoothly).

The firecrackers exploded in front of Father Jiang. Smoke rose everywhere and paper scraps flew. Because Father Jiang had a large, fat face, he took quite a bit of the blast. It stung fiercely, and his ears rang loudly. He froze in place like a wooden statue.

However, he was more capable than his son; he wasn't so scared that he wet his pants.

"I am your father-in-law, you beast!"

Father Jiang didn't dare move, fearing this black-hearted devil would throw even larger firecrackers. He cursed through gritted teeth.

"I'll recognize you if I want to, but if I don't, you're nothing. Teach your son well in the future. If he comes to act like an idiot again, I'll kill him!"

Lu Chen gave the paralyzed Jiang Tianbao a kick, let out a cold laugh, mounted his vehicle, and drove off.

"Why are you provoking him? Are you tired of living? If you buy these firecrackers again, I won't give you a single cent!"

The humiliated and angry Father Jiang vented all his rage on his son. However, he didn't hit Jiang Tianbao; he just scolded him a few times before helping him home. In his heart, however, he began to harbor a grudge against Jiang Hanyan.

*That damned rebellious daughter. She thinks she's grown wings just because she's following that bastard Lu Chen. Hmph, her household registration is still in my hands. Once Lu Chen gets tired of her, I'll sell her to Diao Dekai. I can make at least a few tens of thousands of yuan.*

As Father Jiang was busy making these schemes, he didn't realize someone was waiting for him at home. It was the pork stall owner, who had closed up early and cycled over to collect a debt.

"Old Jiang, your daughter Zhaodi bought twenty-six yuan and fifty cents worth of meat on credit from me. Pay up."

"Who told you to let her buy on credit? I don't have the money!"

Father Jiang was full of rage and spoke with a harsh tone.

But he was no match for the pork stall owner. As soon as the man raised his bone-cleaver, Father Jiang lost his nerve and obediently paid the twenty-six yuan and fifty cents, his hatred for Jiang Hanyan deepening even further.

On his way home, Lu Chen saw someone selling candied haws. He stopped to buy a stick and, upon returning home, handed it to Dou Dou.

Jiang Hanyan was cooking in the kitchen, and meat was stewing in the courtyard. It bubbled softly, and the aroma was mouth-watering. Lu Chen took a deep breath and turned to instruct Dou Dou, "Save one for your Auntie Jiang."

*Only because of her good cooking,* he told himself.

Having found a reason to make himself feel better, he tossed the listless rooster onto the ground and picked up the vegetable basket to head into the kitchen.

"These vegetable cores are so tender. Where did you get them?"

Jiang Hanyan liked eating vegetable cores. She had bought some at the market today, but they weren't this tender.

"Someone gave them to me. There's also a chicken."

As soon as Lu Chen finished speaking, he went out and locked his notebook in a drawer. After saving for a while longer, he would be able to pay off his debts again.

The salary his Third Brother gave him was five thousand yuan a month, and he would occasionally give him red envelopes. His brother was quite good to him, but unfortunately, the Third Brother didn't prioritize production safety. Lu Chen had suggested buying safety equipment several times, but was always rejected. Fearing he would be implicated, Lu Chen planned to leave once summer arrived.

Jiang Hanyan finished the dishes and went out to check on the rooster. The rooster, which had been listless, immediately perked up upon seeing her. It shook its bright red comb, spread its beautiful wings, raised its head, let out a loud crow, and stared at Jiang Hanyan with bright eyes.

"This chicken is quite spirited. It's saying it's very useful and doesn't want to die."

Jiang Hanyan translated the rooster's thoughts. That gaze meant exactly that. The rooster's eyes brightened even more, and it excitedly crowed three times in a row, each louder than the last.

"Chickens are for eating."

Lu Chen's cold voice was devoid of emotion. No matter how useful a rooster was, it was still meant for eating.

"Let's keep this chicken. It can eat bugs and even guard against thieves. Dou Dou, do you want to raise it?" Jiang Hanyan felt a bit reluctant to kill it, so she tried to form an alliance with Dou Dou.

Dou Dou nodded vigorously; he wanted to play with the rooster.

"Whatever!"

Lu Chen didn't care. It was just a chicken; he wasn't particularly eager to eat it.

"Dou Dou, let's give the rooster a nice name. How about 'Jin Meili' (Golden Beauty)?" Jiang Hanyan enthusiastically researched names with Dou Dou. Since it was a pet now, it couldn't go nameless.

The rooster flapped its wings excitedly, strutting around Jiang Hanyan. It didn't care what it was called, as long as it could live.

"Jin Meili doesn't sound very good. Let's call it 'Jin Shanshan' (Golden Shimmer). Like 'golden light shining,' so we can strike it rich in the future." Jiang Hanyan quickly rejected her own suggestion. "Beauty" was too cliché; "Jin Shanshan" sounded better.

Dou Dou nodded hard. He had the same thought as the rooster—any name was fine.

"Alright, it's Jin Shanshan then. I'll go grab a handful of rice."

Jiang Hanyan hurried back to the kitchen, grabbed a handful of rice, and scattered it on the ground. Jin Shanshan began to eat happily, pecking away, its bright red comb shaking like a celosia flower.

"From now on, we'll be a family of four!"

Jiang Hanyan was all smiles. The sunlight shone on her fair, tender skin, making even the fine peach fuzz visible, as well as the faint blue veins on her forehead. Lu Chen happened to glance over, and his heart skipped a beat, as if a soft fist had lightly struck his chest. It was a very, very strange feeling.

He turned his head away, the tips of his ears tinged red. His heart beat even faster. Unable to help himself, he stole another glance. Jiang Hanyan and Dou Dou were squatting on the ground, talking to Jin Shanshan. The adult and the child were smiling so widely their eyes curved into crescents, and their two shadows on the ground merged into one.

The corners of Lu Chen's mouth curled upward. His mood warmed inexplicably, and even the frustration of not being able to eat the chicken was healed.

(End of Chapter)