Chapter 8 At Worst, I'll Just Go Talk to His Boss

Only then did Lu Yan calm down. He wiped his forehead, said nothing more, and entered the room where Lu Fan usually slept, shutting the door behind him with a heavy thud.

It was only when he opened his bag to look for his ID card that he realized its contents had been rummaged through as well. The remaining change had been completely taken, but thankfully, the letter and the withdrawal slip were still there.

Lu Yan sat powerlessly on the bed, his mind drifting back over the years, his mood sinking to its lowest point.

As a child, he and his elder brother had performed equally well in school, perhaps even better in his case. But because he was not adept at speaking or socializing, he was never favored at home. Every time he returned from school, there was always endless farm work waiting for him.

It wasn’t until he started boarding in middle school, free from chores, that he finally had more time to study, and his grades soared. He ranked first in the entire school in every subject. But his parents insisted they couldn’t afford to send both children to school, and someone needed to help with the farm work at home, so they called him back.

Even though he outperformed his brother in middle school, why was it he who had to return?

He had asked his mother, unwilling to accept this fate, but her answer had made no sense: "Because he’s the eldest son of the family. In the future, your father and I will rely on him for support in our old age."

He had argued that he could take on that responsibility as well, but was firmly rejected.

It wasn’t until several days into the new school year that the principal found him, caked in mud, working in the rice fields.

The principal brought him home and tried to persuade Qian Guihua and her husband. "He’s already in his third year of middle school. In just a year, he can take the college entrance exam. The school will waive his tuition; you just need to manage part of his living expenses and miscellaneous fees."

The school had never before encountered a student of such exceptional talent.

His brother attended the same middle school, failed to get into high school last year, and was repeating the grade this year.

Qian Guihua refused outright, insisting that not even the miscellaneous fees could be covered.

This second son of hers, though quiet, did his chores meticulously—sometimes even better than the adults—and was easy to manage.

The principal, unwilling to let such talent go to waste, went to the county that very night, pulled some strings, and published a small plea for help in the newspaper, including information for five students in need.

That year, he received a sponsorship and a letter. The total of fifteen hundred yuan allowed him to finish his last year of middle school and all of high school.

At university, he met Professor Shen, who appreciated him unconditionally, encouraged him, covered his tuition and living expenses, and enabled him to focus solely on his studies and research, leading to his later achievements and job opportunities.

He knew full well that Professor Shen had been maligned, but there was nothing he could do. Now, he couldn’t even take care of her only daughter, and he was filled with guilt and remorse.

"Lu Yan, come out and take your brother to the infirmary," Qian Guihua shouted at the door.

Lu Yan didn’t move. After a while, he put the letter and the withdrawal slip back into his bag. Only when the noise outside ceased did he sling the bag over his shoulder, open the door, and see Qian Guihua and the old man Lu sitting in the living room, as if waiting for him deliberately.

"Where are you planning to go now? Your brother’s medical fee is five yuan. Go and settle it," Qian Guihua said, her face full of displeasure.

Lu Yan glanced at the two elders, his face expressionless. "Tomorrow, pack your things and go back to the old home."

Qian Guihua exploded at these words. "What did you say?"

"I’ll send your retirement money home every month on time," Lu Yan added.

The old man Lu thought he had misheard. His usually taciturn second son was actually telling them to go back to the village?

"We raised you, and now that you’ve got wings, you want nothing to do with us anymore, is that it?" Qian Guihua demanded loudly.

"I’m not abandoning you. I’ll send your retirement money on time," Lu Yan repeated.

Qian Guihua protested on the spot. "Your brother isn’t married, your elder brother’s child is in elementary school—eighty yuan a month isn’t enough!"

"This family, apart from you and Dad, I have no obligation to support anyone else."

"We’re not leaving!" Qian Guihua declared righteously.

Lu Yan nodded. "Fine, then don’t expect even the eighty yuan from now on."

With that, he slung his cloth bag over his shoulder and walked out.

Qian Guihua watched Lu Yan’s retreating figure, growing anxious. "Old man, is the second one serious this time?"

They knew Lu Yan’s temperament well. When he didn’t care, he was easy to manipulate—he could be made to do the dirtiest, hardest work, eat the least, and never complain or resist, always doing things impeccably.

But if he meant business, no one could stop him.

The old man Lu took a long drag from his dry tobacco pipe. "So what if he’s serious? We’re still his parents. He’s someone of status now. At worst, we’ll go talk to his superiors."

At these words, Qian Guihua was reassured.

...

Shen Qingyi was in the kitchen preparing dinner. An’an sat on the living room sofa, absorbed in fiddling with his Rubik’s Cube.

He had taken many steps and managed to barely solve two sides. His little face was all scrunched up, and although the fan was on, beads of sweat dotted his upper lip.

"Do you want me to teach you?"

Hearing the familiar voice, An’an quickly looked up, delight flashing in his eyes, but it soon faded. He glanced furtively toward the kitchen and said nothing.

Lu Yan sat beside An’an, glancing up to see a children’s educational program playing on the television.

Just then, the power suddenly went out. The room was plunged into darkness, and the fan stopped spinning. Shen Qingyi’s voice came from the kitchen: "An’an, go outside and see if it’s just our house or the whole compound that’s out?"

The wires in this house were old; blown fuses were a common occurrence.

An’an was about to climb down from the sofa when Lu Yan stopped him. "Let me check."

He pulled a flashlight from his bag and began inspecting everything, from the main power switch to the fuse, the circuit breaker, then the sockets and appliances.

"An’an! Is it only our house that’s lost power?" After two or three minutes, Shen Qingyi’s voice came again.

An’an watched Lu Yan as he replied, "Yes!"

"Then wait a moment. I’ll go find the electrician to fix it."

As soon as she finished speaking, the lights flickered back on, the fan resumed spinning, and the sound from the television returned.

An’an stared at Lu Yan in amazement, unable to hide the worship in his eyes. "You... you’re amazing!"

Lu Yan had heard countless words of praise throughout his life, but his son’s admiration moved him in a way nothing else had.

Proud as he was, he only nodded lightly, then sat down beside An’an again. "I know some advanced ways to play with the Rubik’s Cube. Would you like to see?"

...

In the kitchen, the lights came back on. Shen Qingyi was puzzled—An’an had just said it was only their house, so how had it been fixed so quickly? She put the shredded potatoes in water, dried her hands, and walked out into the main hall.

There, she saw the backs of two figures, one large, one small, leaning together, completely absorbed in their task.

"An’an!"

At her voice, An’an jumped away from Lu Yan, slid off the sofa barefoot, and ran to Shen Qingyi, looking a little guilty. "Mom, he fixed the electricity. So... so..."

He really didn’t want to do anything to upset his mother. At that moment, Lu Yan put down the Rubik’s Cube, turned to Shen Qingyi, and said, "I just came to see An’an."