The Era of Hard Work

After breakfast, Lu Dong went to the second grandfather's side early to help. Today, the old man celebrates his birthday. Although he doesn't know how to have a big banquet for guests, there are four or five tables for the big family.

All the dishes were cooked by themselves, and Sun Qinghai pulled the stove over in the middle of the morning, preparing for a big banquet at noon. Lu Jianren drove in Lu Dong's car to buy vegetables at the fair, and Lu Dong directed several juniors to move the Eight Immortals table from house to house. Borrow plates and bowls.

The second grandfather has stock at home, and several sandalwood trays and silver wine jugs are matched.

This is also secretly preserved from that special era.

Lu Jianwu came back from Quannan specially, and hung a newly mounted nave in the middle of the hall.

This is a painting made by the second grandfather himself, a picture of a song and a crane prolonging the year.

There are vertical scrolls hanging on both sides of the middle hall, and it is written: life is not as old as Nanshan, and happiness is like the long water of the East China Sea.

"I'm old, I'm old, in the end I have to draw and write by myself." The second grandfather stood in the main room, looking at Zhongtang with his hands behind his back.

Lu Zhenlin said from the side: "Second brother, who in our village can compare to your calligraphy and painting?"

Lu Dong happened to come in, and when he heard this, he said, "Second Grandpa, we just don't have enough reputation, so we need to find a company to operate it, and you are also a proper calligrapher and painter."

Hearing his grandchildren praise what he was best at and most proud of in his life, the second grandfather couldn't help laughing: "Don't brag about it for me, I know how much I am at this level."

Lu Zhenlin said: "We have eight villages in ten miles, and your level can be counted."

Lu Tao came in from the outside, and Lu Dong called him to set up the table and place stools together, and asked the two outside to bring in the borrowed Eight Immortals table.

The main room has the largest area, and there are two tables to be placed.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of the Siberian cold current in recent days. Even if the stove is not lit, people can still sit in this place at noon.

After setting the tables in several rooms, Lu Dong had finished his work, and Lu Jianwu dragged him to talk at the gate.

"Your expansion speed is good." Although Lu Jianwu holds the title of legal consultant in Lu Dong's company, he has nothing to do recently, and he didn't go to the university town: "I went to Quannan three stores to check it out last weekend. Heh... the business is good, and the crowd is crowded."

He sat on the stool to the south of the door: "On weekends, if you want to go in a hot pot restaurant, you have to wait in line for a number. When I go there, there are about ten numbers in the queue."

Lu Dong took a seat and sat down: "There are so many people on weekends, and we can't get to the point of queuing at ordinary times."

Lu Jianwu told the truth: "Dongzi, fortunately, you didn't agree to follow me. If you followed me, it would really delay your development."

Lu Dong, his own uncle and nephew, could naturally hear what Uncle Ba said sincerely, and he continued: "Uncle Ba, I just entered Quannan, and no one pays attention to my small shops, so I will inevitably encounter some troubles later. , if you encounter legal matters, I will inevitably trouble you."

Lu Jianwu patted him on the arm: "Don't talk about my family, you are taking care of my business."

A black Santana car came from the north. Lu Jianren parked the car, opened the trunk and asked someone to unload the car. Various vegetables and meat bought from the factory were sent to Sun Qinghai by a few juniors, and a few aunts and aunts came to pick vegetables. Help Sun Qinghai.

Lu Jianwu joked with Lu Jianren: "Seventh brother, it's ok, we'll get in the car now."

Lu Jianren said casually: "If Dongzi dares to give it away, I will accept it."

This was all a joke, and Lu Dong continued, "Uncle Qi, please drive."

At this time, Lu Jiansong came from the north, and Lu Jianwu frowned slightly: "You invited him?"

Lv Jianren said: "Jian Song still invites people, but there are wine bureaus that come uninvited."

Needless to say, Lu Jiansong was very self-conscious about coming to celebrate his birthday, so he brought a brush for Second Grandpa, the kind sold at the market stall.

People like Lv Dong and Lv Jianren all have random money. The usual standard in Lujia Village is 20 yuan.

No matter how expensive or cheap something is, it is always a thought. It is always good for someone to come to celebrate a birthday. Even if you know that this person is used to drinking from noon to night, you can't drive him away.

Lu Jiansong came out of the house, sat down on a tall mat, and was about to cross his legs.

Lu Jianren suddenly asked: "Jiansong, what black socks are you wearing today?"

Hearing this, Lu Jiansong quickly retracted the leg that was about to be stretched out. He didn't want to talk to Lu Jianren, but instead said to Lu Dong: "Dongzi, didn't you say to invite Uncle Song to drink? Why is there no news here?"

Lu Dong wondered, when did he say he was invited to drink?

But as a junior, and in the old street, it's not easy to talk.

Lu Jianren took over the words: "What's the point of drinking with the younger one, we two brothers will drink later, it's flat..."

Just after eleven o'clock, Sun Qinghai lit up a fire to stir-fry vegetables. Lv Jianren and Lv Jianwu invited people to sit at home. There were four tables in total.

Suddenly there was a car noise outside, Lu Dong thought that someone from outside came to celebrate his birthday, so he hurried out with Uncle Qi.

After all, Second Grandpa also has a lot of painting and calligraphy friends outside.

Although I specifically told people in advance not to let people come, it is also possible that people come quietly.

When Lu Dong came to the door, he found that a red Fukang car had just stopped on the street. The driver's door was opened, and a middle-aged man got out of it.

People around were quite surprised to see the middle-aged man.

"Lu Jiandao!"

Lu Jianren's voice came from behind, and he also came to the door.

"Old Seven." Lu Jiandao took a birthday cake from the car, as if he didn't see anyone else on the street, and smiled at Lu Dong: "Dongzi, I haven't seen you for a long time."

Lu Dong responded politely: "Uncle."

In just a short while, the news had already spread inside. Lu Zhenlin and the older generation accompanied the second grandma and second grandpa out of the house, and Lu Dong quickly stepped aside.

When the second grandma saw Lu Jiandao, her tears couldn't stop rolling down, and she couldn't stand still, so the third grandma beside her hurriedly supported her.

The second grandfather's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he wanted to speak, but coughed one after another.

"Father, mother." Lu Jiandao took a step forward holding the cake: "I'm back."

Second Mistress covered her mouth to keep herself from crying.

The second grandpa followed that tone and shouted angrily: "Get out! Get out! You..."

Although the big guy doesn't want to see him, he is the second grandpa's son after all, and he finally came back after celebrating his birthday.

Lu Dong's seniority is too young to say such things.

"Second brother, calm down, calm down." Lu Zhenlin quickly took over the words: "It's a good thing that Jian Dao is back. If there is anything, let's go home and talk about it. It's very cold, don't stand up on the street."

Lu Jiandao knew where to break through, and shouted at Second Grandma: "Mother..."

Second Mistress couldn't help crying, no matter how unfilial the child was, no matter how wrong he was, it would be the flesh that fell from the mother's body.

"You bastard!" Second Mistress scolded first, and then said in a low voice, "Go in first, let's talk after we go in."

Second Grandpa didn't speak, turned around and walked back, Second Grandma winked at Lu Jiandao and hurriedly followed.

Lu Jiandao followed and walked home.

Lu Zhenlin took a look, sighed, and went home.

Even if it is an uncle, there are some things that are not easy to say.

Lu Jianren and Lu Jiandao are cousins, their drooping shoulders shrugged in a rare way.

Lu Dong grabbed Seventh Uncle tightly: "There are grudges and grievances, let's talk about it after today. Today is Second Grandpa's birthday."

Lu Jianren endured it: "If I had known he was coming, I should have waited at the entrance of the village, breaking one leg first and then talking about anything else."

Lu Jianwu also persuaded at this time: "Seventh brother, I am also angry and want to teach him a lesson. Today is not the time."

Lu Jianren's shoulders drooped, and he also walked in.

Both Lu Dong and Lu Jianwu followed.

Because Lu Jiandao came back, the yard was a bit messy.

In the main room, the second grandfather sat on a big chair and looked at Lu Jiandao. Lu Jiandao's cake was placed on the table of the Eight Immortals. Seeing that no one around him talked to him, he was somewhat embarrassed.

But after all, he was a leading cadre in a public unit like the Cultural Palace, took out cigarettes from his pocket, and scattered them for the people around him.

I don't know the attitude of the second grandpa, no one dares to accept cigarettes easily.

"Third Uncle." Lu Jiandao handed a little panda to Lu Zhenlin, and said in a low voice, "Look, don't..."

Anyway, now that the person is back, Lu Zhenlin also wants the second brother's family to untie this knot, even if they can't get back to before Lu Jiandao left, even if the two sides make phone calls from time to time.

He took the cigarette and said, "Jiandao, I won't say much else. I should know what you've done all these years."

Lu Jiandao scattered smoke for the others around him, and said, "There are numbers, there are numbers."

Others saw Lu Zhenlin accepting the cigarette, so they accepted it.

Lu Jiandao came to the table and pushed the birthday cake towards the second grandmother who was sitting on the stool: "Mom, I bought a birthday cake for dad..."

"Throw it out for me!" Second Grandpa's tone, how could it be easy to come over: "Old Seven, Old Eighth, throw it out for me!"

The second grandma was also very angry, but she held the cake tightly with one hand, for fear that the old and the young would come and snatch it.

As a mother, her heart is still toward her son.

Even after many years, this son who was close at hand not only did not come back to visit, he did not even make a phone call.

But today, when people come back, it’s good to be back.

"Second brother, the child is back." Lu Zhenlin is a real uncle, so he naturally wants to persuade him to make peace: "Even if he made a mistake, isn't he turning back? People say that the prodigal son won't change money when he turns back..."

He winked at Lu Jiandao: "Jiandao is a state cadre, and often he can't help himself."

The second grandfather pointed to Lu Jiandao and said: "If he really does something big, I won't talk about it. In a place like the Cultural Palace, what is he busy with? He is so busy that he doesn't even have time to call his parents during the Chinese New Year? He is so busy with his mother." His father went to work to look for him, but he couldn't even find him?"

Lu Jiandao quickly said: "Father, mother, I was wrong, I was really wrong."

Such a big man, in front of the whole family, plopped and knelt down in the middle of the main room: "I know what I did was wrong. I've been stuck in the door all these years, and I'm just messed up when I'm ignorant. Please forgive me this time!"

The second grandfather didn't go to see him at all. If it had been a few years earlier, maybe he still had hope in his heart, a hope.

But after so many years, my heart has long been cold.

Although he is not as good as Lu Zhenlin, he is also a person with certain knowledge. Does this person really turn back when he says he will?

I haven't been back for more than ten years, and now I suddenly figured it out?

The second grandma was different. Seeing her son kneeling in the room, the tears she had just wiped away flowed down again, and whispered to the second grandpa, "Look, the child knows that he is wrong."

In Lu Zhenlin's mind, the second brother and the second sister-in-law are both old, and today is their birthday, so both parties will make do with it, after all, they are sons.

"Let's serve the food, and talk while eating." Lu Zhenlin said to Lu Dong, "Dongzi, ask someone to serve the food."