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墨書 Inktalez
The state-run hotel was located not far from the post office, directly across the street. It wasn't a long distance; standing at the post office entrance, one could easily spot the hotel's entrance.
After a while, Lu Zheng finished his call and approached. "The troops have been arranged," he said.
Wen Qian nodded at him. "Let's grab something to eat; it's been a long time, and I'm hungry."
As she spoke, she bent down to gently rub Lu Chen's head, feeling a pang of sympathy for his listless appearance. A few days ago, when he had been sick, he had taken some medicine that was too bitter. Although he had been unhappy about it, he had pinched his nose and swallowed it down.
"Do you want something to eat, Xiao Chen?"
Lu Chen lazily raised his head to look at Wen Qian. His already pale face looked even more waxy. He weakly shook his head and leaned against Wen Qian's embrace, making soft sounds of discomfort.
"Mommy."
"I'm tired, sweetheart. I can't carry you anymore; let your dad hold you!"
Lu Zheng looked at Wen Qian's pale face and felt sorry for her as well. He took Lu Chen into his arms and pushed the bicycle with one hand, signaling for Wen Qian to follow as he headed toward the state-run hotel.
By the time they arrived, there weren't many empty tables left in the restaurant. They immediately spotted Lu Yao sitting arrogantly at a table all by himself. The table was filled with five dishes—three meat and two vegetarian, along with a bowl of soup. It could be said that no other table had as much food as he did.
Lu Yao reveled in the envious gazes of others; this was how life should be for him—not cowering at home where he couldn't even speak up or being treated like a dog, forced into a corner to eat scraps.
Thinking about this made Lu Yao feel humiliated. His life was destined to be smooth and prosperous, just like before. Even without trying hard, he could still eat and drink without worry. He could spend money to take Zhang Yan into town to enjoy better meals at the state-run hotel, earning respect from everyone in the village.
It was all Wen Qian's fault for being such a little vixen and Lu Zheng for being such a bastard.
Yes, it was all their fault. Once they were gone, he would still be the envy of the village.
As Lu Yao continued to think this way, he felt increasingly pleased with himself. He picked up meat with gusto; after all, it had been days since he'd enjoyed any.
Wen Qian asked Lu Zheng to order while she took Lu Chen to find a place to sit down. While looking for a table, she made sure to observe her surroundings carefully.
Finally, she spotted the two men who had been with Lu Yao earlier; they each ordered the cheapest bowl of vegetable noodles and were drooling as they stared at Lu Yao.
She found a spot that ensured she could keep an eye on all three of them.
When Lu Zheng returned, he had just taken a seat when he spotted Lu Yao. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked towards Wen Qian.
Wen Qian whispered, "He just withdrew all the money from his savings book at the post office."
Lu Zheng was a bit surprised but merely nodded. If Lu Yao was allowed to withdraw all that money by their father, it surely meant there were no ill intentions behind it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have touched the last of their savings, which was essentially their lifeline.
Suddenly, Lu Zheng remembered something. When they had divided the family assets, Wen Qian had promised to give them four coins every month, five dollars each. To be honest, he didn't quite understand her intention behind this move, especially considering how much she despised the Lu family.
This matter seemed complicated; it might even become a decisive factor against the Lu family in the end.
They hadn't ordered much food—just enough to satisfy their hunger. Wen Qian glanced at Lu Yao and was surprised to see him almost finishing all the dishes by himself.
She looked over at Lu Zheng, who was serving food to Lu Chen. The resemblance between father and son was striking; both bent down to listen to each other, with Lu Chen's soft voice resembling that of a small child. Suddenly, her heart softened.
She turned to Lu Zheng and asked, "Is there a school within your unit?"
Little Chen would soon turn five, and she wanted him to start school—not just for knowledge but also to free up some time for herself.
Having joined the army, she didn't plan to rely entirely on Lu Zheng for her livelihood. Her painful experiences in her previous life taught her that she needed to be independent and strong enough to protect herself and those she cared about.
Little Chen had suffered too much—not only in his past life but also in this one before turning five.
"Yes, the army has everything you need. Don't worry," Lu Zheng replied after a moment's thought. "Do you want to work?"
"What kind of work can I do?" Wen Qian perked up immediately at the prospect of being able to contribute.
"There are teacher vacancies in the army school. If you're interested, I can apply with my superiors and see if it's possible."
Lu Zheng felt confident about this. Wen Qian had graduated from high school with excellent grades; if not for the cancellation of the college entrance examination, she could have attended a prestigious university.
Back then, Wen Qian's father had worked tirelessly to ensure she could go to school, even selling off possessions if necessary. Wen Qian had been diligent and committed to her studies.
Later on, when their family's situation improved, she devoted herself even more wholeheartedly to learning. But all of that came to an abrupt halt after her father's unexpected passing and her forced marriage to Lu Zheng.
For a moment, Wen Qian lost herself in thought. Her dream had always been to become a teacher. After graduating high school, her teachers had high hopes for her and even wanted to recommend her for a teaching position.
After her marriage, the teacher did not give up and kept urging her to go, but at that time, due to her pregnancy and the objections from the Lu family, the matter ended up unresolved. The teacher was also disappointed in her; so much time had passed, and she had not seen him again.
Wen Qian collected her thoughts and looked at Lu Zheng. "Let's talk about it after you go to the army. I need to think it over." She could no longer afford to be unstable in her life. In her previous life, as a wandering ghost beside Lu Zheng, she witnessed the development of this era. She needed to take some risks.
It was for her son; she needed to think carefully.
When Lu Yao finished eating and patted his belly, his gaze swept around. Suddenly, he spotted Wen Qian and Lu Zheng's family, and his expression stiffened as he stood up. He raised a hand to cover his pocket where he kept his money, deliberately avoiding Wen Qian's table as he quietly left.
The two men at the next table had been waiting anxiously and exchanged glances before standing up to follow him.
This bear of a man ate so damn slowly and cleaned his plate too well; the two brothers were already starving and wished they could snatch his money and meat right away. It was a testament to their good nature that they let him finish his meal first.
Lu Zheng was clever enough to notice that something was off with the two brothers. During the meal, he had glanced at Lu Yao over a hundred times.
Wen Qian watched as Lu Yao left; he was likely going to change tickets. If he had enough tickets, he should be heading toward the supply and marketing cooperative on the right. If he went to change tickets again, wouldn’t that be walking into a trap?
She noticed two men following closely behind Lu Yao, eagerly rubbing their hands together in excitement.
Lu Zheng exchanged a glance with Wen Qian for a moment before both stood up and headed toward the door. However, when Lu Zheng brought out his bicycle and joined Wen Qian, they noticed that two groups of suspicious individuals were tailing Lu Yao.
It seemed that Lu Yao had attracted the attention of two separate parties.
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