Chapter 66 Brother Lu is Gone

On the day of the banquet, the old man invited the chef who used to specialize in banquets. Two tables were set up by neighbors, and the other four tables were for Lu Zhiheng and his brother's comrades-in-arms in this area.

Food is scarce now, so the old man doesn't dare to be too extravagant. Each table has only eight dishes: three meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, a sweet soup, and a savory soup.

There weren't many dishes, but the portions were generous enough for these grown men to eat their fill. The staple food was rice made from both white and brown rice. Since some of the men were from the north and were used to eating steamed buns and noodles, the old man also had some steamed buns made from a mixture of both types of rice.

Because of the situation outside, they didn't dare to be too high-profile, so they just closed the door and had a lively meal in their two courtyards.

Because of travel and work commitments, Brother Lu and his group had to leave the afternoon after the banquet. Little Lu Qingyue cried her eyes out, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she said she wanted to be her uncle's daughter so she could stay.

Wu Meifang laughed and patted her bottom twice to make her behave. The little girl pouted as she got on the train, looking at her uncle hoping he would take pity on her and let her stay.

Unfortunately, no one asked her to stay until the train started moving. She wiped away her tears and, with a touch of resentment, opened the things the pretty lady had stuffed into her bag. She had told her she could open them once she got on the train.

She took the things out of the cloth bag and placed them on the bed in the sleeper berth. With a kind of reverence, she carefully opened the beautiful handkerchief, on which was embroidered her name, a few White Rabbit milk candies, and a cute little animal sticky note book.

There were also cute emojis drawn on it, and seeing those cute emojis finally healed Lu Qingyue's heart, which had been hurt by going home.

Wu Meifang sat there watching her with her back to everyone, cautiously doing something, and then she laughed.

She glanced at her husband, then at her son. No one knew what she was doing, so Wu Meifang stopped caring. As long as she didn't cry, that was fine.

“Dad…” Lu Qingfeng looked at his father, his face showing a hesitant expression.

"I understand. Have you thought it through?" Lu Zhining knew what her son wanted to say, but she still wanted him to think about it some more.

"Yes, I've thought it through. Uncle is right. Although that person has been arrested, who knows when he'll be released? And we have to be wary of his mother. The situation isn't good right now; I'm afraid someone might be targeting our family." Lu Qingfeng wasn't stupid. Although he was only fifteen, he knew a lot from his time at school.

After talking with his uncle for the past few days, he also realized his family's situation in Kyoto. Although his parents held high positions, it was inevitable that some people would covet them.

It's said that you can guard against anything day or night, but it's hard to guard against a thief within your own family. They don't know yet whether outsiders have any ill intentions towards them, but the Lu family alone is full of malice towards their own family.

“This is no longer an era of freedom of speech. If that old lady says anything outside and it gets overheard by someone with ulterior motives, our family will definitely suffer.” His uncle explained these things to him bit by bit, afraid that he was too young to understand.

“I understand. I’ll be more careful these next two years. After this semester, I’ll send Yueyue here. You two are men, and your sister is still young. I have to think things through for her.” Lu Zhining thought about his unreliable father and had to consider things carefully.

"We know, Dad." The two brothers, Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingfeng, nodded, their eyes filled with determination, but also with confusion, as they looked at their parents.

Although 12-year-old Lu Qingzhu was still somewhat confused, he could understand what his older brother and younger brother were saying. However, he was still young, and his father and older brother had to help him plan his future.

Lu Zhiheng was a little reluctant to see his older brother leave. He still had to go to Kyoto to handle the formalities, but his legs were still a bit slow, and he still needed to rely on a cane, which made it very inconvenient for him to go out.

"Alright, stop looking, the train's already gone. Don't you still have some paperwork to complete? We'll go around winter break, and after we finish, we'll spend the New Year at your older brother's house." He Yuping saw that he was almost running after the train, so she quickly pulled him off the platform.

What I was thinking was that when winter vacation came, there would be no work at the library, and since he was still unable to go to work due to his limited mobility, he could go to Kyoto for the New Year this year and take care of the paperwork while he was there. He kept complaining that the 120-odd yuan salary he received each month was a benefit he was taking from the country.

"Really? Honey, you're going to bring Weiwei and Dad along? Didn't Dad say he's never seen the flag-raising ceremony? We'll take him to see it then." Lu Zhiheng's eyes lit up immediately when he heard his wife say they could go back to Kyoto for the New Year.

Throughout his many years of work, no matter how busy he was, he always had the New Year's Eve reunion dinner with his older brother, sister-in-law, nephews, and nieces. It could be said that without his older brother and sister-in-law, he wouldn't exist. In his heart, his older brother and sister-in-law held the same status as his parents.

Imagine the eldest brother and sister-in-law, who are only thirteen years old, having to guard the money their mother secretly left behind, and also raising their one-year-old younger brother. They certainly have money, but they have to be able to protect it. There are only a few children, and two or three adults could easily take care of them.

Even if the older brother had money, he didn't dare to show it. It wasn't until he started to understand things and went to school that they moved away from their original place, and no one knew about their original family background. Only then could they live a normal life.

But with war raging everywhere, there was no idea where a safe haven was. So his elder brother and sister-in-law had to take him with them on their travels. When his elder brother and sister-in-law got married, he was the only witness.

The wedding was quite modest, but the sister-in-law said that she was willing to do it no matter what, so she told her brother not to worry about the wedding.

Now that I'm married, I still want to spend the first Chinese New Year with my older brother and sister-in-law. I've almost never left my older brother's side since I was a child, except when I had a mission.

"Alright, alright, stop laughing like an idiot, it's time to go back." He Yuping said this, but still helped him up with her hand.

The bond between relatives is not just about blood ties, but more about the affection and dependence between them. It is this dependence that allows this man, even at thirty years old, to remain like a child who never grew up.

When the couple leisurely returned home, the old man was weeding the vegetable garden in the yard. Their daughter had not yet returned because she did not work. After school, she would go to the library to help organize the books and tidy up the library before coming back.

Every night when she gets home, it's already dark. He Yuping glances at her watch and realizes it's already six o'clock. Her daughter takes forty minutes by bus from school to home, so if she starts making dinner now, her daughter can eat when she gets home.

"Alright, go rest under the tree for a bit. I'll go wash the rice and cook. Our daughter will be back soon. If you're hungry, I left some extra flatbreads when I made provisions for my brother and sister-in-law. You can eat some of those." He Yuping let go of his hand and went home, letting him go about his business.