Chapter 186: Want to Take a Shortcut?
Lu Deyao walked up to An Hui, buttoning his shirt. "How do I look in this?"
An Hui looked him up and down, then suddenly reached out and patted his stomach. "Have you put on some weight? The waist looks a little tight."
Lu Deyao looked down. "What are you talking about? It fits just fine, doesn’t it?"
An Hui took another careful look and saw that the waist did seem to fit after all; it wasn’t too tight.
"Forget it, I’ll go change. This one’s too old anyway."
With that, Lu Deyao turned and went back to the room.
He closed the door behind him and let out a sharp whoosh of air.
As he exhaled, the belly he had been sucking in expanded by a full size.
He took off his shirt, walked to the full-length mirror, and SLAP-SLAPPED the pale, flabby flesh on his stomach.
’It’s over. I think I really am getting fat!’
He quickly rummaged through the closet, pulled out a looser shirt, and put it on before heading out.
"This one’s alright."
Finally winning his wife’s approval, Lu Deyao couldn’t help but feel a secret sense of relief.
"Let’s go."
"What’s the rush? I’m going to go comb my hair."
With his hands behind his back, Lu Deyao called out to her retreating figure, "Wear that pearl necklace, too! You look good in that one."
Ma Hongmei shot him an amused look. "Just picking someone up from the station, and you’re treating it with the formality of going to a banquet."
Lu Deyao smiled, adjusted his collar, and said cheerfully, "The third son’s wife is coming all the way back from the military base. Dressing neatly is our way of showing her a warm welcome."
Outside the Lu Family’s home, a jeep driven by Jiang Xiaoguang was waiting.
Wu Miaoyun was just leaving her house when she saw it. As she was wondering what the Lu Family was up to today, she saw the couple emerge from their home.
She greeted them with a smile, "Political Commissar, Sister Hui, where are you two off to?"
Lu Deyao chuckled as he opened the car door. "To the train station. Xiao Jiang and the others are coming back today."
An Hui also looked at Wu Miaoyun and said, "Where are you headed? We can give you a ride if it’s on the way."
"No need, it’s not on our way."
After the car drove off, the smile on Wu Miaoyun’s face faded.
’How did that little troublemaker get back so soon?’
She turned and hurried her daughter along. "Let’s go, don’t be late."
Seeing her daughter standing there like a dullard, unable to squeeze a peep out of her, made her even more irritated.
"How many times have I told you? Walk with your head up and your chest out! Don’t cower like a quail! Can’t you try to make something of yourself? You’ve been on so many matchmaking dates, and not a single one has worked out! You should learn from that little troublemaker. She’s a nobody, but didn’t she still manage to marry into the Military District Courtyard?"
Listening to Wu Miaoyun’s tirade, Chen Xue was just as depressed.
’If I’d been born with a pretty face like Jiang Moli’s, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting married, either.’
’If I had grown up in the Military District Courtyard like Lu Tingting, how could I possibly have trouble finding a good husband?’
’You ignored me when I was little, and now you look down on me. If you couldn’t afford to raise me, you shouldn’t have had me in the first place!’
She only dared to think these resentful words in her heart, never saying them aloud.
...
The train arrived at the station smoothly.
The passengers in the car, laden with bags of all sizes, lined up to disembark.
Lu Tingting finished gathering her things, then turned to see Jiang Moli still lying down and couldn’t help but urge her.
"Hurry up, I’m not waiting for you."
Jiang Moli stretched lazily, a smile playing on her lips. "Hey, you want to take a shortcut?"
Lu Tingting looked at her. "What kind of shortcut?"
Jiang Moli pointed to the window. "Get off this way."
Lu Tingting: "...Why don’t you do it?"
"I’m not the one who wants a shortcut."
Glancing at the train door, which was completely blocked by passengers, Lu Tingting slid open the window and, holding onto the frame, peeked outside.
Just then, a station patrol officer walked by. Seemingly guessing Lu Tingting’s intentions, he reprimanded her in a stern tone.
"What do you think you’re doing? Can’t you see the sign on the wall? All acts of prying open doors or climbing through windows are strictly forbidden! Violators will be severely punished!"
Lu Tingting sheepishly pulled her head back inside. Turning to see Jiang Moli smiling at her, she said angrily, "You tricked me again!"
"Wrong. I’m teaching you a lesson: taking shortcuts is not advisable."
Lu Tingting was furious.
While the two were bantering, more than half the passengers had gotten off. Only then did Jiang Moli get up, grab her bag, and prepare to disembark as well.
...
Outside the station exit, Lu Deyao and An Hui were craning their necks, looking expectantly into the station.
"Why aren’t they out yet? Are we sure it’s this train? I hope nothing happened."
Watching wave after wave of passengers exit without any sign of Jiang Moli or Lu Tingting, An Hui couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Lu Deyao patted her back reassuringly. "Don’t worry, don’t worry. Maybe they just got held up by something..."
As he was speaking, he saw Jiang Moli walk out of the station exit.
"There they are! Over there!"
An Hui looked in the direction he was pointing, and the worry on her face instantly vanished.
"Xiao Jiang! Tingting!"
Lu Deyao was tall and had a booming voice, so Jiang Moli and Lu Tingting spotted them right away.
Jiang Moli was a little surprised.
’It made sense for An Hui to come, but Lu Deyao was a high-ranking officer, after all. She felt she didn’t deserve to have him personally come pick up a good-for-nothing daughter-in-law like her.’
"Grandpa! Grandma!"
As soon as she was out of the exit, Lu Tingting threw herself into An Hui’s arms.
"Grandma, I missed you so much!"
An Hui hugged her, her face radiating endless joy and contentment. "It’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you’re back."
The first part was for Lu Tingting, the second was for Jiang Moli.
Lu Deyao was also smiling so hard his eyes crinkled at the corners. He looked Jiang Moli up and down.
"Hm, you’ve gotten a bit darker."
Jiang Moli smiled. "Dad, you’ve gotten a bit older, too."
Lu Deyao was never a good-tempered man. If anyone else had talked back to him like that, he would have surely given them a harsh scolding.
But when Jiang Moli did it, he just felt completely at ease and quite happy.
Turning to see his granddaughter still clinging to his wife, he reached out and pulled her away. "Alright, what’s with all this clinginess? Save it for when we get home."
An Hui noticed they were both empty-handed. "Where’s your luggage?"
Jiang Moli said, "I left mine at the base for now. If I go back in the future, I won’t have to bring anything."
"Tingting, what about yours?"
"She got drunk the night she left and didn’t have time to pack." Jiang Moli, who loved to stir the pot, earned a harsh glare from Lu Tingting.
"I only had one small cup! Who knew it would be that strong?"
An Hui didn’t say anything, but she thought to herself, ’My granddaughter never drinks. Could it be that the third son’s wife has been a bad influence on her?’
’But that’s a minor thing. As long as my granddaughter is back safe and sound, everything’s fine.’
...
On the way back, Jiang Moli told the old couple what she had seen and heard at the military base, and also asked if they had received the medicine she sent.
Lu Deyao heaped praise on the herbal plaster she had sent. "We got it! That plaster works great. Your mother’s back was acting up a few days ago, and after putting one on for a night, she was all better."
Jiang Moli beamed. "That plaster is packed full of my filial piety. Of course it had to work well."
This made Lu Deyao roar with laughter.
An Hui’s smile wasn’t as boisterous, but kindness radiated from the corners of her eyes.
’The third son’s wife might be unconventional, but when it comes to filial piety, there’s nothing to criticize.’
Seeing how Jiang Moli had the old couple wrapped around her little finger with just a few words, Lu Tingting felt a pang of jealousy. To undermine her, she brought up the story of how Jiang Moli had tricked an old lady out of her pumpkin seeds.
Lu Deyao said, "Xiao Jiang, you like pumpkin seeds? Perfect. Your mother has been drying a bunch these past few days. When we get back, we’ll have our auntie roast them for you."
"Okay!"
Lu Tingting was furious.
Her intention was to get Lu Deyao to scold Jiang Moli. Tricking someone was bad enough, but she was also greedy. It was embarrassing to even talk about.
But to her surprise, Lu Deyao, who had always been so strict about rules, was even more indulgent with his daughter-in-law, Jiang Moli, than he was with his own granddaughter.
It was infuriating.