1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Lu Mingyue glanced at him, pursed her lips, and didn't interrupt, letting him handle it himself.

Lu Mingyu glanced at his sister, and seeing that she didn't seem inclined to speak, he could only explain himself: "My girlfriend's hometown is very far from here, and her family has a heavy financial burden. She'll definitely have to go back to her hometown after graduation..."

The dinner table fell into an eerie silence. Everyone understood that he meant his girlfriend was going back to her hometown, so he was planning to go with her.

Mr. Lu began by asking, "Where is your girlfriend from?"

Lu Mingyu sensed the atmosphere at the dinner table and forced a smile before answering, "From Yunnan Province."

Silence again!

Miao Cuiying's face was very unpleasant, as was that of Lu's father, whose voice was filled with anger, "Have you thought this through?"

Lu Mingyu dared not speak.

Miao Cuiying took a deep breath. "What's her family situation? Why would a young girl like her insist on going back?"

Lu Mingyu lowered his head and explained, "Her hometown is a village in Yunnan Province. Her two older sisters are already married, and her younger siblings are still young. Her grandparents are still alive, and her father is in poor health. The whole family relies on her mother to support them. She was raised with great difficulty by her family, so she will definitely have to go back to her hometown to work after graduation. Her family can't do without her."

Everyone fell silent. Given the conditions, it seemed that going back was inevitable, and no one could bring themselves to tell the girl not to go back.

Miao Cuiying's face grew increasingly grim. "You like her that much? You can't break up with her?"

Lu Mingyu remained silent.

Mr. Lu said in a deep voice, "Marriage is a big deal, and so is work. If you really choose to go, you'll have to support that family endlessly in the future. Are you sure you can handle that? If you're determined to bear the consequences yourself, that's fine. But I'm afraid you haven't thought it through yet. If life becomes too hard after you go, you'll blame the girl. In the end, you'll have given so much, but you'll end up as a resentful couple!"

Lu Mingyu remained silent.

Mr. Lu got angry and slammed his hand on the table. "Speak up! What do you mean by staying silent?"

Lu Mingyu kept his head down. He really didn't know what to say. He knew that doing this would be unfair to his parents, but he couldn't let go of his girlfriend. He really liked her. She was a very outstanding girl. But when he thought about what he would have to face in the future, he wasn't confident that he could handle it. He didn't know if he would regret it in the future.

Seeing his son's behavior, Mr. Lu was very angry, feeling that he was indecisive and not like a man.

"What does it mean by not saying anything? Do you admit it or not? Or are you still unsure? You only have half a semester left before graduation. You're among the first batch of college students. Once you graduate, all the best departments will be waiting for you. Don't you realize how bright your future is?"

"When your fourth brother was your age, he was already on the battlefield!"

After a long silence, Lu Mingyu finally said, "Dad, I really like her. She's a very good person, very outstanding, really. She's exceptional. Apart from her family's poor financial situation, she really has no flaws. I..."

Miao Cuiying sighed and comforted Mr. Lu, "Since that's the case, then bring your girlfriend over so we can meet her. Whether you go to Yunnan Province, stay in Beijing, or go to our hometown, you'll need to meet your parents. Your dad is going home in a few days, so while he's here, bring your girlfriend over so we can meet her."

Lu Mingyu said softly, "I understand. I'll go back and tell her."

Mr. Lu frowned. "Isn't it summer vacation? Hasn't she come home?"

Lu Mingyu nodded, "Yes, she didn't go back. Her family is struggling financially, so she's trying to earn money during her vacation."

Miao Cuiying and Lu's father exchanged a glance, both speechless.

Now that she's working, she has to go back to her hometown, saying her family can't do without her. Didn't she leave home when she was studying? During such a long summer vacation, she stayed in Beijing and sent money home. Why can't she do that now that she's married?

The two didn't say anything more, deciding to wait until they saw the girl.

After lunch, everyone chatted in the courtyard. There were several trees in the courtyard, where people could stay and cool off in the summer. After chatting for a while, they all went back to their rooms to rest.

There are plenty of rooms here, and everyone has their own room. Even Qiao Wanqing has set up a room for herself. After all, her parents-in-law often come over, and she will definitely bring her children to visit them. The children in her family are all young and may fall asleep while playing, so it is more convenient to have a room.

She lived in the main room, and all the furniture in the room was made by an old carpenter. The bed was two beds pushed together, which made it convenient for her to take care of the children. The three little ones were already asleep, and the two older ones were also a little sleepy. Qiao Wanqing coaxed them and they fell asleep in no time.

The electric fan was whirring in the room, but Qiao Wanqing wasn't sleepy and was quietly thinking. She had thought before that if her second brother settled down here, her in-laws would definitely come over, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon.

She had previously thought that her mother-in-law wouldn't come until at least next spring!

Everyone was resting in the afternoon. Usually at this time, Lu Ming'an would go out to buy supplies, usually from the surrounding rural areas where they were cheaper. Today, however, his parents had brought a lot, so he was able to rest for once.

However, even though he didn't go out, he was still very busy. After waking up from his afternoon nap, he pulled weeds in the vegetable garden. The garden was quite large, with many places for planting flowers and plants. Some of these areas had been damaged, with some now covered with sheds to store things, and others used as kitchens by former residents. After all, there were many people living there before, and there weren't enough rooms, so everyone made the most of the space.

Now that all the residents have been evicted and the yard has been cleared out, Lu Ming'an and Li Dongmei have tidied up the land, planted vegetables, and even put up cages to raise a few chickens.

In the evening, preparations for the next day's business must be made. Vegetables must be sorted and washed in advance, and meat must be minced in advance, otherwise, even if you get up before dawn the next day, it will be too late.

Unlike later generations with meat grinders, all minced meat in those days had to be chopped by hand, which required not only strength but also time.

It was Mr. Lu's first time visiting, and he wanted to wander around and see the surroundings. Miao Cuiying took him there and also took away the mischievous and energetic Lu Anbang. Qiao Wanqing stayed at home watching the other children while also observing Lu Ming'an.

During their stay in the capital, she would come to check on them every now and then, taking the opportunity to put some spiritual spring water in their drinking kettles and cooking water tanks. With Old Zhou's treatment, she wondered if his condition had improved.

"Second brother, have you been going for your treatment on time lately? How are you feeling? Has Old Zhou said anything?"