Lu Cheng now has four construction sites starting at the same time. Every night, he feels extremely lucky that he and Zhenzhu agreed to rent the big yard.
Nowadays, the center of the room is completely separated with scrap boards. On one side is the Datongpu where the old men live, and on the other side is the room where he and Pearl live.
Although it is a bit inconvenient, nowadays, it can save a lot of time and money.
Recently, what he has to do every morning is to drive the kids to different houses and pick them back up in the evening.
Looking for a decent place to live in the imperial capital is not cheap!
Nowadays, if we spend 800 yuan to house so many of them, it seems like it costs nothing.
However, it took him three trips to deliver the goods to more than 20 workers and four construction sites.
This morning was his hometown. Someone introduced three more workers. He went to the station to pick them up and take them to the construction site. He took the time to have breakfast now.
After all, those who go out to work, in order to save some money and start work early, usually catch the night train and arrive at around four in the morning.
Lu Cheng was busy all morning and didn't bother to eat.
Unexpectedly, I met Lili at the entrance of the community where the house was being renovated.
…
They, brother and sister, haven't seen each other since the Chinese New Year.
——It turns out it has been so long.
He thought in a daze.
Looking at Lili in front of him, Lu Cheng always felt that this girl no longer looked like his sister.
If asked about his current mood, Lu Cheng himself couldn't describe it.
He has read the novel written by Lu Li.
There, everyone in the family had ill intentions toward her. He, the eldest brother, was a cowardly, useless, hypocritical, poor sister, but he had never truly felt sorry for her.
After reading only three volumes of the magazine, Lu Cheng already felt exhausted.
He had no other mood except tiredness.
At this moment, I saw Lu Li, whose hair was in a mess, her face was pale and a little yellow, and she looked extremely unkempt.
After a moment of shock, he felt a lot of powerlessness welling up in his body.
In the end, after hesitating for a long time, he could only say these two words:
"Lili..."
…
However, Lu Li was extremely disgusted.
She is around here every day, and there are people in the community coming and going. Doesn't it feel embarrassing for her brother to greet her dressed like this?
Just like when it was raining and snowing when he was in school, he insisted on sending himself to the school gate.
It was just elementary school, everyone was in the same environment, but by middle school and high school, she was in the town, in the city.
When Lu Cheng appeared at the school gate carrying her like an old farmer, no matter how much Lu Li rejected him, he refused to let go...
At that moment, she felt the surprised eyes of her classmates at the campus gate, and what filled her heart was full of humiliation.
But at that time, there were too many things worthy of her humiliation.
For example, receiving poverty subsidies, the extra care from school teachers, and always mentioning her poor family and excellent grades in campus speeches...
She just didn't want to live that kind of life anymore, so she studied hard and tried her best to pass the exam.
…
Now Lu Cheng's words have successfully awakened her feelings back then.
Lu Li felt that she no longer cared.
But when we met again today, she found that she cared very much, very much.
Just like at this moment, she clearly caught Lu Cheng's eyes, but now she moved away silently, lowered her head and took a bite of the poached egg.
At this moment, her long-unsatisfied appetite finally sated. She lowered her head and picked up another chopstick of beef noodles, refusing to look up at the man blocking the door of the shop.
It's like the other person is calling a stranger.
…
People having breakfast in the small shop came and went, Lu Cheng's lips moved, and in the end he could only remain silent.
He went to the window to order food, took his breakfast and sat on the small table by the door. He lowered his head and started eating.
He has a big appetite and hasn't been short of food money recently. He still does strenuous work every day. What he ordered right now was a large portion of beef noodles with an egg and two pancakes.
Little did he know that on the table inside, Lu Li looked at him with complicated eyes.
——Aren’t her brothers working in the imperial capital?
Working... is such a luxury for myself.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be a joke that she has been frugal during school?
Lu Li watched from the side, thinking about how sad she was while eating steamed buns, she suddenly felt a strong sense of trance.
It was as if I was the heroine in her novel, and she had lived such a bad life since she was a child.
When I looked at the noodle soup in my bowl, it suddenly didn't smell that good anymore.
…
Lu Cheng eats very quickly.
They are used to working, so they usually don't spend too much time on eating. After a few mouthfuls, the soup bowl is only half full.
At this time, a person sat down opposite.
Lu Li sat in front of him, staring at the other side of the street, but whispered:
"Brother, can you just pretend you haven't seen me?"
Her voice was small, but her tone was firm.
"I'm living a good life now. I don't want to accept your weird ridicule anymore. Because of my face, my classmate's brother gave you a house because of your help. You should be content."
"If you still think of me as your sister, please let me have some dignity!"
…
Lu Cheng put down his chopsticks.
"Is it because of your face?"
He said softly, his eyes slightly sad.
He was only 18 years old when he tore up the notice.
Lili was still young at that time and could not help the family at all.
People in the village can raise the tuition fees, but there is a lame father who needs to be taken care of, a sick mother who needs to be taken care of, and such a little sister...
He didn't go to school because he was poor, but because his family didn't have enough support.
Because of the future he missed, Lu Cheng has always been concerned about his younger siblings' studies.
He helped Lili with her homework when she was in junior high school. By high school, he could no longer help her. But when he found good things in the mountains, he would give them to Lili's teacher.
In life and study, he asked himself that within the scope of his ability, he had never treated her badly.
Lili doesn't work at home, so Pearl helps her wash clothes and pack her things...
Whose sister-in-law can do this?
He really felt wronged by Pearl, but Pearl always comforted him and said that she was willing - they were classmates and she knew his dream.
God will not let you down if you work hard.
Lili finally fulfilled his unfinished dream and successfully entered the University of Ming Dynasty.
But is this how Lili sees it all?
…
"You're doing well..."
"You have to live with dignity..."
Lu Cheng said with a trembling voice:
"You are living a good life, why have you never contacted your parents? Your sister-in-law and I treat you badly and are such evil people. Have your parents ever treated you badly?"
"You want to live with dignity? Your dignity is only gained by stepping on us."
"You want dignity? Who doesn't want dignity? But if you want dignity, how can I help you borrow tuition fees?"
"We went to borrow it once, then two or three times. From getting very angry, to groveling down to others, and finally kowtowing..."
He only borrowed it once when his father was sick.
Later, although I was still there, I saw that the children were getting bigger and bigger, and there were more and more holes. Many people in the village did not want to help fill such bottomless holes all the time.
Transportation in mountain villages is inconvenient, and everyone is so poor!
Is it because there is not enough affection between neighbors?
Nowadays, everyone has to wait until the holidays to eat meat.
This is poverty.
Poverty will wipe out all emotions.
…
A quasi-college student more than ten years ago, he was once a proud man.
From being a proud man of heaven, to now he can only make a living by decorating other people's houses. No one has ever given Lu Cheng his dignity.
Earn it all by yourself.
"Lili, you have never suffered or suffered such a crime, so why should you accuse us of making you suffer?"
"I know, according to the textbook, everyone should have dignity."
"Then did your textbooks tell you how people who can't pay for tuition can enter school with dignity?"
He looked at his sister solemnly.
Look at her dry hair, look at her listless and haggard face, look at the baggy clothes on her body, and the vague smell that can be smelled from close contact.
He knows the taste.
There is sweat on the body, or the clothes are not washed properly, that's what it looks like.
When Lili was in school, Pearl washed her clothes and brushed her shoes. Even though the clothes were a bit old, they were always clean.
When he went out over the mountains on a snowy day, he could smell the smell of washing powder while carrying his sister or her schoolbag.
Although Lili's voice was soft and she didn't talk much at that time, she was still very sweet when she smiled.
When he saw her fair smiling face, Lu Chengdu couldn't help but feel a little proud.
Look, such an outstanding girl is my sister.
…
But at this moment, time has changed too much, and he finally directly poked Lu Li's most sensitive heart.
"Lili, are you really doing well?"
A good girl will not be in this state.
Lu Li's face turned pale instantly.
She stared at Lu Cheng and finally spoke.
"Don't come to me again, this will make my life easier."
Lu Cheng tugged at the corners of his mouth and failed to laugh.
"Then who will pay your tuition for the next semester?"
Lu Li was stunned.
…
tuition fee……
She forgot.
Yes, I am a sophomore at the beginning of school. All expenses for one year are included, which is 7,000 yuan.
Today is the first day that Lu Li's novel is released on the shelves, but it is already August 1st, and school will start in one month, not to mention that it is not yet time to pay wages...
Even if she can get her salary paid, she can't guarantee that she will be able to earn tuition and living expenses in a month.
If that's not enough...
Lu Li's face turned pale.
She couldn't think of what to do.
Is it difficult... to apply for a student loan?
But, that is a loan!
Did she take on loans while still in school?
She couldn't help but look at Lu Cheng.
For so many years, Lu Cheng has always relied on Lu Cheng to solve any problem. Now she has rejected her ten thousand times, but when this happens, the first thing she thinks of is him.
