Chapter 681 - 668: Slapping the Transmigrator (23)
Chapter 681 - 668: Slapping the Transmigrator (23)
Xiao Yuan was feigning drunkenness, but Lu Gui was genuinely drunk.
When people get drunk, they tend to spill their inner thoughts and speak the truth more easily.
That’s exactly what was happening now.
When Xiao Yuan mentioned this, thinking of how tough life has been for Xiao Daya after marrying him, he too started tearing up.
"Yes, it hasn’t been easy for your sister, being with me has brought her no blessings, it’s my fault for being incapable, causing her and the child to suffer."
He then started crying alongside Xiao Yuan, "Brother, let me tell you the truth as your brother-in-law, it’s really because I’m incapable, I can’t earn money. If I had a good way to make money, I wouldn’t let my wife and child suffer. As men, who wouldn’t want their wives and children to live well, and the family to be harmonious? But what can I do, my mother... she has such a temper. She had it tough raising me, and I just can’t oppose her outright; she’s the only mother I have."
"True."
Xiao Yuan nodded understandingly, "Not to mention my aunt, take my own mother, even if she did something wrong, could a son really turn against her? Definitely not. You have one mother, I also have only one mother, nobody has two mothers. Take Gou Dan for instance; doesn’t he also have just one mom?"
Lu Gui felt even sadder upon hearing this, "I’m only telling you this because you’re my brother-in-law. You know it hurts me seeing my mother and wife not getting along. What can I do about it? Just like you said, she’s my mother, my only mother, I can’t embarrass her. But my wife is also my son’s mother. For my son’s sake, how can I allow his mother to suffer? That also can’t happen. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Xiao Yuan patted Lu Gui’s shoulder heavily again, "Let it be, let’s take another drink, we’re both in the same boat, both suffering the same fates."
Lu Gui downed his cup in one gulp.
Xiao Yuan also followed suit and took a swig, "Brother-in-law, since you’re opening up to me, I should do the same. Look, it’s not that I want anything, but I have to think about my sister, right? She’s my only sister, wouldn’t I, as her brother, feel for her?"
"Brother, everyone cherishes their own sisters, it’s natural for you to care about yours."
Lu Gui was slurring his words at this point.
Xiao Yuan pounded the table, "In this life, going through it is a struggle, this hardship and that, especially for us men. Outside, we have to play the fool to make money, and at home, to keep the family happy, we still have to play the fool. Pretending over and over, we end up really becoming fools."
This struck a chord with Lu Gui, and he couldn’t help but burst into tears.
"But seeing the wife and kids happy, I am happy to play the fool."
Xiao Yuan wiped his tears away, "Let’s take another."
Lu Gui downed another cup.
"The harmony of the family largely depends on us men. We need to be tactful and compromise more. If we just let things be, it would surely turn into a big mess."
While pouring another drink for Lu Gui, Xiao Yuan said, "Brother-in-law, I have to advise you, we should respect the elderly, but we also need to charm them a bit. Don’t be too earnest. Like, for example, if Aunt asked you to hit my sister, would you hit her or not?"
Lu Gui was put in a difficult spot by this question.
"I..."
He thought for a while but couldn’t come up with an answer.
He really didn’t dare go against Lu Sanbao’s family, but he also couldn’t bear to hit his own wife.
Lu Gui felt good about this point; no matter what happened, he genuinely never harmed Xiao Daya.
"I, I, I definitely can’t beat my wife."
Lu Gui finally squeezed out this sentence.
Xiao Yuan gave a thumbs up: "Brother-in-law, that’s a good thought, we definitely shouldn’t beat our wives. I really look down on those men who beat their wives. But if you don’t act against my sister, and it accidentally upsets my mother, that wouldn’t be good either. Look, I’ll teach you a method. If my mother asks you to beat her, just pretend to be angry, take my sister inside a room, close the door, and pretend to beat something, whether it’s the bed or whatever. As long as there’s some noise, it will ease my mother’s face, and my sister will also know you care for her, isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?"
Lu Gui’s eyes lit up: "Brother, that’s a great idea, why didn’t I think of that? Indeed, educated folks are different."
Xiao Yuan then laughed: "From now on, just do as I said. Whenever there’s a quarrel between mother-in-law and wife, you must intervene. You need to make both sides happy; that’s the real skill for us men."
Lu Gui kept nodding: "Yes, yes, that’s how it should be done, come on, brother, let’s drink another."
Xiao Yuan laughed and took another drink: "Brother-in-law, just listen to me and you’ll be right. If you run into any difficult matters in the future, tell me. I won’t take sides; even if she’s my own sister, if she’s wrong, I’ll tell her off. If she’s not good to my mother, I’ll make her apologize. But you have to tell me, I’m her brother on her maternal side, it’s better I handle it than you. Don’t you agree?"
Lu Gui thought Xiao Yuan was right: "You and she are real siblings, even if bones are broken, tendons are still connected. No matter what, she can’t sever her relationship with you in this lifetime. Even if siblings fight, they’re still siblings."
"Brother-in-law, you know clearly. I like talking to people like you."
Xiao Yuan complimented again: "I don’t have any brothers, just my sister, and other than her, I’m closest to you, brother-in-law. We should keep in touch frequently. If you have difficulties, just talk to me. Although I’m not very capable, I have many friends, and I’ll definitely help you out. Even with family conflicts, I can mediate for you. We, well, we aim for a harmonious home, for everyone to be happy."
Lu Gui felt very comfortable hearing this.
By this time, he already regarded Xiao Yuan as a confidante and shared many worries with him.
Xiao Yuan listened with a smile: "This is nothing, not worth keeping on your mind."
After they drank and had their meal, it’s time to pay the bill and leave, Lu Gui staggered out, quite drunk.
Xiao Yuan called Liu Shu to help support Lu Gui back.
Being so drunk, Lu Gui certainly couldn’t return home, Xiao Yuan had someone tidy up a guest room in the front courtyard for Lu Gui to stay, asking Xiao Daya to look after him.
Xiao Daya made hangover soup and fed it to Lu Gui. After he slept and woke up, he was nearly fully sober.
But by then it was dark, and it wasn’t convenient to leave anymore.
Lu Gui, having no choice, shamelessly stayed at Xiao Family’s home.
He stayed in the Xiao Family guest room, Gou Dan was taken care of by Ms. Ping, and Xiao Daya stayed with Lu Gui in the guest room.
Lu Gui looked at the tidy and clean room, very pleasing to the eyes, sleeping in a high and soft bed, completely comfortable in body and spirit.
He thought to himself, this is how life should be, not like at home, where everyone crams together, nobody sleeping or eating well, the whole family turning into dark-eyed chickens.
After Lu Gui sobered up, Xiao Daya spoke to him about what Xiao Yuan said while he was asleep.
"A Yuan wants to give us a hand, he’s doing it for me, wanting me and Gou Dan to have a better life. He said, he’ll give two taels of silver a month, one tael for you and one for me. If you’re willing, you can work with him from now on."
Lu Gui was very pleased, of course, he was happy. Two taels of silver was indeed a lot; usually, he wouldn’t earn that much in a month, sometimes he couldn’t even make one tael of silver.
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