On the third day of the New Year.
Long Tun.
It was a big day for the Lu clan.
From the first day of the New Year, Lu Dashan had been busy organizing a reunion for the entire clan.
This was sothing he had been planning since last year… now that his son had made it big, he wanted the whole clan to know about it!
Lu Dashan was the fifth brother. He had four older brothers and one younger brother.
His grandfather had nine children in total — six sons and three daughters. The eldest brother and second sister had already passed away, leaving seven elders.
As a result, Luke had a great many cousins — nearly twenty of them!
The Lu family was far more prosperous than his mother's Lan family. Just seeing them all gathered together showed how flourishing the clan was.
Lu Dashan spared no expense. He bought one pig, one sheep, four chickens, and four ducks, and had people set up large pots in the old family courtyard to stew at, barbecue, and cook.
Luke's cousins were all skilled "chefs" — killing pigs and sheep was nothing to them. On major festivals, it was always the n who cooked while the won waited to eat…
Four tables were set for the feast, and even that wasn't enough — a fifth table was added for the children.
Lu Dashan enjoyed high prestige among his generation. Since he had invited everyone, almost the entire clan showed up.
Nowadays everyone had private cars, so returning to the old village from the city was convenient. Although the mountain road had many twists and turns, the cent road now reached the front door — the trip took just over an hour.
The Lu family drove back in two cars — the Range Rover and the Porsche Cayenne — which stood out prominently when parked in front of the old house.
Relatives arrived one after another.
From the eldest uncle's family, second uncle's family, third uncle's family, fourth uncle's family, sixth uncle's family, and the three aunts' families — dozens of people, bringing their spouses and children, completely filled the old courtyard.
The mont they walked in, everyone crowded around.
"Wow, is that Xiao Ke's Range Rover? So impressive!" "And he bought his sister a Porsche? Incredible! When are you going to buy your cousin a Wuling Hongguang?" "Xiao Ke is a big boss now — you have to take care of us poor relatives!"
Luke smiled and greeted them all, a thick stack of red envelopes in his hand.
Each elder received one — 1,000 yuan. Each younger cousin received one — 100 yuan.
For the brothers and sisters who couldn't attend, he simply sent red envelopes in the family group chat. A huge wave of red envelopes rained down, instantly exploding the group.
"Xiao Ke has really made it!" "You're making it impossible for us to give red envelopes now!" "No kidding — that's a real Range Rover, sa model as my boss's!" "Xiao Ke is a big boss now. Of course he's generous. We can only afford five-yuan red envelopes." "He has several companies in Guangdong. This kid kept it quiet for so long!" "The Lu family has produced a dragon! Xiao Ke, from now on you have to help us get rich too!" "Truly worthy of being the first university student from our village!"
After the red envelopes were distributed, everyone gathered around him, asking questions left and right.
Luke answered every one of them.
Once the feast began, he beca the absolute center of attention.
The elders took turns toasting him. His cousins competed to clink glasses with him. Even the younger nephews and nieces who usually stayed quiet ca over with their drinks to join the fun.
Lu Dashan sat at the head of the table, face glowing with pride.
Lu Lanhua was beaming as well, chatting happily with her sisters-in-law.
This rural banquet was filled with laughter and joy.
After three rounds of drinks, Luke stood up and clapped his hands.
"Elders, brothers and sisters, I have a suggestion."
Everyone quieted down and looked at him.
"I have several companies in Guangdong and we're short on staff right now. If any of my cousins want to co work, the treatnt will be excellent. Younger cousins who are still in university can also co for internships or jobs. You're all welco."
He paused and smiled. "After all, good water shouldn't flow to outsiders."
The crowd was stunned for a second, then burst into cheers.
"Great! Xiao Ke is really generous!" "I knew our Lu family would produce talent!" "When can we start? Honestly, I can leave right after the New Year!"
Luke waved his hand with a smile. "No rush. We'll talk after the New Year. I'll post the positions and salary details in the group chat later. Compare them with your current jobs — if you think it's suitable, co work with ."
He sat down, and several cousins imdiately surrounded him, asking questions. So asked about salary, so about the type of work, so about accommodation. Luke answered every one of them sincerely, without the slightest impatience.
After the banquet ended, the relatives gradually left.
While Luke helped clean up the dishes, his mother Lanhua pulled him aside.
"Ke'er," she said in a low voice, eyes full of worry. "You're being too high-profile. Wealth should not be displayed openly. We should make our fortune quietly."
Luke smiled and patted her hand.
"Mom, it's fine."
"How is it fine?" his mother said anxiously. "Haven't you heard the saying? A dou of rice brings gratitude, a sheng of rice brings resentnt. Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. What if they co asking us to borrow money and then don't pay it back? What if they get jealous and make trouble behind our backs?"
Luke listened patiently until she finished, then spoke slowly.
"Mom, I understand everything you're saying. But I have my own thoughts."
He sat down with her in the courtyard and pointed at the distant mountains.
"Mom, do you know what I envied most right after I graduated from university?"
His mother shook her head.
"I envied those people whose families had relatives working as managers — or even bosses — in companies," Luke said. "In Guangdong, a lot of factories and companies are family-run. More than half the staff, from managent to ordinary workers, are relatives or people from the sa village. They get promoted faster and earn more even if they barely graduated junior high and don't know anything."
His mother fell silent.
"So I figured it out," Luke continued. "We should build our own family enterprise. After all, work is work no matter who does it. My company's benefits will definitely be better than the industry average. Instead of letting outsiders benefit, we might as well keep the benefits within the family."
His mother was still worried.
"What if they co asking us to borrow money? What if they borrow and don't pay it back?"
Luke smiled.
"Mom, anything under 100,000 yuan, lend freely. As long as they repay, they can borrow again in the future. If they don't repay, just treat it as feeding dogs — we won't associate with them anymore."
He stopped smiling and looked at his mother seriously.
"I'll clearly state the salary, benefits, and promotion conditions. Relatives from both the Lu and Lan families who want to join are welco. As I said, good water shouldn't flow to outsiders."
He paused and added:
"I believe the relatives from the Lu and Lan families are mostly honest and grateful. I can't save the whole world, but I can help my own relatives! I can't stand seeing my brothers and sisters continue to work in factories, pulling night shifts, getting ground down by 996 schedules! My companies offer five-hour workdays, full social insurance and housing fund, als and accommodation provided, and 14 months' salary! It's many tis better than working in a factory or cutting sugarcane…"
His mother looked at him, her expression complicated.
After a long while, she sighed.
"You've always had your own ideas since you were little. Since you've decided, go ahead. Mom supports you."
Luke smiled and put his arm around his mother's shoulders.
"Mom, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
In the distance, the setting sun slowly sank behind the mountains, dyeing the entire Long Tun golden.
Smoke curled gently from the chimney of the old house, drifting far into the distance.
--------------------------
Support us on P@tre0n and gain access to 100 chapters in advance!
[email protected]/inkshield
User Comments
0 comments from readers