Rebirth: Sensational Military Wife in 70s...

Chapter 13: The Lu Family

Lu Weiguo's reputation for being stern was well-known.

However, the soldiers in the camp held him in the highest regard. Whether on the front lines or on missions, he always led by example and trained his soldiers rigorously. His motto was that "sweating more in peacetime means saving more lives in wartime."

As such, his fierce gaze wasn't very effective in this situation.

Shi Tingyu found Lu Weiguo's demeanor to be quite contradictory. While he appeared stern and taciturn, she discovered that he was unexpectedly easy to talk to—he answered questions directly and wasn't at all evasive.

Indeed, judging people solely by their appearance was misleading, as evidenced by the soldiers' genuine affection for him. Both the original owner of her body and Shi Tingyu herself were not particularly comfortable with overly enthusiastic people, tending to be slightly socially anxious. However, they could manage social interactions when necessary, even if it felt a bit awkward.

But Shi Tingyu's ability to read people was intact. If she genuinely wanted to make friends, most people would find it hard to refuse.

And now, she was experiencing it firsthand.

The soldiers drew closer, their faces beaming with enthusiasm as they called out to her as "sister-in-law." Shi Tingyu began her impromptu socializing, greeting them with a warm smile and engaging in conversation. Her demeanor was approachable, and she answered their questions with a pleasant tone.

As they moved closer, placing their lunch boxes on their table, Lu Weiguo intervened, blocking the way of the lunch boxes. He pointed to a spot nearby. "You all go sit over there."

Seeing the commanding look on his face, the soldiers quietly retreated to another table.

Shi Tingyu glanced at him with a smile. It was clear that he was attentive to her discomfort.

The soldiers finished their meals quickly and, with cheerful goodbyes, left. "Commander, sister-in-law, take your time eating. We're off to our duties."

Shi Tingyu nodded, and Lu Weiguo gave them a pointed look, signaling them to hurry up and leave.

Once they were gone, the cook's dishes were ready. Shi Tingyu tasted the food and found it quite good.

"It's delicious," she said.

Lu Weiguo silently pushed a plate of food toward her. "Eat more. This is from a small pot. The large pot dishes don't taste as good."

Shi Tingyu graciously ate a generous portion.

After lunch, they drove back into the city to buy the remaining items they needed. At the very least, they had to purchase essential living supplies.

The jeep was from the military and had been idle for a few days, so it wasn't ideal to keep using it.

As they passed the post office, Lu Weiguo stopped the car.

Shi Tingyu noticed the empty car and asked, "Do you need to send something?"

Lu Weiguo unfastened his seatbelt. "I'm going to call home and let them know about our marriage."

It dawned on Shi Tingyu that Lu Weiguo's family still didn't know about their marriage. They had been so rushed that they hadn't had time to go back and hold a wedding reception.

Lu Weiguo asked, "Do you want to wait in the car, or come in with me?"

Given that phone calls were expensive at the rate of 1.10 yuan per minute, and considering there was no queue at the moment, Shi Tingyu said, "You go ahead. I'll wait here."

Lu Weiguo nodded and went inside.

As she watched him walk away with purposeful strides, Shi Tingyu felt a pang of anxiety. The relationship between a daughter-in-law and her in-laws was historically fraught with difficulty. Although her previous life and this current life's family dynamics were straightforward, the Lu family seemed large and potentially complicated.

She worried about whether she would be able to get along well with his family.

Shi Tingyu knew her own limitations; she wasn't particularly resilient and didn't fit the traditional ideal of a daughter-in-law in this era. Considering their imminent transfer, it was unlikely that anyone would find her ideal.

She just hoped that her analysis of the Lu family based on Lu Weiguo's hints was correct and that they were genuinely kind-hearted.

Lu Weiguo was calling his father's work phone.

Lu Weiguo's father, Lu Daming, was a Grade Seven blast furnace worker at the steel plant in Huai County, a technical expert at the plant. His mother, Chen Qiaofeng, was the head of logistics at the county textile mill.

Lu Weiguo's elder brother, Lu Jianguo, also worked at the steel plant but in the security department. Lu Daming's wife, Qin Ping, was a textile worker who had been introduced to Lu Jianguo by Chen Qiaofeng.

When Lu Daming received the call, he immediately guessed it was from his younger son.

Upon hearing his son's voice, Lu Daming's face broke into a wide grin.

"Dad, I'm married."

Lu Weiguo's announcement left his father stunned.

"What did you say?"

Hearing his father's incredulous tone, Lu Weiguo chuckled. "I said I got married. My wife is the daughter of a professor from our research institute, her name is Shi Tingyu."

Slowly coming to terms with the news, Lu Daming asked, "Is this true? You're not just making this up because Mom is pressuring you?"

Lu Weiguo: ...

"Dad, why would I joke about something like this, even if Mom keeps pushing?"

Realizing his son was serious, Lu Daming's excitement grew. "What about my daughter-in-law? When will you come back for a visit?"

Their family had been worried sick about Lu Weiguo's marriage prospects. His stern appearance made it difficult for him to find a partner. Even though there were suitors interested in their family's good conditions, they weren't suitable. Many women were intimidated by his looks, especially after he returned from the battlefield with an even more formidable demeanor.

During his last visit, over a year ago, he had just come back from the battlefield, and not even matchmakers were willing to visit. Lu Daming felt guilty, wishing his son had inherited his mother's more handsome looks. His elder son was good-looking, inheriting his mother's traits, while the younger son had inherited his own less pleasant appearance.

Now that he knew his son was married, he couldn't be happier.

"Let's see the arrangements for the camp during the New Year. If there's a holiday, we'll come back then."

Hearing this, Lu Daming's excitement subsided a bit.

Lu Weiguo then brought up another topic. "Dad, are there still people being sent down to the countryside from our village?"

Lu Weiguo's hometown was the Qianxi Brigade of Huai County. His grandfather had been the village head, and after his retirement, his uncle Lu Erming took over as the brigade leader. Lu Daming had recently visited the village during his break, so he knew some details.

"There were still two people being sent down. Recently, I heard they were restored after the rectification."

"What's this about?"

Lu Weiguo didn't elaborate further. "Just asking. The phone bill is quite expensive."

Lu Daming was left bewildered after the call ended.

As he prepared to return, he changed his mind and decided to call his wife right away. He couldn't wait until she got off work!