Snowstorm: I’m Super Rich in the Apocalypse
Chapter 256: Comparison

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Comparison

Lu Wanli looked at Lu Ruisheng again, "Indeed, this child really resembles our Lu family members; you can tell he’s from the Lu family at a glance."

As they were speaking, Old Lady Huang Suzhen led Lu Ruiming in. Just as Lu Wanli had finished his words, his first glance at Lu Ruiming made him feel something was slightly off.

Before Lu Wanli could ponder further, Lu Ruiming approached him with a crutch and reached out to embrace him, "Grandpa, I’ve missed you so much."

He was best at winning the favor of elders. Despite the fact that the old man came from a military background and was extremely strict outside, the older he got, the more he sought this kind of closeness and concern from his grandchildren.

Lu Wanli had a deep affection for this child, as Lu Ruiming had grown up around him as a boy.

Lu Ruiming was frail and sickly in childhood, easily allergic, breaking out in rashes all over his body at the slightest trigger—even his face had no good spot, looking like a kitten. For years, Lu Wanli had gone out of his way to ask friends to recommend famous doctors. It wasn’t until Lu Ruiming was around eleven or twelve that his condition considerably improved.

Having not seen the boy for a few years and now seeing how he had grown, the old man was still delighted.

Lu Wanli hugged Lu Ruiming and patted his back, "It’s good to be back. From now on, you and your brother should both stay at home."

Lu Ruiming, of course, was pleased, "I’ll listen to Grandpa." After speaking, he shifted his injured leg awkwardly, making it obvious for Lu Wanli to ask about it.

Lu Wanli did indeed notice Lu Ruiming’s leg, "How did you hurt your leg?" As his grandson, he was naturally concerned.

Lu Ruiming looked aggrieved and hesitated to speak, "It’s nothing serious, Grandpa. It was cousin who accidentally bumped into me."

He dared not tattle straightforwardly but couldn’t stomach the injustice quietly either, so he had learned this indirect manner of speaking from his mother.

Huang Suzhen was clearly displeased, "I’m naturally happy that Shengsheng has been found, but even with sibling jesting, you shouldn’t be so careless. How could you be so harsh with your own brother?"

Lu Ruisheng laughed, "Who said it was a joke? It wasn’t an accident. I kicked him. He wanted to hurt my wife. We were defending ourselves."

His words were clear and explicit, and now it was Lu Ruiming whose face turned sour.

Before Lu Ruiming could speak, Huang Suzhen began to take her son’s side, "Mingming has a child’s temperament; how could he really mean to harm anyone? Even so, you shouldn’t have kicked him and broken his leg."

Lu Ruisheng looked at Lu Ruiming and asked, "Would you like to tell Grandpa about your childlike nature?"

Lu Ruiming, scared, quickly gestured with his hands, "No, cousin. Grandma is just too worried. We’re brothers, a little misunderstanding is no big deal."

The old lady also realized the situation wasn’t so simple. Being astute, she knew that since Lu Ruiming was at fault, it was time to brush it aside quickly.

So she said, "Mingming is truly kind and generous. He’s right, they’re all brothers in the same family. Where could any grudge from the previous night exist? It’s good that Shengsheng has returned; we’ve really spared no effort in looking for you over the years." After elevating Lu Ruiming, she aptly shifted the focus.

Gu Pan, listening to Huang Suzhen’s distortion of right and wrong with her clever wording, had no intention of saving her any face.

She questioned Huang Suzhen, "Generous? How generous? To try and kill me and, in turn, have his leg broken, he doesn’t dare pursue it further—do you call that generous? Grandma’s generosity seems quite different from the one I knew before."

Her words uncovered the things Huang Suzhen had hidden in her heart. For a moment, her face was flushed red, and all she could do was to throw accusations at Gu Pan, "No matter what, Mingming would never intend to kill someone, right? You’re being too stubborn, insisting on having the last word even when you’re in the right."

Gu Pan smiled and said, "All we don’t want is to be wrongly accused, does that mean we are unreasonably demanding?"

Huang Suzhen had indeed underestimated Gu Pan’s capabilities. She thought with such a young age, and with Lu Ruisheng growing up in an orphanage, they wouldn’t amount to much. Once they got to the main base, she was sure she’d find a way to deal with them, but now it seemed not so easy.

She looked at Lun Wanli with a sense of grievance, "Old Lu, why does this child have such a big prejudice against me?"

Lun Wanli didn’t want conflicts to arise among the family members as soon as they met. Now he had his children and grandchildren all around him, which was the best outcome. These people had suddenly come together, and it was inevitable that there would be a period of adjustment.

As the head of the family, he gestured with a wave of his hand, "The children have just arrived, they must be hungry, right? Let’s talk about everything else later; Suzhen, quickly have the kitchen prepare the food."

Huang Suzhen found her way out and promptly responded, "Alright, I’ll have the food prepared."

After saying this, she gave Lu Ruiming a meaningful glance before heading to the kitchen.

Lu Ruiming wasn’t foolish and quickly went to help Lun Wanli sit down, "Grandpa, how have you been feeling recently? I’ve been worried about your leg. Does it still hurt when it’s cloudy and raining?"

This was what his grandmother had sneakily told him outside, a way for him to compete for favor against Lu Ruisheng.

Lun Wanli had been somewhat upset with Lu Ruiming just now, but at this moment, he softened and smiled, "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng didn’t care about these things, and they even liked seeing the grandfather and grandson getting along because the more they loved each other now, the more heartbroken they’d be once they found out Lu Ruiming’s true identity.

Initially, the two of them had no particular feelings for their grandfather and had no expectations of him – a man who had an affair, falsified his illegitimate son as his successor for the sake of his career, what real emotions could he have?

Su Qing, who had wanted to help earlier, realized that her nephew and niece-in-law didn’t need her interference. These two children were extraordinary, unbullyable wherever they went. She liked them, really liked them, and took to them at first sight.

Gu Pan met Su Qing’s tender gaze and smiled.

Su Qing walked over and took Gu Pan’s hand, "You and Shengsheng come sit down. You must be tired from your journey, take a good rest."

Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng sat down next to Su Qing, whispering interesting stories to her which occasionally erupted into laughter.

Lun Wanli looked at them, feeling conflicted. His second son and daughter-in-law were distant from his third son, and even more so with the third son’s children. His partner favored their own grandchildren, how could such a family love each other sincerely?

He was getting old, how many years left did he have? At this point, his one true wish was for his children and grandchildren to be united. With the apocalypse, life was not easy, and now, with his third son gone, leaving only two sons and two grandchildren, he hoped more than ever for unity among them.

He turned to Su Qing, "Su Qing, our family’s not exactly thriving. Your auntie and I are getting old, and if we pass on, you’ll need to pay extra attention to both Shengsheng and Mingming."

Due to Huang Suzhen remarrying into the family, both Lu Jianguo and Lu Jianshe had learned to be considerate, and therefore never called her ’mom’, always referring to her as ’auntie’.

However, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng couldn’t just not call their grandmother ’grandma’, and since this grandmother was different from a biological one, it was like visiting someone’s house – in their hearts, they still needed to give the same respect by addressing her as ’grandma’, which was also a title of respect for the elderly.

Su Qing responded with a smile, "Mhm, don’t worry dad, I’ll make sure to take good care of our own kids."

Of course, if they’re not our own, it’s none of my business. Not to mention Lu Ruiming might not even be a part of the Lu Family, but even if he were, she wouldn’t regard him as her own.