My Dad Is the Male Lead's Foil

Cui Wu and Lu Jinshu were two widowers of the same age from Jibei Village.

They were also the village's classic pair of opposites.

When they were born, one arrived just as the Cui family dug up a century-old wild ginseng in the mountains, turning the family's fortunes around. The other's father fell to his death in the mountains on the day he was born, and his family never recovered.

As they grew up, Cui Wu was strong and sturdy, able to kill a cow with one punch. Lu Jinshu was sickly and weak, panting after every step, and had been raised on medicine since childhood.

After they started families, Cui Wu was broad-minded, generous, and loyal, with plenty of friends. Lu Jinshu was gloomy, cowardly, and selfish, with no one to call his own.

Everyone said of Cui Wu, "The eldest Cui boy is sure to make it big one day!"

But whenever they talked about Lu Jinshu, they could only shake their heads.

"Little Fifth Lu? He'd be lucky if he doesn't starve to death!"

So by every measure, Lu Jinshu was utterly outclassed by Cui Wu.

There was just one thing Lu Jinshu had over Cui Wu.

He had one more child than Cui Wu.

The villagers watched the two little ones trot along behind Lu Jinshu, who carried an empty basket, while they each held a small basket. Their faces filled with sympathy.

"Those poor kids. Who knows how much they'll suffer with that useless father of theirs!"

They had no idea that the two little ones' bamboo baskets were packed with delicacies from the mountains and sea that the villagers had never even seen.

Only the village children gazed at Lu Hua and Lu Xiao's baskets with shining eyes.

With tears of envy at the corners of their mouths, they said, "So what if their dad is the village's odd one out? If someone gave us baskets like those, we'd want our dads to be odd ones out too!"