As Madam Zhou entered the inner courtyard, she caught a glimpse of a corner of a skirt passing by the door of the western wing. Her eyes flickered with understanding. She turned and gracefully walked towards the western wing.
In the western wing, Zhou Ruyi was sitting. Hearing the movement, she ignored Madam Zhou and turned her face away.
Madam Zhou pretended not to notice and smiled, “Ruyi, find the new outfit you made last month. On the day after tomorrow, it’s the birthday of Yushui Niangniang. Change into that new dress and accompany me to worship at the Empress Temple.”
Zhou Ruyi immediately looked up at Madam Zhou, “If you want to go, you go. I’m not going!”
Madam Zhou, noticing her defiant attitude, raised an eyebrow and asked, “You heard everything?”
Zhou Ruyi turned her head away, remaining silent.
Madam Zhou sat down at the table, looking at her beautiful daughter, and asked, “You still don’t like the Chen family? Whom do you like? Are you planning to sell braised pork in the future?”
Hearing this, Zhou Ruyi’s eyes reddened instantly. “Can’t you stop calling my cousin a braised pork seller? My aunt did the same the other day. What’s wrong with selling braised pork? Is it lower than selling books and pens?”
Madam Zhou, feeling her daughter was siding with outsiders, became irritated and said coldly, “You’re clever with your words in front of me. As for your cousin, forget about him. Marriage is usually arranged by parents and matchmakers. It’s not for you to decide.”
Zhou Ruyi’s tears swirled in her eyes. “Anyway, I won’t go to the Empress Temple.”
Madam Zhou’s face turned cold. “That’s not up to you!”
With that, she swung her sleeve, turned around, and left the western wing.
Zhou Ruyi pressed her handkerchief against the table and began to cry. It seemed that only through tears could she pour out all the heartbreak and despair.
~
Meanwhile, there was another kind of despair, a pain, and irritability that had nowhere to vent. It could only endure the torment, chewing at every inch of his body and flesh, inch by inch, without any release.
Several times, Lu Chengxiao wanted to rush out of the room, find Liu Yu, and tell her that marriage couldn’t be taken lightly. He wanted to tell her that a marriage contract was a lifelong commitment, and he could offer her everything that Chen Sheng could.
However, looking at Liu Yu, the bright and gentle smile when she looked at Chen Sheng, the distant gaze and decisive departure when she faced him, he clearly understood that he had lost his qualification.
Babao had been wandering outside the room for two hours. At this moment, he leaned his forehead against the door, constantly muttering, “Third Young Master, please open the door. At least come out for dinner. Otherwise, Madam will be very worried.”
“If you really don’t want to eat, I can bring you some snacks. How about that? You just eat when you’re hungry.”
All these nagging words didn’t reach Lu Chengxiao’s ears.
After waiting for half a day and seeing that Lu Chengxiao still refused to respond, Babao observed the sky, saw that there was no one around, gritted his teeth, and said, “Are you upset because of Miss Liu? If not, let’s go to the Liujiacun and have a look?”
In Babao’s eyes, if you like someone, just go for it. Why act so coy? The young lady is just keeping an eye on someone to take care of her, isn’t that what girls do?
There was a very faint sound from inside the room, which Babao didn’t hear. He was still leaning against the door, keeping an eye on all directions while trying to persuade, “Third Young Master, since you want to see her so much, let’s go see her. Why bother getting angry again? I think Miss Liu also likes you. If she didn’t, why would she pay attention to your whereabouts? If you can forget about it, that’s good. But look at you these days, how can you forget? Going to the county won’t help. You come back and get drunk while still thinking about her name. Clearly, you can’t forget. Why torture yourself…”
Before he could finish his words, the door was pulled open from inside. Since Babao was leaning against the door, he stumbled inside when it suddenly opened. He exclaimed and was lifted up by a hand that came from inside, stabilizing his figure.
Babao clung to Lu Chengxiao’s arm, steadying himself, his face filled with surprise. “Third Young Master, you finally came out!”
Lu Chengxiao glanced at him. “Do you want to continue your nonsense?”
After a long silence, his voice carried a hint of hoarseness.
Babao thought, “If you don’t come out, can I continue talking nonsense?” No, he hasn’t been talking nonsense. It’s all facts! In his heart, he silently praised: Miss Liu is truly a magical remedy!
With these thoughts in mind, he smoothly turned around, grabbed the food box at the door, and swiftly entered again. “Third Young Master, take a look and see what you’d like to eat! If you want something warm, I’ll go to the kitchen and ask Madam Liu to prepare it.”
Without looking at the food Babao had arranged, Lu Chengxiao returned to the desk and sat down. He said, “I don’t want to eat anything. Just don’t stand at the door and talk loudly, it hurts my ears.”
Hearing that he didn’t want anything to eat, Babao’s eyes rolled around. He picked up the teapot on the table, made a pot of hot tea, and poured a cup for Lu Chengxiao. He handed it over and stood still, offering suggestions, “Third Young Master, I’m telling you the truth. If you really care about Miss Liu, go find her. She likes you, doesn’t she? Don’t dwell on what happened last time. Just meet each other and everything will be fine.”
But it’s not that easy. Lu Chengxiao fiddled with the teacup in front of him and said, “Now, why should I bother? It’s not up to me anymore.” She doesn’t want to see me, and she’s no longer interested in me. She’s going to marry Chen Sheng.
Even thinking about it made his throat feel bitter. He clenched his jaw tightly, unwilling to say a single word out loud.
Babao exclaimed, realizing that it seemed plausible. Considering the imposing demeanor of Miss Liu that day, it appeared as though their Third Young Master had been kicked by her. So, he tentatively asked, “Is Miss Liu angry with you?”
Lu Chengxiao glanced at him, then lowered his eyes. It wasn’t just anger; whenever she saw him, she would take a step back to maintain distance. Even a single glance from her would ruin his mood, and now she was about to marry someone else.
Babao was unaware of the deep resentment in his heart. He thought Lu Chengxiao was secretly pining for her but couldn’t bring himself to apologize. Since there was no one around, he sighed and said, “Third Young Master, not to criticize you, but if you can’t let her go, why not apologize? What’s the use of being a man if you don’t have the courage? Are you going to manage eating, drinking, or taking care a wife?”
“Let me tell you, there’s this guy, Ah Zhong, from our county fabric store. Last year, I heard he had a quarrel with his childhood sweetheart over something. He was too proud to reconcile, waiting for the girl to apologize. Guess what happened? When I came back from Yuanzhou City last time, I stopped by our store. He had lost his soul. I asked the Second Young Master, and only then did I find out that the girl had engaged with someone else. Just a few days before we returned home, she happily married someone else. Ah Zhong was practically soulless. But no matter how sad he was, what could he do? In a few more months, who knows, the girl might be carrying a child!”
Lu Chengxiao slammed the tea cup onto the table with a loud crash, stood up abruptly, and gripped the table edge. His cold, star-like eyes stared intensely at Babao.
Startled by his sudden reaction, Babao stammered, “Third Young Master, wha…what’s wrong?”
Lu Chengxiao took a deep breath, realizing that he had mistaken the person who got engaged and had a child. His chest heaved a few times as he asked, “What happened next?”
Babao, still bewildered, replied, “What next?”
“With that Ah Zhong!”
“Oh?” Babao looked confused. “What could happen next? She got married to someone else. As for her future, it’s someone else’s afterward.”
At this point, a realization struck him, and he said, “You see, it makes sense. If you want to reconcile, you need to act quickly. Miss Liu is so outstanding, and if someone else snatches her away halfway, where will you cry when the time comes?”
Someone else has already snatched her away!
Lu Chengxiao stared at him until Babao felt his heart tremble, wondering if he had been too audacious, saying nonsense in front of the Third Young Master. He hesitated, debating whether to slap himself in the face for being too impulsive.
As he was contemplating this, Lu Chengxiao suddenly exhaled, saying, “You’re right.”
Walking away from the desk, he circled the room a few times before abruptly stopping. He turned around and humbly asked Babao, “What if she doesn’t accept the apology?”
Babao, somewhat relieved, thought that perhaps he had been too hasty in speaking nonsense before the Third Young Master. Trying to sound sincere, he suggested, “If one apology doesn’t work, try two, three, four times. There’s an old saying: ‘A resolute woman fears a persistent man.’ If it doesn’t work, it’s probably because you haven’t apologized enough, and your sincerity isn’t sufficient!”
Lu Chengxiao clenched his fist, pointing at Babao, and exclaimed, “Right, you’re right! If once isn’t enough, then two, three, four times, and if that’s not enough…nine or ten times.”
Under no circumstances can she marry Chen Sheng.
Have a child with Chen Sheng? That’s out of the question! Chen Sheng must be dreaming!
Sansukini: Two thumbs up for our wise Babao.
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