Chapter 31 Let Me Have a Child for You
Asking Lin Cheng to buy a birthday gift for Lou Yumin was really something.
Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, "Never mind, it's not anything important. I'll go out and buy it myself when I have a day off."
But Lin Cheng insisted, "I'm going out anyway. Are you afraid of bothering me? Do we need to be so distant with each other?"
Lu Jinlan sighed helplessly, "Do you know where Wan Yu Zhai is? I heard they sell pretty good white jade hairpins there."
Lin Cheng asked sharply, "A white jade hairpin? Are you giving it as a gift? To a man?"
"Ah, no! It's not that I want to give it away, it's that Wuxin wants to give it away." Lu Jinlan decided to make use of her friend a little. "You know her, she loves to flirt with men. She wants to give someone a gift, but she can't go out herself, so she asked me to ask her for help."
Lin Cheng laughed and said, "You're really good to Yan, taking care of things like this for her."
Lu Jinlan weakly agreed, "Yes, I'm a person who values loyalty..."
Lin Cheng thought for a moment, then emphasized, "I didn't come for her, I came for you."
"Thank you very much then." Lu Jinlan took out her money pouch, hesitated for a moment, and then took out two hundred taels of silver notes. "I'll buy two."
Lin Cheng snorted lightly, "She's really a fool, rich, and fickle woman."
Lu Jinlan wore a forced smile but dared not speak.
She turned to Yan Wuxin and repeatedly warned him, "Don't let anything slip to me."
Yan Wuxin assured her, "You can trust me to handle things. From now on, we'll form an understanding: if you try to shift the blame onto me, I'll cover for you. If I try to shift the blame onto you, you'll cover for me. With your sister here, nothing will go wrong."
Lu Jinlan looked at her suspiciously, "What if things go wrong?"
"If things have gone wrong, then tell him to be realistic! Come on, in this day and age, which woman doesn't have multiple husbands? How could a woman as outstanding as you only want one man? You didn't make any rash promises in the heat of the moment, did you?"
Lu Jinlan quickly shook her head, "No, I didn't actually promise Lin Cheng anything, but I vaguely know what kind of relationship he's hoping for. Although we're just in a flirtatious relationship, we both know what's going on."
Yan Wuxin tapped her head, "Wake up! What are you feeling guilty about being ambiguous? Being ambiguous doesn't mean you have to take responsibility. You're too honest. Let me tell you, a woman like you is most likely to be bullied by her husband after marriage. Be careful not to embarrass us women."
"Really?" Lu Jinlan's smile froze on her face. "Am I honest?"
"Honestly, look at any woman like you, so afraid of men."
Lu Jinlan pursed her lips. "It's not that I'm afraid of men, I just respect them."
Yan Wuxin frowned. "Are you alright? It's only natural for women to be superior to men. Why are you respecting men? Are you trying to defy the heavens?"
Hearing the commotion, the surrounding classmates all looked over, and Lu Jinlan quickly and loudly denied it: "Absolutely not!"
It's true, she thought to herself: Right, what am I here for?
All I wanted was for the world to love me like Ai Nan did. Now the world loves me like Ai Nan does, and I'm still not used to it. Am I being pathetic?
What do I have to be ashamed of? Didn't I just make the same mistake that every man in the world makes?
I finally got a male-oriented script and received male-oriented treatment, so I should enjoy it to the fullest.
Yes, I have an infinitely wide road ahead of me, and I can roam freely without any fear. There's no need for me to act like a coward and lose face as a woman.
After much reflection, Lu Jinlan realized that it was because he had been deeply influenced by modern education.
Textbooks state "gender equality," but in reality, inequality is rampant.
Even if she awakens to the truth and becomes a feminist, what she still wants is gender equality.
While seemingly radical by placing the word "woman" first, the emphasis is actually on equality. Even the most radical women are surprisingly honest, only seeking fairness and never thinking of taking or asking for anything more.
She couldn't help but wonder, in thousands of years of male dominance and female inferiority, were there any men who felt guilty and indebted to women as she did? Were there any?
In the pseudo-equal society that followed, how many men would be as aware as she was of the advantages they enjoyed due to their gender?
Gender equality is true, but it would be a big mistake if only women listened to and practiced it.
You're covered in mosquito bites yourself, yet you're busy scratching other people's itch?
Lu Jinlan looked at the world before her and at the vibrant, unrestrained women around her.
Throughout history, patriarchal societies have existed for a long time. Matriarchal societies, however, only exist here.
They had only this one chance to enjoy the social status of men. Such a rare occurrence seemed unreal, like a dream.
Lu Jinlan thought: In a dream that women experience only once in a thousand years, it would be too cruel and disappointing to say anything defying the heavens.
She summoned the system's customer service: "The system should hit me."
Customer service representative (elderly woman): "Why? The system didn't detect your violation."
"That's because the system is too sluggish and not sensitive enough. We should fix this bug and add a new rule."
"Add what?"
"Enjoying the benefits of gender without feeling at ease is a serious violation of the spirit of male-oriented content."
*
July 21st is Lou Yumian's birthday.
Early in the morning, Qing'er came over with gifts and said with a smile, "I see that you usually like to write and draw, so I went to buy you a good ink stick. These two bolts of cloth were sent to you by Manager Ping. They are the finest silk, perfect for making clothes."
Lou Yumin accepted them one by one, saying, "It's such a small birthday, thank you for remembering. I've booked a table at Zuixianju. Fang Qing will be here soon, so don't leave either. You two can celebrate my birthday with me."
The three of them spent the whole day together, and by evening, only Lou Yumin was left alone.
He leaned against the desk, staring blankly out the window, and gradually became drowsy.
Until a pair of hands covered his eyes, and a familiar voice came to his ear: "Guess who I am."
A smile spread across his face first. He turned around and was both surprised and delighted: "Why are you here? Didn't you say there was a night exam today?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "I was just kidding. It's pitch black at night, what kind of exam could you take? You actually believe such a ridiculous thing?"
Lou Yumin sighed, feigning helplessness, "Who told me I didn't attend the Royal Academy? Who knows what you imperial students do all day? Of course, I'll believe whatever you say."
Lu Jinlan curled the corners of her lips. "I lied to you to give you a surprise. Here, this is your birthday gift. Happy seventeenth birthday."
"You even prepared a special gift for me?" Lou Yumin opened the exquisite wooden box in disbelief. "It's a white jade hairpin from Wan Yu Zhai, very precious and rare. You attend classes at the academy every day, when did you buy it?"
"Uh, I asked someone to buy it for me."
Lou Yumin said with emotion, "It's kind of you to have such a heavy workload and still go to such lengths for me."
"I'm glad you're happy. How did you spend your day? What did you wish for?"
Lu Jinlan sat down, and Lou Yumin quickly poured her a cup of hot tea. "Qing'er and Fang Qing had dinner with me before leaving. My wish for today was for you to celebrate my birthday with me, and it has come true."
He held Lu Jinlan's hand, his face beaming with the triumphant satisfaction of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, his smile utterly captivating.
Lu Jinlan sighed inwardly. At first, she only had a fleeting romance with Lou Yumin and pity for his background, but now she had to admit that she had grown to like him more.
Because he was so incredibly charming—young, handsome, and deeply devoted to her, he perfectly satisfied her vanity. He was gentle, considerate, and knew exactly how to behave, always attending to her perfectly. Over time, even a casual fling would develop feelings, let alone one deeply in love and the other unable to bear it.
Lou Yumin was both pitiful and lovable; even the hardest-hearted woman couldn't bear to treat him badly.
Lu Jinlan withdrew her hand and touched his face. "Make another wish, and I'll grant it for you."
Lou Yumin was silent for a moment, then said something surprising, "Then I want to have a child for you."
"Pfft!" Lu Jinlan spat out a mouthful of tea, almost dropping her jaw in shock.
Lou Yumin was somewhat heartbroken. "Do you think that because of my background, I'm not worthy to be the father of your child?"
"No, no. But I was still shocked when you said it so suddenly."
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever heard someone say to her that they wanted to have a child for her.
"Then let me have a child for you, a daughter. She will surely be as talented as you, both in literature and martial arts, and will achieve great things and bring peace to the country in the future."
Lu Jinlan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it. I'll go now."
Lou Yumin was startled: "You're leaving so soon? Did I upset you?"
"No, I'm going to Willow Leaf Lane to take care of something. I'll be right back."
Lou Yumin thought for a moment, "Then I'll go with you."
"You just caught a cold, and it's windy at night, so don't go out."
Lou Yumin refused, saying, "It's not easy to see you, and I want to spend more time with you. I won't delay your business."
Lu Jinlan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright."
It only takes about the time it takes to walk from Lou Yumin's courtyard through the alley to Liuye Lane.
This time, Lu Jinlan led Lou Yumin around to the back of the boss's house and secretly peeked through the back window.
The room was lit by candlelight, and the proprietor was counting money again.
Lou Yumin whispered, "He's a man, he's definitely no match for us. Let's just go in and knock him out, then we can see whatever we want."
Lu Jinlan shook her head. "The academy isn't ready yet. If we alert them and they're prepared, it'll be difficult for us to proceed."
"Then when will we have to wait?"
"I'll sneak in after he falls asleep."
Before she could finish speaking, a gust of wind blew by. Lou Yumian's nose stung, and she couldn't help but sneeze.
The person inside quickly stood up. "Who's there?"
Without a word, Lu Jinlan grabbed Lou Yumin and ran. The two ran into the alley, where a woman walked towards them, carrying a lantern. The familiar figure startled Lu Jinlan.
Lou Yumin saw her suddenly stop and asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
Lu Jinlan said in a low voice, "I know that person. I can't let her see me."
Lou Yumin asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
The people in front were getting closer and closer, while the owner's husband had already opened the courtyard gate.
In her panic, Lou Yumin was suddenly pushed around the waist.
The woman pinned him against the stone wall and kissed him unexpectedly.
Lou Yumin reacted for a moment, then reached out and cupped her face in her hands, responding warmly.
In the dark, narrow alley, a young man and woman were embracing, and the sounds of their intimate kisses were clearly audible.
A woman passing by frowned, unable to bear the sight, and muttered, "This is truly indecent."
When the boss saw the woman arrive, the two exchanged a few pleasantries and then went inside.
Lu Jinlan watched them enter the courtyard before releasing the man in her arms.
She smiled and wiped her mouth. "Let's go back."
Lou Yumin paused for a moment, "No need to peek at the ledger anymore?"
Lu Jinlan said mysteriously, "I obtained more important information than the ledger tonight. I'll look at the ledger another day."
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