Magistrate Zhang: ...
Indeed, there was no hope for this daughter.
My daughter is older than my niece, but why is she not as sensible as my niece?
"Alright, then write a letter to your parents, and we'll find some time to visit them."
In the end, Magistrate Zhang compromised. He would be happy if his two daughters could get along well with Lianhua. The Lu family really knew how to raise children!
Later that evening, Liu Yuexiang had just finished writing a letter for her parents and had it sent back when she learned why Li Rong had sent her the invitation.
It is said that at the beginning, Li Rong was very proactive in trying to attract the attention of the Lu family, but after going out for a while and talking to Jia Rui in the courtyard, his attitude changed when he returned.
Could it be that Jia Rui spoke ill of the Lu family to him?
That's very possible! After all, Jia Rui ran away because she was upset by Lianhua!
In other words, Li Rong originally wanted to curry favor with the Lu family, but after being sown apart by Jia Rui, he gave up.
Then he felt that she was more suitable for him, so while everyone else was sending invitations to Lotus, he sent one to her instead, wanting to highlight her position in his heart.
Ha, what an idiot!
Luckily, I realized what was going on, otherwise I might have really been fooled!
"It seems that Li Rong still cares about you, but I don't know if he can accept your decision to go into business."
Zhang Lanxiang is simple-minded and hasn't yet grasped the essence of the matter. She listened to the servants' explanation but didn't understand its meaning.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yuexiang laughed instantly, then looked at Zhang Lanxiang with a hint of helplessness and said, "Cousin, you've been so well protected by your uncle and aunt! You can't even see through the scheming of a petty person like Li Rong! He doesn't care about me at all; he clearly feels he's not good enough for the Lu family, so he settled for me. Although my father is just a county magistrate, his family is still much better off than his, which will help his career. He's never been considering romantic feelings; he's only thinking about the benefits my family can bring him!"
Zhang Lanxiang blinked. Why is this so complicated?
However, she didn't say anything. Anyway, she didn't want to get married for the time being, and she didn't need to think about these things.
Liu Yuexiang, however, said to herself, "I'll have someone decline his invitation right now. I have no time to play those tricks with him. If he ruins my plan to become his disciple, I'll fight him to the death."
As she spoke, she summoned her maid to carry out the task, acting with remarkable speed and efficiency.
Zhang Lanxiang actually admired her for this; she knew very clearly what she wanted, while she herself was different. Her goal was not yet clear; she just wanted to have an endless supply of Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck).
Li Rong had initially thought that he had Liu Yuexiang's case in the bag. He planned to meet her tomorrow to cultivate their relationship, and then ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage in a few days. This way, he could feel more at ease.
However, Zhang's servant came to inform Miss Biao that she had declined his invitation, and that the two were not very familiar with each other, so they should not do such things in the future to avoid misunderstandings.
Li Rong felt he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to ask the servant what had happened, but the servant had already gotten into the carriage and left, not even leaving him with a glimpse of his back.
Meanwhile, the other young masters and ladies who had sent invitations to Lianhua and Leizi also received a rejection from the Lu family, because the two were already engaged and it was inconvenient for them to attend the invitation.
This is like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar. Two people who weren't engaged yesterday are engaged today, and at the same time. Isn't this ridiculous?
They felt that there was no marriage agreement at all, but rather that the Lu family looked down on them and was just finding an excuse to refuse them.
They were angry, but dared not show it, after all, the Lu family was not someone they could afford to offend.
They're already being kind by offering an excuse; even if they don't make up an excuse and simply don't show up, the people wouldn't dare say anything.
The entire Lu family approves of Lei Zi and Lian Hua's relationship. The two kids never expected things to go so smoothly. Yesterday they were siblings with no blood relation, and today they are engaged. They are not used to this change in status.
However, this marriage agreement is only verbal; to actually implement it, a matchmaker needs to be hired and a formal procedure needs to be followed to show the importance attached to Lotus.
That evening, the Lu family was unusually lively. They even invited the clansmen and the village chief's family to dinner, as a kind of witness, so that if outsiders mentioned it in the future, there would be witnesses and they wouldn't mistakenly think that their family was having an affair.
Lei Zi laughed like a fool, while Lianhua blushed the whole time and didn't dare to look up at anyone. Her face was red all night, and she looked incredibly beautiful.
Everyone was laughing. This was the first wedding for their children since they fled the famine. With the arrival of this happy event, it was a way of putting an end to those hard days.
Only He Jiuniang was observing Lu Xiaoyang's reaction. Seeing that although he looked bitter, he still had a faint smile on his lips, and that his blessings for Leizi and Lianhua were sincere, she was relieved.
Old Man Lu patted Lu Xiaoyang on the shoulder and said, "Xiaoyang, Leizi is younger than you and he's already engaged. You should start thinking about these things too. I'll have your aunts keep an eye out for you. If they find a suitable girl, they'll introduce her to you. If you have a girl you like, you should tell us. Your grandfather is my older brother, and your third grandfather will definitely help you with your affairs, understand?"
As Old Man Lu spoke, his eyes welled up with tears. All his brothers were still alive, but after fleeing famine, he was the only one left.
Lu Xiaoyang recalled those past events, her feelings were equally complicated, and she nodded, saying, "Thank you, Third Grandfather."
"Sigh, it wasn't entirely your fault. Those bandits were nearby; even without you, they would have found you. Some things can't be avoided."
Old Man Lu knew that Lu Xiaoyang had been feeling guilty and remorseful because of this incident. How could a child possibly open his heart when he had to bear so much?
"Some things happen and that's it. The dead are gone, and the living should look forward. You've done very well now."
Lu Xiaoyang has learned his lesson, which is why Old Man Lu is willing to talk to him about these things. In the past, he wouldn't have been willing to say much.
Lu Xiaoyang wanted to cry, but thinking that today was Lei Zi and Lianhua's special day, she couldn't ruin the atmosphere, so she forced back her tears and nodded heavily.
He felt incredibly fortunate and glad that he made the right choice to let his third grandfather's family accept him. Otherwise, he wouldn't know where he would be making a living now, let alone living such a good life.
Lu Fugui nodded in agreement. He no longer resented Lu Xiaoyang. His third uncle was right. Those bandits were nearby. With so many of them, they couldn't hide at all. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered. It was just that Lu Xiaoyang had stumbled upon the wrong person and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Their hatred towards Lu Xiaoyang was simply a result of their extreme grief and anger, and they used Lu Xiaoyang as an outlet for their frustration.
Looking back now, I still feel somewhat ashamed.
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