Today was the big market, and the butcher shop was doing good business. By mid-afternoon, except for dried fish, all the pork and mutton were sold out. Fang Lu, as usual, stayed behind to check the accounts.
She sat at the account desk, following Hu Cheng's instructions bit by bit. At first, she could barely read, but two years later, she was already able to keep her own accounts.
She was so immersed in her account book that she didn't hear the footsteps. Suddenly, a person appeared in front of her, blocking out the light.
Fang Lu raised her head and looked at the newcomer in surprise, "Shopkeeper Fan."
Fan Bai is in charge of these shops and can do everything. He is the real boss.
Fan Bai didn't want to put pressure on her, so he pulled a chair over, sat down, and got straight to the point. "I want to ask you, are you willing to marry me?"
Fang Lu opened her mouth slightly, shocked, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't get married?"
Fan Bai smiled lightly, "I find those matchmakers annoying, so I just said it casually."
Fang Lu pursed her lips and looked at the shopkeeper, Fan. He was tall and strong, handsome, and steady. Such a good man would be popular wherever he went. How could he be interested in her?
That's what she thought and asked.
"I think you're great."
But, then what?
Fang Lu blinked. Was there no further information after just this one sentence?
Fan Bai thought she didn't hear clearly, so he repeated, "I think you are very good."
Fang Lu heard it clearly and her mind started to change.
Some people like her because she can make money, some people like her because she is good-looking, and he may also like her because he thinks she is good, there is no difference.
No one had ever come up to her and said he wanted to marry her so directly. She felt a little nervous and shy, and a blush gradually appeared behind her ears.
But she calmed down and clenched the pen in her hand. "If we get married, will you let me continue to work in the store? If I want to visit other cities..."
Fan Bai didn't quite understand. "I want to marry you, but I didn't say that I don't want you to do business."
"But there are people who gossip about women doing business. It seems like they are always looked down upon..."
"Is it like what your sister-in-law said?"
Fang Lu pursed her lips. He had heard it. Even someone as powerful as Fan Er was, there were always people who said unpleasant things.
Fan Bai knew what she was hesitating about, so he reassured her, "I don't care about those gossips, and you don't have to take them to heart. Marry me, and you can do whatever you want."
"Even if I don't want to have children?"
Fan Bai said without hesitation, "Of course. I don't think I have to have children in the future. Besides, my boss has children, and we always have meals together during holidays."
It’s not that Fang Lu doesn’t want a child, she just doesn’t want to have one so soon. If she has a child, she will be tied up at home.
In Fang Lu's experience, there had never been a man who didn't want a child to carry on the family line. The family she had previously considered had agreed that she could still work after marriage, but they had to give birth to a boy first.
Fang Lu almost flipped the table. Can her belly decide whether the baby is a boy or a girl?
Now Fan Bai said this, she was somewhat moved. They had been in contact for so many years, and they all knew that the shopkeeper Fan was honest and would not easily tell lies.
She was a little curious, "You have a really good relationship with the boss."
"The Dong family once saved our lives. We have no parents, so we have always followed them. Before, in order to get rid of the matchmaker, I said that I was a servant of the Jiang family. This is true. The Jiang family supports us and is our master. I am currently living in the Jiang family's farm. After we get married, you can buy a house and land according to your wishes."
"Buy a house? Our family doesn't have that much dowry."
Fang Lu was shocked. She only had about ten taels of silver saved, which was already quite a lot. But it was still far from enough to buy a house or land.
"Don't worry about that. I won't use your dowry. My monthly allowance is three taels of silver, and my food, clothing, and other necessities are all paid for by my employer. Sometimes she even gives me a little extra. I have almost one hundred and fifty taels on hand now, enough for us to buy a small house and a few acres of land. But if you want a bigger house, I can borrow money from my employer and pay her back later."
Fang Lu was simply amazed by Fan Bai time and time again. She knew that as the head shopkeeper, he must be rich, but she had never expected him to be so wealthy.
Moreover, before she even agreed, the other party revealed all his secrets, showing his sincerity.
Fang Lu is not a stubborn person, and Fan Bai is a straightforward person. Without any elders or matchmakers, the two of them talked everything out among themselves.
If Mrs. Wu were here, she would twist her ears again. How shameless!
After dropping Fang Lu off at her doorstep, Fan Bai headed straight out of town. He had to return to his farm to live.
Fang Lu looked at his receding back in a daze, still feeling a little dazed, as if it was all a dream.
"Sister, why don't you come in? What are you looking at here?"
Seeing that his sister hadn't returned yet, Fang Xin decided to go out and take a look. When he opened the door, he saw his usually calm and composed second sister standing blankly in front of the door.
"It's okay." Fang Lu took a deep breath and turned to walk in.
Mrs. Wu was preparing to cook in the kitchen, while Mrs. Fang's eldest sister-in-law was lighting the fire. They were talking about something, but they were smiling and looked very harmonious.
"Mom, sister-in-law, I'm back."
Wu's smile faded a little, "Why are you back later than your father?"
"I want to remember..."
Before she could finish, Wu spoke again, "Okay, it's not safe outside, go home early next time. Wash your clothes quickly, and we'll have dinner after you're done."
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