Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 151: Business

Liu Yu emerged from the inner courtyard, her face still slightly flushed, catching several glances from Lu Chengxiao, who was drinking with Liu Yanqing and others.

Fortunately, Wei Shi soon came out as well, diverting the conversation to matters concerning the embroidery workshop, effectively shifting the topic and easing the earlier awkwardness.

Since Liu Yu returned home on September 20th to prepare for her wedding, she hadn’t visited the Ruyi Embroidery Workshop for over ten days. Her absence gradually became noticeable. Although Madam Zhang’s tailored garments were luxurious, they lacked a certain liveliness and failed to have the same striking impact that Liu Yu’s creations had. After ten days, most of Liu Yu’s clothing had sold out, leaving mainly Madam Zhang’s sample garments, which highlighted the difference in quality.

Regular customers who favored Liu Yu’s designs felt that something was missing, unable to recapture the previous sense of amazement. This made both Wei Shi and Madam Zhang somewhat anxious, but there was little they could do since a wedding was a joyous and significant occasion.

Wei Shi now asked Liu Yu, “Have you discussed with your family when you will return to the county?”

This had indeed been discussed. Liu Yu replied, “I originally planned to return after the homecoming visit, but Mother suggested that it’s best to also visit Chengxiao’s maternal grandparents’ home to formally acknowledge the relationship, as etiquette requires. So, it might take another two days before I return to the county.”

Hearing this clear response, Wei Shi felt relieved and smiled, “Alright, we really can’t do without you at the workshop. Many people still love the clothes you make. Over the past few days, Madam Zhang has tried to replicate some of your previous designs, but they don’t quite have the same effect when worn.”

Liu Yu raised an eyebrow, “Are the colors and fabrics the same?”

Wei Shi shook her head, “Not exactly. You previously mentioned that high-priced garments shouldn’t be produced in too many identical styles, and we all remembered that.”

It was likely an issue with color matching and fabric selection—areas where personal style strongly influences the outcome and can be difficult to replicate.

Liu Yu understood and said, “I’ll be back in two days, so it should be fine.”

When Liu Yanqing and the others had nearly finished eating, Wei Shi went to clean up the dishes. Liu Yu offered to help, but Wei Shi refused, smiling, “Now that you’re back, you’re a guest. How can we let you do this?”

She wasn’t allowed to help.

Liu Yu wouldn’t give up, swiftly taking action while saying, “What kind of guest am I? Once I’m married, won’t Aunt treat me as family?”

Wei Shi, unable to argue with Liu Yu, smiled and let her help.

Lu Chengxiao didn’t just stand by idly either. The Liu brothers were never ones for traditional male dominance, and with Babaos’ help, they quickly tidied up the main hall.

When Liu Yu was about to wash the dishes, Wei Shi finally persuaded her to stop, “Why don’t you take Chengxiao to your room to rest? He probably drank a lot at lunch. I’ll make some sobering soup, and you can bring it to them later.”

Liu Yu agreed, not wanting to trouble Wei Shi, and took over the task. After the soup was ready, she brought four bowls out, one for each of the brothers. Babao, who was the designated driver, hadn’t touched any alcohol, so he didn’t need any.

After drinking, the men, feeling a bit drowsy, were ready to rest. Liu Yanqing arranged for Babao to sleep in a guest room in the outer courtyard, while Lu Chengxiao was taken by Liu Yu to the west wing of the inner courtyard, her own room.

This was the second time Lu Chengxiao had entered Liu Yu’s boudoir since the wedding. The first time, the room had been filled with people, and he had only been focused on Liu Yu, not paying any attention to the surroundings. Today, he finally had the chance to take a good look.

Liu Yu poured him a cup of tea, smiling, “Have some water and rest for a while. Then we should head back.”

It wasn’t proper for a newly married woman to stay overnight at her parents’ home, and since Changfeng Town was far away, they needed to return after a short nap.

Lu Chengxiao nodded, took a sip of tea, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere. Curious, he asked, “What did Aunt say to you earlier? You looked a bit off when you came out.”

Liu Yu: …

“Do you really want to know?”

Lu Chengxiao raised an eyebrow, “Why wouldn’t I?”

Liu Yu chuckled, “Sure, and you should actually know about this.”

This implied it was related to him. Lu Chengxiao looked at Liu Yu, waiting for her to continue.

Liu Yu had originally planned to tell him after they returned home, but since he was asking now, it was better to address it immediately. She moved a bit closer to him and explained what Wei Shi had said about the dangers of early childbirth for women, adding, “Childbirth is like passing through the gates of death, especially when a woman is too young. It’s particularly dangerous. Aunt was suggesting that we should be careful and avoid having children too early.”

Upon hearing that childbirth was like passing through the gates of death, Lu Chengxiao instinctively sat up straighter, his gaze dropping to Liu Yu’s abdomen. His expression changed, “Is it really that serious? What about these past few days…”

He thought about how he had been with Liu Yu several times a day over the past few days and suddenly felt anxious.

Seeing his reaction, Liu Yu squeezed his hand, noticing how tense he had become. Realizing she had scared him, she quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. We just need to minimize the risks. Besides, it’s not that easy to get pregnant. Look at Second Brother and Sister-in-law; they’ve been married for a while and still don’t have children.”

Lu Chengxiao held Liu Yu’s hand tightly, “Even a small chance is too much. How do you know Second Brother and Sister-in-law aren’t like us, planning to wait a while before having kids?”

He put down the teacup in his other hand, pulled Liu Yu onto his lap, and embraced her tightly. “Then I won’t touch you for a while,” he said.

Liu Yu felt both amused and touched. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she softly asked, “Can you really resist?”

Lu Chengxiao nodded firmly. “Yes, I can.”

A gentle smile bloomed on Liu Yu’s face. She leaned in to taste the lingering wine on his lips. Lu Chengxiao’s throat tightened, but for the first time since he had experienced this sweetness, he remained unusually calm. Although his breathing grew heavier, he allowed Liu Yu to kiss him without responding or taking control.

As his chest heaved more intensely, he turned his head aside, gasping for breath. His words, though unsteady, were still resolute.

“I can bear it.”

Liu Yu pressed her forehead against his, her eyes curved in a smile, and the corners of her lips lifted.

She had never known that there could be someone like him in this world—someone who, after they met, would bring her happiness, sweetness, and joy every single day, every hour, every moment. Someone who would cherish her like a precious treasure, holding her close to his heart.

“Lu Chengxiao.”

For the first time since she started addressing him by his full name, Liu Yu called out to him, her voice a tender and soft murmur.

Lu Chengxiao instinctively responded softly. With their foreheads touching, their noses brushed together, skin against skin, breath mingling. Liu Yu whispered, “Have I ever told you that I like you?”

Lu Chengxiao’s hand tightened around her waist, and he let out a low “hmm.” He held his breath, anticipating her next words at such close proximity.

Liu Yu smiled and slowly brought her lips close to his, pressing her soft lips against his in a gentle, affectionate touch. It was a simple, tender gesture, devoid of any desire, purely an expression of intimacy.

She held him, and in that tender closeness, she pulled back slightly. Then, the most beautiful and touching words Lu Chengxiao had ever heard spilled from Liu Yu’s lips.

“Lu Chengxiao.”

“I love you.”

“More than just liking you.”

Though her voice was soft, every word sank deeply into Lu Chengxiao’s heart, blending into that autumn afternoon in the west wing of the Liu family home.

Lu Chengxiao’s entire being was overwhelmed by a surge of joy. This time, without waiting for Liu Yu to take the initiative, he kissed her.

It was just a kiss, nothing more. But filled with emotion, he held her close, resting his face against her cheek, the corners of his lips curving upward in a smile he couldn’t suppress.

That night, when Liu Yu mentioned that it wasn’t entirely off-limits to touch her and shared the method Wei Shi had taught, they were already back at the Lu family home.

With his beloved wife in his arms, Lu Chengxiao naturally felt a reaction. However, after learning that the method wasn’t entirely foolproof, he pressed Liu Yu’s head into his chest and said only two words:

“Sleep now.”

His voice was slightly hoarse, but he genuinely managed to calm himself and restrain his desires.

The next day, as Liu Yu and Wei Shi had said, the whole family visited Chenjia Village, staying for the day. The following morning, Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao prepared two small gifts and together visited Cui Erniang’s shop.

Since it wasn’t far, they didn’t bother with a cart, walking hand in hand as they strolled over.

Cui Erniang was overjoyed to see Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu. “A magpie was chirping in the courtyard early this morning, and I thought there might be guests. It seems I was right!”

After serving tea, Cui Erniang had a proper conversation with Liu Yu.

She pulled Liu Yu into her shop and said, “Take a look around my shop. Do you notice anything?”

Liu Yu glanced at Cui Erniang, then obediently walked around the shop.

Some of the fabrics in Cui Erniang’s shop this autumn had been supplied by Lu Feng, so there was a lot of overlap in materials. As for the ready-made garments… Liu Yu’s eyes paused as she noticed something, then she turned to Cui Erniang and asked, “Are those the only outfits left from our embroidery workshop?”

Cui Erniang clapped her hands together. “Exactly!”

She looked at Liu Yu and smiled. “I was supposed to visit your workshop a few days ago to pick up more stock, but I figured you haven’t been around lately, and there might not be many samples available. So I’m waiting for you to return. In a few days, I’ll come by to place an order. I wanted to check with you today—when will you be back at the workshop?”

Liu Yu smiled. “Tomorrow. If you want to pick up goods, come by in five days.”

However, Liu Yu was still a bit curious and asked Cui Erniang, “Why didn’t you make some yourself based on the previous designs? You also got the same materials for the more affordable styles, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to replicate a few.”

“We did try,” Cui Erniang replied, leading Liu Yu a few steps and pulling out an outfit for her to see. “Take a look at this one.”

Liu Yu examined it and realized it was indeed a design from her embroidery workshop, but upon closer inspection, something seemed slightly off.

Cui Erniang shook her head and said, “This is our attempt at copying the design. It looks very similar, but when worn, there’s a noticeable difference.”

The seamstresses in the small town didn’t have the same skill as Liu Yu and Madam Zhang. Even with the same material and design, the replicated outfit just didn’t fit as perfectly, making it look a bit inferior.

Cui Erniang explained, “Unless we take apart the original outfit you made and cut it precisely, it’s hard to make an exact replica. I’ve done the math. For the more affordable styles that sell better in town, it costs nearly as much in labor for us to make them ourselves, with only a difference of a few hundred coins per piece compared to the price you give me. Your designs sell well, so rather than going through the trouble of making imitations that aren’t perfect, it’s easier for me to just buy more from you. Doesn’t that make sense? If it weren’t for the fact that everyone has different body shapes and needs custom sizing, I’d consider just selling your pieces exclusively.”

Cui Erniang was being candid with Liu Yu, knowing they had a good relationship. She spoke openly, without worrying about the other seamstresses overhearing. Liu Yu thought for a moment and understood.

It’s difficult to replicate a design perfectly, even with the same materials. To make a good copy, they’d need to take apart the original outfit. But disassembling one piece to make two and then reassembling the original is too labor-intensive and time-consuming. For the cost of that labor, it would be easier to buy directly from her Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. Plus, if they disassembled one outfit to make many copies, it would hurt business in a small town like Changfeng because a shop that only sells old designs can’t compete with one that constantly offers new ones. Additionally, unless the seamstress is highly skilled, taking apart and re-stitching fine materials often leaves marks, so it’s more cost-effective to simply purchase ready-made pieces from the workshop.

Cui Erniang spoke these words casually, but they sparked something in Liu Yu’s mind, a new idea flashing through her thoughts.

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