Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 53.2: How painful can a person’s heart be?

Unable to know where Liu Yu is at the moment, all the hatred within Lu Chengxiao was forcibly suppressed.

He approached Liu Kangsheng, coldly looking down at him, “You sold Liu Yu for wealth, didn’t you? Do you know how much my Lu family gave as a dowry for our future wife?”

Liu Kangsheng was stung by the cold indifference in his eyes, and the murmurs among the villagers fell silent.

“When my elder brother got married last year, the dowry was ninety-nine taels of silver.” Lu Chengxiao stared at Liu Kangsheng and said each word distinctly, “Liu Yu just went missing yesterday, and even if she was sold, it would take time. As long as you tell me where she is, who you sold her to, and help me bring her back, I will personally deliver the full dowry of ninety-nine taels to your Liu family.”

The crowd erupted in surprise – ninety-nine taels.

Even Wu Shi felt a sharp pain.

Ninety-nine taels! Ninety-nine taels! If they had known that marrying Liu Yu to a wealthy man in town could bring a dowry of ninety-nine taels, and they could continue to exploit her in the future, why did they greedily sell her for eighty taels? They had suffered such a colossal disaster for nothing.

Wu Shi regretted, regretted to the point where her guts felt like they were turning green, and her blood surged to her head. She slumped to the ground, legs giving way.

Unable to help herself, she glanced at Liu Kangsheng, and her greedy desire for ninety-nine taels was evident on her face.

Only Liu Kangsheng, the stepfather, knew who those people were last night and where Liu Yu had been sold.

However, Liu Kangsheng forcefully suppressed the surge of emotions and swallowed the rising blood in his throat, gritting his teeth, “I truly don’t know. She might have entered the village, but she definitely didn’t return home. We know nothing. My daughter-in-law went to her mother’s house to celebrate a birthday, and my third daughter-in-law went to Baofeng Temple to pray for a child. It’s all just a coincidence.”

But Lu Chengxiao no longer listened to his attempts to cover up the shame. Without a second thought, he strode into Liu’s eastern room.

On the bed in the eastern room, Liu Dalang heard the commotion outside clearly. He knew that as soon as the matter of selling Liu Yu was confirmed, he would become a reviled insect in the gutter. There would be no more reputation for him. At this moment, even if he was in agony, he dared not make a sound or a single cry, afraid that people would find out his descendants were abolished. If even a hint of this leaked out, he wouldn’t need to live anymore, unable to face the world.

So, although he hated Liu Yu in his heart and was in extreme pain, he dared not make a sound now. If there were cracks in the ground, he would have wanted to hide in them.

Lu Chengxiao arrived at Liu Dalang’s bedside at this moment. His appearance was like a young jade, but his expression was cold and ruthless. “Did you sell Liu Yu?”

Liu Dalang was chilled by his gaze and felt a coldness emanating from his bones. Shaking his head repeatedly, he said, “I didn’t. I don’t know anything.”

“You don’t know.” Lu Chengxiao abruptly grabbed his throat, and with a momentary increase in pressure at his fingertips, Liu Dalang quickly rolled his eyes.

He wanted to kill him; this man truly wanted to kill him.

In that moment, Liu Dalang became acutely aware that Young Master Lu, the third son of the Lu family, wanted him dead.

Following closely behind, Liu Kangsheng and Wu Shi rushed in. Upon entering, they saw Liu Dalang being strangled by Lu Chengxiao, eyes rolling back and desperately struggling. Liu Kangsheng almost pounced forward but was kicked away before even reaching Lu Chengxiao’s clothing. Meanwhile, Wu Shi, seeing Liu Kangsheng being kicked away, lacked the courage to approach and could only scream, “He’s killing someone!”

Lu Chengxiao paid no attention, only adding more force to his grip. “Speak or not!”

Liu Dalang clutched Lu Chengxiao’s arm with both hands, desperately trying to nod.

Finally getting air into his lungs, he gasped for breath and, as Lu Chengxiao’s fingers moved slightly, shrank back like a startled bird. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk. I didn’t sell Liu Yu. She used a cloth soaked with medicine to cover my mouth halfway, and I passed out. I don’t know anything that happened afterward; I know nothing at all.”

Oh, he confessed! The villagers outside cheered, “So it was the eldest son of the Liu family who sold Liu Yu!”

Liu Dalang realized that he had revealed too much and hurriedly added, “Not sold, but sent her to a wealthy family as a concubine, sent her to live a good life. I know nothing about it. It was arranged by my brother-in-law, Wu Jin. I passed out and knew nothing. I don’t know where Wu Jin took Liu Yu.”

Hearing the word “concubine,” Lu Chengxiao’s cheeks tensed, and his fists clenched tightly. Suppressing the urge to ask further, he said, “Where is Wu Jin?”

Liu Dalang shook his head repeatedly, aware that he had encountered a calamity. At this moment, he only wanted to save himself and disregarded Wu Jin’s life. He said, “Go to Dong Ling Lane, the third courtyard, No. 3, in the county. Wu Jin lives there. Originally, it was agreed to let Liu Yu stay with him first until the Ya Po (slave trader) came to take her away.”

The information was finally extracted. Lu Chengxiao could no longer bear to be patient, striking Liu Dalang under the jaw with a punch. Inside the room, Liu Dalang’s pig-like screams echoed once before falling silent. He had been knocked unconscious by Lu Chengxiao. Liu Kangsheng shouted, “Are you trying to kill him? Dalang, Dalang!” He shouted again, “Wu Shi, hurry and call the doctor.”

As the door opened from the inside, Lu Chengxiao swiftly left the room, mounted his horse, and galloped towards Anyi County.

Babao drove the mule cart as fast as it could go. By the time Lu Xun and Madam Chen arrived, all they saw was their son riding into the distance with his back facing them, leaving behind a commotion at the Liu family’s house.

Once Madam Chen heard the story from the woman who had entertained her the other day, she was also stunned.

She knew that the girl’s family situation was not good, and she also knew that she was not Liu’s biological daughter. However, when she stood outside the door yesterday and heard that the girl had been tied up inside, Madam Chen’s hand trembled lightly, unsure if it was due to anger or urgency.

“This Liu family, what a bunch of scum!”

Seated back in the mule cart, she massaged her temples for a while, then said to Lu Xun, “I knew that girl had a tough life, but I never expected her to be in such a den of wolves.”

In that moment, she thought that if she really married into such a family, it might be turbulent for decades to come. She wasn’t picky about social status, but if her in-laws were such people, it would be intolerable.

This thought flashed briefly, and Madam Chen had a headache. “Now, what can we do? I can see that Chengxiao is very concerned about that girl. If he manages to bring her back, that’s good. But if he can’t bring her back…” Madam Chen couldn’t even bear to think about it.

Lu Xun patted her hand and said, “Don’t worry. Isn’t there some information now? It happened just yesterday. If the girl is sent to the county, it’s probably getting dark soon. If we’re lucky, we might still catch up.”

When buying people, it’s unlikely that only one person is purchased. Typically, they need to stay for a few days.

Madam Chen nodded. “I hope so.”

Lu Xun thought for a moment and said, “I’ll send you back to the town later. I’ll have Babao take me directly to Anyi County. Chengxiao might face unknown circumstances, so I’ll go and take a look.”

“Okay, you’re more familiar with the county. Please inquire about it. That girl, from what I’ve heard, is an excellent person. It’s just that she has encountered great misfortune and ended up with such a family. Marriage and other matters are secondary; let’s help find her first.”

~

A common yet spirited horse carried a person away like a gust of wind. On the horse’s back was Lu Chengxiao, eyes already reddened.

Many things he couldn’t understand before, or things he didn’t have time to think about, all unfolded before him now. He finally understood why Liu Yu was so eager to marry into a wealthy family. It wasn’t about seeking wealth and status; she just wanted to find a way out for herself.

And what had he done? Lu Chengxiao felt an overwhelming pain.

If he hadn’t rejected her at that time, would she be in the current situation? If he hadn’t spoken harshly that day, hurting her pride, would she have asked for help directly?

Liu Yu, be safe and sound, please don’t encounter any trouble.

Lu Chengxiao knew that if something happened to Liu Yu because of this, he could never forgive himself.

~

In Dongling Lane, Anyi County, the door of Wu Jin’s residence was locked, and after asking some neighbors in the same courtyard, they said he hadn’t returned for a day and night.

The old woman who was asked changed her expression when Lu Chengxiao heard this. She didn’t know what wickedness Wu Jin had done again. She kindly suggested, “You can go to the Jixiang Gambling House and ask. He mostly works there as an enforcer.”

Lu Chengxiao nodded, without a word of thanks, turned and went to the gambling house. Unfortunately, there was no information about Wu Jin.

After leaving Jixiang Gambling House, standing on the streets of Anyi County, Lu Chengxiao felt a trace of sweetness in his throat.

But he dared not even grieve; swallowing the hint of sweetness, he quickly returned to the Lu Feng Cloth Shop. Ignoring the employees’ reactions, he arranged for them to go out and inquire if any Ya Po in the county had recently taken in a beautiful girl around fifteen years old.

After briefing Lu Chengzong and Lu Chengzhang(His brothers), he let them assist in the search. Then, he hurriedly went to the wealthy Wang family in Anyi County. It happened to be a family he knew from his time at Yuanzhou Academy, and they rented out the shop currently used by the Lu family.

In a rush of anxiety, he went directly to Mr. Wang’s home. After bowing, Lu Chengxiao didn’t even think about additional courtesy and directly explained the situation. “This is my fiancée. It’s urgent, and I hope Uncle can help. I won’t dare to expect too much, but Chengxiao would be truly grateful.”

The Wang family was an old and prominent family in Anyi County. When they heard it was Lu Chengxiao’s fiancée, they readily agreed. “Nephew, don’t worry. You and Mingyun are close friends. In such a situation, I should help. Let me summon the steward and servants to go out, inquire with the Ya Po in the county, and inform you if there’s any news.”

He immediately called the steward and servants, instructing them, and the Wang family’s servants scattered.

Lu Chengxiao thanked Mr. Wang and returned to the Lu Feng Cloth Shop to wait for news. Meanwhile, the employees in the shop went out to gather information. Lin Huaigeng and Liu Zhang, upon hearing the news, dropped their tasks and requested help from the escort agency to find the whereabouts of Liu Yu or Wu Jin.

Only Lu Chengxiao himself could do nothing but wait for information at the cloth shop. He felt anxious and helpless, but at that moment, Lu Xun and Babao also arrived at Lu Feng Cloth Shop. Before they could exchange a few words, Lu Chengzong said that there were guests at home. When they looked outside, they saw that it was Li Zhongjue.

Lu Chengxiao was stunned. “Zhongjue, why are you here?”

Li Zhongjue said, “Last time I asked you to find those things, after several experiments with dyed cloth, they finally came out. I thought about bringing them to show you.” He smiled and added, “I’m not the only one here. See who else is with me.”

He stepped aside, revealing Li Zhongjue’s younger sister, Li Yunbi.

Seeing Lu Chengxiao, Li Yunbi smiled shyly and bowed politely. “Long time no see, Third Brother Lu. I heard that Brother is coming to Anyi County, so I thought I’d come along to take a look. Third Brother, please don’t mind my visit.”

However, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t force a smile. He nodded slightly and said, “Zhongjue, I’m in the middle of something important right now and don’t have the mood or time to entertain you. Let my eldest brother accompany you to an inn. We can catch up later.”

“What happened?” Both Li siblings’ expressions changed.

Li Yunbi asked, “Yes, Third Brother, what happened? Two heads are better than one. If you tell us, maybe we can help.”

Lu Chengxiao was about to explain when a messenger from the Wang family arrived. He promptly put the conversation on hold and went out to meet him.

“Young Master Lu, our master asked me to inform you that there was no Ya Po who took in a girl around fifteen years old yesterday. However, we’ve found another piece of information. In the past few days, a Ya Po named Madam Zhou arrived in Yuanzhou City. She seems to be quite generous and willing to buy good-looking girls and boys. She mainly operates in the Yangzhou area, and several Ya Po in Anyi County have handed over people to her in the past few days. She left for Yuanzhou yesterday. Our master says that there should be a way to get information in the county, but he suggests you check Yuanzhou since they offer a higher price. He advises that it’s better to go and see what’s happening there.”

Lu Chengxiao nodded. “Send my thanks to your master.”

After bidding farewell to the messenger, Lu Chengxiao turned to Lu Xun. “Dad, I’ll leave things here to you. Huaigeng and the others are helping with the search. Could you please inquire about Wu Jin’s movements? I’m heading to Yuanzhou immediately.”

Lu Xun nodded. “Go quickly. The sooner, the better.”

Just before Lu Chengxiao left, he remembered something and took out his own purse, handing it to his son. “Take some more silver coins. If she falls into the hands of a Ya Po, you might need a large sum for redemption.”

Thinking about Liu Yu being in the hands of a Ya Po, Lu Chengxiao’s eyes turned red. He accepted the purse and said, “Thank you, Dad.”

Turning to Lu Chengzong, he said, “Big Brother, please take care of Zhongjue for a few days.”

With a bow to Li Zhongjue, he hurriedly led his horse away.

Li Zhongjue looked puzzled. He asked Lu Xun, “Uncle Lu, what happened?”

Lu Xun sighed and said, “Chengxiao is distressed because the girl he likes has encountered some trouble. He was going to propose marriage today…”

He paused here, not elaborating, just saying, “Now he urgently needs to find her. Could you take them to settle down? I’ll go outside and see what’s happening.”

Li Zhongjue was stunned and Li Yunbi’s face turned pale instantlybut she quickly lowered her head to cover up.

Li Zhongjue glanced at his sister without showing any emotions, then asked Lu Xun, “So, Chengxiao was going to propose?”

Lu Xun, preoccupied with his son’s affairs, didn’t notice the change in the faces of the Li siblings. He just nodded and said, “Let Chengzong take care of you both first, and I’ll go check the situation outside.”

Sansukini: Dear Author-nim, it’s okay to make the chapter shorter, I swear. This chapter has a total of 5912 words, so please tell me if there are any typos or anything. LU CHENGXIAO TO THE RESCUE!!! Liu Yu’s cousin totally forgot to send the letter to Lufeng’s cloth shop. Lol.