Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 56: Negotiation.

The group of three left the teahouse together. Babao was quick to ask, “Third Young Master, did Miss Liu go back with her relatives from her biological father’s side?”

He had vaguely overheard a few sentences at the entrance of the elegant room and confirmed it with Lu Chengxiao.

Lu Chengxiao nodded, “That was her Aunt inside the elegant room.”

Babao breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn’t understand the situation on Liu Yu’s biological father’s side, he couldn’t help but think, even if it’s not good there, could it be worse than in the Liu family’s village? Definitely not.

On the contrary, he felt that they were very concerned about Miss Liu here.

Thinking about Li Yunbi, who was still staying at the inn, Babao felt anxious for his Third Young Master. If Miss Liu wasn’t brought back by her biological father’s family, even if the Third Young Master brought her back, with the Liu family’s big household, would the madam really agree to the Third Young Master marrying her? Babao remembered what the madam said in the carriage that day when they left the Liu family’s village—”Marriage is a secondary matter; let’s find the person first.”

—It’s a secondary matter.

It’s a secondary matter. The madam was eager to find someone at that time, and she probably didn’t pay much attention to that statement. Babao knew that his Third Young Master cared a lot about Liu Yu. He pondered over this statement in his heart multiple times. In his opinion, the madam might have hesitated in her heart.

Babao also understood that, regardless of the madam not caring much about family background and appearances, seeing the attitude of the Liu family’s village, and considering making an alliance with such a family, how could she not hesitate?

On Liu Yu’s side, there was a family that could be a burden, and now there was also a Miss Li Yunbi from Yuanzhou who had chased after the young master. Although the Third Young Master hadn’t even glanced at her, the relationship between the two families was evident. If the Li family were to bring it up, comparing the two, wouldn’t Miss Liu end up at a disadvantage?

At that time, Babao didn’t dare to say much to Lu Chengxiao, completely focused on finding the person. Of course, now that Miss Liu’s situation had changed, he didn’t need to say this anymore. In fact, whether he said it or not, the Third Young Master had made up his mind, and the madam couldn’t oppose it. Babao was just worrying needlessly.

Lu Chengxiao returned to the cloth shop, where Lu Xun was already waiting. Lu Chengzong only mentioned that they found the person. As for the specific situation, he knew nothing. He praised the girl’s appearance repeatedly, making Lu Xun itch to ask for more information. Unfortunately, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t provide more details. This frustrated Lu Xun, who quickly dismissed him to clear his mind.

Now that Lu Chengxiao was back, Lu Xun finally got a chance to ask. The father and son went to the backyard, and as Lu Chengxiao explained the situation in detail, even Lu Xun couldn’t help but sigh, “So, her stepfather really intended to sell her, but her biological father’s side intervened halfway and saved her?”

Lu Chengxiao nodded, “I can’t ask for specifics, but it seems like that. According to the information we got from Liu Sanlang in the Liu family’s village, Miss Liu’s biological father’s family likely had some control over her stepfather, allowing them to take her away after visiting the Liu family’s village. Miss Liu should be back with her biological father’s family now. Early that morning, she had asked her cousin to come to our cloth shop to deliver the news, but unexpectedly, her cousin received an urgent task and was called away. He didn’t have time to send the message to us, leading to this misunderstanding. Mrs. Liu(Aunt) felt quite sorry and asked me to apologize to you and my mother. She also mentioned that she would personally come to thank us in three days.”

What’s there to thank for? Naturally, it’s for their efforts in searching for Liu Yu.

Lu Xun felt relieved. The relatives on the girl’s biological father’s side seemed to have a good sense of propriety. Actually, Babao’s feeling wasn’t wrong. The large Liu family in the village, not to mention Mrs. Lu being worried, even Lu Xun himself felt uneasy. Now that the girl had escaped from that family, it was fortunate, and it saved him from a dilemma.

“Since they’ve arranged to come in three days, I’ll return home a day early to wait for them and greet them. It’s our family’s way.” After thinking for a moment, Lu Xun added, “I’ll send someone back today to inform your mother and make some preparations.”

With everything settled, Lu Xun hurriedly urged Lu Chengxiao and Babao to wash away the dust and go to sleep.

~

In the tailor shop on South Street of Anyi County, Wei Shi(Aunt) picked out two sets of good fabrics for Liu Yu. Liu Yu only looked at the materials and, without asking the price, knew they must be expensive. Calculating the expenses from the morning, including everything from her bathing necessities to her makeup kit, the eldest aunt had bought them all. The store delivered some items, and a mule cart was hired to pick up the rest. Money flowed like water, and Liu Yu was not willing to add another expensive set of clothes to the list. She shook her head and said, “Eldest aunt, our small farmhouse doesn’t need expensive silk and satin clothes. Ordinary cloth is good enough. I don’t want this.”

Wei Shi, however, insisted, “When you visit the Lu family in three days, you should at least pick a decent outfit. Although the future arrangements are uncertain, you shouldn’t let people underestimate you now. It’s not about gold and jade ornaments; it’s just a couple of good clothes, and your aunt can afford to get them for you.”

Having endured hardships for fifteen days on the road, even if not for the Lu family, Wei Shi was determined to compensate Liu Yu for her sufferings. Moreover, they were going to the Lu family. After searching for Liu Yu on the Lu family’s side for a few days, and considering the situation in the Liu family’s village, they now had a clear understanding. The Liu family was problematic, and Wei Shi didn’t want her niece to be burdened by such a family or be looked down upon.

Liu Yanan (Youngest cousin) also chimed in, “Little sister, just buy whatever you like. Big brother’s monthly salary is a lot; he gives it all to Mom to save. Don’t worry about the money.”

Wei Shi looked at him with disdain, “Buy, buy, buy. You should earn money yourself to support your little sister. It’s too generous to use your big brother’s salary.”

Liu Yu couldn’t help but smile, and Liu Yanan didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He muttered, “That depends on whether you’re willing to let me earn for my little sister.”

He received a glare from Wei Shi and decided to keep quiet.

In the end, Liu Yu chose an outfit. The shopkeeper also gave her a hairband that matched the color of the skirt. Wei Shi watched as Liu Yu added some pearls to it. Liu Yu couldn’t resist her aunt’s insistence, and after some consideration, she decided to do some work to contribute to the household expenses. She bought a large bundle of fabric, all of good quality, and also purchased embroidery threads and other necessary items.

For a rare moment, she had something she wanted, and Wei Shi, considering that girls usually enjoyed needlework, had no reason to refuse. After Liu Yu made her choices, they settled the bill. Liu Yanan hired a mule cart and took the items they had bought and stored in various shops. The cart, filled to the brim, returned to Yangshan Village. After arranging and cleaning everything, they prepared lunch, and the whole family took a break.

By the afternoon, everyone had rested. Wei Shi, carrying a box, went to the western wing. Liu Yu was sitting by the window, embroidering. Upon seeing Wei Shi, she quickly put down her embroidery and greeted her, “Aunt is here.”

Wei Shi placed the box on the table, picked up the embroidery Liu Yu had set aside, which was just a small corner of a branch, and examined it. She was surprised, “Yu’er, you have such good embroidery skills?”

Liu Yu modestly responded, “I just dabble in it when I have free time. The embroidered small items may look good, but they are nothing special.”

She spoke the truth. During her time at Luoxian Pavillion, it was less than two months, and with so much to learn, she hadn’t spent much time practicing embroidery. However, she had always been insightful about needlework, and her delicate thoughts showed in the items she embroidered, making them presentable.

“Remarkable indeed. Your grandmother was also skilled in embroidery. However, I have clumsy hands and feet, and although I can manage some simple tasks like making clothes, I just can’t seem to grasp embroidery. Your keen insight, on the other hand, seems to have inherited from your grandmother.” After expressing her admiration, she added, “But this kind of work strains the eyes. It’s good for passing the time, but don’t do it for too long.”

Liu Yu smiled and agreed, then poured another cup of tea for Wei Shi. Wei Shi took the tea and continued, “The day after tomorrow, we need to prepare gifts. I came to discuss with you. Besides the Lu family, are there any other families in Changfeng Town that need our attention?”

“There is indeed. I was planning to discuss it with you tomorrow, but Aunt, you’ve anticipated it.” Liu Yu then explained the situation with Cui Erniang in detail, saying, “At that time, I had no other options, nowhere to inquire, but Sister Cui not only shared important information with me but also gave me two taels of silver. Considering my situation back then, whether I could return or not after escaping was uncertain. She provided me with vital help, so I recognized her as my sister. If I can overcome this crisis, we’ll be sisters for real. Therefore, for the upcoming trip to Changfeng Town, I’d like to ask Aunt to prepare an extra gift to express my gratitude to Sister Cui.”

Wei Shi nodded, “That’s only right. It’s easy to add luxuries when everything is going well, but it’s hard to find help in desperate times. Since you’ve recognized each other as sisters, you should continue to support each other. So, for tomorrow, I’ll prepare an additional generous gift.”

She then asked Liu Yu, “Are there any others?”

Liu Yu thought for a moment and realized there was one more matter that needed attention, regarding Master Li. However, their previous discussion was about collaboration, and there was no need for an additional gift. Also, this matter might not be suitable for Aunt to know. If she informed her, Aunt might worry that Liu Yu was on the verge of selling herself into slavery, causing unnecessary distress.

As for who Liu Yu was thinking about, it was the siblings Ge An and Zhu Er. However, considering the deaths of her grandmother, uncle, and father – all due to her father’s act of kindness in saving someone – Liu Yu, putting herself in Aunt’s shoes, doubted that Aunt would welcome her bringing more people into the house. Currently, Liu Yu relied on Aunt and a few cousins for her livelihood. It wouldn’t be appropriate to bring in two more children unrelated to the family. This thought had to be temporarily set aside, and Liu Yu said, “There are two young friends in difficult situations. Could Aunt kindly buy a few boxes of snacks that children like? I’ll visit them, and it will also be a gesture of goodwill.”

“Alright,” Wei Shi noted this request. Having a clear idea about the plans for Changfeng Town, she handed over a box to Liu Yu, saying, “On that day at Liu family’s village, two things were obtained. One is the document signed by Bao Shi and Liu Kangsheng, and the other is this box containing forty taels of silver. The document is kept safe with me due to some concerns. As for these forty taels of silver, Bao Shi stole them from your father back then. Now that it has been recovered, I’ll leave it in your care.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu shook her head and pushed the box back, saying, “Aunt, I can’t take this money. All the living expenses are covered by the family, and I have no need for extra silver. How can I accept this? Aunt, please keep it. It can be used for the family’s daily expenses.”

Wei Shi chuckled at her response, “Silly child, this money is your father’s. I’m not giving it to you for daily expenses. It belongs to you, and you should keep it. In the future, when you get married, you can use it as dowry to bring to your husband’s house. It’s a little something your father left for you. Take it, keep it, and your father will rest in peace.”

The last sentence carried a touch of sentimentality. She patted Liu Yu’s hand, telling her to keep it, and then stood up.

Feeling that she had touched on Wei Shi’s emotions again, Liu Yu didn’t dare to say more. She stood up to escort Aunt out.

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