Chapter 24: Wedding Dilemma 1
After everyone left, I turned to face Mo Ying. Yan Mei, sensing what was about to happen, quickly took the kids into the kitchen.
"You—" I started, but he cut me off before I could finish.
"Before you start ranting, Miss Feisty Mom, take a deep breath and look at all the things I brought back for you..." he said, just as another wagon arrived—this time loaded with furniture and wood.
I was still trying to process the last batch of items he brought, and now he was bringing in even more. He was definitely not just a farmer’s son.
"Mo Ying, I’m happy that you managed to pay the bride price," I said firmly, "but I still need to know who you really are. I never pressed you about it before, since you said you weren’t going to marry me, and I didn’t want to pry. But now that this marriage is settled, you have to be truthful with me, whether you like it or not. Because whoever you are, if your identity could pose a threat to my children’s lives, then we should forget about all of this."
I fixed him with a serious gaze. He, however, only smirked slightly and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"You worry too much, Lin Xu. Now it’s your turn to listen to me. I don’t know why you find it so hard to believe me, but whatever fears you have about your children’s safety, put them aside. Nothing will happen to them..."
He leaned closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "Absolutely nothing. As long as I’m here, you’re all safe."
Stepping back, he handed me a pouch. "That’s one hundred taels, enough to prepare for the wedding."
I opened it and counted quickly. My eyes widened. I hadn’t seen such a huge sum of money at once since I arrived here.
"Brother Mo, we’re ready to leave," Fuhan called as he approached.
I looked at him, then turned back to Mo Ying. "And who is he?"
"He? Just a boy my parents once took care of. We practically grew up together. I hope you don’t mind him staying with us for now."
Fuhan immediately bowed slightly. "I promise to be attentive and helpful to you, Sister Lin."
I looked at Fuhan again. His respectful tone and clear eyes made it hard to refuse. Still, I wasn’t used to strangers in my space.
"Fine," I said after a pause. "But don’t expect me to treat you any differently than I treat the others here. If you’re going to stay, then you’ll work, too."
"Yes, Sister Lin," Fuhan replied without hesitation, thou his face remained expressionless.
Mo Ying chuckled softly, as if amused by my cautiousness. "See? He’ll be no trouble."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Easy for you to say. You keep bringing surprises to my doorstep without telling me what’s really going on."
Instead of answering, Mo Ying reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His voice dropped low, almost a whisper. "Not every truth needs to be rushed. One day, you’ll know everything. Until then... trust me."
"I don’t like secrets, Mo Ying," I said frmly.
He smiled, slow, and frustratingly confident. "Then I’ll just have to make you like mine."
Before I could snap back at him, the children’s laughter drifted from the kitchen. Yan Mei called out, asking if she should start preparing breakfast. The ordinary sound grounded me, pulling me back from whatever spell Mo Ying was weaving.
"Go help Yan Mei," I said, pushing the pouch of silver into my sleeve. "And tomorrow, we’ll talk about this wedding properly. No more surprises."
Mo Ying gave a mock bow, lips curved in that teasing smirk of his. "As you command, Miss Feisty Mom."
..
Upon arriving back home, the Lu couple didn’t seem happy one bit by what had just occurred.
Slamming his fist against the nearest table, Lu Fong groaned angrily, "I hate them so much! Who the heck do they think they are? How dare they make fun of us like that?!"
His sister, Lu Fei, stomped her feet, her face red with fury. "Exactly! That shameless Lin Xu! After living off us for eight years, now she dares to laugh at us? And that so-called farmer boy ugh! Who does he think he is, standing there all high and mighty? I swear, I’ll rip that smirk off his face one day!"
Uncle Lu rubbed his temples with both hands, pacing back and forth. "Enough! Both of you calm down. Can’t you see? We’ve already been humiliated enough for one day. The whole village saw it... the more you yell, the worse it looks for us!"
Aunt Lu, however, sat on the edge of the chair, fanning herself quickly though her face was pale. "This is bad... this is very bad. If word spreads any further..."
"Word spreads?!" Lu Fei snapped, turning sharply to her parents. "Mother, what if Big Man Lou hears about this? What if he finds out Lin Xu is marrying that man? Didn’t you say he already paid you a deposit and that you promised to give Lin Xu to him?!"
Her words caused the room to fall silent, the weight of reality sinking in like a heavy stone. Aunt Lu’s hand froze mid-air, while Uncle Lu’s face drained of color.
And as if summoned by their fears, the heavy thud of boots echoed outside. The door creaked open, and stepping in with his towering frame was none other than Big Man Lou, followed by four of his rough-looking men. His broad chest rose and fell with controlled anger, his thick arms crossed as his sharp eyes swept across the family.
The Lu siblings instantly froze, their earlier anger vanishing. Lu Fong’s legs trembled so hard he nearly stumbled as he rushed forward. "B-Big Man Lou... please, sit down..." He quickly dragged over a chair with shaking hands, placing it carefully before the man.
Big Man Lou sat slowly, his weight making the chair creak under him. His men remained standing behind him, like wolves waiting for the signal to pounce.
His deep voice rumbled through the room, heavy and dangerous. "On my way back, I heard some villagers talking... They said my woman, Lin Xu, is getting married in two days. To another man."
His glare shifted to Aunt Lu, piercing and cold. "Tell me, is that gossip true?"
Aunt Lu nearly jumped out of her chair, her fan clattering to the floor as she rushed forward with a forced smile, her voice trembling. "B-Big Man Lou, please calm down, it’s not what it sounds like!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Then explain it. Now."
Her hands wrung together nervously as she tried to steady her tone. "Y-you see... the village chief has been pressuring us. That wretched girl Lin Xu, she’s always been sly, always ungrateful. Today she tricked everyone into believing that farmer boy paid her bride price. We couldn’t stop it in front of the entire village without raising suspicion. But..."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice though fear still rattled her words. "I know a way, Big Man Lou. A way to make sure Lin Xu still becomes yours."
Big Man Lou tilted his head, his expression unreadable as his men shifted behind him like shadows waiting for an order. "Oh? You’d better not be wasting my time, Aunt Lu. If you’ve let another man take what I already paid for..." His voice dropped lower, darker, "then you’ll owe me more than just money."
He said as he flashed a devouring gaze on Lu Fei who immediately hid behind her brother.
Aunt Lu’s lips trembled, but she forced a smile and bowed. "Trust me, Big Man Lou... I will fix this. I won’t let that girl slip away so easily."