Chapter 14: Flash Marriage 2
"Lin Xu, how exactly are you going to find a husband in less than a week? It’s not an easy task!" Yan Mei said worriedly, and I absolutely understood her concerns.
Even in the modern days where most people are ’open-minded,’ they still don’t get married that fast.
Sigh! "Right now, I think the best option is just to find a fake husband. Someone I can pay to be my husband for some time until I’ve gotten rid of those annoying set of people."
"Pay? B-but Lin Xu, paying someone to marry you isn’t it a little too wild? After all, don’t you also desire to have a husband? Having a strong man to take care of you isn’t that bad either... if your aunts had brought someone better, I would have advised you to agree. At least you wouldn’t have to take care of the children by yourself."
"Toorh!" I rolled my eyes at her words.
"You really think good men still exist in this life? Keep dreaming. Men are scums. Even my own husband abandoned such a beautiful woman like me, talk less now that I’ve given birth to three children and I’m this old."
I said, annoyed at this point. Back in the modern days, girls at the age of 22 are usually considered to be the right age for marriage, but here!? They believe a woman who’s over 20 is already too old.
How the heck will I have someone who wouldn’t mind me being a mother and marry me either way?
"You know what, I’m off to the market to go sell... Yan Mei, you can go back home now... we’ll see later."
"Hmm... alright, don’t worry. I’ll find a way to meet with some matchmaker to see if we can really find a husband for you!"
Yan Mei said as she then left, leaving me and the kids alone.
I soon got things ready and left for the market with Yiling while Yuen stayed at home with Bao Bao.
---
Meanwhile, upon arriving back at the Lu residence, the Lu family all just sat down with restless expressions written all over their faces.
Finally breaking the silence, Lu Fei said, "Ma! Pa! What are we going to do now? What if t-that Lin Xu actually finds a husband in a week? T-then what about Big Man Yan?!"
"Shut it! You are overthinking... there’s no way that wench can find a husband so soon, stop saying nonsense!" Uncle Lu shouted.
"But Pa! Lu Fei has a point... Yes, Lin Xu is already a mother and all, but she’s still so beautiful. She’s literally the most beautiful maiden in this entire village. There are so many men over the years who have taken a liking to her. Even that Physician Li can’t keep his eyes off her."
He said as Uncle Lu just sighed and turned to his wife. "What are we going to do? We already collected the bride price from Big Man Lou. We know what he’s capable of, what if he tries to hurt us for not providing Lin Xu?"
"Nonsense!" Aunt Lu snapped.
"There’s no way I’ll let that wretched witch get married and have a good life. She’ll marry Big Man Lou, no matter what. Right now, I’ll go and meet the matchmakers of our village. Paying a few silvers to avoid unnecessary trouble won’t be too bad!"
She said with a grin as she then stood up and made her way out.
---
The market was bustling by the time I set up my stall. The savory scent of my braised meat filled the air, and soon enough customers began gathering, coins clinking into my basket one after the other.
Just as I was slicing a portion, a sudden gust of wind swept through the street, scattering colorful papers across the ground. One bright red poster slapped onto my table.
I peeled it off curiously.
[Matchmaker’s Pavilion – Guaranteed Matches Within Seven Days!]
My brows rose. Seven days? Was the heavens mocking me?
Unable to resist, I packed up once the rush slowed, carried Yiling, and followed the fluttering trail of posters until I reached a small pavilion draped in red silk. The words Matchmaker’s Pavilion hung proudly at the entrance.
Inside sat a woman dressed finely in crimson robes, her hair pinned with gold ornaments. She looked elegant, but the way she tapped her fingers against the desk reminded me strangely of... modern impatience.
She looked up as I entered, her eyes curious.
"New face," she said. "What brings you here, miss?"
I hesitated, then for some reason, a phrase slipped out of me, half testing, half instinct.
"Body tea..."
The woman’s lips curled into a smirk. Without missing a beat, she finished smoothly:
"...COOCHIE GOOD, MUAH."
My eyes widened. My heart thudded.
That—! That was from TikTok.
For a moment, the pavilion seemed to freeze as we stared at each other, realization dawning between us.
"You—!" I whispered as I placed Yiling down and sent her away to go play.
Her smirk softened into a sly grin. "Name’s Zu Shi. And if you’re quoting TikTok, then I suppose you’re not exactly a native here either, are you?"
"Do I sound like one? Hahha. How did you die?"
"I got hit by a truck, you?"
"Well, I slipped and fell," I said, embarrassed. I did die in a very funny way.
"Well, at least lucky for me I didn’t get myself mixed up in this whole drama... I’m just a minor character. From your face, you seem to be that weak wife from episode one, right?"
"Hmm... you became the character who was meant to die at the beginning!"
"Hah! Well, seeing you here means you avoided death... good job. Now I would like to ask, why exactly you’re here?"
She said as she smirked and took a seat.
With an ambitious smile, I responded, "Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to find a husband in less than seven days!"
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