Chapter 9

 Lu Lu was absolutely livid with Lu Miao.

First, she went around telling people in the village that the He family hadn’t taken a liking to her.

Then when she faced the He family, she went all in spreading rumors that Lu Miao was having an affair with Li Qinglin.

Every kind of talk, good or bad, was coming out of her mouth—and all aimed at Lu Miao.

Lu Miao, however, didn’t complain about Lu Lu or her cousin-in-law. She simply recounted everything in a calm, detached tone, like an outsider telling a story. This only made what she said sound more believable.

She even added lightly, “I should thank her, really. She gave me this opportunity!”

Qiao Yanxiang was left speechless, eyes wide—my goodness, this daughter of hers was something else.

The He father and son didn’t even know how to respond. If Lu Lu had just not liked their son and ended up with someone else, they could’ve brushed it off politely, maybe said something like “a perfect match, regardless.” But in reality, she had stolen Lu Miao’s fiancé.

“Thank fate for arranging all this,” Lu Miao added with a smile.

Hearing her say that, the two men could only laugh awkwardly in agreement.

“Isn’t that the truth.”

Lu Lu was desperate to win. She just couldn’t accept being outshone by Lu Miao.

“Feelings are a mysterious thing,” she said. “Even though Qinglin and Sanshui met earlier, after spending more time with me, he realized we connected more deeply. Marriage is no small matter. You should marry the one you love, right?”

Qiao Yanxiang gave her a strange look—this girl… Not a single person here cared what Li Qinglin thought.

Lu Miao didn’t argue. She just responded gently and calmly, “Whatever you say.”

Lu Miao, who was already in the weaker position, only made Lu Lu seem more aggressive in contrast.

It wasn’t just the rest of Lu Er’s family fuming at Lu Lu—Father and Son He were also frowning.

The two girls were cousins who’d grown up together. How could one speak about her cousin like that—especially in front of outsiders?

Old Mr. He thought to himself: Lu Lu was far too domineering. Thank goodness she wasn’t interested in Mingchuan.

Professor He also sighed inwardly. It had only been a few years since he last saw Lu Lu, and yet she’d changed so much. There was no sign left of the sweet, well-behaved girl he used to know.

“I heard you got married recently,” he said, handing her a red envelope. The gesture wasn’t just a blessing from an elder to a younger—it was also a message to the Lu family that he bore no grudge over Lu Lu marrying someone else.

No matter what, the friendship between the two families remained.

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept!” Lu Lu said with a smile, but as she spoke, she turned back to give Lu Miao a proud, triumphant look—as if to say, “See? Grandpa He still likes me more.”

She’d come up with some excuse to come over, and now she was all smiles as she invited them, “My grandpa asked you to join us for lunch.”

With Lu Lu present, no one could continue discussing the marriage proposal, so they decided to put it off until the afternoon.

What Lu Lu didn’t realize was that with her there, no one in the room wanted to continue the conversation—not because they saw her as an outsider, but because she came off like a disruptive child.

Professor He’s official reason for visiting Xiaohu Dazui was to see an old friend.

That way, if the marriage didn’t go through, he could simply say he was visiting a friend. But if the marriage did work out, he could say he just happened to come across a good match for his grandson while on that visit and played matchmaker.

Since he was there to see a friend, it only made sense to accept the lunch invitation next door.

With a hearty laugh, he said, “Ever since I got home, I haven’t stopped thinking about the pancakes and egg sauce from your place. I haven’t had anything that tasty since.”

Father He chuckled as well. “You talk about it all the time at home, so I’ve got to try it for myself and see if it really lives up to the hype.”

“Mom made a whole bunch of dishes for today—she even butchered a chicken this morning,” Lu Lu added sweetly.

Though she actually didn’t like Professor He, she still put on a warm front—just to show off that he preferred her over Lu Miao.

Lu Miao’s only thought was: Wow, the eldest uncle’s family really is well-off. It's only been half a month and they've already gone through two chickens.

Professor He turned to his son and said, “The chicken and mushroom stew from Lu Captain’s family is also top-notch. I still remember it from when I left Xiaohu Dazui years ago. I’ve craved it ever since. Even fancy restaurants don’t make it that good—it’s unreal.”

Then he got up and called over the entire Lu Er family. “Come along—more people, more fun!”

But Lu Lu didn’t want to give her second uncle’s family the chance to benefit. “My mom only prepared enough for you,” she said politely. “If Second Uncle’s family comes too, we might not have enough food.”

It was a soft way of rejecting them. Anyone with a bit of tact would take the hint and decline.

Professor He’s smile froze for a moment.

In front of guests, Qiao Yanxiang had to hold back from rolling her eyes. Was this girl's head filled with placenta instead of a brain? She thought she was being clever, but she was only making herself look petty.

Lu Miao smiled and slipped ten yuan into Lu Congge’s hand. “Go see what you can pick up from the corner shop. We’ve got guests—how can we not make sure they eat their fill?”

Lu Congge stifled a laugh. Lu Lu was a blessing in disguise—she just kept setting her sister up to shine.

Father He quickly stopped Lu Congge. “No need, no need. We brought canned meat and other dishes—it should be more than enough.”

Professor He added, “I’m old and don’t eat much. Just some egg sauce and I’m happy.”

“Mom,” Lu Miao said, “since Grandpa He likes egg sauce, could you fry up a batch to bring over?”

It didn’t take long for a dish like that to be ready. Uncle Lu went out back to the garden and picked some cucumbers and green onions.

Cucumber and green onion are the perfect companions to egg sauce.

When Auntie Lu saw what they brought, she was clearly annoyed.

She’d prepared a whole table full of chicken, pork, and fish—and the second uncle’s family dared to show up with nothing but a bowl of greens?

“Showing up with stuff like that to mooch a meal? Might as well have brought nothing,” she muttered.

Father He finally understood who Lu Lu took after.

Second Uncle Lu just smiled and said nothing—he was a peacekeeper.

But Qiao Yanxiang wasn’t so easygoing. “It’s all thanks to your Lu Lu,” she said. “Said there wouldn’t be enough food. We didn’t know Professor He would be coming, so we didn’t prepare. Just happened to have some cucumbers in the garden, thought we’d add a little dish.”

Women are experts in subtle jabs—one sentence, two meanings.

First, she embarrassed Lu Lu in front of the He family. The house was clearly filled with food, yet Lu Lu told them there wasn’t enough.

Then she hinted that the elder brother’s family wasn’t considerate either. Their niece was meeting a suitor, and they didn’t even give a heads-up so the second uncle’s family could prepare accordingly.

When important guests arrive, you don’t just cook barely enough food.

Hu Jing, knowing her mother-in-law could be blunt, stepped in to smooth things over. “Lu Lu just got home this morning—she didn’t know what the kitchen had prepared.”

But Father He wasn’t buying it. If there’s more food, eat more. If there’s less, just eat more staples to fill up. How could someone bar their uncle and aunt from joining before the meal even started?

His impression of Lu Lu was so bad, he couldn't help but assume the worst.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Auntie Lu had actually prepared a lavish spread—meats of every kind.

At the table, Professor He naturally began sharing stories of the hardships he endured while working in the countryside. The men reminisced about the past together.

Father He went around toasting everyone, thanking them for taking care of his father over the years.

Professor He didn’t drink, but Father He had plenty. His face turned red—it was obvious he’d had quite a bit.

They had a driver with them, so no need to worry about drinking and driving.

After the meal, Professor He pulled aside Grandpa Lu and said, “If you have some time this afternoon, we’ll need your help to prepare a few documents for Sanshui.”

Then he listed the documents they needed.

The room fell silent.

Why would they need those documents all of a sudden? Combine that with their visit, and it was pretty clear what was going on.

Uncle Lu was stunned. The He father and son had only been here for an hour or so—had they already reached an agreement?

“That fast? Don’t you want to think about it more?”

“There’s nothing more to think about.”

“What about Mingchuan’s opinion? Both sides should be consulted.”

Professor He chuckled. “Sanshui’s a sensible kid. He’ll like her.”

Lu Lu wanted Lu Miao to get married and leave the village quickly—anything to keep her away from Li Qinglin.

But hearing that the marriage with He Mingchuan had been settled… Lu Lu couldn’t help but feel an odd, uneasy pang in her chest.

Prev Next