CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 355: THE YUAN FAMILY’S REFUSAL

Wan Lifang’s gaze shifted and then settled on Gu Yumei, as he made a fist with one hand and placed it in the palm of the other, greeting her with a bow: "Miss Gu, greetings."

Gu Yumei’s face blushed, and she slightly lowered her head, returning the greeting with a curtsy: "Young Master Wan, you are too kind."

No matter how fierce she was at home, she was merely a fifteen-year-old girl, and knowing that the Wan Family had previously proposed a marriage at her home, it was quite normal for her face to turn red upon seeing Wan Lifang.

The smile on Wan Lifang’s face grew deeper. He stepped down from the mule cart and asked them, "Brother Gu, Miss Gu, are you heading to town?"

Gu Dexing returned the greeting with one of his own and said with a smile: "Indeed, the Qiqiao Festival is approaching. I’m accompanying my younger sister to the cloth shop in town to buy some fabric for making sachets, hoping to bring luck."

"That works out well. I was just about to return home. How about I give Brother Gu and Miss Gu a ride there?" Wan Lifang spoke gracefully, his voice carrying a gentle tone that was very pleasing to hear.

Gu Yumei was momentarily taken aback: "This would not be proper."

She had already come of age, how could it be appropriate to share a mule cart with a man not from her family?

Gu Dexing also said: "That would be too much trouble for you, Brother Wan. We’ll just walk there."

As he spoke, Gu Dexing’s face turned red with shame. His family, as it was, didn’t have a mule cart, let alone an ox cart.

Wan Lifang replied: "Brother Gu is too courteous. We are of similar age and both students. In the future, when we take the civil service exam, we may end up on the same list of successful candidates. It is only right that we should look out for each other. Please do not refuse my offer."

Then addressing Gu Yumei, he said, "Miss Gu, you need not worry. You and Brother Gu can sit inside the cart, while I and a servant from my household will sit on the board at the front."

Servant?

Scholar Wan’s family even had servants; if she were to marry into their family, wouldn’t she become a young madam?

Gu Yumei felt a surge of joy in her heart and tugged at the hem of Gu Dexing’s clothing.

Gu Dexing was also flattered by Wan Lifang’s courteous offer and replied, "Since you put it that way, we will trouble you for a ride, Brother Wan."

"Please." Wan Lifang stepped aside with a smile, Shuzi cleverly brought over a stool, and the Gu siblings stepped on it to climb into the cart.

As the cart curtain was lowered, Wan Lifang gave Gu Yumei a gentle smile, causing her to hurriedly lower her head in embarrassment.

Not wishing to overstep, Wan Lifang waited a moment after lowering the cart curtain before saying, "Brother Gu, Miss Gu, please hold tight. We are about to set off."

With that, Shuzi drove the mule cart towards the town.

The cart traveled swiftly, and in less than half an hour, they arrived outside Gu’s Restaurant.

Wan Lifang glanced at the second shop to the left, where Chang Errui was overseeing the workers from the Brick Kiln unloading green bricks, and immediately asked Shuzi to stop the cart.

He stepped off the cart, lifted the curtain, and asked the Gu siblings, "Brother Gu, Miss Gu, we’ve arrived at Gu’s Restaurant. Would you like to take a look inside before we head to the cloth shop?"

Lately, the Gu siblings enjoyed visiting the shop, experiencing the indulgence of being like the ladies and young masters of a proprietor’s family. Hearing this, and seeing that Shuzi had already stopped the cart, they nodded and said, "We should take a look."

Gu Dexing got off first, and when it was Gu Yumei’s turn, the stool she was stepping on somehow tilted suddenly, nearly causing her to fall, but Wan Lifang swiftly caught her arm, "Miss Gu, be careful."

Gu Yumei’s face turned so red it nearly seemed to bleed. Just as she was about to push Wan Lifang away, she looked up and saw Chang Errui not far away. She paused for a moment, and then her brow furrowed and her face clouded over with disgust.

The weather was hot today; Chang Errui was moving bricks, wearing only a short jacket with a towel draped over his shoulders, and, astoundingly, his feet were clad in straw sandals—a complete garb of a poor and coarse man.

Upon taking another look at Wan Lifang, clad in a crescent-colored robe and wearing a turban on his head, his face clean and sporting an appropriate smile, he was much better than Chang Errui.

Gu Yumei was infuriated that upon seeing her, Chang Errui didn’t even come over to greet her. Instead, after glancing in her direction for a while, he turned and continued carrying bricks.

"Hmph!" Gu Yumei snorted coldly, no longer looking at Chang Errui. She did not push Wan Lifang away but let him help her disembark from the cart.

"Thank you, Brother Wan, for bringing us siblings to the town. Why don’t you come into the shop to sit awhile and eat something?" Gu Dexing offered.

Wan Lifang refused: "Brother Gu, there’s no need for such politeness. I need to hurry back to the private school to help my father check the students’ essays. I won’t impose today."

Hearing this, Gu Yumei thought even better of Wan Lifang; to be able to assist the Scholar in reviewing students’ essays means his learning must be significant. It seemed that matchmaker Zhou was not wrong—Wan Lifang is sure to pass the scholarly exam next year. If she could marry Wan Lifang, she would be a scholar’s wife next year.

"If that’s the case, then I won’t keep Brother Wan any longer. Safe travels," Gu Dexing said, bidding farewell to Wan Lifang, and then entered the shop with Gu Yumei.

Before leaving, Wan Lifang provocatively glanced towards Chang Errui, but Chang Errui utterly ignored him. Wan Lifang, having found no pleasure in the taunt, had to get in his cart and head home.

Gu Yumei and Gu Dexing only sat in the shop for a short while before leaving, fearing that staying too long would result in Ms. Chu calling them to do work.

However, after leaving the shop, Gu Yumei was displeased. She had been in the shop for a quarter of an hour, yet Chang Errui didn’t come to see her. Did he not have her in his heart at all?

Pah!

If you don’t value this Miss, this Miss certainly doesn’t value you either.

Gu Yumei went with Gu Dexing to the cloth shop to buy fabric and embroidery thread and, upon their return, Chang Errui had gone.

...

When Chang Errui got home, he first took a cold shower to wash off the sweat, and after eating dinner, he took the initiative to stay behind and say to his parents, Yuan Laorong and his wife: "Father, Mother, let’s forget about Gu Dafu’s family’s proposal."

Yuan Laorong’s wife exclaimed in surprise: "Didn’t we agree to consider it further? Why suddenly give it up?"

Yuan Laorong’s wife did not dismiss Gu Yumei because of what Mrs. Yuan Xu said, instead wanting to observe for a while longer. If the girl’s character turned out good, they would then propose marriage.

Chang Errui said: "Your son doesn’t like the girl from Uncle Dafu’s family; she’s too delicate. I’m just a peasant; I’ll be tending to the fields and carrying bricks for a living. I’m afraid I won’t be able to care for such a delicate girl properly."

Yuan Laorong, perceptive as he was, upon seeing that his second son had set his heart against marrying into Gu Dafu’s family, asked: "Did the girl’s family do something bad that you saw?"

Chang Errui shook his head: "The girl is very good. It’s just that your son doesn’t wish to marry someone like that, she doesn’t suit me."

Seeing his reluctance to elaborate, Yuan Laorong could only drop the matter, but he still asked one last question: "Have you really decided? There’s no going back on this decision."

Fearing that Chang Errui’s decision was a hasty one, Yuan Laorong’s wife bluntly said: "How about waiting a few more days? Make your decision after you’ve thought it over."

Chang Errui nodded: "Alright, I’ll think about it for three more days, and discuss it with you after that."

This was merely Chang Errui’s expedient to avoid further entanglement with his parents. He had firmly decided not to marry Gu Yumei. Today’s events had made it clear to him that Gu Yumei looked down on him.

He too had his pride. If someone looked down on him, Chang Errui would not cling to them.

As for Gu Yumei taking a ride in the Wan Family’s mule cart and being assisted by Wan Lifang, he did not want to discuss it further. Since they weren’t engaged, it couldn’t be considered that Gu Yumei was dishonoring him; it was just a bit revolting, that’s all.