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Lu Xinghe hummed in agreement. “There are a few books I haven’t copied that I need to buy. It might cost a lot of money.”
As for the books he had already copied, he had already memorized the contents, so he would just buy a few blank books later to copy them down.
Chu Yue touched the light pink pouch at her waist, the one her fourth aunt had given her.
“I brought some money with me, just in case. We should buy these necessities.”
Lu Xinghe shook his head with a smile.
“When we left, Mother gave me some silver. She also said to ask about the price of bricks at the kiln near the town entrance.”
Chu Yue bit her lip and suddenly stopped walking.
Lu Xinghe, seeing this, was a little confused.
“What’s wrong?”
Chu Yue sniffed and looked a little wronged.
“Husband, I earn money to improve our family’s life. You and Mother always seem afraid of me spending my money. Is it because you think I’m too young and want to draw a line between us, so you can marry someone else later?”
From her past life, she hadn’t remembered much besides her medical skills. Now that she’d obtained Chu Yue’s memories, she considered herself to be Chu Yue from this world.
She had never received much care from her family since she was young. Since marrying Lu Xinghe, everyone in the family had been very kind to her, and she truly considered Lu Xinghe her husband.
Thinking about how she had given her heart, only to be abandoned in the end, made her feel heartbroken.
Seeing Chu Yue’s red eyes, Lu Xinghe suddenly felt a little flustered.
After a moment, he stretched out his hand and touched the little girl’s head.
“You’re not happy if I don’t spend your money.” Thinking about Chu Yue’s situation in the Chu family before, a pang of sympathy flashed in his eyes. “You’re not that old, why are you so worried? If I really thought you were too young, I wouldn’t have become your husband in the first place. After all, it’s quite troublesome to raise a child around.”
Chu Yue looked down at her shoes, her voice very low.
“I’m not a child.”
“You’re not much taller than Xingping and Xing’an, how can you not be a child?” Lu Xinghe rubbed the little girl’s head again, then took her hand that was hanging by her side and held it tightly. “Since you want to buy books for me, then today we’ll spend our own money, not Mother’s.”
Looking at the hand he was holding tightly, Chu Yue smiled brightly.
“Okay.”
Lu Xinghe had copied a lot of books for Wang Cheng Bookstore over the years, so the shop assistants all knew him. As soon as they saw him enter, someone immediately greeted him.
“Lu Xinghe, you’re here.”
“Lu Xinghe?” A man who was browsing books in the bookstore raised his head and looked towards the entrance. Upon seeing Lu Xinghe, he was surprised. “You’re really Lu Xinghe?”
Lu Xinghe didn’t recognize the man. He frowned slightly.
“Who are you?”
The man quickly introduced himself. “I’m Xu Heng. I was your classmate for two years. I went to study in the county later, Xu Heng. Don’t you remember me?”
Lu Xinghe thought carefully. Nine years ago, at the school he attended, there was indeed someone named Xu Heng, but at the time, he was focused on his studies and didn’t have a deep impression of those around him.
Meeting a former classmate, Xu Heng’s face showed a hint of excitement.
“Brother Lu, you became the youngest child prodigy in Nanping Town at the age of nine, and everyone looked up to you. Have you already passed the examination and become a scholar now?”
Before Lu Xinghe could answer, a voice suddenly cut through the conversation.
“Humph! What scholar or not? This person still has to rely on copying books to make a living. Someone who’s as poor as a church mouse probably doesn’t have any extra money to take the exams, does he?”
Chu Yue frowned when she heard the voice.
She turned her head and saw three or five men, about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing long gowns, walking towards them. The one speaking was the man at the front, wearing a deep green silk gown, with a haughty expression on his face.
For no reason, she just felt disgusted at the sight of him.
Chu Yue originally wanted to say a few words for Lu Xinghe, but before she could open her mouth, Lu Xinghe pulled her quietly behind him.
Xu Heng saw the newcomer and slightly clasped his fists in a gesture of greeting.
“Brother Jiang, long time no see. You’re as sharp as ever.”
The Xu and Jiang families were close friends, and Xu Heng saw Jiang Gaoyi almost every year. He didn’t dislike Jiang Gaoyi, nor did he like him. As long as he didn’t provoke him, it was fine.
“Oh, it goes without saying. Brother Xu is always so righteous and principled.” When Jiang Gaoyi said the words “righteous and principled,” he spoke extremely slowly, his eyebrows raised, and anyone could hear the disdain in his voice.
Xu Heng snorted coldly, not wanting to speak too much to this kind of spoiled brat.
Jiang Gaoyi ignored Xu Heng and instead looked up at the small figure behind Lu Xinghe. “Oh! Lu Xinghe, such a pretty little girl. Is she your sister? How old is she this year? How about you sell her to me? I’ll give you ten taels of silver. That’s enough for your family to eat and drink for three to five years. What do you say?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Gaoyi felt a sharp pain on his cheek, followed by a strong force that sent him tumbling to the ground.
Lu Xinghe clapped his hands.
“I advise you not to get any ideas about her, or else…”
“Or else what?” Jiang Gaoyi wiped the blood from his lips with his thumb and looked at Lu Xinghe with a mocking smile. “Tsk tsk tsk, Lu Xinghe, I really didn’t expect you to be so stupid as to hit me. It seems you really care about that little girl…”
As he said this, he winked at the people behind him.
They understood and immediately went towards Lu Xinghe and Chu Yue.
Xu Heng couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to block Lu Xinghe and Chu Yue. “What are you doing? Broad daylight, you’re trying to abduct a woman. Is there no law in this world?”
Jiang Gaoyi stood up and grinned wickedly.
“Law? Here, I am the law!” He waved his hand. “Go!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xu Heng was thrown to the ground by a tall man, his forehead turning bruised and purple from the impact.
He was just a weak scholar who couldn’t fight, no match for these spoiled brats.
Seeing the menacing approach of the men, Chu Yue quickly thought of a way to deal with them. Then, taking advantage of the chaos at the entrance of the bookstore, she slipped through the other door, using her small stature to her advantage.
Seeing Chu Yue run away, Jiang Gaoyi laughed at Lu Xinghe.
“Hahahaha, you’re killing me! Lu Xinghe, look at this, the beautiful sister you were so determined to protect, she ran away and left you behind.”
Lu Xinghe’s face remained expressionless.
He was actually relieved that Chu Yue had managed to escape.
There were four or five grown men here. Even he couldn’t be sure if he could protect her completely. If they got hold of her and threatened him, that would be the most passive situation.
As for himself, he would just take a couple of punches, and it would be over soon.
Jiang Gaoyi didn’t chase after Chu Yue. As long as he got hold of Lu Xinghe, he wasn’t afraid of her running away. She would eventually come back.