Chapter 16 – Entering the Door

◎ Hurry and move up the wedding ◎

Even though it wasn’t the weekend, the big market was still packed with people.

Ming Xue looked at the bustling crowd of customers with some concern. She pulled Li Qing straight toward the store that sold bedcovers. Inside the shop, colorful patterned fabrics hung everywhere. Ming Xue instructed Li Qing to help her find the Double Phoenix and Peony bedcover.

The two of them weaved through rows of hanging fabrics, searching for quite a while, but couldn’t find the Double Phoenix and Peony design.

Not wanting to waste time, Ming Xue walked directly up to the shopkeeper and politely asked, “Don’t you have any fabrics with the Double Phoenix and Peony pattern here?”

The shopkeeper clapped his hands and said regretfully:
“Miss, that pattern is sold out, we’re temporarily out of stock. If you had come a bit earlier, it would’ve been perfect. The last set was bought by a young lady about your age.”

After the Double Phoenix and Peony bedcover sold out, many customers had come to ask about it. Not wanting to lose any potential buyers, the shopkeeper quickly started recommending other patterns to Ming Xue.

“Miss, you can take a look at other styles. Look, this Butterfly Among Flowers pattern is lovely, and this Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity design is also great—festive and elegant. And there’s this Mandarin Ducks Playing in Water…”

Before he could finish, Ming Xue awkwardly interrupted, “Thanks, but I’m not interested in the others.”

Seeing her disinterest, the shopkeeper immediately added, “No problem, no problem. You must really like the Double Phoenix and Peony design, right? That one’s a favorite—it sells fast. Though it’s sold out today, don’t worry, I’ve already ordered more. It’ll arrive in a couple of days. You can come back then.”

Ming Xue’s face fell, clearly disappointed.

She had taken time off work just to buy these items—how could she end up with nothing?

Would she really have to ask her mother to come back and make the purchase later?

Seeing her looking down, Li Qing tried to cheer her up with a smile. “Don’t let it bother you. It’s not like it’s gone for good. The shopkeeper said it’ll be restocked in a few days. We can just come back then.”

Ming Xue gave her a glare. “Easy for you to say. Do you think I can take time off again in a few days?”

Li Qing shrugged. “If we can’t come, then have your mom come. She’s been busy preparing your dowry anyway. It’s no big deal. Just explain everything clearly.”

Ming Xue didn’t respond.

Failing to buy the Double Phoenix and Peony bedcover left her feeling deflated.

Li Qing tugged on her sleeve and coaxed, “Alright, don’t look like that. Let’s go look at dishware. Maybe picking out a nice set will lift your mood.”

Without another word, Li Qing pulled her toward the dishware store. Sets of tableware were displayed in custom cabinets—so dazzling it was hard to choose.

Li Qing picked up a bowl decorated with peonies and handed it to Ming Xue enthusiastically. “Look how pretty this is! Since you didn’t get the peony bedcover, getting a set of peony-patterned dishes isn’t a bad idea either.”

Ming Xue pushed the bowl aside and shook her head. “It’s not pretty.”

Seeing her show a bit of emotion again, Li Qing quickly said, “I told you before that I had to show you a dish set—it’s quite popular lately. The peacock set! Let me find it.”

She crouched down and began searching through the cabinets, looking for quite some time but finding nothing.

Just then, the shopkeeper kindly walked over and asked politely, “Looking for something specific? I can help you find it.”

Li Qing’s finger traced over all the cabinets as she said, puzzled, “Why don’t you have the peacock-patterned bowls in your store?”

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, then pulled a bowl from the bottom cabinet. It had a white base with green edges and a peacock design. “Is this the one you’re looking for?”

Li Qing examined it carefully, then shook her head. “No, I’m looking for the all-green one. This white base just doesn’t look as nice.”

The shopkeeper apologized sincerely. “I’m sorry, that style is already sold out. But don’t worry—we’re restocking in a few days. If you really like it, just come back then.”

Sold out again. Restocking again in a few days.

Seriously? Was this entire market out of everything?

Ming Xue hadn’t been too excited about the peacock dishware, but hearing the shopkeeper say that made her feel oddly irritated.

Why was everything going wrong on this one trip out?

Li Qing hadn’t expected the set she recommended would also be out of stock. She glanced at Ming Xue carefully and decided it was best to stay quiet and avoid making her even more upset.

Just as they were about to leave, Li Qing’s sharp eyes caught a set of green peacock-patterned dishes tucked in the far right corner.

She immediately got angry and pointed at the set, questioning the shopkeeper harshly, “What’s the meaning of this? Isn’t that a set right there? Why did you say you didn’t have any? Are you picking on us because we’re young girls?”

The shopkeeper was startled by the accusation and quickly explained, “Please, let me explain. That set really is already sold. Someone reserved it and is coming to pick it up soon. That’s why we didn’t display it in the cabinets and just left it in the corner—to avoid misunderstandings.”

He sounded completely sincere, not like someone lying.

Li Qing and Ming Xue exchanged a helpless glance and walked out.

Fine. They’d come hoping to buy bedcovers and dishes, and both were out of stock. They left the market empty-handed, both with disappointed looks.

Li Qing tried to salvage the day. “Since we’re already here, we can’t just leave with nothing. Let’s check out the dressing tables. You said you didn’t like the one your mom picked, right? Today, you can choose your own.”

Ming Xue reluctantly perked up and followed Li Qing into a furniture store.

The dressing tables on display were varied, but all more or less the same. The symmetrical drawers lining both sides of the base made the tables look bulky and unappealing.

Ming Xue didn’t like styles with too many drawers, though her mother did—claiming the extra drawers made them more practical.

The older generation cared a lot about practicality, always trying to get the most out of every cent.

Ming Xue wanted something simpler, something that would look clean and elegant in her room.

She was scanning the area with sharp eyes when she suddenly heard Li Qing, who had wandered off, call out, “Hey, Ming Xue! Come check this one out!”

Ming Xue walked over and heard Li Qing proudly say, “What do you think? My cousin bought this exact one. Isn’t it pretty?”

Ming Xue looked over the entire dressing table, up and down, without finding a single flaw.

It was a very simple design—just two drawers in the whole cabinet. The mirror was oval-shaped, and the uneven wooden decorations beside it gave off a Gothic vibe.

Ming Xue really liked this style. “Not bad. It’s quite pretty. I’ll tell my mom to buy this one.”

Seeing that Ming Xue liked it, Li Qing felt a surge of pride, like she’d made a great contribution. She quickly suggested, “Why don’t you pay the deposit now? Then your parents just need to come pick it up. Otherwise, your mom might not agree to buy this one for you.”

Ming Xue thought Li Qing made a good point and decided to follow her advice.

Who would’ve thought that as soon as they called over the shopkeeper, the first words out of his mouth were, “Sorry.”

“This dressing table has already been reserved. The person who bought it is coming to pick it up shortly. Maybe you can check out the other styles? They’re also really nice. Or if you’re not in a rush, you can wait—we’ve already reordered stock, but it’ll take a few more days to arrive.”

Out of stock again! Always out of stock!

Ming Xue was furious, her face turning red.

Maybe she should’ve checked the calendar before going out today—maybe it said it was a bad day for shopping?

So annoying! How come everything she wanted to buy had already been taken?

It wasn’t just Ming Xue who was angry—even Li Qing, who had been holding it in, couldn’t take it anymore. She complained loudly, “What’s going on today? Our luck’s terrible! We couldn’t get anything we wanted. What a waste of a holiday!”

As they were complaining, a young man walked into the shop and called out to the owner, “Boss, I’m here to pick up my order.”

The familiar voice rang in their ears. Ming Xue and Li Qing glanced at each other in surprise and looked up at the same time.

The young man standing at the door was Gu Chengzhi!

Gu Chengzhi had been preparing lunch for the factory workers when he got word from Gu Ying. Without hesitation, he asked his supervisor for leave, borrowed a tricycle from a colleague named Xiao Liu, and rode straight to the market.

He came to pick up the order just like Gu Ying told him to, but he didn’t expect to run into two familiar faces.

They were neighbors from the same courtyard—even if they weren’t close, it was still rude to pretend not to know each other. So Gu Chengzhi took the initiative to greet them, “What a coincidence. You two are here shopping for furniture too?”

After greeting them, he pulled a deposit slip from his pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper. “Boss, I’m here for the pickup. Which item is it?”

The shopkeeper took the deposit slip and, under the surprised gaze of Ming Xue and Li Qing, pointed to the dressing table. “It’s this one. Just pay the remaining balance, and you can take it home.”

Gu Chengzhi was about to pay, so he gently set down the dishware set he was holding.

Ming Xue caught a glimpse of the dishware in his hand and instantly put two and two together with the dressing table. She immediately figured it out.

Snapping out of it, Ming Xue was furious. She slammed her palm down on the dressing table, blocked Gu Chengzhi’s path, and angrily questioned him, “What does your Gu family mean by this?!”

Gu Chengzhi was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Ming Xue pointed at the dressing table and the dishware. “Did your family do this on purpose? Deliberately snatching up everything I wanted to buy?”

Gu Chengzhi looked genuinely confused. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. You must be mistaken—Gu Ying picked these out earlier. I’m just here to pick them up. We didn’t steal anything from you.”

Before Ming Xue could respond, Li Qing jumped in angrily, “I think you guys did it on purpose! There’s no way this is just a coincidence!”

Ming Xue was convinced that all of this had been arranged by Gu Ying to spite her—especially when she saw that dishware set. She believed it was no accident.

She furiously grabbed the deposit slip from the shopkeeper and tore it to shreds.

“Boss, I’ll pay you double the deposit. Sell me this dressing table.”

The shopkeeper looked at the shredded slip, clearly troubled.

Now Gu Chengzhi was getting angry too. He hadn’t expected Ming Xue to be so unreasonable.

“Ming Xue, can you be a bit more rational? Gu Ying clearly picked this out first. Why are you trying to snatch it now? We all live in the same compound—we see each other every day. Isn’t this a bit much?”

Ming Xue snorted coldly. “I’m being excessive? What about Gu Ying? She bought everything I wanted—she’s the one being excessive!”

Her tantrum was completely irrational. If she had just calmed down and thought about it, she would have realized how absurd it was to think Gu Ying could foresee everything and deliberately intercept her purchases.

But at this point, Ming Xue—already upset from failing to buy anything several times in a row—just needed someone to vent her frustration on. And Gu Chengzhi had become that outlet.

Ming Xue refused to back down. Without even glancing at Gu Chengzhi, she stared straight at the shopkeeper. “I’ll pay double. Will you sell it to me or not?”

“Ming Xue!” Gu Chengzhi roared, his face red with anger.

His outburst drew a crowd of onlookers, all backing up to form a circle to give the drama some space to unfold.

The shopkeeper was caught in a dilemma. In business, honesty mattered—once a deposit was paid, the deal was halfway done. But halfway also meant there was still room for maneuver.

Torn between moral integrity and the lure of extra money, the shopkeeper hesitated, unable to give a clear answer.

Meanwhile, Ming Xue and Gu Chengzhi were locked in a standoff, neither willing to back down.

Gu Chengzhi had taken time off work—the factory kitchen was waiting for him to get back. He didn’t have time to keep arguing.

And more importantly, this was the item Gu Ying wanted. If he went back empty-handed, how would he explain it to her?

With no other choice, Gu Chengzhi used his strength to lift the dressing table in one go, shoved the money into the shopkeeper’s hands, and turned to leave.

But Ming Xue and Li Qing were quick. They rushed to the door and blocked his way.

The crowd stepped back again, silently forming a bigger circle—giving them all room for more drama.

Back home, Gu Ying stood at the entrance, looking down the road again and again, waiting for Gu Chengzhi to return with the tricycle—but he was nowhere in sight.

She felt a little uneasy and decided to go take a look at the big market.

Just as she entered, she saw a crowd gathered not far away, seemingly watching a commotion.

Gu Ying had never liked crowds. She was always very cautious in such situations. She was short and weak—just a few pushes in a crowd would be too much for her.

Unfortunately, the crowd had gathered right at the furniture store.

A bad feeling rose in Gu Ying’s heart. She slowly walked over, stood on tiptoe, craned her neck to look, and sure enough, her eldest brother was surrounded in the center, facing Li Qing and Ming Xue.

Gu Ying squeezed into the crowd skillfully and suddenly appeared in the center.

Everyone thought she had come to break up the fight. But unexpectedly, her arrival made the atmosphere even more tense.

Gu Ying also sensed the change in mood. She walked up to Gu Chengzhi and quietly asked, “Brother, what’s going on?”

Gu Chengzhi briefly explained the whole situation. After listening, Gu Ying looked thoughtfully at Ming Xue and said directly, “Ming Xue, you should let me have that dressing cabinet.”

Ming Xue nearly coughed up blood when she heard that.

She sneered, “Why should I?”

Li Qing chimed in angrily, “Yeah! Why should you get it?”

Gu Ying didn’t even spare Li Qing a glance and kept her gaze fixed on Ming Xue. “Because your family is wealthier than mine. Even if your dowry is a little lacking, your in-laws won’t make a fuss. Your maiden family will back you up.”

“But I’m not like you. If my dowry isn’t adequate, people will gossip. I need a proper dowry to save face. That’s why I hope you can let me have the dressing cabinet.”

Gu Ying spoke with utmost sincerity. Ming Xue even thought she saw a trace of sadness on her face.

She recalled how Gui Xiwen passed away not long after marriage and suddenly felt some sympathy for Gu Ying.

Indeed, with such good conditions herself, why bother competing with Gu Ying?

If she hadn’t taken the initiative to break off the engagement with Gui Xiwen, Gu Ying wouldn’t have had this chance. Come to think of it, Gu Ying was quite pitiful too.

Feeling rare sympathy, Ming Xue surprisingly gave in.

Li Qing, watching from the side, was indignant and wanted to persuade Ming Xue otherwise. But when she saw the faint pride on Ming Xue’s lips, she quickly gave up.

Having been friends with Ming Xue for years, Li Qing knew her well. Gu Ying’s words had hit all of Ming Xue’s soft spots. By yielding in front of everyone and putting Ming Xue on a pedestal, Gu Ying had completely satisfied her vanity—of course she wouldn’t argue anymore.

But wasn’t it a bit humiliating for Gu Ying to humble herself like that in public? Did she have another motive?

Li Qing quietly studied Gu Ying. She suddenly realized—Gu Ying might not be as simple as she looked.

And so, the conflict at the market came to an end.

The crowd, disappointed that there hadn’t been a bigger scene, let out a few sighs and dispersed.

After returning home, Ming Xue kept thinking and felt something wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t until late at night that she finally realized the flaw in Gu Ying’s argument.

Just because her family was rich—did that mean she could prepare a dowry carelessly? On the contrary, with her status, she should prepare an excellent dowry—otherwise, people would laugh at her!

Unfortunately, by the time she realized this, the dressing cabinet was already sitting safely in Gu Ying’s home.

A few days later, it was time for the planned meal at the Gui family home.

Gu Ying put on a plain-colored dress that Sun Lan had prepared for her. With her ponytail tied neatly, she looked much healthier and more refreshed.

Before she left, Sun Lan reminded her over and over, “Remember to be polite and warm when you get there.”

“I know, I know. Mom, you’ve said it a hundred times,” Gu Ying said with a smile.

Sun Lan tugged at the lotus-trimmed collar of Gu Ying’s dress and nagged, “It’s your first time visiting their home for a meal. You need to make a good impression so you can settle in well with the Gui family. No matter what, don’t be nervous. Just act naturally and confidently, okay?”

Gu Ying chuckled. “Mom, I’m not nervous. Really. But I think you’re more nervous than I am.”

Sun Lan froze and gave her a glare. “Fine, fine, I won’t nag anymore. Go ahead—they’re probably all waiting for you.”

Gu Ying, finally released, carried a bag of sesame cakes in one hand and a canister of aged tea in the other, and headed toward the Gui house.

Zhang Dongling had peeked out the window several times but still hadn’t seen Gu Ying approaching. On the third try, she finally spotted Gu Ying’s small figure and quickly issued orders to the family: “Attention everyone, Gu Ying’s coming. Be mindful of what you say.”

Gui Xiangrong, sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, turned to look at Gui Xiwu who was leaning against the doorframe. “Did you hear? Your mom says don’t say anything stupid.”

Gui Xiwu made a face. “She wasn’t talking to me! She meant you!”

Gui Xiangrong calmly flipped a page of the newspaper. “You’re already saying stupid things right now.”

Gui Xiwu: “…”

He sneakily crept over to the window and peeked out. Gu Ying was getting closer and closer—until there was a knock at the door.

“Xiwu, go open the door!” Zhang Dongling called from the kitchen.

“I’m not going!”

Just as Gui Xiwu said that, the door was already open—Gui Xiangrong had put down the newspaper and taken the initiative to open it himself.

Gu Ying saw that it was Gui Xiangrong who opened the door and greeted politely, “Hello, Uncle.”

“Mm, come on in.”

As he invited her in, Gui Xiangrong also took the sesame cakes and aged tea she handed over.

His eyes flickered with surprise.

Everyone knew he liked tea—but not many knew that Zhang Dongling loved sesame cakes. Where had Gu Ying found that out?