Chapter 17: Arranged Marriage Agreement (Part 5)

Before Guo Mingyue could reply, Madam Lin stood up and shielded her daughter, glaring fiercely at Mingyue.

Being stared at like that made Mingyue feel a chill down her spine and very uncomfortable. In the end, she reluctantly stepped aside.

Gu Leyou went into the house to change clothes and slammed the door shut behind her, startling Mingyue. Still, she had no intention of leaving — she was determined to get money before going. After all, her parents had already told her before she came: If you don’t get any money, even staying in your second uncle’s house wouldn’t be too much.

After changing clothes, Gu Leyou threw Mingyue a scornful glare as she passed her.

Mingyue, enraged, pointed at her and started cursing,
“You little wretch, your whole family is no good! You hit someone and don’t pay for the medical bills, and now you’re even insulting me!”

A niece talking like that to an elder from her uncle’s family? Gu Hai Xiong couldn’t tolerate it.

He frowned and said coldly,
“Mingyue, I’m your second uncle. That’s your cousin. How can you speak to her like that?”

“Second Uncle, I only said a few words to Cousin, I didn’t hit her. Why are you using your status as an elder to pressure me?” Mingyue asked indifferently.

Gu Hai Xiong frowned deeper,
“Mingyue, I am your second uncle, and that makes me your elder. It’s still early in the morning and you’re here asking for money — do you really think that’s appropriate?”

Mingyue dropped all pretense and stated her real intention,
“I came here today for money. As long as you give it to me, I’ll leave right away.”

Gu Leyou stopped in the courtyard. After a moment, she simply said,
“Father, Mother, I’m heading out first.”

She picked up her basket, opened the courtyard door, and left.

As for the money her cousin wanted, she trusted her parents would know how to handle it — she didn’t need to say more.

Seeing that Gu Leyou was about to leave, Mingyue got up to chase after her, but Madam Lin called her back.

This niece never brought anything good when she came — the whole family was no good.

“Mingyue, wait a moment, I’ll go get you the money.”

As soon as she heard there was money involved, Mingyue’s eyes lit up. She immediately ran back to the dining table and sat down again.

Gu Leyou exchanged a knowing look with her younger brother Gu Leshu, who understood and nodded. Only then did she feel at ease and leave.

The herbs she gathered last time weren’t enough, so she planned to collect more today. She also wanted to see if she could catch a ride to the town and buy some radish seeds to cultivate a patch of unused land in their yard for vegetables. It would be faster than pulling wild greens in the fields, and if they grew well, they could sell them for extra income.

The weather was good today — a light breeze added a touch of coolness.

With her basket on her back, she passed some neighbors and greeted them warmly,
“Auntie Li, Uncle Wang, out to the fields this early? That’s hard work.”

“Yes indeed. If we don’t get an early start, it’ll be too hot to work once the sun is up,” they replied.

Just then, a gossipy villager walked by and started whispering behind her back.

“I heard that old Madam Gu doesn’t let her go out. Why is she out again?”

“I’m just out to buy a few things. What’s the problem? Am I supposed to sit at home all day like you people say?” Gu Leyou replied calmly.

The gossipy woman chuckled awkwardly, “That’s not what I meant. Don’t get me wrong.”

“Oh? Then what did you mean, Auntie?” Leyou asked pointedly.

The woman was momentarily speechless and couldn’t respond. Leyou walked off without another word.

This time, she reminded herself to be more cautious — she couldn’t afford another incident like last time.

…

It was almost noon when she started heading back. Today had been quite fruitful — she had found an herb she’d read about in a medical book, which she believed could help Brother Lu’s child.

As she neared the village entrance, she ran into someone — a young master from a wealthy family in town. A notorious troublemaker.

When Zheng Yuanhao saw Gu Leyou, his eyes lit up with lechery.
“Well, well, little miss, all alone? Come, let this big brother show you a good time.”

Oh no. Why did she have to run into him?

Gu Leyou turned and ran for it.

Zheng Yuanhao chased her relentlessly.

Just as she was running, she crashed into a strong chest. Looking up, she saw a familiar face. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and quickly hid behind Lu Yan.

Seeing a large man had shown up, Zheng Yuanhao immediately started spewing insults.
“Where’d this pretty boy come from, playing the hero? Scram! I’m having a date with the lady here.”

Lu Yan replied coolly, “What did you just say?”

Hearing that made Zheng Yuanhao’s back go cold. But he still tried to act tough — after all, someone had just taken away his woman, and he wasn’t about to accept that.

He kept running his mouth,
“You’d better mind your own business. I’m famous around here. If you mess with me, you’ll regret it. Get lost while you still can.”

Lu Yan stared him down, unblinking.
“You think I’m afraid of you?”

Zheng Yuanhao was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. Seeing Lu Yan wasn’t backing down, he instantly panicked.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees and wailed,
“Spare me, good sir! I won’t touch her again, I swear!”

Lu Yan’s eyes were cold and sharp as he warned,
“Then get lost. And don’t ever let me catch you harassing decent women again. If I see you one more time, I’ll beat you one more time.”

Zheng Yuanhao didn’t dare waste another second and fled in a hurry.

Watching the scoundrel scurry off, Gu Leyou finally let out a breath of relief.

She stepped forward to thank Lu Yan, then noticed he was holding a wild rabbit.

Curious, she asked,
“Brother Lu, are you bringing that rabbit home to make a nice meal for your child?”

“No,” Lu Yan replied, “I’m taking it to town to sell. If I can get a good price, I’ll be able to collect enough for the bride price to bring to your family.”

They walked together, chatting as they went.

“Thank you again, Brother Lu. If it weren’t for you, my reputation would’ve been ruined. That guy is infamous around here — even his own father can’t control him.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t take it to heart,” Lu Yan said gently. “But you’re carrying so much again — were you out gathering herbs? You really shouldn’t go alone. It’s not safe for a young girl to be wandering the mountains.”

“It’s alright, Brother Lu. I’m used to the mountain paths, so I know them well. Don’t worry about me. Since you’re also heading into town, let’s go together. I want to see if I can sell these herbs for a good price.”

“You’re still worrying about the betrothal gift, aren’t you?” Lu Yan said seriously. “I told you, I’ll handle that myself.”