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Chapter 20: Marriage Agreement (Part 8)

“Brother Lu, I have something I’d like to talk to you about privately. Could you ask Little Miracle Doctor to take the child outside for a bit?” Gu Leyou asked.

“Alright, you two talk. I’ll take the child out to play nearby, won’t go far,” the young doctor replied swiftly, picking up the child and thoughtfully closing the courtyard door behind him.

Now, only the two of them were left in the courtyard.

Gu Leyou finally felt at ease and could bring up the topic she had in mind.

“Brother Lu, I know marrying me has been difficult for you. You were reluctant at first and were pressured by my relatives. So, how about this: we create a marriage agreement—an agreement marriage. What do you think?”

Lu Yan didn’t react immediately.

When he did, he asked in confusion, “Is this the good idea you came up with?”

“It’s the best option for now. But if you have a better idea, feel free to share it, and we can discuss it together.”

“I don’t, actually. If this is what you want, then we’ll get married by agreement. If one day you grow tired of this life, we can part ways reasonably, and I won’t stop you from going home.”

Gu Leyou nodded.

So, the two of them had reached an understanding.

It was almost noon, and since the young doctor was visiting, Lu Yan decided to invite them to stay for a meal.

They had bought some fresh groceries in the past few days, so it was a good opportunity to cook a nice meal.

And it would give his future wife a chance to taste his cooking.

He invited them warmly, “It’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t you stay and eat with us? Since we’ve reached an agreement, the next step is for me to prepare and deliver the bride price to your family.”

Speaking of the bride price, Gu Leyou remembered that her parents had asked her to bring it up with him earlier. But with everything going on, her family had forgotten about it.

Now that he brought it up, she took the opportunity to explain and planned to bring him home afterward to speak with her parents directly.

“Oh right, Brother Lu, the one who came to discuss the bride price with you last time was my aunt-in-law. Our family has long since split households, with my grandmother’s decision. So, the bride price should be discussed directly with my parents. I meant to tell you earlier, but things got delayed. After lunch, can you come home with me to talk to them?”

“No problem. I should have visited your parents earlier. Ever since what happened between us, I’ve owed them an apology. I just never found the chance.”

“Alright then.”

With that, Gu Leyou agreed to stay for lunch.

She even went into the kitchen to help.

After working together for a while, they made four dishes and one soup.

With both vegetables and meat, the food looked colorful, fragrant, and tasty—quite appetizing.

The young doctor looked at the dishes, practically drooling. Gu Leyou teased, “Little Miracle Doctor, do you know how to cook? They say men who can cook are very charming.”

That question left both men confused. What did “charming” mean? They didn’t get it.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Gu Leyou explained, “What I meant is, a good-looking man who knows how to cook tends to be liked by many.”

Lu Yan, feeling a bit jealous, asked, “So who do you think is better looking, him or me?”

Gu Leyou didn’t answer right away and took a careful look at both of them.

“Do you want the truth?” she asked playfully.

“Of course, honesty is the foundation of communication,” said the young doctor.

As a physician, he valued trust and honesty above all.

“Then I’ll pick my fiancé. While you’re good-looking too, Little Miracle Doctor, most of the girls in our area are already married. In the end, most would still choose their own husband.”

Her words hit the young doctor right in the heart. He lowered his head, a little disappointed, and suddenly the food didn’t taste as good.

After lunch, Gu Leyou helped clean the dishes.

Then they took the child and returned to her home.

Along the way, many people pointed and whispered.

But they paid no mind.

After all, they were about to get married. Walking together was no big deal. Besides, they hadn’t done anything shameful—nothing to be afraid of.

Meanwhile, back at the Gu household—

The parents were getting anxious.

“Husband, should we go look for her? What if our daughter got lost in the mountains while picking herbs? She still hasn’t come back!”

“Don’t worry. Our daughter knows the mountain paths better than I do—she grew up running around there.”

“But why hasn’t she returned yet? What if something happened? We only have this one daughter, and she hasn’t even married yet. What would we say to the hunter’s family if something happened?”

Now even Gu Haixiong, the father, began to worry. What he said earlier, he wanted to take back.

Though they had two children, only one daughter. If something happened after raising her all these years, they couldn’t bear it.

“Let’s not go to the fields this afternoon. Let’s go out and search for her. And don’t tell Ashu. Let him focus on studying with the teacher.”

“Alright,” the mother replied.

Just as they were about to leave the house to look for her, they heard noise in the yard.

Little Luoyao happily ran in, shouting, “Grandma, Grandpa! I’m here!”

The couple stepped out and saw their daughter had returned—with the hunter following behind.

They immediately realized—she had gone to his house again.

Gu Haixiong’s face darkened in displeasure.

The three sat down at the small table in the yard for an open discussion.

Gu Haixiong first asked about the hunter’s situation.

“I heard you’re raising the child on your own. What happened to the child’s mother? Did you really forget everything about her?”

“She was someone very important to me,” Lu Yan replied, “but she’s no longer with us. I’ll keep her in my heart, but I won’t let someone from the past cause harm to the person in front of me.”

“Can you promise to treat my daughter well for the rest of your life?” asked Lin Shi, the mother.

“Don’t speak,” Gu Haixiong interrupted her. “This is a matter between us men.”

Lin Shi had to fall silent and let the two men continue.

“I heard my sister-in-law asked you for ten taels of silver for the bride price. We didn’t know about that beforehand. Don’t worry—we’re marrying off our daughter, not selling her. I apologize for the rudeness from our side.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

Gu Haixiong sincerely apologized.

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