Chapter 21: Dinner

After a tiring day, Liu Suqing felt reluctant to move when she heard they needed to go to a neighbor’s house to buy food.

However, hunger got the best of her, and she slowly stood up, making her way over to Lu Bainian. Reaching out her slender hands, she attempted to grab the money pouch tied at his waist.

Just as her fingers touched the pouch, Lu Bainian grasped her hand.

At this moment, Lu Bainian had no improper thoughts. He simply looked at Liu Suqing’s charming and delicate face, feeling a sense of contentment.

Though the future remained uncertain, he believed he had done right by Liu Suqing today.

He felt that he had presented himself well in front of his mother. If he and Liu Suqing could live peacefully in the countryside for three years, then when they returned to the Lu family, his mother and his brothers would surely see him in a new light.

Unlike Liu Suqing, Lu Bainian wasn’t plagued with anxiety about aging. He wasn’t worried about his appearance fading and thus failed to notice the restlessness in Liu Suqing’s heart.

“Let’s live well together from now on. Once three years pass, I’ll officially bring you into the family,” Lu Bainian said earnestly, gazing at Liu Suqing under the dim candlelight.

Seeing his sincerity, Liu Suqing felt somewhat softened, but her empty stomach left no room for sentimentality.

Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, a woman’s voice called from outside the courtyard, “Bainian-ge!”

The Lu family’s house wasn’t large, and without a gatekeeper stationed outside, knocking on the door often went unheard. So, calling out was the only way to get someone to open it.

“Who’s calling so late at night?” Lu Bainian muttered, thinking he might be hallucinating from hunger.

If not for the fact that every household in the village was close together, with the air filled with the scent of cooking fires, he might have mistaken it for a ghost’s call.

Lu Bainian sat up from the bed while Liu Suqing went to light another lamp.

They still had three years to get by, so she was extremely frugal, unwilling to waste even a single candle or piece of charcoal.

Inside, only one candle was lit, its weak glow softened by a lampshade, spreading a faint light throughout the room.

“I’ll go check,” Liu Suqing said as she lit the candle and placed it on a lampstand before heading out.

It was the New Year season, but the moon wasn’t full that night, making it difficult to see.

Lu Bainian stood up and reached for the lamp in Liu Suqing’s hand.

“I’ll open the door. Who knows who it is outside?”

Liu Suqing was unconcerned. “Who else could it be? It’s just the village—I won’t go missing. Stay inside and be careful not to trip.”

The entire Lu family village was filled with people bearing the surname Lu.

If anything happened, one loud shout from her would wake the whole village. Everyone was home resting at this hour, so she wasn’t worried.

Hearing her reasoning, Lu Bainian didn’t insist. He simply stood at the doorway, watching Liu Suqing carry the lamp.

The person outside continued calling, and Liu Suqing responded in her delicate voice, “Coming.”

Hearing her voice, the person outside immediately stopped calling.

Liu Suqing was puzzled. When she opened the door, she saw a young woman standing there. She had a round face like a silver plate, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. A braid was tied atop her head, and her waist was noticeably larger than Liu Suqing’s, giving her a strong and sturdy appearance. No wonder her voice had sounded so powerful.

The visitor carried a lamp that was larger and brighter than Liu Suqing’s.

Upon seeing Liu Suqing open the door, the young woman looked her up and down before scoffing, then stepped into the Lu household as if it were her own home.

As she passed by Liu Suqing, she muttered under her breath, “Vixen.”

Hearing the insult, Liu Suqing merely pursed her lips. Being new to the village, she didn’t dare to argue.

Lu Bainian leaned against the doorway, tall and lean, with a relaxed posture and a natural air of roguish charm.

The young woman had spent her life in the village, surrounded by rugged men. Seeing someone as refined as Lu Bainian was rare, let alone a man as handsome as him.

Not only was he good-looking and fair-skinned, but his family was also well-off.

She was a neighbor from a different surname, yet of the same generation as Lu Bainian.

Seeing him up close, even in the dim lighting, his fair complexion practically glowed, making her blush.

Luckily, the darkness concealed her reaction.

“Bainian-ge, my mother said that since you just arrived, you must be exhausted from settling in. The elders in the village were instructed not to help, so no one came to assist. But we figured you’d be hungry by now, so my mother sent me over with some food,” she said.

Lu Bainian was slightly surprised by her forwardness.

His family had been wealthy since his birth, and they only visited Lu Village occasionally for ancestral rites.

Even though their relatives lived close by, they rarely interacted.

Most of the so-called relatives only came around looking for handouts, and Lu Bainian had little patience for them.

So, he had no recollection of this woman.

“Who are you?” he asked, trying to place her identity to avoid calling her the wrong thing.

It wouldn’t be proper for him to respond with “mei” (younger sister) just because she called him “ge” (older brother)—that would be too flirtatious.

Not that he was particularly serious himself.

“Bainian-ge, you’re so forgetful! I’m Su Minmin. My family lives next door. The village chief’s wife is my aunt.”

The Lu family had been rooted in the village for over a hundred years, spanning five or six generations, with tangled branches of family connections.

The neighboring Su family was related to the village chief’s family, but not directly connected to Lu Bainian.

He only knew they lived next door but had no idea how many children they had, let alone who Su Minmin was.

“Oh! It’s you,” he said, pretending to suddenly remember her.

He was good at putting on an act.

Even though his reaction was completely fake, plenty of people still fell for it.

Su Minmin was no exception. She thought he truly remembered her and beamed with joy.

“Thank your mother for her kindness, sending us dinner.”

“It’s nothing! We’re all family—no need to be so formal,” she said, her eyes glancing at Lu Bainian shyly.

Liu Suqing noticed Su Minmin’s demeanor and then looked at Lu Bainian’s polite smile. She felt a slight pang of jealousy.

But she was too tired and hungry to care.

Besides, she wasn’t the type to be jealous of just anyone.

Judging by Su Minmin’s straightforward and carefree personality, Liu Suqing knew Lu Bainian wouldn’t be interested in her.

Su Minmin placed a basket on the table and uncovered it, revealing four or five steamed buns, a plate of stir-fried meat, and a side of pickled vegetables—simple yet appetizing.

The scent of cooked meat wafted into the air.

Lu Bainian, also hungry, let his gaze linger on the food but maintained his composure.

Su Minmin nudged the basket toward him, urging him to eat.

“It’s just village home cooking, not as refined as what your family is used to. I hope you don’t mind.”

She spoke only to Lu Bainian, completely ignoring Liu Suqing.

But Lu Bainian’s attention was on Liu Suqing. He said, “Suqing, fetch some water so we can wash up before eating.”

Liu Suqing quietly complied.

Su Minmin’s smile faltered.

Sensing that Su Minmin wasn’t planning to leave, Lu Bainian pulled some money from his pouch and offered it to her.

“Thank you for bringing dinner. Here’s a small token of appreciation.”

Su Minmin refused, saying, “Bainian-ge, I didn’t do this for money. We’re family.”

“Even so, we’re already troubling you too much.”

He subtly hinted for her to leave.

Su Minmin finally took the hint and left, though she glanced back with lingering reluctance.