Gu Jinli was startled and hurriedly said, "Don’t be rash. You’ve finally subdued the county soldiers of the Military Office. You can’t let everything be ruined by the Lin Family."
She knew he needed the soldiers and couldn’t let his temper ruin the hard work of three years.
Qin San Lang laughed; Xiao Yu was still worried about him, and he was very pleased. "It’s fine, just a Section Leader—we can do without soone who’s talented but has a bunch of family mbers holding them back."
Worried that Gu Jinli might be concerned, he shared his thoughts, "The Military Office has so new recruits who show great promise. Just two years of training, and they’ll surely surpass Section Leader Lin."
He had made up his mind about Section Leader Lin; through the Lin Family’s affair, he would tell everyone that his Achilles heel was Xiao Yu. No one should trouble her; otherwise, they would bear the consequences.
Xiao Yu had always been helping him. For his sake, she had all the family mbers of the county soldiers plant Mingya Grass and also had them sell vegetables, eggs, poultry, and other farm products to Yanfu Building at high prices.
She didn’t have to do all these, but she did. If anyone still dared to be blind enough to trouble her, they couldn’t bla him for being ruthless.
"Xiao Yu, soldiers of the Military Office can be replaced," Qin San Lang said with an intense look, "but you can’t be replaced."
Xiao Yu was irreplaceable; he wanted only her.
Gu Jinli’s face involuntarily flushed as she feigned anger, "Why would you say such things? Are you trying to pressure ?"
Qin San Lang shook his head, "No, I won’t pressure Xiao Yu. You can take your ti to think about it."
Even though it wasn’t explicitly stated and she hadn’t made any promise, the fact that she was willing to interact and consider was enough for him.
Gu Jinli: "What if I take ten or eight years to think? Are you not going to get married? Just remain a bachelor?"
Qin San Lang: "Then I’ll wait ten years. If Xiao Yu wants to think for a lifeti, then I’ll wait a lifeti..."
That way, it would be good, and he wouldn’t burden anyone.
Gu Jinli grew angry, poking his face with her finger, "If I think for a lifeti, you’ll just let ? You won’t co and snatch ?"
Qin San Lang was stunned, "Snatch a bride? If Xiao Yu likes that idea, then I’ll snatch her."
Gu Jinli was baffled, blinking her eyes. Qin San Lang, seeing this, also batted his eyelids at her, as if asking whether she really wanted him to snatch her.
Suddenly feeling a bit flustered, Gu Jinli couldn’t take it anymore, ducked down, and swiftly slipped away.
Qin San Lang watched her leave with a smile and didn’t pursue her but ensured from behind her, "I won’t let those nonsensical won co before you and bother you anymore. I know you dislike trouble, rest assured, Xiao Yu, I’ll shield you from these annoyances and prevent them from disturbing you."
She was angry because of this.
After hearing Qin San Lang, Gu Jinli didn’t respond; she hadn’t thought things through yet and felt it was almost like sealing the deal if she agreed now.
Seeing that she didn’t reply, Qin San Lang didn’t press her further. Instead, he agilely climbed to the rooftop and used a dagger to cut down ten hams.
"Where did you put the white porcelain basin? Why has Xiao Ji not been able to find it for so long?" Gu Jinli worriedly said while looking at the ten large hams, "Could Xiao Ji be dumber than you thought?"
Impossible, her maid couldn’t be that foolish.
However, the reality was that Xiao Ji really did have too little sense, having spent a long ti without finding the white porcelain basin.
Qin San Lang sat on the floor of the side room, comforting Gu Jinli, "Don’t worry, there is still an hour before we open."
Today, they would open at the hour of si.
He took off his outer garnt and spread it on the floor, "You should sit and rest for a while."
Gu Jinli put his overcoat away, stuffing it into his embrace: "I can just sit on the floor."
She wasn’t so pampered young lady who needed a piece of clothing spread out to sit on the ground.
Then she asked Qin San Lang, "Why didn’t Luo Wu co back last night?"
Last night she had only heard the sound of a horse’s hooves.
Qin San Lang responded, "When I went to the county to buy you Fried Fruit Strips, I asked him about it. He said that there were still matters to attend to at the governnt office and that he would not return until this afternoon."
Qin San Lang was aware of the situation between Luo Wu and Gu Jinxiu. Originally, seeing how fervently Luo Wu had pursued Gu Jinxiu in the early years, several families thought Luo Wu was going to marry Gu Jinxiu.
Who would have thought that three years on, Luo Wu had grown distant from Gu Jinxiu.
Listening, Gu Jinli frowned: "Excuses. He said the sa thing three months ago. Now, Tianfu County is much more peaceful than it was three years ago. There couldn’t be so many affairs for him to handle."
He must be avoiding her elder sister, fearing that if he ca back this ti, he would be apprehended by her family for questioning.
...
When Luo Wu learned that several families intended to have a al at Gu Jinli’s house during Dongzhi this year, he already realized that the Gu Family wanted to ask him for an answer.
His mind was in turmoil; he wanted to go back to see Sister Xiu, but then he rembered what Master Xia and his wife had said... He was just a commoner, a low-ranking squad leader with no official title, how could he be compared to a noble family?
Sister Xiu was so outstanding; one piece of her embroidery could sell for thousands of taels of Silver, a sum he could never earn in his lifeti. What did he have to offer her kindness?
Would it be simply with a true heart?
But others also had true hearts towards Sister Xiu.
Compared to the devoted love of a noble son, his devotion was like the mud from the fields, giving it to her would only sully her.
However, he had not seen Sister Xiu for a long ti; these past few months, he often dreamt of her, missing her terribly. He thought, perhaps he could just go back for a look from a distance, and then ride back to the county, as if he had never returned.
After struggling through the night, as soon as the hour of Chen passed, Luo Wu led his horse out of the county, and had barely left the main street where the Military Office was when a crisp voice called out from behind: "Brother Luo Wu, you’re still in the county? Aren’t you going ho?"
Luo Wu turned towards the voice and saw a young lady dressed in a goose yellow overcoat approaching: "Miss Yang."
The newcor was Squad Leader Yang’s daughter.
Miss Yang was nineteen this year and had been betrothed, her match being Scholar Chang from the neighboring county. But Scholar Chang turned out to be no good; when he went to take the scholar exam in the Prefecture, he t a young lady from the Fu Family and thus called off his engagent with the Yang Family.
The matter caused quite a stir; Squad Leader Yang was livid and wanted to smash Scholar Chang’s ho to pieces.
Yet Miss Yang was resolute, declaring that anyone who married such a faithless and heartless man would be unlucky, and she decisively called off the engagent with Scholar Chang herself. Now, two years had passed, and Miss Yang had yet to speak of another match.
Miss Yang approached Luo Wu with a basket in hand, and looking at him, her heart swelled with joy. She had truly not expected to encounter him here: "Squad Leader Luo, where are you heading? If you’re not going ho, why not co to my house for Dongzhi? My father likes you very much, and he would be so happy to see you today."
These words were not typical for a young lady to address a young man, but Miss Yang had said them anyway, clearly indicating her interest in Luo Wu.
Indeed, Miss Yang liked Luo Wu.
After breaking off her engagent with Scholar Chang, she had looked all over the county hos and felt that none could compare to Luo Wu.
Luo Wu was a squad leader, a colleague of her father, their ho was in the county, and he was also one of the co-owners of the Gu’s Workshop. The Silver dividends he received annually were substantial; he truly was a rare and exceptional golden son-in-law prospect.
Moreover, Squad Leader Yang had nothing but praise for Luo Wu. Miss Yang would often hear her father comnd Luo Wu and had secretly taken a liking to him; she did not want to miss out on such an outstanding young man.
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