Lu Chi pushed the door open and entered, and Shi Fa Ke very consciously followed him in. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Shi Fa Ke noticed several large boxes piled up in the yard. A tall, slender man was facing away from the main gate, apparently taking inventory of the contents of the boxes, while on the other side by the grape arbor, a middle-aged man over eight feet tall with a full beard was practicing boxing, his movements vigorous and powerful.

“Ake, this is my father.” Lu Chi pointed to the middle-aged man practicing boxing as soon as he entered and introduced him.

Ah? That was Lu Chi’s father? …Lu Chi was clearly a scholar, but his father’s style was completely different.

When Lu Chi made the introduction, Lu Ting had already finished his boxing routine and looked over.

Shi Fa Ke met his gaze and hesitated… uh, how should she greet him?

“You can just call him Uncle Lu.” Lu Chi, standing beside her, said very considerately.

“Greetings, Uncle Lu.” Shi Fa Ke followed his suggestion.

Lu Ting nodded, walked to the stone table, picked up a wooden box from the table, and handed it to her: “A meeting gift.”

Shi Fa Ke was a bit surprised – there was a meeting gift to receive? But if this was to thank the matchmaker, it seemed a bit early…

“Uncle Lu is really too kind.” Shi Fa Ke accepted the wooden box, feeling it was quite heavy, and had a feeling something wasn’t quite right… Opening it to look, wow! Inside was actually a golden ruyi! This weight… it must be solid gold!

Shi Fa Ke was dumbfounded… Even if it was a matchmaker’s fee, this was too generous!

This Uncle Lu was very wealthy…

But even if he was wealthy, she couldn’t just accept such an expensive gift for no reason, and she was quite familiar with Lu Chi, so she absolutely couldn’t cheat him – she wasn’t that kind of unscrupulous matchmaker.

So she hurriedly declined: “I couldn’t possibly accept this.”

“Take it.” Uncle Lu was concise and to the point.

Lu Chi imperceptibly tugged at her and whispered: “Take it, my father doesn’t like people refusing him.”

…So domineering.

Shi Fa Ke silently thanked this Uncle Lu who didn’t like being refused, silently closed the wooden box, and silently held it in her arms.

While they were talking, the man who had been facing away from them taking inventory of the boxes turned around.

“This is my big brother.” Lu Chi introduced.

Shi Fa Ke looked and thought, eh? Wasn’t this the young master who had righteously helped them at Jinman Tower yesterday? What a coincidence that he was Lu Chi’s elder brother.

But… how should she address him?

“You can just call him Big Brother Lu.” Lu Chi again considerately reminded her.

“Greetings, Big Brother Lu.” Shi Fa Ke followed his suggestion, appearing very well-behaved.

Lu Zhuxi nodded, looking meaningfully at his brother who was like a kidnapper, and took out a banknote: “A meeting gift.”

Why was there another meeting gift…

Shi Fa Ke didn’t know what expression to make facing this simple, crude, yet sincere meeting gift… Were all the Lu family members this polite? She had already accepted a golden ruyi against her conscience…

“Take it.” Big Brother Lu was equally concise and to the point.

Lu Chi tugged at her again and whispered: “Take it, my big brother also doesn’t like people refusing him.”

…

Shi Fa Ke twitched the corner of her mouth – even big brother was this domineering?

Under Big Brother Lu’s oppressive gaze, Shi Fa Ke silently accepted the banknote, glanced at it, and wow! Five hundred taels! She was so startled she almost threw it away, but thinking about it… she silently put it away, worst case she could return it all to Lu Chi later.

Mm, it seemed this Big Brother Lu was also very wealthy…

“Has that little girl arrived?” At this moment, a beautiful woman adjusted the hairpin on her head and walked out from the room. The moment she appeared, the entire small courtyard seemed to brighten up.

Shi Fa Ke looked closely and thought, eh?! Wasn’t this the kind lady who had helped her out at the entrance to Laifu Restaurant that day?!

“This is my mother.” Lu Chi introduced from the side.

“Madam, it’s you!” Shi Fa Ke said with delight, “What a coincidence! So you’re Young Master Lu’s mother.”

“Yes, we’re really fated.” Xu Feiqiong’s eyes curved with a very meaningful smile, then she said with a smile: “Calling me Madam is too formal, call me Aunt Lu.”

Shi Fa Ke thought that made sense – she was already calling Lu Chi’s father Uncle Lu, so this lady should be called Aunt Lu, which would show more familiarity. She really liked this beautiful and kind lady.

So she sweetly called out: “Aunt Lu.”

Xu Feiqiong smiled until her eyes curved, said “good girl,” then beckoned to Shi Fa Ke with a smile.

Shi Fa Ke didn’t understand why, but still obediently moved closer. She saw the lady raise her hand to pull out a hairpin from her head and casually put it in her hair.

Shi Fa Ke was stunned and felt this was inappropriate, instinctively reaching up to remove it.

Xu Feiqiong held down her hand that was reaching for the hairpin, then cupped her face and examined her carefully, nodding with satisfaction: “Very beautiful.”

“This…” Shi Fa Ke, with her face being cupped, found it difficult to refuse.

Beside her, Lu Chi had already come over and whispered: “Wear it, don’t look at how gentle my mother seems, but she most dislikes people refusing her.”

“…” Shi Fa Ke was momentarily speechless.

So even your mother is this domineering?!

“…” Xu Feiqiong looked coolly at the stinky boy who, in order to get a wife, dared to make up stories about his own mother. Seeing his face swollen like a pig’s head, looking both ridiculous and pitiful, she ultimately held back from exposing him.

Lu Chi felt a chill on the back of his neck, coughed lightly, and shrank his neck.

“One shouldn’t accept rewards without merit, I…” Shi Fa Ke made a last-ditch effort.

She always felt something wasn’t quite right!

Lu Chi saw this and quietly bared his teeth at Lu Zhuxi, hinting that he had reported to the family for his sake, resulting in throwing himself into the trap and getting beaten up by old Lu, so now it was his turn to stick his neck out for his brother.

“This is what you deserve. This marriage still requires your efforts.” Lu Zhuxi looked disdainfully at his brother with ulterior motives, and not allowing her to refuse again, said with a stern face: “This matter should be done sooner rather than later. Please trouble the young lady to go to the Zhu family to propose marriage today.”

Mm, he indeed looked very domineering.

Hearing this, Shi Fa Ke could only suppress her strange feelings and agreed.

This marriage had Madam Zhu’s consent, so it could be said there was already an understanding with the Zhu family. Now it was just going through the motions. The Lu family’s betrothal gifts were also quite sincere. Shi Fa Ke, carrying a pair of live geese and many other gifts, confidently stepped through the Zhu family’s main gate.

…Then she was caught off guard and struck like a blow to the head, seeing stars.

“What did you say?!”

“My daughter will not marry far away. This marriage is hereby called off.” Madam Zhu sat in the seat of honor, her face cold, and her face showed exhaustion that even thick powder couldn’t conceal.

“But Young Master Lu’s parents and elder brother have already come to Tongluozhen, and today I’m here on behalf of the Lu family to propose marriage.” Shi Fa Ke said very aggrievedly, “For you to go back on your word like this… is really unreasonable. Moreover, I had your consent for this marriage initially, which is why I arranged for Young Master Lu’s family to come. The Zhu family is a respectable scholarly family and should know that a person cannot stand without trustworthiness.”

Parents and elder brother? Madam Zhu sneered inwardly. Were these bandits now so arrogant that they dared to come down from the mountains so openly? If not for fear of implicating her foolish daughter, she would have reported them to the authorities long ago to have this nest of thieves arrested.

And they wanted to marry her daughter?! They really had the audacity!

“Those rats – do they deserve to talk about trustworthiness with me?” Madam Zhu coldly scoffed, “This matter need not be mentioned again.”

Shi Fa Ke could hardly believe her ears. This lady from a scholarly family was openly being unreasonable?

“Madam Zhu, you keep changing your mind like this. It was fine when nothing was settled before, but now that you’ve given your consent and Young Master Lu’s family has traveled all this way to Tongluozhen with betrothal gifts, to just call it off with one sentence and act as if nothing happened – isn’t this a bit too much?!”

She was being too much? She was just grateful they hadn’t yet exchanged birth charts.

How could she have known that the man her daughter spoke of, who had saved her life, was actually a bandit? She had always known her daughter wasn’t as useless as she appeared on the surface, and wasn’t truly foolish… but she never would have imagined that her daughter, whom she had always thought was measured and clever, would be so confused as to decide to marry a bandit and become his wife because of some childhood life-saving grace of questionable authenticity!

If it was going to be like this, she’d rather her daughter just be truly foolish – at least that would be obedient and worry-free!

“Miss Shi, considering your friendship with Yanyan, I’ll give you a piece of advice.” Madam Zhu didn’t want to say more, just narrowed her eyes and warned: “Stay away from that Lu family.”

Last night that thief had personally admitted he was from Feiqiong Stronghold on Qianya Mountain. Could that Scholar Lu still have a clean background? Madam Zhu even suspected his scholar title was questionable. The current laws were strict – those in base occupations couldn’t even have their descendants take the imperial examinations, let alone bandits.

After Madam Zhu finished speaking, she said no more and directly served tea to dismiss the guest.

Shi Fa Ke naturally wouldn’t be willing to leave like this, but she was ultimately thrown out.

Yes, thrown out.

Along with all the gifts she had brought, they were all thrown out. The two live geese were still flapping on the ground, stirring up dust. Shi Fa Ke stood disheveled at the Zhu family’s entrance, glaring at the Zhu residence’s plaque, so angry she was about to vomit blood. They say June weather is like a child’s face, but this Madam Zhu’s face was even more unpredictable than June weather!

Now what was she supposed to tell Lu Chi and his parents and elder brother?!