Mo Yan roughly knew what was happening in the Cao family, but she didnât know how to comfort him.
The two stood facing each other, neither knowing what to say. Mo Yan finally said, âItâs getting cold, you should go home!â
Cao Zhang finally plucked up the courage to speak, âYanâer, I like you!â [1]
âCao Zhang, what are you on about? Iâm only eleven years old!â
âI donât want to get married now. Letâs get engaged first and wait a few years before getting married.â
Cao Zhang took a step forward, looked at Mo Yan eagerly, and waited for her reply, but Mo Yan only took a step back in fright.
âCao Zhang, I know you donât actually believe that. You are like a person hanging on the edge of a cliff, and youâre just regarding me as a lifesaver.â
âNo, Yanâer, I do like you, canât you see?â
He took another step forward, and Mo Yan took another step back, âBut I donât like you, Iâve never liked you that way.â [2]
Cao Zhang wanted to grab Mo Yanâs hand, but Mo Yan subconsciously withdrew it and took another step back. This time, Cao Zhang didnât go any further, he just stood there and said morosely, âYanâer, do you hate me so much?â
âNo, I donât hate you, itâsâ¦â
Cao Zhang was so determined to be rid of Lu Jiao, he was willing to do anything.
Seeing Mo Yan panicking, Cao Zhang realised how ridiculous his actions were. He raised his head and started laughing, as he walked slowly along the edge of the pond.
Perhaps infected by his bleak laughter, two owl hoots came from the willow tree. Mo Yan was so scared that she felt the hairs all over her body stand on end, and she ran home.
The next day, news of Cao Zhangâs engagement came from the village, but there was no banquet. It was only said that Cao Zhang had returned to the metropolis to study in the academy, and Mrs. Cao had accompanied him.
Zhong Chengâs family found the matchmaker to check Mo Ling and his birthdays. Although they werenât a perfect fit, it wouldnât cause either party any ill omens, so they chose to be wed on April 18th. There was only one month left.
When Zhong Cheng and the matchmaker proposed the wedding day, Mo Yan wasnât at home, so Ms. Liang agreed without a second thought. She was afraid that something would happen again. She didnât ask whether they had already built a separator wall and opened a new gate, like Mo Yan had mentioned before.
The wedding day was imminent, and the dowry had to be prepared quickly. Chi Jie has already designed several sets of wedding clothes.
Mo Ling still preferred the traditional wedding Hanfu. After discussing with Ms. Jiao, they decided on a red dress, with hundreds of herbs embroidered on it. A double lotus would be embroidered on the upper body, and a few faint cloud patterns on the waist sash. The outer layer would be made of fine brocade with colourful butterfly patterns.
Because she was busy preparing for her wedding, Mo Ling didnât go to the workshop. She was either at home or at Jiaolan Courtyard to seek advice from Mrs. Jiao.
After choosing a day, Mo Yan and Lu Junming took Mo Ling to Yi City to pick out furniture.
The furniture store in Yi City was on the busiest street, not far from Minghui Firm.
There was a lot of mahogany furniture, but the quality varied wildly. The most expensive sets cost a hundred taels of silver for a single bed, while the cheapest sets still cost twenty taels of silver.
Mo Ling said that it was too expensive, and refused to take it, âI wouldnât bear to use such expensive furniture! What if it gets damaged?â
In the end, she chose a set of pinewood furniture, which cost over twenty taels of silver, which was considered very good in the countryside. Ordinary people in the village mostly used local materials, such as poplar or willow, to make their furniture.
After ordering the furniture, they left a deposit of five silver taels, and the rest would be paid after delivery.
After leaving the furniture store, Lu Junming said, âSince weâre here, why not buy the carriage as well?â
Mo Ling replied, âThereâs no need! Weâre not rich, so why bother to pretend.â
Mu Yan said: âBut the Zhong family knows that weâre giving mahogany furniture and a carriage. We can still cover up the furniture not being made of mahogany, but not the absence of a carriage. Iâm worried youâll be laughed at by your second sister-in-law when you marry into the Zhong family.â
Mo Ling said disdainfully, âI couldnât care less. I donât believe her dowry was larger than mine. My dowry would be considered good anywhere within the countryside.â
Mo Yan thought for a while and said, âMother has already agreed to give you a carriage for your dowry, donât turn it down. The jewellery and clothes are my gift, and the carriage should be considered her gift to you. Over the years, you have done a lot for this family.â
The three of them talked while walking, and arrived at the door of Minghui Firm, when she heard someone inside say, âSecond young lady, youâre here. Please come inside.â
Mo Yan turned to look in, and it was Manager Liang who was talking. The woman who walked in was Lin Xianâer.
Manager Liang was focused on Lin Xianâer, and didnât notice them.
Those bastards were probably in an affair. Lin Xianâerâs husband, that fool was easy to deceive, but her father-in-law was a shrewd character. [3]
Mo Yan said, âCome on, letâs go to the teahouse!â
Lu Junming immediately understood, and the three of them went to a nearby teahouse. After the tea and food came, Lu Junming asked the waiter about the Hu family.
âSo, about Manager Liang of the Huiming Firmâ¦â
Before Lu Junming finished speaking, the waiter knew what he wanted to ask, âHeâs the cousin of the second young lady of the Hu family, and is very shrewd. He became the main manager quickly after joining. There used to be a second manager Mo who also wanted to be the main manager, but he was fired.â
So they were âcousinsâ, which meant Manager Liang had entered the firm relying on his relationship with Lin Xianâerâs. It seems that my suspicions were right, thought Mo Yan.
The employee shook his head and went out. Mo Yan looked out the window facing the street. After a while, Lin Xianâer came out of the firm and walked down the street, glancing behind her from time to time with a shy smile on her face.
After a while, Manager Liang also came out of the firm and headed in the direction of Lin Xianâer, acting the same way.
Mo Yan said in a low voice, âLowlifesâ, then went downstairs. Lu Junming and Mo Ling followed closely behind her.
They followed Manager Liang, and entered a small alley around corners. He stopped at a house and looked behind him. When he saw no one, he entered and quickly locked the door.
Mo Yan went to look in through the crack of the door, and Lin Xianâer was indeed inside, welcoming him with a smile on her face.
She looked back at Lu Junming, who immediately understood and ran to Huâs house. He said to the doorman very anxiously, âYour second mistress, Lin Xianâer, is at 2 Liu Alley, she encountered a bad person!â
He didnât dare ignore Lu Junming, so he hurriedly went to report back. Lu Junming ran back and tied the doors together with a piece of rope he picked up by the side of the road, and the three of them hid in the corner to watch.
Soon, four strong servants from the Hu family came. After confirming the house number, they noticed the rope on the doors, âTheyâve been tied together by someone. Second mistress must be locked in here! We must break down the door!â
Someone untied the rope, and the servants broke open the courtyard door together. The people in the house heard the movement, ran out in dishevelled clothes, and bumped into the servant who broke into the yard.
Post-translation notes: Karma is oh so sweet. Iâm hoping to translate more, considering itâs currently the summer vacation, but no promises.
[1] Oh look, the confession!
[2] Oh look, the rejection! Are you really surprised? The author has been hinting at either Lu Junming or Chi Jie for the past 100 chapters, with barely a mention to Cao Zhang.
[3] If youâve forgotten, Lin Xianâer was Mo Zenianâs mistress. Before that, she was a prostitute who Manager Liang frequently visited.