“Sir Lu, Xiao Shu is right, I think all of you should wait at the dock! If your wife and brother-in-law are here, I’m sure you will run into them at the dock!” Old Master Zhang suggested.
“Yes, yes! We’ll head over there right now!” Lu Zhong nodded. He didn’t want to waste any more time. He hastily bid farewell to Old Master Zhang and headed towards the dock with Lu Xiao Shu.
As for the unfortunate Gu Lao Si? Lu Xiao Shu would never let him go this easily. She ordered him to hold and support her father when they walked towards the dock.
Lu Zhong expressed his gratitude to Gu Lao Si. He glanced at Gu Lao Si and noticed bruises on his eyelids and face. Gu Lao Si was also walking with a limp. Who on earth is this man? Why does he look like this? How did my daughter end up with him? And he even offered us help? —— He could actually tell that Gu Lao Si was not willing to help.
“Little brother, it’s very kind of you to help us. How may I address you?” Lu Zhong asked.
Lu Xiao Shu smiled and grabbed the chance to answer her father before Gu Lao Si, “Father, he’s a resident in this village, his name is Gu Lao Si! I met him at the dock. He’s a kind-hearted man that offered to help me search for you! Look at the bruises and injury on his body. He accidentally fell down when we took a shortcut across the mountains to search for you. What a pity!”
Gu Lao Si was bewildered: Accidentally fell down? Why don’t you try falling down and get similar bruises like me? He did not have the courage to oppose her. Instead, he swallowed his pride and forced a smile, “No worries, this is what I should do…”
“Oh……” Lu Zhong was skeptical but he was more concerned about his wife and family that he did not give much thought about it. Besides, it wasn’t important. He smiled, “We should definitely repay your kindness.”
Gu Lao Si was delighted and was going to accept the offer, but Lu Xiao Shu smirked, “Don’t worry, Father. His kindness was well repaid before this! Let’s hurry to the dock!”
“Well……” Lu Zhong smiled and stopped questioning.
Gu Lao Si accidentally kicked a stone and nearly blacked out.
“Xiao Shu! Xiao Shu! Are you alright? Ah, Uncle Lu, you, you’re fine as well! This is great!” Lin Fang and Cricket were joyfully running towards them before they even set foot on the dock.
“That’s very kind of you both! Thank you very much and sorry for the inconvenience caused!” Their actions warmed Lu Zhong’s heart, but he was also apologetic towards them.
If he had known that he would cause such a big misunderstanding to his family, he would definitely have written a letter to them! However, he never expected things to turn out this way……
The trip was only delayed for a few days, who could have known that the boat would coincidentally sink?
Lin Fang ordered Cricket to get to the dock opposite the lake to break the news to Miao Cui Lan and Miao Chu He if he managed to run into them. The rest of them waited on the dock as Cricket complied with the request.
Lin Fang asked Lu Xiao Shu, “I was worried sick about you. Are you——”
Lin Fang was distressed when Lu Xiao Shu didn’t show up on time at the appointed meeting place. He waited for a while and Lu Xiao Shu still could not be seen. He paid the old woman who was selling tea by the roadside to keep an eye on the people passing by. He asked the woman to wait for him here if she saw a young girl with a specific attire and appearance. He then went to search for Lu Xiao Shu with Cricket along the path where both of them first parted ways.
He found the mark that was left by Lu Xiao Shu on the wall of an alley at the end of the street. He uttered a sigh of relief but turned more anxious. He hurriedly asked around the streets.
However, there was no one around when Lu Xiao Shu met Gu Lao Si. How could Lin Fang obtain any information about Lu Xiao Shu easily? He ran and searched around the town like a headless chicken.
Fortunately, Lu Xiao Shu was back!
“I’m fine!” Lu Xiao Shu gave him a wink and grinned, “Thanks for helping me! I was lucky enough to find my father!”
“Yes, good for you!” Lin Fang took the hint and sensibly stopped questioning. He smiled and nodded as he suppressed his urge to question.
Miao Cui Lan and Miao Chu He were both searching for Lu Zhong at the opposite dock as expected. They were finally relieved when Cricket broke the news to them. It was getting late and the boats were no longer crossing the lake. They had no choice but to stay over the night for the time being.
Early the next morning, they hurriedly crossed the lake.
When they all met, they cried, laughed, and complained. They joyfully retrieved the soybeans that Lu Zhong left at the dock and moved them to the boat. The family then rushed back home.
Now that the first problem was resolved, next was Lu Xiao Shu.
Miao Cui Lan couldn’t help but nag Lu Xiao Shu. She was touched by her filial piety, but she was also concerned about her safety while she was away from home. She did not know what more to say……
Once they arrived at their home in Feng Ye Village, Xiao Shu met Xiao Xue and Tong Yu Er and they were delighted to finally meet each other again. Lu Qi also hurried out from the house and grumbled, “Mother, Uncle, why didn’t you ask me to go along with you! I only knew the news once I got home, and I was going to find you! Fortunately, all of you came back! Father, how are you? Are you alright?”
Miao Cui Lan smiled and sighed, “All I wanted was to find your father immediately. What else could I think of! Luckily you didn’t depart, otherwise, we might just miss each other on the way. This would cause another trouble!”
Lu Zhong patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, “I’m fine. I definitely frightened all of you!” He deeply sighed.
“So you know!” Miao Cui Lan sulked, “You still have the guts to say that! I won’t come to find you if this happens again! Stay wherever you like!”
Lu Zhong smiled apologetically and turned around to unload the goods from the carriage.
“What are you doing? Stop!” Miao Cui Lan grumbled, “The wound on your leg hasn’t fully recovered yet, why are you still doing this? Xiao Xue, Xiao Shu, help your father into the house!”
“Okay,” Lu Xiao Shu and Lu Xiao Xue replied and helped their father.
Miao Chu He smiled, “Lu Zhong, you should go inside quickly to rest. Leave the rest to us!”
Lu Zhong nodded and smiled, “Be careful!”
“Okay, okay, you don’t have to worry!” Miao Cui Lan responded. Miao Cui Lan, her brother, and her son began unloading dozens of large sacks of soybean from the two carriages. Once they were done, they sent the coachman and carriages off and moved the sacks, one by one, into the small warehouse.
Lin Fang followed them all the way back, and he even joined in with Cricket to help the family.
Lu Qi secretly glanced at him but did not make a sound.
It was already five in the afternoon when they settled down.
Miao Cui Lan wiped the sweat on her forehead and looked at Lin Fang. Lu Qi said, “Mother, since Father is alright now, then I’ll return to town with Lin Fang!”
Miao Cui Lan nodded and grinned, “Alright, send Lin Fang home safely. He did us a big favor this time!” Miao Cui Lan smiled and thanked Lin Fang. She asked Lu Qi to treat Lin Fang to a meal to repay his kindness.
Lin Fang was over the moon, not for the meal, but for Miao Cui Lan’s attitude towards him.
My future father-in-law and mother-in-law can’t stop complimenting me! My dream is within reach!
“Auntie, you’re welcome. I was only doing what I should do, it was nothing!” Lin Fang smiled broadly and politely.
Geez, what a pity! If only Xiao Shu was here, it would be perfect if she heard what her mother said!
Cricket was watching him by the side and smiled too.
Miao Cui Lan smiled, “We should be the ones to say that! I don’t know what to say anymore if you think that way! It’s a blessing that Lu Qi has a friend like you!”
“Hehe, hehehe!” The smile on Lin Fang’s face stiffened as he felt somewhat embarrassed.
Lu Qi secretly sneered and rolled his eyes. He said with a wry smile, “Come, my best friend, let’s go! I must have done lots of good deeds in my past life, that’s why I could have a friend like you now! I will definitely return the favor to you!”
Lin Fang rolled his eyes at him. Lin Fang bid his farewell to Miao Cui Lan, but his eyes instinctively looked in the direction of the house, hoping for Lu Xiao Shu to come out.
“Let’s go, it will be too late if we don’t depart now! Master Lin and Mistress Lin will be worried!” Lu Qi caught sight of his expression and angrily nudged him.
“Alright, let’s go!” Lin Fang had no choice but to leave with Lu Qi reluctantly.
This fella is really a pain in the neck! It’s totally fine if I don’t go back home tonight, I don’t mind staying overnight in your Lu Family’s house…
Lu Qi sent Cricket out to accompany the coachman as soon as they got into the carriage. He glared at Lin Fang, “This is strange, how did you know this incident when I don’t even know about it?” His expression then turned a little ugly, “You came to find Xiao Shu?”
Lin Fang was getting uncomfortable and guilty under his glare. He shifted a little back and straightened his back. Lin Fang behaved like a man of honor and grunted, “Why is your attitude like this? Even a criminal isn’t interrogated like this…”
“Did you, or did you not, come to find Xiao Shu?” Lu Qi snapped, “If you want to play, there are plenty of people to play with, why does it have to be my sister? You clearly knew the nasty rumors about the both of you, and still, you came to see her! You want to ruin her, don’t you?”
“It isn’t as serious as you think!” Lin Fang refused to compromise, “I’ll just marry her, okay?”
Lu Qi stared at him as if Lin Fang was a stranger. He was utterly dumbfounded, “What did you just say?”
Lin Fang let out a sigh, “I said, I’ll marry her, alright?”
Lu Qi was confused, “Didn’t you always like to pick a fight with her? You don’t even sincerely like her and treat her well. You’d better stop meeting her! It’s unfair to her if you were forced to marry her just because of some wide-spread rumors!”
Lu Qi gave him a long stern stare and warned him, “She is my sister! If you don’t stop doing this, don’t blame me for turning against you in the future!”
A blush of shame crept up Lin Fang’s face. He kept his head down and murmured, “Um, actually, I… I said I’ll marry her not because of what you said just now…… I, I really do like her…”
“What!” “ Lu Qi nearly jumped in disbelief, “You like her?”
