CHAPTER 202: CHAPTER 202: BUYING ANOTHER PERSON

Ms. Chu steeled herself and directly said to Luo Wu, "Don’t think that just because you’re the only son of your father and me that we would marry you off early to avoid you becoming a bachelor. I’m telling you, Luo Wu, it’s not going to happen! It’s already a stroke of luck that we survived the famine as we made our escape. As for grandsons, whether we have them or not, we can deal with it."

So don’t try to threaten her with the prospect of you being a lifelong bachelor; she won’t fall for that.

Upon hearing this, Luo Wu’s eyes reddened, and with a choked-up voice, he asked Ms. Chu, "Mother, don’t be angry. If Sister Xiu has done anything wrong, let your son apologize on her behalf. Don’t be angry with her."

But Ms. Chu almost laughed in her anger and pointed at Luo Wu: "You think I’m not letting you marry Sister Xiu because I’m mad at her? Wrong, Luo Wu. The one I’m angry with is you!"

Hearing that, Luo Wu was completely dumbfounded. It took him a while before he finally asked, "Mother, what exactly did I do to make you so dissatisfied?"

"Do you even have the face to ask me?!"

Ms. Chu expressed all her dissatisfaction with Luo Wu: "Ever since we’ve settled down, how many times have you left the village? The tofu stall in town needs manpower, and with your martial arts skills, you could help out. Instead of going there, you stay at home grinding beans and run off to the Gu Family several times a day, worrying about Sister Xiu’s well-being. But do you think that by guarding her like this, you can protect her for the rest of her life?"

Ms. Chu seemed to be pondering on some unpleasant thoughts, her voice tinged with a sob: "You can’t. Brother Wu, doing this will only harm her for the rest of her life!"

After saying this, Ms. Chu’s tears could no longer be held back and fell.

Father Luo quickly tried to comfort her: "Child’s mother, don’t cry, I’m here."

Ms. Chu cried for a while, then collected her tears and continued to Luo Wu: "Brother Wu, Sister Xiu is too beautiful; a girl of such appearance simply cannot be protected by peasants. As a farmer who doesn’t even leave the village and only knows how to grind beans, how can you protect her?"

"Brother Wu, I truly don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness. It is because I know you can’t protect Sister Xiu, and I don’t want you to ruin her life, nor your own, that I have been delaying going to the Gu Family to ask for her hand in marriage."

Luo Wu was stunned. So this was the reason his mother wouldn’t let him marry Sister Xiu. And all this time, he thought his mother was unsatisfied with Sister Xiu.

But still...

"Mother, I can protect Sister Xiu..."

"Shut your mouth, will you?!" Ms. Chu cut off Luo Wu, "We are refugees; you’ve seen for yourself what happens to pretty girls on the run. But do you think it only happens during a famine? Even in this peaceful and prosperous time, snatching away beautiful girls is even more common!"

Ms. Chu, tears welling up, couldn’t hold them back again.

Father Luo patted Ms. Chu on the hand, helped her sit back down, and said to Luo Wu: "Brother Wu, do you still remember back in our old home, the young woman from the Yan Family Manor who was taken away by bandits from the mountain? And do you remember the new bride from the Hu Family at Sweet Water Creek who was taken away by the Chief Commander of the camp to become a concubine?"

"Both of them were married women, but because they were too beautiful, they became targets and were snatched away."

"Their husbands’ families didn’t dare let out a peep and didn’t dare attempt a rescue. The bride’s families wanted to save them, but could they bring them back?"

Even Mrs. Cui, who was very beautiful in her youth, was schemed against by her master’s family and ended up married to that clodhopper, Dashan.

Later, after her arrival at the Gu Family, she was worn down by Granny Gu to the point of looking haggard and losing her original beauty, which prevented others from taking her away.

But when Mrs. Cui first arrived in the village, she did indeed catch quite a few eyes.

"Brother Wu, don’t blame your mother. For your sake and Sister Xiu’s well-being, until you have the ability to protect her, we will not agree to your marriage with Sister Xiu," Father Luo earnestly advised Luo Wu. "If you marry her without being able to protect her, then both your lives will be ruined."

What Luo Wu didn’t know was that Ms. Chu was so adamantly against his marriage to Sister Xiu because of her own past sufferings and hardships.

Ms. Chu had once been married, but because she was beautiful, her husband’s family couldn’t protect her, and she was taken away by others. She later escaped and was rescued by Father Luo, who didn’t disdain her; the two of them formed a family and lived more than half a lifetime together.

However, she always remembered the sufferings she had endured, and seeing how pretty Sister Xiu was and how determined Luo Wu was to marry her, she was extremely fearful. She feared that her son wouldn’t be able to protect Sister Xiu and that Sister Xiu would suffer the same fate as her!

These matters were tightly concealed by Father Luo and Ms. Chu; they never revealed a word and rarely dared to mention them. However, today, for the sake of Luo Wu and Sister Xiu, both Father Luo and Ms. Chu alluded to them.

Luo Wu was no longer young; he was already eighteen and knew about the issues with the Yan Family Manor and Sweet Water Creek. He was naturally afraid, but he still wanted to marry Sister Xiu. He felt he couldn’t live without her!

"We’re thinking of what’s best for you and Sister Xiu. Think about it carefully," said Father Luo before helping Ms. Chu back into their room.

Luo Wu remained kneeling in the main hall until Father Luo pulled him up, and then father and son went to the workshop to keep watch through the night.

Luo Wu’s mind was in turmoil, and he had no interest in keeping watch over the workshop.

Seeing his distracted state, Father Luo eventually softened and said, "If you truly want to marry Sister Xiu, you need the ability to protect her. You can’t stay in the village all the time."

Father Luo’s words woke Luo Wu up. When he heard that the Qin family’s grandfather and grandsons were following Gu Jin’an to Shang Family Village to seek out County Captain Jiang and join the Military Office, he immediately followed them.

This was how he came to Shang Family Village, asking County Captain Jiang for a position in the government office.

In the countryside, government officials are considered a type of official, whom the farming families fear. He thought to himself that if he worked hard for a few years and managed to become a constable Squad Leader, having the ability to protect Sister Xiu, his mother would surely relent and allow him to marry Sister Xiu.

When County Captain Jiang heard Luo Wu’s wish, he nodded and said, "It’s good that you want to protect your family."

Every government official working in the government office was almost seeking to use their status to protect their families.

"What do you think, eldest?" County Captain Jiang asked Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi smiled and said, "Father, I suggested yesterday to have Brother Wu join the county government. You asking this now seems a bit redundant, doesn’t it?"

County Captain Jiang laughed and told Luo Wu, "The eldest has already tested your skills, and you are capable, but to join the county government office, you have to go through an examination. How about this: you come to the county with the two Qin boys in three days; the old man will take you to the government office, and as long as you pass the examination, you can work there."

Luo Wu, as if hearing heavenly music, quickly thanked County Captain Jiang, "Youngster thanks Lord County Captain."

Luo Wu’s admission to the county government office was halfway settled.

Seeing that all three of them sought to work in the government office, Gu Jinli reminded them, "Third Grandpa, Dad, we need to hire more people, or there will be no one to watch over the workshop at night."