CHAPTER 787: CHAPTER 787: GU YOULU HEADS TO QINGFU TOWN

Once seated at the dining table, Official Matchmaker Liang was shocked once again. The table was laden with dishes of meat, including beef, and not one without at least a tael of silver could all this have been prepared.

Indeed, the Qi Family was wealthy.

Official Matchmaker Liang was very pleased and ate to her complete satisfaction.

Chang Errui was also very happy today, having finally settled the marriage after three years of effort. He went around toasting the elder males present.

Luckily, he could hold his liquor well; otherwise, he might have gotten drunk after just one round.

The meal lasted a full two hours and only ended at noon.

Gu Jinli and the others had their meal in Qi Kangle’s room. After finishing, Gu Daya called Qi Kangle over to meet Ms. Chang.

Qi Kangle already knew about Ms. Chang bringing the family branch division documents and the new family records. She knelt directly before Ms. Chang: "Aunt Yuan’s kindness to me will be engraved in my heart forever, I dare not forget it."

Ms. Chang did not speak immediately but looked at Qi Kangle. In the end, she was moved with pity and helped her up: "Be good to Brother Rui."

Qi Kangle’s nose tingled, and she fought back the surge of tears, nodding with a promise: "Yes, rest assured, Brother Chang Er and I will take good care of each other."

Ms. Chang, hearing this, smiled, patted her hand, and spoke with her for half an hour. Finally, she called Chang Errui over for a meeting.

The two had met before, but after the engagement, they became betrothed, and at this sudden encounter, they were shy and felt awkward.

Chang Errui had a lot of things he wanted to say to Qi Kangle, but in the end, all he managed was: "I will treat you well."

After he spoke, both of their faces flushed red.

Qi Kangle made a sound of affirmation, "I believe you."

Although they only exchanged a few brief words, both were extremely happy.

Ms. Chang, Gu Daya, Third Grandma, and the others watching smiled, exchanged a few more words, then Ms. Chang and her party took their leave.

Gu Daya hurriedly brought the prepared gifts and had Qi Kangping take them to the Yuan Family’s mule cart, a large group of people escorted Ms. Chang and her entourage to the door.

It wasn’t until Ms. Chang and her party were out of sight that they went back home.

Gu Daya, holding Qi Kangle’s hand, smiled and said: "Sister Le, your life is settled now, mother doesn’t have to worry about you anymore."

Qi Kangle felt a bit guilty: "Mother, I’m sorry for making you worry."

Gu Daya smiled and shook her head: "Your previous worries were justified, mother should not have pressured you so much."

"It’s all right, let’s stop talking about these old things, now we should joyfully prepare Sister Le’s dowry." Third Grandma said, "Mrs. Rong mentioned that she wants to welcome Sister Le into their household soon."

As Chang Errui was not young and needed to carry on the Chang family lineage, he could not wait until the next year to get married.

Gu Daya said: "What you said is right, we should start the preparations."

...

Ms. Chang leaned back in the mule cart, closing her eyes to rest. Having brought up the marriage proposal so many times with the Qi Family, this time was the most comfortable and satisfying return.

Elder Yuan Laorong looked at her and chuckled, "You seem relieved as if a huge burden has been lifted, feeling comfortable now?"

Ms. Chang nodded, "Isn’t that the truth, we’ve finally settled this marriage arrangement. If we didn’t, the engagement gifts prepared for Brother Rui would have started to grow mold."

Ever since Chang Errui turned sixteen, Ms. Chang had been eagerly awaiting his marriage, starting the preparations for his bridal gifts. Six years had passed, and if he didn’t get married soon, the gifts first prepared would indeed grow moldy.

Elder Yuan Laorong laughed upon hearing this, "Although Brother Rui’s marriage encountered some twists and turns, it turned out to be quite worthwhile."

Ms. Chang snorted coldly upon hearing this, but did not respond.

Elder Yuan Laorong continued, "Next month, Good Brother An and Brother Ming will enter the exam. I dare not say for Brother Ming, but Good Brother An is sure to pass. Brother Rui’s marriage is beneficial for our family for three generations."

Chang Errui, driving the mule cart, heard his parents’ words but didn’t care. He wasn’t concerned with the benefits, all he cared about was Qi Kangle.

She was the wife he most desired; life with her was bound to be good.

Thinking back to how Qi Kangle’s face blushed today only intensified the passion in his heart. He cracked the whip, spurring the mule on to move the cart faster, eager to get home, prepare the engagement gifts, and marry Sister Le as soon as possible.

...

The Yuan family acted swiftly. In only three days, Ms. Chang had a master calculate their birth charts and finalize the engagement letter. Taking the token of betrothal, she, accompanied by Official Matchmaker Liang, visited the Qi Family again to deliver the engagement letter and the tokens.

The token that Ms. Chang gave to the Qi Family was an old silver bracelet which, though not very valuable, was something left by her mother, carrying great significance for the Chang family.

Qi Kangle did not scorn it and accepted the token solemnly. In return, the Qi Family’s token to the Chang family was a newly made Tongxin gold lock.

Seeing the token given by the Qi Family, Ms. Chang was genuinely shocked. The Qi Family giving such a token of engagement meant they held her family in very high regard, especially valuing Brother Rui.

Because of this Tongxin gold lock, the discontent that plagued Ms. Chang’s heart for three years was finally dissipated.

This marriage arrangement was not just her family’s one-sided enthusiasm; the Qi Family regarded it with equal importance.

With the knots in her heart untied, Ms. Chang cheerfully returned home with the token and handed it to Chang Errui, "Take good care of this. Your in-laws spent quite a bit of silver on this Tongxin gold lock; you must cherish it."

On learning that the Qi Family’s token was the Tongxin gold lock, Chang Errui too was surprised, joy bubbling in his heart. He took the gold lock and placed it carefully in his room.

With the marriage between Chang Errui and Qi Kangle settled, it was now the 20th of the first lunar month, the day when Yanfu Building would once again auction hams.

The An Family, Young Master Dou, Boss Dong, and others had arrived in Tianfu County the day before, staying in separate yards within the county, all waiting to rush to Qingfu Town the next morning to attend the ham auction.

Master Qi, aiming to forge connections with Young Master Dou and Master Ouyang, also followed Boss An.

What they did not know was that Zhu Wu and Gu Youlu had also come to Tianfu County.

Zhu Wu was skilled in martial arts and worked on covert matters for Lord Lai. After nearly half a month of investigation, he finally discovered some information about the Gu Family and learned that the ham originated from Yanfu Building in Qingfu Town.

"Uncle Zhu, now that we know that Qingfu Town’s Yanfu Building belongs to the Gu Family, why wait? We should immediately rush to Qingfu Town and meet with the Gu Family," Gu Youlu thought of the Gu Family’s business and drooled at the prospect, not wanting to spend even a night in Tianfu County. He was desperate to go to Qingfu Town to confront the Gu Family right away and take over their business.

But Zhu Wu was not the same as Lai Bai; he was astute, cautious, and adept, aware that the Gu Family, capable of producing ham and seasoning spices while protecting their business, was not to be taken lightly. They couldn’t rashly approach for business matters, and moreover...

"Forget Boss An and Boss Dong, that Young Master Dou’s background is not trivial. He is currently in the ham trade, and if we trouble the Gu Family now, Young Master Dou will certainly not agree." Zhu Wu relayed what Lord Lai had told Gu Youlu: "Elder Lu San, there are always bigger fish. Some people are not ones that even the Lord can offend lightly."