With the storage shop doing well and its reputation firmly established, cart companies and escort agencies began coming one after another to discuss cooperation.
The idea was roughly that the shop would refer business to the cart companies and escort agencies, taking a commission in return—much like a broker introducing clients.
Lu Ling had already been considering this direction earlier, but when the shop had only just opened, business wasn’t strong, operations weren’t yet stable, and cart companies and escort agencies might not have been willing to cooperate.
Now that things were settled and business was thriving, people came knocking on their own, saving him a great deal of effort.
“Partnering with the two of you really is the best decision I’ve ever made.”
In August, they went over the accounts. Compared to the last time profits were divided, this new month alone had brought in over a hundred strings of cash.
After recouping the initial investment, they were genuinely making money now.
Zhong Dayang happily counted the banknotes, feeling immensely pleased. The fixed monthly wage from the martial arts hall couldn’t compare at all—one month’s dividend from the storage shop equaled most of what he’d earn there in half a year.
These days, he could even stand tall and speak with confidence in front of his father.
“You two are getting married next month. I’ll definitely give a big red gift envelope.”
Thinking about having wedding wine to drink, Zhong Dayang grew even happier, slurring slightly as he added, “My mother saw that I’ve finally made something of myself, and recently she had someone introduce a match for me. Who knows—maybe in two years I’ll have a family of my own too.”
Hearing this, Shu Rui blinked and leaned over. “Which family did they introduce you to? You sound like you’re quite taken with them.”
Zhong Dayang chuckled sheepishly. “She’s a formidable older sister. I might like her, but she may not like me. Nothing’s settled yet—I’d better not say too much in advance, or I’ll just give you something to laugh at.”
Shu Rui said, “Brother Zhong used to be so straightforward—you’d answer anything you were asked. But today you’re being this cautious. Seems like she really caught your eye and you’ve put your heart into it.”
From the side, Lu Ling said, “No need to rush just to get that red gift envelope back so quickly.”
“Get lost,” Zhong Dayang shot back. “Who’s rushing? I’m even older than you—and yet you still managed to beat me to it.”
Lu Ling glanced at Shu Rui, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
A few days later, Shu Rui found that the inn’s washing supplies were nearly used up, so he went to the Rouge Shop to restock.
By coincidence, he ran into Zhong Dayang there. At first Shu Rui thought Zhong Dayang had come to pick out some cosmetics as a gift for someone, but when he saw him hovering attentively behind Cui Rui, he realized he’d guessed wrong.
Shu Rui stifled a laugh and didn’t speak, not wanting to interrupt someone else’s good moment. Unexpectedly, when Cui Rui heard that Shu Rui had come to pick up goods, she came over herself to greet him.
“You two know each other?” she asked, surprised, seeing Zhong Dayang awkwardly scratching his head while Shu Rui struggled not to laugh.
“It’s quite the coincidence—we do,” Shu Rui said, teasing Zhong Dayang. “Brother Zhong, no training at the martial arts hall today?”
“Don’t make fun of me,” Zhong Dayang coughed lightly, then turned to introduce him. “I used to be an instructor at the martial arts hall with Shao-ge’er’s fiancé. These days we run a storage shop together.”
Cui Rui’s face brightened when she heard that, and she congratulated Shu Rui. “I didn’t even know Shopkeeper Shao was engaged—congratulations.”
Shu Rui generously invited her. “If Manager Cui has time, please do us the honor of coming by for a cup of wedding wine.”
“Yes, yes,” Zhong Dayang added eagerly. “Then the two of us can go together.”
“Who wants to go with you?” Cui Rui shot back, lifting her eyes. “I’d be going because I know Shopkeeper Shao. What does that have to do with you?”
She then said to Zhong Dayang, “It’s getting late. Don’t you have classes at the martial arts hall this afternoon?”
Zhong Dayang slapped his forehead. “Talking with you made me lose track of time. What I said earlier—you really have to come.”
Cui Rui didn’t directly respond to his invitation to go boating. Instead, she said, “Go back to your martial arts hall. Don’t delay the students’ lessons.”
Seeing she hadn’t given a clear answer and not wanting to pester her in front of Shu Rui, Zhong Dayang greeted Shu Rui. “I need to head back. The hall master’s there today—if he catches me, I’ll definitely get scolded.”
Shu Rui didn’t tease him further, just acknowledged it and urged him to go.
After sending him off, Cui Rui invited Shu Rui inside for a cup of tea.
The two chatted for a while.
“A few days ago, Brother Zhong mentioned that his family had introduced him to a good match. We kept asking which family it was, but he refused to say a word. I never expected it to be you, Manager Cui—no wonder he takes it so seriously.”
Cui Rui spoke openly, without embarrassment. “I’m not that young anymore. Back when I was sixteen or seventeen and matchmakers came around frequently, my mind was all on business. I didn’t want to bother, and my temper was quick—I even offended quite a few matchmakers.
“Before I knew it, I was already twenty-three or twenty-four. I did start thinking about settling down, but by then matchmakers didn’t dare come anymore. Earlier this year, I don’t know how it happened, but Zhong Dayang’s mother and my mother got to know each other. They said we were both getting older and still unattached, so they arranged for us to meet and see if there was any chemistry.”
Shu Rui asked, “Did he catch your eye?”
Cui Rui answered frankly. “I only went to save my mother’s face. Honestly speaking, he suited me better than the merchant sons I’d met before. He’s a bit simple-minded, but he’s not slick. You can’t judge a person’s good or bad after just a few meetings—you need time together to really know.”
Shu Rui agreed. Knowing both sides, she thought Cui Rui was good and Zhong Dayang wasn’t bad either, but she wouldn’t step in to speak for either of them.
“Marriage is a matter for a lifetime. It deserves careful thought. Some men have good character and do things well, but still may not be suited for daily life. Blind marriages aren’t good. Before an engagement is settled, if there’s a chance to spend more time together and understand each other’s temperament and habits, that’s best.”
From their first interaction, Cui Rui had felt Shu Rui was a clever ge’er. After working together and keeping in touch from time to time, she found they spoke the same language.
She smiled and said, “It really is you. At this age, not only have you made a name for yourself in business, but you’ve also settled your marriage—both sides perfectly balanced.”
Shu Rui replied, “Fate is just that—fate. I only happened to meet it. There’s no special ability involved.”
They talked for quite a while longer, even making plans to go burn incense and drink tea together another day. After Lu Ling finished his work, he drove over to pick Shu Rui up, and only then did they head back.
On the road back to the inn, Shu Rui felt a vague, indescribable sense of emotion.
A few days earlier, Qing-ge’er had mentioned that Advocate Meng intended to ask a matchmaker to propose at their house. If things worked out, perhaps within a year or two they’d be forming a family as well.
Fate really was hard to explain. Back then, when Qing-ge’er had been bullied by a vicious employer, Shu Rui and Old Madam Shan had gone to the legal office to hire an advocate. By chance, they’d hired Advocate Meng—and who would’ve thought such a bond would come of it?
Thinking of all this, Shu Rui turned to look at Lu Ling, who was driving beside him. His heart felt inexplicably full. Wasn’t his bond with Lu Ling a special kind of fate too?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lu Ling asked.
After Shu Rui got on the cart, he had leaned against the backboard without speaking. Lu Ling thought he might be tired from picking up goods, so he’d quickened the pace to get him home sooner.
Noticing the steady gaze, he couldn’t help asking.
“That Manager Cui who just walked me out—the young and pretty woman—did you see her?”
Lu Ling’s brow twitched as he immediately defended himself. “I didn’t look even once. Don’t wrong me with words like that.”
Hearing this, Shu Rui swatted him. “Who’s wronging you?”
“I just wanted to tell you—Brother Zhong’s mysterious match he wouldn’t tell us about is that very Manager Cui.”
Lu Ling raised an eyebrow. “Then he really hasn’t changed—always values capable people.”
Shu Rui suddenly hooked his arm around Lu Ling’s. “No wonder you all get along. None of you are shallow men who only look at appearance or family background.”
A trace of a smile showed in Lu Ling’s eyes, though he said, “Next time you praise me, don’t include anyone else.”
Seeing this, Shu Rui pushed his arm away. “You’re the petty one.”
When they returned to the shop, the two of them moved the goods into the warehouse.
A long-term worker from the Lu household came by with a message, saying the two of them were to go back home that evening once they finished up.
After hearing this, Shu Rui organized the inn’s dinner service, then returned home with Lu Ling.
It turned out that Madam Liu had finished making their wedding clothes and had called them over to try them on, to see if anything needed adjusting while there was still time before next month.
They went into the room to change. A set of red wedding robes, perfectly tailored, fit them just right, accentuating their already fine figures.
Shu Rui touched the dense, slightly slick fabric and stepped in front of the bronze mirror. His eyes sparkled with visible delight.
Madam Liu adjusted Shu Rui’s waist sash and said, “Your waist is so slender. Even without much fuss, you already look so handsome.”
“That’s because Auntie made the wedding clothes so well,” Shu Rui replied smoothly. “No matter who wore them, they’d gain a few more degrees of shine.”
“You and that sweet little mouth of yours.”
Shu Rui admired himself in the mirror for a long while, then wanted to go see how Lu Ling looked in his wedding robes. But Madam Liu stopped him. “Just now he wanted to come see you too, and I didn’t allow it. If you want to go see him, I won’t allow that either.”
Here, each of them tried on the clothes and let Auntie take another look to see whether they fit properly. She said, “I won’t let you two look at each other in your wedding robes just yet. It’s better to wait until the day of the wedding—then you can see.”
When Shu Rui heard this, he thought it made sense. If they saw them too early, wouldn’t next month’s wedding lose a bit of its anticipation?
Seeing that Shu Rui took the advice, Madam Liu smiled warmly, took his hand, and looked him over from side to side. The more she looked, the more satisfied she felt.
Then she lifted her head and noticed that although Shu Rui’s face had grown fairer, there were still a few spots and moles. She said, “What are you going to do about this little face of yours?”
“These days I hardly put any powder on my face. The spots have lightened along with my complexion,” Shu Rui replied.
“Another day I’ll have the moles removed and wear a face veil. If anyone asks, I’ll say I found a practitioner to treat me for the wedding. Besides, Qing-ge’er can already handle greeting customers on his own now, so I’ll just busy myself in the back kitchen.”
Madam Liu answered, “As long as you have a plan.”
After they finished trying on the wedding robes, neither of them had seen the other in them. They changed back into their regular clothes and went out of the room.
Then they were called over again by Father Lu.
“On my day off the other day, I went and took care of your business matters,” he said. “From now on, you won’t need to pay miscellaneous taxes anymore.”
Father Lu handed the documents to Shu Rui and Lu Ling. “This should have been done long ago. I dragged it out until now and let you suffer needless trouble from the tax office clerks.”
Shu Rui flipped through the papers, joy filling his heart. There was no thought of blaming anyone for the delay. He had originally planned to bring this up with Father Lu after the wedding, but he hadn’t expected Father Lu to take care of it in advance.
With both shops doing well, the more they earned, the more commercial tax they had to pay. The last time the tax officials came to collect, they’d seen the account books and already showed signs of wanting a little extra on the side.
If they hadn’t had Father Lu’s status as a provincial graduate to shield them, sooner or later they would have had to prepare a separate “gift” to grease the palms of the tax office officials. It wasn’t exactly aboveboard, but every merchant did this—otherwise, there were plenty of troubles that could come knocking.
Now that they had the official paperwork, they no longer needed to deal with the tax office at all.
“Your wedding is only about a month away now,” Father Lu continued. “We’ve already exchanged letters with the Bai family. The chests for the wedding gifts have been sent as part of the formalities. It’s rare that the Bai family is willing to come and escort the bride.”
Shu Rui listened carefully. He didn’t really care whether the Bai family sent people or not. If they came, he wouldn’t necessarily be pleased; if they didn’t, he wouldn’t feel disappointed either.
Still, their final reply—that they would come—was within his expectations. Though the Bai family had agreed to the marriage under pressure from the Lu family and surely harbored resentment, the matter was already settled. In the end, they were counting on this respectable connection to bring them benefits in the future. How could they not give Father Lu face on such an occasion?
Besides, they probably wanted to come see just what kind of person he was.
Shu Rui had also sent two polite letters of inquiry to the Bai family. All the detailed arrangements for the wedding were handled by the elders; he hadn’t put much thought into them. Madam Liu had also told him not to worry and to focus on the business instead.
“These things aren’t important,” Father Lu said. “Once the formalities on their side are done, we’ll hand the betrothal gifts directly to the two of you.”
He passed the list over, glanced at Lu Ling, then handed it to Shu Rui.
Shu Rui blinked and took it, looking it over. The list detailed everything the Lu family had prepared for their wedding.
Aside from the customary items—betrothal cakes, fruit wine and sacrificial meats, eight varieties of dried seafood, invitation boxes, incense, and firecrackers—there were also quite a few substantial gifts. Two chests of fine cloth, one chest of embroidered items, a pair each of gold and silver ingots, and in addition, six mu of farmland outside the city.
After reading through it all, Shu Rui frowned slightly. “Uncle, Auntie, isn’t this too much?”
Madam Liu replied, “Our family foundation is thin. Your uncle hasn’t been in officialdom for long and doesn’t have many fine things to our name yet. This is already us doing our best. As long as you don’t think it’s too little.”
“As for the land outside the city,” she added, “it was a reward Second Son received after passing the county examination. Since he followed your uncle here to take the provincial exam, the reward land was granted here in the prefectural city. He may stay in Chao Xi Prefecture long-term in the future, and the land is far and hard to manage, so we might as well give it to the two of you as part of the wedding gifts.”
Shu Rui truly didn’t know what to say. He knew the Lu family wasn’t well-off. For them to put together so much under the circumstances must have meant selling off some of their limited property back in Gan County.
It showed how much the elders valued Lu Ling—and him—and how much they approved of this marriage.
Lu Yu said, “I’ve added my reward land to Sister-in-law’s betrothal gifts. I hope Big Brother and Sister-in-law won’t mind.”
“How could we?” Shu Rui said. “Land isn’t an ordinary thing. For you to give it as a gift—this is far too valuable.”
Lu Yu laughed. “I was just being lazy and didn’t want to bother managing land. By giving it as a gift, I’ve handed the trouble over to Big Brother and Sister-in-law instead.”
Those six mu weren’t all prime farmland, but at current prices, they were worth several dozen strings of cash. No matter how they handled it, the land would be useful. If Lu Yu didn’t value them greatly, he wouldn’t have given such a generous gift.
Seeing how earnestly the Lu family had prepared everything, Shu Rui felt the gifts exceeded his expectations in both value and abundance. Still, he didn’t refuse.
Whether more or less, it was the Lu family’s heartfelt intention. Refusing now would only upset the elders. Besides, life was long. In the future, they would have plenty of chances to contribute and repay them. There was no need to feel guilty about accepting these things now.
For the time being, it was enough to accept them happily.
Originally, Shu Rui had thought that since the betrothal gifts wouldn’t pass through the Bai family’s hands and would go directly to him and Lu Ling, he should prepare a dowry of his own.
But Father Lu, Madam Liu, and Lu Ling all told him not to bother. Anything he prepared would still end up being used by the two of them, and there was no need to add extra trouble when business was already busy.
Shu Rui had no elders on his side to arrange these things. If it all fell on him alone, it would indeed be a heavy burden. So he followed their advice and let the matter drop.
Back at the inn, Shu Rui stared at the gift list for a long time without putting it down. At the Lu house, he hadn’t shown too much excitement. But back in their little nest, in front of Lu Ling, he finally let his feelings show without restraint.
Barefoot, he lay sprawled on the couch, eyes glued to the list. “Just getting married and we’re already this well-off. Your family really values you, Young Master Lu. Following you, I’m really set for a life of fine food and drink.”
Lu Ling was busy preparing foot-washing water at the other end. Hearing this, he glanced up at Shu Rui. “I have Young Master Ji to thank for this. Without a husband like you, how would I get any of this? I’ll be relying on you for a lot from now on.”
“Oh, not at all. It’s I who’m benefiting from Young Master Lu.”
They praised each other back and forth with their eyes half-closed, until Shu Rui couldn’t hold it in anymore and laughed out loud.
Lu Ling carried the water over, put Shu Rui’s feet into the basin, and sat down beside him, washing his feet together with him.
“Time really does fly,” Lu Ling said. “When we first came back from Gan County, I felt like I was burning oil in a lamp—each day dragging on. And now, suddenly, it’s almost September.”
Hearing this, Shu Rui said, “Listening to you, it sounds like you’re a bit nervous.”
“How could I not be?”
As he spoke, Lu Ling pulled a booklet out from under the couch, flipped it open without the slightest shame, and sighed leisurely. “You only realize you haven’t read enough books when you actually need them.”
Hearing Lu Ling suddenly sound so literary, Shu Rui’s brow twitched.
He leaned closer and glanced at the pages, his face flushing red. “Who reads things like this the way you do, with no sense of propriety at all?”
“Avoiding others is one thing,” Lu Ling replied. “Why would I avoid you? Didn’t you buy this for me?”
Shu Rui felt embarrassed just thinking about it. “That was only because you begged someone to get it. If I hadn’t gone looking for it, someone would’ve gone on a hunger strike.”
“I’m eager to learn,” Lu Ling said. “Instead of encouraging me, you’re mocking me.”
Shu Rui truly couldn’t be bothered to argue with him—so shameless. He pulled his feet out of the basin, grabbed a towel to dry them, and was about to move away when Lu Ling grabbed him.
“Don’t be shy. It’s just the two of us doing this anyway. If you’re already like this just flipping through a booklet, what will you do when the time really comes?”
“With things like this, if you didn’t look earlier, I’m not exactly someone who loves studying. Scrambling at the last minute is already tough, and there’s only about a month left before I go in. You’ll have to be my study companion for a while.”
Shu Rui’s face burned at his words. How could anyone say something like this so righteously, as if it were something perfectly proper to put on display?
If one really thought about it, wasn’t the key role in that sort of thing played by the man? He couldn’t blame anyone else. “Who wants to exhaust themselves being your study companion? This is your business—it has nothing to do with me.”
Lu Ling’s brow moved slightly as he looked at the flushed Shu Rui. “You’re the examiner—how could it have nothing to do with you? Whether I pass or fail, we both bear responsibility.”
Shu Rui’s face turned even redder. Once wrapped in such serious words, the matter somehow became even harder to listen to.
He tried to slip away, but Lu Ling held on tight. They tussled and laughed, and in the end both tumbled onto the bed.
Shu Rui was nearly pinned beneath Lu Ling. Thankfully, Lu Ling braced himself with his arms and didn’t let all his weight fall on him.
Looking at the handsome face so close at hand, Shu Rui reached out and touched Lu Ling’s high, straight nose.
Their breathing tangled. Lu Ling looked down at the brother so close to him and said, “How about we try it out in advance?”
Shu Rui met his gaze. Gently, he brushed aside a few loose strands of hair from Lu Ling’s forehead, his voice soft. “Earlier today, when we tried on the wedding clothes, Auntie told us not to look at each other yet—to save it for the wedding day. If we try these things now, what will there be left to do on the wedding night?”
Lu Ling said, “Wedding clothes are for wearing and seeing only on the wedding day. But this sort of thing isn’t something you do just once after getting married. Doing it hundreds or thousands of times wouldn’t be too much. If we try earlier, won’t the wedding night go more smoothly?”
Shu Rui looked at Lu Ling’s face, pressed his lips together, and let his gaze wander shamelessly down along Lu Ling’s neck.
He didn’t consider himself some pure, innocent little brother. Long ago, he’d already encountered the matters of pleasure between men and brothers in books. Though he’d never shamelessly imagined what it would be like for himself, he was still curious whether it truly matched what was written.
The orthodox principles and knowledge recorded in proper books were certainly true, but those proper books never described such matters. Only third-rate, miscellaneous texts were full of this sort of messy business—who knew whether what they wrote was realistic or not.
Shu Rui’s foot brushed slowly along Lu Ling’s leg. “Then… checking the goods in advance isn’t impossible.”
Lu Ling froze for a moment. He looked down at Shu Rui beneath him, at those dark, beautiful eyes that seemed capable of bewitching anyone.
But perhaps because he was used to being taught to refuse—used to pestering shamelessly for a while, only to have the whole ruckus ended by Shu Rui’s lofty reasoning—this sudden departure from the usual script left him unable to catch the move.
“Really?”
Lu Ling narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going to take the chance to kick me, are you?”
The bit of interest Shu Rui had just mustered was instantly doused by this foolish question.
His mind cleared at once, and he abruptly changed tack. “Since you already know, why aren’t you getting off me right now?”