ABPUBALC - Chapter 10

 Chapter 10: Betrothal?

Lin Xing’s sleep was light, nearly waking up the moment Gu Qiming’s words ceased. Opening his eyes, he saw Gu Qiming standing by the bed. Unable to resist, he pulled a pillow over his face, hiding like a little hamster in its nest of wood shavings.

Gu Qiming was utterly charmed by him, pulling the person out from under the blanket to pinch his cheeks, which were soft and squishy.

“Time to eat, I’ve made some scrambled eggs. After we eat, let’s apply something to your face.” By the time Lin Xing had tidied himself up, the rice porridge had cooled to a perfect temperature. With the weather getting hotter, it was just right to consume now. The cucumber and egg stir-fry that Gu Qiming made was quite palatable, allowing the meal to be quickly finished.

Lin Xing spent quite some time napping in the afternoon. After finishing his meal, he was now busy in the kitchen, soaking mung beans and preparing to cook some mung bean soup.

“I have something I want to discuss with you.”

After Lin Xing finished preparing the mung beans, Gu Qiming soaked a clean towel and pulled him into the courtyard to sit down, applying the chilled towel to help reduce his swelling.

“What’s wrong...”

This whole situation... is too intimate.

Lin Xing even felt like he could feel the warmth of Gu Qiming’s hand through the towel.

He wanted to take the towel and put it on himself, but Gu Qiming wouldn’t let him. He insisted on holding it and applying it for him personally.

“Since the handcard business has been doing well these days, have you thought about finding more people to make them and earn some money?”

Lin Xing shook his head: “No, my father died trying to earn money back then. I just want to live honestly and save some money to live comfortably.”

Lin Xing smiled bitterly. Furthermore, he has only made a small fortune, and people have already started gossiping about him for days. Villagers just can’t bear to see other people do well. If he were to rise in status, he doesn’t know what people would fabricate about him.

But even disregarding gossip, he also didn’t have such intentions.

As expected, Gu Qiming’s guess was more or less accurate.

These days, Lin Xing’s carts have been doing so well that the shopkeeper wants him to make more. Lin Xing has always declined, and so Gu Qiming feels that he might not actually want to expand.

Being a person who minds their own business and sticks to the rules is commendable, sure.

“Okay, in truth, I never thought I could make a lot of money. As long as I can live happily with you for the rest of my life, I’d be satisfied.”

Hearing his words, Lin Xing felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Gu Qiming had stayed in this village partly because of him. He also knew that outside this place were larger prefectures, and above those was the capital. He had heard that even at night, the capital was brightly lit.

He always felt that someone as capable as Brother Gu would definitely be able to make a career for himself in the imperial capital, but instead, he had to stay in this small town with him.

[e/n: a career doing what? Hunting sika deer for the emperor? Kek]

“Presently, the villagers know that your new invention has earned you silver. In two days, I think we should sell the blueprints to the carpentry shop and stop working on it ourselves.”

Gu Qiming sees how hard he’s been working on the cart these days, and he doesn’t want Lin Xing to suffer so much.

“When that time comes, we’ll make only simple accessories at first and sell them cheaply to the villagers. If you’re willing, we can sell them ourselves in town. And when the store’s lease expires, perhaps we could keep it for ourselves and start a small business.”

“As for the Lin family, if they settle down, we will leave them alone and live our lives well. But if they still come to cause trouble, I will definitely not be polite with them.”

Lin Xing nodded. What Brother Gu said was right. Since his parents had passed away, everyone had thought he was unlucky. After Lin Yun disappeared, no one was willing to talk to him except Aunt Zhang. He had found peace in that loneliness. But now, he had to think about the future.

If we have children in the future, we can’t let them grow up ostracized and lonely, without a single playmate…

Thinking of this, his heart started beating quickly again. As of today. He and Gu-ge would really be together... They would get married in the future and might even have children…

Previously, he dared not even dream of it... that he would have a new home.

Seeing how his face had noticeably de-puffed, Gu Qiming set down the towel and lightly caressed the side of his face with the back of his hand, only then feeling relieved: “Alright then, let’s rest for now and talk more tomorrow. It’s getting late, go to sleep.”

Lin Xing nodded. He didn’t even know how he got back to his room. When he lay down on the bed, his face was still hot. As he thought back to what had happened today, he still found it surreal. He hadn’t even realized that the corners of his mouth had been turned up the entire time.

After Lin Xing returned to the room, Gu Qiming put away towel and then went back to his own room.

Only now did he understand how much public opinion could affect a person. Even now, just thinking about how Lin Xing was pinned to the ground that day made his blood boil dangerously.

Now, we can only take it one step at a time. He couldn’t come up with any good solutions for these troublesome matters, hoping only that those people wouldn’t come looking for trouble again.

Next day after breakfast, Gu Qiming took out the four ounces of silver he had promised to the Lin family from the closet and tidied himself up before following Lin Xing to the village head’s house at the east end.

By the time they arrived, a crowd had already formed outside the house. Gu Qiming suspected most of them were people gathered by the other party’s side. They must be afraid he would go back on his word and distrusted him, thus having called these people to back them up.

The more, the merrier! Gu Qiming had actually been worried that no one would come.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, the group began to chat animatedly.

“I heard this guy and Lin Xing really made it official. I gotta say this Gu Qiming is a handsome one. Look at his build. How could he take a liking to a guy like Lin Xing...”

The people around them spoke without any restraint, and standing in the courtyard, one could hear everything loud and clear. Over the years, Lin Xing had grown accustomed to such talk and no longer took it to heart. However, Gu Qiming, who was holding his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze.

Lin Xing’s face flushed, and he dared not look at him. How could Brother Gu hold his hand in front of everyone?

The Lin family was even more anxious than they were, having arrived early to wait.

Yesterday, the village chief received a plump rabbit from Gu Qiming, so now that he has come, it wouldn’t be right to give him a cold shoulder. After all, when the Lin family came to seek his favor, they only brought an old rooster. He knows very well which gift holds more weight.

“Since everyone is here, let’s make it quick and get things done as soon as possible, so we can all enjoy some peace and quiet.”

Although Gu Qiming didn’t like Village Head Lin, he knew this was not someone he could afford to offend, so he kept on nodding and agreeing, voicing his approval repeatedly.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. With the village chief present today, let’s make things crystal clear.” Old Man Lin was the first to speak up, “Lin Xing is the son of our third household. This child has a fragile fate, born with the destiny of bringing misfortune to his parents. Over the years, our family has treated him with all the benevolence and righteousness we could muster. Now that he has secured a good marriage, I can finally be at ease.”

“Hmph.”

Gu Qiming couldn’t help but think that this old man, with his insincere words, was truly repulsive.

“It really is going to be a marriage alliance. Gu Qiming isn’t afraid Lin Xing will be the death of him.”

“Do you not know yet? I heard he's an orphan too, with neither father nor mother. Otherwise, why would he cling to our village and not leave?”

“If you ask me, those two make a perfect couple.”

As soon as Old Man Lin’s words fell, discussions began anew in the surroundings.

“Our household doesn’t have many rules, but we do emphasize the traditional values of parental matchmaking and the matchmaker’s words. Now that Lin Xing’s parents are no longer with us, it falls upon me, as the elder, to make decisions on his behalf. If you wish to marry someone from our family, you should demonstrate sincere intentions.”

Gu Qiming didn’t hesitate. Holding Lin Xing’s hand, he turned around to face the still bustling crowd and shouted loudly, “Everyone, quiet down and listen to me!”

“I met Lin Xing at the carpenter’s shop in town. Originally, my mother had mentioned visiting Lin’s village to ask for a marriage alliance some days ago, but before we could make the visit, tragedy struck my family. Unable to bear seeing me left to fend for myself, Lin Xing took me in.”

Lin Xing heard him lie without batting an eyelid, leaving the villagers dumbfounded, and inadvertently found it amusing.

“Now that my parents are no longer with us, it falls upon me to personally come and ask for your hand in marriage. Our families have discussed this matter yesterday, agreeing upon a bethrothal gift of six taels of silver.”

! !

“Six taels! Even the village chief’s daughter wouldn’t dare ask for a bethrothal gift of six taels!”

“The Lin family really dares to speak their mind!”

“Hunting can actually be such a lucrative job!”

People from the countryside are sometimes like this; they were originally just enjoying the buzz around Lin Xing and another person. But the moment they heard that Gu Qiming was actually offering six taels of silver, some immediately became anxious.

Compared to Lin Xing, what they cared more about was the Lin family obtaining these entire six taels of silver for no reason at all.

“Quiet!”

Seeing that trouble was about to start again, the village head immediately intervened to put a stop to it. The Lin family really knew how to create problems for him; he should have known better than to take advantage of that small benefit.

“This matter has been agreed upon by everyone involved. The Lin family will receive six taels of silver, and from that point on, whether Lin Xing lives or dies, it will have nothing to do with the Lin family anymore. This has been clearly written down, black on white. If you have the heart, you can also seek such an arrangement!”

“I wondered why they dared to ask for the sky, turns out they’ve sold Lin Xing to someone else…”

“Back then, wasn't Li Yan trying to sell Lin Xing to the old man in town to become his concubine? If you ask me, this whole family has a black heart!”

Upon hearing these words, Lin Hao’s mother immediately started cursing at the woman on the spot.

“What nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever want to sell him?”

“Who in the village doesn't know about this? If it weren't for Lin Xing stubbornly refusing and even sending all his family's grains to you, you would probably have gone to the extent of kidnapping him and carrying him off in a bridal sedan chair!”

“Stop spewing nonsense, Li Xiaoyue. Keep talking rubbish, and I swear I’ll tear your mouth apart!” This woman is from the butcher's family in the village, named Li Xiaoyue, and hails from the same village as Li Yan. She has always looked down on people like the Lin family, speaking her mind without holding back. Li Yan has always been at odds with her.

Old Man Lin glared at Li Yan, now was not the time to engage in a street quarrel, making a public spectacle of themselves.

Li Yan wanted to say something more, but upon receiving a glare from Old Man Lin, she quickly shut her mouth.

Gu Qiming had never anticipated such a turn of events; this family was incredibly malicious, even contemplating selling someone. Truly, it seemed their consciences had been snatched away by dogs!

“Alright, enough talk. Press your fingerprint, take your money, and leave quickly. If you dare to create trouble again, we’ll settle it at the county court.”

Gu Qiming felt that even one more glance at this family would be nauseating.

“Since everything has been decided, let’s sign the document and put our fingerprints on it. The busy farming season is almost upon us; there’s no need to crowd around here anymore. Hurry back to your own tasks!”

The village chief had spoken, and the excitement had ended. There was no longer any reason to stay, so with a commotion, everyone dispersed. The once noisy courtyard instantly became quiet.

After everyone had dispersed, Gu Qiming glanced at the deed in the village chief’s hand. He didn’t recognize all the characters written on it but could roughly guess its content, so he asked Lin Xing for a brief explanation.

The content was more or less what he expected, not much different from the notion of getting married. All in all, he was very satisfied.

After pressing their fingerprints, the Lin family members couldn’t wait to leave with the remaining four taels of silver, fearing that if they were too slow, someone might come and compete with them for it. On the way back, their steps were light and swift. Especially Lin Qing, who was nearly bouncing with joy at the thought of getting married soon.

The two stayed there longer and talked quite a bit more with the village head. After all, this person was the leader of the village, and there might be a need to seek his help in the future. Even if they weren’t particularly fond of each other, it was necessary to maintain a good relationship.

“Let’s head back. After all this commotion, I’m really hungry.” Once the two of them reached a secluded spot, Gu Qiming started to play the rascal, draping his arm around Lin Xing's shoulders and acting coquettish. He leaned on Lin Xing in such a way that, from behind, it almost looked as though he had completely enveloped Lin Xing, leaving only his own silhouette visible.

Watching Lin Xing’s ears slowly turn red, he couldn’t help but feel a ticklish sensation in his heart.

“I cooked some mung bean soup this morning; it’ll be cooled to the perfect temperature when we return.”

“Okay, then I want mine with added sugar.”

The two chatted at a leisurely pace, with today’s heat being quite unbearable and the sun overhead making it uncomfortable for everyone.

After returning home, Lin Xing first put the document into a box carefully and then, after a while, went into the kitchen.

“Delicious! After arguing with them for ages without a sip of water, I couldn’t stand it any longer.” The mung bean soup, now cooler, carries the refreshing aroma of mung beans, complemented by the sweetness of malt sugar. It's just perfect for a hot day.

Gu Qiming cradled his bowl and said, “The busy farming season is just a few days away, yet I haven’t heard you mention how much land your family owns?”

“Our family doesn’t have much farmland, just two mu of paddy fields, and one mu of dry land, which is used to grow vegetables. Normally, we don’t tend to it much.”

“Alright then, we’ll go to town tomorrow to sell the plans and buy some groceries. I’ll focus on the work in the fields at home for the next few days, so I won’t go up the mountain.”

“En, perhaps when the time comes, we could even help out at Auntie Zhang’s place.”

Gu Qiming smiled softly and gently pinched his nose: “I'll listen to whatever you say.”

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Unlock New Character: Lin Yun

It pertains to the secondary CP; they will appear later~

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If you like this story so far, you should check out Transmigrated in Ancient Times as a Hunter , gong MC, completed, and some more fantasy elements. I really liked it~ 
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