Ger, So Proud

Chapter 51

“Oh, Yu-ge is back? It’s been so many years, but do you still recognize your uncle?” Li Shanfeng immediately got up to greet the newcomer, his face full of smiles.

“Uncle?” Lin Yu frowned.

When he left the Lin family, he was only thirteen years old. Li Shanfeng had previously treated them like invisible people. After so many years, he didn’t react immediately.

However…

“Why are you coming to my house?” Lin Yu put down the basket and longbow, his disgust evident.

“Yu-ge, what are you saying! Your uncle came over to see your dad,” Li Shanfeng walked up to Lin Yu, looked him up and down, then turned to Zhang Su. “This child takes after you. Look, he’s so good-looking! Our Lin family has produced such a handsome ger, it’s truly a blessing from our ancestors!”

“You’re mistaken. I’m not part of the Lin family.”

“Yu-ge, you…”

“Dad, what were you just talking about, marriage? Whose marriage?”

Lin Yu glanced lightly at Li Shanfeng and ignored him, going straight to the table and taking the seat Li Shanfeng had just vacated.

Now Li Shanfeng had nowhere to sit.

But Zhang Su seemed not to have noticed, quickly pouring tea for Lin Yu. “It’s so cold outside, don’t catch a cold. Are you hungry? Have some tea to warm up.”

“Not hungry.” Lin Yu shook his head, taking the steaming cup of tea and sipping it lightly.

The Dad and child duo were immersed in warmth, and no one else could interrupt.

Li Shanfeng’s smile became somewhat stiff at such an obvious dismissal. He had planned carefully for this visit, but he didn’t expect Zhang Su, who had been so easy to manipulate, to become smarter. Could it be that he was acting tough for Lin Yu’s sake?

Seeing them ignoring him, it seemed that everything he had just said was in vain!

But this matter… couldn’t just be left like this!

Yesterday, several elders from the village came to the door, and their words and hints were all about them leaving the He family’s village. How could that be? Fortunately, nothing was set in stone yet. After discussing with his parents and grandparents, they came up with a plan—to bring Zhang Su and Lin Yu back!

Not only could they shut the mouths of the villagers and improve their reputation, but if Zhang Su’s illness improved and Lin Yu grew up, it wouldn’t be a loss. Adding another laborer to the household and possibly marrying off Lin Yu could bring in some money.

Perhaps, during this unmarried period of his, if he went hunting and brought back a bear, maybe their family’s son-in-law money would be secured!

A surefire deal!

Thinking of this, Li Shanfeng hesitated for a moment, then approached the duo as if nothing had happened. “Yu-ge, why are you still going out on such a cold day! Are you… going hunting again?”

“You’re a ger, how can you go hunting outside every day? It’s unbecoming!” Seeing no response, he continued on his own, “Zhang Su, not to criticize you, but Yu-ge has such good qualities! You know that ger from our village, He Bao’er, right? He was originally promised as a son-in-law to the He family, even though he looks so plain, he was noticed by wealthy families in town and was brought back as a concubine. Our Yu-ge…”

“Concubine?” Lin Yu suddenly raised his eyes.

“That’s right, it’s indeed a concubine. Back then, I sensed something fishy. Who marries off their ger with such grandeur, only to end up as a concubine? Now, they’ve been driven back. I guess that He Bao’er’s Dad wants face and money. Otherwise, how could they hide it so well? If I hadn’t encountered them yesterday and had their maidservant sent them back…” Li Shanfeng sighed twice, seeing Lin Yu lower his eyes again before continuing, “But it’s true, a pheasant can never become a phoenix. He Bao’er’s appearance is nothing compared to our Yu-ge!”

“With such inferior looks, one’s fortune naturally can’t compare! The family that my father found for Yu-ge this time is the cousin of an influential family in the village. He’s very talented. He even became a scholar a few years ago. There’s no father or Dad at home anymore. His older brother got married two years ago. If Yu-ge marries there, he won’t have to serve his father and grandparents anymore, and he’ll have the final say at home. And if this man passes the imperial examination next year, Yu-ge will be the wife of an official! What a great match!”

“Such a great match, how could anyone be interested in Yu-ge?” Zhang Su remained calm.

Back then, when the Lin family wanted to send Lin Yu to that old rich man as a concubine, they also painted a rosy picture for him! Now, he absolutely couldn’t trust them again.

Seeing Zhang Su’s reaction, Li Shanfeng became anxious and hurriedly said, “Zhang Su, you know that our father has some connections with the influential people in the village. Otherwise, the Lin family wouldn’t have been able to settle in the He family’s village. Our father has put a lot of effort into this marriage proposal, wanting to compensate you.”

“Yu-ge is already twenty-one. No matter how good-looking he is, how many more years can he endure? You should understand how important his marriage is. At this critical juncture, you can’t make a mistake!”

At these words, even Zhang Su’s face changed slightly. Twenty-one, if it were delayed for another two years, I’m afraid…

“Zhang Su, this is truly a top-notch match. If I had a ger, I might have to compete with Yu-ge. If you don’t believe me, you can inquire with the influential family. We are all parents, and we both have children. I know how worried you are about Yu-ge’s marriage.”

Zhang Su frowned slightly, while Lin Yu kept his eyes lowered, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

“Furthermore, that man is a scholar, not an ordinary person. He’s exempt from land taxes and doesn’t have to kneel when he meets the county magistrate. The influential family has high hopes for him as well. They value his future wife’s integrity. So… our father and grandparents mean to bring you two back to also restore Yu-ge’s reputation and not let others look down on him.”

“Back to the Lin family?”

“Yes, yes!” Seeing Lin Yu joining the conversation, Li Shanfeng’s face lit up. “Yu-ge, these years, your elders have missed you so much!”

“I’m not going back,” Lin Yu shook his head, then stood up. “I won’t go back. My surname is Lin, but this surname was given to me by my father. My father’s tablet is in the house, and he was driven out by the Lin family just like our Dad. So, I’m not a member of the Lin family, and I won’t go back. As for the marriage, it’s my own business, and I don’t agree.”

“Yu-ge, you silly child, this is such a good match, if you say you don’t agree…” Li Shanfeng seemed to remember something, then his expression changed suddenly. “Yu-ge, have you refused because of that He family kid?”

“It’s not about He Ze. I just don’t like this marriage proposal. Leave.”

“Don’t like it? You don’t like such a good family? You… Ah!” Li Shanfeng angrily shook his sleeve. He had wasted so much effort, and now his frustration couldn’t be suppressed any longer. “You have a good face, but you’re already in your twenties, still carrying such a reputation. If there’s anyone willing to marry you…”

“Li Shanfeng, shut up!” Zhang Su interrupted sharply before Li Shanfeng could finish his sentence. “The gate is over there. Leave by yourself.”

“Zhang Su! You…”

Zhang Su pushed Li Shanfeng towards the gate, while the latter grumbled and cursed. As they approached the gate, Li Shanfeng suddenly turned to Lin Yu and shouted, “Yu-ge, let me tell you, if you refuse now, it will be too late in the future! Where will you find such a good match? Hanging out with that He family kid all day, He Youcai has this only son, do you really think anyone can marry you? Impossible!”

“Why impossible!”

A familiar voice echoed in Lin Yu’s ears, causing him to tremble. He instinctively turned his head and was immediately stunned.

He Ze stood there, dressed the same as before, with a bow on his back and gasping for breath as if he had run over.

His sudden appearance and abrupt words startled Li Shanfeng and Zhang Su as well, freezing them in place.

“Who are you, and what’s impossible…”

“I… damn it, I’m his man!”

He Ze paused, glanced at Li Shanfeng with a stern face, and even cursed in his agitation. His sudden outburst was fueled by his emotional turmoil upon hearing about Lin Yu’s marriage.

Do you like Lin Yu? Do you?

He Ze had asked himself this question inadvertently, pondering for a long time. And that night, he had found the answer in his heart.

He liked him. He liked Lin Yu. Perhaps this liking had started from the first time they met.

From the initial astonishment to gradually getting to know each other, the more he understood, the more he admired, the more he cared, and the more… he felt content.

Although this conflicted with his twenty-plus years of understanding, the restlessness in his heart was undeniable. He couldn’t deceive himself, nor did he need to.

He was a man, and if he liked someone, he should go for it. He was just afraid of scaring Lin Yu, so he had planned to slowly change the dynamics between them. But unexpectedly, after hesitating for a while, the cabbage he had been eyeing for so long was now being coveted by others!

Enough is enough.

If Lin Yu agrees today, then…

He Ze glanced at Lin Yu, feeling his heart tighten instantly.

He threw his backpack and bow to the ground without caring about the bewildered expressions of the three people, quickly walked up to Lin Yu, grabbed his wrist, and together they stood in front of Zhang Su. This series of actions was completed in an instant. “Uncle Zhang, what I’m about to say may seem sudden, but I’m sincere. I want to marry Lin Yu, I hope…”

“He Ze, you…” Before He Ze could finish his sentence, Lin Yu finally came to his senses and suddenly shook off his hand. “What are you joking about?”

He Ze said he wanted to marry him? Did Lin Yu hear correctly? At that moment, a thousand emotions surged through Lin Yu’s heart. He couldn’t tell if he was more happy or upset.

“I’m not joking,” He Ze’s expression was unusually serious. He once again held Lin Yu’s hand in his palm. “Uncle Zhang, I…”

“No!” Before He Ze could finish speaking, Lin Yu shook off his hand again and shook his head repeatedly. “No… whether you were joking or not, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

Seeing He Ze’s stern face, his voice grew lower, “You should go home now, it’s late, your parents must be worried.”

“Lin Yu!”

“If you don’t leave,” Lin Yu lowered his head and then turned to Zhang Su, “Dad, I’m going out for a walk.”

“Yu-ge!”

Zhang Su’s voice couldn’t stop Lin Yu’s footsteps. He ran too fast, took a few steps, and left the yard, heading to the ridge.

“This… this…”

“Umcle Zhang, don’t worry, I’ll go after him.”

He Ze rubbed his head and ran after Lin Yu, leaving Zhang Su and Li Shanfeng staring at each other.

It took a while for Li Shanfeng to react. With a touch of irony, he said, “When Wu Cui told me before, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t expect this Yu-ge to be truly born from you. His ability to seduce men…”

“Get lost! Get out!” Zhang Su’s face flushed red. He grabbed Li Shanfeng’s clothes and pulled him towards the gate.

“Hey hey hey, don’t be angry, I’m just telling the truth, right? Uncle was kind enough to find a marriage proposal for him, but you two don’t want it. I reminded you, his reputation for attracting men is well-known in the village. Do you really think the He family will easily accept Lin Yu? Don’t be so naive!”

“Get out! If you don’t, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Zhang Su’s nails dug into Li Shanfeng’s hand, causing him pain. He pushed him away.

“If you won’t leave, then just wait! It’s just a matter of driving you out of the house. There’s no evidence. As long as Second Lang is still a member of my Lin family, and neither you nor Yu-ge have married, you will still carry the Lin surname in the end! If things get out of hand, we’ll go to the magistrate’s office!”

“You!”

Zhang Su was so angry that his lips trembled, but he didn’t say another word. He used all his strength to close the courtyard door.

When there was no sound outside the courtyard, he finally relaxed his body and sat on the ground.

After a while, suppressed sobs could be heard in the courtyard.

…

On the other side, He Ze chased Lin Yu up the ridge, getting closer and closer.

“Lin Yu, stop for me!”

Before the words fell, Lin Yu accelerated, widening the distance that had just closed between them in an instant. He Ze gritted his teeth and suddenly went off the ridge, stepping on the puddles in the muddy field and detouring to catch up.

A few moments later, He Ze stood in front of Lin Yu, who immediately turned away, but He Ze quickly grabbed his arm. “Lin Yu, I have something to tell you, why are you running away?”

He Ze’s voice was mixed with heavy breathing, and the warm breaths followed Lin Yu’s clothes, creeping into his neck. With the corner of his eye, Lin Yu saw the muddy legs of the person behind him, and his eyes instantly turned red.

The two remained silent for a while. After a long time, He Ze turned Lin Yu’s head towards him, only to see a pair of glaring red eyes, softening his heart instantly.

“What are you doing? I know… I said the wrong thing just now, but Lin Yu, you should have noticed something during this time, right? My intentions.”

“My intentions of liking you.”

He Ze’s thumb slid over Lin Yu’s lower eyelid, wiping away the tears in the corner of his eye, and they looked at each other quietly.

Author’s Note: He Ze: After liking someone, isn’t the first step to pursue them? Why can others skip ahead and compete for my spouse! Stupid author bullied me again.

Author: Don’t cry, my dear, your spouse hasn’t been stolen, she just doesn’t want you 【patting head】

This chapter has been agonized over for a long time because the plotline was modified a bit, and so was chapter 49. I added a bit more groundwork and sent it to my friend to ask if the pace or character settings were off… She told me they weren’t, but I still have some doubts, so I want to ask you, dear readers, if you feel as uncomfortable as I do as an author 【crying】