When Jiang A Yao emerged from the room, her expression was troubled. At that moment, Lu Da happened to step out of his own room, carrying a bedroll.
When they met, Lu Da spoke first, “You can stay in this room for now. I’ve already brought your things inside, and there’s a new bed prepared.”
Jiang A Yao frowned slightly, pointing at what he carried and asking, “Are you moving out?”
Lu Da shook his head, his voice low as he explained, “I’ll sleep in the main hall. There are wooden boards outside that I can set up at night.”
A Yao’s heart sank as she stared at him and asked, “Are you… rejecting me because I’m ugly?”
“No.”
Seeing her misunderstanding, Lu Da clarified, “I know your circumstances, and I understand you didn’t truly wish to marry me. If someday you meet someone you genuinely love, I won’t stand in your way.”
A Yao’s frown deepened. How could she make Lu Da believe that her decision wasn’t made lightly?
“Since I chose to marry you and come to your home, I intend to build a life here—this isn’t a game to me.”
Moreover, in these times, despite her capabilities, being a woman came with many constraints. Rather than chasing unrealistic dreams, it was better to live practically in the present and gradually move forward step by step.
And besides, was Lu Da foolish?
He’d paid a thousand large coins in betrothal gifts—how could he casually let her go?
Was he just going to forget about the money?
A thousand large coins?
Suddenly, A Yao recalled how the Jiang family had counted the money—it hadn’t seemed like just a thousand coins.
So she immediately asked Lu Da, “Exactly how much did you give the Jiang family?”
Lu Da hadn’t expected this question but answered truthfully, “The money pouch contained what I’d just earned from selling game—close to two thousand coins.”
A Yao’s eyes widened in shock. “You gave them all of it?”
Lu Da hesitated, then nodded.
In truth, he hadn’t offered it willingly. After A Yao entered the house, Lin Qinghua had demanded the money. When he took out the pouch to count it, she snatched it from him.
A Yao stared at him, disbelief filling her eyes. “How much was actually in the pouch?”
Lu Da thought for a moment and replied honestly, “It should have been sixteen hundred large coins.”
“They agreed to one thousand—why give more?”
With that, she grabbed his arm and started pulling him outside. “Come on, let’s go get it back.”
Lu Da was a large man; just standing there with a stern expression was intimidating enough. She refused to believe they couldn’t reclaim the money.
“Let it be. As long as they don’t obstruct the marriage certificate, an extra six hundred coins isn’t a big deal.”
Lu Da pulled her back, a faint smile touching his stern face. “Don’t worry, I still have some money left.”
Hearing this, A Yao gave him a deep look, then directly held out her hand. “Give it to me. From now on, I’ll manage the finances. No more reckless spending.”
Money was hard to come by here. Lu Da’s hunting livelihood depended on luck, there was an ill family member to care for, and the house needed repairs—expenses were everywhere. A few hundred coins were a significant sum, and they couldn’t afford such extravagance anymore.
Lu Da paused but ultimately didn’t refuse. Setting down the bedroll, he turned and went inside.
A Yao didn’t follow, waiting quietly by the door.
Soon, Lu Da returned carrying a small wooden box and handed it to A Yao.
Jiang A Yao opened it to find several strings of coins inside, along with two small silver ingots. A rough estimate suggested they weighed about ten taels.
No wonder he had agreed so readily when Lin Qinghua made the outrageous demand for five thousand big coins—he truly had the means.
But while the sum seemed substantial at first glance, a careful calculation of expenses revealed it wouldn’t go far.
“Is this all?”
At Jiang A Yao’s question, Lu Da paused briefly before replying, “This is all I can give you for now. If you wish to buy anything, go ahead—don’t worry about the cost.”
He was honest, perhaps too honest.
After counting the money, Jiang A Yao inquired in detail about Lu Mingzhu’s condition.
Lu Da held nothing back and told her everything.
“The old physician who has been treating Mingzhu said there’s nothing more he can do—her days are numbered.”
As he spoke, Lu Da’s eyes reddened, his fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white and veins bulged.
Lu Mingzhu was his only younger sister, yet he could only watch helplessly as she grew thinner by the day.
Jiang A Yao sighed softly. He was a good man and a devoted brother.
Had she been born with such a money-draining illness in the Jiang family, Lin Qinghua would have long since ordered her father and brother to dig a pit and bury her.
“If you trust me, entrust Mingzhu to my care.”
Lu Da looked at her in surprise, but Jiang A Yao remained composed, calmly weaving a tale: “There was an eccentric old man in our village who claimed to know healing, though no one believed him. I took pity on him and cooked for him a few times, so he offered to teach me. He’s the one who taught me to recognize medicinal herbs.”
“The old man said recuperation begins with nourishing the stomach—as long as a person can eat, there’s hope for survival. Only after the appetite is restored can one endure bitter medicines.”
Though half-skeptical, Lu Da had no better alternatives and decided to try this desperate remedy.
“I’ll hunt more and earn more from now on. Mingzhu… I leave in your hands.”
As he spoke, Lu Da stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang A Yao.
The gesture caught Jiang A Yao off guard. Despite his simple clothing, his bow was refined and graceful—unexpected from a burly hunter.