Chapter 9: You deserve to never get a wife!

Gao Tingyu insists on Su Liyan; actually Gao Xushi also wants Su Liyan.

Not to mention her looks, at a glance she's the kind who's easy to raise; if you brought her home, you'd surely have her bear you seven or eight grandsons.

The elder beside him looked at the matchmaker and advised:

"Then why not trouble you to make another trip?"

"Go to the bride's family and ask what's really going on."

The matchmaker pondered for a moment; actually, regarding Su Liyan's sudden flight, the matchmaker was also angry.

This was going well; according to procedure, let the bride wait outside a while, then I'd discuss with the Gao family, and once she comes out, if she just nods, the matter would be settled.

If it works out, I'll get three pieces of silver and a big pig's head.

But at the last step, hey, after I came out, the bride was gone!

Since Su Liyan ran off, I've wasted these past few days for nothing; naturally I should go back and ask.

However, the matchmaker doesn't blame Su Liyan for this; the blame lies with Gao Xushi, who's currently clinging to my leg.

Seeing Gao Xushi, the matchmaker couldn't help but flare up and say:

"Fine, I'll go ask tonight, but I'll tell you, the bride-price is ten taels of silver, not a single fen less!!"

"How can you act like this? We'd agreed on the bride-price, but when the people arrived, you suddenly changed your mind and insisted on cutting two taels!"

"Who would be happy with that?"

Gao Xushi also gritted her teeth and said:

"Fine, ten taels it is; tell Su Liyan we're a military household!!

Besides, my Tingyu is an apprentice this year; next year at this time he'll be a full worker—with his skills, getting a second‑class forge‑worker rating is a breeze."

"By then he'll earn over twenty taels a month~"

"She's climbing a high branch, and she's three years older than my Tingyu—don't be ungrateful!"

"Miss this village, and there's no other shop!!"

Gao Xushi pondered, "Just wait; wait till you marry in, and see how I'll deal with you!!"

As for Gao Xushi's words, let's not mention the matchmaker's reaction for now.

Yet everyone in the courtyard wore a look of contempt.

"Pah, what military household."

"You may fool others, but you can't fool us all."

"But it's just that the current policies are good; the present emperor has a compassionate heart."

"When someone dies on the battlefield, they not only receive bereavement funds, but also an annual ten taels."

"If it were the previous emperor, he wouldn't care about people at all."

"That said, your Tingyu is all right, but isn't it a problem to have a lazy, gluttonous mother like you?"

Lu Yuan saw this and couldn't be bothered to look.

These people still thought Su Liyan ran away because of those two taels.

"Today's just a minor disturbance; I reckon once I bring Su Liyan back in a couple of days, that'll be the real uproar."

Lu Yuan usually blends into the background in this courtyard; after all, his family has no adults to back him up—just him alone.

Passing through the front courtyard into the middle one, I found the middle courtyard deserted—sure enough, everyone had run to the front to watch the excitement.

Lu Yuan lives in the rear courtyard, with two rooms.

This was handed down from Lu Yuan's ancestors; many people have their eyes on it.

For example, some families of five crowd into one room, only thirty or forty square meters, making it hard to turn around normally.

But Lu Yuan alone has two rooms, which makes some people resentful.

Returning to his room, he bundled his bedding and put it into his storage space, then checked the kitchen—nothing ready to eat—so he finally grabbed a bottle of scattered liquor.

He'd eaten plenty at noon, so Lu Yuan isn't very hungry now; he plans to go buy some peanuts on the street later, and that'll be it for tonight.

By now the front‑court commotion has mostly died down; everyone's heading home and should start cooking.

Lu Yuan saw these people walking toward him and instinctively opened his system.

Lu Yuan had already set his system to alert him when he encounters a high star, but it's normally not displayed.

Otherwise, everyone's head would have a star hovering over it, making it feel like a game, with these people all seeming like NPCs—it feels weird.

Using the star‑rating tag system, he glanced at the people in the courtyard.

Instantly Lu Yuan was speechless.

Regarding the star rating, Lu Yuan had pretty much figured it out after today.

Generally speaking, two and a half stars is the normal rating.

If there's that kind of warm‑hearted good person, the rating goes up a bit—for example, three stars.

Of course, if someone's a bit treacherous, the rating goes down—for example, two stars.

Four‑ and five‑star ratings are basically never seen.

Like Su Liyan—she's literally a pie that fell from the sky, and Lu Yuan snatched it away.

And the people in this courtyard……

Good fellow……

They're either one star or one and a half stars.

Gao Xushi is straight up a half star.

As for the people in this courtyard, only Kou Yang's rating is somewhat normal—two and a half stars.

The others……

Looking at the labels beneath these people's star ratings.

【Scheme】

【Loves to Eat, Lazy to Work】

【Idle and Fond of Leisure】

【Cunning and Treacherous】

【Moral Blackmail】

【Obsessed with Official Position】

【Abusing Power to Bully】

【Greedy】

……

What the hell are all these?!!

Damn it, turns out I've been living with a bunch of beasts all along?

Damn it……

When Lu Yuan went out, a voice came from nearby:

"Yo, Xiao Yuan just got back and you're already heading out?"

Hmm?

Lu Yuan followed the sound and saw the Third Elder in the courtyard squinting and grinning at him.

Judging by his looks, he seems like a good person.

But when he glanced upward at his head.

★☆

【Taking Small Advantages】【Extremely Stingy】【Selfish】

What a fellow, Lu Yuan took a look and indeed the Third Elder was eyeing the bottle of powder in his hand.

Lu Yuan said calmly:

"Yeah, I'm going out to eat and have a couple drinks tonight."

Hearing that, the Third Elder perked up and said:

"Yo, where are you headed for drinks? Coincidentally, I've got nothing to do tonight—do you want to get a wife? Let me help you figure it out."

This makes it sound like I'm a matchmaker.

Lu Yuan, however, knows that this Third Elder is actually just a schoolteacher.

Immediately, Lu Yuan said directly:

"No thanks, I'm drinking with others—I have a cough."

Having said that, Lu Yuan lifted his leg and walked away.

The smile on the Third Elder's face froze; after he came to his senses, Lu Yuan had already walked away.

Watching Lu Yuan's retreating back, the Third Elder couldn't help but spit.

Really lacking in vision!

What kind of conduct!

With no adult backing at home and not even trying to get on good terms with the elders in this courtyard, I don't know how you'll manage in the future!!

People like Gao Tingyu already had his mother arranging a wife for him at twenty—what about you?!

You deserve to not be able to get a wife!

……

On the way out of the hospital, Lu Yuan could hear people walking back in twos and threes, talking about what just happened.

I don't think he ran away; it's definitely that village girl who wants status—she came today for a matchmaking, hoping to get two benefits; if it works out, once she marries in she won't be pushed around.

I think so too; although she's a village lass, she's smart—she'll definitely be back the day after tomorrow.

Exactly, although his Gao family's conditions aren't great, that compensation is two hundred solid silver; besides, he's a city person—such conditions aren't just for the countryside, you can find similar in the city.

This morning I didn't see that girl; I heard she's grown a nice nose, or maybe she's a fox woman; when she comes back I'll have to take a good look.

Hearing the neighbors' gossip, Lu Yuan didn't say anything, just felt extremely pleased.

Su Liyan will definitely come the day after tomorrow.

But by then, she'll be my wife~

(End of chapter)