Chapter 231: Offering Oneself

To this, Jiang Li didn't care.

"It doesn't matter, my wife can be however she wants, no need to pay attention to others' gazes."

What's more, a man's face should be earned by himself; how can he rely on his wife's beauty to gain attention?

Since the person involved didn't care, outsiders naturally wouldn't say anything.

Prefect Li tactfully kept silent.

Wang Buji nagged a few more times, but Jiang Li threw a glance at him, and he quickly shut his mouth in embarrassment.

Du Ruo smiled at Jiang Li and lowered her eyes.

Du Ruo never took to heart how others viewed her; but if others looked down on Jiang Li, she couldn't tolerate it no matter what.

Anyway, everyone she would see later would be female guests, so it didn't matter.

Then she might as well appear in her true form.

Thinking of this, Du Ruo already had an idea in her heart.

The Lin residence was neither far nor near from Yugui Shan; the carriage ride took about an hour. By mid-morning, the group finally reached their destination.

Compared to the Li residence, the Lin residence was much smaller.

A two-courtyard residence, half-new and half-old, not showing off, located in the shade of bamboo, very elegant.

They arrived quite early; only a few carriages were parked at the door, and a donkey was tied to the willow tree in front of the door, leisurely chewing on fresh green grass.

The Lin residence servants hurriedly led the four inside.

Just as they crossed the threshold, someone suddenly rushed out from the side, grabbed Du Ruo's hand, and laughed heartily, "Sister-in-law Jiang, you've finally arrived, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Wasn't it Lin Ruonan?

Lin Ruonan was still dressed in men's clothing. Although her figure was petite and her voice crisp, her smile was bright, her demeanor generous, and her appearance quite heroic.

If you didn't look closely, you would really think she was a dashing young man.

Du Ruo naturally knew Lin Ruonan's identity, held her hand back, and smiled, "I must trouble Miss Lin today."

"Hey, what trouble or not trouble, Sister-in-law Jiang, you're being too distant."

Lin Ruonan said carelessly, "You are my savior, I am very grateful in my heart. From now on, what's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours. Just treat this Lin residence as your own home, don't be polite, okay?"

Saying this, she cupped her hands toward Prefect Li and called out "Lord Li".

Then she looked at Wang Buji, "Big fool."

Wang Buji rolled his eyes. Big is big, why must he add the word 'fool'?

You're the fool, your whole family is fools.

He crossed his arms and snorted disdainfully from his nostrils, "Man-woman."

Lin Ruonan's willow eyebrows stood up, and she reached out to touch the soft whip at her waist.

She stopped halfway. Forget it, there were many guests at home today, and her mother had warned her early in the morning not to use her hands.

I'll spar with you another day, humph!

"Brother Jiang, you and Lord Li go sit in the flower hall first, my father and several uncles are already waiting there." Lin Ruonan signaled the servants to lead the way and smiled, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law Jiang will be left to me. I guarantee not a single hair will be missing, and I'll return her to you intact."

Jiang Li nodded, "Then I'll trouble Miss Lin to take good care of my wife."

Watching the three men leave, Lin Ruonan also affectionately took Du Ruo's arm and turned to walk toward the inner courtyard.

Passing through the hanging flower gate and along the covered walkway, they arrived at the west wing.

Lin Ruonan stood at the door of one of the rooms and shouted, "Mother, Mother, come out quickly, Sister-in-law Jiang is here!"

"What are you shouting for? Not even half a girl's appearance." A middle-aged woman with a plump figure and dressed elegantly walked out from inside, glared at Lin Ruonan in disgust, "What did Mother tell you? A girl should smile without showing teeth, walk without swaying the skirt, look at what you're wearing..."

Her peripheral vision caught Du Ruo, and her voice suddenly stopped.

"This, must be Lady Du, right?"

Du Ruo curtsied slightly, "Yes, Madam, I wish you health."

Lady Lin cleared her throat awkwardly, her gaze sweeping over Du Ruo, and she smiled, "Lady Du also likes to wear men's clothing?"

Du Ruo was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, "Not really, just for convenience on the road."

Lady Lin laughed, "I said so. How could there be another girl in this world like our wild girl, who doesn't love red makeup but loves men's clothing!"

"Mother, you're doing it again." Lin Ruonan stomped her feet, acting like a spoiled child.

Lady Lin pushed her aside in annoyance, stepped forward to hold Du Ruo's hand, her tone full of gratitude, "The old master told me that in this bandit suppression, if it weren't for Head Constable Jiang and Lady Du, I'm afraid Ruonan wouldn't have been able to escape death."

"You couple are our Lin family's great benefactors!"

Du Ruo naturally exchanged pleasantries again.

After the polite words were finished, Lady Lin pulled Du Ruo into the room, and the servants soon brought up excellent tea.

Lady Lin gave her daughter a wink.

Lin Ruonan curled her lips, stood up reluctantly, "Sister-in-law Jiang, you sit for a while, I'm going to relieve myself, I'll be back soon."

Du Ruo nodded with a smile.

Once Lin Ruonan left, the atmosphere in the room became inexplicably strange.

Du Ruo lowered her head and took a sip of tea.

She wasn't a naive girl; how could she not see that Lady Lin had deliberately sent her daughter away? Obviously, she had something to say to her.

What could she say? Besides the life-saving grace, there didn't seem to be anything else to talk about between her and the Lin family.

Lady Lin pressed her handkerchief to the corner of her mouth, coughed lightly twice, and asked tentatively, "I heard Lady Du's father is the Assistant Magistrate Du of Wutou Xian?"

Du Ruo smiled, "Madam heard wrong, I don't have a father. My father died before I was born."

Lady Lin: "..."

A bad start. This was a conversation that collapsed right at the beginning.

Lady Lin had also inquired about the messy affairs of the Du family in advance, so she naturally knew Du Ruo was speaking in anger.

She changed the subject, "Head Constable Jiang works in the Ya Men and can't go home often. Supporting the family inside and out depends entirely on Lady Du alone. It must be very hard, right?"

Hard?

Recalling the bits and pieces of the past half year, the corners of Du Ruo's mouth lifted involuntarily.

There must have been hard times, but there was more gratitude.

Gratitude to heaven for giving her a warm home, a considerate and handsome husband, a gentle and loving mother, and so many family members who supported and loved each other.

"It's alright." Du Ruo replied lightly.

She said 'it's alright', which actually meant it was really alright, but to Lady Lin's ears, it meant something else.

Equivalent to 'hard'.

Lady Lin continued to probe, "Does Lady Du want one more person in the family to share the burden for you?"

One more person?

Du Ruo raised an eyebrow, and a 100-decibel alarm bell rang in her head instantly.

No way, no way. Could it be that because Jiang Li saved Lin Ruonan, the Lin family intended for Lin Ruonan to offer herself?

This is truly... a big basin of dog blood!

Du Ruo's smile faded, "Madam, if you have something to say, please say it directly."

Lady Lin hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the attendants and asked, "What does Lady Du think of our Ruonan?"

Finally entering the main topic.

Du Ruo was speechless. This was saving someone and getting a ghost; they actually wanted to snatch her husband from her.

They think very beautifully!

She curled her lips, "Miss Lin is skilled in martial arts and heroic; naturally, she is extremely good."

"Lady Du also thinks Ruonan is good? Too good, then I can rest assured!" Lady Lin was overjoyed, looking relieved, "In the future, when we become one family, I think we can live in harmony."

*Heh*, Du Ruo was almost laughing with anger.

"I'm afraid I don't have that fortune to become one family with your daughter."

"Why not? You do. Whether we can become one family only needs one word from Lady Du."

Lady Lin looked at Du Ruo, her eyes burning, "I intend to marry into your Jiang family and give Ruonan to your second brother, Jiang Zhan. I wonder what Lady Du thinks?"

(They all say the pictures I put in front are particularly eerie, is this one festive enough?) ===== CHAPTER 232 =====