"Then there won't be any more misunderstandings about my Mu'er agreeing to the marriage with the Yun family, right?"
"No, no."
“Very good.” Long Er nodded. He turned to look at the large and small red cloth-wrapped boxes on the table and asked Old Man Ju, “These are the things they brought?”
Old Man Ju should be.
Ryuji asked again, "Is everything here?"
Old Man Ju should be right again.
Long Er waved his hand: "Throw them all out and smash them."
Old Man Ju was taken aback. Was he being instructed to smash things? Before he could react, the guards from the Long family had already stepped forward, grabbed the items, and gone out to smash them up.
Old Man Ju scratched his head. His first reaction was how wasteful it was, and his second was whether they would clean up the mess or not. The area in front of the shop also needed to be kept clean and tidy.
Long Er was unaware that Old Man Ju had completely veered off on the other side; he felt a great sense of satisfaction listening to the sound of things being smashed.
He smiled, coldly looked at the two old women, then glanced at the servants, straightened his sleeves, and slowly said, "That's it for now. You can go back and report to the Yun family."
The old women were pale-faced and only dared to nod.
Long Er continued, "However, I have something else to ask you all to pass on." He looked around and, seeing that everyone was listening attentively, smiled and said, "Please tell all the matchmakers in the city that Mu'er, the young lady from the Jujia Wine Shop outside the south of the city, is my betrothed, the second wife of the Long family. Anyone who dares to send gifts here to help another family propose marriage will be severely punished by me. If they don't want to stay in this city, feel free to try."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two old women knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for forgiveness. They explained that Madam Yun had summoned them earlier, instructing them to prepare the necessary documents and details for the marriage, saying that Miss Ju had agreed to the marriage, and that Lord Yun knew this and had even given them a reward. Originally, it was agreed that the preparations would be completed before the New Year, and the gifts would be presented afterward. However, rumors had been circulating that the Long family was going to send betrothal gifts. Madam Yun had said that they must finalize the marriage agreement no matter what. They had already received the money and dared not offend the Yun family, so they thought it would be better to present the betrothal gifts first. Accepting gifts from one family meant being engaged to that family; they had been foolish for a moment and would never do it again.
They stammered and begged for mercy, but Long Er had no interest in listening. He waved his hand and shouted, "Get lost."
The old women immediately fell silent, exchanged glances, and then quickly ran away with their servants.
Old Man Ju finally breathed a sigh of relief. He put on a smile and wanted to thank Long Er. Just as he moved closer, he saw Long Er turn to Ju Mu'er and say, "Come with me."
Ju Mu'er didn't dare to say no, and obediently let Long Er take her hand and walk towards the backyard where she lived.
She was filled with mixed feelings; she was happy that Long Er had resolved this farcical situation, but also worried that it might change her marriage plans with him. Because now, it seemed that Long Er already understood her intention to propose.
If she were him, she would be furious right now. After all, she was using him in this whole affair. She was being forced into marriage, and she needed a strong backing, a husband's family that could rival the Yun family. To achieve her goal, she even used Manager Lü's wrongful conviction to threaten him.
Ju Mu'er felt that her actions were indeed despicable and shameless. If he rebuked her now, told her that he would not marry her, and announced that the marriage was canceled, she would not say a word. She felt that she would have no face to ask him for anything more.
Long Er led her into her room and sat down without saying a word. Ju Mu'er stood beside him, not daring to say anything. After a while, Long Er spoke, asking Ju Mu'er to pour him a cup of tea.
This was in Ju Mu'er's house, and she was very familiar with everything. This time, she didn't complain or make any jokes. She just quietly and quickly poured Long Er a cup of tea.
Long Er picked up the cup, slowly finished his drink, glanced at Ju Mu'er who was standing nervously to the side, and asked for another cup. Ju Mu'er touched the cup and refilled it for him.
This time, Long Er didn't drink it, but only asked, "Why didn't you ask me if it tasted good?"
Ju Mu'er blinked and asked, "Second Master, is the tea good?"
"not bad."
Ju Mu'er blinked again, feeling her eyes getting hot. Actually, he really is a very, very good person.
"Second Master, shall I give you a shoulder massage?"
“Okay.” Long Er agreed quickly, taking her hand and placing it on his shoulder.
Ju Mu'er massaged him earnestly, and after a while, she started kneading him. His shoulders and back were strong, so kneading them was actually quite strenuous. As Ju Mu'er kneaded, she felt an indescribable sadness. While she despised herself, she still longed to marry him, and she longed to be protected by him.
She mustered the courage to propose because she happened to encounter such an opportunity, which she felt was God's arrangement. Otherwise, how could such a thing have happened at that time, giving her a reason and a bargaining chip? That's how he became her husband. He was somewhat wicked and loved to torment people, but she inexplicably trusted him.
She knew he wouldn't hurt her, and after spending time together, she also knew he could protect her, and that he was willing to protect her.
Maybe there's no chance anymore, but she really wants to marry him.
Ju Mu'er held back the tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps this was the last time she would massage his shoulders, and she did so very carefully.
Long Er suddenly grabbed her hand. Ju Mu'er wanted to call out to him, but she found that her throat was choked and she couldn't make a sound.
Just then, she heard Long Er ask, "How did she force you?"
Ju Mu'er closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and finally managed to speak: "She told my father to take good care of himself." He really knew. Ju Mu'er felt despair seeping into her heart little by little.
All those things he said to the matchmaker just now were just him showing off, right? He won't marry her again, will he?
Long Er stood up, turned to face her, and looked closely at her face. Seeing that she looked like she was about to cry, he said softly, "You were bullied, why didn't you tell me?"
Ju Mu'er was taken aback. What did he mean by that?
Long Er pulled her into his arms and said again, "You were bullied, why didn't you tell me?"
Ju Mu'er trembled slightly, biting her lip, she could hardly believe it.
Long Er stroked her hair and hugged her tightly: "Mu'er, I will never let anyone bully you again, I promise."
Ju Mu'er could no longer hold back and burst into tears in his arms.
27 Blind Girl Feels Remorse for Resolving Crisis
In all his years, Long Er has only ever held two crying girls.
One of them was Bao'er. Back then, when Long San and his noisy wife went on a long trip, they left three-year-old Bao'er in his care. When Bao'er missed her parents, she would hug him and cry loudly. At that time, Long Er thought that if anyone dared to put a crying girl in his arms again, he would definitely beat him to death.
But now, Ju Mu'er was crying so pitifully in his arms, and he couldn't bear to let her go. She was clearly a twenty-year-old spinster, clearly so cunning and so good at making people angry, but he felt that she was just as heartbreaking as Bao'er was when she was three years old.
He could use small toys to coax Bao'er when she cried, but he didn't know how to coax Ju Mu'er, a grown woman.
Fortunately, Ju Mu'er stopped crying after a while. Long Er breathed a sigh of relief, pulled her to sit down on a chair, and then pulled up another chair for himself, sitting opposite her. The two of them were knee to knee and face to face.
Ju Mu'er took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and Long Er took it from her and helped her wipe her face clean. The two sat for a while, then Long Er took her hand and asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Ju Mu'er nodded.
Long Er added, "The managers in various parts of the manor are still waiting for me to return to discuss matters."
Ju Mu'er nodded again.
Long Er feigned displeasure: "Shouldn't you be trying to coax me into staying at a time like this?"
Ju Mu'er blinked and asked, "What are you staying for?"
I'll stay with you! Do you even need to ask that? Does she even know what it means to be affectionate?
Long Er, annoyed, flicked her forehead with his finger: "I knew you were no good at winning people over."
"I will." Ju Mu'er held his hand, her soft voice sweet enough to overflow with honey: "Second Master, please stay and keep Mu'er company."
The sudden change startled Long Er, his heart skipping a beat from her sweet talk. But he noticed the sly smile playing on her lips, and he coughed, trying to project an air of authority: "I'm busy, I need to go back and discuss matters with the managers."
"No, Master, stay and keep me company." Ju Mu'er's voice was even softer and sweeter, but her laughter was even more mischievous.
Long Er almost laughed at her, but he held back and said in a rough voice, "No, you woman, don't get in my way while I'm doing my business."
"No, no, I won't..." Ju Mu'er said, but finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. She laughed until her body went limp, and Long Er took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, scolding her, "If you keep pestering me, I'll get angry."
Hearing this, Ju Mu'er laughed until tears streamed down her face. Long Er also laughed, hugging her and pinching her earlobe.
The two of them burst into laughter, and finally, after they had laughed enough, Ju Mu'er asked, "Does Second Master like this?"
Long Er cleared his throat: "That's right."
Ju Mu'er couldn't help but laugh again: "Then Mu'er will do her best to please Second Master."
Long Er imagined what it would be like for Ju Mu'er to speak like that in the future, and couldn't help but get goosebumps. He said in a rough voice, "I allow you to remain the same."
Ju Mu'er smiled and nudged him, "Let's go back, don't we still have matters to discuss?"
"Hmm." He held her for a while longer. She didn't move or urge him anymore, just letting him hold her like that. After a while, Long Er finally put her down, straightened her clothes and hair, and said, "I really have to go now, but there are some things you should make clear to me. I like to resolve troubles before they happen. I don't want to have to drop everything to come and protect you every time."
He said he was unwilling, but he actually rushed over eagerly.
Ju Mu'er blinked, then felt her eyes welling up again. She nodded and said, "There's really nothing between me and Lord Yun. He told me he wanted to marry me, but I didn't agree. After that, he came less often. Every time he came, we didn't say anything to each other; he would just sit for a while and then leave. Then Madam Yun came once. I thought she was there to interrogate me, but I didn't expect it was to win Lord Yun's favor and force me to marry him."
"Then why was the engagement with Chen Liangze called off?" Long Er was unsure whether Yun Qingxian was also involved in this matter.
Ju Mu'er hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm blind."
Long Er looked at her, unsure of what to think. She was still blind, but she wanted to marry him.
Ju Mu'er couldn't see Long Er's expression, but she still felt the pressure under his gaze. She lowered her head, unsure of what to do with her hands, and could only twist them together.
Long Er decided to look on the bright side of the matter. He thought that he would hardly ever meet a girl who was so compatible with him again. Perhaps it was all God's arrangement. Otherwise, why would it be him and her?
If she weren't blind, she would already be married. If she were married, she wouldn't have been forced into marriage by Yun Qingxian. If she weren't forced into marriage, she wouldn't have asked him for his hand in marriage. And if her neighbor's younger sister hadn't fallen seriously ill, she wouldn't have come to him. If Manager Lü hadn't been involved in the case, their paths might not have crossed in the first place.
Therefore, it must be God's arrangement.
Although Long Er knew that thinking this way was somewhat naive and childish, and did not conform to his principle of always preparing for the worst, he was still willing to think this way.
Anyway, it's her.
Long Er cleared his throat, stroked Ju Mu'er's hair, and said softly, "I'll come see you tonight."
Ju Mu'er nodded, relieved that he wasn't going to press her further, but she also felt very sorry for him, and a wave of sadness and guilt washed over her. How good would she have to be to him to make up for her guilt?
"I'm leaving," Long Er said.
Ju Mu'er agreed. Long Er looked at her, then pinched her earlobe. Just as he was about to turn away, she suddenly rushed forward and hugged him.
"Second Master."
"Um?"
"Take care, Second Master."
"Okay." If she let go of him, he could really leave.
But she was still holding on.
"Why isn't Second Master leaving?" the girl holding him asked what he thought was a silly question. How could he walk while being held?
“Once Second Master leaves, I will naturally let go.” Ju Mu’er seemed to know what Long Er was thinking.
"If you let go, I'll leave naturally."
Ju Mu'er didn't speak, but she didn't let go either. Long Er waited for a while, his heart softening. Just as he was about to raise his hand to hug her, Ju Mu'er suddenly let go of him, took two steps back, and smiled at him: "Take care, Second Master."
Long Er was stunned. Had he been tricked by this girl again? Was she teasing him and then sending him away?
Seeing Ju Mu'er's sweet smile, Long Er wanted to do the opposite and say he wasn't leaving. But he knew that all the shopkeepers in the room were waiting for him, and he had to go.
Long Er walked out of Ju Mu'er's room full of resentment. As he walked, he thought about his conversation and actions with Ju Mu'er. As he thought about it, he couldn't help but smile.
Long Er walked to the outer hall of the wine shop and immediately reverted to his shrewd and serious self.
He left two guards to watch over the wine shop, saying that they would be there to help if anything else happened. He instructed them to return immediately to report any major incidents, and then he also told Old Man Ju and Granny Yu to discuss and clarify everything beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings, and to report all agreed-upon matters to him. The two old men nodded in agreement.