Third marriage

Long Er agreed, and Old Man Ju's eyes lit up with excitement: "Second Master, my daughter said she's marrying you."

He already knew!

Long Er sighed, glancing up at Ju Mu'er standing not far away. She was smiling in his direction, and perhaps sensing his gaze, she added, "Second Master, go back and get some rest!"

Ryuji felt a pang of tenderness in his heart again.

On his way back, he thought to himself that he would come to see her tomorrow.

18. Feelings gradually developed between them.

The next day, Long Er got up very early. He remembered that he had forgotten to bring the medicine back to Ju Mu'er the night before, so he ordered someone to prepare the prescription and medicine packet, and prepared a carriage. He would personally deliver the medicine to her.

Before leaving, Manager Tie reported all the things he needed to do that day. Long Er glanced at them, made his calculations, delivered the medicine, and visited her. He then took the opportunity to make another round of inspections of the shops. Manager Lü wasn't at the tea shop, so he needed to show his concern by appearing frequently to prevent the staff from becoming distracted and anxious. Business was booming before the New Year, so he couldn't afford to be complacent.

Next, he will have lunch with Mr. Liu from Yicheng. In the afternoon, he may have some time to go back to his residence to review the case files. In the evening, he will entertain several high-ranking officials from the court at Manxianglou, as they enjoy the girls there.

Of all the time slots available, this morning is truly the only time I can visit Ju Mu'er.

Long Er was very satisfied. He had taken time out of his busy schedule to see her. She should be very touched. Now she wouldn't worry about whether he would break off the engagement, right?

When Ryuji arrived at the pub, he realized he'd been dreaming. Because that lazy girl, Ju Mu'er, was still asleep!

Old Man Ju and his two men had all gotten up and eaten breakfast, and were busy with their own things, but that lazy girl hadn't gotten up yet!

Long Er's face turned pale.

What bothered him most wasn't that Ju Mu'er was sleeping in late, but that another young man was coming to see her with gifts at this time.

The young man seemed to be very familiar with Old Man Ju, and they talked as if they were brothers-in-law. He also brought fruits and snacks, and without asking any questions, he seemed to know that Ju Mu'er liked them. Old Man Ju did not refuse them at all and accepted them directly.

Finally, the young man smiled politely and took his leave, only saying that he would ask Old Man Ju to tell Mu'er to take good care of her injuries after she got up, and that he would come to see her again if he had time.

Old Man Ju hurriedly agreed and escorted the man to the entrance of the wine shop, saying, "Liangze, take care. Please give my regards to your family and Mu'er to your wife."

Liangze? Long Er felt the name sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before. He glanced at Li Ke, who looked distressed and was bracing himself to step forward to answer his master's question when Old Man Ju returned from the doorway.

He said to Long Er with a regretful look, "Alas, it's really not meant to be. Liangze and Mu'er grew up together, learning the zither and reading books together. Originally, both our families thought they were a good match and even arranged a marriage between them. But Mu'er's eyes went bad, and I don't know what she was thinking, she just refused to marry him. Alas, now he's married and about to have a baby."

Long Er's face was as black as charcoal, and his eyes were like blades, shooting straight at Li Ke.

Li Ke was utterly innocent. He hadn't said those words, he hadn't found Chen Liangze, and he hadn't arranged their engagement. It had absolutely nothing to do with him. Master, your ability to take your anger out on others is truly remarkable. He was a loyal and devoted guard!

Old Man Ju, oblivious to the subtle nuances of the situation, continued, "I see everyone else is doing quite well, but my daughter, she's gone blind and can't do many things anymore. She used to love reading, but now she can only touch the pages and listen to the rustling of the pages. She also plays the piano less often..."

As he spoke, he became increasingly saddened, rubbing his eyes: "Back then, none of the qin (a seven-stringed zither) teachers dared to teach her, saying she played better than them. They said if my Mu'er were a boy, she could truly compete for the title of the number one qin player. But in the end, she lost everything, she couldn't see anything, it was so pitiful. She even threw a tantrum and insisted on breaking off the engagement. Liangze said he didn't mind and wanted to marry her, but she didn't care, hurting the relationship between the two families. Fortunately, Liangze is kind-hearted and didn't hold a grudge. Now that he's doing well, when he heard Mu'er was injured, he still remembered to send her things and come to visit her. He's so thoughtful."

Li Ke kept giving Old Man Ju meaningful glances. Didn't you see Second Master's hands were clenched into fists? Didn't you see how tense Second Master's face was? Didn't you see the bluish tinge on Second Master's forehead?

Father, do you think Second Master is some distant relative visiting from the neighborhood? Stop talking about that engagement and broken-off engagement from ages ago! Second Master is, right now, the very fiancé of Miss Ju! Is it appropriate for you to keep nagging like this?

After talking for a while, Old Man Ju finally realized what was going on and asked, "Second Master, would you like some tea?"

Long Er held his breath and answered in a hard voice, "I won't drink."

"Would you like some drinks?" Old Man Ju continued to warmly invite them, since his family might not have much else, but they had plenty of alcohol!

"I won't drink." Ryuji's voice remained firm.

Li Ke continued to wink at her, "Father, isn't this the time to wake Miss Ju up, let her meet the master, and make him happy? Why are you drinking tea or wine? It's so early in the morning, Father, is this appropriate?"

Old Man Ju seemed to understand, and the topic finally circled back to Ju Mu'er. He said, "Mu'er hasn't gotten up yet; we have to wait until she's had enough sleep. Second Master, are you going to continue waiting, or stay for lunch?"

Li Ke choked and coughed a few times. What's the difference between continuing to wait and staying for lunch?

"I'm not waiting any longer, let her sleep!" Long Er got up and walked out, with Old Man Ju following behind, seeing him outside.

Li Ke followed, wondering if Old Man Ju could understand that Second Master was saying these words through gritted teeth.

Old Master Ju thanked her all the way, saying thank you for treating Mu'er and getting her medicine, and that he would tell Mu'er that his second master had come to see her when she got up.

Long Er looked frustrated and remained silent until he got into the car. Suddenly, he said, "Don't tell her I was here." He didn't want to end up like Chen Liangze. If Old Man Ju told Ju Mu'er that Liangze and Second Master had come to see her, putting them together, wouldn't he be disgusted?

Therefore, it's better not to mention it at all!

Old Man Ju didn't understand, but he still nodded. Li Ke sighed inwardly; this old man really didn't know how to make people happy. Just as he finished thinking this, Old Man Ju leaned closer to him and whispered, "Guard Li, are your eyes not feeling well? I've noticed them twitching."

Li Ke suddenly felt his face tighten, and for a moment he was speechless.

Old Man Ju said again, "If you're not feeling well, you must get proper treatment. Eye problems are not to be taken lightly. Doctor Qi Shi in the city is extremely famous for treating eyes. You can go and have a look at him. He treated Mu'er's eyes back then, but it's been two years now, and I don't know if he's moved. I'll write down his address for you later, and you can go and have a look."

Li Ke knew in her heart that the old man meant well. But was it really appropriate to introduce someone else to a doctor who hadn't cured her daughter's eyes, especially one she hadn't seen for two years and didn't even know if he was still alive?

Li Ke glanced at his master with a bitter face, only to find that his expression had improved. It seemed that embarrassing moments of being outdone by others were indeed a way to soothe his mood.

Finally, the master and servant set off with a farewell from Old Man Ju. After traveling for a while, Long Er suddenly lifted the carriage curtain and asked Li Ke, "Tell me, how could someone like Old Man Ju have such a clever daughter?"

Li Ke didn't reply, continuing to ride his horse in silence. That was his master's future father-in-law; he dared not comment on him. Look, his master had called him cunning before, but now he's called him clever. He used to hate him with a passion, but now he's eagerly coming to see him first thing in the m

……